sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Pumpkin Pie Day!
The main season for eating pumpkin pie begins with the fall harvest and ends with Christmas. During this time it is often eaten on Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pumpkin Pie Day takes place right before Thanksgiving, making it the perfect time to bake a pie to take to your holiday gathering.
Pumpkin pie consists of a pumpkin filling that is a sweet, orange to brown pumpkin-based custard, made with fresh or canned pumpkin or a packaged pumpkin pie filling. It is commonly flavored with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Packaged pumpkin filling usually already has these spices in it. Pumpkin pie shells tend to be flaky, and usually don't have a top crust.
Pumpkins are native to the Americas. They were brought back to Europe by explorers in the sixteenth century and began being cultivated there. Some of the Pilgrims who came to America in 1620 may have already been familiar with pumpkins, but if not, some form of pumpkin food was served at the harvest celebration the following year, and they would have learned of them then.
SU News
(youtube; video; Syracuse Orange)
AD John Wildhack addresses the change in leadership for Syracuse football.
Caleb Okechukwu defensive lineman for the Syracuse Orange, briefly gives his thoughts before going in on a team meeting, on the firing of head coach Dino Babers. Sunday Nov.19, 2023. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.comdnett@syracuse.com
SU players blindsided by Babers’ firing: ‘A shock for everybody’ (PS; $; Leiker)
When Syracuse football players got a message through their team app asking them to report to the facility at 11 a.m. Sunday for an emergency meeting, Caleb Okechukwu knew what it meant.
It reminded him of when the team was called in last year after news broke that then-defensive coordinator Tony White was leaving for the same job at Nebraska.
In the meeting, Syracuse University athletic director John Wildhack informed the team he had fired Dino Babers, the program’s eighth-year head coach. Tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile would serve as their interim head coach for the final week of the regular season.
“Of course you have mixed reactions. You’re definitely gonna be caught off guard at first,” Okechukwu told syracuse.com. “We got one more game left. Obviously those kind of decisions are usually made at the end of the season, literally right after the last game.
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ACC Bowl Watch: If SU can scratch its way to a win, where might it be headed? (PS; $; Carlson)
The Florida State football team has an inside track to a College Football Playoff spot until last week, when star quarterback Jordan Travis suffered an ugly and cruel broken leg on a tackle from Shaun Myers.
The injury could create more conversation about the Seminoles among the College Football Playoff Committee.
The group is tasked with selecting the best four teams for the postseason.
Would Florida State be one of the four best without its starting quarterback? Or would a talented one-loss team with its best option healthy be the better squad?
It seems against the spirit of the sport not to reward the more deserving team, which to me would clearly be unbeaten Florida State. The committee could decide otherwise.
Even before Travis’ injury, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit was floating the possibility that unbeaten Florida State could be omitted from the field in favor of one-loss Alabama. Former Florida State quarterback Danny Kanell, who works for CBS Sports and Fox, argued Herbstreit was just being provocative because it was good television.
I side with Kanell, but the pair could be previewing the argument that dominates national college football conversation the rest of the year.
As for Syracuse, the Orange is favored to beat Wake Forest in a game that would send SU off to a bowl game.
Military Bowl vs. American in Annapolis, Maryland: Duke. The Blue Devils are the best remaining geographic fit.
Fenway Bowl vs. American in Boston, Massachusetts: Boston College. The Eagles are the best bet to sell tickets in Boston.
Birmingham Bowl vs. bowl qualifier in Birmingham, Alabama: Syracuse. If Syracuse makes a bowl game it will stagger into it on the heels of firing its head coach. With so little momentum, the Orange seems like it should be the last pick.
Not projected to finish over .500: Pittsburgh, Miami, Wake Forest,
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The Next Day: Dino Babers tried everything in last game as head coach. Nothing worked. (DO; Alandt)
Head coach Dino Babers showed no signs that something was amiss in what would end up being his final press conference as head coach of Syracuse. He sighed when he first got to the podium before talking about him and his team’s disappointment. There were no questions about the status of his job after a win against Pittsburgh seemed to quell them.
The next morning, Director of Athletics John Wildhack announced that Babers tenure, after eight seasons atop the Orange, was over. Against Pitt, SU did something revolutionary in the face of key injuries to Garrett Shrader and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, pulling off a win.
But reality hit against Georgia Tech. Without a healthy Shrader or Del Rio-Wilson, SU had to run the wildcat, run-option offense with sparring screen passes. The element of surprise was gone. Syracuse had put nearly everything on tape that it would end up doing Saturday night against the Yellow Jackets. There wasn’t much creativity off of it.
“The only difference was they knew it was coming,” Dan Villari said. “We tried to catch them off guard with some perimeter screens, but they knew.”
There are plenty of issues to consider when looking at a macro level at Babers’ eight seasons at the helm of the Orange. He came in as the hot Group of 5 coach that had just led Bowling Green to a 10-win season. He won 10 games in 2018 and upset Clemson at the JMA Wireless Dome and inked a multi-year extension with a $10 million buyout to ensure his stay.
He tried to come out ahead — and nearly did after going to the Pinstripe Bowl last year. But too much went against Babers this season, and he ended up out the door. What was once a promising hire, a dream of a relentless veer and shoot offense ended, ironically, with Syracuse (5-6, 1-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) implementing a run-option, wildcat offense that was easily stopped by Georgia Tech (6-5, 5-3 ACC) in its 31-22 loss.
The candid answers began to permeate through press conferences following a third-straight loss earlier in the season. For the second-straight year, a once-promising, undefeated start had been dashed by ACC teams. Babers went just 20-45 across eight seasons in conference games, and it once again ravaged Syracuse’s regular season. The juxtaposition of where the Orange were as a program in Babers’ eighth season and where top-echelon teams like North Carolina, Florida State and Clemson was clear. They’d been outscored 112-24 and hardly competed in any of the losses.
“Our depth is in the transfer portal. You know how many guys we lost. Schools like us, we’re not gonna have a lot of depth because it gets bought away,” Babers said ahead of the Orange’s eventual loss to Virginia Tech.
Players like Ja’Had Carter, Duce Chestnut, Jatius Geer and Courtney Jackson left, all at positions Syracuse struggled this season to keep healthy. The first signs of trouble this year came when David Wohlabaugh and Oronde Gadsden II went down with season-ending injuries in consecutive weeks. Players kept going down, and the losses began to pile up.
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Smith: The Dino Babers experiment never made sense for Syracuse (DO; Smith)
He was the coach who never added up.
He was the coach who, when introduced in 2016, promised an aerial attack that wouldn’t huddle. The same coach who, five years later, ditched that two hours before a nonconference game in favor of a run-focused look.
He was the coach who spurned a regional recruiting approach for a national one — something that has never led to sustained success at Syracuse. The coach who somehow got talked out of recruiting the talent-rich Washington, D.C.-Baltimore corridor, and ignored New York and New Jersey high school coaches despite possessing a charming personality that resonated with so many who met him.
