sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Hot Fudge Sundae Day!
Taking place during National Ice Cream Month, National Hot Fudge Sundae Day celebrates one of the most popular sundaes. Said to be invented in the early twentieth century at C.C. Brown's Ice Cream Shop in Hollywood, hot fudge sundaes usually are made of vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate fudge, and topped with nuts, sprinkles, whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry.
There are a few stories as to how and where ice cream sundaes got their start. One says they got their start in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, in 1881. There, George Hallauer ordered an ice cream dish at Ed Berner's soda fountain. His dish gained popularity, and other nearby fountains began serving it. It was George Giffy, who owned a fountain in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, who decided to serve it only on Sundays—hence the name it received.
Another story says that in Evanston, Illinois, in the 1890s, moralists were speaking out against drinking soda water on the Sabbath. In response, confectioners decided to create "Sundays," which had ice cream and flavored syrups instead of soda water. Another early name for the dessert was "Soda-less Soda." In order to remove any connection to the Sabbath, "Sundays" eventually became known as "sundaes."
Other cities have claimed to be the originator of the ice cream sundae, including Ann Arbor, Michigan; Ithaca, New York; Norfolk, Virginia; and Washington, D.C. No matter where they were created, they were wildly popular by the turn of the twentieth century, and the hot fudge sundae made its debut shortly after, becoming the favorite sundae of many!
SU News
The 2021 ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson for the Atlantic Coast Conference)
What time do Babers, SU football players speak at ACC media day: TV channel, live stream (PS)
Syracuse football coach Dino Babers and three cornerstones of his 2023 team will make the media rounds Tuesday at ACC Kickoff in Charlotte.
The conference’s annual media fest has been stretched to three days this year, with Syracuse sharing the spotlight with Miami (Fla.), Louisville and Georgia Tech on Day 1. Coverage will air all day on ACC Network.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips will hold his state-of-the-union press conference in the morning. Babers follows Phillips at the podium.
The eighth-year coach is scheduled to field questions at 11 a.m. Babers’ press conference can be seen on ACC Network Extra.
Quarterback Garrett Shrader, receiver Oronde Gadsden II and linebacker Marlowe Wax will also be in Charlotte for the event.
Syracuse.com football reporter Emily Leiker will be on hand for news coverage and analysis. You can follow her on Twitter @emleiker.
Here’s where to find Syracuse’s players and coach throughout the day:
10:50 a.m.: Marlowe Wax on ACC Network
11 a.m.: Dino Babers and Syracuse press conference on ACC Network Extra
11:30 a.m.: Dino Babers on ACC Network
12:50 p.m.: Garrett Shrader and Oronde Gadsden II on ACC Network
3:15 p.m.: Dino Babers on ACC Network
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Syracuse Orange: What if you were the ‘Cuse athletic director for a month? (itlh; Fiello)
Recently, this Syracuse Orange sports fan finally started writing a book/manuscript for a creative idea I’ve had for years. The premise is a sports blogger/radio host who constantly calls out the pro hockey commissioner and the commissioner calls into his show one day and challenges him to do better and gives him 30 days to be the commissioner.
Now I’ve written 3/4 of it already and just figuring out the best way to end it in a way I’d enjoy as a reader. So this isn’t an attempt to steal ideas or anything…just a fun, playful idea. So I ask, what would you do if you were the Syracuse Orange Athletic Director and you had 30 days to do what you think helps the university the most?
For the record, I have nothing but love and respect for Syracuse Orange Athletic Director John Wildhack. This is more of a fun exercise than an attack on administrators and just see what ideas we might have. I may not agree with every decision but I respect his position and the decisions he makes knowing he often has more information than I do.
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Oronde Gadsden II "The 315" 7-24-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Syracuse football star Oronde Gadsden II joins Brian Higgins to discuss what his position truly is, evaluate the rest of the wide receiver room, share who the best basketball player on the team is, and more.
Matt Park "Orange Nation" 7-24-23 (ESPN; radio; Orange Nation)
The Voice of the Orange, Matt Park, hops on with the guys to talk Syracuse football, LeQuint Allen, the chances the Orange make a bowl this season, pick the Artist of the Day for tomorrow and much more.
2023 LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 22 Duce Chestnut (lsutigerswire.usatoday.com; Nettuno)
Going into the 2023 football season, LSU Wire will be looking at each player listed on the Tigers’ roster.
Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Brian Kelly this season.
Once again, arguably the biggest storyline on the defensive side of the ball this offseason is the class of transfer additions in the secondary. One of the more intriguing players in that group is Duce Chestnut, who was a standout in his first two seasons at Syracuse.
Ht: 5-11
Wt: 200
Class in 2022: Sophomore
He started all 12 games again last fall, earning All-ACC Honorable Mention. His interception numbers dropped from three to one, though he took his lone pick to the house against Wagner.
After arriving at LSU this offseason, he’s expected to take over the starting nickel role, though he’ll have to compete with returning player Sage Ryan, who showed some promise last season, as well.
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How to watch Phillips press conference at ACC football media day: TV channel, time, live stream (PS)
ACC Kickoff gets underway Tuesday morning from The Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips will address reporters at 9:30 a.m. His press conference will air live on ACC Network.
Phillips’ remarks kick off the ACC’s annual football media event, which stretches out to three days this week from the new headquarters of the conference office.
Syracuse football coach Dino Babers, along with quarterback Garrett Shrader, receiver Oronde Gadsden II and linebacker Marlowe Wax, will also be featured throughout the day on the network.
Phillips’ annual state-of-the-conference address will likely touch on the conference’s NCAA championship success over the past year, along with a look at the league’s financial outlook as a new revenue sharing plan tilted toward postseason success continues to be ironed out.
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Get to Know Your Orange Man: #5, WR Damien Alford (TNIAAM; Chiappone)
It’s time to start preparing for the upcoming Syracuse Orange football season. We’re going through the roster to take a look at each Syracuse player as we get ready for a critical season for the Orange.
Up next is….
Name: Damien Alford
Position: Wide receiver
Year: Junior
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 211 lbs
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
High School: McArthur High School (FL)
2022 stats: Alford caught 20 passes for 429 yards, or over 21 yards per catch - the program’s highest total out of any active player. His yard total was the third-highest this past season out of Syracuse’s receiving core, picking up where he left off in 2021 as a limited but still productive deep receiving threat.
2023 projections: With Alford entering his third season and with Syracuse’s loss of receivers via the transfer portal (including almost himself), he’ll be seen as a deep-ball target for Garrett Shrader if teams are going to overaggressively double Oronde Gadsden. His catching numbers are great, but the sample size is still relatively small. Can Alford step up as a legit second pass catching option, or will he remain in his role as a productive but limited receiver?
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Get to Know Your Orange Man: #5 DB Alijah "Cinco" Clark (TNIAAM; De Guzman)
It’s time to start preparing for the upcoming Syracuse Orange football season. We’re going through the roster to take a look at each Syracuse player as we get ready for a critical season for the Orange.
Up next is….
Name: Alijah Clark
Position: Defensive Back
Year: Junior
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 186 lbs.
Hometown: Camden, N.J.
High school: Camden
Previous school: Rutgers
2022 stats: Played in 12 games, starting 11. Recorded 55 tackles, 2.5 TFLs and two pass defends.
2023 projections: While he didn’t show it with turnovers, Cinco played a solid safety, preventing little to no yards after catch. He held his positioning strong in the zone concepts that the Syracuse safeties play. Given the cornerback turnover, Cinco may have moved back to his natural position, but it seems like the Orange are happy keeping him at the safety position. He was a newcomer last year, but this year he’s an impact leader.
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JMA Wireless Dome Transformation Project Continues - Syracuse University Athletics (cuse.com)
Construction continues at the JMA Wireless Dome on the installation of upgraded chairback seating and the introduction of new premium offerings throughout the venue. The change from bench seating to chairback seating will create a new fan experience, including a new seating map and revised capacities for football, men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's lacrosse games. The new chairbacks will add comfort and accessibility for fans and feature a larger seat width and height. The changes to the seating will result in an adjustment to the number of seats in each row and section throughout the venue. Though the effect on each section will vary, some sections may decrease by up to 200 seats.
To accommodate these new capacities and revised seating maps, each season ticket holder will select a new seat through a coordinated seating process. The reseating process will begin in late summer with suite holders for all JMA Dome events and courtside seats for both men's and women's basketball. All current season ticket holders will have priority for seat selection in 2024-25.
