sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to World Trick Shot Day!
World Trick Shot Day is being observed today! It has been observed the first Tuesday in December since 2016.
SU News
Syracuse football recruiting: 3-star South Carolina DL Cooper Dawson set to visit (PS; Bailey)
Syracuse football is still in the market for defensive linemen as the Class of 2019 cycle is heading toward the home stretch.
The Orange already hosted one of its top targets in Michigan native Darius Robinson and will have the final opportunity to impress high-four-star New York City product Adisa Isaac next weekend.
Before that, though, another defensive line target will visit SU this weekend in Hanahan (S.C.) High School senior two-way lineman Cooper Dawson.
"Stuff just started heating up the past few weeks," Dawson said via Twitter direct message. "And I think they're a great school with an even better football program in one of the best conferences."
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Dawson is rated three stars and the No. 22 recruit from South Carolina this cycle by 247Sports.com's composite rankings. He was offered by Syracuse on Saturday as a defensive lineman who could grow from end to tackle like Chris Slayton and Josh Black in recent years. Other schools have offered him as an offensive tackle, tight end and linebacker.
...
WV MetroNews – Babers bringing Syracuse to relevance after post-Big East drought (wvmetronews.com; Hickey)
For West Virginia fans, there is a growing sense of frustration over the Mountaineers’ inability to win a conference title since moving to the Big 12 in 2012.
But frustration is a more enjoyable emotion than whatever Syracuse fans have felt since moving to the ACC when the Big East folded in 2013 – although that despair is rapidly transforming into something far better.
For the Orange, a trip to the Camping World Bowl marks a major step forward for a program that was initially left a step behind after the great collegiate conference reshuffle.
Dino Babers is Syracuse’s third head coach since the Orange last faced West Virginia in the 2012 Pinstripe Bowl. Babers replaced Scott Shafer, who took over when Doug Marrone was hired by the Buffalo Bills after merely finishing .500 in his four years at Syracuse.
Going into this season, the Orange were 22-39 with one bowl appearance in the five seasons that passed since beating the Mountaineers in the Pinstripe Bowl. In contrast, Dana Holgorsen and West Virginia went 36-28 in the same stretch, making four bowl appearances.
“You guys go bowling all the time, but this is new ground for us,” Babers said. “I just have to make sure it’s not like the first day of school where they’re so excited by the new surroundings that they don’t forget that they do have a fantastic West Virginia football team to get ready for.”
Syracuse was in a state of disrepair when Babers took over in 2016, trying to reinvigorate the program with the Air Raid offense he mastered at Eastern Illinois with the help of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
“Me and Dino go way back. We’ve known each other a long time, growing up in the Air Raid system and going to clinics,” said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, who will be facing Babers for the first time. “He’s had unbelievable success running that type of system as a head coach. I’m very familiar with what they do.”
...
Groza finalists come through for patients at Palm Beach Children’s Hospital (wpbf.com; Burke)
This week is a kick for three young men representing LSU, Syracuse and Wyoming. They are the finalists for the Lou Groza Award, which goes to the top kicker in college football.
Groza finalists have been regular visitors to Palm Beach Children’s Hospital over the years, and while the faces have changed, the reward of sharing with these young people has remained the same.
Wyoming kicker Cooper Rothe described himself as being “super grateful to be here. It’s a cool award and all,” he added, before saying, “eventually it’ll be gone. Hopefully our impression on these kids today will last forever.”
In the spirit of the holidays, these three kings of kicking came bearing gifts to brighten the day of these children whose lives are far different from theirs.
Syracuse kicker Andre Szmyt said, “They’re going through a lot of stuff. Coming in and seeing a smile on their face and being able to give them a gift and stuff like that and seeing them happy in the moment makes me feel so much better about everything that I have and stuff.”
...
http://www.espnsyracuse.com/category/baldwin/ (espnsyracuse.com; radio; Baldwin)
On today’s show Daniel and the guys recap a very eventful weekend in sports, discussing Syracuse facing old Big East rival West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl and that West Virginia fans are unhappy about this. Also, Etan Thomas joins the guys to discuss Syracuse’s win over Cornell and why college athletes are not getting paid. Plus, Etan sticks around to play ‘So What’ and so so so much more!
Marty Chalk Talks Syracuse's Bowl Game Return (mytwintiers.com; video; Malnoske)
Syracuse football is back in the bowl game.
