sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 25,287
- Like
- 109,273
Welcome to International Sweat Pants Day!
Sweatpants, which are known as tracksuit bottoms or jogging bottoms in some countries, are celebrated today internationally. They are usually worn for athletic or comfort purposes, and have traditionally not been worn in a work environment. Recently they have started being worn outside of the home for reasons besides athletics. Some have become more fashionable, and have been associated with gym culture and hip-hop culture. They are usually made of cotton or polyester, are baggy, and often have an elastic waistband. They can be any color, but traditionally have been gray. They were introduced in the 1920s by Émile Camuset, the founder of Le Coq Sportif, a sports equipment and clothing company. The original sweatpants were knitted gray jersey pants which were designed to help athletes exercise easier.
SU News
Keeping Up With The 315 1-19-24 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian Higgins starts the show discussing the recently announced changes coming to the JMA Dome and how those changes are impacting fans, and specifically, how season ticket holders are reacting. Then, a couple of callers chime in with their feelings on the changes and what they've been told by their ticket reps in regards to seating.
Dome reseating leaves fans anxious about tradition: ‘It’s going to be a tough process’ (PS; $; Carlson)
Greg Snell’s father and grandfather picked their family seats in Section 245 of the JMA Wireless Dome when the building first opened in 1980.
When Snell’s father began to struggle with mobility, Section 245 helped him navigate from his wheelchair to his seat. When the family held his wake in 2019, one member of Section 245 attended simply because she recognized the photo in his obituary.
This past fall, Snell, a 45-year-old from Camillus, sat in the same section with his son, the fifth generation of his family to be raised a diehard Syracuse football fan.
Come next year, though, Snell worries he might be forced off the family plot in the dome.
The school will perform the first reseating in school history, uprooting every season-ticket holder and requiring them to find a new seat.
The reseating is a necessity because of the school’s choice to replace its hard silver benches with modern individual seats that are wider and have chairbacks.
Progress, though, comes with collateral damage.
Rather than having the opportunity to renew their current seats this year, Syracuse season-ticket holders in football and men’s basketball will be assigned a ranking by the school and select their seats in that order.
The ranking shows which fans have been most generous to the school. Those with higher rankings have traditionally been rewarded with benefits like parking, access to NCAA Tournament tickets and special events.
Now those fans will get first crack at picking their seat.
...
https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/recruiting/four-star-michael-thomas-cuse-interest-skyrocket (SI; McAllister)
Class of 2025 Toms River (NJ) Donovan Catholic wide receiver Michael Thomas is one of the top prospects in the country. He is rated a four star, top 200 overall recruit by 247Sports, ESPN and On3. Thomas spent the weekend on Syracuse's campus for an unofficial visit.
"The visit was great," Thomas said. "They treated me and Kai (Pritchard) like family. They really talked about the real, not only football, life. They're really into God and Jesus Christ which I love the most about it. Also the basketball game was crazy. Best game to go to in the whole country that day."
Thomas knew most of the coaches from their previous stops as they were recruiting him at their last schools. He was able to connect with wide receivers coach Ross Douglas, with whom he is developing a new relationship.
"I can say coach Ross Douglas is the real deal," Thomas said. "I felt like we connected first time we met. Yesterday he taught me somethings too that can improve my game. He coached in the NFL recently with Bill (Belichick) and the Patriots. So I shouldn't have to explain much. He's a real top of the tier coach."
...
https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/recruiting/kai-pritchard-recaps-012024-syracuse-visit (SI; McAllister)
Class of 2026 Toms River (NJ) Donovan Catholic offensive lineman Kai Pritchard is one of the most intriguing prospects in the Northeast in his cycle. He currently holds offers from Duke and Syracuse, and spent Saturday on the Orange campus to get a closer look at the program.
"It was great," Pritchard said. "The game was awesome and all the coaches were very welcoming. I'm glad I got to experience this trip."
The recruits on campus Saturday attended the basketball game between Syracuse and Miami in the Dome. It was quite the game to witness as the Orange won on a buzzer beating three pointer. The 6-5, 275 pound offensive lineman was impressed.
"It was very loud and everyone in there were great supporters," Pritchard said. "The Dome was sick. I can't imagine how fun football games would be there. The ending was great. I got a really good video. The whole place went wild."
...
https://www.si.com/college/syracuse...-excited-about-direction-of-syracuse-football (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse hosted Bronx (NY) Cardinal Hayes defensive tackle Blake Belin for a visit over the weekend. Belin was originally offered by the Orange under the previous staff but re-offered by Fran Brown's staff. He also holds scholarship opportunities from Duke, Maryland, Minnesota, Wake Forest, West Virginia and others.