"Syracuse Athletics is committed to presenting timely and transparent information to ensure a smooth transition for our loyal ticket holders throughout the reseating process," said 'Cuse Athletics Fund Executive Director Michael Paulus. "We look forward to communicating this plan to our 'CAF members and donors in the coming months."
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ACC News
Taylor Tannebaum on ACC Football - Mac & Bone Podcast (omny/fm; podcast; Mac & Bone)
Taylor Tannebaum, co-host of ACC PM on ACC Network, joins the fellas to talk about the biggest storylines heading into ACC media days, Jordan Travis's chances to win the Heisman and why both Duke and NC State could be destined for good years.
TV money and a new face of Pitt football: 5 storylines we're tracking at ACC media days (P-G; Hiles)
In just a few weeks, players throughout the country will report to training camp, thus marking the official start of the 2023 college football season. However, some would argue that the true start of another collegiate gridiron campaign begins a bit earlier, during the conference media events.
On Tuesday, each of the 14 ACC coaches along with a few player representatives from their squads will make the trip out to Charlotte, N.C., for the 2023 ACC Kickoff. While it has been known to generate headlines each summer, this year’s event will likely bring an extra element of drama to the table thanks to an eventful offseason.
The 2023 ACC Kickoff will begin Tuesday morning and conclude late Thursday afternoon. Here are five storylines to monitor throughout the three days of festivities:
All eyes on the commissioner
After reporters check in and receive their complimentary breakfast, Jim Phillips will start things off Tuesday morning with his commissioner’s forum at 9:30 a.m. While the head of the ACC will likely look forward to highlighting the league’s many returning stars or discussing the pros that can come from the diminishment of the two conference system, it is fair to assume most of his time will be spent addressing far more pressing issues.
The first topic Phillips will certainly field questions on is the league’s grant of rights contract, which was one of the biggest college sports stories of the summer. At the start of this month, the Big Ten’s new media deal kicked in, which is expected to pay out an average of $75 million to each of the conference’s member schools. Next summer, the SEC will begin its new media deal, which will distribute an equal sum to all of its teams.
The ACC, meanwhile, finds itself in a completely different boat.
Multiple sources within athletic offices at ACC programs told the Post-Gazette that the league’s grant of rights deal provides its 14 teams with an annual payout of somewhere between $35 to $45 million, which of course is a wide gap between the payout for those in the Big Ten and SEC.
Numerous ACC athletic directors voiced their displeasure with the league’s media revenue discrepancy in early May during the league’s spring meetings. Tensions continued to build later that month when reports surfaced saying that a group of seven schools, which would later be deemed the “Magnificent Seven,” within the ACC gathered numerous times with lawyers to take a closer look at the league’s grant of rights deal to find a possible exit from the conference.
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Friedlander: My preseason All-ACC football ballot and predicted order of finish - Saturday Road (saturdayroad.com; Friedlander)
I was born in New York, grew up in Georgia and spent the majority of my adult life living in Maryland and North Carolina.
But when it comes to preseason predictions, my philosophy is more in line with a state I’ve only visited a handful of times.
Missouri.
The Show Me State.
So while Florida State is getting a lot of love heading into the upcoming ACC football season, the Seminoles are going to have to show me they’re worthy of it before I take that leap of faith onto the bandwagon.
It won’t take long for us to find out all we need to know about Mike Norvell’s team. The Noles play LSU in Orlando on Labor Day Sunday and travel to Death Valley for a showdown with Clemson 3 weeks later.
Maybe the Noles really are that good. Maybe they’re not.
Until then, the defending ACC champions are still the team to beat.
Clemson will be No. 1 and FSU No. 2 on the ballot I will submit at the league’s preseason kickoff media event coming up this week in Charlotte.
Here’s a look at how the rest of my picks will look:
Clemson: There are questions, to be sure. But Dabo’s defense is always going to be elite and with Will Shipley running the ball and the arrival of new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley to serve as a mentor for young quarterback Cade Klubnik, the Tigers are ready to roar again.
Florida State: The Seminoles have virtually everyone back from their 10-win season in 2022, including quarterback Travis Jordan and star pass rusher Jared Verse, and brought in one of the nation’s best transfer classes. But those 5 straight wins to end last season came against 4 teams with losing records
and 7-6 Syracuse. FSU is going to be good. Maybe very good. But it still has something to prove.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels experienced some turnover from the team that won the dearly departed Coastal Division and played for the conference championship last season. But they still have Drake Maye. And it won’t take much for them to be better on defense, especially with the addition of several key transfers up front and on the back end.
NC State: The Wolfpack had a championship caliber defense last season, but was held back by a lackluster offense and some spotty quarterback play. Even before Devin Leary’s season-ending injury. Coach Dave Doeren addressed that problem by hiring Robert Anae as his new OC and reuniting him with grad transfer quarterback Brennan Armstrong. State is always better when the expectations are lower. And this year, they are.
Pittsburgh: Similar to NC State, the Panthers struggled at the most important position on the field last year. They still won 9 games, thanks to their defense, the ground game and a massive offensive line. Coach Pat Narduzzi’s team still has those 3 elements going for them again this year. And they may have addressed the quarterback issue – as long as transfer Phil Jurkovec from Boston College can stay healthy.
Duke: The Blue Devils return most of their key pieces on both sides of the ball from last year’s surprise 9-win team, including quarterback star Riley Leonard. They might just be the third-most talented team in the league behind Clemson and Florida State. But because they play a brutal schedule, it probably won’t be reflected in their record.
Louisville: The arrival of a new coach and staff usually means that the program is in for a complete rebuild. That’s not the case with Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals. He inherited a bowl team that brings back a solid defense and has added a large haul of transfers to restock the offense.
Miami: The Hurricanes are always picked to finish higher than they should be picked in these preseason polls. It’s an annual rite of summer in the ACC. Does that mean they can’t finally break through and live up to their expectations? Of course not. But going back to the original premise of this piece, I’ll believe it when I see it.
Wake Forest: The Deacons are the antithesis of Miami. They’re always underestimated this time of year. And they always end up overachieving. There’s a good chance that will happen again in 2023. Mitch Griffis will be fine as Sam Hartman’s replacement, especially with the best collection of receivers in the ACC and an experienced line in front of him.
Syracuse: Dino Babers saved his job by going 7-6 and getting to a bowl last year. But the heat is still on. The Orange better get off to a 4-0 start, because after that, wins won’t be easy to come by.
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https://athlonsports.com/college-football/acc-bowl-projections-2023 (athlonsports.com; Lassan)
The ACC didn't have a team in the College Football Playoff last season, but nine of the league's programs earned bowl appearances. And overall, ACC teams went 5-4 last postseason, as Florida State, Pitt, and Duke picked up solid victories for the conference. Clemson and Florida State headline the list of CFB Playoff contenders for the ACC in '23, with North Carolina and Miami projected to headline the next tier of teams. All signs point to another solid bowl season ahead for the ACC, as Athlon Sports projects 10 teams from the conference to reach the postseason this fall.
With fall practice just around the corner, where do ACC teams stack up in bowl projections for '23? Athlon Sports projects ACC teams and bowls for this fall:
ACC Bowl Projections for 2023
Athlon Sports released its complete preseason bowl projections earlier this offseason, so let's take a look at how the predictions stack up for where ACC teams will spend their postseason:
The Order of Selections for 2023
1. College Football Playoff (Rose or Sugar Semifinals)
If a team is in the top four, it will automatically go to the CFB Playoff.
2. Orange Bowl
In years where the Orange Bowl does not host a CFB Playoff game, the ACC champion (if not in the playoff) will play the highest-ranked team from the SEC, Big Ten, or Notre Dame in this game.
3. New Year's Six Bowls: Cotton, Fiesta and Peach for '23-24
ACC teams outside of the conference champion can be selected for one of the New Year's Six at-large spots (Cotton, Fiesta, and Peach) for '23-24 if they are ranked high enough in the final top 25.
4. Reliaquest - If a Big Ten team plays the ACC in the Orange Bowl, an ACC team will fill the Big Ten's spot in the Reliaquest Bowl.
The First Tier
Note: Notre Dame is eligible for consideration in the ACC's bowl tie-ins
Pop-Tarts (Has first selection of these three bowl games)
Holiday
Gator
Second Tier
Duke's Mayo
Sun
Pinstripe
Military
Fenway
The ACC is expected to have a team selected for one of these bowls: Gasparilla, First Responder or Birmingham.
