What Happened to Syracuse?

Too bad they didn't hold on to Major Applewhite. That was a loss. To call them a football powerhouse is quite an exaggeration, though. They were a pretty good team, but that's about all.

from 1996-2004 they won the BE championship 4 times (with Miami and VA tech in the conference). i would say they were a power.

I was against firing Coach P when it was only a thought by the fans. Be careful what you wish for...right now that 6-6 season (Coach P's last) is looking mighty good.

What, did the film end before the pass bounced?

I agree with ASwaff, calling them a powerhouse is a streatch. During that 96-04 run, Va tech was just emerging into a power program. Throw in the late 90's as the final years of the Canes rebuilding from probation era. Also didnt Cuse have that McNabb fella? For some reason I remember their success dropping when he left also.

Was Syracuse ever really that great?

Nothing's happened to the Cuse they've always stunk.

Wait they were good with Carmelo. Oh, that was basketball.

Its like the people here are only 18 years old and can only remember from the Mid 90's on. Syracuse was a very good team and split the national championship in '87 after an embarassing tie bowl game. They went 11-0-1 that year, followed by 10-2 ('88), followed by 8-4 ('89), 7-4-2 ('90), 10-2 ('91), 10-2 ('92), 6-4-1 ('93), 7-4 ('94). So, Syracuse was a good, sometimes great team playing at a time when the Big East was a legit football conference. And this was in the 8 years BEFORE McNabb, when the team was 69-22-4. For the record, under McNabb they went 9-3, 9-3, 9-4, 8-4. In other words they were far better before McNabb than they were during the McNab era.

thanks metsjetsdevils - i can remember a couple of great syracuse games in the early to mid 90's that had huge national championship implications

as my main man dave pean would say, "syracuse? more like syra-loose."

Early to Mid 90's let it go... Im a UVA alumn, and I remember when they were in title contention in the early 90's but it was a long time ago, and a completly different game back then. Sadly sports are what have you done for me lately, and in the cause of Syracuse, and UVA, the answer is not much...

Did Syracuse ever win the Big East outright? I can recall several of those titles were split, often times with sexier, more national Miami or Va Tech teams. Syracuse's best team actually may have been in 2001 when they got smoked by an awesome Miami team 59-0 but otherwise was solid and even won down in Blacksburg. I want to say SU went 10-2 that season.

As a Florida alum I respect Syracuse's history and the pain the dome can inflict on you. My freshman year at UF our only loss was a whitewash in Syracuse. I believe it was Coach Mac's last season before jumping to the Pats.

The Big East this season is probably stronger than the ACC for all you critics out there. West Virginia and Louisville have two of the most exciting teams anywhere in the land. Rutgers and Pitt are emerging as well early in the season. U Conn and USF have lots of talent. Actually, I think the Big East has surved the earthquake of losing Miami and Va Tech and looks poised to keep its BCS berth from here on out.