sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Brown Day was conceived on November 11th, 2023, by sutomcat to honor the anticipated new HC of the fabled Syracuse University football program.
You can celebrate Brown Day by wearing something brown. Or using the word brown in a sentence. Or donating money for NIL for Brown to get some great players for the Syracuse program.
Welcome to Syracuse Fran Brown!
SU News
Sources: SU finalizing agreement to make Brown next football coach (PS; Axe)
Syracuse is finalizing a deal that will make Fran Brown its next head football coach, two sources with knowledge of the discussions told syracuse.com late Monday night.
Brown, the defensive backs coach at Georgia, emerged as a top target in the search to replace Dino Babers, who was fired Nov. 19 with one game remaining in the Orange’s regular season.
Brown is regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiters, helping the Bulldogs hold the No. 1 spot in 247Sports’ 2024 recruiting rankings.
Syracuse would be Brown’s first head-coaching job.
Brown interviewed with Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack on Sunday in Atlanta, according to a source with knowledge of the meeting. The two spoke several times since then, the source said.
Brown’s rising candidacy was reported by The Athletic, ESPN and other national media earlier Monday night.
Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney and Toledo coach Jason Candle were also finalists for the job, according to ESPN.
Brown previously coached the secondary at Rutgers from 2020-21 under Greg Schiano and also coached under Matt Rhule at Temple and at Baylor.
A Camden, New Jersey native, Brown began working at Temple in 2011 as an ops director under Steve Addazio. Brown was retained by Rhule and later elevated to assistant head coach. He then joined Rhule’s staff at Baylor in 2017. Brown returned to Temple to serve as co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach under Rod Carey in 2019.
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Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown reportedly ‘top candidate’ for Syracuse head coaching job (dawgnation.com; Riley)
The coaching carousel is up and spinning and it may help land a Georgia assistant a Power 5 coaching job.
According to a report from Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown has reportedly emerged as the top candidate for the Syracuse job. Dino Babers was fired by Syracuse back on Nov. 19 after eight seasons on the job.
Brown is in his second season as Georgia’s defensive backs coach. He previously worked at Rutgers and has a lot of strong ties to the Northeast. Brown is originally from New Jersey and also has coaching experience at Temple as well.
Brown has earned a lot of praise for his work in the job program. He’s worked primarily with the cornerbacks at Georgia, while Will Muschamp has worked with the safeties. Kamari Lassiter has become one of the top cornerbacks in the country thanks to Brown’s coaching.
Brown has also helped bring in plenty of talent via the recruiting trail. Georgia has two 4-star commitments from the state of New Jersey in 4-star defensive lineman Jordan Thomas and 4-star offensive tackle Nyier Daniels. Brown served as the lead recruiter on 5-star cornerback Ellis Robinson and 4-star defensive back Demello Jones.
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Georgia football DB coach Fran Brown reportedly finalizing deal to be Syracuse head coach (onlineathens.com; Weiszer)
As Georgia football readies for Saturday’s SEC championship game with Alabama, a Bulldog assistant coach’s name is being linked to a head coach opening.
Second-year defensive backs coach Fran Brown is finalizing a deal to be the next coach at Syracuse, according to syracuse.com. Brown was reported to be the top target for the job by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. It opened when the school fired Dion Babers after eight seasons.
The 41-year old Brown is a Camden, N.J. native with ties to the Northeast as a former assistant coach at Rutgers and Temple.
“He’s really one of the top assistants in the country,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule, who Brown worked for at Baylor and Temple, said earlier this year. “He should be a head coach and will be a head coach."
Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann has been viewed as the next head coach candidate on staff.
Coach Kirby Smart was asked earlier this month what advice he gives to assistant coaches who have their eyes on becoming a head coach.
“Pick the right one,” he said. “Be where your feet are. You have a good job. Do a good job at your job, and you will get more opportunities. A lot of jobs out there are not better than the one you’ve got.”
The coaching carousel is in full swing heading into December, a busy time when the transfer portal will heat up, staff changes across the country will be aplenty and the first signing period for the 2024 class approaches.
Brown is rated the top recruiter nationally for the 2024 class by the 247Sports Composite, credited with six commitments including five-stars in cornerback Ellis Robinson IV and linebacker Justin Williams.
Georgia has an experienced coach already working with defensive backs in co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp who works with the safeties and nickel backs.