Related: ACC Coach Rankings for 2023
The Projections for 2023-24
College Football Playoff: None selected
Both Clemson and Florida State can make a run a the CFB Playoff in '23. But per Athlon's projections, the Seminoles and Tigers will fall just short.
Related: ACC Predictions for 2023
New Year's Six
Projection: Orange Bowl - Florida State vs. Ohio State
Athlon's ACC predictions give Florida State a slight nod over Clemson for the conference crown. If the Seminoles play in a CFB Playoff or New Year's Six bowl in '23, it will be the program's first trip to a major bowl since '16.
In order of selection process for ACC:
Pop-Tarts: ACC vs. Big 12 (Dec. 28)
Projection: Clemson vs. Kansas State
Reliaquest: SEC vs. Big Ten/ACC (Jan. 1)
Projection: Miami vs. South Carolina
Holiday: ACC vs. Pac-12 (Dec. 27)
Projection: Notre Dame vs. Oregon State
Gator: ACC vs. SEC (Dec. 29)
Projection: North Carolina vs. Ole Miss
Duke's Mayo: ACC vs. SEC (Dec. 27)
Projection: Pitt vs. Kentucky
Sun: ACC vs. Pac-12 (Dec. 29)
Projection: Duke vs. Washington State
Pinstripe: ACC vs. Big Ten (Dec. 28)
Projection: Louisville vs. Nebraska
Military: ACC vs. American (Dec. 27)
Projection: Wake Forest vs. East Carolina
Fenway: ACC vs. American (Dec. 28)
Projection: Syracuse vs. Memphis
Gasparilla: ACC vs. SEC (Dec. 22)
Projection: NC State vs. Auburn
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ACC KICKOFF INTERVIEW: Jared Verse & Kalen Deloach | FSU Football (youtube; video; FSU Football)
WATCH DE Jared Verse & LB Kalen Deloach, talk about preparing for the ACC Kickoff for the upcoming 2023 season.
Florida State, Clemson taking different roster-building approaches will define ACC title race in 2023 season (cbssports.com; Patterson)
For the first time in six years the conference's preseason favorite will be a subject for debate as ACC Media Days gets underway on Tuesday. Clemson has dominated the conference in recent years, but Florida State comes into the season believing it could challenge the Tigers and ascend back to the throne in 2023. So, there is one burning question heading into this week's event: Who will the media place atop its preseason poll as the season looms right around the corner?
Caesars essentially named Clemson and Florida State as co-favorites with the Tigers listed at the top with +130 odds and the Seminoles just a couple cents longer at +140. No other team in the conference has better than 12-1 odds. Most popular preseason publications have Florida State ahead of Clemson with Mike Norvell's group checking in consistently in the back half of the top 10 nationally. The Tigers have been spotted between Nos. 11-13. The iconic Phil Steele serves as an outlier, picking Clemson at No. 2 behind Georgia.
Clemson has the rings, boasting seven ACC championships in the last eight years after a return to the top in 2022. Florida State's steady climb under Norvell saw the team post win totals of three, five and 10 over the past three seasons. Last year's double-digit win mark was the catalyst for the offseason hype, but the fact remains the Seminoles haven't won the ACC since 2014. The Tigers narrowly beat Florida State 34-28 in Tallahassee, Florida, last season but finished three games ahead in the ACC Atlantic. The league will be eliminating divisions this season, however, so the potential exists that these teams could play twice with a rematch in early December for the ACC championship.
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ACC football: Predicting each team's biggest swing game ahead of 2023 season (247sports.com; Bahns)
The ACC parts with its divisional structure for the 2023 college football season, disbanding the Atlantic and Coastal divisions and instead pitting all 14 members against each other in a race for the conference crown. The two league favorites, Florida State and Clemson, could meet twice this year as the former divisional rivals may square off in a once-impossible title game matchup, but there exist a couple of other contenders that seek to uproot them from their post atop the conference.
As each team navigates its path, some games hold more significance than others. Oftentimes it is not the most highly-anticipated contests that define the outcome of a season but the possible trap games and momentum-builders that help set the tone for the rest of the year.
At season’s end, fans and media alike may look back at these games and recognize their significant impact in determining each team’s slotting in the final ACC standings.
Below are the 14 ACC football teams sorted by the 247Sports projected order of finish, and their biggest swing game of the 2023 season.
After what could be a 3-0 start in non-conference action, Pittsburgh opens ACC play with one of its three toughest games of the year. Pat Narduzzi and Co. have won 20 games over the last two years and should again be somewhere among the conference’s contenders, and a win over North Carolina would help Pitt assert itself in the top half of the league. The contest also provides the Panthers with a chance to set the tone ahead of their showdowns against Notre Dame and Florida State, which come in back-to-back weeks later in the season.
Dino Babers (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
There is a strong possibility that Syracuse enters the regular season finale needing a win to secure bowl eligibility. Wake Forest might be in the same boat. The 12th game of the year could have major implications for both squads as the .500 mark will be somewhat of an indicator of success for the Orange and Demon Deacons. Their internal goals are likely loftier, but from the outside looking in, reaching the postseason should probably be considered the standard for the Orange. If it comes down to this contest, then that makes it the ultimate swing game.
4 thoughts going into ACC Football Kickoff: Jim Phillips, Travis, FSU future in conference (yahoo.com; Kassim)
The annual tradition of conferences hosting a media day for coaches and players to address the coming football season before training camps open continues this week for the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Head coach Mike Norvell, quarterback Jordan Travis, defensive end Jared Verse and linebacker Kalen DeLoach will represent FSU at the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff, July 25-27, at The Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Seminoles, coming off a 10-win season and Cheez-It Bowl victory, enter the season as favorites in the conference and are strong College Football Playoff Contenders with a ton of returning talent, led by Travis and Verse.
FSU kicks off its season at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 3 against the LSU Tigers at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. That matchup could likely be a top-10 battle with major implications later in the season.
The Democrat will be live at the meetings Tuesday and Wednesday.
Here are four questions heading into the meetings.
But he will also have to answer questions about his past. Phillips was Northwestern's athletic director from 2008 to 2021 before taking the commissioner role. The school has been under severe scrutiny following an investigation of a hazing scandal that led to the firing of head coach Pat Fitzgerald after 17 seasons.
Phillips has vowed to “vigorously defend” himself in any litigation related to the ongoing hazing scandal at Northwestern, in which he finds himself involved.
He, along with Fitzgerald, Phillips, NU's board of trustees, university president Michael Schill, current athletic director Derrick Gragg and former university president Morton Schapiro are listed as defendants.
“This has been a difficult time for the Northwestern University community, a place that my entire family called home. Over my thirty-year career in intercollegiate athletics, my highest priority has always been the health and safety of all student-athletes. Hazing is completely unacceptable anywhere, and my heart goes out to anyone who carries the burden of having been mistreated,” Phillips said in a statement last week.
“Any allegation that I ever condoned or tolerated inappropriate conduct against student-athletes is absolutely false. I will vigorously defend myself against any suggestion to the contrary.”
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These football players will represent UNC, NC State and Duke at ACC Kickoff (fayobserver.com; Baxley)
Talking season kicks into high gear this week at ACC Kickoff for the conference's 14 football teams.
Duke, North Carolina and NC State are among the programs set to attend the league’s three-day media event in Charlotte. ACC Network will have coverage on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The Blue Devils will kick things off Wednesday before the Tar Heels and Wolfpack take part in interviews Thursday. In addition to head coaches Mack Brown, Mike Elko and Dave Doeren, the Tobacco Road rivals will each bring three players to the event.
Here’s a look at the players set to represent the Blue Devils, Tar Heels and Wolfpack at ACC Kickoff.
DeWayne Carter, DL, Duke
A two-year starter and team captain, Carter was an All-ACC selection in 2022. He started all 13 games, logging 36 tackles, including a team-best 11 for loss. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Carter tied for first in the ACC and third nationally with three fumble recoveries.
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2023 Top ACC QB O/U Odds, preseason (RX; HM)
Mitch Freaking Griffis? Where the hell is Garrett Shrader?
2023 Top ACC QB O/U Odds, preseason
How many TDs will your team's quarterback throw this year? How many yards? If you pull for one of these six teams, we have over/unders for you...
