sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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- Aug 15, 2011
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Welcome to National #2 Pencil Day!
The #2 pencil—or its equivalent—is one of the most common pencils in the world. Numbers are used to classify grades of pencils in the United States, while both numbers and letters—in what may be called the HB graphite grading scale—are used to classify pencils in the rest of the world. A #2 pencil is towards the middle when it comes to the hardness of lead (graphite) and the darkness of the shade. If a pencil has a number higher than 2—like 2 ½ or 3— it means it has a harder graphite core, a harder point, and a lighter shade. These pencils are often used by engineers or architects. If it has a number lower than 2 it means it has a softer graphite core, a softer point, and a darker shade—there is a lower proportion of clay in the graphite, and more of the graphite is left on the paper. These pencils are often used by artists because they help them make "a wider spectrum of tones."
Outside of the United States, an "H" is used to indicate a hard pencil, while a "B" is used to indicate a pencil with a blacker shade. Towards the middle of the scale is the HB pencil, which is similar to a #2 pencil. An "F" pencil is also near the middle, and this letter indicates that the pencil sharpens to a fine point. The HB graphite grading scale goes from HB to B, 2B, 3B, and so forth in one direction, and from HB to F, H, 2H, 3H, and so forth in the other direction.
SU News
Offensive linemen during Syracuse fall camp on Aug. 8. The Orange opens the season Sept. 2 against Colgate in the JMA Wireless Dome. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com
SU football opens season in 2 weeks. What does the depth chart look like? (projection) (PS; Leiker)
The third week of Syracuse football’s fall camp is almost over, and the Orange’s season opener is just two weeks away.
That means it’s time to project the team’s opening week depth chart.
A few notes:
- Oronde Gadsden II has spent all his time in fall camp working with the slot/inside receivers. Does that mean he’s going to be moved on the depth chart, or have his position switched back to receiver on the roster? No, probably not. But if he were to be, and there was another spot at TE on the two-deep, it’d either go to Dan Villari, who we’ve seen more involved since his green jersey came off, or David Clement.
- We did see cross-training of the offensive lineman, including at least a few snaps Tuesday where Chris Bleich was at center (though not with Garrett Shrader). That makes shaking out the second-stringers a bit tedious. Dino Babers said the plan once again is to establish the five-to-seven top linemen and hope those guys stay healthy all season.
- Also on the O-line: It seemed at the start of camp there was very much a delineation between Josh Ilaoa and J’Onre Reed as first- and second-string centers, but this week they’ve really been rotating reps with Shrader. Reed seems to be making a strong push for the starting job.
- Stefon Thompson is still in his green jersey, and while he said he expects to be ready to go Week 1, that seems up in the air still. As such, he’s held off this projection, though it would not be a surprise for him to be listed somewhere with an “or” next to one of his peers.
- Lastly, a logistical note: If a first-string player is listed with an “or,” there’s usually no one listed as second string. But if a second-string spot has an “or,” we’ve listed three players at the position.
Scouting the ACC: Syracuse (roanoke.com; Berman)
COACH: Dino Babers (73-64 in 11 seasons, including 36-48 in seven years at Syracuse)
2022 RECORD: 7-6, 4-4
2022 BOWL: lost to Minnesota 28-20 in Pinstripe Bowl
RETURNING STARTERS: 6 on offense, 7 on defense
KEY PLAYERS: QB Garrett Shrader, TE Oronde Gadsden, LB Marlowe Wax
KEY LOSSES: RB Sean Tucker, OT Matthew Bergeron, LB Mikel Jones, CB Garrett Williams
QB GARRETT SHRADER ON NEW OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR JASON BECK: "Every year of my college career I've had a different OC. This will be the first time with the same offense. Coach Beck I had as my quarterbacks coach [last year], so we think the same. So I'm used to the way he wants me to read things. We learned throughout the year because it was a new offense. But now we have a whole year of that [under our belt] and going into this year I'm excited because we have all the pieces we need and he's a creative mind. It's very backyard football, but at the same time it's very calculated. A lot of trick plays we did last year, we can build on that."
LB MARLOWE WAX ON NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ROCKY LONG: "He's a guru. He really knows football through and through. He's seen it change, he's seen it speed up. He knows his [3-3-5] defense through and through; he was around when it first came. It's great [that the team kept the 3-3-5]. I love the defense because a lot of teams don't go against it week in and week out. It's great for what we have, putting more speed on the field and more guys that can move around."
