sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Popcorn Day!
Popcorn, which is celebrated today, is one of four types of corn—the others being dent, flint, and sweet—and it is the only one of the four that can pop. Its hull is thicker, which allows steam pressure to build up inside before it explodes. When it bursts open, starch comes out, and as it cools it turns into the shape we are familiar with. Popcorn kernels with between 13 and 14.5 percent moisture are ideal for popping, and 13.5 percent is the best. If 98 kernels out of 100 pop, it can be looked at as being good popcorn. Popcorn is a whole grain food, being made up of the germ, endosperm, and pericarp—which is the hull. It is low in fat and in calories; there are only about 31 calories in a cup of air-popped popcorn. It is also high in fiber, and is inexpensive.
Seventy percent of popcorn is eaten at home. Of that, about 90 percent is purchased as unpopped kernels. Of the thirty percent eaten outside of the home, much of it is eaten in theaters, sports stadiums, and schools. The main states that produce it are in the Midwest, and most of the popcorn eaten throughout the world is grown in the United States. Americans eat more popcorn than anyone else. About 13 billion quarts of popped popcorn are eaten annually, which is about 42 quarts per person. Another account even puts this figure higher. About two tablespoons of unpopped popcorn makes a quart of popped popcorn. It is most eaten during fall, and a lot is also eaten during the winter months, but not as much is eaten during spring and summer.
SU News
PFF Leaves Sean Tucker Off List of Top Returning Running Backs in 2022 (SI; McAllister)
Pro Football Focus (PFF) released its list of the top 10 returning running backs for the 2022 season. Somehow, Syracuse running back Sean Tucker was not included. Tucker ran for more yards than every player on the list in 2021, and was one of only two to be named an All American last season along with Kansas State's Deuce Vaughn.
The other backs on the list (with 2021 rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in parenthesis) were as follows:
Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State (1,404, 18)
Bijan Robinson, Texas (1,127, 11)
Blake Corum, Michigan (952, 11)
Treveyon Henderson, Ohio State (1,248, 15)
Zach Evans, Ole Miss (648, 5)
Devon Achane, Texas A&M (910, 9)
Braelon Allen, Wisconsin (1,268, 12)
Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama (746, 4)
Zach Charbonnet, UCLA (1,137, 13)
Tank Bigsby, Auburn (1,099, 10)
Sean Tucker's numbers were 1,496 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Tucker was named to four of the five All-American teams that are required to be called a consensus All American.
Syracuse football making late push for Monmouth DT transfer Lorenzo Hernandez (247sports; $; Bailey)
As Syracuse football continues to build its roster ahead of the 2022 season, one glaring weakness remains: defensive line experience. The Orange must replace five of its rotation players from 2021 with only a few key reserves as well as a cast of promising underclassmen set to return.
One name that has emerged as a target this week: Monmouth transfer Lorenzo Hernandez. The 6-foot-1, 270-pound Cherry Hill, N.J., native received an offer from Orange assistant Chris Achuff on Monday. Hernandez said in an interview on Tuesday that Achuff has built a relationship over the last week and is pitching the opportunity to compete for immediate playing time at the head of the team's 3-3-5 scheme.
"They have talked about fitting me in their defensive tackle position and starting in the middle," Hernandez said.
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ACC football in 2022: Reason for optimism, cause for concern for each Coastal Division team (theathletic.com; $; Raynor)
By all accounts, it was a bit of a strange year for the ACC in 2021.
Powerhouse Clemson lost three regular-season games and missed out on both the ACC Championship Game and College Football Playoff for the first time since 2014. North Carolina and Miami both opened with top-15 preseason rankings but underperformed in oftentimes-jarring fashion. By the end of the season, 11-win Pittsburgh won its first ACC championship, and 11-win Wake Forest joined the Panthers in carrying the league’s proverbial banner.
What 2022 might bring around the conference remains to be seen, but the ACC already has seen significant changes this offseason in the Coastal Division with new head coaches at Duke, Miami, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Let’s take a look at the reason for optimism and cause for concern for each program. We’ll start with the Coastal Division as Grace Raynor, Andy Bitter, Manny Navarro and Brendan Marks break down the division’s teams, and then we’ll move through the Atlantic Division on Thursday.
Cause for concern: Kenny Pickett is no longer Pitt’s quarterback. Pickett finished his career as the Panthers’ all-time leader in passing yards, total offense and passing touchdowns. He was Pitt’s first Heisman Trophy finalist since 2003 and left as the winningest starting quarterback in program history. The Panthers also lost their offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and Broyles Award semifinalist, Mark Whipple, who resigned in December and took the same job at Nebraska.
Cause for concern: Miami made national headlines in 2021 for how poor its tackling was. Pro Football Focus graded Miami as the third-worst tackling team in the FBS in 2021 and the worst among Power 5 teams. According to PFF, the Hurricanes averaged 15.7 missed tackles per game, which led the ACC, while their 188 total missed tackles were 20 more than any other ACC team. Whoever is tasked with running the defense will need to ensure that Miami cleans up the tackling issues. The Hurricanes also have to figure out where their pass rush will come from in 2022. Sacks leaders Zach McCloud (5 1/2 sacks) and Deandre Johnson (4 1/2 sacks) are both out of eligibility.
