W2WF: Syracuse

Every year, the football schedule release enables and fosters a level of excitement around the upcoming fall. Dates are penciled and circled, and it begins an immediate discussion of the dynamics of the upcoming season. It's the first real sign of transition from "last year" to "next year," and it injects much-needed enthusiasm into the doldrums of the offseason.

The schedule reveal is almost always an intriguing day because of the opponents. The conference schedule, albeit an annual exercise with the same teams, becomes an intricate part of what people see, and emotions will vary based on the level of intensity within a rivalry.

So it's no surprise when certain games draw more attention for the Boston College schedule reveal. Games against national powerhouses like Clemson will always draw special consideration, and the concerted effort to keep Notre Dame on the schedule always creates a big game feel. But there are few games that match the intensity, history, familiarity and geographic appeal of the Syracuse rivalry.

"I can remember when I was a young coach and I was starting at Syracuse," BC head coach Steve Addazio said. "We'd talk about the BC game, the West Virginia game, the Pittsburgh game. It was fun. That piece of it was tremendous. Everything was kind of paralleled. We were all kind of the same. There were no haves and have-not kind of issues. We all faced the same challenges."

The BC-Syracuse rivalry is one of the last bastions of old northeast football. It dates back to an older era before "power conferences" had national television contracts. It's a reminder of a simpler time when two teams played each other because they simply didn't like each other. The majority of eastern teams were independent, and the best team won the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy, even if it didn't receive an invite to a bowl game.

It almost always popped up at a critical point in a season. In 1983, BC lost on the road to Syracuse, 21-10, before beating both Holy Cross and Alabama. It prevented the Eagles from winning 10 games, though it didn't ultimately keep the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy from them. It made the next year sweeter when BC won, 24-16, at Foxboro Stadium before the Miracle in Miami.

By 1993, the two teams had forged a partnership as members of the Big East, and the Orange opened the league as one of its more dominant programs. The dynamic changed that October, though, when an unranked BC team, fresh off two losses to start the season, upset No. 13 Syracuse on the road, 33-29. It evened the Eagle record at 2-2, and BC wouldn't lose again until the last game of the year against West Virginia.

There are games throughout the years worth mentioning, but none stick out more than the 2004 game at Alumni Stadium. BC, in its last season in the Big East, needed only a win in that finale to clinch a conference championship and open the door to the Bowl Championship Series, but Syracuse needed the win to force a four-way, shared championship while gaining bowl eligibility. The ensuing game, which marks its 15th anniversary this season, is one of the most painful moments in BC program history and one of the brightest for the Orange.

Those games feel alternatively like both recent and ancient history, especially now that there's an annual game between the two schools. The ten-year absence as conference compatriots felt like something was missing, but it returned with a vengeance when both Syracuse and Pittsburgh joined the ACC in 2013. It recreated old feelings that will once again be revisited on Saturday when BC heads to the Carrier Dome.

"I think Pittsburgh should be on our side," Addazio said. "I'm big on geographical deals. When we play out of conference, those games tend to be geographically based. Part of it is that I was brought up at Syracuse and the Big East, and I'm used to that kind of thing. It's good fan interest. It's good player interest. It's good recruiting interest. I love it. So the more of that, the better, to me."

Nothing beats some good old fashioned hate in college football, and BC's only big time, northeast rivalry in-league is Syracuse. It's the identity of this region, and it harkens back to an older time. Whatever happens on Saturday will etch into a long history and create an individualized chapter for lore.

Here's what to watch for when the rivalry renews on Saturday:

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Weekly Storylines

High speed pursuit.

Neither team remotely attempts to hide its style of play from one another. Both teams run up-tempo, but use different styles, with BC utilizing a hammer-down, blunt force attack in comparison to Syracuse's pass-based approach. It creates a scenario where both defenses understand the challenge on the other side, and the team that can come up with the right stop at the right time will likely win.

"We have respect for Syracuse, even though it's a rivalry game," defensive back Brandon Sebastian said. "We know they're going to give us their all, and we're going to give them our all, too."

Those fast, high-speed offenses mean both teams struggle to control clock time, but there's a big difference within the reasons why. Syracuse holds the ball, on average, for two minutes more per game than BC, and the Eagles are ranked No. 119 in FBS in time of possession. But BC's offense is infinitely more potent, ranking 29th in the nation in total offense and 52nd in scoring points. In contrast, Syracuse is No. 94 in total offense and No. 100 in scoring offense.

Don't run wide open.

There's always added emphasis on a quarterback, especially in Syracuse's style of play, but a thrower is only as good as the weapons around him. In that regard, the Orange have always been able to produce a number of game-breaking players who fly all over the field with a variety of jobs.

