Syracuse football is off to its best start since 1987, as they sit a cool 6-0, with impressive wins over Purdue, who may crack the Top 25 soon enough, and current No. 20 North Carolina State. Sure, the Wolfpack didn't have their star quarterback Devin Leary, who appears to be out for the season, but the Orange still won by two scores, which is impressive considering North Carolina State's stout defense.

As they set their eyes on a road showdown with No. 5 Clemson, a game which could decide the ACC Atlantic division, let's take a look at the 3 reasons that Syracuse are a legitimate threat for at least a New Years Six bowl.

3. Garrett Shrader is a very good quarterback

After an impressive freshman campaign at Mississippi State in 2019 under Joe Moorhead, you wouldn't have been crazy to suggest that Shrader might develop into one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC. However, on came 2020, and with it, exited Moorhead, who was replaced by Mike Leach, and another freshman star in Will Rogers.

Shrader found himself on the bench for 10 of Mississippi State's 11 games in 2020, and his lone appearance was as a receiver. He transferred to Syracuse that offseason, and in 2021 guided the Orange in a transitionary year between outgoing quarterback Tommy DeVito (now at Illinois) and himself. He threw for 1,445 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions, and through just six games he's already nearly matched those statistics.

As he's grown more comfortable with the Syracuse football offense, he's expanded his passing range, and so far he sits fourth in the ACC in passing touchdowns. Shrader may not have grown into one of the best in the SEC, but he's definitely grown into one of the best in the ACC.

2. They're well coached

It's easy to forget Syracuse football at times, given the reputation of their basketball team under Jim Boeheim and the gigantic shadow it casts, but don't forget that just four years ago, Dino Babers guided Syracuse to only their sixth ten win season since 1960. Sure, Babers still sits under .500 all time with Syracuse, but he's still a very good coach who can put together some good teams.

The shelf life of his really good Syracuse teams may not be long, as both this iteration of the Orange and that 2018 team are and were laden with upperclassmen, but Babers has clearly earned enough trust from inside the program to build his team for success however it comes. This is a team that can compete with the best in the conference, and even if they lose to Clemson, they'll still be in a position for a very very good season, as games against Notre Dame, Pitt, and Boston College all look winnable on the face of things, and a good performance against Wake Forest and Florida State could make those games winnable as well.

We could be looking at another 10-win Syracuse when all is said and done, and credit will have to be given to the tremendous job Dino Babers does with his players.

1. Sean Tucker is #PL34SED

One of the more interesting and humorous parts of college football twitter this season has been Sean Tucker's twitter, where after each and every game he posts his own stat line, the result, and whether he's pleased with his performance or not. The revelation of whether or not Tucker is pleased with his performance has truly become a staple of online college football spaces, much the same as SEC Shorts videos on Monday morning.

It sure helps when the player that's made into a meme is also one of the best in his conference, as Tucker currently sits second in the ACC in rushing yards with 644. He's the engine of the offense, keeping it moving and allowing Shrader's arm to be the opportunistic side of the Syracuse offense.

This tandem of running Tucker, who is averaging 5.2 yards per carry at present moment, and airing it out with Shrader, who is averaging 9.5 yards per attempt, has made Syracuse football into one of the most balanced offenses in the conference, making them a double-edged sword for opposing defenses.

This has helped Syracuse win their first six, and if the trend continues, they could be in line for another great season in 2022.