Does the tri-state/New York City area care about college football? Well, sports fans will soon find out, as a nationally televised non-conference contest between the Syracuse Orange and USC Trojans will be showcased on Sept. 8 (3:30 p.m. ET on ABC) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
The New York College Classic, the new branding name for a game that has been on the books for years now, will feature two different programs at the opposite ends of the college football spectrum.
The Orange will be coming off a disappointing 5-7 season, which ended on a five-game losing streak; while the Trojans will finally be bowl eligible for the first time in two seasons and probably ranked in the top five with aspirations of a National Championship.
For Syracuse fans, the nationally televised game will be welcomed, however, many will be praying their team doesn't get embarrassed on the national stage -- last year, the Orange played the host Trojans to a respectable 38-17 loss.
The Orange will play four other nationally televised games during the 2012-13 seasons. Here's the complete rundown via SUAthletics.com:
| Northwestern | TBA | Carrier Dome | ||||
| Southern California | 3:30 p.m. | MetLife Stadium | ||||
| Stony Brook | TBA | Carrier Dome | ||||
| Minnesota | TBA | Minneapolis, Minn. | ||||
| * | Pittsburgh | 7:00 p.m. | Carrier Dome | |||
| * | Rutgers | TBA | Piscataway, N.J. | |||
| * | Connecticut | 8:00 p.m. | Carrier Dome | |||
| * | South Florida | TBA | Tampa, Fla. | |||
| * | Cincinnati | TBA | Cincinnati, Ohio | |||
| * | Louisville | TBA | Carrier Dome | |||
| Missouri | TBA | Columbia, Mo. | ||||
| * | Temple | TBA | Philadelphia, Pa. |
For more on Syracuse football's offseason check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. Meanwhile, the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician has everything on the Orange.