College QB Over/Under stats for the 2023 season:
courtesy of Josh Barton josh@oddspr.com, via prnewswire.com
Before we get started,
Drake Maye, N. Carolina - Over/Under 26.5 TDs
Jordan Travis, Florida St - Over/Under 24.5 TDs
Mitch Griffis, Wake Forest - Over/Under 25.5 TDs
Riley Leonard, Duke - Over/Under 19.5 TDs
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame - Over/Under 27.5 TDs
Drake Maye, N. Carolina - Over/Under 3200.5 yds
Jordan Travis, Florida St - Over/Under 2900.5 yds
Mitch Griffis, Wake Forest - Over/Under 3100.5 yds
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ACC to benefit from CFP transition (RX; HM)
ACC to benefit from CFP transition
There are three "Contract Bowls" - the Rose, Sugar, and Orange. The Rose and Sugar pay their conferences $40M each per non-playoff game, while the Orange only pays $27.5M to the ACC. This has been a punch-line ever since the contracts were signed (even though it only results in a difference of $892K per school - not even a whole million).
Here is the CFP Bowl schedule for 2023-24...
Disney/ESPN TV (RX; HM)
Disney/ESPN TV
From CNBC: Disney is open to finding a new strategic partner for ESPN, Iger says [originally published July 13th, 2023]:
While the Mouse isn't thinking of selling ESPN outright,
The reason for this is clear: Disney knows how to make money from cable TV, but their streaming services have yet to turn a profit. Now, it looks like it's time to make the transition.
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2023 Week 1 Gameday (RX; HM)
2023 Week 1 Gameday
From the official ACC release of Monday, July 24, 2023...
College GameDay to Broadcast from Charlotte for North Carolina-South Carolina Week 1 Game
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – ESPN announced Monday that College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will broadcast live from Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sept. 2 for the Week 1 game between North Carolina and South Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium.
The show will originate from Romare Bearden Park in Uptown Charlotte, just down the street from Bank of America Stadium, where the Tar Heels face off with the Gamecocks at 7:30 p.m., in a matchup on ABC’s Saturday Night Football.
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Other
An aerial view shows the 47-acre Syracuse Developmental Center property in this 2010 file photo. Dick Blume | The Post-Standard
Syracuse councilors approve 500-unit housing complex near zoo (PS; Boyer)
A project to demolish the sprawling former Syracuse Developmental Center and replace it with 500 units of housing can move forward following votes by the Syracuse Common Council.
Councilors unanimously approved a pair of resolutions related to the proposal from Long Island-based Albanese Organization Inc. to build a multi-building housing complex that would include 440 apartments and 60 to 85 townhouse units at the South Wilbur Avenue property where the SDC once operated. Retail space is also part of the plan for the hillside site not far from the Rosamond Gifford Zoo
The city secured $29 million through Gov. Kathy Hochul to cover the cost of demolishing the 600,000 square feet of existing building space and develop infrastructure at the site, which has been vacant since SDC shut down in 1998. Work on the new buildings, which would be constructed in phases, is not expected to start until at least 2025.
Albanese officials have said they plan to offer below-market rates to lower-income tenants for the apartments, which will range from studios to three-bedrooms. Rents would run from about $935 to $1,400 a month.
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Onondaga Lake Parkway bridge in Syracuse, NY
Onondaga Lake Parkway drivers to take less of a hit under state’s revised plan (PS; $; Weiner)
New York officials have decided to keep most of Onondaga Lake Parkway open for two lanes in each direction as part of a revised plan to stop trucks from striking a low railroad bridge.
The state announced last month that it planned to reduce traffic from two to one lane each way on the two-mile parkway that runs along the eastern shore of Onondaga Lake.
Some of the 22,000 daily commuters who use the parkway complained the change would inconvenience law-abiding drivers to prevent a few accidents a year involving trucks that are already banned from the road.
Now the state Department of Transportation plans to reduce traffic to one lane in each direction along only a 1,200-foot stretch on either side of the CSX railroad bridge.
Nick Chouba, the DOT’s chief engineer and assistant commissioner, told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that the change will be a minor inconvenience for drivers, adding only seconds to a commute.
About 77% of Onondaga Lake Parkway will remain a four-lane highway (two lanes in each direction) connecting drivers between Syracuse, north of Destiny USA, and the village of Liverpool.
Drivers would merge into one lane – like a construction zone – only on the approach to the bridge. After passing the bridge zone, drivers would be able to continue using the two-lane parkway in both directions, Chouba said.
As part of the safety change, the state still plans to lower the parkway’s speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph throughout the year. The lower limit was previously imposed only in the winter months.
DOT engineers calculated the one-lane merger near the bridge and lower speed limit will take drivers an extra 9 seconds to navigate during peak commuting hours, Chouba said.
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Taking place during National Ice Cream Month, National Hot Fudge Sundae Day celebrates one of the most popular sundaes. Said to be invented in the early twentieth century at C.C. Brown's Ice Cream Shop in Hollywood, hot fudge sundaes usually are made of vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate fudge, and topped with nuts, sprinkles, whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry.
There are a few stories as to how and where ice cream sundaes got their start. One says they got their start in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, in 1881. There, George Hallauer ordered an ice cream dish at Ed Berner's soda fountain. His dish gained popularity, and other nearby fountains began serving it. It was George Giffy, who owned a fountain in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, who decided to serve it only on Sundays—hence the name it received.
Another story says that in Evanston, Illinois, in the 1890s, moralists were speaking out against drinking soda water on the Sabbath. In response, confectioners decided to create "Sundays," which had ice cream and flavored syrups instead of soda water. Another early name for the dessert was "Soda-less Soda." In order to remove any connection to the Sabbath, "Sundays" eventually became known as "sundaes."
Other cities have claimed to be the originator of the ice cream sundae, including Ann Arbor, Michigan; Ithaca, New York; Norfolk, Virginia; and Washington, D.C. No matter where they were created, they were wildly popular by the turn of the twentieth century, and the hot fudge sundae made its debut shortly after, becoming the favorite sundae of many!
SU News
The 2021 ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson for the Atlantic Coast Conference)
What time do Babers, SU football players speak at ACC media day: TV channel, live stream (PS)
Syracuse football coach Dino Babers and three cornerstones of his 2023 team will make the media rounds Tuesday at ACC Kickoff in Charlotte.
The conference’s annual media fest has been stretched to three days this year, with Syracuse sharing the spotlight with Miami (Fla.), Louisville and Georgia Tech on Day 1. Coverage will air all day on ACC Network.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips will hold his state-of-the-union press conference in the morning. Babers follows Phillips at the podium.
The eighth-year coach is scheduled to field questions at 11 a.m. Babers’ press conference can be seen on ACC Network Extra.
Quarterback Garrett Shrader, receiver Oronde Gadsden II and linebacker Marlowe Wax will also be in Charlotte for the event.
Syracuse.com football reporter Emily Leiker will be on hand for news coverage and analysis. You can follow her on Twitter @emleiker.
Here’s where to find Syracuse’s players and coach throughout the day:
10:50 a.m.: Marlowe Wax on ACC Network
11 a.m.: Dino Babers and Syracuse press conference on ACC Network Extra
11:30 a.m.: Dino Babers on ACC Network
12:50 p.m.: Garrett Shrader and Oronde Gadsden II on ACC Network
3:15 p.m.: Dino Babers on ACC Network
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Syracuse Orange: What if you were the ‘Cuse athletic director for a month? (itlh; Fiello)
Recently, this Syracuse Orange sports fan finally started writing a book/manuscript for a creative idea I’ve had for years. The premise is a sports blogger/radio host who constantly calls out the pro hockey commissioner and the commissioner calls into his show one day and challenges him to do better and gives him 30 days to be the commissioner.
Now I’ve written 3/4 of it already and just figuring out the best way to end it in a way I’d enjoy as a reader. So this isn’t an attempt to steal ideas or anything…just a fun, playful idea. So I ask, what would you do if you were the Syracuse Orange Athletic Director and you had 30 days to do what you think helps the university the most?
For the record, I have nothing but love and respect for Syracuse Orange Athletic Director John Wildhack. This is more of a fun exercise than an attack on administrators and just see what ideas we might have. I may not agree with every decision but I respect his position and the decisions he makes knowing he often has more information than I do.
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Oronde Gadsden II "The 315" 7-24-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Syracuse football star Oronde Gadsden II joins Brian Higgins to discuss what his position truly is, evaluate the rest of the wide receiver room, share who the best basketball player on the team is, and more.
