#74 Syracuse
1-4 in ACC play, 17th in the ACC
Up 44 spots (#118 to #74) after a road win at #37 North Carolina (31-30) in a one-score game. An upset: Syracuse entered with 27.2 TDR points to North Carolina's 68.5. Now 3-4. TDR score +22.6: win/loss record +5.3, road-win bonus +1.5.
2026 season recap (through week 8)
Syracuse (ACC) is ranked 74th in The Davis Rankings after week 8 of 2026, with a record of 3-4 and a score of 49.8 out of 100. That is up 44 from week 7. That puts it in the Character Building tier (ranks 51-75). Its strongest factor is recent results (100.0 out of 100). Its weakest is win/loss record (42.9 out of 100).
The best win by current ranking came in week 5, 42-41 over T-57 UConn on the road. The toughest result to explain is the week 2 loss, 21-18 to #114 California at home.
On the road it is 2-2. The average margin is +5.3 points per game, with a biggest win of 63 points. 4 of 7 games were decided by a touchdown or less.
Syracuse is not ranked in the AP, Coaches, or CFP polls this week, while the Davis Rankings has it 74th.
Next up is T-11 SMU in week 9, at home. The toughest game left on the schedule by current rank is week 9 against T-11 SMU. 1 of the 5 games left are against teams currently in the top 25.
Schedule
| Week | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire (home) | W 66-3 |
| 2 | California (home, conference game) | L 18-21 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh (away, conference game) | L 13-27 |
| 5 | UConn (away) | W 42-41 |
| 6 | Virginia (away, conference game) | L 25-28 |
| 7 | Louisville (home, conference game) | L 26-34 |
| 8 | North Carolina (away, conference game) | W 31-30 |
Upcoming games
| Week | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | SMU (home, conference game) | (ESPN2) |
| 10 | Clemson (home, conference game) | (ESPN2) |
| 11 | NC State (away, conference game) | Sat Nov 14, time TBD |
| 12 | Boston College (away, conference game) | Sat Nov 21, time TBD |
| 13 | Notre Dame (home) | Sat Nov 28, time TBD |
Ranking history 2026
Now #74, Character Building (week 8). Best #45 (week 1). Lowest #125 (week 3). Higher on the chart is a better rank. The shaded bands are rank tiers, with each tier's sticker at its left.
Week 8 TDR #74 (49.8, 3-4) Character Building
Week 1 TDR #45 (89.5, 1-0)
Week 2 TDR #122 (30.0, 1-1)
Week 3 TDR #125 (24.6, 1-2) Sick of It
Week 4 TDR #113 (24.3, 1-2) Sick of It
Week 5 TDR #72 (53.8, 2-2) Character Building
Week 6 TDR #106 (32.3, 2-3) Sick of It
Week 7 TDR #118 (27.2, 2-4) Sick of It
Week 8 TDR #74 (49.8, 3-4) Character Building
Week by week
| Week | TDR | Score | Record | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #45 | 89.5 | 1-0 | - |
| 2 | #122 | 30.0 | 1-1 | - |
| 3 | #125 | 24.6 | 1-2 | Sick of It |
| 4 | #113 | 24.3 | 1-2 | Sick of It |
| 5 | #72 | 53.8 | 2-2 | Character Building |
| 6 | #106 | 32.3 | 2-3 | Sick of It |
| 7 | #118 | 27.2 | 2-4 | Sick of It |
| 8 | #74 | 49.8 | 3-4 | Character Building |
Score breakdown
Each factor is scored 0–100, then weighted into the composite score. Full methodology & weights
| Factor | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|
| win/loss record | 42.9 |
| recent results | 100.0 |
| road-win bonus | 50.0 |
| opponent record at game time | 46.2 |
| opponent record today | 43.5 |
Something look wrong on this page? Report a data problem. It opens an email with this team and week filled in; if it does not, write to justwin@thedavisrankings.fyi.