"Cuse was great," Belin said. "The coaching staff is amazing and what they're trying to do at Cuse. It was great getting to know them. They just don't want to turn you into a great football player but a great man. They want to help you get to wherever you need to go whether it's the NFL or doing whatever job you want to do. We talked about what the program is becoming. What they want it to be."
What they want it to be is a program with a high standard of winning.
"They want to build the program into something great," Belin said. "Something where there's a high bar and a high standard. That's what they're doing."
The 6-3, 280 pound defensive tackle was also in attendance for Syracuse basketball's thrilling win over Miami on Saturday.
"The fans were amazing and the game was great," Belin said. "We walked off with a buzzer beater three pointer with no time on the clock. I was jumping up in the air because I didn't think he would have enough time to put the shot up."
...
Syracuse Football: Fran Brown is winning off the field, and fans loving him for that (itlh; Adler)
Since being officially introduced as the new head coach of Syracuse football in early December, former Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown has proven quite the busy man.
He’s gotten to work assembling a top-notch coaching staff, without question.
Brown and his assistants have hit the recruiting trail hard, securing an excellent 2024 class that so far includes at least 20 high school seniors and 12 college transfers, many of whom are rated four stars and nationally ranked.
Based on social media posts, at various times over the past month-and-a-half, Brown and his staff have taken to the road to visit with recruiting targets as well as make visits to numerous high school programs.
Orange coaches have also doled out a bevy of scholarship offers to highly rated prospects in several recruiting cycles, while the ‘Cuse has made list cuts of elite targets, and Syracuse football coaches have welcomed players to the Hill for official or unofficial visits.
...
Syracuse Football: 2025 4-star recruits saw quite a show at the Dome on junior day (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse football coaches, this past Saturday, held their first junior day of 2024, as the 'Cuse staff welcomed a ton of 2025 recruiting targets to the Hill.
Social media was buzzing with posts from Orange coaches and high school prospects, and it was a lot of fun to see.
Without question, head coach Fran Brown and his staff are doing stellar things on the recruiting trail. They've hauled in an excellent 2024 class that, to date, includes 20 high school seniors and 12 college transfers.
Turning to the 2025 cycle, the Orange staff has proven quite active there as well, doling out scholarship offers to highly ranked players, landing on list cuts for various targets, and welcoming prospects in the junior cycle to the Hill on visits.
To that end, Saturday was undeniably an exciting day for the Syracuse football program as it had 2025 recruits in Central New York for junior day. And that electricity, naturally, applied to the hoops game that these prospects got to watch.
...
Who enrolled early for Syracuse football? (mailbag) (PS; $; Leiker)
The college football offseason is officially here, and the countdowns have started in earnest for the first Syracuse football game of the Fran Brown era.
The Orange started offseason training Jan. 15, bringing the 2024 group — coaches and players alike — under the same roof in the fullest iteration so far for the first time.
Questions for future mailbags can be directed to eleiker@syracuse.com or my X, formerly known as Twitter, DMs @emleiker.
Q: Of the early football signees do we have more info regarding early enrollees?
Thomas K.
A: With Syracuse University’s spring semester having started Tuesday, I have a full list of football’s early enrollees from its 2024 signing class.
- CB Braheem Long Jr.
- DB/WR Ta’Ron Haile
- CB Marcellus Barnes
- DL Maraad Watson
- DE Caden Brown
- DE KingJoseph Edwards
- DE/Jack Jahide Lesaine Jr.
- OL Noah Rosahac
- RB Yasin Willis
- RB Jaden Hart
- DT Michael Nwokocha (JUCO)
...
The Juice Online - Roundup: 5 Syracuse Football recruits react to Junior Day (tinyurl; Kang)
Syracuse's new coaching staff under Fran Brown hosted its first Junior Day over the weekend. We caught up with five recruits to get their take on how the weekend went.
-
NATL
4
ST
-
POS
RICH BELIN
5'11" | 175 LBS | PRO QB | 2025
CARDINAL HAYES
BRONX, NY
5.5
"The trip was great. Everyone had good energy and the new staff has clearly put new life in the players."
READ THE JUICE ONLINE'S FULL INTERVIEW WITH RICH BELIN
-
NATL
3
ST
-
POS
BLAKE BELIN
6'2" | 272 LBS | DT | 2025
CARDINAL HAYES
MANHATTAN, NY
5.5
"The trip went great. I love the new staff they are amazing and what they are going to do for this program."