Matt Park "Orange Nation" 7-24-23 (ESPN; radio; Orange Nation)
The Voice of the Orange, Matt Park, hops on with the guys to talk Syracuse football, LeQuint Allen, the chances the Orange make a bowl this season, pick the Artist of the Day for tomorrow and much more.
2023 LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 22 Duce Chestnut (lsutigerswire.usatoday.com; Nettuno)
Going into the 2023 football season, LSU Wire will be looking at each player listed on the Tigers’ roster.
Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Brian Kelly this season.
Once again, arguably the biggest storyline on the defensive side of the ball this offseason is the class of transfer additions in the secondary. One of the more intriguing players in that group is Duce Chestnut, who was a standout in his first two seasons at Syracuse.
Duce Chestnut Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: Camden, New JerseyHt: 5-11
Wt: 200
247Sports Composite Ranking
Three Stars No. 7 in New Jersey No. 31 CornerbackClass in 2022: Sophomore
Career Stats
| Year | G | Total | Solo | TFL | Sack | FF | PD | INT |
| 2021 (Syracuse) | 12 | 43 | 32 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| 2022 (Syracuse) | 12 | 40 | 27 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Depth Chart Overview
Chestnut immediately became a starter after arriving at Syracuse, starting all 12 games as a true freshman while earning Freshman All-America and Third Team All-ACC honors. He also finished as the runner up for ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year.He started all 12 games again last fall, earning All-ACC Honorable Mention. His interception numbers dropped from three to one, though he took his lone pick to the house against Wagner.
After arriving at LSU this offseason, he’s expected to take over the starting nickel role, though he’ll have to compete with returning player Sage Ryan, who showed some promise last season, as well.
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How to watch Phillips press conference at ACC football media day: TV channel, time, live stream (PS)
ACC Kickoff gets underway Tuesday morning from The Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips will address reporters at 9:30 a.m. His press conference will air live on ACC Network.
Phillips’ remarks kick off the ACC’s annual football media event, which stretches out to three days this week from the new headquarters of the conference office.
Syracuse football coach Dino Babers, along with quarterback Garrett Shrader, receiver Oronde Gadsden II and linebacker Marlowe Wax, will also be featured throughout the day on the network.
Phillips’ annual state-of-the-conference address will likely touch on the conference’s NCAA championship success over the past year, along with a look at the league’s financial outlook as a new revenue sharing plan tilted toward postseason success continues to be ironed out.
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Get to Know Your Orange Man: #5, WR Damien Alford (TNIAAM; Chiappone)
It’s time to start preparing for the upcoming Syracuse Orange football season. We’re going through the roster to take a look at each Syracuse player as we get ready for a critical season for the Orange.
Up next is….
Name: Damien Alford
Position: Wide receiver
Year: Junior
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 211 lbs
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
High School: McArthur High School (FL)
2022 stats: Alford caught 20 passes for 429 yards, or over 21 yards per catch - the program’s highest total out of any active player. His yard total was the third-highest this past season out of Syracuse’s receiving core, picking up where he left off in 2021 as a limited but still productive deep receiving threat.
2023 projections: With Alford entering his third season and with Syracuse’s loss of receivers via the transfer portal (including almost himself), he’ll be seen as a deep-ball target for Garrett Shrader if teams are going to overaggressively double Oronde Gadsden. His catching numbers are great, but the sample size is still relatively small. Can Alford step up as a legit second pass catching option, or will he remain in his role as a productive but limited receiver?
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Get to Know Your Orange Man: #5 DB Alijah "Cinco" Clark (TNIAAM; De Guzman)
It’s time to start preparing for the upcoming Syracuse Orange football season. We’re going through the roster to take a look at each Syracuse player as we get ready for a critical season for the Orange.
Up next is….
Name: Alijah Clark
Position: Defensive Back
Year: Junior
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 186 lbs.
Hometown: Camden, N.J.
High school: Camden
Previous school: Rutgers
2022 stats: Played in 12 games, starting 11. Recorded 55 tackles, 2.5 TFLs and two pass defends.
2023 projections: While he didn’t show it with turnovers, Cinco played a solid safety, preventing little to no yards after catch. He held his positioning strong in the zone concepts that the Syracuse safeties play. Given the cornerback turnover, Cinco may have moved back to his natural position, but it seems like the Orange are happy keeping him at the safety position. He was a newcomer last year, but this year he’s an impact leader.
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JMA Wireless Dome Transformation Project Continues - Syracuse University Athletics (cuse.com)
Construction continues at the JMA Wireless Dome on the installation of upgraded chairback seating and the introduction of new premium offerings throughout the venue. The change from bench seating to chairback seating will create a new fan experience, including a new seating map and revised capacities for football, men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's lacrosse games. The new chairbacks will add comfort and accessibility for fans and feature a larger seat width and height. The changes to the seating will result in an adjustment to the number of seats in each row and section throughout the venue. Though the effect on each section will vary, some sections may decrease by up to 200 seats.
To accommodate these new capacities and revised seating maps, each season ticket holder will select a new seat through a coordinated seating process. The reseating process will begin in late summer with suite holders for all JMA Dome events and courtside seats for both men's and women's basketball. All current season ticket holders will have priority for seat selection in 2024-25.
"Syracuse Athletics is committed to presenting timely and transparent information to ensure a smooth transition for our loyal ticket holders throughout the reseating process," said 'Cuse Athletics Fund Executive Director Michael Paulus. "We look forward to communicating this plan to our 'CAF members and donors in the coming months."
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ACC News
Taylor Tannebaum on ACC Football - Mac & Bone Podcast (omny/fm; podcast; Mac & Bone)
Taylor Tannebaum, co-host of ACC PM on ACC Network, joins the fellas to talk about the biggest storylines heading into ACC media days, Jordan Travis's chances to win the Heisman and why both Duke and NC State could be destined for good years.
TV money and a new face of Pitt football: 5 storylines we're tracking at ACC media days (P-G; Hiles)
In just a few weeks, players throughout the country will report to training camp, thus marking the official start of the 2023 college football season. However, some would argue that the true start of another collegiate gridiron campaign begins a bit earlier, during the conference media events.
On Tuesday, each of the 14 ACC coaches along with a few player representatives from their squads will make the trip out to Charlotte, N.C., for the 2023 ACC Kickoff. While it has been known to generate headlines each summer, this year’s event will likely bring an extra element of drama to the table thanks to an eventful offseason.
The 2023 ACC Kickoff will begin Tuesday morning and conclude late Thursday afternoon. Here are five storylines to monitor throughout the three days of festivities:
All eyes on the commissioner
After reporters check in and receive their complimentary breakfast, Jim Phillips will start things off Tuesday morning with his commissioner’s forum at 9:30 a.m. While the head of the ACC will likely look forward to highlighting the league’s many returning stars or discussing the pros that can come from the diminishment of the two conference system, it is fair to assume most of his time will be spent addressing far more pressing issues.
The first topic Phillips will certainly field questions on is the league’s grant of rights contract, which was one of the biggest college sports stories of the summer. At the start of this month, the Big Ten’s new media deal kicked in, which is expected to pay out an average of $75 million to each of the conference’s member schools. Next summer, the SEC will begin its new media deal, which will distribute an equal sum to all of its teams.
The ACC, meanwhile, finds itself in a completely different boat.
Multiple sources within athletic offices at ACC programs told the Post-Gazette that the league’s grant of rights deal provides its 14 teams with an annual payout of somewhere between $35 to $45 million, which of course is a wide gap between the payout for those in the Big Ten and SEC.
Numerous ACC athletic directors voiced their displeasure with the league’s media revenue discrepancy in early May during the league’s spring meetings. Tensions continued to build later that month when reports surfaced saying that a group of seven schools, which would later be deemed the “Magnificent Seven,” within the ACC gathered numerous times with lawyers to take a closer look at the league’s grant of rights deal to find a possible exit from the conference.
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Friedlander: My preseason All-ACC football ballot and predicted order of finish - Saturday Road (saturdayroad.com; Friedlander)
I was born in New York, grew up in Georgia and spent the majority of my adult life living in Maryland and North Carolina.
But when it comes to preseason predictions, my philosophy is more in line with a state I’ve only visited a handful of times.
Missouri.
The Show Me State.
So while Florida State is getting a lot of love heading into the upcoming ACC football season, the Seminoles are going to have to show me they’re worthy of it before I take that leap of faith onto the bandwagon.
It won’t take long for us to find out all we need to know about Mike Norvell’s team. The Noles play LSU in Orlando on Labor Day Sunday and travel to Death Valley for a showdown with Clemson 3 weeks later.
