sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Junk Food Day!
Junk Food Day is devoted to junk food, which is food mostly devoid of nutritional value, but instead high in fat, sugar, and salt, and often highly processed. When eaten in high amounts, junk food may impact energy levels, contribute to obesity and cardiovascular disease, and advance other health problems. It may even alter brain activity and affect emotional well-being.
The word "junk food" is usually thought to date back to the early 1950s, although some have credited Michael F. Jacobson of the Center for Science in Public Interest as coining the term in 1972. Junk food has since become a part of American culture, although there has been much effort to curtail its growth over the years.
The list of foods that are considered junk foods is endless. Most foods at fast food restaurants are considered junk foods, although not all offerings are. Many of the following are considered junk foods, although some of these foods can be prepared in healthier ways. Common foods include burgers, fried chicken, hot dogs, ice cream, potato chips, fries, chicken nuggets, pizza, candy, cookies, and soda. Even some cereals can be considered junk food, when they are high in sugar and high fructose corn syrup, and are made with white flour.
SU News
Syracuse Football: Ridiculous NCAA hasn’t ruled on Chris Bleich waiver (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse football earlier this year picked up offensive lineman Chris Bleich, and the NCAA needs to grant him immediate eligibility – now.
Chris Bleich, an excellent offensive lineman who transferred from Florida out of the Southeastern Conference to Syracuse football, enrolled at SU in January of 2020, according to his bio on the ‘Cuse athletics department Web site.
The 6-foot-6, 330-pound Bleich, a three-star prospect in high school who hails from Hanover Township, Pa., wrote on his Twitter page in mid-April that he was sending in his “final transfer form.” Since he’s not a graduate transfer, Bleich has to sit out one season with the Orange unless he is granted a waiver for immediate eligibility.
According to various media reports, Bleich is hoping for a waiver so that he may immediately compete. In fact, Stephen Bailey of Syracuse.com wrote in an article earlier this year that Bleich is “seeking immediate eligibility from the NCAA via a waiver based partially on family hardship. Bleich also shared in his commitment announcement that he ‘didn’t have a choice’ but to play through injuries at UF – something that could also be a factor in his waiver.”
Based on all of this context, it seems that Bleich has yet to hear back from the NCAA after filing for a waiver several months ago. I totally acknowledge that NCAA officials have a lot on their plate right now amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. But the fact that Bleich is still waiting appears absolutely ludicrous to me.
Not only does the NCAA need to rule on his waiver request ASAP, but it also needs to grant him said waiver so that he can suit up for Syracuse football during the 2020 stanza. Why do I say this?
Well, as CuseNation.com’s Mike McAllister recently pointed out in an excellent story, other college football players of late have received decisions back on their waiver requests in way shorter time spans than Bleich. It simply isn’t right what the NCAA is doing to this young man.
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Syracuse football misses out on 3-star offensive guard Lyndon Cooper (itlh; Adler)
Lyndon Cooper, a 2021 three-star offensive guard, has elected to suit up for fellow ACC member N.C. State rather than Syracuse football.
Recruiting analysts projected that Syracuse football target Lyndon Cooper would ultimately choose N.C. State, and the 2021 three-star offensive guard opted for the Wolfpack in revealing his decision via Twitter on Monday night.
The 6-foot-3, 315-pound Cooper, a rising senior at Carrollton High School in Carrollton, Ga., has received nearly 20 scholarship offers, according to a review of several recruiting services.
Besides the Orange and Atlantic Coast Conference foe N.C. State, those offers came from teams such as Charlotte, Florida International, Liberty, Richmond, Middle Tennessee State, Troy, East Carolina, South Alabama, Texas State and Tennessee State.
Heading into his announcement unveiling, which happened to fall on Cooper’s 17th birthday, four analysts on the 247Sports Web site predicted that he would select the Wolfpack, as well as one analyst and one publisher on .
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Predicting a Conference-Only Syracuse Schedule – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Unsworth)
The coronavirus is starting to slowly disassemble the fabric of college sports. ACC Media Day, which the conference announced would be a virtual event, was postponed a week ago. Stanford cut 11 varsity sports. The Ivy League, Patriot League, and others are starting to cancel fall sports. The Big 10 and Pac-12, on the other hand, are choosing to play only in-conference matchups (since COVID-19 can only affect Ohio State when the Buckeyes win 70-0 over Youngstown State). The Atlantic Coast Conference has yet to make a decision on the fall football season, but reports say that the conference is considering a five-team home and home schedule.
This may seem like a misguided solution. As I sarcastically stated above, nothing can expressly prevent players from contracting the virus. The plan will seriously hurt mid-major D1 and D2 schools that earn most of their football revenue from getting beaten to shreds by high tier programs. And fans are losing out on some of the most hyped matchups of the year, namely OSU-Oregon, Texas-LSU, and USC-Alabama (as a Syracuse fan coming from Big 10 country, I was excited to see the Orange face off with Rutgers).
However, the conference-only schedule does present positives. Mainly, it gives the conferences and administrators more time. Time to figure out a uniform plan for schools to screen athletes, time to install offenses and defenses, and time for players to get back into football shape, hopefully with full-contact practices. Syracuse is a unit that certainly needs the last two.