He was the coach who led a 2018 team destined for last in the Atlantic Coast Conference to 10 wins, and a preseason top 25 team the next year to just 5-7. The coach who notched some of SU’s biggest wins this century, yet finished 20-45 in conference play.
And he was the coach who received a questionable contract extension that didn’t add up. That was John Wildhack’s determination in firing Dino Babers after eight seasons with the Orange. Babers had another year on his contract. The math just wasn’t there for eight to become nine.
“We can be a winning program,” Wildhack said Monday after firing a coach who had lost more ACC games than all but one team over the course of his eight-year tenure.
Babers was the coach who had the chance to lead his team for one final game, but opted not to for unknown reasons, even with bowl eligibility on the line. He could not be reached for comment by The Daily Orange.
When he arrived at SU in December 2015, Babers promised a fast-paced, spread offense central New York had never seen before. He went 4-8 each of his first two seasons, but his offense was exciting. Then the breakthrough in 2018: 10 wins, 40 points per game and a No. 15 ranking to end the season. He earned a long-term extension after the season and his earnings jumped to $3.5 million by 2019.
But Babers never lived up to it. He didn’t build around blue-chip quarterback recruit Tommy DeVito like he needed to, and his offense bottomed out as the ACC’s worst unit in 2020. Two years after leading the Orange to their best season since 2001, he found himself on the hot seat.
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John Wildhack details process of firing Dino Babers, what's next for SU (DO; Alandt)
A day after Syracuse Athletics announced that it was firing head coach Dino Babers, effective immediately, Director of Athletics John Wildhack held a press conference, answering questions about the decision and where the program stands as it searches for its 33rd coach in program history. In a world of name, image and likeness where Syracuse has dealt with losing depth to larger programs through the transfer portal, the Orange are set — as of Nov. 20 — to have one of their best recruiting classes in the eight years since Babers took over the team.
Babers finished his time with SU with a 41-55 record, including a 20-45 record against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. Former Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone, former assistants Sean Lewis and Tony White and James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti have emerged as candidates to replace Babers. Wildhack, who took over as the Director of Athletics for Mark Coyle in July 2016, will be looking for a new football coach for the first time at SU.
“It came down to November. There’s been a consistent theme that we’ve not been successful in November,” Wildhack said.
Here are some takeaways from Wildhack’s press conference following the firing of Babers:
What went into the decision to let go of Babers
Wildhack said he met with Babers before the start of his eighth season at Syracuse and told him that the benchmark for the year was a 7-5 record. The Director of Athletics was happy with how the team went from 5-7 in 2021 to 7-5, earning a berth in the Pinstripe Bowl last season, but wanted to see if the program could come back with a similar or better record this season. He also spoke with Babers about that goal after the Orange’s 41-3 loss to then-No. 4 Florida State.“Once that obviously wasn’t attainable, it was time to move and make a decision,” Wildhack said.
Wildhack detailed how the last two seasons have gone, a similar hot start against nonconference opponents followed by a midseason slide in October and November that led Syracuse to struggle to earn bowl eligibility. SU’s slide from 5-4 to 5-7 in 2021 was also mentioned as something that Wildhack was unhappy with. He was not pleased with the same storyline happening in two straight seasons and felt the need for a change at head coach.
Wildhack said that he felt like games against Boston College and Georgia Tech, both losses of fewer than 10 points for Syracuse, were winnable games. He said if the Orange won both of those, “we’re not here today.”
Wildhack also gave Babers the option to coach SU’s final regular season game against Wake Forest, much like they did when they fired Scott Shafer in 2015 before the final regular season game, but Babers declined to do so. He also said that Babers’ buyout, which is estimated to be around $4 million for the final year of his contract, has been factored in internally and that it will not affect the hiring process of the next head coach.
He also said that tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile was tapped as the interim head coach because he has experience doing so over a longer period of time at Rutgers. Campanile took over for Chris Ash four games into last season after he was fired and led the Scarlet Knights to a 1-7 record. Wildhack also noted that Campanile’s ties to New Jersey, a place the Orange have many recruits and verbal commitments, were important in maintaining.
Looking for a Northeast coach
When asked about whether or not the next head coach would have a connection to central New York, Wildhack pointed to where the four most successful coaches in program history came from. Ben Schwartzwalder was from West Virginia, Dick MacPherson came from Maine and UMass, Paul Pasqualoni moved from UConn and Marrone grew up in New York City.“It’s not lost on me that our four most successful coaches in a sense. Sometimes history can be a really good teacher,” Wildhack said.
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Babers had a long stay for a coaching vagabond. It feels like we still don’t know him (PS; $; Carlson)
Dino Babers arrived at Syracuse with a secret. He leaves behind a riddle.
His firing on Sunday ended the tenure of the fourth-longest career of a head coach in Syracuse football history, trailing only memorable figures Ben Schwartzwalder, Dick MacPherson and Paul Pasqualoni.
Schwartzwalder was a stubborn war hero, the epitome of a field general. MacPherson had the gift of gab, so popular and accessible in the community that he could have been mayor. Pasqualoni was a football lifer, so serious about the sport that he picked a home near the university so he wouldn’t waste precious minutes commuting when it was better spent on football.
Each of those coaches left a clear imprint behind, a memorable identity of who they were that stands even taller than what they accomplished.
The memory of Babers will be more difficult to conjure, a product of his distant public attitude, middling results and the increasingly cutthroat nature of modern-day college sports, where coaches are vagabonds and time spent learning a temporary community is better spent recruiting.
Babers arrived as the fifth Syracuse football coach in a span of 13 seasons.
He leaves after eight years as a cryptic, movie-quoting coach who provided a milestone win, a viral postgame speech and a flicker of belief to a fading program. After a brief burst of energy, Babers simply lost too many football games.
An outsider who came to Syracuse promising an offensive revolution, Babers asked in his first press conference, “Why not, Syracuse?”
And despite living eight years in Central New York, he never seemed to grasp the idea that, after 22 years lost wandering the college football wilderness, the Syracuse fanbase might actually deserve to hear the reasons why when asked to invest its time, energy and money.
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Rhule's advice to White on potential HC gigs: 'Don't take job with no support' (PS; $; Leiker)
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said during his Monday press conference that he was contacted by a search firm about his associate head coach and defensive coordinator, Tony White.
White, who served as Syracuse football’s defensive coordinator from 2020-22, has appeared on multiple potential candidate lists for the Orange’s head coaching vacancy.
SU fired Dino Babers on Sunday morning after eight seasons as head coach.
Syracuse University athletic director John Wildhack said Monday the university is using a search committee and employing the help of Bob Beaudine, the chief executive office of the search firm Eastman and Beudine.
A handful of other programs, including Texas A&M, Mississippi State and San Diego State, are also already looking for new head coaches with one week remaining in the regular season.
White worked at San Diego State from 2009-17 as a cornerbacks coach, adding recruiting responsibilities in 2011.
Rhule said he told the search firm that the program they’re working for “should hire Tony White. Tony White should be a head coach. He’s excellent.”
