Orangeyes Daily Articles for Tuesday for Football

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Welcome to National Bologna Day!

National Bologna Day is dedicated to bologna, a smoked and seasoned sausage popular in sandwiches. Although it sometimes is informally spelled as baloney, it takes its name from Bologna, Italy, a city where mortadella, a pork sausage, originated. The bologna sausage derives from mortadella, and is usually made with pork or beef, but can also be made with meats such as chicken, turkey, venison, or with a combination of them, or with soy protein. Seasonings such as black pepper, coriander, celery seed, nutmeg, and allspice are added. Myrtle berries, which are an important flavoring in mortadella, are also used. In the United States, the sausage is finely ground so that fat pieces are not visible.

SU News

ACC Bowl Watch: Wild weekend shakes up Orange Bowl race, leaves Syracuse as only team without league win (PS; Carlson)

A stunning upset by Virginia and a strong show of resiliency by Miami tightened the race for the ACC’s Orange Bowl spot this week and left the Syracuse football team as the only team in the ACC without a conference win.

Florida State beat Duke to remain the favorite to win the conference championship. If the Seminoles navigate the season unbeaten and advance to the College Football Playoff, they would leave behind a fascinating battle for the league’s Orange Bowl bid.

If the ACC champion isn’t available to the Orange Bowl, the bid goes to the ACC team with the highest College Football Playoff Committee ranking.

North Carolina remains the highest-ranked team in both the AP and Coaches Poll, but both Louisville and Duke are ranked within five spots. The first CFP ranking is due out on Halloween.

Duke is seeking its first Orange Bowl bid since 1958. Louisville last played in 2007. The Tar Heels advanced to the Orange Bowl in 2021.

Wins by Virginia (over North Carolina) and Miami (over Clemson) on Saturday gave those teams their first ACC wins. That leaves the Orange alone in last place in the ACC.

Despite that, ESPN’s Football Power Index ranking still gives the Orange a 95.6 percent chance of reaching a bowl game. The metric, which ranked SU’s remaining schedule as the easiest in the Power-Five last week, now gives the Orange the second-easiest remaining schedule. Only Illinois’ closing stretch is ranked as easier.

The metric ranks Syracuse as better than its five remaining opponents. Another ESPN metric (SP+) ranks the Orange behind only Pittsburgh.

Here’s a look at how the ACC bowl picture could shake out.

CFP Tier​

Sugar Bowl vs. CFP ranked in New Orleans: Florida State. The Seminoles were tested by Duke last week but remain unbeaten and on track to advance to the College Football Playoff. They are now the only ACC team that controls its destiny.

Orange Bowl tier​

Orange Bowl vs. CFP ranked in Miami: North Carolina. The Tar Heels fell out of the national title picture by losing to Virginia but they do remain here. With Florida State projected as my ACC champion, I’m using the national rankings as my guide. For the moment, North Carolina appears ahead of Louisville and Duke.

Tier 1​

ReliaQuest Bowl vs. SEC in Tampa: Notre Dame. The ReliaQuest Bowl can pick an ACC team (or Notre Dame) if a Big Ten team makes the Orange Bowl. Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State are all candidates for the Orange Bowl and Notre Dame is among the most desirable teams in the country to bowl executives.

Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. Big Ten in Orlando: Louisville. The ACC has sent a ranked team to Orlando for six consecutive years, including Syracuse in 2018. The Cardinals fit the criteria and would likely draw well thanks to the enthusiasm generated by first-year coach Jeff Brohm.

Holiday Bowl vs. Pac-12 in San Diego: Duke. This game is one of the Pac-12′s marquee bowl games annually. Duke continues to impress and would make an enticing matchup against a league with a number of strong teams.

Gator Bowl vs. SEC in Jacksonville, Florida: Miami. The Hurricanes were on the ropes following a disastrous loss to Georgia Tech and a second defeat to North Carolina. Miami showed they haven’t quit on their coach by knocking off Clemson on Saturday. Amazingly, Miami hasn’t played in this game since 2000.

Pinstripe Bowl vs. Big Ten in New York City: Boston College. The Eagles’ win over Georgia Tech on Saturday pushed them into these projections. With Syracuse out of the mix for this game because of how frequently it has played at Yankee Stadium, Boston College becomes the natural Northern option.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs. SEC in Charlotte: Clemson. The game has featured a team from Virginia or North Carolina in eight straight years. South Carolina is close enough. It would be the first appearance for the Tigers in this game since 2010.

Sun Bowl vs. Pac-12 in El Paso, Texas: Syracuse. The Orange would fit well in either of the next two games but are probably a more logical team to send West than North Carolina State.
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Dino Babers gives injury updates, talks offensive line prior to showdown with Virginia Tech (DO; O'Brien)

Dino Babers was uncharacteristically late to his weekly press conference. He said the reason for his tardiness, and his all-black outfit instead of his typical Hawaiian shirt, was because Syracuse (4-3, 0-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) has a unique practice schedule before facing Virginia Tech (3-4, 2-1 ACC) on Thursday. Babers mentioned he never holds practices on Sundays or Mondays, but traveling to Blacksburg (Virginia) on a Wednesday changed that.

SU’s bye week was desperately needed as it had dropped three straight to Clemson, then-No. 14 North Carolina and No. 4 Florida State. The Orange have scored just three touchdowns since their matchup against the Tigers.

But after the 41-3 to FSU, Babers said the offense would return to how it played in the team’s first four games. He furthered that sentiment today, citing the bye week as an opportunity for players to get away from the team and “eat mom’s cooking.”

“I think the biggest thing is the rest. You’re gonna get a lot of guys that are gonna get rested,” Babers said. “We should see the better side of a lot of guys that haven’t had an opportunity to rest.”

Here are some more observations from Babers’ weekly presser:

Bucking the trend from last year​

Syracuse’s season so far has played out similarly to 2022. Like last year, the Orange jumped out to an undefeated start before a loss to Clemson marked the beginning of a multi-game losing streak. SU is still looking to get out of the loss column, but Babers didn’t like the comparison.

“I think the biggest thing is you can’t compare two teams,” Babers said. “There’s no doubt that we understand what happened last year. And this is an opportunity to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
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Syracuse Orange Football 2023: Syracuse @ Florida State

Axe: There can be 6 endings for SU football. How many will leave you satisfied? (PS; $; Axe)

The Syracuse University football team is hopefully bright eyed and bushy tailed fresh off its bye week and ready for the last five games of the 2023 season, starting Thursday night at Virginia Tech.

The Orange is 4-3 and, according to one ESPN metric, has the easiest remaining schedule among Power-Five teams.

The feeling about Orange football and the discussion surrounding coach Dino Babers’ job status could veer in a number of directions based on how SU finishes.

With ESPN’s Football Power Index ranking still giving Syracuse a 95.9% chance of finishing at least .500 and becoming bowl eligible as our guide, let’s look at the season-closing scenarios.

5-0​

The best-case scenario.

Syracuse cashes in on the easy schedule, stays healthy, revives a stagnant offense and “The Mob” defense mops up Virginia Tech, Boston College, Pitt, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.

SU’s five remaining opponents sport a combined 16-19 record and have nowhere near the star power at quarterback that North Carolina and Florida State, who just beat Syracuse by a combined 81-10 mark, do in Drake Maye and Jordan Travis, respectively.

After the Florida State game, Babers pointed at the schedule as the biggest reason to be optimistic the Orange can turn things around.