Since there’s no telling what teams might be on SU five team home-and-home schedule, I took the opportunity to compile some potential 2020 conference slates for the Orange. (Cliffnote before I dive in: Notre Dame is contractually obligated to play five ACC teams a year. ACC commissioner John Swofford said that if the ACC does play a reduced schedule, it will provide ND with games as well)
Regional
Opponents: Notre Dame, BC, Pitt, Louisville, Virginia
Record Prediction: 5-5
If the ACC is serious about limiting travel (I’m sure SU does not want anyone, athletes or otherwise, going to Florida for the weekend), then the smartest way to organize a football schedule is by region. Syracuse would obviously be in the Northern-most grouping, and its opponents would be an interesting bunch. Virginia loses its do-it-all QB, and BC has a new head coach. The Orange would be remiss not to win at least three of those four games. However, the other six games would be rough. Pitt is returning a lot of talent on both sides of the football, and Louisville has the potential to be an offensive juggernaut. Worst of all, Notre Dame is still Notre Dame, rich with top recruits (and destined to disappoint) but a team that certainly would handle SU. Syracuse could maybe steal a game or two, but it would be tough sledding against three quality opponents.
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Tommy DeVito and his Pursuit for More Time – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Shults)
Instead of a barricade, Syracuse’s offensive line served as a welcome center last season. Defensive linemen pounded Tommy DeVito into the turf game after game, eventually resulting in a Syracuse, Clayton Welch/ DeVito entanglement.
Snap after snap, DeVito would catch the football and run. Not because of a designed play where he took off with the ball. Instead he was running because a defensive lineman or linebacker was barrelling towards him, often unblocked.
Last season Syracuse gave up the third most sacks out of 130 FBS teams. Only Old Dominion and Akron quarterbacks ended up on the turf more. However, there is a silver lining. Over the last three games, SU gave up less than two sacks per game.
The biggest difference was inserting true freshman Matthew Bergeron into the starting lineup midway through the season. Bergeron became just the fourth true freshman to start on SU’s offensive line since 1986, and the first since 2002.
Bergeron’s rise coincided with Ryan Alexander’s departure from the team. Alexander, a transfer from South Alabama was expected to lock down the right tackle position. Unfortunately for Alexander and the Orange, football is played at a higher level in the ACC compared with the Sun Belt Conference.
Opposite Bergeron is Airon Servais, who holds a team-best streak of 37 consecutive starts. Of course, left tackle is the most important position to protect DeVito, and the Orange have an experienced tackle to rely on. Over his career, Servais has been used like a utility infielder. Some games he’s played left tackle, others he’s run the offensive line as the center.
This season, it seems like he’ll be able to settle in at left tackle. Fittingly, that’s exactly where SU needs its best lineman to play.
Besides Servais and Bergeron, starter Dakota Davis returns at right guard. Davis was not listed on the spring depth chart since he was injured. Carlos Vettorello returns for his second season starting at center.
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You are being redirected... (accnation.net; podcast; Shults & Connelly)
On this episode of ACCNation Podcast we are joined by Thomas Shults of Orange Fizz and Kevin Connelly of Ball Durham. Shults and Connelly bring us up-to-date on Syracuse and Duke football, basketball and more. The countdown is on. Will we have a college football season? Both guests have thoughts on the topic right up front.
Contrary to some hog slop that a select group of dimwits are trying to feed sports fans, the media definitely wants the season. But, it’s got to be done smart and with the health of all involved considered. We can say with certainty that everyone at ACCNation wants all sports to return. To top that comment off, we collectively have never heard anyone in sports say otherwise.
Shults And Connelly
Thomas Shults – Orange Fizz
- Why St. Louis and Los Angeles?
- Will there be a fall college football season?
- New Offensive Coordinator will ties to Baber takes over. The pass is the name of the game.
- Keys to success for Tommy DeVito starts with the offensive line.
- Is DeVito a dual threat quarterback?
- The running backs.
- The wide receivers.
- A look at the defense and where there were short-comings last year.
- New Defensive Coordinator has lots to work with in the secondary.
- If things don’t start to shake loose over the next two season is Dino Babers on a hot seat?
- The performance of AD John Wildhack.
- A look at one of the top safeties in college football, Andre Cisco.
- Special teams and the next man up.
- What’s Jim Boeheim’s magic when it comes to recruiting.
- The guards, the shooting game and how it’s coming together.
- When and if Jim Boeheim retires, who’s up next?
- If you could pick any coach out of all that are active who would you choose to be next up at Syracuse? (Watch out Louisville and Virginia).
- Quentin Hillsman is bringing in a loaded women’s basketball team.
- Will Tiana Mangakahia return?
- A look at Syracuse lacrosse.
Miami football prospect 3-star LB Sebastian Sagar committing Monday (caneswarning.com; Rubenstein)
Three-star linebacker Sebastian Sagar who the Miami football program is recruiting as a defensive end is announcing his commitment on Monday.
Sebastian Sagar who the Miami football program is recruiting as a defensive end is announcing his commitment on Monday around 8 PM ET according to Andrew Ivins of Inside the U. The three-star outside linebacker is expected to choose Georgia Tech over Miami, Boston College, Syracuse and West Virginia.
All four of the crystal balls currently project Sagar to commit to the Yellow Jackets. That includes Ivins who recorded his crystal ball for Sagar to Georgia Tech. Ivins reported on Monday morning that Miami doesn’t have enough room for Sagar in their 2021 recruiting class. Four-star DE Jabari Ismael commited to Miami on Friday.
The Hurricanes are also expected to receive a commitment from three-star Valdosta, Georgia DE Thomas Davis when he commits on his August 24 birthday. Miami wanted Sagar to visit before any mutual commitment was made between him and Miami. With the recruiting lockdown that was not going to happen soon.
Sagar is not very active on his twitter account, but tweeted on Saturday “Big news coming on Monday.” Miami is expected to continue to recruit Sagar and watch how his 2020 season unfolds with a move to middle LB. Miami currently has three LBs committed for 2020. Sagar is a versatile player that fits in the modern defenses.