But Rhule also shared the advice he offered White in deciding whether to take a head coaching job.
“Don’t take a job with no resources,” Rhule said. “Don’t take a job with no support. Don’t take a job without a great recruiting base. Don’t take a job — hear me when I say this, this is deep — where the expectations outweigh the commitment. If I wanna be in great shape, and I work out one day a week. You want to be a 10-win team and you’re spending at the middle of your conference.
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Nebraska Football: Dino Babers firing could spell trouble (huskercorner.com; Vandervoort)
Any Nebraska football fans who are worried about Tony White after this season just got another reason to worry as Syracuse is looking for a head coach.
This offseason is shaping up to be a dream winter for Nebraska football defensive coordinator Tony White. It’s looking more and more like he can write his own ticket.
It stands to reason that Husker fans are going to be doing a lot of hoping once the season is over. Whether that’s next Friday or after a bowl game. White could of course come back for a second season as the DC in Lincoln.
More and more it’s looking like White sticking around is extremely unlikely.
It became less likely on Sunday morning when the Syracuse Orangemen announced they were parting ways with head coach Dino Babers. It took no time at all for college football insider Pete Thamel to say that White is on the short list of Babers’ replacements.
The good news for the Nebraska football program is that there are a number of other candidates on that list as well.
Toledo’s Jason Candle, former BYU and Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall, former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone, James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti, Ohio State DC Jim Knowles, Colorado’s Sean Lewis, Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney, Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden and Pittsburgh Steelers DC Teryl Austin are all on the list.
Nebraska football DC stands out from the pack
While there are plenty of good names in that group, Tony White stands out because of his previous ties with Syracuse. He’s often regarded as a big reason why the Orange managed to make a bowl a year ago.His departure has seen a defense that was among the best in the country prior to injuries return to earth this year. In short, Tony White to Syracuse is a storyline to keep an eye on.
Unfortunately, that makes two schools that have deep ties to Nebraska football’s defensive coordinator who are looking for head coaches. It’s going to be a stressful winter in Lincoln. Again.
Syracuse football: John Wildhack emphasizes that coaching change is "not a total reboot" (TNIAAM; Ostrowski)
Syracuse Orange football is transitioning out of the Dino Babers era, as the search for a new head coach is underway. John Wildhack held a press conference Monday morning in place of the usual one from Babers, where he laid out what the program is looking for in its next leader.
Wildhack began the conference by thanking Dino for his time in Syracuse, calling him “a class act and a class person.” However, he also stated that the reasoning for firing the 8th-year Syracuse coach was twofold.
First, it gives SU a head start with their search for his replacement, as well as time to reaffirm their relationships with incoming recruits.
Second, Wildhack and Babers established a benchmark record of 7-5 prior to the season. That goal became impossible after the Orange lost to Georgia Tech Saturday night. Wildhack said he offered Babers the chance to coach against Wake Forest - and potentially a bowl game - before stepping away, but Dino refused.
“I told him it’s his decision, and I didn’t try to sway him one way or the other,” Wildhack said.
That loss was part of a trend that continued this year: late-season collapses. Wildhack pointed out the constant struggles of Babers-led teams in November, and how the past three seasons have all featured promising starts but very poor finishes. For reference:
- 2021 - Started 5-4, lost last three
- 2022 - Started 6-0, lost six of last seven
- 2023 - Started 4-0, lost six of seven
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Syracuse fires football coach Dino Babers (theathletic.com; $; Vannini & Staff)
Syracuse has fired football coach Dino Babers with one game remaining this season, the school announced Sunday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Babers has spent eight seasons with the Orange and amassed a 41-55 record.
- Syracuse has gone 5-6 (1-6 in conference play) this season.
- The Orange lost 31-22 to Georgia Tech on Saturday and need one more win to become bowl-eligible. They face Wake Forest next weekend.
- Nunzio Campanile will coach against Wake Forest, Syracuse athletics director John Wildhack said in a statement, adding that a national search to identify Babers’ successor is underway.
Is this a surprise?
Not at all. The Orange made just two bowl games in eight years. The past several seasons have been defined by hot starts and disastrous finishes. The 2021 team started 3-1 but finished 5-7. The 2022 team started 6-0 but finished 7-6. The 2023 team started 4-0 but sits at 5-6.This has proven to be a difficult job, and Syracuse has trailed behind its peers in the NIL space, with Babers saying he was unable to keep depth in the program in the age of NIL/transfer portal. Can it turn around? The next coach will have a lot of work to do. It has one 10-win season since 2002. The Orange were once a great program in the 1980s and 1990s, at the forefront of offensive football in many ways. But that’s a long time ago. It has been unable to reclaim the glory. — Chris Vannini, college football staff writer
Who could get the job?
Based on conversations with industry sources, some potential names to watch for the job include Toledo coach Jason Candle, Holy Cross coach Bob Chesney, Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden, New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, Florida State offensive coordinator Alex Atkins and Colorado offensive coordinator Sean Lewis. — Vannini
What they’re saying
“Thanks to Dino’s leadership, our student-athletes have performed at the highest levels in the classroom, have dedicated countless hours to supporting our communities and have gone on to achieve great success, both professionally and personally,” Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack said.
“As we embark on a change in leadership at the helm of Syracuse Football, on behalf of Syracuse University I thank Coach Babers for his leadership, character and dedication, and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/football/two-key-dates-for-syracuse-footballs-coaching-search (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football has every reason and motivation to fill its head coaching vacancy expeditiously. Those two dates will have a huge impact on both the immediate and long term future of the program.
December 4th: Opening of the Transfer Portal Window
The transfer portal window opens on December 4th. Syracuse having someone in place before this benefits the Orange in two ways. First, it allows the new head coach to talk to his current players and try to convince them to stay. That will not work for everyone, as there will naturally be attrition. But any effort to minimize, specifically to keep some of the more prominent players on the roster, would be beneficial.
Second, having someone in place allows an evaluation of the roster, identification of needs and the ability to recruit players who enter the portal from other schools. You do not want to be behind from that front.
December 20th: Early National Signing Day
Syracuse currently has 18 players committed for the 2024 recruiting class. Class of 2024 recruits can sign during the early period, which runs December 20th to December 22nd. Having a new coach in place who can talk to the committed recruits about his vision would potentially help keep most of the class together. Of course there is also the caveat that a new coach may not see some of the commits as fits within whatever systems will be run. But the longer you have to go through that process, including hosting other recruits on official visits the weekends prior, the better.
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With his coach a rumored candidate for Syracuse job, Holy Cross star QB hits transfer portal (report) (PS; $; Carlson)
With Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney a rumored candidate for the head coaching position at Syracuse, four of his star players with the Crusaders hit the transfer portal on Monday.
The list of Holy Cross players exploring their options is headlined by quarterback Matthew Sluka. Other Holy Cross players that placed their name in the portal include linebacker Jacob Dobbs, defensive back Terrence Spence, punter Matthew Haughney and offensive lineman Eric Schon
Their decisions to enter the portal were reported by the website MikeFarrellSports.com. Farrell made his name in college football writing as a prominent recruiting analyst.
