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o. 16 Syracuse suffered a heartbreaking loss at No. 5 Clemson on Saturday. It led by 11 points at halftime but couldn’t score for the rest of the game, resulting in the Orange’s first loss of the season. Notre Dame began the season as a potential playoff contender, yet a combination of upsets and inconsistent play have pushed the Fighting Irish outside the rankings and in need of victories in order to achieve bowl eligibility.

Here is what our beat writers think will happen when Notre Dame visits the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday: 

Alex Cirino (5-2) 
Back on track
Syracuse 28, Notre Dame 17 

Last week’s loss in Death Valley was a much needed reality check. And that’s fine. But it proved Syracuse can handle just about any team that it will face for the rest of the season. Yes, the Orange’s first loss of the season was mostly self-inflicted, but it gives them even more of a claim for a bounce-back performance in their penultimate home game of the season.

Ranked No. 5 in the preseason poll, Notre Dame has fallen unranked and is just a game over .500 through seven games after its losses piled up after its Week 1 loss to Ohio State. Since then, the Fighting Irish have allowed over 15 points in each game and played once on the road. Syracuse, on the other hand, is coming off two of its toughest games of the season where it was competitive and showcased how dangerous its passing game will be.

The Orange have already clinched a bowl game, so let’s see how high up the rankings they can go. A win on Saturday should see that number rise.

Connor Smith (5-2) 
Luck of the Orange 
Syracuse 31, Notre Dame 17

Notre Dame, one of college football’s most prestigious programs, is visiting Syracuse for the first time in nearly 20 years — and just the third time ever — on Saturday. SU’s lucky, then, that the Irish are in the middle of a down season after playing in three New Year’s Six bowls over the last five seasons, including two visits to the College Football Playoff. Led by 36-year-old first-year head coach Marcus Freeman, ND is 4-3 and lost at home to Marshall and a struggling Stanford team. After entering the season ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25, Notre Dame enters this weekend unranked. 

Regardless of Notre Dame’s strength this year, this is a big game for the Orange. Not only is it a nationally televised matchup in front of an expected sellout crowd inside the JMA Wireless Dome, it’s a chance to bounce back from a devastating loss at No. 5 Clemson last Saturday — one SU should’ve won. Syracuse needs to come out strong this weekend, give Sean Tucker an appropriate number of carries and be leading somewhat comfortably for most of the game. The Orange still have a chance at a monumental season in front of them. Achieving that starts with a good showing Saturday by beating the Irish, even in a down year for them. 

Anthony Alandt (5-2) 
Syracuse’s rebound
Syracuse 30, Notre Dame 28

This isn’t your grandfather’s Notre Dame, or even your older brother’s. The Fighting Irish are off to their worst start since 2016 under Freeman. They’re led by a backup quarterback, who played against Marshall after Tyler Buchner’s season-ending injury, and have a potential top-10 pick in Michael Mayer at tight end leading their rushing attack. Dino Babers said Notre Dame is littered with four and five star talent, and should, on paper, put up a pretty good fight against the Orange despite the down year.

But Syracuse, fresh off of an open wound of a loss against Clemson, should take care of business. As long as Syracuse utilizes Tucker as much as it does the passing game, it should be enough to skate past Notre Dame. Throw out the records on this one — a 6-1 SU team is going to be in a battle with 4-3 Notre Dame, who has won four of their last five contests. A loss wouldn’t necessarily spell disaster for SU — it hasn’t beaten the Fighting Irish since 2008 — but it would be a good indicator that the Orange might not be ready to win on the national stage against perennial Division I teams.

Published on October 26, 2022 at 10:41 pm