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Attendance at Rutgers football games will be limited to 500 due to COVID-19 (yahoo.com; Cooper)
In conjunction with orders issued by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy due to the coronavirus pandemic, attendance at Rutgers athletic events will be extremely limited this fall.
“All Rutgers Athletics venues will operate in accordance with the executive orders issued by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy limiting outdoor gatherings to 500 people or fewer,” Rutgers said in a news release. “All safety precautions will be in place for those individuals who will be in attendance.”
Rutgers is the first Power Five program to have a definitive number on the amount of fans it can have in its home stadium for football games in the fall — if the season is not delayed. According to NJ.com, the limit of 500 “does not include players, officials and other employees of the teams.” It is unclear how long the governor’s order will remain in effect.
“We understand and support the Governor’s decision based on health and safety guidelines. Athletic department officials will continue to monitor any changes to public health guidelines and adjust accordingly,” the school said.
Murphy’s order also affects the New York Giants and New York Jets, who will play their respective home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in front of no fans.
The Big Ten announced July 9 that it will play a conference-only football schedule this fall, a decision that canceled Rutgers’ non-conference games against Monmouth, Temple and Syracuse. The games against Monmouth and Syracuse were scheduled for SHI Stadium on the school’s campus in Piscataway, New Jersey.
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Falwell on Liberty’s 2020 football season: “Our schedule’s going to be totally different than what we’ve published” (aseaofred.com; Manson)
Liberty President Jerry Falwell, Jr. was a guest on a local radio show on Thursday morning, and, in addition to other topics, Falwell discussed Liberty’s 2020 football schedule.
“I don’t know but I do know that our AD (Ian McCaw) has been watching what’s happening with these other conferences,” President Falwell said when asked if he thought Liberty would play Virginia Tech to open the season on Sept. 5 as scheduled.
Liberty has already lost its home opener against North Carolina A&T scheduled for Sept. 12, and there are rumors that the ACC will follow the Big Ten and PAC-12 to go to a conference-only format for the 2020 season. The Flames are scheduled to face three ACC opponents this season – Virginia Tech, Syracuse, and NC State.
“We think it might be an opportunity for Liberty,” Falwell continued. “I’ve gotten calls from Independent University Presidents and all of us, if the conferences are only going to play each other, then we need to do the same thing.”
As we’ve previously reported, the Flames have had conversations with the other FBS Independent schools about playing each other if other FBS conferences resort to conference only schedules. These conversations have been ongoing throughout much of the spring and summer.
“We may end up playing some pretty big name teams otherwise we wouldn’t have played because of what the conferences are doing by limiting their games to conference play,” Falwell stated. “We don’t know yet, but we think it’s going to end up being a positive for Liberty. But who knows, between now and the fall…you’ve got to have somebody to play. You can’t just decide, well, we’re going to have a football season. Other schools have to decide as well.”
Liberty is currently scheduled to face fellow FBS Independents Connecticut on Oct. 31 on the road and a home date against UMass on Nov. 28. Games against the other Independents – Notre Dame, Army, BYU, and New Mexico State – are also possibilities. BYU has already lost 5 games with the Big Ten and PAC-12’s decisions.
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ACC Football: Wild Card Players in 2020 (athlonsports.com; Kinne)
If quarterback Phil Jurkovec is eligible for Boston College, he could be a difference-maker
Every year for every college football team, a player or two will come out of nowhere to make an impact. There is always a bit of mystery as to which players will jump forward and which will lag behind.
With spring practices scrapped early in the process, determining who the currently unknown contributors will be in 2020 is even more difficult. But here are my picks for offensive and defensive wild card players for each ACC program.
ACC Atlantic
Boston College
Offense: Phil Jurkovec, QB
Perhaps the ultimate wild card for the entire league. Boston College has had a hard time finding a top-notch quarterback and Jurkovec had all the high school accolades. While it didn't work out for him at Notre Dame, a change of scenery may be what he needs. The first step to Jurkovec making a contribution is the NCAA deciding on his eligibility waiver. Without it, the sophomore won't play at all.
Defense: Jason Maitre, CB
Coming out of Everett, Massachusetts, Maitre wasn't a highly sought-after recruit whose only other offers were from FCS programs. But he started a few games last year as a redshirt freshman and though he was picked on often, that experience will prepare him for a bigger role this fall.
Clemson
Offense: Joseph Ngata, WR
With Tee Higgins off to the NFL and Justyn Ross already ruled out for this season, Ngata will be asked to shoulder much more as a sophomore. With Higgins and Ross on the field along with Amari Rodgers, Ngata nor fellow freshman Frank Ladson were not needed in 2019. Things have now changed.
Defense: Landen Zanders, S
Only Derion Kendrick returns as a starter in the Clemson secondary, providing opportunities for some very talented young players. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Zanders is one of those youthful Tigers looking to make an impact. The sophomore had just 14 tackles last year but three resulted in lost yardage including two sacks.
Florida State
Offense: Jashaun Corbin, RB
After two years at Texas A&M, the Rockledge, Florida, product decided to return to the Sunshine State. The Seminoles need to replace Cam Akers at running back and Corbin has the ability to make plays. Of course, a woeful offensive line has to improve for any back to excel.
Defense: Josh Kaindoh, DE
We've been waiting and waiting for Kaindoh to really deliver. Perhaps this will be the year. Injuries hampered his production in 2019, but in three seasons the former top-100 recruit has just 45 total tackles.
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Syracuse
Offense: Jawhar Jordan, RB
Abdul Adams will be the starter going into the year, but the back with the most exciting upside is Jordan. He played in just four games last year to maintain a year of eligibility, but he averaged seven yards on his 15 carries during his limited playing time.
