Clockwork Orange ~ Syracuse Orange Dynasty (NCAA 11)

[chestnutz6]

And here we go again. So after my FSU dynasty died a terrible, tragic death I'm not giving up! I didn't like winning every game and having to win a championship to be a success, so I'm starting out with my favorite team, the Syracuse Orange! They're pathetic bottomdwellers of the Big East and I love it! It'll be the same format as the FSU one for the most part.

House Rules
Difficulty - Heisman
Sliders - Matt10
Rosters - The OS ones
Conferences - The only thing I changed was putting Notre Dame in the Big East (for USF, who I then moved to CUSA for UAB, who's now an independent), since I'm used to Big East basketball where the Irish play, and I wanted a tougher conference.
Quarters - 7 minutes
Speed - Slow

[Lecrae]

Nice to see your quickly rebounding from your other one getting overwritten. Good luck.

[chestnutz6]

Syracuse Orange Team Information

Prestige: 3*
Offense: Pro
Defense: 4-3
Coach: Doug Marrone
Stadium: Carrier Dome (49,000)
Rivals: West Virginia, Buffalo, Boston College, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, UConn
Recruiting Pitches
Academics: A
Lifestyle: C+
Coach Exp: C+
Coach Pres: C+
Conference: B
Contender: C
Facilities: B+
Fan base: B
Pros: C+
Stability: C
Tradition: B+
Television: C+

2010 Schedule
Week 1: Buffalo*
Week 2: @ Arizona
Week 3: Purdue
Week 4: @ BYU
Week 5: Bye
Week 6: @ Notre Dame
Week 7: #16 Pittsburgh*
Week 8: @ West Virginia*
Week 9: @ #24 Cincinnati
Week 10: Louisville
Week 11: @ Rutgers*
Week 12: UConn*
Week 13: Boston College*
Week 14: Bye
* = Rival
Big East game


Big East Projections
1. Pittsburgh
2. Cincinnati
3. West Virginia
4. Notre Dame
5. Syracuse
6. Rutgers
7. Connecticut
8. Louisville

Syracuse Recruiting
Needs: FS, CB, MLB, DT, C, P

Week One Commits
#28 G Chris May - 3*, New York, 6'3", 290 lbs
#8 TE Paul Johnson - 4*, New York, 6'5, 250 lbs

May could very well make an impact next year, even as a three star, and Johnson will definitely be key on offense as Syracuse got lucky getting the #8 tight end, and a big one at that.

[Huskies v3]

Really like the FSU one. Can't wait for this one to start.

[chestnutz6]

Quote: Originally Posted by Lecrae

Nice to see your quickly rebounding from your other one getting overwritten. Good luck.

Ha, I love this game that much! Thanks!

[R1zzo23]

I'll be following. The two early commits are a great way to start the season.

[chestnutz6]

2010 Syracuse Orange Roster Analysis

Offense

Quarterback
1. Ryan Nassib - 80 ovr, So (RS)
2. Charley Loeb - 73 ovr, So
3. John Kinder - 63 ovr, Fr

Grade: C+
Definitely a rebuilding position here. Nassib will be a great quarterback by the time he's a senior, but right now Coach Marrone will have to face the fact that he's got a very young group of quarterbacks that need several years to develop.

Halfback
1. Delone Carter - 86 ovr, Sr (RS)
2. Antwon Bailey - 80 ovr, Jr
3. Averin Collier - 77 ovr, So (RS)

Grade: B+
Well if the Orange want to win any games this season, they're going to need to pound the rock. Carter is the main man of the offense, and the 5'10 senior literally is a rock. He's got a low center of gravity and actually prefers to power through defenders rather than go around, he's just that tough. Bailey is a solid all around back, although he's very small and will get some carries.

Fullback
1. Adam Harris - 62 ovr, Jr

Grade: D
Harris is not a very good blocker and a decent runner, but he's the only fullback on the team, so he'll have to do. Definitely a position of address this offseason.

Wide Receiver
1. Alec Lemon - 81 ovr, So
2. Van Chew - 81 ovr, Jr
3. Marcus Sales - 78 ovr, Jr
4. Aaron Weaver - 72 ovr, Sr (RS)
5. Jarrod West - 69 ovr, Fr

Grade: B-
They're not the fastest set of receivers in the Big East, the biggest, or the most experienced, but they get the job done. Van Chew is the lime to Alec's Lemon, as the two should be able to provide solid targets for sophomore QB Ryan Nessib this season.

Tight End
1. Jose Cruz - 70 ovr, Sr (RS)
2. Nick Provo - 70 ovr, Jr (RS)
3. Cody Catalina - 64 ovr, Jr (RS)

Grade: C-
Provo is a bit faster than Cruz, but Cruz has more experience and is a much better blocker. That said, they're both 6'5" and provide big targets for Nessib. Definitely a need this offseason in recruiting though, and it's already been addressed with the signing of 4* Paul Johnson.

