The eternal question remains….
Conversation around Syracuse Orange football and the existence of a rival was reignited last week by The Athletic’s list of the Top 100 Rivalries in College Football.
Syracuse-Pitt was 88th on the list and it led to debate in the comments and the TNIAAM Slack. When that happens we toss up the roundtable signal to keep the conversation going… so let’s get to it.
Which school would you consider Syracuse’s current football rival?
Kevin: It’s early but Georgia Tech. We had a really close game last year and both coaches have taken some swipes at each other in the media. Then, you’ve got the Tech message board and we could have some spice building here.
Dom: Might take some heat with this pick but… Boston College? Both teams have split the last 10 games against each other and the Orange are 34-24 over the Eagles in the past 100 years (1924-2024). That’s 58 games in a century there, including some #Sicko results where it’s at least interesting. Also gets points for geography, having this matchup every year for a decade-plus in a row and competing against each other, like Pitt, as independents, Big East schools and ACC schools. This just checks off the most boxes, even if it isn’t the most flashy.
Calvin: I’d have to agree with Dom here and say Boston College seems like the biggest true rivalry we have right now. Two northeastern private schools, being two of the very few FBS programs in the area, as well as being in the same conference and having tons of history, lead to them making the most sense in terms of a current rivalry.
Which school would you like to see become Syracuse’s football rival (annual game, trophy, etc.)?
Kevin: It pains me a little to say this, but why not Rutgers? As long as Fran Brown is here, New Jersey is going to be a big recruiting area and neither school has a conference foe that views them as a rival. It gives you a P4 opponent and a good reason to play games in MetLife Stadium.
Dom: Nominating one obvious to most choice and one sneaky pick. West Virginia has a legit case to be first on the board for all the reasons I brought up during the initial story: geographic proximity, close all-time series record, the “fans on both sides circling this game with a Sharpie” factor and there’s a trophy on the line. My dark-horse pick: Maryland. It’s the opponent Syracuse has played the sixth-most times historically and there is geographical proximity. Not saying it’s the right choice, but it has to at least be a conversation.
Calvin: Of course, there are the obvious choices. we could go regionally like Kevin said with Rutgers or go for a more historical rivalry, like Penn State. Personally, I think the most likely to really heat up over the next few seasons could be Georgia Tech, as a lot of their fans hate Fran Brown. However, as more of an uncommon pick, how about Miami? Miami and Syracuse have played a lot of important games for both teams in the past, including this year on rivalry week. It’s also worth noting how many Syracuse residents go down to Florida for the summer, and Syracuse has its fair share of Miami fans, too. We’re not on their level in football yet, but if we keep up this trajectory and maybe get a few more really good seasons under our belt, it could start some bad blood between the two schools.
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Now it’s your turn….