Defense: Mikel Jones, LB
The Cuse is starting over with three new starting linebackers and Jones is the one with the most experience, so he could have the upper hand when it comes to seizing one of the open spots. A small, speedy athlete, Jones had 38 tackles in eight appearances last season.
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The 1918 College Football Season (RX; HM)
The 1918 College Football Season
How many college football games were actually played during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918? Here's a look at what current ACC schools did during the last big pandemic...
1918 College Football Highlights
| Southern Conference |
| Georgia Tech played 7 games, went 6-1-0 |
| Clemson also played 7, went 5-2-0 |
| several schools, like Alabama, didn't field a team at all, mainly due to WWI; FWIW, a depleted Auburn team went 2-5-0 in 1918). |
At the time the Southern Conference was the progenitor of both the SEC and part of the ACC (along with the next conference, the SAIAA).
| S.A.I.A.A. |
| Virginia Tech played 7 games, went 7-0-0 |
| NC State played only 4 games, went 1-3-0 |
| (again, several schools did not field a team). |
| Eastern Independents |
| Syracuse played 6 games, went 5-1-0 |
| Pittsburgh played 5 games, went 4-1-0 |
| Boston College played 7 games, went 5-2-0 |
| (FWIW, Penn State went 1-2-1) |
| Other Independents |
| Notre Dame played 6 games, went 3-1-2 |
| Wake Forest played 3 games, went 1-2-0 |
As you can see, many of the teams in the ACC have been affiliated in some way or another with each other over the last 102 years. However, this only accounts for 9 of the 15 teams...
What about the other ACC schools?
Duke didn't participate in intercollegiate football from 1895 until 1920. Louisville had no football team from 1917 through 1920; UNC and UVA both suspended their football programs from 1917 through 1918. Miami didn't start playing football until 1926; Florida State didn't begin its program until 1947.
The 1918 consensus All-America team included:
| Pos. | Name | Team |
| QB | Frank Murrey | Princeton |
| HB | Tom Davies | Pittsburgh |
| HB | Wolcott Roberts | Navy |
| FB | Tank McLaren | Pittsburgh |
| E | Paul Robeson | Rutgers |
| T | Pete Henry | Washington & Jefferson |
| T | Lou Usher | Syracuse |
| G | Doc Alexander | Syracuse |
1918 College Football National Championship (tiptip25.com; James Vautravers)
1918 College Football National Championship
Pictured above is Pittsburgh hall of fame halfback Tom Davies running wild on Georgia Tech. This was the most anticipated game of the year, as neither team had lost since 1914, and Georgia Tech had been posting awe-inspiring scores for 2 years, and in fact they came into this game 5-0 by an average score of 85-0. But Pittsburgh dominated 32-0, decisively settling a debate that had not been settled in 1917.
The next week, Pitt lost 10-9 to Cleveland Naval Reserves, a military team composed of former college stars from around the country. Cleveland NR lost only to Chicago Naval Reserves, another military all-star team who finished 8-0. Pitt finished 4-1, but as Spalding's football guide put it at the time, they were "universally conceded to be the champion team of the country," and if there had been an AP poll in 1918, Pitt would have easily finished out as the highest ranked college team.
Here is how the "major selectors" listed in the NCAA Records Book, all selecting long after the fact, see the 1918 college football national championship (omitting math/computer ratings, which neither I nor anyone else recognize as constituting titles):
Pittsburgh: Helms, National Championship Foundation (tie)
Michigan: National Championship Foundation (tie)
Michigan went 5-0 and defeated a powerful 5-1 Syracuse team 15-0, and they are the only other team I will be considering for the 1918 mythical national championship (MNC). The 1918 football season barely qualified as a football season at all, and there were plenty of teams that may well have been equal to or better than Pittsburgh or Michigan, but what sets Pitt and Michigan apart from the rest is that each defeated another MNC contending team.
1918 College Football Season
The 1918 college football season was nearly wiped out. The war had already deprived most schools of able-bodied veteran players, and freshmen dominated many rosters this season. On top of that, the Spanish flu pandemic led to the cancellation of a great many games nationwide, so that most schools played half a season or less, and some schools didn't play at all.
Military training camp teams composed of former college players were the best football teams of 1918, and if an AP poll had existed, and if it included military training camps (as the AP poll did during WWII), then a group of Navy training camps would have dominated the top of the poll. Most highly esteemed of these was 8-0-2 Great Lakes Navy (or Naval Training Station), and they almost certainly would have been voted #1. They were tied by 2-2-1 Northwestern and 3-1-2 Notre Dame, but after a coaching change and restructuring of the team, they won out, including 3 notable victories. First they came back from 14-0 down to beat a strong 5-2 Rutgers team 54-14. Then, in their biggest win, they edged 4-1 Navy 7-6 on a late miracle. Finally, they went to the Rose Bowl and defeated the 10-1 Mare Island Marines 17-0.
My choice for #1 military team, however, would be 8-0 Chicago Naval Reserves (known as Municipal Pier). They gave Cleveland Naval Reserves their only loss, who gave Pitt their only loss. Chicago NR also won 7-0 at 5-2 Illinois, whom Great Lakes Navy had beaten by the same score, and Illinois was considered by Western writers to be co-champion of the "West" (Great Lakes region) with 5-0 Michigan. Chicago NR defeated 5-2-1 Minnesota, 2-2-1 Northwestern, and a strong Camp Dodge team. Northwestern, of course, tied Great Lakes Navy.