On the outside, both Trishton Jackson and Taj Harris have one-on-one speed and form a lethal combination capable of wreaking havoc for defensive backs in single coverage. Jackson, a transfer from Michigan State, is particularly sound and leads the team in nearly every receiving category. His 43 catches, 632 yards and six scores all top their respective categories, and his 79 yards-per-game average is more than 20 yards better than Harris, the next best receiver.

"(Tommy) is a good football player and a tough kid," Steve Addazio said. "He's an athletic guy. If you give him an opportunity, he's going to distribute all over the field. And Jackson is one of the better receivers in the country. We have a lot of good receivers in the conference, but he's right up there. He's a super talented guy."

The duo will command attention on vertical and outside routes, in turn opening up the underneath routes for possession receiver Sean Riley and running back Moe Neal. Neal is probably the most interesting candidate because Syracuse is increasingly relying on his ability to run the football. It's an underrated and overlooked component against the flashy passing attack.

"I saw some growth (on Saturday)," Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said of the running game. "I thought that we finally had a series where we ran the football and moved the football. That growth needs to continue."

Objects in mirror…

There are two major emotional components for this game that the Eagles need to manage. The first is the rivalry setting at the Carrier Dome, a building known for its hostile environment. Because of the roof, noise has nowhere to go, so even smaller crowds are capable of generating a cacophony of issues for the offense. The rivalry nature of this game will ratchet that up by a factor, and players can't lose their cool because they're playing a team that they know they simply don't like.

"We're traveling up to the dome, which is a tough environment," Steve Addazio said. "I've spent enough years there myself, whether it be here (at BC) or when I coached there. That's always a tough place to play, and it has a different feel to it."

The second piece is the context of this year's rivalry game. Syracuse is still hunting for its first conference win, and a loss would make it very difficult for the Orange to make a bowl game. Two of their final three games are on the road before the season finale against Wake Forest, and they would need to win all of them in order to become bowl eligible.

BC is coming off of a demoralizing loss to Clemson, but the timetable and return to play a rivalry game means the Eagles had to move on before they ever disembarked from their flight home. The historic sense of this matchup throws records and past games out the window, and Addazio knows that Syracuse likely circled the BC matchup at the same time as the Eagles.

"I think there's a sense of urgency from both teams," Addazio said. "This is a rival game, and records don't matter in rivalry games. These two teams play each other like it's the last game of the year. This is one of those games where none of those things matter. They're going to get our best shot, and we're going to give them our best shot. These are two teams that are going to get after each other."

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Countdown to Kickoff

10…Since the start of 2017, Boston College has 10 games of 500 yards or more of total offense.
9…Syracuse is ninth in the conference in third down conversion rate at 38% It's nearly a full 20% lower than BC.
8…This is the eighth BC-Syracuse meeting since the Orange joined the ACC. Syracuse leads the series, 4-3.
7…The 2019 Eagles are vying to become the seventh BC team averaging 32 points per game. Six teams currently occupy the top five slots with that number, including last year's team.
6…Despite drawing penalties, Syracuse is the sixth-best in the conference at getting to the quarterback for a sack.
5…BC leads the ACC with five sacks allowed in 2019. Syracuse ranks last in the conference with 42 sacks allowed.
4…Syracuse QB Tommy Devito enters Saturday as the fourth-best passer in the ACC with 1,786 yards.
3…The Orange are the third most penalized defense in college football with 78 flags assessed.
2…Two of the last four meetings have been decided by 10 points or less.
1...AJ Dillon needs one touchdown to become BC program record holder for rushing scores.

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BC-Syracuse X Factor

Boston College defensive front

The Syracuse offense has had issues this year with consistently moving the football, and it enters Saturday with low rates of return on third down. Its points per game are way down from last year, and its time of possession and average time per drive rank near the bottom of FBS.

Some of that is by design because Dino Babers is always going to have a go-fast offense capable of moving at lightning warp speed, but there's an element of regression to the team this year. Most of the personnel is back from last year, save for quarterback Eric Dungey, but Tommy Devito is a capable backup who performed well in relief whenever Dungey went down injured. So there's no real reason why the numbers are down unless the team is dealing with the after effects of a memorable season last year.

BC's defense is struggling this year, and there's no real way around the obvious issues bookending the NC State game. At some point during a season, a unit is what its numbers say it is until it consistently improved over two or three games. It creates a reasonable expectation that the Orange will find some measure of success until the performance on the field in the game proves otherwise.

Because both units are struggling, one will likely feed off the other. The BC defense will either have a monster game, or the Syracuse offense will turn this game into a track meet; the numbers support either theory. The tide will turn and shift, though, in the trenches, where the Syracuse offensive line is surrendering over five sacks per game. That ranks dead last in the entire FBS - No. 130 out of 130 teams.

