sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Seat Belt Day!
National Seat Belt Day is observed annually on November 14th to help encourage people to buckle up. The event was originated in 2019 by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), rideshare service Uber, and Volvo to celebrate the invention of the three-point seat belt in 1959 and promote the importance of using one every time they get in a vehicle.
While seat belts are easy to take for granted, they can make a huge difference between minor injuries and severe, life-threatening injuries or fatalities in a crash.
SU News
(youtube; video; Coach on Campus)
Coach Dino Babers gives credit to the team's belief and effort in their outstanding performance. He shares a story about moving as a child to emphasize the importance of sticking together as a family. Despite being behind at halftime, there was no doubt in anyone's eyes that the team still believed. Coach Babers hopes to give the players an opportunity to achieve back-to-back bowl games. The game plan was to be more physical and go "old school" by running the football. The team embraced the unique offensive strategy and started to believe it could work by Wednesday. The players' dedication and effort contributed to the team's success.
Dino Babers talks revamped offense ahead of SU’s matchup with Georgia Tech (DO; O'Brien)
Dino Babers remembered when he played at Hawaii and how he and his teammates never had a losing season, but also never made a bowl game in five seasons. Now as the head coach at Syracuse, he sees making a bowl game as a successful season.
After a 28-13 win over Pittsburgh at Yankee Stadium, the 5-5 Orange have an opportunity to make back-to-back bowl games under the same head coach for the first time since 1999. Standing in the way of this feat is Georgia Tech, a team with the same record as SU that has wins over Miami and North Carolina.
“The bottom part of success is getting these guys to a bowl game,” Babers said at his weekly press conference. “They give up their summers, they go through broken bones, torn ligaments, surgeries. If we can find a way to get into a bowl, to me, that’s a good thing.”
Here are more takeaways from Babers’ presser today:
Adapting offense?
During the postgame press conference in the Bronx, Babers said Syracuse’s change to a wildcat, wishbone, run-only offense was not due to quarterback Garrett Shrader’s availability. He said the change came about due to a desire for more physicality. According to Babers, he and the rest of the offensive staff barely slept trying to reinvent the offense.“Our eyes are not so clear,” Babers said, referring to he and his offensive coaches. “But it didn’t matter how fresh we were. The only thing that matters is that the players are fresh.”
Today, though, Babers said the Orange will always play toward the personnel they have. He added that he has to see who the team will have to face the Yellow Jackets. But Babers said there is a point where radically changing the offensive game plan isn’t fair to the rest of the team.
“We’re basing these things off of guys who are healthy, not somebody we’re expecting,” Babers said. “And so it could change based on how our health changes.”
He spent good chunks of the press conference praising the offense for adapting to the scheme. During the postgame press conference, Babers said it took time for players to completely buy in, but by kickoff time the players were ready. He compared tight end Dan Villari’s performance, where he tallied a team-best 154 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, to a game from Babers’ college days. When the three top quarterbacks got injured, a Hawaii free safety had to be the signal caller in a win over a ranked Arizona State team.
As for the wide receivers, who for the first time in the Dino Babers era did not make a single reception against the Panthers, Babers said the unit bought in “100%.” He always calls the wide receivers “his babies,” but noted they are different from other offensive positions. Babers said he was proud of how they performed their role, specifically Damien Alford.
“We could not have pulled off what we did Saturday night without the wideouts,” Babers said. “Those perimeter blocks are key in what we were doing.”
Quarterback health
Last week, Babers opened the press conference by saying he didn’t have word on the health of Shrader or backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who started against Boston College. He said the doctors meet with them later on Mondays. As always, Babers didn’t want to share much about the specifics of the two quarterbacks’ injuries....
With 2 injured quarterbacks, Syracuse’s offense will continue to revolve around other players (PS; $; Leiker)
Dino Babers said postgame following Syracuse football’s win over Pittsburgh that its new style of offense wasn’t based on starting quarterback Garrett Shrader’s health status.
But it wasn’t not based on that either, Babers’ comments Monday seemed to say.
“I think the biggest thing once again is this thing is dictated off of personnel,” Babers said when asked if the style could and would be used again in the the final two weeks of the regular season. “We can’t keep basing our [offense] on ‘Hey, so-and-so’s gonna be healthy. So-and-so’s gonna be healthy. So-and-so’s gonna be healthy.’ And then so-and-so’s not healthy.
“That’s not fair to everyone else. We’re basing these things off of guys who are healthy, not somebody we’re expecting to be healthy. It could changed based off how our health changes.”
Syracuse’s radically different offensive game plan against Pittsburgh turned heads as it relied heavily on a three-pronged rushing attack led by tight end Dan Villari and not at all on the down-field passing game.
Shrader is dealing with an apparent upper-body injury that the team says occurred early in Syracuse’s loss against Virginia Tech two weeks ago. He did not play in Syracuse’s loss to Boston College.
Asked whether Shrader would have been able to throw the ball more than 5 yards comfortably Saturday, Babers said it was “too much information to give.”
