​PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 17: Syracuse Orange and Pittsburgh Panthers face off at the line of scrimmage during the college football game on September 17, 2026 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images On both sides of the field, plenty of issues are popping up so far in the 2026 Syracuse Orange football season. But one problem stands above the rest, and many fans have certainly pointed it out: Syracuse is currently the most penalized team in the Power Four and the entire FBS.Not one of the most. The most. Here are some numbers to quantify just how much penalties have had an impact on the year so far.After three games in the 2026 campaign, the Orange have drawn 36 penalties, the highest amount of all 138 FBS teams. Only four teams have drawn 30 or more penalties: Missouri St., UCLA, UTSA, and Syracuse. For context, being top 100 in the FBS means having 23 penalties, 13 less than Syracuse has right now.Additionally, Syracuse has the most penalties per contest, at 12 each. And those penalties have certainly cost Syracuse plenty of yards.In fact, 329 total yards. Syracuse and UTSA (345) are the only two FBS schools with 300 or more penalty yards after Week 3, meaning ‘Cuse has the most of all P4 programs. It’s averaging nearly 110 penalty yards per game.In all three of Syracuse’s games so far, it has lost that battle to its opponents. Here’s the comparison between the Orange and their opponents:Syracuse vs. New HampshireSyracuse: 12 penalties, 125 penalty yardsNew Hampshire: 9 penalties, 66 penalty yardsSyracuse vs. CaliforniaSyracuse: 14 penalties, 110 penalty yardsCalifornia: 9 penalties, 87 penalty yardsSyracuse vs. PittsburghSyracuse: 10 penalties, 94 penalty yardsPittsburgh: 8 penalties, 72 penalty yardsCrunching all the numbers above, Syracuse is essentially getting three more penalties than its opponents. It’s also averaging nearly 35 more penalty yards per game compared to the team it’s facing, which isn’t nothing.These penalties have come on offense, defense and special teams, before, during, and after the snap. Some are questionable, but most are not.The Orange will have a lot to figure out this bye week and in the days leading into its next game, a pivotal road contest against UConn. But if they can’t crack down on the self-inflicted mistakes, the Orange will continue to pay the price.