READ THE JUICE ONLINE'S FULL INTERVIEW WITH BLAKE BELIN
-
NATL
-
ST
-
POS
CJ ROBINSON
5'11" | 175 LBS | ATH | 2025
UNIVERSITY PREP
ROCHESTER, NY
N/A
"The visit was great, I had a great time meeting the new coaches. And that buzzer beater was crazy."
READ THE JUICE ONLINE'S FULL INTERVIEW WITH CJ ROBINSON
-
NATL
-
ST
-
POS
TAVION BYRD
6'1" | 175 LBS | QB | 2025
UNIVERSITY PREP
ROCHESTER, NY
N/A
"The visit was awesome! I believe that the new staff is amazing."
READ THE JUICE ONLINE'S FULL INTERVIEW WITH TAVION BYRD
-
NATL
10
ST
69
POS
MICHAEL THOMAS III
6'1" | 183 LBS | WR | 2025
DONOVAN CATHOLIC
TOMS RIVER, NJ
5.7
"The visit was amazing. They welcomed me in with open arms."
READ THE JUICE ONLINE'S FULL INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL THOMAS III
Syracuse Football on Instagram: "@ifeatu_mel keeps ballin’ #ProOrange - NBC"
1,064 likes, 4 comments - cusefootball on January 21, 2024: "@ifeatu_mel keeps ballin’ #ProOrange - NBC"
www.instagram.com
(youtube; video; DT)
2024 Incoming Recruits for Syracuse Orange Football
ACC News
2023 College Football All-ACC Team: North Carolina QB Drake Maye, Clemson CB Nate Wiggins and more | College Football | PFF (pff.com; Chadwick)
With bowl season upon us, it’s time to look back at the top performers from what was an incredible 2023 season of college football. After unveiling our All-American team and awards, here’s a look at PFF’s 2023 All-ACC team, as voted on by 13 PFF analysts and data collectors.
For an in-depth analysis of these college football stars and their programs, subscribe to PFF+ and get full access to our database of signature grades and stats.
OFFENSE
QB: Drake Maye, North Carolina Tar HeelsRB: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina Tar Heels
WR: Malik Washington, Virginia Cavaliers
WR: Xavier Restrepo, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
WR: Keon Coleman, Florida State Seminoles
TE: Jaheim Bell, Florida State Seminoles
LT: Jalen Rivers, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
LG: Michael Jurgens, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
C: Matt Lee, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
RG: Christian Mahogany, Boston College Eagles
RT: Ozzy Trapilo, Boston College Eagles
DEFENSE
DI: Aeneas Peebles, Duke Blue DevilsDI: Tyler Davis, Clemson Tigers
EDGE: Ashton Gillotte, Louisville Cardinals
EDGE: Kaimon Rucker, North Carolina Tar Heels
LB: Payton Wilson, N.C. State Wolfpack
LB: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson Tigers
CB: Nate Wiggins, Clemson Tigers
CB: Elijah Jones, Boston College Eagles
S: Justin Barron, Syracuse Orange
S: Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Flex-D: Khalil Barnes, Clemson Tigers
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Andres Borregales, Miami (FL) HurricanesP: Alex Mastromanno, Florida State Seminoles
RS: Brashard Smith, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
OFFENSIVE PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: WR MALIK WASHINGTON, VIRGINIA
Washington was one of the most underrated players in college football this season. His 34 forced missed tackles led all wide receivers, and his 385 receiving yards after contact paced the Power Five.DEFENSIVE PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: LB PAYTON WILSON, N.C. STATE
Wilson was the second-most valuable linebacker in the nation this year, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. His 21 tackles for loss or no gain were tied for the most among Power Five linebackers, as were his three interceptions.OFFENSIVE LINE SPOTLIGHT: WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS
Wake Forest’s front five led the way in the conference with a 78.1 grade this season. The Demon Deacons were one of only two ACC schools to earn 75.0-plus grades in both pass blocking and run blocking. The unit's 82.4 run-blocking grade was more than seven points better than the next-closest team in the conference.What to expect from college football in 2024: Realignment, a 12-team playoff and a Saban-less SEC (ESPN; Dinich)
The minute after Michigan was presented the national championship trophy in Houston, the college football season -- and its accompanying predictions -- flipped to 2024.
If ever there was a Y2K year in college football, this was it -- but the lights didn't go out in NRG Stadium and the sport began its journey into unprecedented change that includes sweeping conference realignment and a 12-team playoff that will again alter how the champion is crowned.
Ready or not, here it comes.
"The change is real," SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said. "You can either run from it and hide, or you can embrace it."