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ACC Football: 10 Players Who Will Replace NFL Draft Early Entrants in 2022 (athlonsports.com; Kinne)
Once upon a time, it used to be very easy to decipher which college football players were "leaving early" for the NFL draft. If someone had eligibility remaining, that player was considered an early entry. Then came the four-game redshirt rule and the 2020 COVID-19 season where everyone received an extra year on the house, and determining who actually is an early entrant became muddied.
As a result, there is a slew of guys are leaving for the NFL before their time is due. Here are 10 key ACC stars that will be moving to the next level and a player that may fill his collegiate shoes in 2022.
Howell was not only the signature Tar Heel for the past three years, he was also the heart and soul of the program. In 2021, UNC offensive coordinator Phil Longo needed his star thrower to be more of a presence in the running game and Howell came through with 828 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. His unselfishness and competitive spirit will be sorely missed.
In: Drake Maye
The good news is that, in Maye, Carolina is replacing Howell with a top-end, highly recruited talent. Maye saw extensive action in the Wofford game in which a banged-up Howell was held out and the freshman completed seven of nine passes with a touchdown. He's not expected to be a huge threat with his legs, but at 6-foot-5 he will be a presence in the pocket. A one-time Alabama commit, Maye also had offers from Georgia, Clemson, and Ohio State.
At 6-foot-4, Ekwonu doesn't have ideal tackle height, but he has long arms and a tenacity that can't be taught. Most analysts project the unanimous All-American to go within the top 10 picks of the draft, leaving a massive hole on the left side of the Wolfpack offensive line.
In: Anthony Belton
Being the backup to perhaps the top offensive lineman in America doesn't allow for a lot of playing time. But Belton was a highly thought of recruit coming out of Georgia Military College during the 2021 recruiting cycle. The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder has the size but will have to fend off several other challengers for the job. He does appear to be the most physically ready of all the NC State left tackle contenders.
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Former Virginia Tech QB Braxton Burmeister transferring to San Diego State? (gobblercountry.com; Manning)
Just before the Virginia Tech Hokies’ bowl game against the Maryland Terrapins last month, it was announced that quarterback Braxton Burmeister entered the NCAA transfer portal. Burmeister had hoped to play in the Pinstripe Bowl for the Hokies, but the coaching staff told him no. The coaches looked at the situation as either “you’re in, or not”
Therefore, Burmeister wasn’t allowed to play in the bowl game.
Things were quiet on Burmeister front recently, until Monday, when word leaked that he was transferring to San Diego State to play his final season of college football.
Burmeister later told The San Diego Union-Tribune he hadn’t committed to San Diego State yet, but there was “mutual interest.”
If he ends up at San Diego State, this is good news for Burmeister. He was a record-setting passer at La Jolla Country Day in high school, before committing to Oregon, where he spent two years behind Justin Herbert. Burmeister transferred to Virginia Tech, sitting out the 2019 season, before playing the last two seasons.
For his career in Blacksburg, Burmeister completed 56% of his passes for 2,647 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. Burmeister rushed for 714 yards and four touchdowns, and also caught a touchdown during his Hokie career.
Burmeister should be commended for his time in Blacksburg. He played for an unimaginative offensive coordinator in Brad Cornelsen who allegedly didn’t allow audibles and would instruct quarterbacks not to throw the ball if their first read wasn’t available. Thankfully, we are past that era now, but it’s a shame to see players like Burmeister, Hendon Hooker and Jerod Evans, among others, not see their full potential realized at Virginia Tech due to coaching.
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Louisville football officially announces signing of Tyler Hudson (cardchronicle.com; Rutherford)
From U of L:
Wide receiver Tyler Hudson, the 2020 Southland Conference Player of the Year who played the last three seasons at Central Arkansas, has signed a financial aid agreement to continue his collegiate football and academic career at the University of Louisville, head coach Scott Satterfield announced.
The former SLC Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American joins the Cardinals after catching 167 passes for 3,062 yards and 26 touchdowns during his career with the Bears.
The 2021 season saw Hudson finish fourth nationally in receiving yards with 1,242 after catching 62 passes and eight scores and was named a first-team All-American on the 2021 Athlon Sports FCS Postseason All-American team, and a second-team All-American on the 2021 AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America team.
The Spring, Texas, native caught nine passes for 251 yards and a touchdown in a 38-35 loss to Eastern Kentucky, which broke a 40-year school record for receiving yards. He also added 11 receptions for 181 yards and two scores versus Sam Houston State.
Hudson, who was the conference’s player of the year, led the Bears in receiving with 50 receptions for 845 yards and seven touchdowns, while averaging 16.9 yards a reception. He closed the year fourth in the FCS in receiving yards and tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns per game. The second-year player was a first team wide receiver and punt returner in the SLC and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, given to the top player in the FCS.