“The thing that will improve for the offense is the defenses they are going against,” Babers said. “I’d be very surprised if the offense doesn’t go back to the way it looked previously.”

A 9-3 final mark for Syracuse may not include a win over a team with a winning record, but name me a Syracuse fan that would read the fine print on that.

An undefeated mark down the stretch also would likely earn Babers a contract extension beyond the 2024 season (when it is believed his contract expires).

4-1​

An 8-4 record would also feel pretty darn good for Orange fans and bring a lot of the benefits noted with the 5-0 finish above.

The standout in both scenarios is an atypical strong finish. Syracuse is 13-29 in its final six games under Babers and typically fades down the stretch due to a lack of depth.

A 4-1 finish would give the Orange some momentum into recruiting season and reassure those set to sign on the dotted line Dec. 20 (the start of the early signing period) who their head coach will be for the foreseeable future.

3-2​

A 7-5 final record would mark just the third time a Babers-coached team would finish with seven wins or more in his eight-year tenure at Syracuse.

It also checks the bowl game box and the 15 extra practices that come with it.

I guess it depends on who, when and how the two losses come for SU to suss out the feeling Orange fans would have about the record.

There would still be grumbles for a coaching change among the most vocal fans on social media, but I don’t see SU athletic director John Wildhack doing that in this case.

The question is whether he’d hold off on a contract extension for Babers until after seeing how a bowl game goes.
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Virginia Tech aims to pick up where it left off vs. Syracuse (cbssports.com; video; FLM)

Syracuse must've been happy to have a week off, while Virginia Tech hopes its bye didn't slow the team's positive momentum.


The Hokies aim for their third win in four games Thursday when they welcome the skidding Orange to Blacksburg, Va.


Virginia Tech (3-4, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) has recovered from a three-game slide to defeat Pitt and Wake Forest over its last three outings, with a loss at No. 4 Florida State in between. In their most recent contest, the Hokies handled the Demon Deacons 30-13 as Kyron Drones threw two touchdown passes as part of a career-high 321-yard performance.

Drones also ran for 59 yards and is just 16 yards behind Bhayshul Tuten (360) for the team lead. As a 6-foot-2 signal-caller with speed, Drones was compared to Syracuse's 6-foot-4 Garrett Shrader this week by Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry.

"When he's on, he's one of the better ones in the league," Pry said of Shrader, who has 358 rushing yards and six scores on the season, not to mention 1,371 passing yards and eight TDs. "He's a good, strong athlete. He's got good speed, a lot of confidence. When he's playing his A-game, he's an awful good quarterback."

Shrader has not been at his best, however, during the Orange's three-game losing streak. He has not thrown for more than 200 yards in any of the last three affairs and has been severely limited in the rushing game as Syracuse (4-3, 0-3) has been outscored 112-24 by Clemson, North Carolina and Florida State.

"We played three really good teams, but we have to play well against those types of teams, and we didn't play our best games against them," Syracuse coach Dino Babers said. "So the outcomes were the outcomes."
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Garrett Williams Shines in NFL Debut (orangefizz.net; Aitken)

Garrett Williams, a Syracuse football alum, shined yesterday in his NFL debut. The Cardinals cornerback tallied an interception, along with two solo tackles, in a 20-10 loss to the Seahawks.
Arizona selected Williams with the 72nd pick in the third round of last year’s NFL Draft. At the time, he was rehabbing from a torn ACL that he suffered from in his last year on SU.

Williams did not play a single snap in the preseason and was also inactive for the first six weeks of the season. Before week 7, he was finally healthy enough to play. To the Cardinals’ credit, the team trusted Williams to jump right into the action immediately after he was available.

With the rest of the league getting a head start, the former Orange player was taken aback by the pace of play.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the learning curve but just the speed of the game. It’s a lot different than practice,” Williams said.

At Syracuse, Williams was a three-time All-ACC selection that led the conference in pass breakups twice. Despite the increased speed of the game in the pros, he clearly adjusted quickly and kept up the high-level play.

Williams will have the chance to back up the breakout performance as well. He’s listed as a second string cornerback on the Cardinals’ depth chart, but he could move up. Williams is the only CB on Arizona’s roster that has forced a turnover this season.

Still, Garrett Williams doesn’t have to wait long for his next big challenge. Up next for the Cardinals is a clash with the Ravens next Sunday. Baltimore scored 38 points in a win over Detroit today. The Ravens, led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, also have a team passer rating of over 100, a top-three rating in the league.
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(youtube; video; Pub Sports)

Tune in as Conor (@conormacpicks) and Ian (@Bobano) preview and predict Thursday’s NCAA Football Clash as the Syracuse Orange take on the Virginia Tech Hokies

https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/football/bleav-in-syracuse-podcast-episode-84 (SI; podcast; Bleav)

Bleav in Syracuse podcast episode 84, presented by Bet Online and Purple Banana, is out! We Thursday night's matchup at Virginia Tech including problems the Hokies can cause the Orange, keys to a Syracuse victory, importance of the game, predictions and more. You can subscribe and listen on your favorite podcasting platforms as linked below.

30 Minutes in Orange Nation 10-23-23 (ESPN; radio; Orange Nation)

Steve & Paulie start the show discussing the importance of Thursday night’s game for Syracuse football’s season. Later, Scooter calls in with some points on SU-VT. Later, some recap from a wild weekend of football in college and the pros.

Newhouse after Noon 10-23-23 (ESPN; radio; Newhouse after Noon)

It was Studio Monday for the Newhouse students today. Jacob Charnow & Shane Holcombe started things off discussing Syracuse football. The guys previewed this Thursday’s matchup against Virginia Tech with game expectations and more. Jacob Kaye & Michael Ostrowski took over the second hour where they were joined by MLB Analyst Jeff Passan to talk about the current MLB playoffs. The guys talked about current expectations for teams still in the playoffs among other topics

Keeping Up With The 315 10-23-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)

Brian Higgins begins the show discussing the state of the ACC off the bye week for SU football. Then, lots of callers start to chime in on whether Syracuse’s up-and-down regular seasons are a product of Dino Babers’ coaching or an SU problem overall.

Adam Terry "The 315" 10-23-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)

SU radio analyst and former NFL linemen Adam Terry hops on with Brian Higgins to discuss all the major storylines around the football team ahead of the game on Thursday night at Virginia Tech.

Syracuse football: Orange open as 1.5-point underdogs against Virginia Tech (TNIAAM; Chiappone)

The Syracuse Orange football team will look to fight back and land its first ACC win of the season. With five games left to go, coach Dino Babers and company are hoping to finish strong and have a second straight bowl appearance locked in by season’s end.

The path ahead to rebuilding some momentum and reaching that goal starts Thursday night against the Virginia Tech Hokies in “Enter Sandman” territory. For the fourth game in a row, however Syracuse will enter as the slight underdog. Even with the Hokies having troubles of their own, the betting line opened with the Orange at +1.5 heading down to Blacksburg, per DraftKings .

Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

The good news for Syracuse fans is that the Orange have won four of their last five matchups versus the Hokies, which last included an impressive 41-36 road win in 2021.

Virginia Tech’s early season struggles are also a factor after questionable losses to Rutgers and Marshall, and based on the Orange’s defensive performance in recent weeks, there is potential for Syracuse’s defensive unit to fare better against a Virginia Tech offense which ranks lower than Syracuse.