On Friday, December 28th at 5:30 PM, Syracuse will play old Big East Rival West Virginia (8-3, 6-3 ACC) in Orlando in the Camping World Bowl. It's the first bowl game in five years for the Orange (9-3, 6-2 ACC), who look to win their first postseason contest since the taking the Texas Bowl in 2013.
Former Syracuse captain and Elmira native, Marty Chalk, discusses with 18 sports the significance of getting back to the postseason. Chalk believes that this is a huge recruiting tool and a time when the Orange may just very well turn the corner for continued success.
ESPN Releases Score Prediction For West Virginia-Syracuse (thespun.com; Rosvoglou)
College football’s bowl season is almost here, and ESPN already has its prediction for every matchup, including an intriguing showdown between West Virginia and Syracuse.
The Mountaineers own an 8-3 record, as Will Grier looks to finish his collegiate career with a victory. The Orange have a surprising 9-3 record under Dino Babers, and the only blowout loss came against Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium.
With both programs ready to battle in the Camping World Bowl, expect a high-scoring matchup.
Here is ESPN’s prediction:
A Big East rivalry is renewed with two fun-loving coaches — Dana Holgorsen and Dino Babers — who love to sling the ball around. Senior quarterbacks Will Grier (WVU) and Eric Dungey (Syracuse) both put up big numbers but Grier and his receivers will be the difference in a high-scoring game.
Prediction: West Virginia 48, Syracuse 45
West Virginia and Syracuse are set to kick off at 5:15 p.m. ET on Dec. 28.
Booking a trip to see the SU football team in Orlando won't come cheap (localsyr.com; Hackford)
For eager SU fans looking to head to Orlando for the Camping World Bowl on December 28, every minute since Sunday's announcement has meant precious time and potentially added cost.
On Monday, the cheapest round-trip flights from Syracuse's Hancock Airport to Orlando cost about $700.00 from Jet Blue. That flight would leave on December 26 and return on December 29, but that didn't include a hotel and those are averaging $200.00 a night.
Looking on your own is one option, but often local travel agents can find even better deals.
The AAA has received numerous calls about their bundles since the matchup with West Virginia was announced.
"They will go fast. We've had bowl trips in other years and they sell out almost instantly because all of Syracuse wants to get away from this cold weather and what a better place to go than Orlando," said Sue Smith, a AAA program manager.
The bundles are available to members and non-members but do not include airfare. That pricing is determined on a case by case basis.
...
Mountaineers Renew Old Rivalry In Camping World Bowl - Last Word on College Football (lastwsordoncollegefootball.com; Knobbe)
Selection Sunday has passed. That means no more conjecture on where your favorite teams will be playing. Those matchups have been announced. West Virginia has accepted an invitation to play Syracuse in Orlando. Indeed, on December 28, the Mountaineers renew an old rivalry in the Camping World Bowl.
Disappointment in Morgantown
The result is disappointing to fans. The sentiment is understandable for two reasons.
First, absent either of their upset losses, West Virginia would have been playing Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Fans surely remember the last matchup with Georgia. It began the Mountaineers’ short-lived period of national prominence (as we discussed here). Given the small margin between 10-1 and 8-3 this season, those upset losses remain hard to accept.
Second, many outlets ran projections that diverged from the contracts between the Big XII and their respective bowls. The Big XII runner-up was always going to the Sugar Bowl if the champion made the playoff. That is set by contract between the Big XII and the Sugar Bowl.
...
Syracuse Football Heads To Camping World Bowl. Mike Lindsley (ML) Sports Platter podcast player.fm; radio; Lindsley)
Camping World discussion
Report: ACC team has ‘serious interest’ in hiring Hugh Freeze as OC (saturdaydownsouth.com; Spencer)
Former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze has been mentioned in connection with the open OC job at Tennessee and the soon-to-be-open Auburn OC job.
He’s also been connected to the open head coaching gig at Liberty, and now he’s being mentioned for yet another high-profile job.
According to FOX’s Clay Travis, Florida State is also interested in hiring the former head coach of the Rebels:
However, the Seminoles were a disaster this year, and their offensive line is just awful. Would Freeze really go there to join Willie Taggart’s staff, where he’d potentially be used as a scapegoat next year.
...
What Clemson’s Tony Elliott said about the Georgia Tech head coaching job (thestate.com; Connolly)
Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott’s name was immediately mentioned as a possible candidate for the Georgia Tech head coaching job after Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson resigned last week.