1918's Best College Teams
Due to the shortened season, a plethora of 1918 teams went unbeaten, at least against other colleges. Chief among these was 4-1 Navy, coached by our old friend Gilmore Dobie, who had gone unbeaten for 9 straight seasons at Washington 1908-1916. Had there been an AP poll in 1918, and if it ranked only college teams, Navy would almost certainly have ended up #2 behind Pitt. Their 4 wins came by an average score of 69-2, including a 127-0 demolition of an undermanned Ursinus squad. Their loss came 7-6 to Great Lakes Navy in the most talked about game of the season. Navy had outplayed Great Lakes, and led 6-0 in the closing minutes, running a play from the Great Lakes 1 yard line. However, the ball was stripped from the runner right at the goal line, and a Great Lakes player got hold of it and started running the other way. A Navy player came off the bench and tackled the player with the ball, but the referee ruled it a touchdown. Great Lakes then kicked the extra point for the win.
Navy is very close to being an MNC contender for 1918, because loss or not, that performance against 8-0-2 Great Lakes Navy marks them as one of the most powerful teams of the season. The problem for Navy is that, unlike Pitt and Michigan, they did not defeat a single strong opponent, and that's a crucial missing ingredient.
Another potential MNC contender for 1918 is 5-2 Illinois. Their losses were both 7-0 decisions to 8-0-2 Great Lakes Navy and 8-0 Chicago Naval Reserves, but they romped the colleges they played, including 19-0 at 6-2-1 Iowa, 22-0 at 3-3 Wisconsin, and 13-0 over 3-3 Ohio State. Those outcomes compare well to 5-0 Michigan's, and in fact Walter Eckersall, the preeminent Western writer of the time, declared Illinois and Michigan to be co-champions of the West. Unlike Illinois, Michigan did not play military teams (that was perhaps smart, because nothing could be gained from it aside from raising money for charities, and the military all-star teams did not make for fair matchups), so Illinois' losses are irrelevant when comparing Illinois and Michigan. The two teams attempted to schedule a "postseason" game against each other for the Western championship, but sadly, Illinois' faculty voted it down.
Unlike Navy, Illinois did beat a strong opponent-- 3 of them, in fact. 6-2-1 Iowa was particularly strong, losing their other game to Great Lakes Navy, tying Camp Dodge, and beating 5-2-1 Minnesota and 2-3-1 Nebraska (who was better than their record shows). Iowa was coached by Hall of Famer Howard Jones, who would take Iowa to the top of the Big Ten before moving on to even bigger things at Southern Cal in the 1920s. However, Iowa was no Syracuse or Georgia Tech, and that is Illinois' problem in contending for an MNC. They are very close, and may well have been the best college team in 1918-- they will be a top contender for the 1919 MNC-- but they did not have the kind of big win Pitt and Michigan did in 1918. Furthermore, the Great Lakes Navy team Illinois lost to was before GL Navy's coaching and lineup change-- it was the same GL Navy team tied by Northwestern and Notre Dame, and that is a big blow to Illinois' case. Navy played GL Navy when GL Navy was at their strongest, yet still gave them a far better game than did Illinois, so I would deem Navy's case to be stronger than that of Illinois.
Other notable college teams in 1918:
- 9-0 Texas: defeated 6-1 Texas A&M 7-0 for the state championship. Won by more than a touchdown in each of their other 8 games, though A&M was the only good team they played. Texas A&M beat no one themselves, and struggled to win 3 of their games, including a 7-0 win over Southwestern (Texas).
- 6-0 Oklahoma: opened up with a 103-0 win over Arkansas, then romped the rest of their opponents except for a 13-7 win over Phillips.
- 4-0 Colorado Mines: demolished their opponents by an average score of 46-5.
- 6-0 Washington-Missouri: won all of their games by more than a touchdown, including 20-7 over Nebraska.
- 7-0 Virginia Tech: won all of their games by more than a touchdown except for their 6-0 finale over 1-3 Virginia Military Institute.
- 6-0 Bucknell: stomped every team on their incredibly weak schedule. Their coach was Edgar Wingard, who had coached Louisiana State to 10-0 in 1908.
- 5-0 Centre: gave Camp Zachary Taylor their only loss of the season by a 10-6 score, and routed the rest of their schedule, though no one outside Kentucky noticed. But they soon would, as little Centre college was on the verge of becoming nationally famous. They would continue their winning streak with a 9-0 finish in 1919, beat Harvard in 1921 (long considered the biggest upset of all time), and conclude their 7-year window of big-time football success in 1924 by winning the championship of the South over 8-1 Alabama.
Pittsburgh 1918
| Washington & Jefferson (2-2) | 34-0 | |
| Penn (5-3) | 37-0 | #17 |
| Georgia Tech (6-1) | 32-0 | #5 |
| Penn State (1-2-1) | 28-6 | |
| at Cleveland NR (5-1) | 9-10 | (super) |
I summarized previous Pittsburgh teams in my national championship articles for 1904, 1910, 1915, 1916, and 1917, and I covered their Hall of Fame coach, Pop Warner, in the 1915 piece. Pitt lost 3 All Americans from their line heading into the 1918 season, but they returned more veterans with which to build a team than did the vast majority of college football teams, including 3 of their starting 4 backs: Hall of Fame fullback George "Tank" McLaren, halfback Katy Easterday, and quarterback Skip Gougler. McLaren, the captain, made consensus All American this season, and Easterday was a nonconsensus AA. But it was the new starter in the backfield that took this team to a higher level this season.
Freshman halfback Tom Davies (pictured), at just 142 pounds, gave Pitt everything they'd been missing in 1917 and then some. He led the team in rushing, passing, and receiving, and he was a good kicker and a dangerous kick returner. He was consensus AA and is in the Hall of Fame. His presence elevated the play of the backs around him too, because opponents could no longer mass the line waiting for McLaren, and Easterday found more room to run with everyone looking for the other 2 backs, and he was the favorite passing target for Davies as well. In 1920, Davies scored 4 touchdowns on Penn via an 80 yard run, 90 yard kickoff return, 60 yard interception return, and a forward pass. Against Syracuse the same season he rushed for 255 yards. Davies finished his 31 game career with 3931 all purpose yards and 181 points.
