Dino Babers: Reworking Syracuse offense is 'our most daunting task'

Coming from a program at Bowling Green that relied heavily on extreme offensive output, Dino Babers realizes he has his work cut out for him at Syracuse.

Babers, who is entering his first season as bench boss of the Orange, spoke with Newy Scruggs of NBC Sports Radio on Tuesday about a number of different topics, but specifically his plans for the Syracuse offense going forward, according to Stephen Bailey of Syracuse.com.

"I have to say, this is our most daunting task," Babers said of implementing his offensive strategies into the program. "This was an option-based football team and we're trying to turn it into a football team that likes to throw the ball first."

Babers stressed the need for a dominant offensive and defensive line, and claimed that a number of lineman needed to get into better physical shape in order to perform to that level.

"If you don't have an O-line and a D-line, you're not going to win," Babers said. "You're only as good as those elephants are. ... "

"If I said the lions rule the jungle, that's not true," Babers added. "Hippos rule the water and elephants rule the land. Until you get that, you're going to have a hard time winning football games."

Syracuse opens its season against Colgate on Sept. 2 in a non-conference matchup at the Carrier Dome.