Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse’s bowl game and opponent will be left in the hands of suits tasked with putting together intriguing television programming around the holidays.
With a trip to the Orange Bowl ruled out, Syracuse will join the majority of bowl teams playing a 13th game based on a variety of factors.
The ACC, the bowls and the television networks (e.g. ESPN) will plot out a slate of games that factor in geographic proximity, intriguing matchups and win-loss records. They work to avoid repeat matchups from the regular season.
They’ll release the matchups Dec. 4.
Where does that leave Syracuse over the next month?
Winning out to get to 9-3 will improve its bowl outlook, much like it did in 2018 when the Orange capped the season with a trip to Orlando for the Camping World Bowl (now the Cheez-It Bowl).
SU, which has lost three in a row after Saturday’s 19-9 loss at Pittburgh, doesn’t look equipped to get there this year.
And with Boston College (and likely) Rutgers finishing short of six wins, Syracuse becomes the obvious anchor for the Northeast bowls looking to fill its baseball stadiums.
That’s why you’ll see a lot of projections for the Pinstripe Bowl (Yankee Stadium) and Fenway Bowl (Fenway Park) the rest of the way.
Another option: Given the Virginia schools’ likely omission from bowl season, and Dino Babers’ ties to the Navy (his father served 21 years before his death in 1994), the Military Bowl in Annapolis could make for a strong storyline.
See where national bowl prognosticators — and we — have the Orange playing this postseason.
Kyle Bonagura
Bowl: Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Opponent: Purdue
Where: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina
When: Dec. 30; noon; ESPN
When: Dec. 17; 11 a.m.; ESPN
Mark Schlabach
Bowl: Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Opponent: Central Florida
Where: Fenway Park in Boston
When: Dec. 17; 11 a.m.; ESPN
Bowl: Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Opponent: Buffalo
Where: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida
When: Dec. 23; 6:30 p.m.; ESPN
Brett McMurphy (Action Network)
Bowl: Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Opponent: Central Florida
Where: Fenway Park in Boston
When: Dec. 17; 11 a.m.; ESPN
Bowl: Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Opponent: UCLA
Where: Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas
When: Dec. 30; 2 p.m.; CBS
Bowl: Pinstripe Bowl
Opponent: Purdue
Where: Yankee Stadium in the Bronx
When: Dec. 29; 2 p.m.; ESPN
Bowl: Pinstripe Bowl
Opponent: Michigan State
Where: Yankee Stadium in the Bronx
When: Dec. 29; 2 p.m.; ESPN
Bowl: Pinstripe Bowl
Opponent: Illinois
Where: Yankee Stadium in the Bronx
When: Dec. 29; 2 p.m.; ESPN
Contact Nate Mink anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-430-8253
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News Summary:
- Baseball stadiums? Buffalo? Syracuse’s bowl destination, opponent will entail a bit of horse-trading
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