Fran Brown emerges as top target for Syracuse vacancy: Sources (theathletic.com; $; Feldman et al)
Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown has emerged as a top target for Syracuse’s head-coaching vacancy, program sources confirmed Monday. Here’s what you need to know:
- The New Jersey native has spent the past two seasons on the Bulldogs’ staff.
- Brown was Rutgers’ secondary coach from 2020 to 2021. The Western Carolina grad also previously coached at Temple and Baylor.
- Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney and Toledo’s Jason Candle have also gotten strong consideration for the job, according to sources.
- Syracuse fired coach Dino Babers with one game remaining this season after spent eight seasons with the Orange and amassed a 41-55 record.
How Brown could impact Syracuse
Brown was an out-of-nowhere hire for Georgia two years ago but has shown why Kirby Smart wanted him: Recruiting, both in the secondary and in the Northeast. Brown was a key recruiter for five-star athlete Ellis Robinson, the third overall prospect in the 2024 cycle, who is now at IMG Academy in Florida, as well as five-star linebacker Justin Williams from Texas and four-star offensive lineman Jordan Thomas out of Calhoun, N.J.On the field, Georgia’s secondary is the strength of its defense, which isn’t just due to Brown, as Will Muschamp and Smart both help coach there, but Brown is a big part of that. Brown has also been one of the voices in the defensive coaching room as far as strategy, with Smart saying last year, “Everybody chips in a little bit because we think that multiple voices develop coaches and multiple voices are heard better by the audience.”
Still, is this a bit of a reach for Syracuse? Probably. But Brown isn’t even the first Georgia position coach to get a power conference job: Sam Pittman went from offensive line coach to Arkansas head coach despite no head-coaching experience, and like Brown that was a case of a good fit.
While Arkansas struggled this year, Pittman’s first three years there were an improvement, and it’s not unreasonable to think Brown can take what he’s seen work at Georgia the past two years and use it in the ACC. — Seth Emerson, Georgia football writer
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LeQuint Allen tops 1,000-yard mark for Syracuse: Local college notebook (pressofatlanticcity.com; Russo)
Syracuse University sophomore running back LeQuint Allen eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark and helped the Orange become bowl eligible Saturday.
Allen, a 2022 Millville High School graduate, ran 32 times for 144 yards and a TD in a 35-31 win over Wake Forest.
Allen is having a tremendous second season for the Orange (6-6). In 12 games, he’s rushed for 1,062 yards on 225 carries (4.7 yards per carry) and nine TDs. He’s also hauled in 36 passes for 197 yards and a score.
LB Solomon DeShields (Millville) had a tackle and a pass breakup in Pittsburgh’s 30-19 loss to Duke.
LB Mohamed Toure (Pleasantville) had a team-leading 11 tackles, including a sack, in Rutgers’ 42-24 loss to Maryland. DB Max Melton (Cedar Creek) made two tackles, including one for a loss, and picked off a pass.
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse...-greenwood-malcolm-folk-enter-transfer-portal (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football is in the midst of a coaching search to find the new leader of the program. While that is occurring, current players are able to enter the transfer portal. Three Syracuse defensive players entered the portal on Monday, bringing the Orange's total to four. Leon Lowery, Malcolm Folk and Aman Greenwood entered on Monday, joining Jeremiah Wilson who previously entered.
While the transfer portal does not officially open until December 4th, Syracuse players are allowed to enter since the Orange fired its head coach. NCAA rules dictate players have up until 30 days following a firing if it is outside the normal windows. Graduate transfers are permitted to enter at any time.
Greenwood and Folk were both reserve defensive backs in 2023 that also contributed on special teams. Lowery was a starting linebacker, racking up 26 tackles and 3.5 sacks as one of the Orange's best edge rushers.
Syracuse wrapped up its regular season on Saturday with a 35-31 win over Wake Forest. With the victory, the Orange achieved bowl eligibility in back to back seasons for the first time in a decade. Despite that, Syracuse is looking for a new head coach. Following a loss at Georgia Tech, Director of Athletics John Wildhack elected to relieve Dino Babers of his duties.
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ESPN Radio radio; The 315)
Brian Higgins begins the show by reacting to the news that Dan Mullen has pulled out of the Syracuse football coaching search and what to make of the remaining candidates. Then, a couple callers give their take on the football head coaching search and more.