Offensive Line
LT. Justin Pugh - 82 ovr, Fr (RS)
LG. Adam Rosner - 75 ovr, Sr (RS)
C. Ryan Bartholomew - 79 ovr, Sr (RS)
RG. Andrew Tiller - 77 ovr, Sr
RT. Michael Hay - 75 ovr, So (RS)

Grade: C+
A solid mix of youth and experience, the tackles should be the starters for several years, and Pugh could be an All American by the time his career is over. The inside of the line is huge, as Bartholomew is 300 lbs and Tiller is nearly 340 lbs. They should be able to outpush some weaker defensive lines, but are prone to quick guys.

Defense & Special Teams

Defensive End
LE. Mikhail Marinovich - 74 ovr, Jr
RE. Chandler Jones - 79 ovr, So (RS)
1. (Backups) Torrey Ball - 72 ovr, Jr
2. Chad Battles - 68 ovr, Jr (RS)
3. Brandon Sharpe - 64 ovr, So

Grade: C
Marinovich and Jones are both over 6'4" and very fast for ends, but they're inexperienced and not too strong. The backups are pretty bad, so this is a position of need (or, want) as well.

Defensive Tackle
1. Bud Tribbey - 75 ovr, Sr
2. Andrew Lewis - 70 ovr, Sr (RS)
3. Deon Goggins - 68 ovr, Jr
4. Cory Boatman - 66 ovr, So (RS)

Grade: D
One of the worst aspects of the team is the rest of the d-line. You'd think a couple seniors would be better, but this has been a weak point for a while now. On the bright side, they're both 275 lbs so can clog up some running lanes.

Linebacker
LOLB. Doug Hogue - 85 ovr, Sr
MLB. Derrell Smith - 86 ovr, Sr (RS)
ROLB. Ryan Gillum - 77 ovr, Jr (RS)
1. Marquis Spruill - 74 ovr, Fr
2. Dan Vaughan - 71 ovr, So (RS)
3. Brice Hawkes - 65 ovr, Fr

Grade: B+
Along with halfback, by far the best part of the team is the linebacker corps. Hogue and Smith are beasts at stopping the run game, but coverage is not their forte. Still, they'll be able to keep the Orange in games. There's some talent backing them up too, and young talent at that. Spruill will be the next star for this defense.

Cornerback
1. Kevyn Scott - 73 ovr, Jr (RS)
2. George Mayes - 70 ovr, Sr (RS)
3. Phillip Thomas - 68 ovr, So
4. Rishard Anderson - 67 ovr, So
5. Da Mon Merkerson - 66 ovr, Sr

Grade: D+
And here is one of the weaker points again. Scott and Mayes have experience and decent speed, but they aren't much of ball hawks and they won't shut any opposing receiver down. Thomas shows a bright future, but until then teams will be passing all over Syracuse this season.

Safety
FS. Mike Holmes - 83 ovr, Sr
SS. Max Suter - 73 ovr, Sr
1. Dorian Graham - 71 ovr, Jr
2. Orlando Fisher - 62 ovr, Jr

Grade: B-
Holmes and Suter are both two of the fastest guys on the team, and excel in coverage. They won't make receivers scared to go over the middle, but they'll make quarterbacks scared to throw over the middle. Graham provides solid depth, but if two of them get hurt, it's all downhill.

Kicker/Punter
K/P. Rob Long - 89 ovr, Sr
Backup. Ryan Lichtenstein - 82 ovr, So

Grade: A-
Long has the best rating on the team, and will both punt and kick for the Orange since he's got great leg strength. He graduates this year though, so the rush to recruit a kicker is on.

Returner
SS Max Suter - 93 speed, Sr
FS Mike Holmes - 91 speed, Sr

Grade: B-
I told you the safeties were some of the fastest on the team. Coach Marrone would rather not use two safeties as his return men, but his skill players aren't very quick and he wants someone like that back there. We'll have to see if someone steps up.

[chestnutz6]

Buffalo Bulls (0-0) @ (0-0) Syracuse Orange
Rivalry Game; Non-Conference
Saturday, August 28, 2010; 12:30 PM
Syracuse, New York
Carrier Dome

By the Numbers
Buff D+Overall SU C+
C- Offense B-
C- Defense C+
0.0 PPG 0.0
0 Rush Offense 0
0 Pass Offense 0
0 Rush Defense 0
0 Pass Defense 0
0 Turnover Diff. 0

Game Preview
Well Syracuse starts the season against Western NY rival Buffalo, who isn't looking much better than the Orange. The Bulls finished last season 5-7 in the MAC, and shouldn't improve on that total this season.

The Orange, meanwhile, hope to get out of the cellar in the average Big East this season, and it all starts with a win here. Sophomore QB Ryan Nassib will need to lead this offense, and that's a tall task. However, all he really needs to do is hand the ball off to senior halfback Delone Carter and he'll take care of the rest.

Their rivals this Saturday are actually very similar. Led by a sophomore QB Jerry Davis, who's weapons are his senior halfback Brandon Thermilus and junior speed WR Terell Jackson, the Bulls' offense is nearly the exact same (only the 'Cuse is slightly better).

Buffalo has but one decent player on defense, and that's senior safety Davonte Shannon, who has the ability to get drafted into the NFL after this season. If the Orange can avoid him though, they should cruise to victory.

Prediction: Syracuse 31, Buffalo 14