posted July 14, 2008 at 15:23 EST in NCAA F Articles

Do you sports betting enthusiasts remember when Syracuse used to be good? No? I don’t either.

It actually wasn’t that long ago – just think back to the Donovan McNabb days. Now the Orange are one of the worst programs in the country and are wandering vagabonds for college football wagering fans in the Big East.

Head coach Greg Robinson is 2-19 versus Big East opponent. He’s not going to last much longer unless something changes drastically.

Offense

The Syracuse offense was crippled by porous offensive line play last year and so far through spring practices, much looks the same.

The unit gave up 54 sacks and helped the Orange rushing game finish second-worst in the country. The running game has really labored through early scrimmages this year.

The running back situation looks a little clearer now that Curtis Brinkley and Delonte Carter are back and practicing. Both are former starters who missed significant time with leg and hip injuries. This position appears to be stocked with talent.

The Orange took a huge hit when Mike Williams was declared ineligible for this season because of academic reasons. Williams had a streak of nine consecutive games with a touchdown catch and has caught a pass in 20 straight games. Good luck to the passing game without him.

Quarterback Andrew Robinson is two-way threat and if the line holds up, could help out the running game. But without Williams the passing game is far less of a concern for opponents.

Defense

The defense probably won’t be as bad as it was last year because the defensive line looks good.

Nose tackle Arthur Jones is a stout lineman and ends Brandon Gilbeaux and Vincenzo Giruzzi are solid as well.

The back seven is a big mess, though.

Jake Flaherty is the best player from the back seven but the rest of the secondary and linebacking corps is a crapshoot. Parker Cantey and Mike Mele are inconsistent.

If there is some ray of hope it is that Robinson will co-coordinate this defense. He probably can’t make up for the lack of talent around but he might be able to coach this unit up a little bit.

Outlook

Robinson was nearly fired after last year but is hanging by the skin on his teeth. He’ll probably get to more wins this year but that might not save him. He has to win games in the Big East.

With games a Northwestern, then four consecutive home games against Akron, Penn State, Northeastern and Pittsburgh, the Orange should be at three or four wins before they really get into conference play.

But if the ‘Cuse get pummeled in-house again, which is fairly likely, Robinson might not even make it to the end of the season.

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