Maybe the Noles really are that good. Maybe they’re not.
Until then, the defending ACC champions are still the team to beat.
Clemson will be No. 1 and FSU No. 2 on the ballot I will submit at the league’s preseason kickoff media event coming up this week in Charlotte.
Here’s a look at how the rest of my picks will look:
Clemson: There are questions, to be sure. But Dabo’s defense is always going to be elite and with Will Shipley running the ball and the arrival of new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley to serve as a mentor for young quarterback Cade Klubnik, the Tigers are ready to roar again.
Florida State: The Seminoles have virtually everyone back from their 10-win season in 2022, including quarterback Travis Jordan and star pass rusher Jared Verse, and brought in one of the nation’s best transfer classes. But those 5 straight wins to end last season came against 4 teams with losing records
and 7-6 Syracuse. FSU is going to be good. Maybe very good. But it still has something to prove.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels experienced some turnover from the team that won the dearly departed Coastal Division and played for the conference championship last season. But they still have Drake Maye. And it won’t take much for them to be better on defense, especially with the addition of several key transfers up front and on the back end.
NC State: The Wolfpack had a championship caliber defense last season, but was held back by a lackluster offense and some spotty quarterback play. Even before Devin Leary’s season-ending injury. Coach Dave Doeren addressed that problem by hiring Robert Anae as his new OC and reuniting him with grad transfer quarterback Brennan Armstrong. State is always better when the expectations are lower. And this year, they are.
Pittsburgh: Similar to NC State, the Panthers struggled at the most important position on the field last year. They still won 9 games, thanks to their defense, the ground game and a massive offensive line. Coach Pat Narduzzi’s team still has those 3 elements going for them again this year. And they may have addressed the quarterback issue – as long as transfer Phil Jurkovec from Boston College can stay healthy.
Duke: The Blue Devils return most of their key pieces on both sides of the ball from last year’s surprise 9-win team, including quarterback star Riley Leonard. They might just be the third-most talented team in the league behind Clemson and Florida State. But because they play a brutal schedule, it probably won’t be reflected in their record.
Louisville: The arrival of a new coach and staff usually means that the program is in for a complete rebuild. That’s not the case with Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals. He inherited a bowl team that brings back a solid defense and has added a large haul of transfers to restock the offense.
Miami: The Hurricanes are always picked to finish higher than they should be picked in these preseason polls. It’s an annual rite of summer in the ACC. Does that mean they can’t finally break through and live up to their expectations? Of course not. But going back to the original premise of this piece, I’ll believe it when I see it.
Wake Forest: The Deacons are the antithesis of Miami. They’re always underestimated this time of year. And they always end up overachieving. There’s a good chance that will happen again in 2023. Mitch Griffis will be fine as Sam Hartman’s replacement, especially with the best collection of receivers in the ACC and an experienced line in front of him.
Syracuse: Dino Babers saved his job by going 7-6 and getting to a bowl last year. But the heat is still on. The Orange better get off to a 4-0 start, because after that, wins won’t be easy to come by.
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https://athlonsports.com/college-football/acc-bowl-projections-2023 (athlonsports.com; Lassan)
The ACC didn't have a team in the College Football Playoff last season, but nine of the league's programs earned bowl appearances. And overall, ACC teams went 5-4 last postseason, as Florida State, Pitt, and Duke picked up solid victories for the conference. Clemson and Florida State headline the list of CFB Playoff contenders for the ACC in '23, with North Carolina and Miami projected to headline the next tier of teams. All signs point to another solid bowl season ahead for the ACC, as Athlon Sports projects 10 teams from the conference to reach the postseason this fall.
With fall practice just around the corner, where do ACC teams stack up in bowl projections for '23? Athlon Sports projects ACC teams and bowls for this fall:
ACC Bowl Projections for 2023
Athlon Sports released its complete preseason bowl projections earlier this offseason, so let's take a look at how the predictions stack up for where ACC teams will spend their postseason:
The Order of Selections for 2023
1. College Football Playoff (Rose or Sugar Semifinals)
If a team is in the top four, it will automatically go to the CFB Playoff.
2. Orange Bowl
In years where the Orange Bowl does not host a CFB Playoff game, the ACC champion (if not in the playoff) will play the highest-ranked team from the SEC, Big Ten, or Notre Dame in this game.
3. New Year's Six Bowls: Cotton, Fiesta and Peach for '23-24
ACC teams outside of the conference champion can be selected for one of the New Year's Six at-large spots (Cotton, Fiesta, and Peach) for '23-24 if they are ranked high enough in the final top 25.
4. Reliaquest - If a Big Ten team plays the ACC in the Orange Bowl, an ACC team will fill the Big Ten's spot in the Reliaquest Bowl.
The First Tier
Note: Notre Dame is eligible for consideration in the ACC's bowl tie-ins
Pop-Tarts (Has first selection of these three bowl games)
Holiday
Gator
Second Tier
Duke's Mayo
Sun
Pinstripe
Military
Fenway
The ACC is expected to have a team selected for one of these bowls: Gasparilla, First Responder or Birmingham.
Related: ACC Coach Rankings for 2023
The Projections for 2023-24
College Football Playoff: None selected
Both Clemson and Florida State can make a run a the CFB Playoff in '23. But per Athlon's projections, the Seminoles and Tigers will fall just short.
Related: ACC Predictions for 2023
New Year's Six
Projection: Orange Bowl - Florida State vs. Ohio State
Athlon's ACC predictions give Florida State a slight nod over Clemson for the conference crown. If the Seminoles play in a CFB Playoff or New Year's Six bowl in '23, it will be the program's first trip to a major bowl since '16.
In order of selection process for ACC:
Pop-Tarts: ACC vs. Big 12 (Dec. 28)
Projection: Clemson vs. Kansas State
Reliaquest: SEC vs. Big Ten/ACC (Jan. 1)
Projection: Miami vs. South Carolina
Holiday: ACC vs. Pac-12 (Dec. 27)
Projection: Notre Dame vs. Oregon State
Gator: ACC vs. SEC (Dec. 29)
Projection: North Carolina vs. Ole Miss
Duke's Mayo: ACC vs. SEC (Dec. 27)
Projection: Pitt vs. Kentucky
Sun: ACC vs. Pac-12 (Dec. 29)
Projection: Duke vs. Washington State
Pinstripe: ACC vs. Big Ten (Dec. 28)
Projection: Louisville vs. Nebraska
Military: ACC vs. American (Dec. 27)
Projection: Wake Forest vs. East Carolina
Fenway: ACC vs. American (Dec. 28)
Projection: Syracuse vs. Memphis
Gasparilla: ACC vs. SEC (Dec. 22)
Projection: NC State vs. Auburn
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ACC KICKOFF INTERVIEW: Jared Verse & Kalen Deloach | FSU Football (youtube; video; FSU Football)
WATCH DE Jared Verse & LB Kalen Deloach, talk about preparing for the ACC Kickoff for the upcoming 2023 season.
Florida State, Clemson taking different roster-building approaches will define ACC title race in 2023 season (cbssports.com; Patterson)
For the first time in six years the conference's preseason favorite will be a subject for debate as ACC Media Days gets underway on Tuesday. Clemson has dominated the conference in recent years, but Florida State comes into the season believing it could challenge the Tigers and ascend back to the throne in 2023. So, there is one burning question heading into this week's event: Who will the media place atop its preseason poll as the season looms right around the corner?
Caesars essentially named Clemson and Florida State as co-favorites with the Tigers listed at the top with +130 odds and the Seminoles just a couple cents longer at +140. No other team in the conference has better than 12-1 odds. Most popular preseason publications have Florida State ahead of Clemson with Mike Norvell's group checking in consistently in the back half of the top 10 nationally. The Tigers have been spotted between Nos. 11-13. The iconic Phil Steele serves as an outlier, picking Clemson at No. 2 behind Georgia.
Clemson has the rings, boasting seven ACC championships in the last eight years after a return to the top in 2022. Florida State's steady climb under Norvell saw the team post win totals of three, five and 10 over the past three seasons. Last year's double-digit win mark was the catalyst for the offseason hype, but the fact remains the Seminoles haven't won the ACC since 2014. The Tigers narrowly beat Florida State 34-28 in Tallahassee, Florida, last season but finished three games ahead in the ACC Atlantic. The league will be eliminating divisions this season, however, so the potential exists that these teams could play twice with a rematch in early December for the ACC championship.
