Football is a fickle game. Each quarter is fickle. Each drive is fickle. Each play is fickle.
A possible scoring drive that marches 75 yards in four or five plays can all of a sudden be halted in its tracks by a penalty, turnover or a defense that all of a sudden finds its balls.
A quarterback who started the game a perfect 8-for-8 with 100-plus yards throwing and a few touchdowns can all of a sudden toss a few picks and find themselves in a second-half funk.
This roller-coaster-like feel to the game forces football fans to be the most fickle of all sports fans. That's why Syracuse's Saturday showdown against visiting No. 3-ranked Clemson will be interesting.
What are the Orange's chances against the Tigers, who visit the Carrier Dome for the first time and is looking to avenge a 41-0 loss to the then Orangemen in the 1996 Gator Bowl? According to the oddsmakers pretty slim, as Syracuse opened as 14-point underdogs AT HOME.
The scouting report doesn't favor Syracuse at all. Clemson will enter the game with a Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback, Tajh Boyd, who is mobile -- a skill SU defenses have had a lot of issues with in the past; a dynamic wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who is going up against a struggling secondary; a solid defensive line, which is ranked second in the nation in tackles for loss; and a recent history of beating some of the best teams in the nation -- in the calendar year the Tigers have knocked off LSU and Georgia, who played an outstanding football game against each other this past Saturday.
History suggests, however, the Orange (2-2) have a shot. For some reason, Syracuse has recently found ways to play its best game at the most opportune time -- I still can't get over how this happened. Meanwhile, Clemson has a history of not showing up for games they should easily win.
Breaking down everything on paper is easy. Yet, as we discussed before football is a fickle game. There's a good chance Saturday's showdown will feature a Tigers romp, which would deflate an already fickle Orange football fan base. There's also a good chance the Orange hard-nose their way into the game by causing a few turnovers, scoring a few points and riding a hopefully loud Carrier Dome.
It is all so freakin' fickle. By Saturday night, I am going to either love or hate this word.