From a sideline without retired Alabama coaching legend Nick Saban to an Atlantic Coast Conference that includes Pacific Coast teams, college football will look vastly different this fall -- even to those immersed in it for a living. The new, expanded playoff will start before Christmas -- and end on Jan. 20, 2025, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
"It's a big year," Mid-American Conference commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said. "This is a fascinating evolution of the playoff. It's no small thing."
Here's an explanation of all of the big things fans can expect to see changing this fall.
Jump to a topic:
Conference realignment
12-team CFP
CFP schedule
Other bowls
Conference title games
Life without Saban
Who governs the sport?
Conference realignment
12-team CFP
CFP schedule
Other bowls
Conference title games
Life without Saban
Who governs the sport?
Who's in what conference?
Aaron E. Martinez/USA TODAY NETWORKLet's start with the basics, because even that's nothing you've ever seen before.
Beginning with the 2024 season, the Big Ten will be the largest conference in the country with 18 teams, and the ACC -- with the additions of SMU, Cal and Stanford -- will follow with 17 teams. The SEC and Big 12 will each have 16 teams.
The Pac-12? Well, it's down to Oregon State and Washington State, which will have a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West Conference.
The SEC will include: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt.
The Big 12 will include: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah, West Virginia.
The Big Ten will include: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin, UCLA, USC, Oregon, Washington.
The ACC will include: Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, NC State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest.
None of them will have divisions, so the top two teams in each league will face meet in their respective conference championship games. Retiring American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco said he believes that even though more history and rivalries will disappear, the love for the sport will remain.
"People enjoy watching games," Aresco said. "If USC is playing Ohio State, are people going to say, 'Yeah, it's a Big Ten game now, I have no interest.' I don't think so. This sport has a hold on America, moreso than any other sport."
...
UPDATE: 2024 ACC Schedule Reveal Jan. 24th (RX; HM)
UPDATE: 2024 ACC Schedule Reveal Jan. 24th
It's been moved up a week, and more important, given some respect!*
From the official ACC announcement...
2024 ACC Football Schedule to be Revealed on ACC Network and ESPN2 on January 24
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) - The 2024 ACC football schedule will be unveiled during a two-hour ACC Huddle: 2024 Football Schedule Release special on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 5 p.m. ET on ACC Network. The ACC Huddle special will also be simulcast on ESPN2 and will provide the first look at the ACC game dates for the 2024 season, breaking down key rivalries, top matchups, the conference’s expanded 17-team schedule, and more.
ACC Huddle: 2024 Football Schedule Release will feature ACC Huddle host Kelsey Riggs and analysts EJ Manuel, Eddie Royal and Mark Richt from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters. The show will also feature select ACC head coaches as they react to the team’s schedules.
The ACC’s new schedule model for 2024-2030 seasons, which was revealed exclusively on ACC Network in October, will continue with no divisions, feature 17 schools with the additions of Cal, SMU and Stanford, and will increase the number of annual conference matchups from 56 to 68. The top two teams, based on conference winning percentage, will compete in the ACC Football Championship Game on the first Saturday in December at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
Prior to Wednesday’s ACC Huddle: 2024 Football Schedule Release, ACC PM will exclusively reveal the Week 1 matchups on Monday, Jan. 22, and the specialty Thursday and Friday night games on Tuesday, Jan. 23. ACC PM airs at 4 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
The 2024 ACC season will kick off with the previously announced Week 0 matchup between 2023 ACC Champion Florida State and Georgia Tech on Saturday, Aug. 24, in the 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will travel to the Seminoles versus Yellow Jackets matchup for its first-ever international show.
__________
*NOTE: The ACC Football Schedule reveal was originally scheduled for one night - January 31st - and only on the ACC Network. Meanwhile, the 2024 SEC Football Schedule was revealed on a 2-hour show simulcast on the SECN and ESPN [LINK] - causing no small outcry from ACC fans! Perhaps ESPN is repenting of their SECbias sins?
Top 2024 Transfer QBs Ranked (RX; HM)
Top 2024 Transfer QBs Ranked
Who lost/gained the best quarterbacks via the Transfer Portal this off-season?