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ACC football: Predicting each team's biggest swing game ahead of 2023 season (247sports.com; Bahns)
The ACC parts with its divisional structure for the 2023 college football season, disbanding the Atlantic and Coastal divisions and instead pitting all 14 members against each other in a race for the conference crown. The two league favorites, Florida State and Clemson, could meet twice this year as the former divisional rivals may square off in a once-impossible title game matchup, but there exist a couple of other contenders that seek to uproot them from their post atop the conference.
As each team navigates its path, some games hold more significance than others. Oftentimes it is not the most highly-anticipated contests that define the outcome of a season but the possible trap games and momentum-builders that help set the tone for the rest of the year.
At season’s end, fans and media alike may look back at these games and recognize their significant impact in determining each team’s slotting in the final ACC standings.
Below are the 14 ACC football teams sorted by the 247Sports projected order of finish, and their biggest swing game of the 2023 season.
FLORIDA STATE: AT CLEMSON, SEPT. 23
Florida State exploded in Year 3 under Mike Norvell, and as a result, it enters the year as the betting favorite to win the ACC. Have the Seminoles truly returned to the consistent levels of success they enjoyed for much of the 2010s, or was last year an anomaly? All signs point to the former, and there would be no better way for Florida State to prove that they’ve arrived than with a win in a potential conference title game preview against Clemson. Also, while there is hardly such a thing as a must-win game in September, the Seminoles’ College Football Playoff hopes might hinge on the ACC opener should they falter in the highly-anticipated season-opening showdown with LSU.CLEMSON: VS. NOTRE DAME, NOV. 4
The pairing of new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley with returning quarterback Cade Klubnik makes Clemson an intriguing candidate to return to the College Football Playoff after a two-year absence. Depending on the outcome of its battle with Florida State, though, Clemson’s Playoff hopes might hinge on a late-season non-conference matchup against Notre Dame, which also seeks a spot in the four-team field. Beat the Fighting Irish and lose no more than one game, and the Tigers should be in the running for another national title.NORTH CAROLINA: VS. DUKE, NOV. 11
The toughest stretch of North Carolina’s schedule comes in the final quarter of the season, and it starts with a rivalry game against a Duke team that is dangerously flying under the radar. All bets are off when it comes to a rivalry game against similarly-talented squads, but North Carolina has a key advantage at quarterback as Drake Maye could prove to be the best signal-caller in the nation. Trips to Clemson and NC State await as the Tar Heels close out the regular season, so getting off on the right foot to begin that three-game stretch would be ideal.MIAMI: AT NORTH CAROLINA, OCT. 14
After a five-game cakewalk to open the season, save for what should be a very telling Week 2 game against a Texas A&M squad that is basically a mirror image of Miami, this is where the Hurricanes’ schedule turns. Starting with the North Carolina game, five of Miami’s final seven opponents project to finish in the top half of the ACC, and three of them are the frontrunners to compete for the conference title. After surprisingly missing the postseason last year, Mario Cristobal has an opportunity to prove that his recruiting success will pay off in the first of many tough tests in league play.NC STATE: VS. CLEMSON, OCT. 28
NC State goes as far as transfer quarterback Brennan Armstrong takes it, and if he plays up to the standard he set during a career-best 2021 season, then the Wolfpack have a shot at upsetting Clemson. If his turnover struggles follow him from Virginia to NC State, though, his squad’s ceiling will be much lower. The Wolfpack receive a bye week ahead of their home date with the Tigers and would generate all kinds of momentum entering the home stretch should they turn that extra preparation time into a victory.DUKE: VS. NOTRE DAME, SEPT. 30
Duke welcomes Notre Dame to town at the start of a six-game gauntlet in which the Blue Devils will either be an underdog or slight favorite. It’s a tough stretch for a team that quietly finished second in the Coastal Division last year, and if the Blue Devils are to improve upon their best campaign since 2014, then mid-season momentum is crucial. Should it fail to pull off a season-opening upset against Clemson, then this is the next-best opportunity to prove Duke is for real under second-year head coach Mike Elko.LOUISVILLE: AT PITTSBURGH, OCT. 14
Louisville’s schedule is extremely favorable, and with that advantage, new head coach Jeff Brohm could have his alma mater sitting at 5-0 entering the Notre Dame game. Assuming a loss to the Irish in Week 6, the Cardinals need to bounce back quickly to get the most out of their schedule. Doing so will not be a walk in the park as they head to a hostile environment and take on a Pittsburgh team that should present a similar talent level to their own.PITTSBURGH: VS. NORTH CAROLINA, SEPT. 23
Pat Narduzzi (Photo: Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports)After what could be a 3-0 start in non-conference action, Pittsburgh opens ACC play with one of its three toughest games of the year. Pat Narduzzi and Co. have won 20 games over the last two years and should again be somewhere among the conference’s contenders, and a win over North Carolina would help Pitt assert itself in the top half of the league. The contest also provides the Panthers with a chance to set the tone ahead of their showdowns against Notre Dame and Florida State, which come in back-to-back weeks later in the season.
WAKE FOREST: VS. PITTSBURGH, OCT. 21
Even without star quarterback Sam Hartman, who takes on his former Demon Deacons squad when they head to South Bend for a Week 11 test at Notre Dame, there exists a path to a 5-1 start for Wake Forest. What the Deacs can accomplish in a tougher second half of the schedule, which features that game against Hartman, will determine the team’s ceiling. Starting that difficult stretch with a win over a similarly-talented Pitt team in a rematch of the 2021 ACC title game would aid in their efforts of preventing a step backward this season.SYRACUSE: VS. WAKE FOREST, NOV. 25
There is a strong possibility that Syracuse enters the regular season finale needing a win to secure bowl eligibility. Wake Forest might be in the same boat. The 12th game of the year could have major implications for both squads as the .500 mark will be somewhat of an indicator of success for the Orange and Demon Deacons. Their internal goals are likely loftier, but from the outside looking in, reaching the postseason should probably be considered the standard for the Orange. If it comes down to this contest, then that makes it the ultimate swing game.
VIRGINIA TECH: WAKE FOREST, OCT. 14
While preseason projections suggest the Hokies will land in the bottom third of the conference, it is not inconceivable that they could pick up a few victories in the second half of the season and avoid falling to the bottom tier of the league standings. A manageable six-game stretch opens with a home game against Wake Forest, giving Virginia Tech the opportunity to bounce back from a likely defeat against Florida State and pick up steam entering the final month. If the two Big Ten opponents on their non-conference slate prove too much to handle, the Hokies might need to beat the Demon Deacons to contend for bowl eligibility.GEORGIA TECH: WAKE FOREST, SEPT. 23
Georgia Tech’s schedule does it no favors in helping Brent Key establish himself as the program’s full-time head coach. Realistically, the Yellow Jackets have a slim chance of beating their top-tier opponents (and there are a lot of them), so it’s important to pick up victories against the ACC’s middle-of-the-road squads. The first of those opportunities comes in the form of Wake Forest. If Key can get the most out of his players — like he did during a 4-4 audition in the interim role last year — this is a winnable game against a rebuilding Demon Deacons squad.BOSTON COLLEGE: AT LOUISVILLE, SEPT. 23
In what could be a make-or-break year for Jeff Hafley, Boston College needs to pick up as many wins as it can, and the schedule should help tremendously in those efforts. If the Eagles prove capable of beating Louisville in Week 4, then there is no reason why they shouldn’t be able to replicate that success a couple of times over the following two months. That is a tall order, but it would help BC raise its ceiling as Hafley seeks to prevent another step backward in year four of his tenure.VIRGINIA: AT BOSTON COLLEGE, SEPT. 30
Expectations for Virginia are low. Non-conference games against James Madison and William & Mary are the most obvious opportunities to pick up wins, but there are few chances to notch league victories. The Boston College game is one of those, and it would serve the Eagles well to get the proverbial monkey off their back in the first half of the campaign — so as to reduce pressure in the manageable late-season matchups against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.4 thoughts going into ACC Football Kickoff: Jim Phillips, Travis, FSU future in conference (yahoo.com; Kassim)
The annual tradition of conferences hosting a media day for coaches and players to address the coming football season before training camps open continues this week for the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Head coach Mike Norvell, quarterback Jordan Travis, defensive end Jared Verse and linebacker Kalen DeLoach will represent FSU at the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff, July 25-27, at The Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Seminoles, coming off a 10-win season and Cheez-It Bowl victory, enter the season as favorites in the conference and are strong College Football Playoff Contenders with a ton of returning talent, led by Travis and Verse.