SHRADER ON WHETHER THE RUNNING GAME WILL BE AS GOOD WITHOUT SEAN TUCKER: "We will be a more effective run team this year just because of the way we're doing things, the way we're going to get into sets. LeQuint Allen is a very good running back, Juwaun Price behind him. The skill sets are different, but they are just as competent. Expect big things out of LeQuint this year."
Keeping Up With The 315 8-16-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian Higgins opens the show by discussing LeQuint Allen’s return to camp and some of his first public comments. Then, he gets into some other Athletics news and notes from around the hill. Finally, Tim Leonard goes on an analytical deep-dive on why Garrett Shrader and a couple other players could be in for a solid year at SU this season.
https://www.tigerrag.com/dreams-com...ng-had-his-eye-on-playing-for-lsu-in-the-sec/ (tigerrag.com; Weathers)
Growing up in the northeast portion of the country Duce Chestnut seemed to have a healthy appetite for LSU football. He credits the All-American careers of Patrick Peterson and Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu for the introduction to “DBU” and his boyhood love of the Tigers.
“I always told everybody I was trying to go to LSU,” Chestnut said. “It didn’t work out coming out of high school, but God’s plan is different than what you might want it to be. Just growing up and wanting to be part of DBU. That’s always been a thing for me.”
Chestnut parlayed a four-star career at Camden High School in New Jersey into a scholarship and starting position for two years at Syracuse. He twice earned All-ACC honors and was named a Freshman All-American in 2021.
Despite 24 starts at a Power 5 Conference school, and receiving postseason honors, something was missing and Chestnut decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal.
One of the first schools to call? LSU
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Opining on college sports’ existential crisis, NFL QB rankings, Syracuse football prospects | Rochester Business Journal (rbj.net; Pitoniak)
Bear with me, class, as we work through the dizzying math and confusing geography that is modern-day, big-time college sports.
Thanks to the conference chaos that has taken place recently, the Pac-12 will become the Pac-Zero after this year, as UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington bolt for the Big 10 (which soon will have 18 schools). The Big 12 Conference (which used to be the Big 8) is about to lose Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC (Southeastern Conference), but will add Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah (from the Pac-12), meaning the Big 12 will become the Big 14, if my subtraction and addition are correct.
And with the end of the Pac 12, we’ll be down to four power conferences in major college athletics, though that number could be reduced to three in the not-so-distant future should Florida State, Clemson, Miami, and North Carolina defect from the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) to join the SEC or the Big Ten. In order to prevent such poaching, some ACC pooh-bahs broached the idea of adding Stanford and the University of California to the mix, but the idea went over like a lead Goodyear Blimp. Just as well, because it would have created a geographic misnomer, with a conference named for the Atlantic Coast boasting two schools from the Pacific Coast.
After trying to keep up with all this insanity, you can be excused if you feel as if your head is spinning more rapidly than Linda Blair’s satanic possessed character in the Exorcist.
Where it stops is anyone’s guess, though I believe the end game will be one super-duper conference with perhaps 40 or 50 schools, and the rest on the outside looking in. These latest tectonic shifts continue to be guided by the avaricious powerhouse football programs, and by the fear of being left out and missing out on billions of dollars.
I long for days of yore when college conferences made sense; when geography was a huge part of the appeal and contributed to fierce regional rivalries that stoked interest. Alas, that bygone era isn’t coming back any time soon, if ever. Avarice and fear are powerful motivators.
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(youtube.com; podcast; Orange Zone)
It's the dog days of summer, which means up on the SU Hill, the dog days of training camp are growing fewer and fewer and number. On the latest episode of "The Orange Zone Podcast," Tommy Sladek and Samantha Croston update the scene around Orange camp. LeQuint Allen makes his return to the practice field for the Cuse offense (04:13-09:27) and defensively a new face has arrived to bolster the secondary (09:27-13:30). Meanwhile Producer Brendon is looking to bounce back after a rare defeat. His weekly trivia focuses on some of the many preseason awards SU players are being considered for (18:17-25:54).
Babers and Syracuse had holes to fill on the roster and staff to get ready for season (wrvo.org; AP)
Syracuse is carrying plenty of momentum into the 2023 season. Some of it, unfortunately, is heading in the wrong direction for head coach Dino Babers.
Entering his eighth season, Babers has been challenged to fill several key holes on both his roster and staff following a year in which the Orange turned an encouraging and unexpected 6-0 start into a 7-6 finish, ending with a loss to Minnesota in the Pinstripe Bowl.