Shrader attempted just two passes in the game, only one of which went complete and after which he was visibly uncomfortable. That pass was for 5 yards and a touchdown on the game’s opening drive and was Shrader’s first pass attempt.
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Keeping Up With The 315 11-13-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian opens the show reacting to the Dan Villari game and the weird offensive explosion from Syracuse at Yankee Stadium. Then, he takes calls on the football game, what it means for Dino Babers’ job security, if moving the game to Yankee Stadium was the right call and much more.
Dan Villari leads Syracuse football to 28-13 win over Pittsburgh at Yankee Stadium (waer.org; Gotkin)
Syracuse football (5-5, 1-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) was in the midst of a five-game losing streak with a multitude of questions regarding who would be the quarterback against Pittsburgh (2-8, 1-5 Atlantic Coast Conference).
After Garrett Shrader was hurt against Virginia Tech, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson got the start against Boston College, struggled mightily, and appeared to get injured near the end of the game. The health of Shrader was unknown, but an hour before kickoff it was reported that QB1 was warming up with his pads and helmet on.
However, Shrader didn’t play how he normally would. The senior played the whole game and threw the ball twice against the Panthers. Head coach Dino Babers knew this was uncharacteristic but trusted his team.
“It was an outstanding performance. We asked them to do something that was drastic and extremely different. You can’t do that without belief,” said Babers.
Former Michigan quarterback, now Syracuse tight end, Dan Villari got a majority of the snaps in the shotgun. The Long Island native led the Orange on the ground with 17 carries for 154 yards and led the team with just 12 passing yards.
Shockingly though, the reason behind this according to Babers had nothing to do with Shrader's health.
“The plan wasn’t based off Garrett’s availability,” Babers said. “We wanted to be more physical. We wanted to go old-school. We wanted to go back 100 years.”
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Syracuse Football: New York native Dan Villari scored historic performance (itlh; Adler)
On Saturday, as Syracuse football halted a five-game skid in handling Pittsburgh, New York native Dan Villari put forth a historic performance in helping lead the Orange to pick up its first Atlantic Coast Conference victory of the 2023 season and inch the ‘Cuse closer to a bowl game for the second year in a row.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Villari, who hails from Massapequa on New York’s Long Island, transferred to the Orange in the spring of 2022 after spending two seasons as a backup quarterback at Big Ten powerhouse Michigan, where he saw limited time.
Converted to a tight end at Syracuse football, the redshirt sophomore on Saturday from Yankee Stadium in New York City rushed 17 times for 154 yards and a score on the ground, and he also threw for 12 yards through the air.
With the Orange significantly limited by injuries at the quarterback position, the team’s passing attack took a huge backseat to the ‘Cuse run game, and the Mob defense was terrific as Syracuse football (5-5, 1-5 in the ACC) beat long-time rival Pitt, 28-13, leaving the Orange just one victory away from clinching bowl-eligibility in the current term.
According to SU Athletics, Villari’s 154 rushing yards set a new single-game program record for yards on the ground by a ‘Cuse tight end. The cuse.com statement went on to say that Villari’s 154 rushing yards represented “the most by a tight end in at least a decade – and probably longer – at the FBS level.” That’s tremendous.
Syracuse football tight end Dan Villari set a team record this past weekend.
Given the Orange’s injuries at quarterback that would severely limit its passing attack, the ‘Cuse coaching staff, led by head coach Dino Babers and offensive coordinator Jason Beck, rolled out a creative game plan versus the Panthers that featured Villari in a “Wildcat” formation.
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse...-offensive-approach-vs-pittsburgh-sustainable (SI; podcast; The Bleav)
Bleav in Syracuse podcast episode 89, presented by Bet Online, is out! We discuss the Orange's win over Pittsburgh, the unconventional offensive game plan including its sustainability and predict whether or not SU makes a bowl game. You can subscribe and listen on your favorite podcasting platforms as linked below.
Newhouse after Noon 11-13-23 (ESPN; radio; the 315)
Shane Holcombe and Jacob Charnow react to Syracuse football’s unique win over Pittsburgh on Saturday and how it impacts the program for the future before Michael Ostrowski and Jacob Kaye disagree on a few takeaways from the Orange’s big win.
Adam Terry "The 315" 11-13-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Former SU offensive linemen and radio color analyst Adam Terry joins Brian to react to the win over Pittsburgh at Yankee Stadium and discuss where the Orange go from here after winning with such a wonky offense.
Narduzzi recaps Syracuse & looks ahead to BC | Pitt football on Panther-Lair.com 11/13/2023 )youtube; podcast; Panther Lair)
Pat Narduzzi held his weekly press conference Monday and talked about Pitt's loss to Syracuse, Thursday night's matchup with Boston College and a lot more.
DT & Kevin Greene Talk God, faith, SU Football, & the NFL (youtube; podcast; DT)
Wake Up Call with Dan Tortora brings you DT & Syracuse Orange Football alum Kevin Greene speaking on God, faith, the "State of Syracuse Football", & the NFL, followed by DT tackling the firing of Jimbo Fisher from Texas A&M, & More...