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Davis responds to ACC commissioner's current opposition to CFP expansion (theclemsoninsider.com; Staff)
ESPN personality and College GameDay host Rece Davis recently voiced his thoughts on the potential expansion of the College Football Playoff.
During an appearance on the Packer and Durham Show, Davis spoke on the lack of traction the talks among the sport’s power brokers to expand the four-team playoff before 2026 has gotten recently. He also addressed comments made by ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, who came out last week in opposition of expansion for the time being.
Phillips and the other nine FBS conference commissioners met again Jan. 10 – just hours before this year’s national championship game between Georgia and Alabama – with no agreement in place to expand.
“I don’t know that it’s at a screeching halt,” Davis said. “It’s certainly hit a roadblock, and I was told by many people that were in the room that not much got done in terms of progress during those meetings. Everybody is trying to protect their own best interests, and I don’t think you have a bunch of people in that room who are oblivious to the fact they need to do what’s best for the sport. They have a charge that, first and foremost, they have to protect their members and their constituents in the way that they think is best.
Davis said that’s “a tough thing” for commissioners to balance, which is where he believes Phillips finds himself. The ACC has a media rights deal with ESPN that runs through 2036, so that’s a factor for Phillips and his conference.
While Davis said he doesn’t agree with Phillips that the timing isn’t right to expand the playoff, he concurred with Phillips’ concerns regarding issues beyond the playoff that need to get resolved before any sort of expansion is decided on. Those include the current bowl format, a longer season (that already includes at least 14 games for CFP participants) and the impact of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness in modern college athletics.
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Inside the ACC's rejection of College Football Playoff expansion amid concerns about larger issues (cbssports.com; Dodd)
When ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said last week that his coaches were unanimously against College Football Playoff expansion "at this time", he may have been understating the conference's position.
ACC sources portrayed for CBS Sports the depth of the league's concerns about tripling the field from four to 12 teams -- at least within the current 12-year contract that expires after the 2025 season. Because of that consternation, CFP expansion is likely dead for at least the next four years.
ACC coaches and officials believe college athletics -- football in particular -- must work its way through numerous other complications as it tries to reform and deregulate before it sets its sights on expanding the postseason.
Amid COVID-19 issues and roster limitations, the ACC last fall asked the NCAA Football Oversight Committee for relief on the rule that preserves eligibility for any player who participates in less than five games during the regular season. In the postseason, ACC coaches said they were were told to apply for a waiver on individual cases for players whose eligibility would be impacted.
None of those waivers were granted, according to Wake Forest's Dave Clawson, current chairman of the league's head football coaches.
Clawson said some ACC schools are "not sure they are going to be able to practice in the spring" because of rosters diminished by the combination of COVID-19, injuries, graduation, opt outs and transfer portal departures.
The average ACC program has lost 10.4 players to the portal since the beginning of last the 2020 season, according to 247Sports' tracker. It is not known how that compares to other leagues.
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Meet me at the QB, 2004-2021 (RX; HM)
Besides the #1 sack team and two of the top three (67%), the ACC has four of the top 10 (40%) and seven of the top 25 teams (28%). Opposing quarterbacks: beware!
CFB has a problem (RX; HM)
How dominant has the SEC become in football?
From Yahoo! Sports' "SEC's chokehold on football will tighten if Rose Bowl sunsets and other trivialities are prioritized over CFP expansion" by Dan Wetzel:
A week ago, the SEC won its third consecutive title. "What should be even more concerning for the rest of the sport", according to Wetzel, "is this was the third different team in those three years" and "the 12th title by five different SEC schools... since the 2006 season."
Here is a color-coded table of all College Football National Champions since the beginning of the BCS era down to last week; SEC teams are in pink.
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CFP Payouts 2021-22 (RX; HM)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF REVENUE DISTRIBUTION
The following is a breakdown of the CFP revenue distribution for the 2021-22 academic year:
1. Each conference will receive $300,000 for each of its schools when the school's football team meets the NCAA's APR for participation in a postseason football game.* Each independent institution will also receive $300,000 when its football team meets that standard.
2. A conference will receive $6 million for each team that is selected for a Playoff Semifinal. There will be no additional distribution to conferences whose teams qualify for the national championship game. A conference will receive $4 million for each team that plays in a non-playoff bowl under the arrangement.
3. Each conference whose team participates in a Playoff Semifinal, Cotton, Fiesta, or Peach bowls, or in the national championship game will receive $2.63 million to cover expenses for each game.
Based on calculations from the 2020-21 season the following distributions were made in the spring of 2021 (Estimates for the 2021-22 season will be finalized following the 2022 CFP National Championship.):
1. Each of the 10 conferences received a base amount.
2. Certain conferences in the Football Championship Subdivision received approximately $2.85 million in aggregate.
That's a lot of words! So I've attempted to summarize the CFP revenue numbers for the highest-paid conferences, plus Notre Dame, in this table:
The American Athletic Conference (AAC) was head and shoulders above the rest of the G5 thanks to placing Cincinnati in the CFP semifinals. That said, it's still a big jump from there to the lowest-paid P5 conference, the ACC. This is due primarily to the difference in the "base amount" paid to each FBS conference.