While the bowl berth and winning record were the Atlantic Coast Conference program's first since 2018, and the Orange climbed as high as No. 14 in the rankings, their second-half flop is what stands out, with injuries and a stiffer schedule playing contributing factors.
The ups then downs led to athletic director John Wildhack having to answer what's become a familiar offseason question regarding the long-term status of Babers, who is believed to be signed through 2024.
"If we have success in 2023 and beyond, I hope coach Babers is here for a long time," Wildhack said. "He wants to be here. We want him to be here."
Quarterback Garrett Shrader confidently dismissed questions by saying: "This team is more than capable. ... We have talent across the board."
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With Babers on hot seat, who are SU football’s 5 most indispensable players? (podcast) (PS; podcast; Axe)
Most reasonable football minds can agree Syracuse football coach Dino Babers, at minimum, needs to get SU back to a bowl game this season in order to not sweat his job status for 2024.
On the latest episode of “Syracuse Sports,” syracuse.com football beat reporter Emily Leiker joins the show to answer the key questions surrounding Babers this season.
In order for Syracuse to have a winning season, it will need a few key players to stay healthy. Emily and I rank our five most indispensable players on the roster.
You’ll also hear my theory on how SU AD John Wildhack will approach Babers’ job status this fall and in the future, no matter what happens on the field.
As always, we want to hear from you! If you have an idea for the show or a burning question you want answered, you can write me at baxe@syracuse.com and find me on Twitter/X @brentaxemedia or Threads @brent_axe.
What Does a Dream Season Look Like for Syracuse? (orangefizz.net; Gotkin)
After last season’s historic 6-0 start, everything fell apart for Dino Babers. The Orange lost six of their final seven games and had a chance to be the third FBS team ever to lose their first six after starting 6-0. There were many reasons why things got so bad and it can be hard to not focus on it, but you can’t forget about the start.
So let’s focus on all of the positives. What if everything goes right for the Orange this year? What does that look like and what has to happen?
Garrett Shrader Takes a Massive Leap Forward
It all starts with the QB1 because that’s just how football works. Each of the top four teams in the ACC preseason poll have top-caliber quarterbacks. If Syracuse goes on a run, Garrett Shrader has to look like one of the best QBs in the country. Shrader would have to finish with at least three thousand passing yards, 20 touchdowns and less than five interceptions. On top of that, he’d need at least 600 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Those numbers may seem crazy but that’s the progression that Shrader would need to show.
Rush Defense Has to be a Lot Better
Last year, the rush defense was one of the biggest reasons for Syracuse’s struggles. The Orange had the 68th-ranked rush defense in the country. A rank that is inflated by the good bowl game where SU gave up less than 100 yards on the ground. The Orange have to have a top 40 rush defense in the country to have a chance at long-term success.
On top of all of this, Syracuse needs to be just as good if not better in every other part of the game. The special teams need to show up. The pass defense needs to be good and Lequint Allen has to show he has what it takes to be a legit RB in the ACC.
If all of this happens, and Syracuse wins the games they should and pulls off a few upsets, then the ceiling can be really high. There’s a chance the Orange could finish near nine or ten wins. But all of this needs to go their way.
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Syracuse football: ACC Road Trip Recap (TNIAAM; Ostrowski)
Syracuse Orange football is less than three weeks from returning, which means Dino Babers and his players are hard at work preparing in fall camp. The ACC Network recently visited ‘Cuse practice and spoke with Babers and others about the upcoming season - so we’re reviewing the main points that were discussed:
Continuity is Key
First on the show was an interview with Dino, but if you were only listening to what was said, you might have confused him with Pittsburgh Steelers’ coach Mike Tomlin.
Babers pulled out Tomlin’s signature “The Standard is The Standard” phrase when talking about how SU can avoid another late season collapse. Dino acknowledged that his players know “some of it was out of their control” in 2022, but that regardless of injuries, they are now better prepared to step up when their number is called.
The Orange return 73% of their offensive production and 72% of defensive production.
It relates to a saying that new defensive coordinator Rocky Long loves to use: “Be Consistently Good, Not Occasionally Great.” In other words, make the easy plays, and chances are you won’t have to worry about attempting Herculean efforts that often.
Shades of Shrader
Garrett Shrader was the next guest, and while his current recovery wasn’t discussed much, he did provide some insight as to how he’ll operate this season.Shrader wore double gloves for part of last season while he had stiches in his throwing hand - but he said he’s “not a fan” of doing that regularly, so expect him to go back to one bare hand for senior year.