On the flip side, Syracuse has indeed had scoring struggles of its own — in their last three games, the Orange have averaged eight points per game and scored 10 points combined against Florida State and UNC. Obviously, the bye week will help Syracuse’s offensive unit reset, and so too will playing a Hokies different that is far different compared to the Orange’s ACC slate up to this point.
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First Look: Virginia Tech vs. Syracuse - Virginia Tech Athletics (hokiesports.com)

BLACKSBURG – Returning from its open week, Virginia Tech football prepares to host Syracuse in Lane Stadium/Worsham Field on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The Hokies currently sit at 3-4 and their last matchup was a 30-13 conference win against Wake Forest. Head coach Brent Pry has matched his winning total from his introductory season and aims to reach .500 while moving to 3-1 in the conference.

How to Follow​

TV: The game will be televised on ESPN with Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Dan Mullen (analyst) and Harry Lyles (sideline) on the call.



Radio: The Virginia Tech Sports Network, including its flagship station 105.3 FM "The Bear" in Blacksburg, will carry the contest over the airwaves. Bill Roth will handle play-by-play duties while Mike Burnop provides color commentary and Zach Mackey reports from the sideline.

Streaming: Catch the game online at ESPN.com and in the ESPN mobile app.

Live Audio: Listen to live audio coverage of the matchup at HokieSports.com/Watch or in the HokieSports mobile app.

Live Stats: Monitor the game through live stats on HokieSports.com, including play-by-play updates and full team and individual statistics.

Social Media: Stay connected with the Hokies on Twitter (@HokiesFB), Instagram (@hokiesfb) and Facebook (@VirginiaTechFB).

Two Things to Know​

Thursday Night Magic
Virginia Tech has found plenty of overall success when playing on Thursday night. Tech is 23-12 all-time when playing during the primetime window. In a stretch ranging from 1998 to 2005, the Hokies won 11 straight Thursday night games, a streak that started and ended against Boston College. The program has evenly split the last six matchups scheduled for Thursday night and is 12-7 when playing in Blacksburg. They will look to recapture some of that magic against Syracuse.

Matchup with History
The Orange and Hokies have met 19 times since the first matchup in 1964. Of all their contests, only five have been non-conference matchups, as the two teams both held conference spots in the Big East and ACC starting in 1992. During their time in the Big East, Tech and Syracuse evenly split their 12 meetings, with No. 4 Virginia Tech winning the final matchup in 2003. Since both programs joined the ACC, Tech is still searching for its first win since the transition after coming up short in 2016 and 2021. However, playing the Orange at home has been a boost for the Hokies, who are 6-3 inside of Lane Stadium.
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Syracuse football: what’s college football saying about the Orange after week 9? (TNIAAM; Wall)

Each week, we’ll take a look at what other college football media sites are saying about the Syracuse Orange as they prepare to face the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Syracuse.com

The local writers move Syracuse up one to 8th in their ACC Power Rankings. Syracuse slides in between NC State and Boston College. Virginia Tech is 11th.

ESPN

In this week’s SP+ rankings Syracuse moves up two spots to 48th with the offense 67th while the defense ranks 40th. The Orange are ranked between Pittsburgh and Rutgers. SP+ has Virginia Tech ranked 66th with their offense 86th and defense 39th.

Syracuse drops one spot in the Football Power Index to 37th between Texas Tech and Iowa. FPI predicts the Orange for 7.4 wins now and gives them a 16% chance to win out and a 95.6% chance of making a bowl game. Virginia Tech ranks 64th in this week’s FPI.

CBS Sports

In the CBS Sports power rankings Syracuse is up one to 46th this week between Memphis and Iowa State. Virginia Tech is 78th this week.

The Athletic

The Orange are down one spot to 65th in The Athletic’s Top 133 Power Rankings placing them in between Texas Tech and Cal. Virginia Tech is 74th.

USA Today

This week Syracuse is up four spots to 70th in the Re-Rank which puts them between Auburn and Wake Forest. Virginia Tech is 80th this week.
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What QB JaCobian Morgan's first start means for Jackson State football future (clarionledger.com; Keith)

Jackson State football might have found its quarterback for the rest of the season. JaCobian Morgan, a transfer from Syracuse, put on a show against Mississippi Valley State last week in his first start while leading JSU to a 21-6 victory at Rice-Totten Stadium.

JSU coach T.C. Taylor said the reason the 6-foot-4, 227-pound Morgan had not played much this season was he hurt his hand and needed surgery. Morgan was competing with starter Jason Brown before the injury.

“The surgery kind of set him back,” Taylor said Monday. “Once he got back from that, we started seeing him — how he was developing week in and week out.”

JSU (5-3, 3-2 SWAC) travels to University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-6, 0-4) on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+) at Simmons Bank Field in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Taylor said he was happy Morgan got his first start of the season and moved around well.

Against the Delta Devils, Morgan was 20-of-36 passing for 141 yards with one touchdown. He also led JSU with 75 yards on 10 carries and scored a touchdown.

Morgan had played in two previous games this season. Taylor had used Morgan in a goal-line package inside the opposing team's 5-yard line, most notably against Alabama A&M where he scored two touchdowns in its 45-30 victory in the Gulf Coast Challenge.

“Shoot, what he brings to the game,” Taylor said, “his legs in the quarterback run game really, it helps us out. We just have to get some timing cleaned up as far as his throwing the football with the receivers.”
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Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Syracuse Orange: The Preview and Poll (gobblercountry.com; Schneider)

It’s Thursday night, national broadcast football in Blacksburg. Lots of folks pulling the “woot-woot” horn out are all excited about the big show. Funny, we’ve had two night starts this season, and the Thursday shindig really doesn’t feel all that special, now. Except that it’s going to be tragically difficult to get up and go to work on Friday morning, I suppose. Some of us have jobs, you know. (Insert the wink here.)

It’s finally really Fall in the mountains of southwest Virginia. The days are relatively comfortable for long sleeves and jeans, and the nights are just a touch chilly. The leaves are absolutely beautiful this year and the preparations for Halloween and the long march into the holiday season are well underway. It’s an exciting season for everyone, Blacksburg or not. Wait! This is supposed to be about a football game, not the weather and the seasons, doings! Yes, yes, it is. It’s just really difficult to talk about.

Syracuse (formerly the Orangemen, and now just Oranges) is an old Big East opponent that has a special place in the hearts of all Hokies. It’s that sinking Donavan McNabb place. That trip to western New York disaster game in the old Carrier Dome feeling. The heavy sinking doom pall that creeps in and starts settling in the pit of your stomach kind of affair that reminds you that it’s been a tough slog with these guys.

The big question coming into the Thursday game will be which team shows up for the game for both programs? In the case of the Orange (Could no one could come up with a better name?) we have the seemingly perpetual hot seat that never ejects under head coach Dino Babers. ‘Cuse started off the 2023 season with a blazing non-conference record of 4-0 (including Purdue… drat) and then promptly ran into a haymaker of an early ACC schedule. Babers’ seat went from greatly cooled off, back to uncomfortable in the month of October.

There is a history, here, and it bears looking at quickly. Syracuse might be suddenly struggling but they did start with some pretty emphatic wins while Tech was trying to find itself as September ground on. As the pregame announcements start, and the stadium fills with people who hopefully aren’t as inebriated as they were for the last game, it’s prudent to remember that our old rivals are nearly as painful to play as Pitt.
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Coach Pry Previews Syracuse Matchup (wdjj7.com; video; WDBJ)

Coach Pry Previews Syracuse Matchup

ACC News

10 things I'm absolutely overreacting to after Week 8 in the ACC - Saturday Road (saturdayroad; Friedlander)

Just after North Carolina finished spitting the bit against Virginia and with Duke threatening to extend its lead on Florida State late in the third quarter, I tweeted the following:

With all due respect to Duke, which is a legit team, it would be an absolute disaster for the ACC if Florida State and UNC both lose tonight.
— BFriedACC (@BFriedACC) October 22, 2023

It didn’t take long for the backlash to begin.