If you look at the "conference totals" row, you see that the Big Ten and the SEC walked off with the lion's share of the money - and yet, the Big XII made more per school thanks to having fewer mouths to feed. Division is more powerful than addition! In fact, the ACC took home over $7 million more than the Pac-12 and still trailed in the "$M per school" category.
Of course, the school which took home the most money, by far, was Notre Dame. The Irish bested the Big XII (one of which they lost to in the Fiesta Bowl, by the way), by about $2.47 million. They out-gained the mighty SEC by $3.15 million per school, and their Big Ten neighbors by $3.67 million. I hope all those Big Ten and SEC fans who say they don't want to do anything to drive Notre Dame into the arms of the ACC feel good about that! I'm sure the Irish thank you for your support.
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Other
Corinthian Hall, circa 1868, was the first home to the Onondaga Historical Association after it was first organized the year before. Courtesy of the Onondaga Historical Association Courtesy of the Onondaga Historical Association
The OHA has been telling Syracuse’s story and preserving its history since 1862 (PS; Searing)
On January 16, 1862, as the country entered the ninth month of a cataclysmic Civil War, the Onondaga Historical Association was formed in the office of James Noxon, an attorney and the director of the Syracuse Central City Railway Company.
Noxon’s office was located in Corinthian Hall on North Salina Street.
As was common for many literary and historical societies of the period, the original members were men of substantial means, including many of the city’s elite families.
Among the founding members included engineer Homer Sweet, Dr. Henry Didama, Robert Townsend, former mayor, Amos Westcott, and Joshua Clark, historian and author of the first comprehensive history of Onondaga County, who, accordingly, was selected as the first president.
The new private organization was granted a charter by a special act of the New York State Legislature on April 29, 1863. According to the charter, the Onondaga Historical Association was incorporated for “the purpose of collecting and preserving historical, genealogical, scientific and literary material, mementos, books maps, pamphlets, magazine, papers, relics and facts in any form having a connection with either of said subjects.”
The charter also gave the OHA the power to hold and transfer property, with exemption from taxation. This played a major role in the growth and continuation of the organization through the decades.
Beginning in the spring of 1863, the Onondaga Historical Association opened its first museum in the Corinthian Block, where it was first organized a year earlier.
In 1871, the museum was transferred the Wieting Block in Clinton Square. Over the decades, the ever-growing collections of the OHA have been housed in some of the city’s most iconic buildings, including the Onondaga County Savings Bank and, for a time after 1880, in the Syracuse Savings Bank.
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Popcorn, which is celebrated today, is one of four types of corn—the others being dent, flint, and sweet—and it is the only one of the four that can pop. Its hull is thicker, which allows steam pressure to build up inside before it explodes. When it bursts open, starch comes out, and as it cools it turns into the shape we are familiar with. Popcorn kernels with between 13 and 14.5 percent moisture are ideal for popping, and 13.5 percent is the best. If 98 kernels out of 100 pop, it can be looked at as being good popcorn. Popcorn is a whole grain food, being made up of the germ, endosperm, and pericarp—which is the hull. It is low in fat and in calories; there are only about 31 calories in a cup of air-popped popcorn. It is also high in fiber, and is inexpensive.
Seventy percent of popcorn is eaten at home. Of that, about 90 percent is purchased as unpopped kernels. Of the thirty percent eaten outside of the home, much of it is eaten in theaters, sports stadiums, and schools. The main states that produce it are in the Midwest, and most of the popcorn eaten throughout the world is grown in the United States. Americans eat more popcorn than anyone else. About 13 billion quarts of popped popcorn are eaten annually, which is about 42 quarts per person. Another account even puts this figure higher. About two tablespoons of unpopped popcorn makes a quart of popped popcorn. It is most eaten during fall, and a lot is also eaten during the winter months, but not as much is eaten during spring and summer.
SU News
PFF Leaves Sean Tucker Off List of Top Returning Running Backs in 2022 (SI; McAllister)
Pro Football Focus (PFF) released its list of the top 10 returning running backs for the 2022 season. Somehow, Syracuse running back Sean Tucker was not included. Tucker ran for more yards than every player on the list in 2021, and was one of only two to be named an All American last season along with Kansas State's Deuce Vaughn.
The other backs on the list (with 2021 rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in parenthesis) were as follows:
Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State (1,404, 18)
Bijan Robinson, Texas (1,127, 11)
Blake Corum, Michigan (952, 11)
Treveyon Henderson, Ohio State (1,248, 15)
Zach Evans, Ole Miss (648, 5)
Devon Achane, Texas A&M (910, 9)
Braelon Allen, Wisconsin (1,268, 12)
Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama (746, 4)
Zach Charbonnet, UCLA (1,137, 13)
Tank Bigsby, Auburn (1,099, 10)
Sean Tucker's numbers were 1,496 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Tucker was named to four of the five All-American teams that are required to be called a consensus All American.