Adam Terry "The 315" 11-27-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Syracuse football radio analyst Adam Terry joins the show to share the latest news he has heard on the Syracuse football head coaching search, the potential timeline and give his guess on where the bowl game might be.
Newhouse after Noon 11-27-23 (ESPN; radio; Newhouse after Noon)
Jacob Charnow & Shane Holcombe give their thoughts on Syracuse football’s hectic stretch where the team fired Dino Babers, then clinched bowl eligibility with a win over Wake Forest, and now is on the search for its next head coach. Later, Jacob Kaye & Michael Ostrowski discuss the fate of the current coaching staff and which names they could see leading the Orange next season.
https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/football/bleav-in-syracuse-episode-92 (SI; podcast; Bleav in Syracuse)
Bleav in Syracuse podcast episode 92, presented by Bet Online, is out! We discuss Syracuse's win over Wake Forest, Garrett Shrader's legacy, bowl and opponent predictions, and which player SU should block from entering the transfer portal if it was able. You can subscribe and listen on your favorite podcasting platforms as linked below.
Syracuse Orange defensive back Justin Barron (8) reacts to a defensive stop. The Syracuse Orange football team host the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse N.Y. Nov. 24, 2023. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.comdnett@syracuse.com
ACC Bowl Watch: Where do national experts project Syracuse football to go? (PS; $; Carlson)
The Syracuse football team became bowl eligible with its win over Wake Forest on Saturday. With the win the Orange is guaranteed a postseason spot at 6-6.
Just where the Orange is headed, however, is very unclear.
The ACC has 12 teams that are bowl eligible, a number that includes Notre Dame. It has 12 bowls with tie-ins outside of the College Football Playoffs.
Some of those bowls are obligated to take an ACC team. Some of those bowls have a choice, meaning an ACC team could end up outside the traditional group of bowls. ESPN often shifts teams in the lower-tier bowls around to create better television and create more sensible geographic pairings.
Three of the national experts below, for instance, sent the Orange to bowls that have no formal ACC affiliations.
Here’s a look at how the ACC bowl picture could play out, along with projections from the national experts.
The bowl selections will be announced on Sunday at Noon on ESPN.
College Football Playoff Tier
Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs. Florida State in New Orleans: I believe the Seminoles will head to the College Football Playoff without Jordan Travis if they remain unbeaten. But Alabama beating Georgia in the SEC title game could create some questions.Orange Bowl Tier
Orange Bowl vs. CFP qualifier: Louisville. Louisville could head into the postseason on a two-game losing streak but I think a win over Notre Dame and a head-to-head win would keep the Cardinals ranked just ahead of North Carolina State.Tier 1
ReliaQuest Bowl vs. SEC in Tampa, Florida.: Notre Dame. This game can take an ACC team as long as a Big Ten team appears in the Orange Bowl. Notre Dame is always going to the top option.Holiday Bowl vs. Pac-12 in San Diego, California: North Carolina State. The Wolfpack came on strong late in the year to finish 9-3.
Gator Bowl vs. SEC in Jacksonville, Florida: Clemson. The Tigers have climbed this list late and this game could create a matchup of underachieving big brands.
Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. Big XII in Orlando, Florida: North Carolina. The Tar Heels are the best remaining option by a large margin.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs. SEC in Charlotte: Duke. The game has taken North Carolina teams the past three years but never Duke. Done.
Pinstripe Bowl vs. Big Ten in New York City: Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets will be pumped to attend their first bowl game in 2018.
Sun Bowl vs. Pac-12 in El Paso, Texas: Miami. It makes sense to send the private schools out West.
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Syracuse is Headed to a Bowl: What’s the Best Option? (orangefizz.net; Aitken)
After winning its sixth game this weekend, Syracuse football is headed to a bowl. But which possible bowl game is the right fit for the Orange? Syracuse.com identified five likely options, and we ranked them from worst to best.
5. Pinstripe Bowl
There’s a lot for Syracuse fans to like about the Pinstripe Bowl. The Orange have played in it three times, including the inaugural game back in 2010, and hold a 2-1 record in it. However, SU has played in Yankee Stadium twice in the last year, including the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl and a regular season clash with Pittsburgh just a few weeks ago. As great as the connection between CNY and NYC has become, it’s time to mix things up.