And I get it.

Duke fans were obviously pulling for their team, which is still in contention for a spot in the conference championship game. NC State fans were taking pleasure in the embarrassment their rival Tar Heels inflicted upon themselves while all those others were still fuming over the Seminoles’ self-important attitude toward the league.

But the fact is that after 7 strong weeks of work, the ACC’s effort to change its narrative and return to national relevance was nearly undone in 1 eventful night. Finebaum, Klatt, Herbstreit and the other haters were already teeing up their league-bashing takes just waiting for FSU to crash and burn.

They were put on hold by a dominant 4th-quarter effort from Jordan Travis and his mates.

That only emphasizes the point of my … whatever its you call a tweet these days. At a time in which the future of the ACC as we know it hangs precariously in the balance, the league is in desperate need of getting a team into this year’s College Football Playoff to prove its viability.

At this point, FSU is its best hope.

Is that an overreaction? Sure it is. But it’s only 1 of the 10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to after Week 8 in and around the ACC.

10. Say what, Dabo?​

Dabo Swinney’s views on the transfer portal and name, image and likeness compensation for his players have been interpreted by many as antiquated. It’s clear from his comments after Saturday’’s double-overtime loss at Miami that his sense of humor is also stuck in the 1990s.

Frustrated by his team’s inability to hold onto a 10-point 2nd-half lead en route to its 3rd ACC loss of the season, the long-time Clemson tried to lighten up the mood with a joke in response to a reporter’s question about the use of sports psychologists.

“We’ve got ‘em,” Swinney replied. “He’s probably on suicide watch right now.”

Clemson HC Dabo Swinney was asked if the team has a sports psychologist… here was his answer:
“We've got one. He's probably on suicide watch right now.”
(Via: @lukewinstel) pic.twitter.com/0vPIITfeFV
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) October 22, 2023

That might have been funny at one time. Not anymore.

Considering that research by the American College Health Association shows that the suicide rate for people between the ages of 15-24 has tripled since the 1950s and that it is now the 2nd-most common death among college students, the comment was completely inappropriate under any circumstance – especially concerning a football game – and screams for a public apology.

To Swinney’s credit, he apologized Sunday.

9. An open date isn’t a magic cure to what ails a struggling team​

Swinney was asked the question as a potential cure for his team’s penchant for turning the ball over. Especially in situations when it appears to be going in for a score. It happened twice in a season-opening loss at Duke and again Saturday night against Miami. The Tigers’ 10 lost fumbles are the most in the nation.

Swinney put a priority on solving the problem during last week’s open date. But while that extra practice time during the middle of the season can be an opportunity for teams to work on smoothing out their rough edges and improve – as it clearly did for Virginia against UNC – it’s not a magic fix.

Either the Tigers didn’t put enough time into working on ball security or it’s an epidemic to which there is no cure – one that is almost certain to raise its ugly head again and cost Clemson at least 1 more game before the season is done.

8. Santino’s time​

With his top 2 quarterbacks sidelined with injuries, Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson might not have any other choice than to start newly-minted Deacon legend Santino Marucci again next Saturday when Wake Forest takes on Florida State.

But even if Mitch Griffis and/or Michael Kern are healthy enough to play, he should stick with the redshirt sophomore who engineered the Deacons’ dramatic come-from-behind win against Pittsburgh.

Griffis had 5 games to show what he could do. Kern’s body of work before he was injured was too small to judge. Marucci, however, has at least displayed an ability to rise to the occasion, incredible poise for someone with such little experience and a strong, accurate arm once Clawson and offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero were forced to stop babying him and allowed him to throw.

The moment Santino Marucci became a LEGEND!
WAKE FOREST SECURES THE WIN! @WakeFB | @CPISecurity pic.twitter.com/8HJzsl4nuZ
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) October 21, 2023

Maybe Marucci isn’t the answer. Perhaps Saturday’s 4th quarter was his entire 15 minutes of fame. But with an offense that ranks dead last in the ACC after leading the league last season and averaging better than 30 points per game every year since 2017, sticking with him and seeing what he can do is worth a try.

7. Another Mario mess​

Remember that line from Forrest Gump when his mother told him that “life is like a box of chocolates because you never know what you’ll get?”

Welp, it’s applicable to any game the Miami Hurricanes play these days thanks to coach Mario Cristobal’s head-scratching late clock management.

Cristobal put on another master class of how not to coach the final 2 minutes Saturday against Clemson. Despite being in a tie game with a timeout in hand, 1:34 remaining and a reliable veteran kicker who had already made a clutch 4th-quarter field goal, he chose to have his offense run out the clock and play for overtime.

Unlike that infamous loss to Georgia Tech 2 weeks earlier, when he decided not to have quarterback Tyler Van Dyke take a knee to put the game on ice, his players bailed him out this time by winning in double overtime.
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Is This Is Beginning of the End of the Dabo Swinney Era? | Clemson Football | ACC Football (youtube; podcast; 365 Sports)

David Smoak, Paul Catalina, and Craig Smoak discuss their thoughts on Dabo Swinney’s comments coming off a loss to Miami, his comments on Clemson QB Cade Klubnik, has Dabo lost his team, and more.

NC State coach Dave Doeren looks ahead to Clemson, reflects on bye week :: WRALSportsFan.com (wralsportsfan.com; Bergin)

NC State head coach Dave Doeren said Monday the bye week came at a great time for his football team.

“It starts with reflection and study,” Doeren said.

NC State (4-3, 1-2 ACC) hosts Clemson (4-3, 2-3 ACC) at 2 p.m. Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium. The game airs on The CW.

“The reset is real,” Doeren said of the bye week. “You can get really hung up in seven games.”

Both NC State and Clemson are coming off losses.

The Wolfpack lost 24-3 to the Duke Blue Devils on Oct. 14.

“I mean, they were embarrassed after that game,” Doeren said of his offense. “I think there was a lot of heartfelt conversations about stepping up.

“Guys own … what they need to do better. Leadership starts with ownership, and like I said after the game, it starts with me and then my coaches and my players and this team.

On Monday, Doeren spoke about the performance of his team’s offense in the last two games. In those two games, sophomore quarterback MJ Morris has been the team’s starter.

“Efficiency on offense, it felt like we had answered the bell there in the Marshall game and then took a step back in the Duke game with self-inflicted things,” Doeren said.


The Tigers lost to the Miami Hurricanes, 28-20, in double overtime on Saturday.

Doeren also discussed having an additional week to prepare for Clemson.

“I think it’s the latest bye week since I’ve been here,” Doeren said.

NC State’s defense will try to stop Clemson junior running back Will Shipley, how has 494 yards rushing and five total touchdowns.
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Week 9 ACC football power poll (dailyprogress.com; Madia)

The South’s Oldest Rivalry delivered on Saturday with, perhaps, not only the most stunning result of the season in the ACC, but the country, too.
Virginia 31, No. 10 North Carolina 27.
The Cavaliers, who had lost eight straight games against FBS opponents dating back to last season and had never beaten an AP top-10 foe on the road, pulled the upset by rallying in the second half for a come-from-behind victory over the Tar Heels.
“That’s what you coach for,” second-year UVa headman Tony Elliott said, “it’s the opportunity to see your guys celebrate victory, and more so it’s the confirmation of all the work they put in and the belief that they had for 60 minutes.”

