Syracuse head coach Fran Brown faces biggest test so far

Two weeks ago as the Orange headed to Death Valley, I could have written a column titled “Fran Brown’s Biggest Test So Far.” In the last year and a half, I probably could have written that same column 20 times.

Then each and every time I could have followed up with “Fran Brown Passes Biggest Test So Far.”

Guess what? Here we go again. It’s “Fran Brown’s Biggest Test So Far.”

On Saturday, Syracuse Football heads to Texas for only the seventh time in program history. Two wins have come the Orange’s way previously.

One brought a national championship and the other delivered Terrel Hunt back to town in a fantastic cowboy hat(dealer’s choice on which was more indelible… Terrel looked phenomenal in that hat.

But now, midway through year two, Fran again faces his toughest test yet. Last year there were some doozies. Inexplicable loss to Stanford? Followed up by a wild OT win in Vegas.

Unfathomable pick six explosion at Pitt? Followed up by wild OT win against Virginia Tech. A what the heck just happened loss to BC’s backup QB? Followed up by a left coast trip to dominate Cal.

For two years now, every time a question has been asked, Fran and the Orange have definitively answered. Syracuse still hasn't lost consecutive games in Brown's tenure. But last year, Kyle McCord co-authored the answers.

And this year after losing to Tennessee in the opener, Steve Angeli looked well prepared to fill those shoes. He delivered a, say it with me now, wild OT win over UConn. Then followed it up with a win for the ages in Death Valley, but simultaneously the loss of his Achilles and his season.

What now for Syracuse?

Now Fran and the Orange head to Dallas. They hit the road a week after a 38-3 beat down at the hands of Duke. The Orange board the plane with a quarterback in Rickie Collins set to make only his second career start.

A start that after last week’s debacle Fran said, “can’t get worse right?” As you can see, we’ve entered unprecedented territory in the Fran Brown era.

Saturday SMU will not be the best opponent Fran Brown has faced at Syracuse. Debate between Miami last year and Tennessee to start this season at your leisure.

Nor will a loss submarine either this season or Fran’s tenure. Instead, Saturday in Dallas is an eye test game. Syracuse needs to once again look the part after failing to do so in last Saturday’s drubbing in the Dome.

We know IT when we see IT

While last year’s McCord implosion at Pitt was mind boggling, it was almost easy to throw out because it couldn’t possibly happen again. Last week’s humbling by Duke on the other hand laid bare every possible flaw of this year’s Orange. Can the defense stop the run…or anything else? When will Yasin Willis get enough touches? Can the ACC replay center ever explain that egregious decision? But most importantly, does Rickie Collins have IT?

We all know IT when we see it. None of us knew Fran Brown from a hole in the wall when he got hired, but man it became quickly evident that he had IT. Kyle McCord was leaking IT out his ears. Steve Angeli showed enough IT in four weeks to excite Orange fans.

While I think Rickie Collins is wildly talented and handled himself extremely well in last Saturday’s postgame press conference, the jury remains out on IT.

All this collides Saturday in the Lonestar State. The Orange don’t need to beat the Mustangs to save the season, though I’m sure we’d all prefer it. What we do need to see is at least a glimpse of IT from Rickie.

Because if not, Syracuse heads into its first bye week at .500, but rudderless staring down the back half of the season.

But if so? If Collins take significant strides from start one to start two? If Rickie’s got IT? Then regardless of the final score Fran Brown will have passed another “Biggest Test So Far.”

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