As of now, Clemson is the biggest game on Syracuse’s schedule.

The Tigers are the No. 3 team in the country, the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason favorite and one of the most legitimate national title contenders to come through Central New York in years.

The Orange players are excited — as they’ve expressed on Twitter and during interviews throughout the season. The SU fan base is excited — there’s a reason this is the most expensive Carrier Dome ticket of the season. But head coach Scott Shafer is a bit more subdued. He’s taking this week like any other one.

“I haven’t changed and our staff hasn’t changed,” he said in his weekly teleconference. “We’ve gone to work and gone about our business the same way we would any other week.”

In each of the past two seasons, when Shafer was Syracuse’s defensive coordinator, the Orange toppled the toughest opponent that entered the Dome. In 2011, SU shocked Geno Smith and then-No. 11 West Virginia. Last year, Syracuse stunned Teddy Bridgewater and then-No. 11 Louisville.

In 2013, it will be Tajh Boyd and Clemson that come to a fired up Dome atmosphere.

Shafer’s defenses were able to rattle the opponent’s star quarterback in each of those games, but the head coach doesn’t treat these any different than other games.

He focuses on the clichés that he truly believes. “Don’t you change.” “Control the controllables.” Follow those principles against an elite opponent, and the rest should come naturally.

“It’s going to sound crazy, but really just take care of yourself and look at the process of being the same process it is in every game,” Shafer said. “Big games take care of themselves as far as getting kids emotionally ready. They’ll be as ready as you want them to be without trying to get them to that point.”

Published on October 1, 2013 at 2:28 pm

Contact David: dbwilson@syr.edu | @DBWilson2