Syracuse football officially releases 2017 schedule

The ACC released its college football schedule for the upcoming season on Tuesday, officially finalizing Syracuse’s 2017 slate of games.

Four of the Orange’s opponents next season have won a national championship within the past 11 years: LSU, Clemson, Miami, and Florida State. Clemson is fresh off its national championship win a season ago.

SU will start its season with four non-conference opponents beginning on September 2. For the second straight year, Syracuse will play its first three games at home as SU head coach Dino Babers and his squad welcomes Central Connecticut, Middle Tennessee, and Central Michigan to the Carrier Dome to start the campaign. Former Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer currently serves as Middle Tennessee’s defensive coordinator.

The Orange will then travel to LSU on September 23 to complete its non-conference schedule.

Syracuse will start the ACC portion of its schedule the following week at North Carolina State. The Orange will then host Pittsburgh on October 7 and then will play a Friday home game against Clemson on October 13.

Syracuse returns to Saturday action against Miami the next week. A bye week in Week 9 will precede Syracuse’s matchup with Florida State in Tallahassee on November 4.

The Orange will round out its schedule with two of its final three games at home. Wake Forest will come to the Carrier Dome on November 11, followed by an away game at Louisville. SU's regular season will conclude against Boston College on November 25.

After a 4-8 season in 2016, including a 2-6 record in ACC play, Babers will look to make improvements in his second season at the helm of the Syracuse football program. The only team Syracuse beat in 2016 that is on its schedule this season is Boston College, who the Orange topped, 28-20, in late October.

Syracuse was shutout by Clemson and lost to Pitt in the highest scoring FBS football game ever last season. Two seasons ago, Syracuse beat Central Michigan by a field goal but lost to LSU.