Another key freshman was Hall of Fame center Herb Stein, who would make consensus AA in 1920 and 1921. He was equally great on offense and defense, and later played pro football for 6 years. So it was 1916 all over again, with Davies in the role of halfback/kicker Andy Hastings and Stein filling the big shoes of Hall of Fame center Bob Peck. It's a wonder that Pitt was able to manage a 10-0 season in 1917 between the 2 pairs of players.
Tackle Leonard Hilty, a substitute for the 1916 team, returned to Pitt after a one-year stint in the Navy, and he was Pitt's 3rd consensus AA this season.
Like most teams in 1918, 4-1 Pitt played a shortened season, opening on November 9th and finishing just 3 weeks later. 6 games were canceled due to the Spanish flu pandemic, the big ones being against Great Lakes Navy and Syracuse, either of which could have had a big impact on the mythical national championship race of 1918. Syracuse had been rescheduled for November 23rd, but Pittsburgh dropped them once they convinced Georgia Tech to come up North that day.
Pittsburgh's Season
Pitt opened with a 34-0 win over 2-2 Washington & Jefferson, then beat a decent 5-3 Penn team 37-0. I have Penn ranked #17 for 1918. A Georgia Tech scout was at the Penn game, so Pitt showed nothing but straight football. Fullback Tank McLaren was unavailable that week, but Penn could not stop Davies and Easterday running outside. Davies started the scoring with a field goal, something that had been missing from the Pitt arsenal in 1917, and then it was all touchdowns. Pitt gained 25 first downs to Penn's 1.
Then came the presumed game of the year against Georgia Tech, and all the important football men and writers came to Pittsburgh to witness it, joining a crowd of 30,000 fans in attendance. The proceeds went to the United War Work Fund. Neither team had lost since 1914, and though most writers had declared 9-0 Georgia Tech the mythical national champion over 10-0 Pittsburgh in 1917, the debate had not been settled on the field of play.
Georgia Tech returned only 2 starters from their 1917 team, Hall of Famers Joe Guyon and Bill Fincher, but John Heisman's "jump shift" offense was putting up even bigger numbers in 1918 than it had in 1917, beating 3 teams by over 100 points (118-0, 123-0, and 128-0), and drubbing 5-2 Clemson 28-0 (Clemson was #26-32 caliber). They also won 28-0 over Camp Gordon, a military team that featured GT's 1917 star Everett Strupper. Georgia Tech had 3 consensus All Americans this season, as many as Pitt and 2 more than GT had in 1917. The press treated this bout as a national championship game before and after it was played.
But the game did not meet expectations, as Pitt ran away with it 32-0. The "jump shift," used by Georgia Tech on virtually every offensive play, was completely stifled by Pitt, so in that battle of the legendary coaches, Pop Warner won out over John Heisman. As he would in 1919, and then 3 more times 1920-1922, when Heisman was coaching Penn, and then yet again in 1923, when Heisman was at Washington & Jefferson. So 1918 was the first of 6 straight years Warner would frustrate Heisman.
For their part, Georgia Tech stopped fullback Tank McLaren's line plunges cold, which bodes well for their chances had the teams played in 1917, as that was all the offense Pitt had that season. But Georgia Tech had no answer for freshman halfback Tom Davies, who was similar to GT's great 1917 halfback Everett Strupper. Davies returned 2 punts for touchdowns, threw 2 touchdowns to Katy Easterday, and set up a short McLaren touchdown with a big pass reception from Easterday. All the scoring was dependent on big plays, and in fact Pitt only had 10 first downs on the day. But Georgia Tech had no big plays, and only 4 first downs, one of them gained via penalty.
Georgia Tech went on to beat rival Auburn 41-0, finishing 6-1. I have GT ranked #5 for 1918.
Pitt played their annual Thanksgiving Day game against Penn State 5 days later, and found themselves trailing for the first time, 6-0 early. But the lead didn't last long, and Pitt won 28-6, McLaren scoring 3 touchdowns. That was the end of the shortened season, and Pitt was celebrated far and wide as the best team in the nation, but Cleveland Naval Reserves challenged Pitt to come play them in Cleveland, with the proceeds again going to charity. Pitt had refused such a challenge after the 1917 season, but patriotism got the better of them this year. So only 2 days after playing Penn State, Pitt took the train to Cleveland to play an all star team of former college players.
The Cleveland Naval Reserves Game
Cleveland NR's star was quarterback Gaylord "Pete" Stinchcomb, a Hall of Fame player for Ohio State 1917 and 1919-1920. Stinchcomb's 1917 Ohio State team had come a game away from laying claim to a share of the MNC, but suffered a shocking upset tie to Auburn to end the season 8-0-1. Auburn's star player that day had been halfback Richard "Moon" Ducote, whom game reports claimed to be nearly as strong a player as OSU superstar Chic Harley, and Moon Ducote was reunited with Stinchcomb in Cleveland NR's backfield. Ducote was a terrific kicker, and booted a mud-caked ball for a 3-0 win over Georgia in 1916. Together, Stinchcomb and Ducote made for a formidable backfield duo, and they were also joined in the backfield by Georgia Tech's 1917 fullback, Judy Harlan, a tremendous blocker and pass defender. Harlan would thus have a chance to exact revenge for his former team's beating at the hands of Pitt the previous week.
