Syracuse vs Florida State Preview: Syracuse Against Top-5 Opponent
The Orange Need To Play Complementary Football To Win on Saturday

The Florida State Seminoles are trying to stick around in the College Football Playoff race. They’re 5-0 with a home game against the Syracuse Orange on Saturday.
Florida State hasn’t looked elite over the last month. But with massive wins over LSU and Clemson and an undefeated record, the Seminoles must keep earning victories on Saturdays. They’re at the top of the college football standings.
Meanwhile, the Syracuse Orange have lost two straight games after starting 4-0 this season. The two losses came in ACC play against Clemson and North Carolina. Those were both games where Syracuse lost by 21+ points.
Does Florida State finally have a cake-walk game against Syracuse?
Take a look at the Syracuse vs Florida State preview for this intriguing ACC matchup on ABC.
Syracuse Orange vs Florida State Seminoles 
Day/Time:
Location: Doak Campbell Stadium
Streaming: ABC
Syracuse Fans Losing Patience With Dino Babers
The Syracuse Orange have had some pretty impressive starts to their last couple of seasons.
Syracuse went 6-0 to begin last year and followed that with five straight losses. This year, it’s the same story. Syracuse won four straight and has lost two since.
The Orange escaped Colgate and Western Michigan. They were even down against Army at the half this year. The slow starts for Syracuse have ruined any hope in the Orange this season.
Slow starts will work against Colgate, Western Michigan, and Army. But it won’t get you any wins in the ACC.
The head coach must get his team ready at the start time. But Babers hasn’t been able to find answers for those slow starts.
Meanwhile, Syracuse was penalized the most in college football last season. They’re still in the bottom 15 in the country in penalties this season. Again, it’s on the head coach to end that.
Then there’s time management. Syracuse typically has multiple mistakes that lead to Syracuse not scoring points because of time management.
The Orange decided to punt the football down by 23 points in the second half on 4th down in the opposite field.
Babers’ decision-making and unpreparedness have ruined Syracuse this season. If things turn south for the rest of the season, Syracuse could look to move on. The ACC is only getting stronger now.
Winston Wright is No Longer on FSU
Winston Wright was in his second season at Florida State. He previously played for West Virginia in three seasons, where he caught 129 catches for 1,338 yards with seven touchdowns.
He led West Virginia in receptions in 2020 and 2021.
He enrolled in West Virginia as a three-star prospect in the 2019 class. He was thought to be a Top-150 wide receiver in that class.
After those two seasons, he changed and went to Florida State. But when he transferred, he was injured in a car accident that kept him out for last year.
Wright caught four passes for 36 yards in two games this year. But he wasn’t on the field in the other three games.
It’s unclear why Wright is no longer with the team. Florida State hasn’t released a statement or anything. But he’s no longer on the team roster.
Wright’s absence won’t hurt Florida State much. The Seminoles are deep at receiver, with six NCAAF players hauling in at least nine passes this season.
Maybe playing time had something to do with this.
Let’s check out the Syracuse vs Florida State preview below.
Syracuse vs Florida State Preview
The Florida State Seminoles are -17.5 against Syracuse on Saturday. Meanwhile, the total is sitting at 56.5.
The Syracuse Orange haven’t covered against the spread in their first two ACC games. The Orange were underdogs in both but lost by at least 21 to Clemson and North Carolina. Still, Syracuse is 3-2-1 against the spread through six games.
The total has hit the Under in Syracuse’s last five games. The offense has only scored 21 points in the previous eight quarters.
On the other hand, Florida State is 3-2 against the spread. The Seminoles have also hit the Over in four of their first five games. The Seminoles failed to cover as 24-point favorites against Virginia Tech and also didn’t cover a -27.5 spread against Boston College.
Oddsmakers noticed and kept this spread at -17.5, more attainable for Florida State.
The Seminoles have earned three straight wins against Syracuse dating back to 2019. The only Orange win against Florida State came on September 18, when Syracuse was a 3.5-point underdog. That was the closest margin against the spread for Syracuse against Florida State dating back to 2013.
Florida State Is Beatable
The Florida State Seminoles are ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll. They’d also likely play in the College Football Playoff if the season ended before this weekend.
However, this NCAAF team is beatable. Clemson outplayed them in a 31-24 win in overtime. They also came close to losing to a bad Boston College team on the road, scraping out a 31-29 victory.
The Florida State defense even allowed 17 points to Virginia Tech last weekend. There’s nothing elite about Florida State. They’re a great team. But not elite.
The Seminoles are led by Jordan Travis, who has added 12 touchdowns in the air with only one interception. He’s thrown for almost 1,200 yards and has shown off his wheels plenty this season. The offense has been even better rushing the football with Trey Benson.
Benson has rushed for six touchdowns and has averaged 7.6 yards per carry on 51 attempts.
However, Syracuse has held teams to 114 yards per game against the run. The Syracuse defense is rock solid, especially with converting tackles in the backfield.
The Orange can also play very well in the secondary, despite what we witnessed last weekend against Drake Maye and North Carolina.
Syracuse needs to slow things down and play complementary football.
Will Garrett Shrader Play Better?
The Syracuse Orange had an easy NCAAF football schedule to begin the season. Garrett Shrader played well, and Syracuse earned four straight wins to start the season.
But when ACC play came around, Shrader struggled. The offense has only scored 21 points in two games against ACC opponents. Shrader has thrown eight touchdowns and five interceptions in six games. That’s nothing to rave about.
The offense has earned 174.2 yards per game on the ground. Shrader has the potential to make big plays with his feet. He’s also got LeQuint Allen by his side, who has scored seven touchdowns while rushing for 4.6 yards a carry.
Florida State isn’t effective against the run defensively. The Seminoles have allowed 144.8 yards per game on the ground. If Syracuse commits to the run and limit turnovers, the Orange can stick around in this game.
Therefore, let’s take Syracuse at the critical number of +17.5. The NCAAF scores and odds will reflect an Orange cover.
For NCAAF betting news, college football odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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