Elliott recruits the Atlanta area some and is one of the top assistant coaches in college football.
The 39-year-old won the Broyles Award following the 2017 season, which is given to the top assistant coach in the country.
Elliott was asked following Clemson’s ACC championship win against Pitt on Saturday for his thoughts on the Georgia Tech job. He has not been contacted by anybody at Georgia Tech, he said. If that changes, there’s a process he will go through.
“That’s a situation where I’ll sit down and talk with coach (Dabo) Swinney, and I really haven’t given much thought to it. I’m still, like I’ve told you before, I’m still growing in this role. And I understand what the challenges are of being a head coach,” Elliott said. “There are some things I’ve got to do personally to get myself ready. But at the present moment, I’m just focusing on what I’ve got, and if the Lord provides an opportunity, then I’ll have to go into prayer, talk with the people I trust and then possibly look into it.”
...
Smart: In Down Year for ACC, Eagles Fail to Capitalize and Falter Late - The Heights (bcheights.com; Smart)
On paper, everything Boston College football needed to make a serious conference championship push was there. The Eagles had 13 All-ACC selections and a stable of NFL Draft talent with an impressive array of depth at several positions. There was Zach Allen, one of the country’s best edge rushers, and Wyatt Ray holding down the defensive line. There was A.J. Dillon, one of the best running backs in the country and a potential Heisman winner. Chris Lindstrom was a calming force on the offensive line, while the secondary featured the ballhawking trio of Lukas Denis, Will Harris, and Hamp Cheevers.
Pair that assortment of talent with the fact that the rest of the ACC—outside of Clemson—wasn’t positioned to have great seasons, and BC suddenly seemed poised to have an outside shot at playing for the conference title. Instead, head coach Steve Addazio and the Eagles have now found themselves with an invitation to the Servpro First Responders Bowl and will play the day after Christmas—far from the prestigious New Year’s Six that BC had a conceivable path to.
Over the last decade-plus of ACC football, teams have taken turns having strong seasons, but one constant has been true—at least two of Clemson, Florida State, and Virginia Tech will find itself in the AP Poll for much of the season. With two of those teams in BC’s division, it’s often hard for the Eagles to make much noise in the Atlantic Division unless they’re awfully good. It’s no coincidence, then, that BC’s only two appearances in the conference championship—or a high finish in the division, for that matter—came when Clemson and FSU were enjoying uncharacteristically off seasons.
...
Conference realignment doesn't seem likely, but LHN, ACCN, P12N could be key (awfulannouncing.com; Bucholtz)
...
While college experts were skeptical about widespread conference shake-ups, they unanimously said they’ll be watching three factors that could be triggers for change: Texas, Oklahoma and the success of the ACC Network.
…When the Big 12 begins negotiating its next media rights deal, it will be incumbent on the league to show enough revenue growth, without expanding, to keep the Longhorns and Sooners from exploring alternatives. Whether the Big 12 can generate significant raises from its base of 10 schools remains to be seen.
…Another potential trigger for change is the ACC Network, which is scheduled to launch in August in an environment rife with cord cutters and dwindling subscriber bases. ESPN fully owns the channel and was able to secure the right to launch it on Altice’s New York-area systems and nationally on at least one digital multichannel video provider.
If the channel is successful in signing more carriage deals, the conference’s makeup will remain the same. If not, some of the ACC’s stronger programs — Florida State, Clemson — could become targets for the SEC and Big Ten.
As that piece notes, any further realignment is far from assured. In fact, Texas AD Chris Del Conte told SBJ in that piece “Right now, it’s very calm. I don’t see any movement right now.” And if the TV situations remain about as they are right now in the next wave, nothing big may happen. But what happens if they start to dramatically diverge? As per SBJ, Texas currently makes around $36 million annually in distributions from the Big 12 and another $15 million from ESPN for LHN (and it doesn’t really matter for the Longhorns that no one watches that and that its carriage isn’t great, as they get paid regardless), which would put them pretty close to Big Ten schools (the current leader in media rights revenue). But if the bidding for Big Ten rights or SEC Tier 1 rights in this next round goes through the roof, and if there’s lesser interest in the Big 12 rights and the chance of Texas falling behind even with their LHN revenue, that could lead to them exploring an exit.