Syracuse football making late push for Monmouth DT transfer Lorenzo Hernandez (247sports; $; Bailey)
As Syracuse football continues to build its roster ahead of the 2022 season, one glaring weakness remains: defensive line experience. The Orange must replace five of its rotation players from 2021 with only a few key reserves as well as a cast of promising underclassmen set to return.
One name that has emerged as a target this week: Monmouth transfer Lorenzo Hernandez. The 6-foot-1, 270-pound Cherry Hill, N.J., native received an offer from Orange assistant Chris Achuff on Monday. Hernandez said in an interview on Tuesday that Achuff has built a relationship over the last week and is pitching the opportunity to compete for immediate playing time at the head of the team's 3-3-5 scheme.
"They have talked about fitting me in their defensive tackle position and starting in the middle," Hernandez said.
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ACC football in 2022: Reason for optimism, cause for concern for each Coastal Division team (theathletic.com; $; Raynor)
By all accounts, it was a bit of a strange year for the ACC in 2021.
Powerhouse Clemson lost three regular-season games and missed out on both the ACC Championship Game and College Football Playoff for the first time since 2014. North Carolina and Miami both opened with top-15 preseason rankings but underperformed in oftentimes-jarring fashion. By the end of the season, 11-win Pittsburgh won its first ACC championship, and 11-win Wake Forest joined the Panthers in carrying the league’s proverbial banner.
What 2022 might bring around the conference remains to be seen, but the ACC already has seen significant changes this offseason in the Coastal Division with new head coaches at Duke, Miami, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Let’s take a look at the reason for optimism and cause for concern for each program. We’ll start with the Coastal Division as Grace Raynor, Andy Bitter, Manny Navarro and Brendan Marks break down the division’s teams, and then we’ll move through the Atlantic Division on Thursday.
Pittsburgh (11-3, 7-1 ACC, ACC champion)
Reason for optimism: The Panthers had quite the 2021 season, winning the ACC Championship Game for the first time and winning 11 games for the first time since 1981. Star wide receiver Jordan Addison returns after winning the Biletnikoff Award, given to college football’s top wide receiver, and is joined by a slew of other All-ACC and All-ACC honorable mention honorees. In addition to Addison, Pitt gets back defensive end Deslin Alexandre, defensive end Habakkuk Baldonado, tight end Gavin Bartholomew, linebacker SirVocea Dennis, center Owen Drexel, free safety Erick Hallett, strong safety Brandon Hill, tackle Gabe Houy, defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, guard Jake Kradel, guard Marcus Minor, kicker Sam Scarton and tackle Carter Warren. The Pitt offense added a Power 5 starting quarterback and All-Pac 12 performer via the transfer portal in former USC starter Kedon Slovis, who will push Nick Patti. The defense ranks first in the FBS in sacks since 2019.Cause for concern: Kenny Pickett is no longer Pitt’s quarterback. Pickett finished his career as the Panthers’ all-time leader in passing yards, total offense and passing touchdowns. He was Pitt’s first Heisman Trophy finalist since 2003 and left as the winningest starting quarterback in program history. The Panthers also lost their offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and Broyles Award semifinalist, Mark Whipple, who resigned in December and took the same job at Nebraska.
Miami (7-5, 5-3)
Reason for optimism: The Hurricanes have opened up the purse strings to help return Miami to national prominence. They got their guy in new head coach Mario Cristobal, one of the best recruiters in college football, and poached athletic director Dan Radakovich from Clemson to provide stability and expertise in facility building. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke returns after a standout freshman season and is fresh off winning the ACC’s Rookie of the Year Award. He’s already on 2022 preseason Heisman watch lists and threw for at least 300 yards in each of his final six games in 2021. If Cristobal can keep top talent home, he can emerge as a legitimate contender to powerhouse Clemson, which historically has recruited south Florida well.Cause for concern: Miami made national headlines in 2021 for how poor its tackling was. Pro Football Focus graded Miami as the third-worst tackling team in the FBS in 2021 and the worst among Power 5 teams. According to PFF, the Hurricanes averaged 15.7 missed tackles per game, which led the ACC, while their 188 total missed tackles were 20 more than any other ACC team. Whoever is tasked with running the defense will need to ensure that Miami cleans up the tackling issues. The Hurricanes also have to figure out where their pass rush will come from in 2022. Sacks leaders Zach McCloud (5 1/2 sacks) and Deandre Johnson (4 1/2 sacks) are both out of eligibility.
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ACC Football: 10 Players Who Will Replace NFL Draft Early Entrants in 2022 (athlonsports.com; Kinne)
Once upon a time, it used to be very easy to decipher which college football players were "leaving early" for the NFL draft. If someone had eligibility remaining, that player was considered an early entry. Then came the four-game redshirt rule and the 2020 COVID-19 season where everyone received an extra year on the house, and determining who actually is an early entrant became muddied.