4. Birmingham Bowl
The Birmingham Bowl doesn’t have too much appeal for Syracuse. It’s not a particularly prestigious bowl. There isn’t a huge history of ACC teams participating. It’s in Alabama, which will be warm, but not tropical. The bowl is also scheduled for December 23, which is pretty close to Christmas to be traveling to a spot that isn’t a huge vacation draw. A bowl is a bowl, so SU would likely welcome the invitation, but there are better options.
3. Fenway Bowl
The Fenway Bowl is awfully similar to the Pinstripe Bowl. It’s a mid-to-low level bowl held in a baseball stadium in the Northeast, where frigid temperatures are the norm in late December. Maybe there are some Red Sox fans on the Orange that would love to play right next to the Green Monster, but there isn’t much that makes the Fenway Bowl much better than the Pinstripe Bowl. The one bright spot is that this is one of a few bowl games that are within driving distance for Syracuse fans.
2. Gasparilla Bowl
Would the Gasparilla Bowl be especially meaningful to SU? Probably not, no. Similar to the Birmingham Bowl, this postseason game has no significant ACC connection and doesn’t have a prestigious history. However, a trip to St. Petersburg, Florida would be enjoyable for coaches, players, and fans alike.
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Syracuse football: looking at John Wildhack’s coaching hires (TNIAAM; Wall)
With Syracuse Orange football searching for a new Head Coach, there’s been some discussion about what we might learn from other Head Coaches hired by John Wildhack.
We’ll start with the major hires, but there’s more than just those coaches you know by name.
Adrian Autry (men’s basketball): Autry was the longest-tenured assistant on Jim Boeheim’s staff. He had been promoted to Associate Head Coach and he had worked at Virginia Tech prior to coming back to his alma mater. Was he Wildhack’s choice? Boeheim’s choice? The BOT’s choice? Either way it wasn’t a search and we knew the internal hire was the likely path, even if the exit was messy.
Felisha Legette-Jack (women’s basketball): One of Syracuse’s greatest women’s basketball athletes, Wildhack brought the Syracuse native back home (a year later than he should have). FLJ’s been able to immediately repair the damage done at the end of the Quentin Hillsman era.
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Ex-Syracuse football star pulls off 4th down trick play (SU, CNY in NFL Week 12) (PS; Herbert)
A former Syracuse football star pulled off a 4th down trick play in the Indianapolis Colts’ win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday.
Zaire Franklin, a linebacker and team captain for the Colts, was a key part of the subterfuge by lining up in the backfield as Indy was 4th-and-inches on Tampa Bay’s 49-yard line in the fourth quarter. Franklin leads the NFL in solo tackles this season, so it was surprising to see him on offense and twice as confusing to see his No. 44 in a fullback position.
According to FanSided, Franklin was intended to be a decoy, fooling the Bucs into thinking he’d be a lead blocker for a short run to get a first down. Instead, Indianapolis did a play-action pass that resulted in quarterback Gardner Minshew hitting a wide open Mo Alie-Cox for a 30-yard gain.
The Colts scored a touchdown three plays later, making the score 27-17 with 7:30 left to play. Indy ended up winning, 27-20, and improving to 6-5 on the season.
“What y’all thought about my Offensive debut?” Franklin proudly wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after the game.
FanSided suggested Colts head coach Shane Steichen’s creativity and the team’s success with Franklin in the backfield means Indianapolis could certainly try it again. Maybe we’ll see Franklin as a running back occasionally, following in footsteps of legendary SU No. 44′s like Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little. (Sean Tucker, another Syracuse alumnus, wears No. 44 as a running back for Tampa Bay.)
Franklin, 27, is still a defensive star, leading the NFL with 79 solo tackles this year after. He’s also in second place in total tackles with 124, behind Roquan Smith’s 126 for the Baltimore Ravens — despite Franklin appearing in two fewer games than Smith this season. Franklin had a team-high seven combined tackles Sunday against the Buccaneers.
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ACC News
https://www.si.com/college/louisvil...s-motivation-ahead-of-acc-championship-vs-fsu (SI; McGavic)
The 2023 college football regular season might be in the rear view mirror, but for the Louisville football program, they still have one more game left on their schedule before they play in their bowl game.