There are some interesting possibilities out there for Texas outside the Big 12, and wherever they go, they’ll still have LHN in some form (as that contract isn’t tied to the conference). One option is for the Longhorns to go independent in football a la Notre Dame, and they’re perhaps well set up to do so; with LHN already somewhat established, they could put their top-tier rights there in return for a massive boost in rights fees (which ESPN would probably jump at, as compelling games would let them raise the LHN price while also expanding its carriage and audience). Another is them heading to the Big Ten or the ACC, but the Big Ten would carry some challenges given its well-established conference network (owned by Fox and the conference) and its current rights split between Fox and ESPN.
...
ACC Football Rx: On 2nd Thought: Detroit Bowl (accfootballrx.com; HM)
On 2nd Thought: Detroit Bowl
When the ACC signed up to play the Big Ten in the Quick Lane Bowl I thought it was a good idea. Add another Big Tenbowl opponent, play indoors, convenient for the northern teams...
...now I'm not so sure. I mean, does ANYBODY want to play in this bowl?
Anyway, here are some questions you might reasonably have about this year's QLB, along with what I hope are reasonable answers...
__________
Q #1: Is the ACC somehow singling out Georgia Tech to go to the Quick Lane Bowl?
A #1: It doesn't look like it, considering that both UNC and Duke have already played there...
For poor old Minnesota, this is the Gophers SECOND trip to Detroit! Be that as it may, GT is now the 4th different ACC team to play in the Quick Lane Bowl - hard to claim they were singled out.
...
Other
Onondaga Creekwalk closed indefinitely due to erosion damage (PS; Coin)
The northwestern end of the Onondaga Creekwalk, shut down this fall because of erosion from Onondaga Lake, will remain closed indefinitely.
Ice and waves damaged the pavement along the shoreline at the end of the creekwalk behind Destiny USA, said Owen Kerney, Syracuse's assistant planning director.
"It's created a situation where a portion of that area has eroded," Kerney said. "Out of an abundance of caution we're going to close access to this until we can repair it."
Rather than making a temporary fix, he said, the city will repair the damage next year when it builds the Onondaga Lake Lounge, a tiered viewing platform where the creekwalk dead-ends at the lake. Large rocks will be placed along the shore to prevent erosion from causing more damage, he said.
The city will seek bids for the lounge project this spring, and hopes to complete it by the end of summer, Kerney said. The end of the creekwalk will be closed at least through the construction of the lounge for safety, he said. The rest of the 2.2 mile- creekwalk, which runs to Armory Square, remains open.
...
World Trick Shot Day is being observed today! It has been observed the first Tuesday in December since 2016.
SU News
Syracuse football recruiting: 3-star South Carolina DL Cooper Dawson set to visit (PS; Bailey)
Syracuse football is still in the market for defensive linemen as the Class of 2019 cycle is heading toward the home stretch.
The Orange already hosted one of its top targets in Michigan native Darius Robinson and will have the final opportunity to impress high-four-star New York City product Adisa Isaac next weekend.
Before that, though, another defensive line target will visit SU this weekend in Hanahan (S.C.) High School senior two-way lineman Cooper Dawson.
"Stuff just started heating up the past few weeks," Dawson said via Twitter direct message. "And I think they're a great school with an even better football program in one of the best conferences."
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Dawson is rated three stars and the No. 22 recruit from South Carolina this cycle by 247Sports.com's composite rankings. He was offered by Syracuse on Saturday as a defensive lineman who could grow from end to tackle like Chris Slayton and Josh Black in recent years. Other schools have offered him as an offensive tackle, tight end and linebacker.
...
WV MetroNews – Babers bringing Syracuse to relevance after post-Big East drought (wvmetronews.com; Hickey)
For West Virginia fans, there is a growing sense of frustration over the Mountaineers’ inability to win a conference title since moving to the Big 12 in 2012.
But frustration is a more enjoyable emotion than whatever Syracuse fans have felt since moving to the ACC when the Big East folded in 2013 – although that despair is rapidly transforming into something far better.
For the Orange, a trip to the Camping World Bowl marks a major step forward for a program that was initially left a step behind after the great collegiate conference reshuffle.
Dino Babers is Syracuse’s third head coach since the Orange last faced West Virginia in the 2012 Pinstripe Bowl. Babers replaced Scott Shafer, who took over when Doug Marrone was hired by the Buffalo Bills after merely finishing .500 in his four years at Syracuse.
