sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Mulligan Day!
Mulligan Day is a day when people redo something that didn't turn out the first time. It is a day when people give themselves or others a second chance. Mulligan is a term used in golf when someone who shoots a bad shot is given a do-over. It is only used in informal games, and usually only one extra shot is given per 18 holes, although sometimes a mulligan is given every 9 holes. The term can be applied to other games such as darts as well. The word likely came from David Mulligan, a Canadian golfer prominent in the 1920's, who either hit a poor tee shot, was jumpy and shaky after a shot, or overslept and was late for a shot. Another theory is that John A. "Buddy" Mulligan, a locker room attendant from New Jersey, played golf with a sports writer who started using the term after Mulligan needed a redo after his first shot. The writer, Des Sullivan, used the term in his golf articles for the Newark Evening News. Regardless of which of these stories is true, the term has stuck, and this day is dedicated to it.
SU News
After stunning Clemson, Orange prep for Miami (espn; AP)
Syracuse coach Dino Babers spoke in low tones. His voice was noticeably hoarse in the aftermath of one memorable night.
"I'm just kind of going through the motions," Babers said Monday at his weekly news conference, back in town after a whirlwind round of recruiting in the New York City metro area.
A year ago, in his first season at Syracuse, Babers coached the Orange to an upset of No. 17 Virginia Tech at home. He directed Syracuse to a stunner of greater magnitude Friday night -- a 27-24 victory over Clemson.
The loss dropped the Tigers (6-1, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) to No. 7 this week and gave the Orange a jolt of confidence as they moved closer to becoming bowl-eligible.
"When you play on Friday night, everyone sees you. It's a big moment," Babers said. "As the millennials were saying, that's a trending moment. Everyone's watching, social media is buzzing, everybody knows what's going on. It's big."
Both victories came inside the Carrier Dome, the latter prompting hundreds in the crowd of 42,475 to gather at midfield with Babers and his players to soak in a rare moment. The Orange had never beaten the second-ranked team in the nation and only twice before had defeated the defending national champion.
"It will be something that they'll be able to share with [family members]," said Babers, who gave another one of his riveting postgame speeches.
The victory puts Syracuse (4-3, 2-1) in the uncustomary spot of third place in the Atlantic Division of the ACC, ahead of Florida State, Wake Forest, Louisville and Boston College.
The Orange didn't land any votes in this week's AP Top 25, but a victory on Saturday at No. 8 Miami (5-0, 3-0) likely would attract even more attention. Syracuse hasn't been ranked since finishing at No. 14 in January 2001.
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Ranking the Power 5 conferences by entertainment value (espn; Schlabach)
The second half of the 2017 college football season started with an Ed Orgeron-like howl. Seven ranked teams, including four in the top 10, went down. Five previously undefeated teams are unbeaten no more, including defending national champion Clemson.
After seven weeks, there are only eight unbeaten teams remaining, including six from Power 5 conferences. It's hard to know what to expect from the rest of the regular season. Usually by now you have a good idea of which conference is best. After Week 7, it's hard to say.
ESPN's Football Power Index indicates there is very little to separate the SEC, ACC and Big 12 as the top leagues. The ACC has the most teams in the FPI top 25 (six), but if you only measure the strength of each conference's top five teams, the SEC and the Big Ten end up on top (though the bottom of the Big Ten is very bad). The Big 12, however, has eight of its 10 teams ranked in the top 36 of FPI.
There's plenty of time to settle that debate, so I took a different approach to my Power 5 conference rankings. Here they are, ranked from best to worst based on performance, entertainment value and intrigue, with three things you should be paying attention to the second half of the season.
1. Big Ten
The Big Ten has three teams ranked in the top six of the AP top 25 and five included in the top 20. It has the best rivalry game (Michigan vs. Ohio State), the best collection of coaches -- and coaching rivalries -- and the game's most electrifying player.
Maybe this season the Big Ten will even score a few points in the College Football Playoff.
1. It's Heisman time for Saquon Barkley
Penn State is ranked No. 2 in the AP poll, its highest ranking since 1999. Now the Nittany Lions are going to have to earn it to stay there. Few teams will face as brutal a three-game stretch as Penn State -- home against No. 19 Michigan on Saturday, at No. 6 Ohio State on Oct. 28 and at No. 18 Michigan State on Nov. 4.
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Syracuse Football Report Card: Here’s how SU performed vs Clemson (itlh.com; Carey)
Strickland’s time spent at running back over the past two seasons certainly has come with quite a bit of criticism. The New Jersey native has really struggled to get much going on the ground over the past two seasons.
Last year Strickland had just one game where he rushed for more than 100 yards and up to this point this year he still has not eclipsed that 100 yard mark. With that being said, last week against Pittsburgh, Strickland rushed for 80 yards and against Clemson he racked up 79 tough yards on the ground. Strickland carried the ball 19 times good for about four yards per carry.
I was one of the people who has been critical of Strickland in the past, but this year I am starting to see definite improvements in both him and the Syracuse offensive line. Last year and in the beginning part of this season Strickland certainly has not had big holes to run through, but he often times was doing too much dancing.