This weekend, the No. 15 Cardinals (10-2, 7-1 ACC) will be traveling down to Charlotte, N.C., where a matchup with No. 4 Florida State (12-0, 8-0 ACC) in the ACC Championship Game awaits them. It's Louisville's first appearance in the ACC's title game since joining the conference in 2014, and their first appearance in the conference championship game, period, in program history.
"Without question, we're excited about this great opportunity to go down to Charlotte to play in the ACC Championship Game against a tremendous undefeated Florida State team that's been just really fantastic all year long," head coach Jeff Brohm said. "They've got a ton of talent, they're well coached, they've been able to win every game. Close games, blowouts, you name it, but they find a way to win."
While Louisville has a chance to make program history this Saturday at 8:00 p.m. EST at Bank of America Stadium, they're not heading into the matchup with as much momentum as they could be. In their regular season and home finale this past Saturday, the Cardinals were unable to capture a victory against their in-state rivals, falling 38-31 to Kentucky.
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Tyler Van Dyke enters transfer portal: Miami QB, ex-ACC Rookie of the Year exits after disappointing season (cbssports.com; Salerno)
Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke has entered the transfer portal, according to 247Sports, closing a rollercoaster chapter on a career in South Florida that featured plenty of promising moments but ultimately fell short of expectations. Van Dyke will have one final season of eligibility at his final stop of his college career.
Though Van Dyke finished the 2023 season with 2,703 yards passing and 19 touchdowns, he also had a career-high 12 picks -- eclipsing his previous combined total from 2021 and '22 -- and was benched in the Nov. 11 loss to Florida State only to reenter the game after an injury to freshman signal-caller Emory Williams.
The writing was on the walls for Van Dyke's future when coach Mario Cristobal appeared on The Joe Rose Show this week.
"We feel really strongly about the young guys," Cristobal said. "Super proud of what Tyler did. Gotta figure it out, man."
The likely exit comes in stark contrast to Van Dyke's breakout debut in 2021 in which he started the final nine games of season in relief of the injured D'Eriq King on his way to being named ACC Rookie of the Year. The success was short-lived, however. Van Dyke's follow-up in 2022 was hampered by injuries and the 2023 season never came close to reaching the heights he first achieved as a redshirt freshman.
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ACC Football Power Rankings - Week 13 (backingthepack.com; PW)
1. Florida State (last week: 24-15 W @ Florida)
As odd as it sounds, the Seminoles are simply in “survive and advance” mode now that Jordan Travis is out for the rest of the year. They passed the first test in beating the Gators in The Swamp. An added bonus in the win is that it keeps Florida from reaching a bowl game, which gives FSU fans another poker to stick in the side of their rivals. QB Tate Rodemaker wasn’t asked to do a whole lot - and he didn’t do much - but outside of taking a 2nd quarter sack for a safety, he didn’t make any costly errors. FSU now heads to Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game opposite Louisville. Win there, and it’s off to the College Football Playoff.
2. NC State (last week: 39-20 W vs North Carolina)
The Wolfpack saved their best effort of the season for last, jumping out to a 26-7 halftime lead and never letting UNC threaten in the game. NC State’s defense held the Tar Heels to 384 yards of offense, just 11 yards more than their season-low, while State’s offense used and abused the woeful UNC defense to the tune of a season-high 504 yard offensive explosion while converting 8-of-16 third downs and playing a turnover-free game. As the regular season comes to an end, there’s no denying that the Wolfpack are playing the best of any team in the conference outside of Florida State.
3. Virginia Tech (last week: 55-17 W @ Virginia)
In a battle of two improving teams, with Virginia having the opportunity to deny their rivals bowl eligibility, the Hokies throttled the Cavaliers, all but putting the game away by halftime. Even when Virginia finally managed to get on the scoreboard with a 25-yard field goal midway through the 3rd quarter, VT returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. The Hokies finish 5-3 in ACC play, their first winning record in conference since 2019.
4. Clemson (last week: 16-7 W @ South Carolina)
One of the best feelings is to beat your rival. A better feeling is to beat your rival in the final game of the regular season to prevent them from reaching bowl eligibility. Mix in that you got to do it on their home turf and it’s all the more sweet. The Tigers head into bowl season on a four-game winning streak. It was an off year for Clemson, particularly struggling on the road (2-3), and the program will finish with single-digit wins for the first time since 2010, but at least they’ll keep Shane Beamer home for the holidays for the first time during his South Carolina tenure.