KEEP OR SWITCH IT UP? Can SU football's run-heavy strategy be the key to a 2023 bowl game? (cnycentral.com; Sladek)
Over the weekend, Syracuse (5-5, 1-5 ACC) deployed an entirely different style of football from its norm to beat Pittsburgh 28-13 and snap a long five-game losing streak.
The Orange nearly ditched the passing part to solely focus on varying run-schemes. The main reason behind the switch came from the health condition of starting quarterback Garrett Shrader. The senior captain returned to the field Saturday after missing SU's loss to Boston College, but it became apparent on the opening drive Shrader's legs worked great, his throwing-arm did not.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 11: Garrett Shrader #6 of the Syracuse Orange carries the ball as Donovan McMillon #3 of the Pittsburgh Panthers defends during the first half at Yankee Stadium on November 11, 2023 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson was also hurt which meant head coach Dino Babers and offensive coordinator Jason Beck would have to look further down the depth chart if they decided on a throwing-offense. Instead, Shrader played every snap of offense just not in his traditional role. The QB ran the ball, caught a pass, and even played a big part lining up at receiver to block or serve as a decoy. The Charlotte native threw the ball just twice connecting once to Max Mang for 5 yards on what happened to be the only passing-touchdown of the game for SU.
The Orange finished with 392 rushing yards which was the most by a Syracuse team since 1996 when the Orange ran for 396 in the Liberty Bowl according to SU Athletics. Shrader, LeQuint Allen and tight-end Dan Villari each surpassed 100 rushing yards. The first SU trio to accomplish the feat since Donavan McNabb, Kyle McIntosh and Dee Brown pulled it off in 1997.
Syracuse brought the element of surprise and Pitt had no answer to stopping the Orange from running it down their throat.
Looking ahead to Saturday's game at Georgia Tech, the surprise is gone. Tech's coaching staff will be much more prepared than Pitt for the run-attack. Does Babers have to switch it up again? Or, will he look at Tech and say, "Try to stop it."
During Monday's press conference, Babers said, "We'll play towards our personnel. We have to find out what personnel we have because it was a very physical game and the training room is filled up."
In other words, the style of play we'll see on Saturday depends on the health of certain players. No doubt, the 392 rushing yards in the win over Pitt comes with a price to pay. A sore and banged up offense.
Babers said he was encouraged by the way Del Rio-Wilson was moving around the field during some training on Sunday. His status for Georgia Tech is a wait and see.
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Syracuse football: Orange open as six and a half point underdogs to Georgia Tech (TNIAAM; Wall)
The Syracuse Orange (5-5, 1-5) head to Atlanta to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-5, 4-3) in primetime next Saturday.
Opening odds from DraftKings put the Orange as six and a half point underdogs for this one. The over/under on this game is set at 53.5 points as the winner will become bowl-eligible and the loser will be facing a must-win in the season finale.
With the Georgia Bulldogs looming for Georgia Tech, the stakes are a bit higher for the Yellow Jackets this Saturday night. Syracuse enters the game with a 4-5-1 record against the spread this season.
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Georgia Tech vs. Clemson Full Game Replay | 2023 ACC Football (youtube; video; ACC DN)
Balancing a steady offense with an active defense helped Clemson to earn a dominant 42-21 home victory over Georgia Tech. The Tigers’ defense only allowed 254 total yards in the win, and they picked off 4 Haynes King passes. Offensively, QB Cade Klubnik passed the ball 34 times for 23 completions, 205 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Will Shipley scored a touchdown in his return on the ground, as he and Phil Mafah carried the rushing load for the Tigers on 28 combined carries and 173 combined yards. Georgia Tech RB Jamal Haynes rushed for 104 yards in the loss.
Orange Nation 11-13 - cusesportstalk on Twitch
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse...ads-to-syracuses-unconventional-win-over-pitt )SI; Supple)
The historic matchup at Yankee Stadium had the same ending it did 100 years ago with Syracuse coming out on top over Pittsburgh. The century old game was a 3-0 Orange victory while this time around it finished 28-13. This meeting saw Syracuse churn out over 380 yards on the ground with a game plan that seemed about as old school as it gets.
The reason why? Coach Babers says it was because of the buy on and belief from his team with trying out that new offensive scheme.
“At first the guys were a little hesitant but it’s like when you are a young kid and your parents have to move for work and you start saying I don’t want to go because of leaving your friends and stuff, but you finally get in the car because its family and you follow family,” said Babers. “By the end everyone got in the car as a family and that is why we were able to be successful today.”
Dan Villari came to Syracuse having played Quarterback his whole life, but their year was given an opportunity to try a new role as a tight end, a position he fully embraced and worked his way into a starting role.
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Syracuse celebrates defeating Pittsburgh at Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y., Saturday November 11, 2023 Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
Syracuse’s regular-season finale against Wake Forest gets afternoon kickoff on The CW (PS; $; Leiker)
Syracuse football’s final game of the regular season against Wake Forest will kick off at 2 p.m. Nov. 25 at the JMA Wireless Dome.