The mass departures from Holy Cross are likely of particular interest to Syracuse fans because of Chesney’s place on a variety of candidate lists to be Syracuse’s next head coach. He was listed among the potential replacements for Dino Babers by The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman.
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Former Syracuse football player and 4-star recruit Francois Nolton will enter transfer portal (PS; $; Carlson)
Former Syracuse football player Francois Nolton, who was recently removed from the team’s online roster, will enter the NCAA transfer portal when it opens, he said on social media.
Nolton announced his intention to enter the portal on “X,” the social media website previously known as Twitter.
Nolton is one of five Syracuse players that have left the program since July. It’s unclear exactly when Nolton left the team.
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Colorado linked to Syracuse RB likely to hit transfer portal (glorycolorado.com; Hughes)
Colorado football has been linked to Syracuse in a multitude of ways since the Orange fired head coach Dino Babers; including but not limited to Sean Lewis being linked to return to Central New York to replace his former boss, Coach Prime jumping ship to Cuse in one of the unlikeliest jumps ever, and now, Orange running back LeQuint Allen being dubbed a Buffs transfer portal target by Mike Farrell Sports’ Mark Pszonak.
“Allen has been the most explosive player for the Orange this season,” Pszonak prefaced before saying, “He leads the team with 918 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground, while grabbing 35 receptions, which also leads the team. And let’s not forget that he had to deal with that odd suspension earlier this year that was eventually overturned. An opportunity for a fresh start somewhere else may be too good to pass up.”
South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Louisville, and Ole Miss were the other schools linked to the Buffs by the Mike Farrell Sports writer.
Colorado football running game needs proper protection to thrive in 2024
Coach Prime snapped at a reporter earlier in the season for implying that the Buffs coaching staff isn’t trying to run the ball more. A misconception about CU’s lackluster running game is that it has something to do with the RB room.
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BREAKING: Syracuse fires Babers (RX; HM)
BREAKING: Syracuse fires Babers
From Syracuse.com:
Syracuse fires football coach Dino Babers with 1 game left in 8th season
Why was he terminated?
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30 Minutes In Orange Nation 11-20-23 (ESPN; radio; Orange Nation)
Paulie Scibilia and Brian Higgins react to Dino Babers’ firing and take calls from listeners with thoughts on what’s to come for Syracuse football.
https://kyinsider.com/kentucky-football-liam-coen-candidate-syracuse-head-coach-vacancy-111923/ (kyinsider.com; Atkins)
Early Sunday Morning, Syracuse head football coach Dino Babers was fired after posting a 41-55 record in eight seasons with the Orange only appearing in two bowl games.
Right away Kentucky Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen was linked as one of the early names in the conversation for the position, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Given Coen’s northeast origins and his connections in the area, this isn’t as far-fetched as one would think at first glance.
Other names mentioned in the early process of the head coaching search included Sean Lewis, Bronco Mendenhall, Doug Marrone, Al Golden, Jim Knowles, Bob Chesney, Teryl Austin, Tony White, and Jason Candle.
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Syracuse businesses hope new coach can make SU Football a competitive economic engine (cnycentral.com; Wight)
A D1 university athletics program is not a guaranteed luxury for every community, and as Syracuse University football has proven over recent years, neither is a winning one.
As the university searches for a new coach after parting ways with Dino Babers, local business owners will watch eagerly to see if someone arrives who can deliver a competitive ACC team, along with fans with money to spend.
On Monday, Syracuse University Athletic Director John Wildhack said that Babers knew that Georgia Tech was a make-or-break game when it came to his employment. At the start of the season, Babers was told he needed to finish with a minimum record of seven wins and five losses; Georgia Tech represented loss number six. While Babers had the option to continue coaching against Wake Forest, he ultimately turned it down, finishing with 41 wins and 55 losses over eight seasons with the Orange.
"We can be a winning program, we're not that far away," Wildhack said.
The athletic director made it clear that the new coach will be tasked with improving upon what Babers was able to achieve. Danny Liedka, president and CEO of Visit Syracuse, certainly hopes that will be the case.
As the head of Onondaga County's Tourism Promotion Agency, he said that there is a direct correlation between SU football's success on the field and the profits of local hotels and restaurants. Fans who live in CNY are encouraged to spend time in and around downtown on game day; away fans make the effort to travel to Syracuse and stay overnight when they know that the Dome will play host to a competitive match-up.
"There's no doubt that winning puts people in the seats," Liedka said, "when you look at the attendance numbers and look at the metrics for the hotel industry and the restaurants, they certainly do a lot better on those weekends."
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Notre Dame assistant a possibility for Syracuse head coach opening? (yahoo.com; Shepkowski)
The college football coaching carousel is starting to really get moving. Although the regular season didn’t see many coaches lose jobs early on, the firings have become more regular in recent days.
One job that will be open in a matter of days is the Syracuse football head coach job. Dino Babers has held that post since 2016 and has finished with a winning record just twice during his run.
The 5-6 Orange will be moving on from him following their regular season finale against Wake Forest on Saturday. Could the opening be one that pulls a prominent Notre Dame assistant coach away from South Bend?
Defensive coordinator Al Golden has had success on the east coast, specifically at Temple, where he put life into what had been a dead program. Success there led him to getting the Miami job starting in 2011. Could Golden be headed back to the ACC?
He was asked about it Monday by Tyler Horka of Blue-Gold Illustrated. Here is what Golden said:
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Syracuse Football: My heartfelt good bye to former SU Coach Dino Babers (itlh; Fiello)
On Sunday, Dino Babers was dismissed as the head coach of Syracuse football, effective immediately, in an announcement posted to cuse.com by SU Athletics.
Babers and the Orange fell at Georgia Tech this past Saturday night, dropping the ‘Cuse to 5-6 overall and 1-6 in Atlantic Coast Conference competition.
Syracuse football has one more 2023 regular-season game left, as the Orange will host Wake Forest this Saturday. Tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile will serve as the interim head coach against the Demon Deacons, and if the ‘Cuse prevails, Syracuse football will go to a bowl game for the second year in a row.
With his dismissal, Babers was one regular-season game shy of completing his eighth year as the team’s head coach. In his tenure on the Hill, he compiled a 41–55 overall mark and a 20–45 record in ACC games.
Here’s my heartfelt goodbye letter to former Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers.
Dear Coach Dino Babers,
I write this heavy-hearted but out of love and gratitude for what you gave to the Syracuse football program.
You provided an environment where student-athletes could excel in the classroom and on the field. Never once did I have to worry you were not looking out for their best interest and not just as a player. Or worried that your sideline demeanor was demeaning towards players or anyone else.
You made me feel good to cheer for you being a standup guy who didn’t do or say things that embarrassed me or the program. I never worried about your press conferences being cringey and watched just about every one because you were so engaging and informative. You handled the press in a way I was comfortable with seeing.
