The future looked as bright as ever six weeks ago. The Syracuse University football team had just beaten West Virginia 49-23 in front of the biggest Carrier Dome crowd in two seasons. Its best player, defensive end Chandler Jones, had just returned from a knee injury.

Syracuse got mauled by a team that was previously winless in Big East play on Friday, Nov. 11. It was the third loss in a row, and it was perhaps the ugliest all season. There’s no doubt that the 37-17 loss to South Florida is the low point of a season that makes a Quentin Tarantino movie seem predictable. Since there are two weeks before the next game, let’s look at how many times this year’s outlook has changed.

When I think Big East, I think of a conference where you can pick the winner out of a hat every Saturday. There is no identity for the conference, and seemingly no identity for many of its members. That’s what happens when there are three first-year coaches, two second-year coaches, and a third-year coach.

My next-door neighbor growing up went to college at West Virginia. I went to Syracuse University. We’re the same age and still good friends. We made a few road trips to see the Orange and the Mountaineers during our time at school. The night of Friday, Oct.

In a tied game with just over two minutes left, a stunned Syracuse University Orangemen football team failed to convert a third down during its Oct. 8 game against Tulane at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Three-and-out, and the opponent’s hot offense was ready to come back and go for a monumental upset win.

With a 33-30 overtime win over Toledo, the Syracuse University Orange won back-to-back home games against Division 1-A opponents for the first time in five years. The second overtime game this season featured multiple lead changes, rotating quarterbacks, wide receivers throwing passes, and a butchered replay review.