That degree of struggle translates to potential success for a defensive line that has played pretty well at times this year. The issues haven't been with talent or even individual performances; the defense has more or less dealt with inconsistency because its starters are, for the most part, inexperienced in playing every down. That's gotten better at times this year, but this is the kind of game where it needs a breakthrough.

If BC can control the line, it'll control the Syracuse offense. It's the type of medicine that will spill over and heal some of the woes in the secondary. If that happens, it'll be the second time in three games where the unit excelled. That sounds substantially better than its current trend, which is three of the last four games surrendering an offensive explosion.

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Meteorology 101

The best part about playing Syracuse is that the weather doesn't matter because the Orange are one of two FBS programs, along with Texas-San Antonio, playing indoors in a domed stadium.

In some ways, the Carrier Dome is more iconic to its programs after opening in 1980 and serving as the home to both the Syracuse football and basketball teams. It's widely recognized, and mentioning the school's name immediately conjures the thoughts and images of the stadium. That's different from the Alamodome, which is recognized as a multi-purpose stadium as the former home of both the Big 12 Championship and the San Antonio Spurs.

Travelers to Syracuse will at least enjoy good weather throughout the weekend after rains soaked the middle of the week. It's going to be sunny and beautiful during the afternoon on Saturday before temperatures drop into the 30s at night. That said, I've only been to Syracuse once, and I never really thought of it as a glamorous tourist destination.

Watching a game in a dome is one of the most unique experiences in sports if you're not accustomed to it. I went to the Carrier Dome for a non-conference game against Florida State in 2004, and I just remember the noise being a factor. It makes sense, given that the stadium is enclosed and not the same type of expansive, noise-dissipating atmosphere of some other, more comfortable venues.

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Scoreboard Watching, ACC Edition

The BC-Syracuse game is a huge game within the ACC because it will carry bowl selection implications. There's no doubt that it will impact the bowl pecking order, and it will have a definitive rumbling through the ACC's standings, especially within the Atlantic Division.

BC is currently in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, one game ahead of Syracuse, which is in sixth. NC State sits in between the two, but the Wolfpack only played three games, including the one loss to the Eagles and can't be considered on the same plateau as teams with more wins, at least not yet. Florida State is ahead of BC in fourth place with a half-game lead, with Louisville sitting one game ahead in third. Wake Forest, at 2-1, is temporarily in second but will filter throughout the mix in the next couple of weeks. Clemson, at 6-0 and 8-0 overall, has its customary stranglehold on first place.

In order to appropriately understand the scenarios, let's first look at the schedule. NC State is at Wake Forest at noon opposite BC-Syracuse. Miami is at Florida State at 3:30 p.m. In the Coastal Division, Pittsburgh is at Georgia Tech at 4 p.m. and Virginia is at North Carolina at 7:30 p.m.

Virginia Tech is at No. 16 Notre Dame in a non-conference game, while Wolford is being fed to the lions at No. 4 Clemson.

Now let's assume BC beats Syracuse. The Eagles would improve to 3-3 in conference play and have an opportunity to jump into third place in the division. Louisville is idle this week before playing next Saturday at Miami, and the bye week would enable BC to pull within a half game of third, as long as FSU loses. A BC win combined with an FSU win pushes the Seminoles into third place, ahead of that virtual tie. It would also pull the Eagles within a game of bowl eligibility with a titanic game against the Seminoles coming up next week.

A further tie could ensure if NC State beats Wake Forest because both teams would improve/fall to .500 in conference play. Again, most of that would need to shake down before a definitive analysis could incorporate either team, creating a whole bunch of gray area.

If BC loses to Syracuse, the whole situation complicates further. The Orange would hold an identical 4-5 overall record as the Eagles, and both teams would have four league losses. It would potentially move the Orange into a position to make a run at third or fourth place in the last couple of weeks, an absolute shock given their 0-4 start and more than negative-2:1 point differential.

In terms of the bowl selection seeding, BC, with a win, is still in position to make a run at a potential high tier bowl. The bowl selection ensures the league champion advances to the Orange Bowl, but if Clemson advances to the College Football Playoff as the league's last realistic shot, the Orange Bowl defaults to the second-highest ranked ACC team.

If the ACC then plays the Big Ten in the Orange Bowl, it absorbs the Citrus Bowl, meaning the fourth place team in the conference earns a trip to the Camping World Bowl. Given the league's complete mayhem and the fact that there are four teams in the Coastal Division with two losses and three teams with three losses, almost everybody still has a shot at one of those bowls.

