Yes, Syracuse got throttled, embarrassed, run off the field— pick your favorite term for blowout— at Clemson on Saturday. The Orange looked bad, and to make matters worse Eric Dungey left the game early after a hit to the head. But, as long as Dungey is healthy enough to continue playing, the Orange still has the ability to meet its goal of a bowl game.

It may sound crazy, but it’s true. Next week, North Carolina State comes to the Dome. They look very much like a team that plays to its competition, hanging close with Clemson and Florida State while losing to Boston College. Florida State comes to the hill the following week, and while that is far from an easy game, it is looking more and more possible to be taken by the week with the way FSU has performed. Then the last week of the season you have a road game at Pittsburgh, again, not an easy win or a game you throw in the win column, but one the Orange will be in.

Win one and Syracuse has a chance to go bowling. Win two and they are guaranteed to get a 13th game.

This of course is predicated on Eric Dungey coming back healthy and able to play. We should note: the more important thing than Dungey playing is that he does actually get healthy and not have any kind of long lasting impact from repeated blows to the head. If Dino Babers has to continue turning to Austin Wilson, the expectations has to be significantly altered, but again, it could still be a possibility.

Here’s the thing, nobody expected Syracuse to be in this position at the start of the season. Most predictions had the Orange only winning three or four games all season, and SU had won four through eight games. Where the team is should already be an accomplishment. Each position group has shown improvement and the team is clearly better than it was at the beginning of the year.

But it shouldn’t settle for this accomplishment, and it doesn’t seem like Dino Babers and the coaching staff will let their players settle. Not when a bowl game is so close, and so possible.

And even though the loss Saturday to Clemson hurts, especially because of the nature of the blowout— it was the second largest loss since the Orange joined the ACC— it does not disqualify the Orange from making a bowl. Far from it. Nobody expected the Orange to win in Clemson. But now it has to come back and take care of business against some teams that look vulnerable, especially with two coming to the Dome.