The game will air on The CW.
The CW, known for early 2000s teen dramas like One Tree Hill and Gilmore Girls, inked a deal with the ACC in July to broadcast 50 conference games between football and men’s and women’s basketball.
The channel had not previously aired college sports but is the exclusive home of LIV Golf.
Games broadcast on The CW have averaged 529,000 viewers since Week 6, according to Nielsen ratings. The most-watched in that period was Virginia’s stunning upset of North Carolina, which garnered 788,000 viewers.
Wake Forest has beaten Syracuse in each of the two progams’ past three meetings. This year, though, the Demon Deacons have struggled following the transfer of quarterback Sam Hartman. They’re a bottom-five offense within the conference and, like SU, have just one ACC win.
With it being the final home game of the season for the Orange, the program will honor its seniors and players who are considering departing the program for a shot at the NFL prior to the game.
https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/football/dan-villari-chris-bleich-named-acc-players-of-the-week (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse tight end Dan Villari was named Co-Running Back of the Week while guard Christopher Bleich was named Offensive Lineman of the Week by the ACC on Monday. It is the first honor of the season for Villari and second time for Bleich.
CO-RUNNING BACK – Dan Villari, Syracuse, TE, Massapequa, N.Y.
Villari set a new Syracuse record for most rushing yards by a tight end, the highest total on record by an FBS tight end in at least a decade. He ran for 154 yards on 17 carries, averaged 9.1 yards per carry, and scored a touchdown. He entered the game with two career carries for three yards collegiately. Villari's total was part of a Syracuse offensive effort that ran the ball for 392 yards and two scores in the victory over Pitt at Yankee Stadium.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Christopher Bleich, Syracuse, OL, Hanover Township, Pa.
Bleich graded out as the top offensive lineman for Syracuse, paving the way for an offense that ran for 392 yards in a win over Pitt at Yankee Stadium. The Orange averaged 6.0 yards per carry on the day behind the offensive line performance. Bleich and company opened running lanes for three different Syracuse rushers to cross the 100-yard threshold on the afternoon - the first time three Syracuse players have gone over 100 yards in the same game since 1997. He also finished with six knockdown blocks in the win
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A Syracuse Football Bowl Game Shouldn’t Impact Dino Babers’ Job Security (orangefizz.net; Aitken)
Syracuse football is just one win away from a bowl appearance. An extra game would be great for the program and Orange fans should be hungry for postseason play. However, whether or not SU gets to six wins shouldn’t dictate Dino Babers’ future with the team.
A bowl game is looking pretty likely at this point. Syracuse just needs one win through the next two weeks, both of which provide beatable opponents.
Georgia Tech has the 129th-ranked rushing defense in the entire country – out of 130 teams. The Yellow Jackets give up over 220 yards on the ground per game. Meanwhile, the Orange’s three-man wildcat system resulted in 392 rushing yards. That’s a recipe for SU competing with GT at the very least, with the potential for a big win.
Wake Forest isn’t a scary foe either. The Demon Deacons are just 1-6 in ACC play, a game worse than the Orange.
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Ex-Syracuse football star kicked in groin during NFL dustup (SU, CNY in Week 10) (PS; Herbert)
Former Syracuse football star Justin Pugh got kicked in the groin during a small dustup in Sunday’s New York Giants game.
Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Neville Gallimore was ejected in the final minute of the fourth quarter after kicking Pugh, who stood while Gallimore was still lying on the ground. Video shows the kick occurred following Gallimore’s hit on New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito’s legs after DeVito threw a pass; Pugh then put his hands on Gallimore while appearing to try to push him away from DeVito.
“Look, he hit the quarterback late, I took exception to it, I hit him, I shouldn’t have done that when he was on the ground, pushed him and he kicked me,” Pugh told the New York Post after the game. “I’ve gotten in so many fights in my career, I’m not gonna cost myself money. He’s gonna get a FedEx so I feel bad for him on that. I don’t want a guy to lose money. But you don’t kick somebody on a football field.”
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ACC News
Pitt AD Heather Lyke says she and Pat Narduzzi will ‘work together’ this offseason to evaluate football program (P-G; Hiles)
Amid his worst season as a head coach, one worry Pat Narduzzi won’t likely have in the near future is job security.
Per a statement from Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke, it looks as though Narduzzi will maintain his position as the program’s head coach following the end of the 2023 campaign.
“This season is not up to Coach Narduzzi’s or Pitt’s standards,” Lyke said in a statement to the Post-Gazette. “He has raised the bar on expectations for our program with an ACC championship and Top 25 finishes the past two years. With the onset of the offseason, we will work together to thoroughly evaluate each aspect of our program, on and off the field, so that we can begin competing for ACC titles again.”
