Josh Pate, in fact, did NOT pick us to lose. Why do people keep saying this? Why are people completely incapable of hearing what is said and instead hearing what they want?
He said he expected us to win. He said he likes the Syracuse coaching staff a lot, and they play hard. That combined with the unknowns for both teams and the typical week 1 sloppiness, he thought 14 points was too much and he picked them to cover. He gave the 'upset alert' a 6/10 which for him means TN probably wins, but an upset wouldn't be shocking.
Apparently that means he hates us and he's a sell out to some people.