FSU kicks off its season at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 3 against the LSU Tigers at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. That matchup could likely be a top-10 battle with major implications later in the season.
The Democrat will be live at the meetings Tuesday and Wednesday.
Here are four questions heading into the meetings.
Jim Phillips and Northwestern connection
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips is scheduled to address the media at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Phillips is likely to talk about the conference's future, a hot topic in college football.But he will also have to answer questions about his past. Phillips was Northwestern's athletic director from 2008 to 2021 before taking the commissioner role. The school has been under severe scrutiny following an investigation of a hazing scandal that led to the firing of head coach Pat Fitzgerald after 17 seasons.
Phillips has vowed to “vigorously defend” himself in any litigation related to the ongoing hazing scandal at Northwestern, in which he finds himself involved.
He, along with Fitzgerald, Phillips, NU's board of trustees, university president Michael Schill, current athletic director Derrick Gragg and former university president Morton Schapiro are listed as defendants.
“This has been a difficult time for the Northwestern University community, a place that my entire family called home. Over my thirty-year career in intercollegiate athletics, my highest priority has always been the health and safety of all student-athletes. Hazing is completely unacceptable anywhere, and my heart goes out to anyone who carries the burden of having been mistreated,” Phillips said in a statement last week.
“Any allegation that I ever condoned or tolerated inappropriate conduct against student-athletes is absolutely false. I will vigorously defend myself against any suggestion to the contrary.”
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These football players will represent UNC, NC State and Duke at ACC Kickoff (fayobserver.com; Baxley)
Talking season kicks into high gear this week at ACC Kickoff for the conference's 14 football teams.
Duke, North Carolina and NC State are among the programs set to attend the league’s three-day media event in Charlotte. ACC Network will have coverage on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The Blue Devils will kick things off Wednesday before the Tar Heels and Wolfpack take part in interviews Thursday. In addition to head coaches Mack Brown, Mike Elko and Dave Doeren, the Tobacco Road rivals will each bring three players to the event.
Here’s a look at the players set to represent the Blue Devils, Tar Heels and Wolfpack at ACC Kickoff.
Brennan Armstrong, QB, NC State
The Virginia transfer will aim to reinvigorate an offense that struggled to gain traction in 2022. The lefty took a step back with seven touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2022, but Armstrong accounted for 63 TDs – including 49 through the air – in the previous two seasons. The addition of Armstrong should ease the pain of Devin Leary’s move to Kentucky.DeWayne Carter, DL, Duke
A two-year starter and team captain, Carter was an All-ACC selection in 2022. He started all 13 games, logging 36 tackles, including a team-best 11 for loss. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Carter tied for first in the ACC and third nationally with three fumble recoveries.
John Copenhaver, TE, UNC
Copenhaver is a part of the Tar Heels’ loaded tight end room that includes Bryson Nesbit and Kamari Morales. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound junior played in 13 games last season, hauling in 15 catches for 222 yards.Cedric Gray, LB, UNC
An All-ACC selection and team captain, Gray is the face of the Tar Heels’ defense. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker had 145 tackles – first among Power Five players – eight pass breakups, two interceptions and three forced fumbles in 14 games....
2023 Top ACC QB O/U Odds, preseason (RX; HM)
Mitch Freaking Griffis? Where the hell is Garrett Shrader?
2023 Top ACC QB O/U Odds, preseason
How many TDs will your team's quarterback throw this year? How many yards? If you pull for one of these six teams, we have over/unders for you...
College QB Over/Under stats for the 2023 season:
courtesy of Josh Barton josh@oddspr.com, via prnewswire.com
Before we get started,
Passing TDs - Regular Season
Cade Klubnik, Clemson - Over/Under 29.5 TDsDrake Maye, N. Carolina - Over/Under 26.5 TDs
Jordan Travis, Florida St - Over/Under 24.5 TDs
Mitch Griffis, Wake Forest - Over/Under 25.5 TDs
Riley Leonard, Duke - Over/Under 19.5 TDs
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame - Over/Under 27.5 TDs
Passing Yards - Regular Season
Cade Klubnik, Clemson - Over/Under 3200.5 ydsDrake Maye, N. Carolina - Over/Under 3200.5 yds
Jordan Travis, Florida St - Over/Under 2900.5 yds
Mitch Griffis, Wake Forest - Over/Under 3100.5 yds
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ACC to benefit from CFP transition (RX; HM)
ACC to benefit from CFP transition
There are three "Contract Bowls" - the Rose, Sugar, and Orange. The Rose and Sugar pay their conferences $40M each per non-playoff game, while the Orange only pays $27.5M to the ACC. This has been a punch-line ever since the contracts were signed (even though it only results in a difference of $892K per school - not even a whole million).
Here is the CFP Bowl schedule for 2023-24...
...and here it is for 2024-25:
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Disney/ESPN TV (RX; HM)
Disney/ESPN TV
From CNBC: Disney is open to finding a new strategic partner for ESPN, Iger says [originally published July 13th, 2023]:
While the Mouse isn't thinking of selling ESPN outright,
The reason for this is clear: Disney knows how to make money from cable TV, but their streaming services have yet to turn a profit. Now, it looks like it's time to make the transition.
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2023 Week 1 Gameday (RX; HM)
2023 Week 1 Gameday
From the official ACC release of Monday, July 24, 2023...
College GameDay to Broadcast from Charlotte for North Carolina-South Carolina Week 1 Game
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – ESPN announced Monday that College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will broadcast live from Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sept. 2 for the Week 1 game between North Carolina and South Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium.
The show will originate from Romare Bearden Park in Uptown Charlotte, just down the street from Bank of America Stadium, where the Tar Heels face off with the Gamecocks at 7:30 p.m., in a matchup on ABC’s Saturday Night Football.
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Other
An aerial view shows the 47-acre Syracuse Developmental Center property in this 2010 file photo. Dick Blume | The Post-Standard
Syracuse councilors approve 500-unit housing complex near zoo (PS; Boyer)
A project to demolish the sprawling former Syracuse Developmental Center and replace it with 500 units of housing can move forward following votes by the Syracuse Common Council.
Councilors unanimously approved a pair of resolutions related to the proposal from Long Island-based Albanese Organization Inc. to build a multi-building housing complex that would include 440 apartments and 60 to 85 townhouse units at the South Wilbur Avenue property where the SDC once operated. Retail space is also part of the plan for the hillside site not far from the Rosamond Gifford Zoo
The city secured $29 million through Gov. Kathy Hochul to cover the cost of demolishing the 600,000 square feet of existing building space and develop infrastructure at the site, which has been vacant since SDC shut down in 1998. Work on the new buildings, which would be constructed in phases, is not expected to start until at least 2025.
Albanese officials have said they plan to offer below-market rates to lower-income tenants for the apartments, which will range from studios to three-bedrooms. Rents would run from about $935 to $1,400 a month.
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Onondaga Lake Parkway bridge in Syracuse, NY
Onondaga Lake Parkway drivers to take less of a hit under state’s revised plan (PS; $; Weiner)
New York officials have decided to keep most of Onondaga Lake Parkway open for two lanes in each direction as part of a revised plan to stop trucks from striking a low railroad bridge.
The state announced last month that it planned to reduce traffic from two to one lane each way on the two-mile parkway that runs along the eastern shore of Onondaga Lake.
Some of the 22,000 daily commuters who use the parkway complained the change would inconvenience law-abiding drivers to prevent a few accidents a year involving trucks that are already banned from the road.
Now the state Department of Transportation plans to reduce traffic to one lane in each direction along only a 1,200-foot stretch on either side of the CSX railroad bridge.
Nick Chouba, the DOT’s chief engineer and assistant commissioner, told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that the change will be a minor inconvenience for drivers, adding only seconds to a commute.
About 77% of Onondaga Lake Parkway will remain a four-lane highway (two lanes in each direction) connecting drivers between Syracuse, north of Destiny USA, and the village of Liverpool.
Drivers would merge into one lane – like a construction zone – only on the approach to the bridge. After passing the bridge zone, drivers would be able to continue using the two-lane parkway in both directions, Chouba said.
As part of the safety change, the state still plans to lower the parkway’s speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph throughout the year. The lower limit was previously imposed only in the winter months.
DOT engineers calculated the one-lane merger near the bridge and lower speed limit will take drivers an extra 9 seconds to navigate during peak commuting hours, Chouba said.
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