Elmer "Bird" Carroll, who had earned All American mention at Washington & Jefferson in 1917, played tackle. He would later play pro football for 2 NFL championship teams. Lesser known prior to this season was end Bruce Bierce, who had played for Akron. But he would also play for 2 title-winning NFL teams, though not the same teams for which Carroll played. A couple of other notable linemen, Charles McGuire and Bill Gorgas, came from the University of Chicago.
This ended up being the real game of the year, but far fewer football writers and dignitaries were present to see it. Pitt scored a touchdown early, driving behind line plunges by McLaren and Davies, but Davies missed the extra point, which would prove to be the difference by game's end. Cleveland NR's Judy Harlan returned an interception 35 yards in the 2nd quarter, setting up a 40 yard Moon Ducote field goal. Pitt then drove again, pushing the ball inside the Cleveland NR 1 yard line. They lined up for what would have no doubt been a Tank McLaren touchdown (he was allegedly never tackled for a loss in his 4 years of play), but as Pitt was calling the signals, the referee blew the whistle for the end of the quarter-- 5 minutes early. Pitt protested, but to no avail. The score thus stood 6-3, and would stay that way into the 4th quarter.
Moon Ducote lined up for a short tying field goal in the final period, but he just missed, hitting an upright on the goalpost. Pittsburgh drove to a 22 yard Skip Gougler field goal to up Pitt's lead to 9-3. As the quarter wound down, the Pete Stinchcomb show got under way. Stinchcomb launched Cleveland NR's winning touchdown drive with a 20 yard punt return, and then he hit Ducote with a pass for 30 yards, ran for 5 yards, caught a 15 yard pass from Ducote for the touchdown, then kicked the extra point for the win.
Due to the crucial 5 minutes that was shaved off the 2nd quarter, just as Pitt was about to score, Pitt refused to acknowledge this loss, and for many years did not list the game in their school record books, showing their 1918 team as 4-0. But eventually they accepted reality, and they now list the loss in their media guide. Every school has been "robbed" by officials' errors. The fact is that Pitt still would have won if they could have stopped Pete Stinchcomb in the end. In any case, the loss is no harm to Pitt's case for a 1918 MNC, because Cleveland NR lost only Chicago NR, who finished 8-0. Cleveland NR finished 5-1, and in addition to Pitt, they beat Detroit NR 83-0, Cornell 83-0, and a strong Camp Grant team 14-6.
Michigan 1918
| Case (3-5-2) | 33-0 | |
| at Chicago (4-6-1) | 13-0 | |
| Syracuse (5-1) | 15-0 | #4 |
| Michigan State (4-3) | 21-6 | |
| Ohio State (3-3) | 14-0 | #21 |
This is Michigan's first real contender for an MNC since they went unbeaten 4 straight years 1901-1904, and not coincidentally it is also the first time they posted a perfect record since 1904. Their coach was still Hall of Famer Fielding Yost after all these years, same guy I introduced in the 1901 article. After this 5-0 season, Yost stood at 124-18-8 (.853) in 18 years at Michigan, though most of that damage was done in his first 5 seasons, when Michigan went 55-1-1.
The biggest difference between Michigan and Pitt in 1918 was the reputed talent level of their players. Pitt had 3 consensus All Americans, Michigan none. But to get an idea of the value of having players make AA lists, consider that Syracuse had 2 consensus AA, yet Michigan beat them 15-0 this season. And Georgia Tech had 3, as many as Pitt, yet Pitt routed them 32-0. Still, it is hard to look at Pitt's players this season, then Michigan's, and see the teams as potential equals.
Michigan's star player this year was freshman fullback/halfback Frank Steketee, a nonconsensus All American (Michigan's only), best known for his excellent punting and kicking. In the opener against Case, he came in as a substitute and scored 3 touchdowns. Against Syracuse, he scored all of Michigan's points with a touchdown and 3 field goals. He is in the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame.
Similarly, tackle Angus Goetz is in the Michigan Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame. He scored a touchdown in a 13-0 win over Chicago, and blocked a punt for a touchdown against Ohio State to break a scoreless tie in the 4th quarter. He was never AA, but was named All Western, and was voted team captain twice, in 1919 and 1920.
The only player in the Hall of Fame (NFF) is freshman center Ernie Vick, who was a nonconsensus AA in 1921. He played some pro football and baseball, then became a Big 10 referee for 22 years.
End Robert Dunne was also a freshman, and also made nonconsensus AA in 1921. He later became a judge in Chicago.
Michigan's Season
Michigan opened with a 33-0 warm-up win over Case on October 5th, but the warming up was wasted, as they didn't play their next game for over a month, on November 9th. That one was a trip to Chicago, whom they had not played since the two met in their famous game to end the 1905 season. Chicago had halted Michigan's 56 game unbeaten streak then, winning by a mere safety 2-0, and Michigan finally got their revenge in 1918 with a 13-0 win. But Chicago was a weak 4-6-1 in 1918, so the "revenge" was a bit hollow.
Michigan's next game was by far their biggest of the season, as powerful 3-0 Syracuse was coming to Ann Arbor, but it was the same weekend that Georgia Tech was visiting Pittsburgh, so no one who mattered came to Ann Arbor to see it. And that is why Michigan wasn't on the radar of most national writers in 1918, and why their players drew so little interest from All American selectors. The game was played in rain and mud, and the only offense resulted in field goals, all by Michigan. They led 6-0 at half on 2 Frank Steketee goals, and Steketee added a 3rd in the 4th quarter. That put the game out of reach at 9-0, but Steketee returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown to put some icing on that cake. Syracuse finished 5-1, and I have them ranked #4 for 1918.