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DT w/ Syracuse QB Garrett Shrader on Growth, Offense Moving Forward (youtube; podcast; WakeUpCallDT)
“Peeling Back the Orange” - DT w/ QB Garrett Shrader on where he’s grown on & off the field, having continuity w/ Jason Beck going from QBs Coach to OC/QBs as the leader of the offense offers good nuggets for 2023 season…
Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader building arm strength but says he’s ‘throwing as well as I ever have’ (PS; Carlson)
Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader said his throwing arm isn’t as strong as it would normally be following offseason surgery on his elbow, but he doesn’t believe it will hinder him once the season starts.
Shrader said on Tuesday that his arm is weaker because of the rehabilitation period that followed the surgery, but he believes the lack of strength reveals itself in a lack of stamina rather than limiting his velocity or ability to throw for distance.
“For the most part I’ve got (my zip back) already,” Shrader said. “I’ve thrown balls as well as I ever have. It’s just a matter of fatigue. That’s the issue.”
The quarterback said he’s confident that he’ll be able to perform as his usual level when the Orange opens its season in less than three weeks against Colgate on Sept. 2.
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Syracuse Orange: Why Otto the Orange matters to me and to the ‘Cuse (itlh; Fiello)
First off, I’m starting this post by saying congratulations to Otto the Orange and all of those who’ve assisted in Otto duties over the years for the Syracuse Orange. Otto joined the Mascot Hall of Fame in Whiting, Indiana, this past weekend.
This alone is worthy of a blog post but I wanted to do more than that just because for years, Otto has been a symbol of joy and pride for many Syracuse Orange fans including myself. Otto is not just a mascot but a part of my life that I cherish and even at 50 I still get excited to see.
You see Otto often on the field/court and kids flock to him. You see Otto dancing and joy fills your heart. You send Otto to just about every sporting event Otto can manage. Otto even occasionally attends special events, including my wedding thanks to some amazing Twitter friends/family.
Otto has often taken part in viral video campaigns and is featured many times by some in the media. And I think many Syracuse Orange fans will remember Otto has also appeared in numerous ESPN “This Is SportsCenter” ads, including this latest one.
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/football/syracuse-training-camp-notebook-8-16-23 (SI; Della Penna)
Syracuse football continued training camp on Wednesday with the first portion of practice open to the media. Here are none observations from that time period.
1. Carlos Del Rio-Wilson looked very smooth in his progressions and had confidence throwing in tight windows. Throughout practice he was taking what the defense gave him, which is a great sign for the redshirt sophomore.
2. Garrett Shrader force feeding Oronde Gadsden in the intermediate patterns. Also looked good on deep balls, hitting receivers in stride.
3. Oronde was not kidding in his ACC Network Road Trip interview when he said he was going to be used in different ways. He was in motion on a run play off tackle. Then went into motion to set up a screen pass that picked up a good chunk of yards. Coach Beck is just scratching the surface with creative ways to use him.
4. Damien Alford impressed the most of the out wide receivers. His route running looked extremely crisp. Even when he was not the target, his route running allowed for other playmakers on his side to get open.
5. After back to back three and outs, Garrett Shrader showed poise in the pocket and converted multiple third downs on the next drive.
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Leoyne D1 Debut, Jaro Zawislan, Eric Crume Syracuse & NFL (youtube; podcast; WakeUpCall DT)
Wake Up Call with Dan Tortora brings you an ALL-NEW "AD & DT" to celebrate the Dolphins D1 Debut as Le Moyne College enters officially into D1 on the pitch w/ Women's Soccer. Le Moyne Dolphins AD Bob Beretta & DT touch on many topics, followed by "The Road to D1" Series featuring LeMoyne Women's Soccer Head Coach Jaro Zawislan & then Eric Crume, Syracuse Orange & NFL DL alum, joins DT to speak on the seasons for 'Cuse & the overall NFL..
ACC News
Florida State can whine about leaving the ACC, but there's no place to go and no way to get there (thesportingnews.com; DeCourcy)
Maybe the idea is for Florida State to make everyone else in the ACC so miserable they all get together and ask the Seminoles to leave – and take that flaming spear with them. It’s sort of like “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”, only no one involved is quite as attractive as Matthew McConaughey.
FSU president Richard McCullough: "We, of course, are not satisfied with our current situation."
