If nothing else, we admire the candor of Dino Babers. When asked at last summer's ACC Media Days in Charlotte if he was feeling some pressure at Syracuse, the Orange head coach dismissed the notion. "There's no pressure," said Babers. "I've got another $10 million guaranteed on my contract."

The frankness of Babers seems to still jibe with Syracuse administrators, who are apparently still in full-Dino mode despite some middling results in recent years. That includes last fall, when what looked for a time like it might be a special season inside the Dome would instead endure a freefall down the stretch with five straight losses. All after climbing as high as 14th in the national rankings and taking a 6-0 record into Death Valley to face Clemson, then bolting to a 21-7 lead over the Tigers. It all fell apart in the fourth quarter, however, as Clemson frosh QB Cade Klubnik led a late charge that outscored the Orange 17-0 in the final stanza. 'Cuse was never the same thereafter, not winning again until the finale against a skidding BC, and then dropping the Pinstripe Bowl vs. Big Ten Minnesota.  

Bruce Marshall's full breakdown of Syracuse's 2023 outlook, which includes how he's playing their win total, can be found below as part of SportsLine's preview of the ACC season.

ACC preview: Conference winner | Boston College | Clemson | Duke | Florida State | Georgia Tech | Louisville | Miami | NC State | North Carolina | Pittsburgh | Syracuse | Virginia | Virginia Tech | Wake Forest

2023 Syracuse at a glance

• Last Year: 7-6 SU, 7-6 ATS, 6-7 O/U
  
• Returning Starters: Offense 5; Defense 6
• Win Total: 6.5 (Over +130, Under -155)
  

What do you need to know about Syracuse before locking in your ACC futures bets? And which side of their win total makes for the best play? ... Join SportsLine right now to see ACC futures betting strategy from a veteran college football expert!