From CBS Sports:
College football QB transfer grades
Here's their top 10 list, along with comments for the ACC-related transfer QBs:
| QB Transfer Grades | ||||
| From School | ► | To School | Player | Grade |
| Washington | ► | Alabama | Austin Mack | B- |
| Toledo | ► | Baylor | Dequan Finn | B |
| USC | ► | Boise St. | Malachi Nelson | B- |
| Texas | ► | Duke | Maalik Murphy | A |
| This is, without a doubt, one of the most enticing moves of the 2024 transfer cycle. Murphy's potential is sky-high. He's built like an edge rusher with a 6-foot-5, 238-pound frame and his arm talent is almost unparalleled at the college level. He doesn't have a lot of experience but new Duke coach Manny Diaz poached SMU offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer in the same role. Brewer knows QBs and has a proven track record of turning inexperienced names into effective starters. He should be able to get the most out of Murphy. | ||||
| Oregon State, Clemson | ► | Florida State | DJ Uiagalelei | C+ |
| At worst, this move gives Florida State a fairly comfortable floor at quarterback. But therein lies the problem. Jordan Travis was a legitimate playmaker that made a lot of things happen for the Seminoles. Uiagalelei is more of a game manager who doesn't do a whole lot to truly raise an offense's ceiling. That seems like an issue for an FSU team that's losing around 75% of its receiving production. | ||||
| Georgia | ► | Kentucky | Brock Vandagriff | B- |
| Washington St, Incarnate Word | ► | Miami | Cameron Ward | A |
| Ward, who flip-flopped between the portal and the NFL before landing on Miami, is a creative passer that can hit off-platform throws akin to USC's Caleb Williams. Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson comes from an Air Raid background that Ward should be plenty familiar with from his time at Incarnate Ward and then at Washington State, which still spreads things out. He will be able to play free and showcase that dazzling arm talent while giving Miami's passing game a much higher ceiling than it's had recently. | ||||
| Oregon State | ► | Michigan St. | Aidan Chiles | B+ |
| Coastal Carolina | ► | NC State | Grayson McCall | B+ |
| McCall faded from the limelight a bit during an injury-riddled 2023 campaign, but he's long been one of the most prolific non-power conference passers in the nation. He finished his Coastal career with more than 10,000 yards passing and 88 touchdowns. More importantly, he takes care of the ball. From 2021-23, he had just eight interceptions. He also has decent rushing ability, which fits an NC State offense that just had QB Brennan Armstrong as its leading rusher. | ||||
| Duke | ► | Notre Dame | Riley Leonard | A |
| Anytime you can get a quarterback via the transfer portal that was once thought of as a first-round pick, it's a huge win. Pairing Leonard with new OC Mike Denbrock is another win. Denbrock just mentored Heisman winner Jayden Daniels at LSU, and though Leonard and Daniels aren't a one-to-one comparison, there are some similarities. Daniels had more than 1,000 yards rushing in 2023, a lot of which was designed, while Leonard had 352 yards in seven games while dealing with an ankle injury. They both also have accurate arms with the ability to deliver precise throws at every level. This could be college football's premier coach-QB pairing entering the 2024 season. | ||||
| Kansas State | ► | Ohio State | Will Howard | B- |
| UCLA | ► | Oregon | Dante Moore | B |
| Oklahoma | ► | Oregon | Dillon Gabriel | A+ |
| Ohio State | ► | Syracuse | Kyle McCord | B- |
| McCord is a serviceable collegiate starter that should give Syracuse the consistency it's so desperately lacked from the quarterback position in recent years. When he's not under pressure, some might even consider McCord elite. He delivered on 72% of his attempts for 2,782 yards and 22 touchdowns with just three interceptions with a clean pocket. His deep ball is particularly effective when given time to throw. He doesn't perform well out of structure, so it's very important for Syracuse to shore up an offensive line that gave up a whopping 73 sacks in 2023. |
What If... Northeast Conference (RX; HM)
What If... Northeast Conference
Time for some alternate history.
From YouTube:
What If... Joe Paterno's Eastern Conference was Created?
Click the link to read the rest - this video has an unusually long explanation which is full of additional information. I like some of his alternate history speculation, too!
__________
Here's another stab at what might have been.
From CSNBBS:
...
Three takeaways from the ACC getting to release the Noles' 2024 football schedule (chopchat.com; Devers)
CLEMSON IN SEPTEMBER?
As most know, Florida State will be playing the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday, August 24th. The Yellow Jackets performed well under the guidance of head football coach Brent Key. However, this is a Seminole team that should be riding high off of their success from last season.
According to the DraftKings , Florida State is currently favored by 12.5 points in the season opener versus Georgia Tech. The Seminoles also have to play a tough Group of Five opponent in the Memphis Tigers. However, I could envision the conference electing to give an easier ACC team to play in the month of September.
I also envision the possibility of playing the Clemson Tigers late in September. Unfortunately, the Tigers have to open the 2024 season with the Georgia Bulldogs. This could be a bittersweet revenge game for quarterback transfer DJ Uiagalelei, who formerly played for Clemson.
This could be a situation where Florida State could be 3-0 going into an important matchup versus Clemson. For reference, the Seminoles played the Tigers last year on September 23th where they defeated Clemson by a score of 31-24 in overtime.
...
Other