FSU board chair Peter Collins: “When I say we have a handle on the grant of rights … We have gotten a lot of counsel on that document. That will not be the document that keeps us from taking action.”
FSU trustee Drew Weatherford: “It’s not a matter of ‘if we leave’, in my opinion. It’s a matter of when and how we leave.”
Seriously, would you want any of these people at your next barbecue?
Tuesday was the deadline by which Florida State needed to inform the ACC of an intention to leave if it planned to escape before the 2024-25 academic year. Nothing happened. Of course nothing happened. Florida State has chosen to follow the course of action that’s become too common in other ventures lately, which is to constantly rant about how unfair everyone is being, promise corrective action and then do nothing, because that’s the only course that’s available.
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Boston College hopes healthy offensive line can restore running game that fizzled last season (apnews.com; Golen)
Winning just three games qualifies as a disappointment at Boston College.
Doing it while unable to run the ball is an affront for a program that likes to think of itself as “O-Line U.”
The school that has sent a steady stream of guards and tackles to the NFL — along with several of the backs they blocked for — ran for its fewest yards since at least 1955 last season. The Eagles failed to produce a single 100-yard rushing game for the first time since 1990.
“At BC you have to run the ball, and we’re going to run the ball. The key to our team, the strength of our team needs to be the O-line, and it will be the O-line,” coach Jeff Hafley said.
“That’s how it has to be here, and that’s what excites me the most about this team is the offensive line,” he said. “Now, we have to go prove it.”
BC (3-9, 2-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) took a step back in 2022 after winning six games in each of Hafley’s first two seasons. And the troubles on the offensive line were a big part of the problem.
Injuries doomed a unit that came into the season with a collective experience of just four starts. In all, the offensive linemen missed a total of 33 games, 55% of all possible starts.
The shuffling gave several backups opportunities to play. And now they’re back, with game experience: As the Eagles prepare for their Sept. 2 opener against Northern Illinois, they already have 124 starts on the offensive line.
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ACC Network analysts shine praise on Pitt football program during visit (P-G; Hiles)
Few people can say they’ve watched more ACC football in the past decade than Wes Durham. Durham’s voice has been heard during hundreds of gridiron broadcasts, serving as one of the league’s primary announcers.
Durham’s familiarity has allowed him to make his own observations year in and year out about the teams he covers. And during the ACC Network’s visit to Pitt’s practice Wednesday, Durham shared an observation with reporters that perhaps echoes a feeling some Panthers fans have been voicing for years.
“Here we are — it’s August and nobody is talking about Pitt again,” Durham said with a smile. “It’s almost like an annual rite — two-a-days and nobody talks about Pitt.”
Contrary to his analysis, Durham and his colleagues had much to say about Pitt’s program, claiming the Panthers have gone from conference newcomer to routine title threat under Pat Narduzzi. Both Durham and his broadcast partner, Mark Richt — who is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame’s 2023 class thanks to his coaching efforts at Georgia and Miami — believe Pitt’s sustained ability to compete within the league is a credit to the program’s established culture.
“The guys here, you can tell, trust the staff,” Richt said. “When you have a history of success at a certain position group, first of all, that attracts guys in the recruiting process, but then, when they start to see the standard of what it takes from their teammate, when they see the work, they know what they have to do. When you set a certain standard that the players understand and they’re the ones pushing, instead of the coaches, that’s when you have a special program, and that’s what is happening here at Pitt.”
For some regional and national outlets, the focus on Pitt’s 2023 team is on the talent it's forced to replace. While networks and publications have highlighted player success stories like Kenny Pickett, Calijah Kancey, Israel Abanikanda and others, it’s typically followed by the question of how that high-end production will be regenerated. Durham, however, has no such worries.
“That’s a big part of who this program is,” Durham said. “Their player development is second to none.”
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State of ACC and realignment: What's next for Florida State and the conference? (ESPN; Adelson)
ACC PRESIDENTS HAD a meeting scheduled last Wednesday that had the potential to affect the future of the league. As the hours ticked closer to the call, nobody had a clear idea of what would happen, only that expansion was on the table.
One administrator thought the discussion about adding Cal and Stanford had gone on long enough, and the presidents had to vote. But the administrator admitted to having no idea whether a vote would actually happen.
What was certain was there were votes in favor of expansion (Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Louisville, Miami, Georgia Tech) and votes opposed (Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina) and swing votes in between. Another administrator thought enough of the 15 voting presidents would swing to yes and get the required 12 to approve expansion.
