Syracuse played its alumni back in October, a 14-9 victory for the current iteration of the Orange. It was Syracuse's only fall scrimmage this year, and if the above video is any indication, that fact necessitated alumni uniforms designed by a blind puppy that had its paws dipped in finger paint and told to do the jitterbug on some fabric. Egad. And don't even get me started on the graphics package for the video, which is equal parts Stars-Wars-meets-ESPN and "Spooky, Halloween!" Drats.
It's still a little unclear what Syracuse's ceiling is for 2013, although things are far from a burning trash fire in the Salt City. The defense -- almost in its entirety -- should be among the better units in the country next season. The attack, with the addition of Nicky Galasso, is two-thirds solid with Galasso and Derek Maltz, looking to fill its third position from (more likely than not) transfer Mike Daniello, Billy Ward, or Kevin Rice. The biggest unknown is Syracuse's offensive midfield, a unit with returning parts that struggled heavily during the 2012 season. JoJo Marasco is the obvious quantity there, but otherwise everything is wide open (which is frightening in a "pants, crapped" kind of way for Orange fans).
Oh, and there's that whole faceoff thing. But I'm not here to bruise any more feelings; I'm here to watch a movie.