For that, the Hoos moved up in this week’s Lee Enterprises ACC Power Poll while North Carolina slid. This season’s voters are: Mike Barber and David Teel (Richmond Times-Dispatch), Greg Madia and John Shifflett (Charlottesville Daily Progress), Damien Sordelett (Roanoke Times) and John Dell (Winston-Salem Journal

1. Florida State (7-0, No. 1 last week): The Seminoles outscored Duke 21-0 in the fourth quarter to separate from the Blue Devils and stay unbeaten. QB Jordan Travis' 2-yard rushing touchdown put FSU in front and then his 21-yard scoring throw to Lawrance Toafili extended its lead to double digits. This week: at Wake Forest, Saturday
2. Duke (5-2, No. 3 last week): It isn’t often a team is elevated in the power poll after a loss, but Duke hasn’t had any detrimental losses like some of the other contenders in the league had. Whether or not the Blue Devils stay in contention could depend on how signal-caller Riley Leonard (ankle) heals from reinjury after having to exit early against FSU. This week: at Louisville, Saturday
t-3. Louisville (6-1, No. 5 last week): The bye week should’ve provided the Cardinals enough time to recuperate from their surprising loss at Pittsburgh, and maybe get star running back Jawhar Jordan (hamstring) closer to full speed again. This week: vs. Duke, Saturday
t-3. North Carolina (6-1, No. 2 last week): For as improved as North Carolina’s defense seemed to be throughout the first half of the campaign, the Tar Heels regressed in their loss to UVa while surrendering 228 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground. This week: at Georgia Tech, Saturday
5. Miami (5-2, No. 8 last week): The Hurricanes deserve credit for snapping a two-game losing streak with a double-overtime win over Clemson, which they hadn’t beaten since 2010. Miami did it with defense, too, limiting Clemson to 31 rushing yards while racking up 10 tackles for loss and five sacks. This week: vs. Virginia, Saturday
6. Clemson (4-3, No. 4 last week): For the third straight season, Clemson has lost three games, which hadn’t happened previously in any season since 2014. The Tigers still have chances ahead to change the narrative of their year with contests against Notre Dame and North Carolina still remaining. This week: at N.C. State
7. Virginia Tech (3-4, No. 6 last week): Coming out of the bye week, Virginia Tech has to feel encouraged about the potential of its offense moving forward based on quarterback Kyron Drones’ first five starts. He’s completed 58% of his throws for 1,043 yards and six touchdowns compared to only one interception while also rushing for 344 yards and four scores. This week: vs. Syracuse, Thursday
8. Boston College (4-3, No. 11 last week): Coach Jeff Hafley has the Eagles on a three-game winning streak and playing much better than they were early in the year. The duo of QB Thomas Castellanos and running back Kye Robichaux combined for 293 rushing yards and four rushing scores in BC’s win at Georgia Tech. This week: vs. Connecticut, Saturday
9. N.C. State (4-3, No. 9 last week): The Wolfpack have had the bye week to figure out how to fix their offense after being dismantled by Duke. But the schedule won’t get easier with games against Clemson, Miami, Virginia Tech and North Carolina still remaining. This week: vs. Clemson, Saturday
10. Virginia (2-5, No. 14 last week): Running back Mike Hollins had three rushing touchdowns and QB Tony Muskett’s 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Malik Washington proved to be the game-winner in UVa’s total-team effort at UNC. The defense, led by linebacker James Jackson and cornerback Coen King, helped limit Tar Heels star QB Drake Maye to a 50% completion rate. This week: at Miami, Saturday
11. Georgia Tech (3-5, No. 7 last week): A lackluster fourth quarter cost Georgia Tech at home against BC. The Yellow Jackets were outscored 21-0 in the final stanza. This week: vs. North Carolina, Saturday
12. Wake Forest (4-3, No. 13 last week): On its third-string quarterback, Wake Forest rallied in the final minute to beat Pittsburgh. QB Santino Marucci connected with Cameron Hite for a 15-yard TD to win with seven seconds left. This week: vs. Florida State, Saturday
13. Syracuse (4-3, No. 12 last week): The average margin of defeat for Syracuse during its three-game losing streak is 29.3 points per game. The Orange have to hope their off week allowed for them to make some needed adjustments. This week: at Virginia Tech, Thursday
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ACC Power rankings entering Week 9: Florida State is all alone at the top - Saturday Road (saturdayroad.com; Davis)

Another week of ACC football is in the books.

North Carolina’s loss to Virginia headlines a chaotic week of ACC action. That result leaves Florida State — who beat another strong team in Duke this week — as the lone undefeated team at the top of the standings.

Miami’s victory over Clemson in overtime with backup quarterback Emory Williams running the show also caused some movement at the top of the rankings this week. The Tigers slipped out of the top four this week following their third ACC loss of the season.

Here’s an updated look at Saturday Road’s ACC power rankings after Week 8:

14. Pitt (Last week: 11)​

Pitt lost an absolute heartbreaker to Wake Forest in Week 8. The Panthers are now 2-5 and their bowl hopes are all but over.

13. Virginia (Last week: 14)​

Mike Hollins scoring three touchdowns in Virginia’s upset of North Carolina might have been the best story of the weekend in college football. The Cavaliers absolutely deserved the upset and now have their first top-10 road win in program history.

12. Wake Forest (Last week: 13)​

Wake Forest pulled off a miracle on Saturday vs. Pitt, scoring the game-winning TD with just seven seconds remaining. That’s Wake’s first ACC win of the season and it came with third string quarterback Santino Marucci calling the shots. Go figure.

11. Syracuse (Last week: 12)​

Syracuse was off in Week 8. The Orange are hoping to be much healthier as they take on Virginia Tech in Week 9 in what will be a crucial game for both programs’ bowl chances.

10. NC State (Last week: 10)​

NC State was idle in Week 8.

9. Georgia Tech (Last week: 7)​

Georgia Tech lost a tough one at home on Saturday to Boston College. The Yellow Jackets probably needed to win that one if they were going to make a bowl this season. They enter Week 9 with three wins and still have Clemson, North Carolina and Georgia on their schedule. Georgia Tech will need to steal one of those and beat Virginia and Syracuse to get to six wins.

8. Virginia Tech (Last week: 9)​

Virginia Tech was off in Week 8. The Hokies will face Syracuse on Thursday night in a game that will be crucial for both teams’ bowl chances.
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FSU football: ACC Power Rankings after week 8(2023) (chopchat.com; Hunt)

I had FSU football at the top half of my preseason ACC Power Rankings, and so far so good after eight weeks.

FSU football stormed from behind to dominate the No. 16 Duke Blue Devils in the fourth quarter 38-20 to remain unbeaten and the only unbeaten team in the state of Florida.

The biggest news out of the weekend was North Carolina losing against Virginia. Miami defeated Clemson in double overtime, Boston College defeated Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest came from behind to defeat Pittsburgh.

Louisville, Virginia Tech, NC State, and Syracuse were on bye-weeks.

