Syracuse football is taking baby steps forward on rebuilding road

I’ll be getting my first in-person look at the Syracuse University football team Saturday when I travel to the Carrier Dome to watch the Orange men renew their long upstate rivalry with Colgate. I’m looking forward to seeing sophomore quarterback Ryan Nassib, who last week set a school record with five TD tosses against overmatched Maine. The young man from Philly has looked pretty good so far and it appears that Coach Doug Marrone might have something around which can pin his rebuilding. SU remains a work in progress – they’re still several bricks shy of a load – but I like the strides that have been made under Marrone. I also like how he gives his team history lessons about the program every week. This week he’s taught them about the historical significance of the series with Colgate, whom the Orange men haven’t played since their 11-0-1 season in 1987.
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I also like it that the school will be honoring the 1984 team’s 17-9 upset of No. 1 Nebraska in the Dome. I had the privilege of covering that shocker and it remains one of the top 25 events I chronicled during my 37 years in the business. The week before, SU had fumbled eight times in a 19-0 loss to Rutgers and the odds-makers had established the Cornhuskers as 24-point favorites – a spot that some thought was too modest. Todd Norley threw a touchdown pass to a leaping Mike Siano and the defense, led by All-American tackle Tim Green, wound up stifling Nebraska. I’ll never forget the sight of Ben Schwartzwalder, the legendary former SU coach, in the press box after the final gun sounded. There were tears in the old man’s eyes as he watched the jubilation on the field.

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Pitt’s thrashing as the hands of Miami is another indication that the Big East Conference is way down this season. And that’s good news for SU as it attempts to go 7-5 and become bowl eligible.
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Can’t wait to watch Ken Burns’ 10th Inning next Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 on WXXI. Burns did a magnificent job documenting baseball’s history in the first nine segments back in 1994, and so much has happened to the game – much of it bad – since then. The two worst things were the strike that canceled the ’94 World Series and the steroids scandal that has ripped the game from its historical moorings. But there also have been several positives – namely the Yankees return to prominence, the Red Sox putting an end to the Curse of the Bambino, the construction of numerous retro ballparks, the influx of Latino and Asian players and inter-league play.
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I don’t believe the Bills will upset the Patriots this Sunday in Foxboro. New England has to be angry about the way it played in last week’s loss to the Jets and I believe Tom Brady and Wes Welker could have a field day against Buffalo, which has a difficult time pressuring quarterbacks. However, I do believe new starter Ryan Fitzpatrick will give the Bills offense a little spark because he makes quicker decisions than predecessor Trent Edwards, is willing to take some risks downfield and is facing a Patriots defense that isn’t as good as Green Bay’s or Miami’s, Buffalo’s first two opponents. My prediction: Patriots 37, Bills 17.
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It’s not too early to look ahead to the 2011 season, so if you aren’t doing anything Saturday afternoon, you can catch two top candidates for the Bills quarterback job – Stanford’s Andrew Luck vs. Notre Dame or Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett vs. top-ranked Alabama. Washington’s Jake Locker, the other potential Bills draft pick, has seen his stock plummet after a poor showing last week vs. Nebraska.