Once the call started, it became clear that would not be the case. No official vote was taken. In straw polling, the fourth school opposed was NC State, according to multiple sources.
An Aug. 15 deadline to depart the ACC for the 2024 season has come and gone. Expansion discussions are now "on life support." After two weeks filled with near-constant drama, including Florida State president Richard McCullough saying the Seminoles would "very seriously consider" leaving the ACC, the league prepares to start a new football season. Interviews with several ACC administrators and sources with a deep understanding of the conference's issues revealed the inner workings of what happened (or did not happen) this month, and what comes next.
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https://www.si.com/college/georgiat...o-exit-the-conference-for-2024-comes-and-goes (SI; Caudell)
For the first half of August, conference realignment has dominated the talk surrounding college football. Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah have left what was once the Pac-12 and joined the Big 12 (or in Colorado's case rejoined), and Oregon and Washington made the seismic move to depart for the Big Ten. In the last week, there were rumblings of the ACC looking at the prospect of adding Cal and Stanford, but four schools reportedly opposed the move and for now, it appears that ACC expansion is unlikely, but not completely dead.
For the schools inside the ACC, yesterday was a big date because it was the last day for an ACC school to announce that they were leaving for another conference for the 2024 season. For now, that means that there are at least two more seasons of having the ACC in its current form, but anything beyond that is uncertain.
It has been known that Florida State has been the most vocal school in terms of wanting out of the ACC. The Board of Trustees held a meeting and said as much. Florida State President Richard McCullough made it seem like Florida State is looking for a way out of the ACC:
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Nebraska Football can breathe easy as ACC expansion plans fall away (huskercorner.com; Vandervoort)
Nebraska football fans can now find breathe easy as the window for a team to exit the ACC before the 2024-2025 season has closed.
The talk of the summer has been what the college football landscape will look like in 2024 and beyond. The good news is, at least some of the continental drift going on over the last few months has finally settled down.
Nebraska football will have some new conference rivals in 2024, but barring something truly bizarre, none of those conference rivals will come from the ACC. An important deadline for the Atlantic Coast Conference has come and gone with no departures, despite strong rumors a few weeks back.
There was quite a bit of talk that Florida State and Clemson might look towards greener pastures much the same way Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Arizona State, Washington and Oregon did in July. However, the ACC’s Grant of Rights (the rights to broadcasts member teams games) is pretty ironclad.
A major part of the ACC Grant of Rights is that teams must have alerted the conference of intent to departure by August 15 if they wanted to be out by 2024. That deadline came and went with no movement.
Nebraska football and the rest of the Big Ten were far from the only people watching closely. The SEC was at least willing to listen to the Tigers and Seminoles if they wanted to come calling. The Miami Hurricanes were also rumored to be interested in joining in-state rival Florida in the same conference.
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I'll Tell Them There Is No Hurry... (RX; HM)
I'll Tell Them There Is No Hurry...
In a story written by CS Lewis (I think it was "The Screwtape Letters"), three demons being trained by the Devil were quizzed on how to capture humans. The first said “tell them 'there is no God',” but the Devil said “No, that won’t work - people know better.” The second one said “tell them there is no Hell,” but again the Devil said “that won’t work - they know better.” The last demon said “tell them there is no hurry.” "Ah, that's it!" the Devil said...
In 2021, ACC officials said: "Cincinnati is there waiting."
In 2022 Cincinnati accepted an invitation to join the Big XII, complete with huge exit fee and a Grant of Rights.
Now it's 2023, and this is what people are saying: "there is no rush on SMU, because as multiple administrators have said, it can be added at any time."
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Links, News and Rumors 2023 Aug 16 (RX; HM)
Links, News and Rumors 2023 Aug 16
From AP: Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman heads list of transfers who could make impact this season
[Besides QB Sam Hartman, who transferred from Wake Forest, here are] some other transfers to watch, with their former schools mentioned in parentheses...
FLORIDA STATE CB FENTRELL CYPRESS II (Virginia)
KENTUCKY QB DEVIN LEARY (North Carolina State)
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From CBS Sports: top transfers leaping from FCS to FBS in 2023 season
Alijah Huzzie, CB, North Carolina
Transfer from: ETSU
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From BCInterruption: What’s the Realignment End Game for Boston College and the ACC?
Don't read this if you're easily depressed.