Since accepting Pitt’s head coach position in December 2014, Narduzzi has led the Panthers to six winning seasons, six bowl appearances, two trips to the ACC title game and an ACC championship in 2021. Narduzzi boasts an overall record of 64-49 as Pitt’s head coach. His 64 victories are second-most in program history, behind only Jock Sutherland’s 111.
In March 2022, the offseason following Pitt football’s lone ACC championship, Narduzzi was signed to a contract extension that runs through the 2030 season. The financial terms of Narduzzi’s contract extension were never released by the university.
This year has been far different than most for Pitt under Narduzzi, as the Panthers enter Week 12 of the 2023 college football season with an overall record of 2-8 and a conference record of 1-5. With just two games remaining, Narduzzi’s team boasts the league’s No. 11 defense and worst offense.
Prior to this fall, Narduzzi’s lone losing season took place in 2017 when the Panthers finished 5-7. Narduzzi has expressed plenty of frustration with his team’s 2-8 record, often putting the bulk of the blame on himself.
“It starts with me,” Narduzzi said during his opening remarks following his team’s most recent loss, a 28-13 defeat Saturday evening at Yankee Stadium. “I take full responsibility. It’s my job to get 74 guys we bring on the road all ready to go. But it starts with the coaching, and it’s putting our guys in position to make plays offensively and defensively, and we obviously didn’t do that today.”
https://www.si.com/college/louisville/football/not-concerned-with-acc-title-scenarios (SI; McGavic)
In just their first year with head coach Jeff Brohm at the helm, the Louisville football program is on the verge of making program history. At 9-1 overall and 6-1 in conference play, they are the overwhelming favorite to clinch the second berth in the ACC Championship Game. It would be their first appearance in the league's title game since joining the conference in 2014, and their first appearance in a conference title game period.
They very nearly punched a berth this past Saturday despite playing a game two days prior. But with North Carolina taking down Duke, it kept the ACC Championship Game odds for both them and Virginia Tech - as slim as they may be - very much alive. According to the Sagarin ratings, Louisville has a 95.9 percent chance to face Florida State in Charlotte, N.C., with VT coming in at 2.9 percent and 1.2 percent.
Even with just two weeks left in the regular season, there are a lot of different scenarios in which Louisville can officially punch their ticket. While Brohm and the Cardinals are aware of them, they also haven't gotten too wrapped up in them.
"I think probably everybody's looked at the internet, and looked at the scenarios," Brohm said. "When I've tried to look at it, I can't figure it out. I only thing I know is that if we win, good things will happen. So that's what we got to do, we gotta go with the game. To go to Miami and find a way to win on their home field would be a huge accomplishment, if we can get that done, in itself."
Brohm is right in that some of the clinching scenarios are a bit complex. Following the results of this past weekend's game, there are now three ways in which the Cardinals can earn the No. 2 seed, according to University of Louisville statistician and SID assistant Kelly Dickey.
The first two are fairly straightforward while the third is... hairy to say the least. The clinching scenarios are as follows:
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BOZICH | 1 sure way for Louisville to solve ACC tiebreaker confusion (wdrb.com; Borzich)
You have questions about what the University of Louisville football team must do to lock down its spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.
So do I.
So do other media members, people I encounter at grocery stores and fans who send emails. America's top litigators are confused.
So is one other person: Jeff Brohm, the Cards' head coach.
"I think probably everybody's looked at the internet and all those scenarios," Brohm said. "When I try to look at it, I can't figure it out."
Enter Kelly Dickey, master statistician and keeper of UofL history, who explained it in complete detail on X (which many will always call Twitter).
I'll keep it brief: If North Carolina loses at Clemson or North Carolina State, Louisville will play Florida State for the ACC title.
If Virginia Tech loses to N.C. State or Virginia AND one of five other things happen, Louisville will play the Seminoles on Dec. 2 in Charlotte, North Carolnia
Better to strive for simplicity:
Beat Miami Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium and No. 9 Louisville can delete the rest of the story.
"I think it's important to try to win the football game, no matter what," Brohm said.
The chatter surrounding the game is fascinating. Although Louisville is 9-1 and the Hurricanes are 6-4 with losses to Georgia Tech and N.C. State, teams Louisville defeated, the Cards were only a 1.5-point favorite on Monday afternoon at DraftKings.
The Hurricanes lead the series, 11-3-1. Louisville is 0-7 in the games played at Miami.
Football Game Times & Networks Announced for Week 13 (theacc.com)
The Atlantic Coast Conference and its television partners announced the following football game times and networks for Week 13, Nov. 24-25.
Friday, Nov. 24
- Miami at Boston College, Noon ET on ABC – previously announced
Saturday, Nov. 25
- Wake Forest at Syracuse, 2 p.m. ET on The CW Network
- Florida State at Florida, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
- Georgia at Georgia Tech, 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC
- Clemson at South Carolina, 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network
The following four games will be flexed as six-day determinations:
Saturday, Nov. 25
- Kentucky at Louisville
- North Carolina at NC State
- Virginia Tech at Virginia
- Pitt at Duke – Noon or 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network
ACC Notes
Through the first 11 weeks of the season:
- Florida State (No. 4), Louisville (No. 11) and North Carolina (No. 24) were ranked in the latest College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
- The ACC has three teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll this week, including two teams in the top 10 – Florida State (No. 4), Louisville (No. 9) and North Carolina (No. 22). NC State is also receiving votes.