As a result, there is a slew of guys are leaving for the NFL before their time is due. Here are 10 key ACC stars that will be moving to the next level and a player that may fill his collegiate shoes in 2022.
North Carolina
Gone: Sam Howell, QBHowell was not only the signature Tar Heel for the past three years, he was also the heart and soul of the program. In 2021, UNC offensive coordinator Phil Longo needed his star thrower to be more of a presence in the running game and Howell came through with 828 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. His unselfishness and competitive spirit will be sorely missed.
In: Drake Maye
The good news is that, in Maye, Carolina is replacing Howell with a top-end, highly recruited talent. Maye saw extensive action in the Wofford game in which a banged-up Howell was held out and the freshman completed seven of nine passes with a touchdown. He's not expected to be a huge threat with his legs, but at 6-foot-5 he will be a presence in the pocket. A one-time Alabama commit, Maye also had offers from Georgia, Clemson, and Ohio State.
NC State
Gone: Ikem Ekwonu, OTAt 6-foot-4, Ekwonu doesn't have ideal tackle height, but he has long arms and a tenacity that can't be taught. Most analysts project the unanimous All-American to go within the top 10 picks of the draft, leaving a massive hole on the left side of the Wolfpack offensive line.
In: Anthony Belton
Being the backup to perhaps the top offensive lineman in America doesn't allow for a lot of playing time. But Belton was a highly thought of recruit coming out of Georgia Military College during the 2021 recruiting cycle. The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder has the size but will have to fend off several other challengers for the job. He does appear to be the most physically ready of all the NC State left tackle contenders.
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Former Virginia Tech QB Braxton Burmeister transferring to San Diego State? (gobblercountry.com; Manning)
Just before the Virginia Tech Hokies’ bowl game against the Maryland Terrapins last month, it was announced that quarterback Braxton Burmeister entered the NCAA transfer portal. Burmeister had hoped to play in the Pinstripe Bowl for the Hokies, but the coaching staff told him no. The coaches looked at the situation as either “you’re in, or not”
Therefore, Burmeister wasn’t allowed to play in the bowl game.
Things were quiet on Burmeister front recently, until Monday, when word leaked that he was transferring to San Diego State to play his final season of college football.
Burmeister later told The San Diego Union-Tribune he hadn’t committed to San Diego State yet, but there was “mutual interest.”
If he ends up at San Diego State, this is good news for Burmeister. He was a record-setting passer at La Jolla Country Day in high school, before committing to Oregon, where he spent two years behind Justin Herbert. Burmeister transferred to Virginia Tech, sitting out the 2019 season, before playing the last two seasons.
For his career in Blacksburg, Burmeister completed 56% of his passes for 2,647 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. Burmeister rushed for 714 yards and four touchdowns, and also caught a touchdown during his Hokie career.
Burmeister should be commended for his time in Blacksburg. He played for an unimaginative offensive coordinator in Brad Cornelsen who allegedly didn’t allow audibles and would instruct quarterbacks not to throw the ball if their first read wasn’t available. Thankfully, we are past that era now, but it’s a shame to see players like Burmeister, Hendon Hooker and Jerod Evans, among others, not see their full potential realized at Virginia Tech due to coaching.
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Louisville football officially announces signing of Tyler Hudson (cardchronicle.com; Rutherford)
From U of L:
Wide receiver Tyler Hudson, the 2020 Southland Conference Player of the Year who played the last three seasons at Central Arkansas, has signed a financial aid agreement to continue his collegiate football and academic career at the University of Louisville, head coach Scott Satterfield announced.
The former SLC Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American joins the Cardinals after catching 167 passes for 3,062 yards and 26 touchdowns during his career with the Bears.
The 2021 season saw Hudson finish fourth nationally in receiving yards with 1,242 after catching 62 passes and eight scores and was named a first-team All-American on the 2021 Athlon Sports FCS Postseason All-American team, and a second-team All-American on the 2021 AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America team.
The Spring, Texas, native caught nine passes for 251 yards and a touchdown in a 38-35 loss to Eastern Kentucky, which broke a 40-year school record for receiving yards. He also added 11 receptions for 181 yards and two scores versus Sam Houston State.
Hudson, who was the conference’s player of the year, led the Bears in receiving with 50 receptions for 845 yards and seven touchdowns, while averaging 16.9 yards a reception. He closed the year fourth in the FCS in receiving yards and tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns per game. The second-year player was a first team wide receiver and punt returner in the SLC and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, given to the top player in the FCS.
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Davis responds to ACC commissioner's current opposition to CFP expansion (theclemsoninsider.com; Staff)
ESPN personality and College GameDay host Rece Davis recently voiced his thoughts on the potential expansion of the College Football Playoff.