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Rx for better play-calling (RX; HM)
Rx for better play-calling
Football season is almost here - time for you armchair coaches (like me) to update your playbooks!
Here's a compilation of older posts full of prescriptions for actually winning football games (please forward this to your head football coach or any assistant who needs it!)
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Learning from other's mistakes
- Don't "Ice" the Kicker
- Forget "Coming Away with Something"
- When NOT to go for it on 4th down
- When to use Prevent Defense
- Clock Management
- Rx: Clemson Offense
- Running the ball with a quick snap is a lot like passing
- Don't be afraid to hurry up against any defense.
Rx: Clemson Defense
- When the opponent is facing long yardage, play zone.
Rx: Is the Spread Offense always best?
- When to use the Spread, and when not to.
Yormark: Zags, UConn talks 'didn't work out' (ESPN; Medcalf)
The Big 12 will not add Gonzaga and UConn, two basketball powerhouses, after initial conversations about the potential moves, commissioner Brett Yormark said Wednesday.
Yormark joined John Ourand and Andrew Marchand on the "Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast" to discuss the conference's evolution after the Big 12 recently added former Pac-12 schools Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado. Last year, the Big 12 announced the additions of Houston, Cincinnati, UCF and BYU.
The commissioner said talks about possibly adding Gonzaga, a West Coast Conference powerhouse, and UConn, the reigning national champion in men's basketball and the most dominant force in women's basketball over the past 20 years, have ended due to those recent expansion moves.
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https://www.si.com/fannation/colleg...nment-stanford-smu-acc-george-bush-condi-rice (SI; Parks)
Two schools hoping to get in on the college football conference realignment gravy train have some friends in very high places who are lobbying the ACC to accept them, as Condoleezza Rice and former President George W. Bush are putting in a good word for Stanford and SMU, respectively, with decision makers inside the conference, per Yahoo Sports.
That news comes after the ACC appeared to decide against adding any other schools to its membership for the time being as members elected to not pursue either Stanford or Cal and it is believed the conference has decided to not strongly consider SMU.
Rice, a former U.S. National Security Advisor and Secretary of State in the Bush administration, is a professor at Stanford and serves as director of the Hoover Institution, a think tank based at the school. She is also known as a huge football fan, particularly of the Cleveland Browns, and served on the first three College Football Playoff selection committees.
Bush has deep connections to Dallas, where SMU is located, and his wife, former First Lady Laura Bush, attended the university, which is also the site of the George W. Bush Presidential Library.
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Brown: U of L, UK aren’t safe as conference realignment continues to change college sports (C-J; Brown)
The safety of the Southeastern Conference for Kentucky may as well be the uncertainty of the Atlantic Coast Conference for Louisville when it comes to the future of college football.
UK has enjoyed the stable shelter of the SEC over the past decade, as conferences have realigned and tortured some tradition in college football. But that safety could be at risk as soon as the current broadcast contracts run their course for both the SEC and the Big Ten, the two most powerful leagues in college athletics.
The reality is only the big brands — the ones that have perennially chased national championships over the past few decades — can really feel secure in what the future holds for college football.
It’s only a matter of time before the Darwinism of the elite programs chasing more and more revenue are directed by their television and broadcast gods to create one ultimate college league.
Why does, for instance, an Ohio State need to waste its time with Northwestern on the schedule when it could be matched up week after week with high-profile programs like USC or LSU or Texas?
Last season, four teams (Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan and Tennessee) averaged more than 4 million viewers per game, which is considered a premium benchmark for broadcast partners.
UK, no doubt benefited from its scheduling, had three games surpass the mark: Georgia (4.48 million), Florida (4.3 million) and Tennessee (4 million).
U of L’s biggest audience came against Florida State, a game that drew 2.75 million viewers. But with half of the Cards’ regular season games on the ACC Network, they didn’t often have the platform for bigger audiences.
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Why Florida State could leave ACC in 2025, Johnny Manziel doc & not another College Football Playoff format change (yahoo.com; podcast; Wetzel & Dellenger)
Florida State has been noticeably outspoken this college football offseason about their happiness (or lack thereof) with the state of the ACC, the conference in which they play. After a summer of seismic shifts to the college football landscape, most notably with the Pac-12 seemingly disintegrating before our eyes, attention has shifted to FSU to see if they'd be the next major university to seek greener pastures, presumably in the Big Ten or SEC.
Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger & SI's Pat Forde kick off today's podcast on this very subject. With the August 15th deadline to announce an intention to leave for the 2024 season now in the rear view mirror, will FSU make an announcement before next August with their hearts set on a 2025 exit? Is the Big Ten or SEC the most logical suitor, or would FSU go independent for a few years to see how the dust settles before making a new commitment.
In more conference realignment news, Ross provides an update on where the College Football Playoff might take their format now that the Pac-12 will likely no longer be considered a Power Five conference. Could the upcoming format shift to six conference winners plus 6 at-large bids be scrapped in favor of a 'five plus seven' arrangement, or will the CFP opt to just take the 12 highest ranked teams? Ross explains the internal politics of where both options stand right now.
In the world of entertainment, the guys react to the latest Netflix documentary, Untold: Johnny Football, about former Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel & chat about the new drama regarding former Ole Miss tackle Michael Oher, whose story was famously adapted into the Sandra Bullock film, The Blindside.
Closing out the podcast, the crew chats about Peyton Manning's latest gig, school-branded alcohol, Eggo-flavored liqueur & an update from the Goodyear Blimp.
Does FSU Really Generate Enough Money To Leave the ACC? | ACC Football | ACC (youtube.com; podcat; 365 Sports)
David Smoak, Paul Catalina, and Craig Smoak discuss their thoughts on if FSU really generates the millions of revenue they say they can, will the Seminoles leave the conference, and more.
MAJOR College Football Rumors: Big 12, Big Ten, SEC & ACC DONE With Expansion? + PAC-4 - AAC Merger? (youtube.com; podcast; Chat Sports)
College Football Rumors continue to emerge on NCAA Conference Realignment as according to recent reports, the Power-4 Conferences of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC are done with expansion for now. While expansion talks will certainly resume in 2024, there’s no new movement expected in those leagues during football season. However, the PAC-4 and AAC Conference are reportedly discussing a potential merger as Oliver Luck has been hired to help navigate the waters for the PAC-4 of Cal, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State. Will the PAC brand survive despite a mass exodus over the past 12 months? Chat Sports host Harrison Graham brings you today’s College Football news & rumors.
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Pascarella Development is transforming the former Will & Baumer candle factory in Salina into apartments and a microbrewery. This is a look at the factory's administrative building, which has been renamed "the mansion" and will house 20 apartments. (Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com)
Candle factory apartments in Salina get a $2 million boost from NY state (PS; $; Moriarty)
The transformation of the long-vacant Will & Baumer candle factory in Salina into a mix of apartments, a microbrewery and other businesses just got a $2 million injection from the state.
The state has notified the town that it has approved Salina’s application for a $2 million grant under New York’s Restore New York Communities Initiative, which provides municipalities with financial assistance for the revitalization of commercial and residential properties and the redevelopment of blighted structures.
Town Supervisor Nick Paro said the grant will help make the former candle factory an attractive gateway to the town and serve as an anchor to its Old Liverpool Road commercial district.
“It’s a great project,” he said. “I think it could spur more development in the town.”
Will & Baumer Inc. closed the factory in 2009 and moved its operations to Lewisburg, Tennessee, ending 153 years of church-candle making in Salina.
Its factory at 100 Buckley Road, near Old Liverpool Road, was built in the early 1900s. Following its closing, the site sat mostly vacant and decaying until Pascarella Development bought the nearly 12-acre property in 2021 for $1 million.
The family-owned company, which owns hundreds of apartments in the Syracuse area, quickly began work to redevelop the factory for residential and commercial use.
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After 5 years, proposal for apartments and restaurants on busy corner in DeWitt is back (PS; Doran)
Five years ago, a local developer proposed constructing apartments and commercial space on the busy corner of Jamesville and Woodchuck Hill roads in DeWitt, near Interstate 481.
The wooded lot was cleared, but construction never took place.
Developer Mike Goodfellow said that’s because Covid hit, and two commercial tenants who had expressed interest changed their minds. Goodfellow and his team went back to the drawing board.
Today, Cornerstone Crossing has been revised to include more apartments. The original plan called for 18 to 20 and then was changed to more than 70. Now Goodfellow said he’s looking at 82 to 91 one and two-bedroom apartments on the upper floors of the 146,000-square-foot building.
The $35 million project calls for market-rate apartments, which he said will be aimed at empty nesters and baby boomers. The four-story, U-shaped building will have about 16,500 square feet of space on the first floor for commercial tenants, Goodfellow said. He said he’s thinking a small wine bar and small cafe, along with possibly a drugstore or other commercial tenant.
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