- The ACC has eight teams that are bowl eligible – Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina, Miami, Duke, Boston College, NC State and Clemson – the second-most of any FBS conference to date.
- Florida State is 10-0 overall and finished 8-0 in ACC play, the Seminoles’ best start since 2014 when they started 13-0 and posted a perfect 8-0 ACC record.
- The Seminoles are one of just seven undefeated teams remaining in FBS.
- Florida State clinched a spot in the 2023 ACC Football Championship Game on Dec. 2 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- The ACC had six teams start the season at 4-0, which tied the SEC in 2012 for the most teams in a Power 5 conference to start 4-0 in a single season in the AP Poll Era (since 1936).
- The ACC has had six games on ABC’s “Saturday Night Football" – the most of any FBS conference – as well as a total of 35 appearances on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 over the first 11 weeks of the season.
- To date, 24 ACC contests are scheduled for national ABC broadcasts, while the ACC Network will also feature 38 games.
- Of the 24 full national ABC telecasts, 14 different league programs will be featured.
- Tickets are on sale now for the 2023 ACC Football Championship Game at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 2023 ACC Football Championship Game will feature the top two teams based on the highest winning percentage in regular-season conference play. If necessary, the league’s tiebreaker policy will be used to determine the participants.
- Tickets are also on sale now for the 2023 ACC Football Honors program presented by the Charlotte Sports Foundation at the Belk Theater in Uptown Charlotte on the evening of Friday, Dec. 1. The ACC Football Honors program will start on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Tickets to the event are $150 and include a pre-show reception as well as a post-show reception. Tickets are on sale now via Blumenthal Performing Arts.
CFP 12-Team Rumors/Opinions
Nothing is official yet, but the word on the street is that the new 12-team College Football Playoff which begins in the 2024-25 season will not be a "6+6" (6 highest-rated conference champions plus 6 highest-rated at-large teams) but will be "5+7" (5 conference champs + 7 at-large teams). This is in recognition of the collapse of the Pac-12.
Why 5+7 is good for the ACC:
The league is still going to be guaranteed a spot for its champion - which is better than a pure "top 12" - but that's only one spot. Now that the ACC is divisionless and will soon have 17 football-playing teams, the odds of having two ranked teams in the ACC CG every year are pretty good anyway.By expanding the at-large bids from 6 to 7, it improves the chances of the ACC getting a second team into the playoffs. You and I both know that the first few at-large bids are going to go to the SEC, Big Ten, and Notre Dame! So, the further down the list of at-large teams you go, the better the chance that one (or more) of them is an ACC team.
The next big debate: money
There's still on-going debate over how the money should be split up. One thing which has already been brought up is whether the ACC should get a 17th "P5 share" for SMU. Personally, I think it's ridiculous to question if SMU deserves a share unless you also question BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF. Since I doubt the CFP will have the guts to say no to the Big XII, I believe the ACC can - and should - stand its ground on SMU as well....
2023 Bowl Predictions after Week 11 (RX; HM)
2023 Bowl Predictions after Week 11
Who's going "bowling", and where? Here's what 247Sports wrote about it...
Two teams in the New Year's Six Bowls is great, but what about the rest of the conference?
From 247Sports: College football bowl projections, Week 12
Holiday Bowl: USC vs. Clemson
Mayo Bowl: Duke vs. Florida
Military Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. SMU
Fenway Bowl: Boston College vs. UTSA
Pinstripe Bowl: NC State vs. Rutgers
Sun Bowl: Miami vs. Oregon State
Pop-Tarts Bowl: North Carolina vs. Kansas
Gator Bowl: Auburn vs. Georgia Tech
ReliaQuest Bowl: Notre Dame vs. LSU
Orange Bowl: Ohio State vs. Louisville
Rose Bowl (playoffs): Michigan vs. Florida State
That's 11 bowl ties for the ACC (counting Notre Dame) for 10 of its 14 current football-playing members. Getting 10 out of 17 teams with 6+ wins next year will be considerably easier and not a big deal (what will be the new number? 12 teams, maybe?)
Note: it's still possible for California to become bowl-eligible - they need to win out by beating Stanford this weekend and then UCLA during "Rivalry Week", but neither of those games is out of the question for the Bears.
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2023 Surprises and Disappointments (RX; HM)
2023 Surprises and Disappointments
ESPN Staff Writer Bill Connelly made a name for himself by analyzing football teams statistically. Here's an excerpt of a recent article he wrote for ESPN+ (just the ACC-related parts):
College football Week 11: Biggest surprises, disappointments this season
Biggest increase in projected win total
Florida State (10-0)
Week 11 result: defeated Miami 27-20
Preseason projected win total: 8.9
Updated projection: 11.8 (+2.9)
The Noles have underachieved against projections the past couple of weeks, even with the return of injured star receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson. But it would take a pretty massive upset to take them out of the CFP running.