Going into this season, the Orange were 22-39 with one bowl appearance in the five seasons that passed since beating the Mountaineers in the Pinstripe Bowl. In contrast, Dana Holgorsen and West Virginia went 36-28 in the same stretch, making four bowl appearances.
“You guys go bowling all the time, but this is new ground for us,” Babers said. “I just have to make sure it’s not like the first day of school where they’re so excited by the new surroundings that they don’t forget that they do have a fantastic West Virginia football team to get ready for.”
Syracuse was in a state of disrepair when Babers took over in 2016, trying to reinvigorate the program with the Air Raid offense he mastered at Eastern Illinois with the help of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
“Me and Dino go way back. We’ve known each other a long time, growing up in the Air Raid system and going to clinics,” said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, who will be facing Babers for the first time. “He’s had unbelievable success running that type of system as a head coach. I’m very familiar with what they do.”
...
Groza finalists come through for patients at Palm Beach Children’s Hospital (wpbf.com; Burke)
This week is a kick for three young men representing LSU, Syracuse and Wyoming. They are the finalists for the Lou Groza Award, which goes to the top kicker in college football.
Groza finalists have been regular visitors to Palm Beach Children’s Hospital over the years, and while the faces have changed, the reward of sharing with these young people has remained the same.
Wyoming kicker Cooper Rothe described himself as being “super grateful to be here. It’s a cool award and all,” he added, before saying, “eventually it’ll be gone. Hopefully our impression on these kids today will last forever.”
In the spirit of the holidays, these three kings of kicking came bearing gifts to brighten the day of these children whose lives are far different from theirs.
Syracuse kicker Andre Szmyt said, “They’re going through a lot of stuff. Coming in and seeing a smile on their face and being able to give them a gift and stuff like that and seeing them happy in the moment makes me feel so much better about everything that I have and stuff.”
...
http://www.espnsyracuse.com/category/baldwin/ (espnsyracuse.com; radio; Baldwin)
On today’s show Daniel and the guys recap a very eventful weekend in sports, discussing Syracuse facing old Big East rival West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl and that West Virginia fans are unhappy about this. Also, Etan Thomas joins the guys to discuss Syracuse’s win over Cornell and why college athletes are not getting paid. Plus, Etan sticks around to play ‘So What’ and so so so much more!
Marty Chalk Talks Syracuse's Bowl Game Return (mytwintiers.com; video; Malnoske)
Syracuse football is back in the bowl game.
On Friday, December 28th at 5:30 PM, Syracuse will play old Big East Rival West Virginia (8-3, 6-3 ACC) in Orlando in the Camping World Bowl. It's the first bowl game in five years for the Orange (9-3, 6-2 ACC), who look to win their first postseason contest since the taking the Texas Bowl in 2013.
Former Syracuse captain and Elmira native, Marty Chalk, discusses with 18 sports the significance of getting back to the postseason. Chalk believes that this is a huge recruiting tool and a time when the Orange may just very well turn the corner for continued success.
ESPN Releases Score Prediction For West Virginia-Syracuse (thespun.com; Rosvoglou)
College football’s bowl season is almost here, and ESPN already has its prediction for every matchup, including an intriguing showdown between West Virginia and Syracuse.
The Mountaineers own an 8-3 record, as Will Grier looks to finish his collegiate career with a victory. The Orange have a surprising 9-3 record under Dino Babers, and the only blowout loss came against Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium.
With both programs ready to battle in the Camping World Bowl, expect a high-scoring matchup.
Here is ESPN’s prediction:
A Big East rivalry is renewed with two fun-loving coaches — Dana Holgorsen and Dino Babers — who love to sling the ball around. Senior quarterbacks Will Grier (WVU) and Eric Dungey (Syracuse) both put up big numbers but Grier and his receivers will be the difference in a high-scoring game.
Prediction: West Virginia 48, Syracuse 45
West Virginia and Syracuse are set to kick off at 5:15 p.m. ET on Dec. 28.
Booking a trip to see the SU football team in Orlando won't come cheap (localsyr.com; Hackford)
For eager SU fans looking to head to Orlando for the Camping World Bowl on December 28, every minute since Sunday's announcement has meant precious time and potentially added cost.
On Monday, the cheapest round-trip flights from Syracuse's Hancock Airport to Orlando cost about $700.00 from Jet Blue. That flight would leave on December 26 and return on December 29, but that didn't include a hotel and those are averaging $200.00 a night.
Looking on your own is one option, but often local travel agents can find even better deals.