Over the past two games, the New Jersey native has run with purpose, putting his head down and running people over when he hits a hole. This is a massive improvement for Strickland who hopefully now realizes that running hard can earn you an extra two or three yards a run.
I think we are starting to see what Dino Babers wants out of his running game. They just need to be a threat, to keep the opposing defense honest and allow Syracuse’s passing game to make plays. The powerful running back is also a threat in the passing game and has been his whole career here.
His big play against Clemson came in the first quarter when Strickland caught a screen pass, broke the tackle of Clemson corner Mark Fields and turned up field taking it to the house for a 23-yard touchdown. This play came on the opening drive of the game and really set the tone that Syracuse was going to give Clemson a battle all night.
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Syracuse Football: Clemson win is more than just a W on schedule (itlh.com; Esden Jr)
The Syracuse football team got a program changing win on Saturday. But the ripple effects could be even greater. ITLH breaks it down.
For the second time in Syracuse football history, the team has beaten a team ranked in the AP Top two. Syracuse is over .500 on the season, over .500 in the conference, and has a top-three win in program history.
But to me, this is bigger than the 2017 season. It’s bigger than getting another win and trying to get to a bowl game.
A bowl game mind you, that is going to be some dot com bowl. This is a skin on the wall. A game that will be forever remembered in Syracuse lore.
- 1959 Syracuse football National Championship
- 1984 defeating No. 1 Nebraska Corn Huskers
- 2017 beating No. 2 Clemson Tigers (defending National Champions)
This isn’t an overreaction, they’ve stolen the headlines across the country. After the game the
leading story on ESPN.com was “SU Stuns Clemson“. HC Dino Babers has made his rounds in the national media including: Mike and Mike, SportsCenter, ESPN, and other national media outlets.
Everyone around the country is talking about the biggest upset of the college football season. Do you know who’s paying attention to this?
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Syracuse Football: Time for SU to put their money where their mouth is (itlh.com; Esden Jr)
From all the Syracuse football fans that I heard from, the message is clear. It’s time for SU to put their money where their mouth is. ITLH breaks it down.
In case you missed it, the Syracuse football team got one of the biggest wins in program history. We can argue about where it ranks among some of the greats in due time.
Although something that can’t be argued is the overall message leaving this thrilling 27 to 24 victory over the Clemson Tigers. SU is back!
No not back as a National Championship contender quite yet, but they’re back in the conversation. People are talking about Syracuse literally everywhere. We documented that journey on Monday morning in our featured column.
But there’s something else people are talking about after that program changing victory. Has SU attracted unwanted attention?
In an interview on Mike and Mike, HC Dino Babers talked about the win and what it meant for all his players. But after the boys hung up on the coach, they discussed the potential of Babers moving on to greener pastures.
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Moments of the Game: Clemson at Syracuse (shakinthesouthland.com; Goldin)
Wow. Well, that wasn't fun. After a rough Friday the 13th, we're now #7 in the nation and second to NC State in the Atlantic Division. But, everything is still on the table for the Tigers, as we saw last year after the Pitt loss. There's just less margin for error now. But, instead of lamenting on what all went wrong Friday night, let's take some time to check out the a few moments that went right(ish).
That's a pretty nice scoop and score and at the time looked like a huge shift in momentum for Clemson. This was Tanner Muse's second career touchdown. His first came last year against, you guessed it, Syracuse. Muse was subsequently hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. First he pretended to chug the ball like a beer.
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ML breaks it all down as the Orange takes out #2 Clemson. #Cuse #Clemson
Other
Haunted houses in Syracuse and CNY: 2017 Halloween events, hayrides, more fun (PS; Herbert)
Haunted houses in Syracuse and CNY: 2017 Halloween events, hayrides, more fun
Who's ready for Halloween in Central New York? Haunted houses, scary movies, zombie runs (or crawls), creepy forests, spooky hayrides and trails of terror await you.
We've compiled a list of frightening and fun things to do in Syracuse and Central New York through the month of October. Enjoy if you dare!
Fright Nights at the Fair
What: The NYS Fair turns into a night of terror with a five different attractions: The Revenge of 'It,' The Haunted Mansion, The Insane Asylum, Chainsaw Massacre and Dead Pirates. Recommended for ages 9 and up.
When: Friday-Saturday, 7 p.m. to midnight; Sunday, 7-11 p.m. now through October 29
Where: New York State Fairgrounds, Geddes, N.Y.
Price: $10 for single ticket; $25 for all 5 houses; group discounts and coupons also available
More info: thefrightnights.com or 315-396-8390
The Last Ride
What: A Haunted Hayride takes brave souls through the cursed woods of Parish, a Haunted House features "2,000 square feet of hell" and a Hearse Ride with open casket seats make the last ride you'll ever take.
When: Fridays-Sundays, now through Oct. 29 from 7 p.m. to midnight (10 p.m. on Sundays)
Where: 291 Johnson Rd, Parish, N.Y. 13131
Price: $12 for hayride, $10 for haunted house; $20 for house and hayride; $14 for hearse ride; $22 for house and hearse; $10 specials on Sundays
More info: Facebook, thelastridepalermo.com/hallow or 315-529-0320
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