Trey Benson and the Seminoles are on track for a playoff berth.
Biggest downgrade in projected win total
Pitt (2-8)
Week 11 result: lost 28-13 to Syracuse
Preseason projected win total: 7.3
Updated projection: 2.7 (-4.6)
What a shocking fall it has been for the 2021 ACC champs, who have plummeted from sixth in offensive SP+ in 2021 to 50th in 2022 and 91st currently. The Panthers' 38-21 upset of Louisville remains one of the most baffling results of the season.
Most improved power conference teams
Miami (6-4)
Last year: -2.6 (71st)
This year: 9.2 (26th)
Improvement: +11.9
I guess this is more of a rebound than improvement; the Hurricanes should have never fallen as far as they did in Mario Cristobal's first season. Still, their SP+ rating suggests they're better than their record, and some of the 2024 hype we'll almost certainly see might be justified.
Georgia Tech (5-5)
Last year: -12.6 (105th)
This year: -2.5 (70th)
Improvement: +10.1
The Yellow Jackets got knocked around by Clemson on Saturday, but they had won three of four before that, and they can bowl if they win a tossup game against Syracuse this Saturday. We'll see what kind of ceiling Brent Key's program can create, but the floor's much higher than it was under Geoff Collins.
Most regression among power conference teams
Pitt (2-8)Last year: 9.9 (36th)
This year: -4.4 (78th)
Regression: -14.3
...the Panthers had fallen off a bit in 2022 but still managed excellent defensive play and average offense. This year those units have been average and awful. They've played against three teams in the SP+ top 20 and lost to them by an average of 41-13. (Their win over Louisville is almost certainly why the Cardinals don't rank in the SP+ top 20.) They've underachieved against projections in eight of 10 games -- it's quite possible SP+ hasn't found their floor yet, and they're already down to 78th.
Conference title odds
With two weeks left before championship weekend, let's check in on the SP+ title odds...AAC: SMU 40.4%, Tulane 33.4%, UTSA 16.5%, Memphis 9.7%. UTSA is smoking hot, but the Roadrunners' odds are tamped down by a season-ending trip to Tulane. The winner will likely play SMU in the title game, though the Mustangs could make things weird with a Week 12 loss at Memphis.
ACC: Florida State 69.6%, Louisville 29.8%, Virginia Tech 0.6%. We're all but certain to see Noles-Cardinals in Charlotte. It should be a delight.
30th Anniversary of College GameDay (RX; HM)
30th Anniversary of College GameDay
Florida State and Notre Dame pioneered college football television coverage and, in so doing, changed the very nature of the sport...
...whether it's better now or not, I'll leave that up to you!
Bowl Tracker 2023 Nov 13 (RX; HM)
Bowl Tracker 2023 Nov 13
How's the ACC bowl situation shaping up so far? Which and how many teams will be eligible?
Already Bowl-Eligible (8+2 teams):
- Florida State (10-0)
- Louisville (9-1)
- North Carolina (8-2)
- NC State (7-3)
- Duke (6-4)
- Boston College (6-4)
- Clemson (6-4)
- Miami (6-4)
- Southern Methodist (8-2)
- Notre Dame (7-3)
Needs One Win (3 teams):
- Georgia Tech (Syracuse, Georgia)
- Virginia Tech (NC State, @Virginia)
- Syracuse (@Georgia Tech, Wake Forest)
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Leaving Pac-12 schools oppose OSU, WSU filing (ESPN; Bonagura)
In the ongoing legal battle for control of the Pac-12, the 10 departing universities expressed concern that if Oregon State and Washington State were to obtain complete control of the conference board, they could attempt to withhold revenue distribution from the 2023-24 school year from the departing members.
The schools made their thoughts known in a filing on Thursday opposing a motion for preliminary injunction.
On Sept. 9, WSU and OSU filed a complaint for breach of bylaws in Whitman County Superior Court and sought an emergency temporary restraining order to protect what the schools saw as an "imminent and existential threat" to the future of the conference. The TRO request was granted Sept. 27, which prevented any board meetings to be called.
Washington, on behalf of the nine other departing schools -- Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC and Utah -- joined the lawsuit as an intervening party Oct. 16.
A joint statement from the departing 10 schools, in part, said: "Granting OSU and WSU unilateral authority over hundreds of millions of dollars in 2023-2024 revenue needed this year to run our athletics programs would harm our universities, including our ability to provide critical resources and opportunities for our student-athletes."
The original lawsuit came, in part, due to OSU's and WSU's fear that if given the right to vote in a board setting, the departing schools could effectively decide to shutter the conference and split the remaining assets, limiting OSU and WSU's options for how to move forward.
In the latest filing, the departing schools insinuated there were no plans to do that.
