Syracuse Fan's Bye Week Viewing Guide
Syracuse football is on a bye this week after knocking off Georgia Tech 37-20 in the home opener last week. With the weather in Central New York supposed to include rain, that could mean staying inside is the best bet. With that in mind, here are the games to watch this weekend for Syracuse fans with your team not playing.
NC State at Pittsburgh (ACC Network, 12:00pm Eastern)
This game features one future Syracuse opponent facing a past Syracuse opponent. That is why this game is of interest to Orange fans. Syracuse faces NC State in late November in a game that is currently viewed as quite winnable. The Wolfpack are 1-1 and are coming off a win against Wake Forest.
How good is NC State? What challenges will they present Syracuse? Watching this game will help answer some of those questions. Seeing how they fare against Pittsburgh and comparing to Syracuse's efforts against the top 25 ranked Panthers will provide a good measuring stick as well.
North Alabama at Liberty (Watch ESPN, 1:00pm Eastern)
Liberty is 2-0 after narrow wins against Western Kentucky and Florida International. They travel to Syracuse to play the Orange in the Dome in a couple of weeks. Watching this game will provide an opportunity to scout the Flames and see how they will match up with Syracuse.
North Carolina at Boston College (ABC, 3:30pm Eastern)
Similar to the first game, this one features a future Syracuse opponent against a team they faced earlier this season. Boston College comes to the Dome on November 7th. The Eagles are 2-0 on the season, but this will be their first significant test. North Carolina beat Syracuse in the season opener, so seeing how Boston College plays against them will provide some insight into the game later this season.
Virginia Tech at Duke (ACC Network, 4:00pm Eastern)
Duke is Syracuse's next opponent, as they come to the Dome next weekend. The Blue Devils are currently 0-3 and have lost each game by at least 14 points. This game is a desperate one for Duke. Starting the season 0-4 is rough, and if they have any hopes of turning things around they need to get into the win column. Virginia Tech, however, is a good team and is favored by 13 points despite being the road team. Watching this game will show Syracuse fans whether Duke still has some fight in them, or whether an 0-4 team that appears to have already quit on the season is coming to the Dome.
Virginia at Clemson (ACC Network, 8:00pm Eastern)
Clemson might be the best team in the country. Syracuse plays them in Death Valley in a few weeks. Does Clemson have any vulnerabilities that Syracuse can exploit? Checking out this game can help answer that question.