5. Miami (last week: 45-20 W @ Boston College)
The U put an end to their 3-game skid by putting away BC early. Almost doubling up a team in total yards will typically turn most games into a rout. Everything clicked for the Hurricanes with Tyler Van Dyke looking good throwing the ball and the multifaceted running game churning out yards at a healthy 6.1 ypc clip. Whether Van Dyke stays for his fifth year in 2024 or transfers is the big offseason question.
6. Louisville (last week: 31-38 L vs Kentucky)
The Cards outgained Kentucky 403-to-289, but committed three turnovers, gave up 100-yard kickoff return TD, and had no answer for Ray Davis in the 2nd half. While slim going in, what was left of Louisville’s playoff hopes completely vanished when Devin Leary and company completed the Cards’ loss. The game should be motivation for Louisville heading into the ACC Championship Game against an FSU team using a backup QB. An effort in that game like they put up against Kentucky will result in a blowout loss to a team as good as the Seminoles. Don’t expect any support from NC State, though, as the Wolfpack need to pass the Cardinals in the final CFP standings to earn a berth in the Orange Bowl.
7. Duke (last week: 30-19 W vs Pittsburgh)
Mike Elko went out as a winner in his final game as Duke’s head coach. Even though he was on campus for just two years, the Blue Devils have to be thankful for what Elko did in that short time, producing arguably the two best Duke teams since David Cutcliffe’s 2013 squad that went 10-4. With the coaching staff in the air, all eyes will be on QB Riley Leonard and what he does. Prior to his injury, Leonard was gaining momentum as a fringe 1st round draft pick for the 2024 draft. There will be a lot of NIL money for him in the portal, should he follow Elko to A&M, go the Sam Hartman path to Notre Dame, be the fish to finally bite on the desperate Auburn line, be the next project for the the QB Whisperer Lincoln Riley, or go elsewhere. The good news for Duke is that Grayson Loftis appeared to grow into the QB role over the last month of the season, saving his best effort for the win over Pitt.
8. Syracuse (last week: 35-31 W vs Wake Forest)
Well, this is hilariously awkward. Syracuse fires Dino Babers, and then the next week the team reaches bowl eligibility for the second straight season after missing the postseason for the three prior to that. The Orange aren’t wrong for looking for a change; the program clearly plateaued under Babers going 11-31 in ACC play over the last five years. Clearly the 10-3 campaign of 2018 was the outlier to his tenure. Even with the win over Wake, Cuse lost six of their final eight in the regular season, with the lone other win being over a hapless Pitt team. Following a 4-0 start to the year, a loss to Clemson sent the season off the rails. QB Garrett Shrader battled ineffectiveness and injuries the rest of the way and so went the season. Holding onto RB LeQuint Allen will be Priority #1 for Syracuse’s next coach.
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https://www.si.com/college/georgiatech/football/acc-football-final-2023-acc-power-rankings (SI; Caudell)
It is hard to believe but, the college football regular season is now over. All that is left is conference championship weekend and that will determine the college football playoff field and then the rest of the bowl field will be set.
Florida State concluded its regular season as one of the few unbeaten left in the country and they look like they will be one win away from making the college football playoff. Louisville took a little bit of the luster off of the ACC Championship game by losing to Kentucky, but it has still been a great first season for Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals. NC State finished off an under-the-radar season 9-3 and Clemson won their fourth straight game to end its season 8-4.
So how did the last week of the season change the ACC power rankings? Let's rank the teams one last time.
14. Pitt (3-9). Last week: 14
It was a down year for Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers and as a result, they fired their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach after the season ending loss to Duke. Narduzzi won the ACC just two years ago and has won consistently at Pitt, but he is going to need to make the right offensive coordinator hire to get the program back to competing.
13. Virginia (3-9). Last week: 11
What a disappointing end to the season for Virginia. They appeared to have been getting better over the last month or so when they beat North Carolina and Duke and nearly beat Miami, but that ended on Saturday when they were blown out by Virginia Tech. Year three will be a pivotal one for Tony Elliott.
12. Wake Forest (4-8). Last week: 13
Wake has become a consistent bowl team under Dave Clawson, but Saturday capped off what has been the most disappointing year for the Demon Deacons in a while. The offense was not as lethal as years past and the defense was still one of the worst in the ACC. Clawson is a really good coach and I would not anticipate them being at the bottom of the ACC next year.