"The way to satisfy that duty [of loyalty to the Pac-12] is to recuse from decisions that, unlike those involving withholding 2023-2024 revenue distributions, impact only the post-August 1, 2024, future of the Conference," the filing said. "UW has already assured the Conference that it would not seek to vote on certain matters affecting only the Plaintiffs, such as future media rights agreements and new Conference member considerations."
If the court grants OSU's and WSU's request for preliminary injunction, UW requested the TRO be extended in order to seek a review in Washington Supreme Court and to prevent OSU, WSU and the Pac-12 from using 2023-24 revenue for purposes that do not benefit the 12 current members. Specifically, UW asked funds not be used to schedule games with nonconference opponents or be used to add new conference members.
"Today's filing is yet another attempt by the departing schools to ignore conference Bylaws and prevent OSU and WSU from exercising their right to govern the future of the Pac-12," OSU spokesperson Rob Odom and WSU spokesperson Phil Weiler said in a statement. "It is disappointing that the departing schools are directly reversing their prior interpretation of the Bylaws in an effort to take control of the Pac-12, a conference to which they no longer have any loyalty. We did not create or seek these circumstances, but OSU and WSU will continue to take whatever actions are necessary to protect our universities, ensure accountability and transparency, safeguard student-athletes and the Pac-12 Conference, and preserve our options moving forward."
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Other
Owners of former Sears, Macy’s stores at ShoppingTown object to county using eminent domain powers (PS; $; Moriarty)
In what could foreshadow a tough legal fight, lawyers for the owners of the former Sears and Macy’s stores at the closed ShoppingTown Mall objected Monday to a county agency using its eminent domain powers to advance a proposed redevelopment of the dead shopping center.
Attorneys for Transform Saleco LLC and Benderson Development, owners of the Sears and Macy’s stores, respectively, spoke against any use of eminent domain during a public hearing held by the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency at DeWitt Town Hall.
A local development group, OHB Redev, has proposed a $400 million redevelopment of ShoppingTown into a 65-acre mixed-use complex known as District East. Plans call for multiple buildings with housing, entertainment, restaurants, hospitality, retail and office space.
ShoppingTown closed in 2020. Onondaga County acquired most of the property from its owner, Moonbeam, later that year. But the former Sears and Macy’s stores were not owned by Moonbeam and were not part of the deal.
The county has agreed to sell the property to OHB Redev for $8 million. But OHB says its offers to purchase the former Sears and Macy’s stores have been rejected by Transform and Benderson. It has asked the industrial development agency to use its eminent domain powers to acquire the stores on its behalf. Without the two stores, District East cannot go forward, according to the developers.
More than a dozen DeWitt residents and town officials spoke in favor of the agency using its eminent domain powers to take possession of the two former department stores. Several said the mall is falling apart and is rapidly becoming a blight on the town.
But attorney Benjamin Neidl, representing Transform, and attorney Christopher McDonald, representing Benderson’s 3649 Erie LLC, questioned the legal authority of the agency to use eminent domain to assist a project with residential and retail components. Its use should be limited to industrial, manufacturing, warehousing, commercial, research, renewable energy and recreational facilities, they said.
Both attorneys also alleged the agency has not properly evaluated the environmental impact of District East, including its impact on traffic.
“This is a massive undertaking,” said McDonald. “It’s 33 buildings, it’s 1.9 million square feet. It’s going to have internal infrastructure, including sewers, sidewalks and streets. It just blinks at reality to think that that’s not going to have some sort of environmental impact.”
Neither attorney said what their clients planned to do with the stores, and both declined after the hearing to comment further.
Benderson owns a shopping plaza adjacent to ShoppingTown and presumably could find itself in competition with District East for retail tenants if the redevelopment of the mall goes forward. Transform is an entity formed by Sears to hold its real estate following the closing of most of its stores.
The objections raised by the lawyers for Transform and Benderson could mean the two companies will wage a legal challenge to any use of eminent domain by the agency, potentially delaying the District East project further.
Other speakers at the hearing urged the agency to do whatever it could to advance the District East project.
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Comedian Tom Segura performs at The Ice House Comedy Club on August 26, 2023 in Pasadena, California.Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images
Tom Segura, Kevin James coming to Central NY for comedy shows (PS; Herbert)
Two big names in comedy are coming to Central New York in 2024.
Tom Segura will perform a stand-up comedy show at the Turning Stone Event Center in Verona on June 14, 2024, as part of his new “Come Together” tour dates. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; show begins at 8.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Nov. 17, at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster. A TS Rewards presale begins Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 10 a.m. (Note: Show is for audiences 16 and older.)
Segura, who’ll also perform June 13 in Jamestown, is a stand-up comedian known for his self-deprecating humor and storytelling, as featured in Netflix specials and a best-selling book. He also co-hosts the “2 Bears, 1 Cave” podcast with fellow comedian Bert Kreischer and “Your Mom’s House” with Christina P.
“King of Queens” and “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” star Kevin James will take the stage at del Lago Resort & Casino in Waterloo on Saturday, June 1, 2024. The 21-and-over comedy show will begin at 8 p.m.
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