After drubbing Michigan State (4-3) 21-6, Michigan traveled to Ohio State (3-3), the first time they ever played OSU in their finale. But this was a one-time thing brought about by the war and the Spanish flu. OSU's main rival and usual finale opponent was Illinois, and Michigan's main rival was Minnesota, whom they would start playing in their finale in 1919. This game was scoreless until midway through the 4th quarter, when Frank Steketee got off a 73 yard punt to the OSU 2 yard line. A subsequent punt by OSU was blocked by Angus Goetz for a touchdown, and Steketee later added an insurance touchdown on a 12 yard pass to Robert Dunne. I have Ohio State ranked #21 for 1918.
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Most Often Overrated Teams (RX; HM)
Most Often Overrated Teams
OX is at it again!
Here's Mr. OX's data in tabular format:
| Team | #spots | Conf. |
| Florida State | -95.5 | ACC |
| Texas | -72.5 | XII |
| USC | -68 | Pac |
| Georgia | -64.5 | SEC |
| Michigan | -63.5 | B1G |
| Oklahoma | -61 | XII |
| Tennessee | -48 | SEC |
| Nebraska | -43 | B1G |
| Miami | -41 | ACC |
| LSU | -40.5 | SEC |
| Washington | -26 | Pac |
| Florida | -25.5 | SEC |
| Ohio State | -25 | B1G |
| California | -23 | Pac |
| Texas AM | -21 | SEC |
GoACC: the first expansion team (RX; HM)
GoACC: the first expansion team
For proof that the ACC top brass was making #GoACC decisions right from the start, I present exhibit A - the first expansion team ever invited to join the ACC: the Virginia Cavaliers.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking: this is just a Hokie hating on the Wahoos (aka Cavaliers). However, those of you who have been reading this blog for some time realize that I give UVA credit when they do something well (like winning the national championship in men's basketball or blanking the South Carolina Gamecocks in the 2018 Belk Bowl), but I also call it like I see it when bad decisions are made, and this one paid dividends for decades...
Now what some of you may not know is that the ACC was formed from the start as a football-first conference; the emphasis on basketball came later (as we'll discuss in a moment). That being the case, you'd think the very first ACC expansion team would be a football power - and from 1949 through 1952, UVA looked the part; then 1953 happened, and it started a trend...
Here is the win-loss record of the University of Virginia in football four years prior to joining the ACC, the year they received their invitation, and for the first seven years after joining the conference:
| ...prior to ACC invite | |
| Year | W-L |
| 1949 | 7-2 |
| 1950 | 8-2 |
| 1951 | 8-1 |
| 1952 | 8-2 |
| ..the year invited... | |
| Year | W-L |
| 1953* | 1-8 |
| ...after joining ACC | |
| Year | W-L-T |
| 1954 | 3-6 |
| 1955 | 1-9 |
| 1956 | 3-7 |
| 1957 | 3-6-1 |
| 1958 | 1-9 |
| 1959 | 0-10 |
| 1960 | 0-10 |
Big Ten could realign divisions yet again, according to PJ Fleck - CollegeFootballTalk | NBC Sports (nbcsports.com; Barnett)
B1G wanting to go divisional less would impact the ACC...
Whether he knew it or not, Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck broke news that will set certain circles of the college football blogosphere (including this one) by touching on the topic that is consistently gobbled up like Thanksgiving turkey: realignment.
“Change is inevitable,” Fleck told The Athletic. “I think we all know that. I think that the East and West have been around for a while. I like it, I like the division of it. But I don’t think it will stay the same. I think we’ll change it at some point because change is coming somehow, some way. And I think people are going to want to move it around, and shake it up a little bit.”
Fleck said the topic came up during the Big Ten’s spring meetings in Arizona; the conference did not comment on the topic.
The Big Ten split into divisions upon Nebraska’s 2011 arrival, memorably going with the idiotic Legends and Leaders alignment that was designed to protect rivalries and preserve competitive balance. That alignment lasted three years, until Maryland and Rutgers joined the party in 2014 and the conference rejiggered its alignment into a more sensible East and West split.
While a geographic divide does preserve rivalries and makes both logistical and logical sense, it has come at the price of competitive balance. The East champion has gone a perfect 5-for-5 in Big Ten title games under the current arrangement.
However, the East is a mere five games ahead of the West in regular season matchups, an average of one extra victory per season.
If — and at this point’s a very big if — the Big Ten does realign again, the conference could return to a Legends and Leaders format (hopefully with different names) or it could scrap divisions altogether, giving each school two or three protected rivals while putting the rest of the league in a regular rotation. The positive aspect of this alignment is it guarantees the top two teams would meet in Indianapolis, but the drawback is it could trigger an instant Michigan-Ohio State rematch.
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Other
130-year-old pipeline from Skaneateles to Syracuse bursts, washing out Rte. 174 (PS; Baker)
One of the main pipelines carrying drinking water from Skaneateles Lake to Syracuse has ruptured in the town of Camillus, washing out part of a heavily trafficked road.
Repairing the pipe will mean closing down New York State Route 174 for up to two weeks just north of the intersection with Martisco Road, according to Syracuse Chief Operating Officer Corey Driscoll Dunham.
The city discovered the broken pipeline around 10 a.m. Monday after water department staff noticed a drop in the level of water being delivered from the lake to the city.
The conduit is one of three pipes that bring water to the city. Those lines are nearly 130 years old.
Dunham said the exact cause of the break won’t be known until crews can dig up the pipe and look at it.
“I’m sure age had something to do with it,” she said Monday afternoon. “We’re assessing the damage and identifying the cause now.”
Water service won’t be affected, Dunham said. But traffic in the town of Camillus will be disrupted for up to two weeks.
Dunham said crews should be able to repair the water line by the end of the week. Replacing the road may take another week on top of that. A spokesman for the New York State Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the project Monday afternoon.
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