11. Syracuse (6-6). Last week: 12
The Orange got bowl eligible for the second straight season and they are still looking for a new coach. Making a bowl game is an accomplishment and with the injuries that Syracuse has had to fight through this season and now they can focus on hiring the right coach for their program.
10. Boston College (6-6). Last week: 10
Boston College did get to a bowl game, but they way they ended the year has to be disappointing. The Eagles were not competitive in a Black Friday loss to Miami and that was kind of the theme over the last few weeks of the season. They were blown out by Virginia Tech, lost to a bad Pitt team, and played close games against UConn and Syracuse. A bowl game is an accomplishment for BC, but that is a disappointing way to end the season.
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Other
Jason Aldean returning to Syracuse amphitheater for country concert (PS; Herbert)
Jason Aldean is returning to the Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview.
The country star will perform at the Empower FCU Amphitheater in Syracuse on Thursday, July 11, 2024, as part of his newly announced “Highway Desperado” tour dates. Special guests Hailey Whitters, Chase Matthew, Austin Snell and Dee Jay Silver will open the show at 7 p.m.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. through Live Nation; prices may vary.
Live Nation said outside lawn chairs will not be allowed at the concert, suggesting a large crowd is expected. Fans may want to check resellers like VividSeats, StubHub, Megaseats, TicketNetwork or SeatGeek for tickets.
It’s one of seven concerts booked for the Empower FCU Amphitheater’s 2024 season so far. Aldean is also scheduled to perform Aug. 1 at the Darien Lake Amphitheater near Buffalo.
Aldean last performed at the Syracuse amphitheater in 2022 when it was known as St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, or St. Joe’s Amp. The venue, originally known as the Lakeview Amphitheater, was recently renamed in a 7-year deal worth $4 million.
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How much snow will you get in Upstate NY’s first major lake effect storm? (PS; $; Coin)
Upstate New York’s first major lake effect snow storm of the season is expected to start tonight and last through Wednesday.
Heavy snow and high winds could make travel difficult all day Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.
Weather service meteorologist Kaitlyn Laredo said a band of lake effect snow is expected to blow off the east end of Lake Ontario today and drop heavy snow on the Tug Hill plateau. Late Tuesday morning, that band of snow is expected to dip to south, bring the heavy snow into Madison, Oneida and Onondaga counties by early Tuesday afternoon, Laredo said.
Snowfall forecast: 1 p.m. today to 1 p.m. Wednesday
The interactive map below shows how much snow is forecasted to fall in New York state over the 48 hours from 1 p.m. today through 1 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Click or tap a location on the map to see how much snow is expected in that 2-square-mile area. To see a color key, click or tap the menu icon at the top left of the map.The heaviest snow in Central New York is expected to hit Tuesday afternoon and evening, then tapering off early Wednesday morning. A ridge of high pressure will take over on Wednesday, ending the snow and bringing high temperatures in the 40s on Thursday and Friday.
The weather service has issued lake effect storm warnings for parts of Western New York, the North Country and Central New York. The traditional lake effect bull’s-eye of the Tug Hill plateau could get 30 inches or more, and the hills of southwestern New York state could see more than 20 inches.
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Syracuse lawmakers show caution about creating a city housing trust (PS; Boyer)
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh is facing skepticism from some city lawmakers over his proposal to establish a new public authority that would tackle housing market challenges.
At a Syracuse Common Council committee meeting held Monday, councilors told Walsh administration officials they want to see more details regarding a proposed housing trust that could lend or grant money for housing projects. Administration officials view the trust, which would be governed by an appointed board of directors, as a key tool in addressing the city’s shortage of safe and affordable residences.
Establishing the housing trust requires the council’s authorization, but several councilors expressed concern about how the new entity would be funded, saying a concrete plan for recurring revenue needs to be established.
“The worse thing we can do is create a government program that will run out of money,” said Councilor Pat Hogan, who chairs the economic development committee.
Administration officials are exploring several funding sources for the trust. The state has pledged $5 million for the city to use as seed money, and officials are looking for other “one-time infusions” to build on those funds such as the sale of real estate the city already owns, said Michelle Sczpanski, the city’s deputy commissioner of neighborhood development. But there also may be a need for funding out of the city’s annual budget.
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