You cared about the university and the program. You conducted yourself with class and respect never once looking to make massive changes to things while also respecting the past.
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Who could transfer for Syracuse football after Dino Babers firing? (saturdayblitz.com; Strong)
On Sunday morning, Syracuse football fired Dino Babers after losing to Georgia Tech 31-22. Babers had an up-and-down eight years with the Orange. But the real question is what people are thinking. Who could enter the transfer portal from Syracuse? The players will have a thirty-day portal window because the Orange fired their coach.
Even though the transfer portal window opens really soon, the Syracuse football players who enter can have an early start to finding their next school. Here are five potential players that could enter the transfer portal from Syracuse.
LeQuint Allen:
Allen has been the bright spot for the Orange offense. He has 193 carries for 918 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. You can add on 35 receptions for 197 yards and a receiving touchdown. The New Jersey native can thrive in many offenses, so he will have many opportunities. Schools like South Carolina and Virginia Tech could be ones to watch for Allen if he does enter the transfer portal.
Donovan Brown:
Brown has had a good freshman season at Syracuse; he had 25 receptions for 309 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. The Syracuse offense has not been good of late, so it could have been more yards, but he has done well as a freshman. You could think many schools would love to add Brown if he entered the transfer portal.
Derek McDonald:
McDonald could be one of those under-the-radar players if he chose to enter the transfer portal. McDonald has 55 tackles and two sacks as a sophomore. The Georgia native could enter the portal, get closer to home, and play for a school like Georgia Tech, Memphis, or Vanderbilt.
Brady Denaburg:
Denaburg has been solid this season in the kicking game. He has made 31/32 extra points and 10/16 on-field goals this season. Including 6/8 in the 30-39 range and 3-4 in the 40-49 range. He has been solid, and teams are always looking to add kickers because they are so important in today’s football. The Florida native could be another who could enter the portal to get closer to home. Over 30 FBS transfer kickers stayed in the FBS during the 2023 off-season.
Marlowe Wax:
I was going to try to avoid putting Wax on this list, but he has been so good for Syracuse football this season. Wax is the best player on this defense, and he is only a junior. Wax has 92 tackles, four sacks, four forced fumbles, two pass deflections, and an interception.
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ACC News
10 things I'm absolutely overreacting to after Week 12 in the ACC - Saturday Road (saturdayroad.com; Friedlander)
Football is a violent game. Injuries happen. No one is immune.
But this one hits harder than most.
Jordan Travis isn’t just a star quarterback who persevered, improved and became a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender over the course of his long college career. He’s also a good kid who was the engine that was driving Florida State at warp speed on a collision course for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Instead, his college career and likely with it, the Seminoles’ Playoff chances, ended Saturday night in a collision with North Alabama defenders near midfield at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Travis suffered a gnarly-looking leg injury that was reminiscent of the one Joe Theismann suffered at the hands of Lawrence Taylor in 1985. You can Google the video if you’re too young to remember that. Or if you’ve never seen the opening sequence of the movie “The Blind Side.”
But I don’t recommend it if you have a weak stomach.
This one was just as bad. Maybe worse because of what it means to a young athlete’s prospects both now and in the future, a program’s championship hopes and the ACC as a whole.
Devastating doesn’t even begin to describe it.
And it’s 1 of the 10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to after Week 12 in and around the ACC.
10. Better late than never, Pat Narduzzi
Give Pat Narduzzi credit. He finally figured out the answer to his season-long quarterback problem.It only took until the next-to-last week of the season.
In Narduzzi’s defense, bringing in Boston College transfer Phil Jurkovec seemed to make sense. So did benching him after 5 games. An argument can also be made for choosing Christian Veilleux to replace him. But when it became obvious that Veilleux also wasn’t the answer, he waited way too long to turn to sophomore Nate Yarnell.
Yarnell had already made 1 career start. It came last season after injuries forced him into action against Western Michigan. He completed 9-of-12 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions in a 34-13 win. He was just as good Thursday night against BC, staying calm in the pocket and aggressively winging the ball downfield on the way to a 207-yard, 1-touchdown, no-interception performance in a 24-16 victory that ended Pitt’s 4-game losing streak.
He’s now 2-0 as a starter, completed 63% of his passes and has yet to be picked off. After 2 straight whiffs with the transfer portal in the past 2 offseasons, maybe Narduzzi will at least give Yarnell a shot to show he’s the Panthers’ best option at quarterback moving forward this spring before hoping the 3rd time bringing in a veteran free agent is the charm.
That is, assuming Yarnell doesn’t enter the portal first.
9. But what about Wakey Leaks?
Justice came down swiftly on Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and 2 members of his staff in the fallout over the sign-stealing scandal that has become the most talked-about story in college football this season.As well it should have.
Stealing signs is against the rules and the punishment is justly deserved. Just as it was with baseball’s Houston Astros. But let’s face it. Everyone does it. Michigan just happened to get caught, in part because of its own brazen carelessness. When it comes to sports transgressions, this scandal is petty larceny compared to the grand theft that took place a few years ago in the case we now know as Wakey Leaks.
Back in 2014, a former Wake Forest assistant coach working as the team’s radio analyst did something far worse by providing “proprietary game preparation” information to future Deacons opponents – including Louisville, Army and Virginia Tech – as payback for Dave Clawson not retaining him on staff.
Like Michigan’s Connor Stalions, Tommy Elrod was fired for his transgression. But the NCAA never got involved. And it took 2 years for any action to be taken. Even then, the staffs at the 3 schools that gladly accepted the contraband playbooks got off scot-free. It’s a disparity that has Clawson questioning the NCAA’s priorities.
“If this involved Clemson or someplace like that, this would’ve been the biggest deal of all time,” Clawson told The Athletic recently. “… Why is the NCAA involved in this, but didn’t get involved in our situation?”
The answer is simple. It’s because “Little Wake Forest” doesn’t move the needle nationally. It brings to mind the old Jerry Tarkanian quote about the NCAA’s double standard: “The NCAA is so mad at Kentucky that it will probably slap another 2 years probation on Cleveland State.”
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Week 13 ACC preview and storylines to watch (usatoday; Haley)
The ACC title game is already booked, with Florida State putting playoff hopes on the line against a Louisville team that has never made the big game before.
However, there’s plenty of drama to find outside of the standings in rivalry weekend. Florida State has one last major obstacle between it and an undefeated season. Virginia Tech takes on an in-state rival in search of its fifth conference win and a bowl appearance. Clemson and North Carolina look to end disappointing seasons on a positive note. Not to mention, this is the last regular-season weekend of ACC football before Stanford, California, and SMU join the conference in 2024.
Here are the most intriguing storylines to follow in Week 13.
Bowl eligibility watchlist
Nine of the ACC’s 14 teams have already qualified for the postseason with six wins. Two more teams could reach that same milestone this weekend.
