2011 Syracuse Orange Football Predictions, Odds, Picks and Schedule – 2011 Syracuse NCAA Football Preview

2011 Syracuse Orange College Football Expert Predictions, Picks, Vegas Odds and Schedule – Syracuse NCAA Football Preview: After going 4-8 in his first year as coach of the Syracuse Orange in 2009, Doug Marrone led an eight-win campaign and a rare bowl appearance for Syracuse last season. They weren’t exactly competing for the Big East crown, but Syracuse did knock off Kansas State in postseason play. Playing in a very weak conference and coming off a surprisingly solid year, the Orange enter the 2011-12 campaign with legitimate expectations to succeed for the first time in a long time.

There was no doubt that defense was the calling card for the Orange last season. In fact, Marrone’s team ranked in the top 20 nationally in terms of yards and points allowed, giving up just under 20 points per game. Syracuse runs a traditional 4-3 scheme, but the defense brings pressure from multiple positions. The blitz-heavy defense confused and caused problems for opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks last season, especially during conference play. The Big East isn’t exactly filled with NFL-caliber QBs, and the Orange took advantage last year.

Unfortunately, a repeat performance in 2011-12 could be difficult. Syracuse will have to break in new starters at several positions on the defensive side of the ball. The Orange will have two new starters at defensive tackle, two new starters at linebacker and two new starting cornerbacks. That is a lot to replace, and the loss of the two cornerbacks could end up being the biggest issue. With all the blitzing this unit does, the cornerbacks are left in a lot of one-on-one situations. The new defensive backs will have to hit the ground running if Syracuse is going to approach last season’s impressive numbers.

The defense needs to continue to perform at a high level because the Orange are far from a powerhouse offensively. Marrone believes in winning with defense and clock management, and it shows on the stat sheet. Syracuse scored just over 20 points per game last year, averaging less than 150 yards on the ground and less than 200 through the air. Quarterback Ryan Nassib got comfortable in the ball control offense as the year progressed, finishing with just eight interceptions. Nassib will be back this season, but he isn’t going to win many games for the Orange. It is his job not to lose them.

In the backfield, Syracuse will have to replace Delone Carter and his 1,200 yards at running back. Antwon Bailey will become the No.1 back this year, coming off a year when he cracked 500 yards on nearly five yards a carry as a backup. The Orange don’t put the ball in the air on a consistent basis, which means Bailey will have to approach 1,000 yards in order for Marrone’s conservative offense to be successful.

Looking at the schedule, Syracuse needs to and should get off to a fast start. An out-of-conference matchup against Southern California will likely be the only early season misstep, leaving the Orange at 5-1 heading into the heart of the Big East schedule. Things will get more difficult from there, but games against Louisville and Connecticut appear to be golden opportunities to gain bowl eligibility.

While the Orange made major strides last season, they did so mainly with their defense. Too many starters are gone from that unit, and the ball control offense is not going to put up enough points to make up for the likely decline on the defensive side of things. In the end, Syracuse should be able to find the six wins it needs to return to a bowl game, but this program is not ready to step up and become a contender for the conference title.

2011 Syracuse Orange College Football Predictions: 6-6 Record

Preseason 2011 Syracuse Orange NCAA Football Odds:
Odds to Win 2012 BCS Championship: NA/Off the Board
Odds to Win 2011 Big East Champonship: +1300
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2011 Syracuse Orange College Football Schedule
Thu, Sep 1 Wake Forest 8:00 pm —
Sat, Sep 10 Rhode Island 4:30 pm —
Sat, Sep 17 at USC 8:00 pm —
Sat, Sep 24 Toledo 12:00 pm —
Sat, Oct 1 Rutgers 12:00 pm —
Sat, Oct 8 at Tulane 8:00 pm —
Fri, Oct 21 West Virginia 8:00 pm —
Sat, Oct 29 at Louisville TBA —
Sat, Nov 5 at Connecticut TBA —
Fri, Nov 11 South Florida 8:00 pm —
Sat, Nov 26 Cincinnati TBA —
Sat, Dec 3 at Pittsburgh 12:00 pm —

Check out NSAwins.com’s official 2011 Big East Football Predictions, Odds and Picks article.

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