The Syracuse Orange football team’s 2026 season is back on track after back-to-back wins, most recently against the ranked SMU Mustangs on Halloween. Those victories have the Orange trending up across the board in the national rankings.
Syracuse will look to continue the winning spree this weekend against the Clemson Tigers. Here’s how the rest of the college football world is feeling about both sides heading into Saturday.
Syracuse moves from No. 87 to No. 82 in ESPN’s updated SP+ rankings. That includes ranking 67th on offense, 92nd on defense, and 94th on special teams. Clemson sits at No. 54 overall.
The Orange also bumped up slightly in ESPN’s College Football Power Index, going from No. 62 to No. 59. Syracuse’s projected win total is now between 5.6 and 6.4, with a 53.7% chance of reaching six victories.
Another leap in the rankings, this time from The Athletic. The outlet moved the Orange from No. 79 to No. 65. Clemson stole the #brand and sits at No. 44.
College Football News moved Syracuse from No. 59 to No. 48. Clemson jumped from No. 44 (#brand) to No. 38.