Teams heading to the postseason:
- Florida State Seminoles (11-0)
- Louisville Cardinals (10-1)
- N.C. State Wolfpack (8-3)
- North Carolina Tar Heels (8-3)
- Clemson Tigers (7-4)
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-5)
- Boston College Eagles (6-5)
- Duke Blue Devils (6-5)
- Miami Hurricanes (6-5)
- Virginia Tech Hokies (5-6)
- Syracuse Orange (5-6)
Who could play spoiler?
True to rivalry week fashion, the team with the highest potential to spoil an ACC foe is an in-state rival. After a 1-3 start, Virginia Tech has won four of its seven conference games to reach the precipice of bowl eligibility. They play the Virginia Cavaliers this weekend, who are 3-8 and don’t have a chance to make the postseason. The Cavaliers have already played the spoiler well this season, ending North Carolina’s undefeated season for their first conference win of the season. One more great game from Virginia can halt all the Hokies’ momentum. If you’re looking for a long shot down the board, Georgia Tech could ruin Georgia‘s 28-game win streak and cement the SEC conference title game as an elimination game for Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs.
...
https://www.si.com/college/georgiatech/football/acc-football-power-rankings-week-13 (SI; Caudell)
The ACC title game is now set.
With Louisville beating Miami, the Cardinals clinched a spot in the ACC title game and will face Florida State on December 2nd. The Cardinals are also 10-1 and still have a longshot playoff bid.
That was not the biggest news unfortunately in the ACC this week.
Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a terrible injury in the Seminole's win over North Alabama. Will FSU be able to win the next two games without their most valuable player? We are about to see.
So how do the ACC Power Rankings look going into the last week of the season?
14. Pitt (3-8). Last week: 14
Pitt got back on the winning side this week, beating Boston College on Thursday night, but that is not enough to move them up any spots. The Panthers finish their season off against Duke this week and even with the win against the Eagles, I am sure Panthers fans want this season to be over and forgotten about.
13. Wake Forest (4-7). Last week: 12
It has been a disappointing season for the Demon Deacons and this weekend did not make it any better. Former Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman led Notre Dame to a blowout win over Wake Forest and their bowl streak is now over. They can still get to five wins if they beat Syracuse next week.
12. Syracuse (5-6). Last week: 11
Syracuse Football is officially heading in a new direction after their loss to Georgia Tech. The Orange fired head coach Dino Babers after eight seasons and they are now in the market for a new coach. Syracuse has suffered injuries this year and doesn't have a healthy quarterback at the moment. Despite all of this, they can get to a bowl game if they find a way to beat Wake Forest this weekend.
11. Virginia (3-8). Last week: 13
Tony Elliott deserves a lot of credit for battling this season out and this team looks much better over the course of the past month (outside of a blowout loss to Georgia Tech). The Cavaliers beat Duke this weekend to get their third win and they have a chance to keep Virginia Tech from making a bowl game. There is still a ways to go in this rebuild, but Elliott has gotten this team to play better.
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‘Out of the trash’: How NC State football made history ahead of UNC game (fayobserver.com; Baxley)
NC State football has reached new heights this season.
Going back to its inaugural season in 1892, the Wolfpack had never enjoyed a stretch of four consecutive seasons with at least eight victories — until now.
With its 35-28 victory at Virginia Tech, NC State has reached eight wins in each of the last four years for the first time in program history.
As ESPN’s David Hale noted in a social media post, NC State is one of four Power Five programs to accomplish that feat. That puts the Wolfpack in the same company as Alabama, Georgia and Notre Dame.
Everything changed for NC State (8-3, 5-2 ACC) during the off week following a 24-3 loss at Duke.
“We just had to pick this program, basically, out of the trash. We all weren't doing our part. We all weren't bought in,” NC State linebacker Payton Wilson said after the win against the Hokies.
https://adclick.g.doubleclick.net/p...72c9487359fa3&utm_source=polar&utm_medium=cpc
“That bye week hit us, those coaches got on us and showed us what we could do, and you can see the result of that. We’ve got one more to go, and we’ve got to finish strong."
A four-week revival has boosted pride around the Wolfpack, which carries a four-game winning streak into its regular-season finale against rival North Carolina (8-3, 4-3). Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.
“I'm just proud of how we've gotten better. We're peaking at the right time. Offense, defense, special teams, all the guys are pitching in, and coaches are doing a good job,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said.
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https://www.si.com/college/georgiatech/football/acc-football-predictions-for-every-week-13-game (SI; Caudell)
As hard as it is to believe, the last week of the regular season is upon us. The ACC title game is locked in for next week between Florida State and Louisville. Before that game though, both of those teams have to survive tests against SEC rivals.
Florida State has to prove it is a playoff-caliber team without star quarterback Jordan Travis and that starts on Saturday against the Gators. The Seminoles still have a lot to play for, but it is unknown how good exactly they might look.
Louisville has one more upset trap to navigate. Kentucky is not as good as in years past, but Mark Stoops is a really good coach and will have his team ready on Saturday.
Virginia Tech and Syracuse have opportunities to get to a bowl game with wins on Saturday, the winner of NC State and North Carolina will finish the year with nine wins, and Clemson can finish the year with four straight wins.
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North Carolina looks to regroup in Thanksgiving week rivalry game against NC State :: WRALSportsFan.com (wralsportsfan.com; Bergin)
North Carolina and NC State enter rivalry week with matching records despite getting there in vastly different ways.
The Tar Heels (8-3, 4-3 ACC) will try to beat the Wolfpack for the first time since the 2020 season.
“We’ve got our hands full going into NC State this weekend,” Brown said.
Kickoff between North Carolina and NC State is set for 8 p.m. Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium. The game airs on the ACC Network.
NC State head coach Dave Doeren echoed Brown's sentiments.
“Every rivalry I’ve been a part of, it’s the same way,” Doeren said. “It’s just great pageantry, and it’s one of my favorite weeks in college sports.”
Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, the ACC Championship Game is already set. Florida State will play Louisville on Dec. 2 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
“Rivalry games are like a whole season,” Brown said. “It’s something that heroes are made in. It’s something you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
“So, nothing matters this week except for focusing on this game. It’s a great rival.”