Anyways, here are my updated rankings after week eight:

1. FSU football
2. North Carolina
3. Duke
4. Miami (+2)
5. Louisville
6. Clemson (-2)
7. Syracuse +1)
8. Virginia Tech (+1)
9. Boston College (+2)
10. Georgia Tech (-3)
11. NC State
12. Wake Forest
13. Virginia (+1)
14. Pittsburgh (-1)

Thoughts​

FSU remains atop the ACC standings and will travel to Wake Forest looking to end a losing streak to the Demon Deacons. Syracuse will travel to Virginia Tech for Thursday night action and Thursday nights in Blacksburg always seem to have a good atmosphere. Boston College will host UConn and look to inch closer to bowl eligibility.

NC State will host a reeling Clemson team and Pittsburgh will host Notre Dame. The biggest matchup in week nine will be Duke traveling to play Louisville. The loser of that game will likely be eliminated from having a chance to make the ACC Championship game.

Can Virginia pull off their second shocker this season and upset the Miami Hurricanes? North Carolina will look to keep their ACC Championship chances alive as they travel to play Georgia Tech.

It’s a solid slate of games and FSU fans will have the luxury of watching FSU likely beat the brakes off of Wake Forest and then enjoy whatever other games they want to watch the rest of the day.

The FSU vs. Wake Forest game will be a noon kickoff on ABC.

ACC Power Rankings: Week 9 (fromtherumbleseat.com; Cramer)

Who had fun this week watching ACC football? Well, the games that didn’t involve Georgia Tech losing to Boston College at home by 15 despite being favored. Yes, the opening game of the week was a major disappointment for Tech fans as a bowl berth now feels almost out of reach.

Boston College who had struggle against the pass this year held the Jackets to 204 yards through the air and forced Haynes King into three interceptions. Georgia Tech keyed into stop Castellanos from rushing out of the pocket, but their endeavors failed as he managed 128 yards on the ground and 255 through the air and two rushing touchdowns. Castellanos wasn’t the lead rusher, that honor belonged to backup running back Kye Robichaux who totaled 165 yards and two touchdowns.

Pitt and Wake Forest played a snoozer until the final minutes of the game where they combined for three touchdowns. Pitt appeared to have the game sealed when QB Veilleux slid early on third down and was ruled short of the line to gain. Wake would receive the ball with 40 seconds left just shy of midfield. Third string QB Santino Marucci would find his TE Hite across the middle for a 15-yard touchdown pass and leave Pitt with only 7 seconds and an eventual loss.

Our friends in Chapel Hill had an easy layup with Virginia visiting with only a single win to their name. If there is one team in this conference who can blow an amazing season at the worst possible time it is North Carolina or maybe Virginia finally found an identity to their offense. The Cavaliers stayed even all through the game with UNC and they did so with a strong running game that totaled 228 yards. QB Drake Maye had an ok night but went 50% on his completions and threw one pick to end any hopes in the waning minutes.

Clemson and Miami met up in Coral Gables for the “Disappointment Bowl” where neither team has been happy with course of their season. Each had a chance to get back on track, but it would be Miami who escaped in second overtime. Miami leaned on backup QB Emory Williams who led a great 4th quarter effort to get Miami even with Clemson. Clemson was able to move the ball effectively in regulation, but turnovers cost them a chance to put the game away. Miami sealed the win at the goal line when Cade Klubnik tried to roll out right on 4th down but was strung out to the sideline.

The last matchup of night saw Duke travel to Tallahassee to try and unseat FSU for the sole claim of top dog in the ACC. Duke failed to generate hardly any offense all night but still hung close with FSU and even led going into halftime 20-17. QB Riley Leonard would be lost to another leg injury in the third and FSU would capitalize by scoring 21 unanswered points in the fourth.

Power Rankings​

1. Florida State - The Seminoles have been sitting pretty at the top since beating LSU in week one. Duke and UNC were the only other teams without conference losses, but both went down this weekend. At 5-0 FSU only need to win two of three from the remainder of Wake Forest, Pitt and Miami. I’d say FSU fans can start planning their trip to Charlotte.
2. Louisville - Sometimes sitting idle has the best results. Louisville had a week off to refocus after a confounding loss to Pittsburgh. They’ll take on Duke next week who may be without Riley Leonard once more. A win there would set them up nicely to finish out the season.
3. Duke - If Riley Leonard can get back on field the Blue Devils should be just fine. Even if they do miss him for a game or two the defense has performed well enough to keep games manageable. Louisville and North Carolina are the two remaining that feel like the biggest obstacles.
4. North Carolina - A loss to Virginia for a team with outside playoff aspirations was a tough blow. The defense has been better, but still felt vulnerable and Virginia was finally able to expose some holes. A struggling Georgia Tech offense who started out hot is a true wildcard for UNC. They’ve lost the last two against the Jackets and are 2-10 in Atlanta dating back to the 90s.
5. Miami - The Hurricanes were on the verge of their season falling off the cliff. They avoided an 0-3 start in the ACC to improve 1-2 after taking down Clemson. Miami should get Tyler Van Dyke back to take on Virginia. It feels that Miami should win that one based on talent, but that didn’t stop UNC from losing to them.
6. Clemson - It truly doesn’t feel like Clemson should make it this high, but the rest of the conference is an inconsistent mess. Clemson can certainly move the ball they just can’t punch it into the endzone when it matters most. NC State is coming off a bye but has been even worse at scoring. The Tiger will want to take advantage of that game before meeting Notre Dame.
7. Virginia Tech - The Hokies are steadily getting better after a rough start to the season. They got a bye to get rested before taking on a manageable ACC slate to finish out. Virginia Tech has a good chance to turn this into a respectable season and that will start with Syracuse.
8. Boston College - Head Coach Jeff Hafley looked to be on the hot seat after a 1-3 start to the season. The Eagles now sit at 4-3 after three straight wins behind Thomas Castellanos’s rushing ability out of the pocket. Boston College is very capable of winning 4 of their final 5 and could even push Miami. Credit the Eagles for turning it around after a dismal start.
9. Syracuse - Syracuse took a three-game skid into the bye week, but they did have a tough slate of Clemson, UNC, and FSU. With the meat of the schedule out of the way there are wins to be had, but the offense is going to have to find more options besides the QB if they want to win enough to make a bowl.
10. Georgia Tech - The Yellow Jackets continue to play poorly at home, and the offense has been rather bad since the Bowling Green loss. It’s going to take Georgia Tech refocusing and upsetting the likes of UNC, Clemson, or UGA to make a bowl. Not dropping winnable games to Virginia and Syracuse will also be crucial.

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ACC football power rankings: Florida State marches on, but North Carolina and Duke tumble (greenvilleonline.com; Keepfer)

LOL

Florida State asserted its superiority and continued its march toward its first ACC Championship since 2014 as the conference kicked off the second half of the season Saturday.

The Seminoles rallied to essentially double up Duke 38-20 for their 13th consecutive game of 30 or more points scored.

North Carolina wasn’t nearly as fortunate, getting upset by a one-win Virginia team in Chapel Hill in what qualified as the “stunner of the week.”

With open dates out of the way, all ACC teams are back in action for the remainder of the season. Four league teams remain ranked in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll, with Florida State leading the way at No. 4.



North Carolina is at No. 17, Louisville at 18 and Duke at 21.

Miami, after topping Clemson in double-overtime, is on the cusp of reentering the rankings.

Here’s how the league’s teams stack up this week:

1. Florida State (7-0, 5-0)​

Last week: 1

This week: at Wake Forest

What to know: The Seminoles lost by 10 points (at home) against Wake Forest last season. What a difference a year makes.