By the same token, a loss can send a team tumbling downhill into the Tier II or Secondary Bowl games. Heading into Saturday, it's incredible to think that a team that's currently in fifth place in a division still can go to the Camping World Bowl or the Citrus Bowl just as easily as it can go to the Quick Lane Bowl or be bowl ineligible.

Further breakdowns coming in the coming weeks, and an updated look will be available after the Syracuse game. But for now, the goal is simple. There are still four incredibly meaningful games left on the schedule, and BC can still grab hold of its own season, starting on Saturday.

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Scoreboard Watching, National Edition

That leads us to the national radar and the mad dash mayhem ensuing throughout the nation, where a number of power conference teams are playing virtual elimination games for the College Football Playoff.

In the SEC, No. 6 Florida hosts No. 8 Georgia in a battle of one-loss teams. Both teams are tied atop the SEC East rankings, and the winner gains the inside track to the conference championship. More importantly, the overall strength of the SEC this year all but ensures that the conference champion goes to the CFP, so the winner of this game still harbors hopes alive. The loser would still have an outside shot at the conference championship, but a two-loss team likely doesn't get into the CFP given the strength of the remaining teams.

As for the SEC West, it's already known that Alabama and LSU will play next week in a No. 1-vs.-No. 2 game in Tuscaloosa.

Out west in the Pac-12, the only other games with CFP implications kick off in the late afternoon when No. 9 Utah heads to Washington before No. 7 Oregon plays at USC. The Ducks are undefeated in conference play and are playing a Trojan team that defeated Utah in its fourth game of the season. That means the Utes, with one loss, need Oregon to hold serve in order to even make the conference championship game. There's a correct assumption that either team needs to win out since both have one loss overall, then get some help elsewhere in order to make the CFP.

The Big 12 and the Big Ten are largely off, though No. 16 Michigan is at Maryland in a notable game.

The CFP rankings ensure the highest-ranked Group of Five team earns a spot in one of the New Year's Six games, so it's worth keeping an eye on the night slate in the American Athletic Conference. No. 15 SMU is at No. 24 Memphis in the ESPN College GameDay game of the week, and No. 17 Cincinnati is at East Carolina. In the late game slate, No. 21 Boise State is at San Jose State. All four of those teams are currently vying for the old "BCS buster" spot, though the bulk of the attention is like in the AAC.

Five teams in that league are either undefeated or have one loss in conference play, led by the Bearcats and Mustangs. SMU is completely unbeaten entering this week at 8-0, but a loss to Memphis opens the door for the Tigers to slide into first place. Memphis already holds a win over Navy, the third team in the mix in the AAC East, though SMU will host the Midshipmen later this year. Navy is at UConn on Friday night.

And in the AAC West, Cincinnati still holds that one-loss lead over Central Florida thanks to its 27-24 victory earlier this season. There's still plenty of ground to cover before the year is complete.

Also this weekend, the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy series enters its second leg when Army goes to Air Force. The Falcons already lost this year to Navy, effectively eliminating them from contention. The trophy must be won outright to change hands, meaning that the Army-Navy game would determine the winner by virtue of the Black Knights' victory last year.

It's a wild weekend in college football, but this is why this is the best time of the season.

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Pregame Quote and Prediction

If you hate someone, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us. -Herman Hesse

A rivalry game is fostered by a history of hate, but the fact is that Boston College and Syracuse are programs that see similarities in one another. Both are tough, physical, Northeast football programs built by coaches who foster intensity and pride. Both are teams that rose together, and both are trying to stave off a potential fall together. It creates a crossroads on Saturday, in a game that won't be for the faint of heart.

It's not a bad kind of hate, but it's the kind that makes players dig in just a little bit deeper. There's a little bit more fire to each rep in practice, and each snap is a little bit more intense. Everything just kind of melts away as the clock touches down to zeroes.

The thing about a rivalry is that it can't be manufactured, and it can't be created on a whim. It needs to come from a shared history of mutual respect and pain. Both sides need to have signature moments against one another. Once established, it's fostered, year after year, by reliving memories - both the positive and the negative.

This is the type of football game that digs deeper into the souls of players. It's the kind of game that could be played in a stadium before television cameras or in a public park somewhere in the middle of nowhere, and it would still be just as intense. This is BC-Syracuse. The next chapter begins.

Boston College and Syracuse will kick off at 12 p.m. on Saturday from the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. The game can be seen on the ACC Network and online at WatchESPN.com for viewers with cable providers carrying the channel. The game can be heard on radio via the BC Learfield IMG Sports Network at WEEI 93.7 FM, and it's also available on satellite radio via Sirius channel 113, XM channel 202 and Online channel 965. The game can also be streamed for audio via the TuneIn app on mobile devices.

Players Mentioned

AJ Dillon

Brandon Sebastian

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