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Football RPI 2023 Week 13 (RX; HM)
Football RPI 2023 Week 13
After finding the Sonny Moore computer ranking too illogical, I remember this computer ranking: football RPI (relative power index), which I've used before. It's beautifully simple in the way it computes RPI because it's simply based on actualy game results. Here's how the website realtimerpi.com/football/ncaaf_Men.html ranks all of the current and future P5 teams, with current and future ACC teams in lightblue:
| Rank | School | W-L | Index | Conf. | W-L |
| 1 | Georgia | 11-0 | 49.54 | SEC | 8-0 |
| 2 | Ohio St. | 11-0 | 48.76 | B1G | 8-0 |
| 3 | Michigan | 11-0 | 48.57 | B1G | 8-0 |
| 4 | Washington | 11-0 | 47.77 | Pac12 | 8-0 |
| 5 | Florida St. | 11-0 | 47.36 | ACC | 8-0 |
| 6 | Texas | 10-1 | 46.07 | Big12 | 5-1 |
| 7 | Alabama | 10-1 | 46.00 | SEC | 7-0 |
| 8 | Oregon | 10-1 | 45.26 | Pac12 | 7-1 |
| 9 | Penn St. | 7-2 | 44.03 | B1G | 5-2 |
| 10 | Mississippi | 9-2 | 43.79 | SEC | 5-2 |
| 11 | Louisville | 8-1 | 42.87 | ACC | 6-1 |
| 12 | Missouri | 9-2 | 41.88 | SEC | 5-2 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 9-2 | 40.83 | Big12 | 3-2 |
| 14 | Oregon St. | 8-3 | 40.12 | Pac12 | 5-3 |
| 15 | Tennessee | 6-4 | 39.56 | SEC | 2-4 |
| 16 | James Madison | 10-1 | 39.12 | SBC | 6-1 |
| 17 | Utah | 7-4 | 38.79 | Pac12 | 4-4 |
| 18 | LSU | 7-3 | 38.71 | SEC | 5-2 |
| 19 | Tulane | 10-1 | 38.69 | Amer | 3-0 |
| 20 | Oklahoma St. | 8-3 | 38.35 | Big12 | 4-1 |
| Rank | School | W-L | Index | Conf. | W-L |
| 21 | Notre Dame | 8-3 | 37.19 | Indp | 0-0 |
| 22 | Kansas | 7-4 | 36.88 | Big12 | 2-4 |
| 23 | Iowa | 8-1 | 36.31 | B1G | 5-1 |
| 24 | Liberty | 11-0 | 36.26 | USA | 1-0 |
| 25 | Arizona | 8-3 | 35.69 | Pac12 | 6-2 |
| 26 | N. Carolina | 8-3 | 35.62 | ACC | 4-3 |
| 27 | Kansas St. | 7-3 | 34.42 | Big12 | 4-2 |
| 28 | Fresno St. | 8-3 | 33.43 | MWC | 4-3 |
| 32 | USC | 7-5 | 32.14 | Pac12 | 5-4 |
| 33 | Duke | 6-4 | 31.78 | ACC | 3-3 |
| 35 | SMU | 8-2 | 31.27 | Amer | 4-0 |
| 36 | UCLA | 7-4 | 30.89 | Pac12 | 4-4 |
| 37 | N.C. State | 8-3 | 30.83 | ACC | 5-2 |
| 38 | West Virginia | 7-4 | 28.15 | Big12 | 2-2 |
| 39 | Kentucky | 6-5 | 27.59 | SEC | 3-5 |
| 41 | Clemson | 7-4 | 23.97 | ACC | 4-4 |
| 44 | Texas A&M | 7-4 | 23.44 | SEC | 4-3 |
| 47 | Rutgers | 6-4 | 23.01 | B1G | 3-4 |
| 49 | Miami (FL) | 6-5 | 22.74 | ACC | 2-5 |
| Rank | School | W-L | Index | Conf. | W-L |
| 51 | Iowa St. | 6-5 | 22.65 | Big12 | 3-3 |
| 55 | South Carolina | 5-5 | 22.23 | SEC | 3-4 |
| 56 | Auburn | 6-5 | 22.21 | SEC | 3-5 |
| 58 | Georgia Tech | 6-5 | 22.16 | ACC | 5-3 |
| 59 | Texas Tech | 6-5 | 22.10 | Big12 | 3-2 |
| 60 | Maryland | 6-5 | 21.81 | B1G | 3-5 |
| 61 | Georgia St. | 6-5 | 21.79 | SBC | 2-4 |
| 62 | Northwestern | 6-5 | 21.71 | B1G | 4-4 |
| 63 | Wisconsin | 6-5 | 21.46 | B1G | 4-4 |
| 64 | San Jose St. | 6-5 | 21.43 | MWC | 5-2 |
| 65 | Marshall | 5-5 | 21.31 | SBC | 2-3 |
| 66 | Boston Coll. | 6-5 | 21.15 | ACC | 3-4 |
| 67 | W. Kentucky | 5-5 | 21.11 | USA | 3-1 |
| 68 | California | 5-6 | 20.93 | Pac12 | 3-5 |
| 71 | Minnesota | 5-6 | 20.90 | B1G | 3-5 |
| 73 | TCU | 5-6 | 20.50 | Big12 | 1-5 |
| 76 | Virginia Tech | 5-6 | 20.40 | ACC | 4-3 |
| 77 | UCF | 5-6 | 20.38 | Big12 | 1-0 |
| 78 | Illinois | 5-6 | 20.36 | B1G | 3-5 |
| 79 | Michigan St. | 4-7 | 20.22 | B1G | 2-6 |
| Rank | School | W-L | Index | Conf. | W-L |
| 80 | Mississippi St. | 5-6 | 20.19 | SEC | 1-6 |
| 81 | Syracuse | 5-6 | 20.14 | ACC | 1-6 |
| 83 | Florida | 5-6 | 20.00 | SEC | 3-5 |
| 84 | BYU | 5-6 | 19.99 | Big12 | 0-0 |
| 88 | Washington St. | 5-6 | 19.43 | Pac12 | 2-6 |
| 90 | Nebraska | 5-6 | 19.24 | B1G | 3-5 |
| 91 | Wake Forest | 4-7 | 18.99 | ACC | 1-6 |
| 93 | Arkansas | 4-7 | 18.75 | SEC | 1-6 |
| 94 | Houston | 4-6 | 18.70 | Big12 | 0-1 |
| 96 | Virginia | 3-8 | 18.67 | ACC | 2-5 |
| 100 | Colorado | 4-7 | 18.53 | Pac12 | 1-7 |
| 102 | Purdue | 3-8 | 18.24 | B1G | 2-6 |
| 104 | Arizona St. | 3-8 | 18.20 | Pac12 | 2-6 |
| 108 | Stanford | 3-8 | 18.00 | Pac12 | 2-7 |
| 111 | Navy | 3-5 | 17.67 | Amer | 0-3 |
| 112 | Indiana | 3-8 | 17.65 | B1G | 1-7 |
| 118 | Pittsburgh | 3-8 | 17.26 | ACC | 2-5 |
| 122 | Baylor | 3-8 | 16.82 | Big12 | 0-5 |
| 123 | Cincinnati | 3-8 | 16.78 | Big12 | 1-1 |
| 128 | Vanderbilt | 2-9 | 16.26 | SEC | 0-7 |
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AP Poll 2023 Nov 19 (RX; HM)
AP Poll 2023 Nov 19
Here's the latest AP poll after the games of week 12:
| AP Top 25 | ||
| RK | TEAM | REC |
| 1 | Georgia | 11-0 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 11-0 |
| 3 | Michigan | 11-0 |
| 4 | Washington | 11-0 |
| 5 | Florida State | 11-0 |
| 6 | Oregon | 10-1 |
| 7 | Texas | 10-1 |
| 8 | Alabama | 10-1 |
| 9 | Louisville | 10-1 |
| 10 | Missouri | 9-2 |
| 11 | Penn State | 9-2 |
| 12 | Ole Miss | 9-2 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 9-2 |
| 14 | LSU | 8-3 |
| 15 | Oregon State | 8-3 |
| 16 | Arizona | 8-3 |
| 17 | Notre Dame | 8-3 |
| 18 | Tulane | 10-1 |
| 19 | Kansas State | 8-3 |
| 20 | Iowa | 9-2 |
| 21 | Oklahoma St | 8-3 |
| 22 | Liberty | 11-0 |
| 23 | Toledo | 10-1 |
| 24 | James Madison | 10-1 |
| 25 | Tennessee | 7-4 |
| Others receiving votes: | ||
| 26 | Utah | 7-4 |
| 27 | NC State | 8-3 |
| 28 | UNLV | 9-2 |
| 29 | SMU | 9-2 |
| 30 | N Carolina | 8-3 |
| 31 | Clemson | 7-4 |
| 32 | Kansas | 7-4 |
| 33 | Fresno State | 8-3 |
| 34 | New Mexico St | 9-3 |
| T35 | Texas A&M | 7-4 |
| T35 | Miami (OH) | 9-2 |
| T35 | UCLA | 7-4 |
COMMENTS:
Florida State was knocked down a peg - not because of their performance on the field (they won by 45 points), but (probably) because they lost their starting quarterback. Never mind the fact that his backup is actually very good. This is garbage, but what else is new; at least the Noles are still ahead of all the one-loss teams.Louisville stood pat at #9. So, basically, FSU is the lowest-ranked 11-0 P5 team and Louisville is the lowest-ranked 10-1 P5 team.