2. Louisville (6-1, 3-1)​

Last week: 4

This week: vs. Duke

What to know: The Cardinals are upwardly mobile thanks to implosions by North Carolina and Duke on Saturday.

3. North Carolina (6-1, 3-1)​

Last week: 2

This week: at Georgia Tech

What to know: The Tar Heels were beaten by 23.5-point underdog Virginia on Saturday, proving once again that anything is possible when it comes to UNC football.

4. Miami (5-2, 1-2)​

Last week: 6

This week: vs. Virginia

What to know: It took two overtimes, but Miami managed to get its first home ACC win under Mario Cristobal. With Virginia rolling into town, make that two in a row.

5. Duke (5-2, 2-1)​

Last week: 3

This week: at Louisville

What to know: The Blue Devils are a different team without QB Riley Leonard, who reinjured his ankle in the loss to Florida State, and his status is uncertain this week.

6. Clemson (4-3, 2-3)​

Last week: 5

This week: at NC State

What to know: The Tigers are 0-2 in overtime games this season and have three ACC losses for the first time since 2010.

7. Boston College (4-3, 2-2)​

Last week: 11

This week: vs. UConn

What to know: BC quarterback Thomas Castellanos is a budding star and this week’s game vs. UConn should only bolster his standing.

8. Virginia Tech (3-4, 2-1)​

Last week: 8

This week: vs. Syracuse

What to know: No pressure, Hokies, but Saturday’s game looms large in determining a winning or losing season in Blacksburg.

9. NC State (4-3, 1-2)​

Last week: 9

This week: vs. Clemson

What to know: The Wolfpack pulled a stunner vs. Clemson in Raleigh two years ago. This season, nothing would stun Clemson fans.

10. Wake Forest (4-3, 1-3)​

Last week: 12

This week: vs. Florida State

What to know: The Deacons’ late-game win against Pitt was led by third-string quarterback Santino Marucci.

11. Georgia Tech (3-4, 2-2)​

Last week: 7

This week: vs. North Carolina

What to know: The Yellow Jackets beat UNC as a 21-point underdog last season; this year the spread is only 11.5, so place your bets now, Tech fans.

12. Pitt (2-5, 1-3)​

Last week: 10

This week: at Notre Dame

What to know: With Notre Dame and Florida State on the schedule the next two weeks, the Panthers are closing in on just the second losing season in nine years under coach Pat Narduzzi.

13. Virginia (2-5, 1-2)​

Last week: 13

This week: at Miami

What to know: After stunning North Carolina, the world is the Cavs’ oyster. At least until this week’s trek to Miami.

14. Syracuse (4-3, 0-3)​

Last week: 13

This week: at Virginia Tech

What to know: After a 4-0 start, the Orange are 0-3 and have been outscored 112-24. Enough said.

Program-Record Four Eagles Garner ACC Weekly Awards - Boston College Athletics (bceagles.com)

A program-record four Boston College football players earned ACC Player of the Week honors as voted on by the league media and announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon. Graduate guard Christian Mahogany (Elmwood, N.J.) earned his second Offensive Lineman of the Week recognition.

Mahogany was joined on the list of honorees by Co-Quarterback of the Week Thomas Castellanos (Waycross, Ga.), Running Back of the Week Kye Robichaux (Columbus, Ga.) and Defensive Back of the Week Elijah Jones (Harlem, N.Y.).

Mahogany and the BC offensive line paved the way for 300-plus rushing yards for the second game in a row. BC racked up 308 yards on the ground and the offensive line did not surrender a sack. Mahogany played all 74 offensive snaps without allowing a single pressure on 32 dropbacks. He was the lead blocker on the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and supplied the key block as the pulling guard on BC's longest run of the day; a 57-yarder in the fourth to set up another TD in the Eagles' 38-23 come-from-behind win at Georgia Tech.

Castellanos racked up 383 yards of total offense with 255 passing and 128 rushing. Castellanos rushed for two touchdowns, including the second on a fourth-and-1 run that went 43 yards to the house. He averaged 9.8 yards per carry and was 17-for-29 through the air. He became the first Power 5 QB in the country with multiple 100-yard rushing games this season.

Robichaux rushed for a career-high 165 yards in his first full-game back from a week-four injury. He carried the ball 21 times, averaging 7.9 yards per carry and scored two touchdowns. His two touchdowns came as a part of the fourth-quarter comeback. He scored the go-ahead touchdown on a two-yard rush as he stretched the ball over the goal line before being brought down. Robichaux later added a 57-yard run that set up his second score of the day; a three-yard TD to put the game at its final score.

Jones picked up two interceptions and recorded three additional PBUs in the win. BC trailed to start the fourth quarter and after going in front, Jones recorded each of his interceptions on back-to-back drives to prevent a Yellow Jacket comeback. He added one tackle in the game. Additionally, he graded out at a season-best 93.5 in coverage according to Pro Football Focus.

Castellanos and Robichaux mark the first BC quarterback/running back duo to earn weekly ACC awards in the same week since Anthony Brown and AJ Dillon following a 2018 win at Wake Forest. Wyatt Ray also earned Defensive Lineman of the Week after beating the Demon Deacons, which is the last time BC players combined for three weekly awards or more.

https://www.si.com/college/georgiatech/football/acc-football-predictions-for-every-week-nine-game (SI; Caudell)

There is one remaining unbeaten in the ACC.

Florida State started slow but put the pedal down on Duke last week to remain the heavy favorite in the ACC. The Seminoles hit the road for the next two weeks before they face their next biggest challenge against Miami.

The ACC starts their week on Thursday with a big bowl eligibility matchup between Syracuse and Virginia Tech. Syracuse has lost three in a row and needs two more wins to get to bowl eligibility while Virginia Tech is 3-4 and coming off of a bye week.



Other games this week in the ACC include Duke vs Louisville, Georgia Tech vs North Carolina, Miami vs Virginia, Clemson vs NC State, and Pitt vs Notre Dame.

I had another bad week of picks last week, picking Clemson, Pitt, and North Carolina. It was a 1-3 week and now I am 50-15 picking games this season.

Note: I will have a full breakdown and prediction for Georgia Tech vs North Carolina later this week.



So who are the winners this week in the ACC? All odds courtesy of Caesar's .

Thursday, Oct. 26th​

Syracuse at Virginia Tech (-3) (7:30 p.m. ESPN)

This is a big game for both of these teams. Syracuse had a really tough stretch of games against Clemson, Florida State, and North Carolina, losing all of them in blowout fashion. Virginia Tech also lost to Florida State, but quarterback Kyron Drones has been playing better and the Hokies offense has looked better than it did to start the season. Syracuse is really banged up on offense and I think a road win at Lane Stadium is too much to ask.

Final Score: Virginia Tech 27, Syracuse 21
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ACC FB Updates for 2023 Oct 23 (RX; HM)

ACC FB Updates for 2023 Oct 23

First, from the official ACC release of Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023...

More Football Game Times & Networks for Week 9 Announced​

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference and its television partners announced the football game times and networks for the remaining games on Saturday, Oct. 28.
(NOTE: this is the complete TV schedule)

Thursday, Oct. 26​

• Syracuse at Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

Saturday, Oct. 28 - Early afternoon​

• #4 Florida State at Wake Forest, Noon ET on ABC
• UConn at Boston College, Noon ET on ACCN
• Tulsa at SMU, Noon on ESPNU

Saturday, Oct. 28 - Early afternoon​

• Pitt at #14 Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC
• Clemson at NC State, 2 p.m. ET on The CW
• #20 Duke at #18 Louisville, 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
• Virginia at Miami, 3:30 p.m. on ACC Network
• #24 USC at California, 4:00pm on P12N

Saturday, Oct. 28 - Early afternoon​

• #5 Washington at Stanford, 7:00pm on FS1
• #17 North Carolina at Georgia Tech, 8 p.m. ET on ACCN

__________
Next, from the official ACC release of Monday, Oct. 23, 2023...

Football Game Times & Networks Announced for Week 10​

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference and its television partners announced the following football game times and networks for Week 10, Nov. 2-4.

