Like everyone, Minnesota -6.5 Syracuse stood out early as an easy line. A decent Minnesota team traveling to a pushover Syracuse team, and only need to win by a TD to cover. Well 85% of the betting public and looks like everyone else on this forum, seemed to agree. Then I really looked at this Minnesota team closer.
Minnesota started hot last year and really burst on to the scene. Then faded fast. The first thing that caught my eye was the thrashing they took from Kansas. It was anticipated to be a fairly decent game but Minnesota got wiped off the field. Then I looked at more. They lost to a hapless Michigan team, at home, by 23 and then they got absolutely murdered by Iowa 55-0. Two of their wins from their hot 7-1 start were against Montana State and Northern Illinois early. Both of these games they won, barely. In fact Montana State and NIU both played them straight up with both games very close in the yardage department. That's a pretty weak resume imo. That is two games where they played to the level of really poor teams, and 3 games where they got destroyed.
I'm well aware of Weber and Decker. Decker is a fantastic athlete, and is a great college player and he certainly makes Weber look good. I don't think I'd want him by himself winning a game for my team. The running game was poor, and who knows where the answer is coming from this year. They also have a question mark at OL. Add on top of this a huge change in style. They are going from a spread team to a pro style, I believe, in a hope to improve their running game. I don't know what favors this will do for them early.
Their defense is alright, but lose their best player, Willie VanDeSteeg at DE and now have unknowns at DE. No other play makers on this defense to write home about, but it's worth nothing they weren't that good last year, ranking #93 in pass D and #80 in total defense.
Syracuse is now perceived as the weak team that has probably been the worst team in all of the big 6 conferences. They certainly racked up the losses last year, but on close inspection they were in a lot more games then I thought. First off, they won at Notre Dame, which is still decently impressive despite them only being 6-6 tehy were still a team with a good passing attack that the cuse were able to contain. Furthermore, Syracuse led Pitt 24-13 in the 3rd before eventaully falling and was down 7-6 at west virginia going into the 4th. That is pretty impressive against two pretty good teams. Also, they did beat Louisville at home, which is not the worst in the world.
To start, their OL is a little bit of a question mark but they have 3 returning starters on OL so it's not hopeless. They did run the ball well last year, so they can't be too bad. In addition, they have good skill players. Mike Williams returns after missing last year and Antown Bailey is a very good back who was the hero of the Notre Dame game. The most publicized aspect of this team is the naming of Greg Paulus the starter at QB and most have looked at this as a bleak sign that they have to take a PG who hasn't played in years and made him right away the starter. Well, if you think about it, he did unseat Cameron Dantley who would have been a senior returning starter. While Dantley wasn't that good, it certainly means something that Paulus was able to step in and grab the position so his talent is still there. That makes a good running game, good skill players and now a serviceable passing game to make a balanced offense.
The one thing that stands out on defense is Arthur Jones who is a fantastic player and one of the best NT in the country. He is a force in the middle on the D-Line and really is a difference maker. This could be big against a shaky Minnesota OL in a new system in the first game. I definitely think this could be a key matchup. There was a lot of position switches over the offseason and it could only be a good thing for a defense that wasn't that good last year. Nick Chestnut returns after a year long suspension at corner and the secondary could be upgraded to counter Minnesota's passing attack.
The upgrade in attitude from a new coach could be just what Syracuse needs to pull off the first game home mini-upset, and I think going agaisnt the grain here and taking the points could be a good play. Anyone here with me?
Minnesota started hot last year and really burst on to the scene. Then faded fast. The first thing that caught my eye was the thrashing they took from Kansas. It was anticipated to be a fairly decent game but Minnesota got wiped off the field. Then I looked at more. They lost to a hapless Michigan team, at home, by 23 and then they got absolutely murdered by Iowa 55-0. Two of their wins from their hot 7-1 start were against Montana State and Northern Illinois early. Both of these games they won, barely. In fact Montana State and NIU both played them straight up with both games very close in the yardage department. That's a pretty weak resume imo. That is two games where they played to the level of really poor teams, and 3 games where they got destroyed.
I'm well aware of Weber and Decker. Decker is a fantastic athlete, and is a great college player and he certainly makes Weber look good. I don't think I'd want him by himself winning a game for my team. The running game was poor, and who knows where the answer is coming from this year. They also have a question mark at OL. Add on top of this a huge change in style. They are going from a spread team to a pro style, I believe, in a hope to improve their running game. I don't know what favors this will do for them early.
Their defense is alright, but lose their best player, Willie VanDeSteeg at DE and now have unknowns at DE. No other play makers on this defense to write home about, but it's worth nothing they weren't that good last year, ranking #93 in pass D and #80 in total defense.
Syracuse is now perceived as the weak team that has probably been the worst team in all of the big 6 conferences. They certainly racked up the losses last year, but on close inspection they were in a lot more games then I thought. First off, they won at Notre Dame, which is still decently impressive despite them only being 6-6 tehy were still a team with a good passing attack that the cuse were able to contain. Furthermore, Syracuse led Pitt 24-13 in the 3rd before eventaully falling and was down 7-6 at west virginia going into the 4th. That is pretty impressive against two pretty good teams. Also, they did beat Louisville at home, which is not the worst in the world.
To start, their OL is a little bit of a question mark but they have 3 returning starters on OL so it's not hopeless. They did run the ball well last year, so they can't be too bad. In addition, they have good skill players. Mike Williams returns after missing last year and Antown Bailey is a very good back who was the hero of the Notre Dame game. The most publicized aspect of this team is the naming of Greg Paulus the starter at QB and most have looked at this as a bleak sign that they have to take a PG who hasn't played in years and made him right away the starter. Well, if you think about it, he did unseat Cameron Dantley who would have been a senior returning starter. While Dantley wasn't that good, it certainly means something that Paulus was able to step in and grab the position so his talent is still there. That makes a good running game, good skill players and now a serviceable passing game to make a balanced offense.
The one thing that stands out on defense is Arthur Jones who is a fantastic player and one of the best NT in the country. He is a force in the middle on the D-Line and really is a difference maker. This could be big against a shaky Minnesota OL in a new system in the first game. I definitely think this could be a key matchup. There was a lot of position switches over the offseason and it could only be a good thing for a defense that wasn't that good last year. Nick Chestnut returns after a year long suspension at corner and the secondary could be upgraded to counter Minnesota's passing attack.
The upgrade in attitude from a new coach could be just what Syracuse needs to pull off the first game home mini-upset, and I think going agaisnt the grain here and taking the points could be a good play. Anyone here with me?