At 17th, Notre Dame is behind three other 8-3 P5 teams but ahead of four other P5 teams. To be fair, they beat NC State head-to-head.
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2023 Week 12 PotW (RX; HM)
2023 Week 12 PotW
From the official ACC release of Monday, Nov. 20, 2023...
Week 12 ACC Football Players of the Week
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference Football Players of the Week have been recognized for their standout performances in Week 12 of the season. The selections are determined by a vote of a select media panel. The following are this week’s honorees:
Co-QUARTERBACK – Jack Plummer, Louisville, QB, Gilbert, AZ
Plummer was 24-of-37 passing for 308 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception along with 11 yards rushing on five carries in the 38-31 win over Miami. Plummer recorded his third 300-yard passing game of the season and passed for three or more touchdowns for the third time this season. He completed passes to 12 different players and won the game with a 58-yard reception to Kevin Coleman.
Co-QUARTERBACK – Brennan Armstrong, NC State, QB, Shelby, OH
Armstrong led the Wolfpack to its third straight win and second straight on the road with a 35-28 victory at Virginia Tech. The quarterback tallied 292 of total offense versus the Hokies - 89 rushing and 203 passing – and rushed for a pair of touchdowns and threw two more scores.
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Other
Syracuse amphitheater nears first sellout for 2024, but it’s not a country concert (PS; Herbert)
The Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview is close to a sellout for at least one concert in its first season with its new name.
Tickets sold fast for Hozier’s May 21, 2024, performance at the Empower FCU Amphitheater in Syracuse when they went on sale Friday. Within hours, all of the seats under the pavilion were sold out. Only a limited number of lawn tickets are still available for $55.35 each (including fees) through Live Nation.
That may be surprising for Central New York music fans, who know Syracuse is traditionally a hot spot for country and classic rock concerts. Rap has also become a big draw at the New York State Fair’s free concert lineup in recent years, but a country singer reclaimed the top spot with a record crowd of 53,200 fans this past summer: Lainey Wilson.
Wilson is scheduled to perform at the Empower Amp on June 21, 2024, and has at least 200 seats still available under the pavilion (not including Verified Resale Tickets) plus the pit in front of the stage and lawn seats. Her ticket prices ($57.80-125.50) through Live Nation are similar to Hozier, but they’ve been on sale for almost a month.
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Popular burger spot leaves its Eastwood roots to join Syracuse’s downtown (PS; Miller)
A popular lunch counter in Eastwood known for its Middle-Eastern flair on hamburgers, nachos and salads is closing at the end of the year and moving downtown.
Jullen Merrill, the owner of Kofta Burger, said he is going to reopen his restaurant in mid-February in the spot that once was Brine Well Eatery at 128 E. Jefferson St. in downtown Syracuse.
Downtown Christmas tree lighting, Dickens Christmas, Turkey Trot: 13 things to do this week in Central NY (PS; Croyle)
We have made it to the week of Turkey Day, football, and the official start of the holiday season. Once the table is clear, the leftovers are put away, and that last piece of pie eaten, Central New York can settle in and enjoy a weekend full of seasonal holiday favorites. The Clinton Square Christmas tree lighting is scheduled for Friday evening, rain or shine, maybe (hopefully) with a few snow flakes in the air. The village of Skaneateles is ready once again to host its Charles Dickens celebration with actors on the sidewalks to take you back to the time of Ebeneezer Scrooge. Speaking of Dickens’ famous story, Syracuse Stage opens a new production of “A Christmas Carol,” with a two-ring circus. The Gingerbread Gallery at the Erie Canal Museum, the Night Market at Sky Armory, the Parade of Lights in Baldwinsville, and “Elf in Concert” at the Landmark Theatre are also scheduled. Onondaga Lake Park will once again be hosting two popular running events. The annual Liverpool Turkey Trot takes place on Thanksgiving morning and the Syracuse Ugly Sweater 5K will be on Saturday, with prizes awarded for funny and creative sweaters.
Know of an event you would like to see on this list? Email us at least two weeks in advance at features@syracuse.com.
Wednesday
Jason Bonham’s Led Zepplin Evening
Celebrate the music of the legendary rock band Led Zepplin on the night before Thanksgiving at the Landmark Theatre. Jason Bonham, the son of the group’s drummer, leads this tribute. The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster. There is a six-ticket limit.
Where: 362 South Salina Street, Syracuse
When: Wednesday at 8 p.m.
How much: Tickets start at $24.30, plus fees.
Thursday
The Liverpool Turkey Trot at Onondaga Lake Park, Liverpool, N.Y., Thursday November 25, 2021. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.comScott Schild | sschild@syracuse.
Turkey Trot
In ten years’ time, the annual Turkey Trot run on Thanksgiving morning in Liverpool has grown from 124 runners to 1,900. Last year the run helped to raise more than $40,000 for the local community. Register for the kids’ “Fast Feet” run, the 5K or five-mile run, and the dog walk, and virtual runs at www.liverpoolturkeytrot.com, which has all the information you will need to plan your run. The kids’ race starts at 8:15 and the 5K and five-mile runs, an hour later.
Where: The starting line is at the Griffin Visitor Center at Onondaga Lake Park
When: Thursday morning starting with the kids’ run at 8:15 a.m.
How much: Five mile is $45, 5K is $40, kids’ run is $10, and dog walk is $15. Virtual events are $40.
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