Syracuse Orange Football: Down to Last Bowling Pin vs Pitt

Watching Syracuse football has been painful, to say the least. It's not so much that the Orange have struggled of late, but rather that the Orange pulled the cardiac kid card, decimated West Virginia on national television, and looked poised for an Orange Bowl run, at 5-2. 

Since then, a four-game losing streak has made a bowl game even seem dubious, as the Orange (and a good number of Orange fans via Otto's Army) travel down to Heinz Field to take on the Pitt Panthers. 

Unfortunately for the Orange, the Panthers are just as desperate. Starting the year off as Big East favorites, the loss of Ray Graham hurt the Panthers, and they too are looking at their potential sixth win and ticket to an early-December Bowl game. 

For the Orange, Ryan Nassib and Antwon Bailey are both fighting for legacies and an extra game while they try to jump-start what has been a lethargic offense this season. Nassib, one of the best quarterbacks in the history of Syracuse statistically, has never really had his Don McPherson or Donovan McNabb moment of glory. 

Leading the Orange to a bowl game after this recent stretch would be a nice touch to his Syracuse memories. Antwon Bailey is two yards shy of 1,000 yards on the season after he put the team on his back last week. Another game like that for Bailey would be something remarkable for the fifth-year senior who worked so hard to earn a starting role. 

Bailey will have his chance to get lots of touches, as news came down that Syracuse RB Andonis Ameen-More will miss the rest of the season with an upper body injury. Even more tragic, senior co-captain fullback Adam Harris will have to end his career in football after another concussion sustained against Cincinnati. "The Natural" will still have a great life after football, as he has been a star student at the University. 

Overall, there is not much more analysis to give on Syracuse rather than "play better." Seriously, the Orange just looked flat, tired and defeated against Cincinnati, and the scoreboard showed it. This team is better than they have played, and this is their last shot. 

With a depleted Pitt running attack, the defense may be able to have their breakout game and terrorize the Pitt offense. The once-high-powered Syracuse offense will more than likely run through Bailey on this cold Northwestern PA day and could be the X-Factor for the Orange. 

Here's to a completed Beef O'Brady quest, Syracuse Orange. At least the sports dog has faith in you.