Thursday, Nov. 2​

• Wake Forest at Duke, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN – previously announced

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What's Wrong with Clemson? (RX; HM)

What's Wrong with Clemson?

On the surface, Clemson has only lost three games: to the #20 team in the country on the road, the #4 team by just one TD at home, and at the home of a pretty good team who is "receiving votes" - and that in double overtime. Lots of Tiger fans might think it's not so bad, just the law of averages catching up. However, numbers don't lie - this team is not like the ones that won three national championships!
All Sports Discussion beat me to the punch in writing about the problems at Clemson, going so far as to state "Clemson has not made progress since the opening game loss to Duke." [LINK]. That's a pretty strong statement - but they back it up with facts. For example, did you know that Clemson leads the nation in fumbles lost? I didn't. As JFann of ASD states:

Fumbling and turnovers are not a product of bad luck.
They are a product of poor ball security, poor coaching, and inferior players.

He even compares the Miami game to the Duke game. Tiger fans, I'll warn you - you won't like it!
So, what can Clemson do? Fortunately, this is not the first time Dabo Swinney faced a situation like this. In his 4th season as head coach, Dabo got the Tigers to 10 wins and an Orange Bowl berth. He did that by upgrading the Offensive Coordinator, first from Rob Spence to Billy Napier (now Head Coach of the Florida Gators), and finally in 2011 to Chad Morris (currently back on the Tigers' staff as an offensive analyst). Dabo also had quality assistants coaching the various positions. In fact, Clemson produced NFL draft picks at pretty much every offensive position during their national title run.
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BOZICH | With Duke ahead, Louisville still has clear path to ACC title game (Wdrb; Bozich)

Grab your pencil and paper. Crank up the marching band. Follow along:

• Duke lost to Notre Dame
• Notre Dame lost to Louisville
• Louisville lost to Pittsburgh
• Pittsburgh lost to North Carolina
• North Carolina lost to Virginia (no misprint)
• Virginia lost to North Carolina State
• N. C. State lost to Duke
• Duke lost to Florida State

That's all folks. Florida State lost to nobody.

With No. 20 Duke booked for a 3:30 p.m. game Saturday against No. 18 Louisville at L&N Cardinal Stadium, two things are worth your consideration:

• Ranked fourth in the nation and first in the Atlantic Coast Conference, FSU should cruise to the ACC title game Dec. 2 in Charlotte, North Carolina
• Four one-loss teams are stacked behind the Seminoles atop the ACC standings. Louisville and UNC are 3-1, a half-game better than Duke and surprising Virginia Tech, which are 2-1.

Despite Louisville's still puzzling 38-21 loss at Pittsburgh nine days ago, Louisville has a clear path to claim the title game spot against the Seminoles.

"A bye week is not a lot of fun after a loss, but that's life," UofL coach Jeff Brohm said Monday during his weekly media scrum.

"We've found a way to win close games to get to where we're at. Would we love to have the last one back? Sure we would.


"But at the same time, we've probably won three games by the skin of our teeth that the other team would like to have back."

The Cards can separate themselves from the Blue Devils and Hokies with victories the next two Saturdays at home.

North Carolina is not on the Louisville schedule. But here is what the Tar Heels do face: three road games (Georgia Tech, Clemson and N.C. State) as well as a home game with Duke. Odds are there is another Mack Brown stumble in there.

Advantage, Louisville.

Not that you heard that word from Brohm Monday.

Brohm remains perturbed by his team's performance at Pittsburgh, especially the three turnovers (one fumble, two interceptions) inside the Pitt 20. That's how you transform what should have been at least 13 points into zero points.

He is legitimately impressed by Duke, which has powerful 3-touchdown victories over Clemson and N.C. State.



"They're really strong on defense and pride themselves on running the football," Brohm said. "They're a tough, physical football team …

"We're going to have to play our best football and work hard and improve as the season goes along. If not, it's not going to be a fun last stretch."
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Other

Senator Schumer declares CNY as federal tech hub 1

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer. D-N.Y., who pushed to establish a spotlight on Central New York as the nations newest tech hub center, attended an event at SAAB i...

youtu.be

Schumer ‘very optimistic’ Upstate NY will win millions as semiconductor tech hub (PS; Coin)

Upstate New York has a good shot at being among a handful of regions in the country to win up to $75 million in federal grants for semiconductor manufacturing advancement, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said today.

Schumer said it won’t hurt that he is the Senate majority leader who drafted the bill that led to the region being designated as an official tech hub today, he said.

“I think we have a darn good shot of getting it,” Schumer said at Saab’s plant in East Syracuse, where the company manufactures radar equipment. “I would call myself very optimistic.”

The area spanning Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo today won a U.S. competition to become one of 31 national tech hubs, a designation that could help unleash billions of dollars in new investment in Upstate New York. Five to 10 of those hubs could get up to $75 million each in the first round of funding, which will be announced next spring, Schumer said.

All told, the program could pump $10 billion into tech hubs around the country.

Schumer said the tech hub designation, coupled with Micron’s arrival, could help transform the Thruway corridor between Syracuse and Buffalo into “America’s semiconductor superhighway” that will lead innovation in the computer chip industry.

The designation comes a year after New York beat out other states to lure Micron Technology to Syracuse’s northern suburbs, where the company plans to invest up to $100 billion over 20 years in a computer chip manufacturing campus. It would be the largest memory chip manufacturing site in the United States and could create 40,000 spinoff jobs, Micron says.
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‘Haunted’ Upstate asylum where 1,700 died crowned NY’s creepiest place (PS; House)

Goosebumps are guaranteed at a “haunted” former asylum in Upstate New York that just earned a terrifying title.

Rolling Hills Asylum, a former poorhouse in Genesee County where over 1,700 people reportedly died, has been crowned the creepiest place in New York. The asylum — which paranormal investigators consider alive with supernatural activity — received the spooky honor from HGTV, which released a list of the creepiest places in every state just in time for Halloween.

Rolling Hills made the list alongside the Sloss Furnaces of Alabama, where dozens of workers died, to Bonaventure Cemetery in Georgia, the haunted graveyard featured on the cover of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”.

Rolling Hills Asylum — the former Genesee County Poorhouse in East Bethany, N.Y. where over 1,700 reportedly died — has been named the creepiest place in New York by HGTV. Photo: Hayley Safe, @stfu_hayley

New York’s infamous East Bethany asylum opened in 1827 in a former stagecoach tavern, according to Rolling Hills. Originally called the Genesee County Poorhouse, the institution housed everyone from “habitual drunkards” and “lunatics” to people who were destitute, had disabilities, or were widowed or orphaned, the asylum said.

Everyone who lived in the poorhouse was called an “inmate”, Rolling Hills said, and those who were physically able to work labored on the property’s farm — raising animals, growing vegetables, running a bakery and building coffins.

Countless bodies were buried in a potter’s field. But when the asylum closed in 1974, the cemetery gradually crumbled as plants crept over the grounds.
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