During an appearance on the Packer and Durham Show, Davis spoke on the lack of traction the talks among the sport’s power brokers to expand the four-team playoff before 2026 has gotten recently. He also addressed comments made by ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, who came out last week in opposition of expansion for the time being.
Phillips and the other nine FBS conference commissioners met again Jan. 10 – just hours before this year’s national championship game between Georgia and Alabama – with no agreement in place to expand.
“I don’t know that it’s at a screeching halt,” Davis said. “It’s certainly hit a roadblock, and I was told by many people that were in the room that not much got done in terms of progress during those meetings. Everybody is trying to protect their own best interests, and I don’t think you have a bunch of people in that room who are oblivious to the fact they need to do what’s best for the sport. They have a charge that, first and foremost, they have to protect their members and their constituents in the way that they think is best.
Davis said that’s “a tough thing” for commissioners to balance, which is where he believes Phillips finds himself. The ACC has a media rights deal with ESPN that runs through 2036, so that’s a factor for Phillips and his conference.
While Davis said he doesn’t agree with Phillips that the timing isn’t right to expand the playoff, he concurred with Phillips’ concerns regarding issues beyond the playoff that need to get resolved before any sort of expansion is decided on. Those include the current bowl format, a longer season (that already includes at least 14 games for CFP participants) and the impact of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness in modern college athletics.
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Inside the ACC's rejection of College Football Playoff expansion amid concerns about larger issues (cbssports.com; Dodd)
When ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said last week that his coaches were unanimously against College Football Playoff expansion "at this time", he may have been understating the conference's position.
ACC sources portrayed for CBS Sports the depth of the league's concerns about tripling the field from four to 12 teams -- at least within the current 12-year contract that expires after the 2025 season. Because of that consternation, CFP expansion is likely dead for at least the next four years.
ACC coaches and officials believe college athletics -- football in particular -- must work its way through numerous other complications as it tries to reform and deregulate before it sets its sights on expanding the postseason.
Amid COVID-19 issues and roster limitations, the ACC last fall asked the NCAA Football Oversight Committee for relief on the rule that preserves eligibility for any player who participates in less than five games during the regular season. In the postseason, ACC coaches said they were were told to apply for a waiver on individual cases for players whose eligibility would be impacted.
None of those waivers were granted, according to Wake Forest's Dave Clawson, current chairman of the league's head football coaches.
Clawson said some ACC schools are "not sure they are going to be able to practice in the spring" because of rosters diminished by the combination of COVID-19, injuries, graduation, opt outs and transfer portal departures.
The average ACC program has lost 10.4 players to the portal since the beginning of last the 2020 season, according to 247Sports' tracker. It is not known how that compares to other leagues.
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Meet me at the QB, 2004-2021 (RX; HM)
Meet me at the QB, 2004-2021
Good pass defense begins with a good pass rush. One of the best ways to measure pass rush is by sacks.The ACC is always good for a sack lunch on Saturdays in the Fall (and dinner, and late night sack).
Besides the #1 sack team and two of the top three (67%), the ACC has four of the top 10 (40%) and seven of the top 25 teams (28%). Opposing quarterbacks: beware!
CFB has a problem (RX; HM)
CFB has a problem
One conference has become too dominant - to the detriment of the sport.How dominant has the SEC become in football?
From Yahoo! Sports' "SEC's chokehold on football will tighten if Rose Bowl sunsets and other trivialities are prioritized over CFP expansion" by Dan Wetzel:
A week ago, the SEC won its third consecutive title. "What should be even more concerning for the rest of the sport", according to Wetzel, "is this was the third different team in those three years" and "the 12th title by five different SEC schools... since the 2006 season."
Here is a color-coded table of all College Football National Champions since the beginning of the BCS era down to last week; SEC teams are in pink.
| Year | Champion | Conf |
| 1998-99 | Tennessee | SEC |
| 1999-00 | Florida State | ACC |
| 2000-01 | Oklahoma | XII |
| 2001-02 | Miami | * |
| 2002-03 | Ohio State | B1G |
| 2003-04 | LSU | SEC |
| 2004-05 | USC | Pac |
| 2005-06 | Texas | XII |
| 2006-07 | Florida | SEC |
| 2007-08 | LSU | SEC |
| 2008-09 | Florida | SEC |
| 2009-10 | Alabama | SEC |
| 2010-11 | Auburn | SEC |
| 2011-12 | Alabama | SEC |
| 2012-13 | Alabama | SEC |
| 2013-14 | Florida State | ACC |
| 2014-15 | Ohio State | B1G |
| 2015-16 | Alabama | SEC |
| 2016-17 | Clemson | ACC |
| 2017-18 | Alabama | SEC |
| 2018-19 | Clemson | ACC |
| 2019-20 | LSU | SEC |
| 2020-21 | Alabama | SEC |
| 2021-22 | Georgia | SEC |
That SEC run of seven championships between 2006 and 2012 really hurt the sport as a whole. Now they're on another run which has lasted three years so far - it needs to be stopped as soon as possible!
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CFP Payouts 2021-22 (RX; HM)
CFP Payouts 2021-22
From the official College Football Playoff (CFP) website:COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF REVENUE DISTRIBUTION
The following is a breakdown of the CFP revenue distribution for the 2021-22 academic year:
1. Each conference will receive $300,000 for each of its schools when the school's football team meets the NCAA's APR for participation in a postseason football game.* Each independent institution will also receive $300,000 when its football team meets that standard.
2. A conference will receive $6 million for each team that is selected for a Playoff Semifinal. There will be no additional distribution to conferences whose teams qualify for the national championship game. A conference will receive $4 million for each team that plays in a non-playoff bowl under the arrangement.
3. Each conference whose team participates in a Playoff Semifinal, Cotton, Fiesta, or Peach bowls, or in the national championship game will receive $2.63 million to cover expenses for each game.
Based on calculations from the 2020-21 season the following distributions were made in the spring of 2021 (Estimates for the 2021-22 season will be finalized following the 2022 CFP National Championship.):
1. Each of the 10 conferences received a base amount.
- For conferences that have contracts for their champions to participate in the Orange, Rose, or Sugar bowls (aka the P5), the base combined with the full academic performance pool was approximately $57 million for each conference.
- The five conferences that do not have contacts for their champions to participate in the Orange, Rose or Sugar bowls (aka the G5) received approximately $83 million in aggregate (full academic pool plus base). The conferences distribute these funds as they choose.
- Notre Dame received a payment of $2.5 million by meeting the APR standard; the other three independents shared $1.85 million.
2. Certain conferences in the Football Championship Subdivision received approximately $2.85 million in aggregate.
That's a lot of words! So I've attempted to summarize the CFP revenue numbers for the highest-paid conferences, plus Notre Dame, in this table:
| Distribution | $M/team | AAC | ACC | Pac-12 | B1G | SEC | XII | ND |
| for APR | 0.3 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 0.3 |
| CFP semifinal | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 12.0 | ||||
| other NY6 bowl | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | |||
| CFP expenses | 2.63 | 2.63 | 2.63 | 5.26 | 10.52 | 2.63 | 2.63 | |
| base amount | n/a | 16.6 | 57.0 | 57.0 | 57.0 | 57.0 | 57.0 | 2.5 |
| conference totals | 28.53 | 67.83 | 60.6 | 76.46 | 83.72 | 66.63 | 9.13 | |
| $M per school | 2.38 | 4.85 | 5.05 | 5.46 | 5.98 | 6.66 | 9.13 |
If you look at the "conference totals" row, you see that the Big Ten and the SEC walked off with the lion's share of the money - and yet, the Big XII made more per school thanks to having fewer mouths to feed. Division is more powerful than addition! In fact, the ACC took home over $7 million more than the Pac-12 and still trailed in the "$M per school" category.
Of course, the school which took home the most money, by far, was Notre Dame. The Irish bested the Big XII (one of which they lost to in the Fiesta Bowl, by the way), by about $2.47 million. They out-gained the mighty SEC by $3.15 million per school, and their Big Ten neighbors by $3.67 million. I hope all those Big Ten and SEC fans who say they don't want to do anything to drive Notre Dame into the arms of the ACC feel good about that! I'm sure the Irish thank you for your support.
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Other
Corinthian Hall, circa 1868, was the first home to the Onondaga Historical Association after it was first organized the year before. Courtesy of the Onondaga Historical Association Courtesy of the Onondaga Historical Association
The OHA has been telling Syracuse’s story and preserving its history since 1862 (PS; Searing)
On January 16, 1862, as the country entered the ninth month of a cataclysmic Civil War, the Onondaga Historical Association was formed in the office of James Noxon, an attorney and the director of the Syracuse Central City Railway Company.
Noxon’s office was located in Corinthian Hall on North Salina Street.
As was common for many literary and historical societies of the period, the original members were men of substantial means, including many of the city’s elite families.
Among the founding members included engineer Homer Sweet, Dr. Henry Didama, Robert Townsend, former mayor, Amos Westcott, and Joshua Clark, historian and author of the first comprehensive history of Onondaga County, who, accordingly, was selected as the first president.
The new private organization was granted a charter by a special act of the New York State Legislature on April 29, 1863. According to the charter, the Onondaga Historical Association was incorporated for “the purpose of collecting and preserving historical, genealogical, scientific and literary material, mementos, books maps, pamphlets, magazine, papers, relics and facts in any form having a connection with either of said subjects.”
The charter also gave the OHA the power to hold and transfer property, with exemption from taxation. This played a major role in the growth and continuation of the organization through the decades.
Beginning in the spring of 1863, the Onondaga Historical Association opened its first museum in the Corinthian Block, where it was first organized a year earlier.
In 1871, the museum was transferred the Wieting Block in Clinton Square. Over the decades, the ever-growing collections of the OHA have been housed in some of the city’s most iconic buildings, including the Onondaga County Savings Bank and, for a time after 1880, in the Syracuse Savings Bank.
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