The AAA has received numerous calls about their bundles since the matchup with West Virginia was announced.
"They will go fast. We've had bowl trips in other years and they sell out almost instantly because all of Syracuse wants to get away from this cold weather and what a better place to go than Orlando," said Sue Smith, a AAA program manager.
The bundles are available to members and non-members but do not include airfare. That pricing is determined on a case by case basis.
...
Mountaineers Renew Old Rivalry In Camping World Bowl - Last Word on College Football (lastwsordoncollegefootball.com; Knobbe)
Selection Sunday has passed. That means no more conjecture on where your favorite teams will be playing. Those matchups have been announced. West Virginia has accepted an invitation to play Syracuse in Orlando. Indeed, on December 28, the Mountaineers renew an old rivalry in the Camping World Bowl.
Disappointment in Morgantown
The result is disappointing to fans. The sentiment is understandable for two reasons.
First, absent either of their upset losses, West Virginia would have been playing Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Fans surely remember the last matchup with Georgia. It began the Mountaineers’ short-lived period of national prominence (as we discussed here). Given the small margin between 10-1 and 8-3 this season, those upset losses remain hard to accept.
Second, many outlets ran projections that diverged from the contracts between the Big XII and their respective bowls. The Big XII runner-up was always going to the Sugar Bowl if the champion made the playoff. That is set by contract between the Big XII and the Sugar Bowl.
...
Syracuse Football Heads To Camping World Bowl. Mike Lindsley (ML) Sports Platter podcast player.fm; radio; Lindsley)
Camping World discussion
Report: ACC team has ‘serious interest’ in hiring Hugh Freeze as OC (saturdaydownsouth.com; Spencer)
Former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze has been mentioned in connection with the open OC job at Tennessee and the soon-to-be-open Auburn OC job.
He’s also been connected to the open head coaching gig at Liberty, and now he’s being mentioned for yet another high-profile job.
According to FOX’s Clay Travis, Florida State is also interested in hiring the former head coach of the Rebels:
I’m told Florida State has serious interest in hiring Hugh Freeze as offensive coordinator. Discussions ongoing.
1,034
6:32 PM - Dec 3, 2018
While it seems the Vols and Tigers are seriously considering him, FSU may be able to act faster.1,034
6:32 PM - Dec 3, 2018
However, the Seminoles were a disaster this year, and their offensive line is just awful. Would Freeze really go there to join Willie Taggart’s staff, where he’d potentially be used as a scapegoat next year.
...
What Clemson’s Tony Elliott said about the Georgia Tech head coaching job (thestate.com; Connolly)
Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott’s name was immediately mentioned as a possible candidate for the Georgia Tech head coaching job after Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson resigned last week.
Elliott recruits the Atlanta area some and is one of the top assistant coaches in college football.
The 39-year-old won the Broyles Award following the 2017 season, which is given to the top assistant coach in the country.
Elliott was asked following Clemson’s ACC championship win against Pitt on Saturday for his thoughts on the Georgia Tech job. He has not been contacted by anybody at Georgia Tech, he said. If that changes, there’s a process he will go through.
“That’s a situation where I’ll sit down and talk with coach (Dabo) Swinney, and I really haven’t given much thought to it. I’m still, like I’ve told you before, I’m still growing in this role. And I understand what the challenges are of being a head coach,” Elliott said. “There are some things I’ve got to do personally to get myself ready. But at the present moment, I’m just focusing on what I’ve got, and if the Lord provides an opportunity, then I’ll have to go into prayer, talk with the people I trust and then possibly look into it.”
...
Smart: In Down Year for ACC, Eagles Fail to Capitalize and Falter Late - The Heights (bcheights.com; Smart)
On paper, everything Boston College football needed to make a serious conference championship push was there. The Eagles had 13 All-ACC selections and a stable of NFL Draft talent with an impressive array of depth at several positions. There was Zach Allen, one of the country’s best edge rushers, and Wyatt Ray holding down the defensive line. There was A.J. Dillon, one of the best running backs in the country and a potential Heisman winner. Chris Lindstrom was a calming force on the offensive line, while the secondary featured the ballhawking trio of Lukas Denis, Will Harris, and Hamp Cheevers.
Pair that assortment of talent with the fact that the rest of the ACC—outside of Clemson—wasn’t positioned to have great seasons, and BC suddenly seemed poised to have an outside shot at playing for the conference title. Instead, head coach Steve Addazio and the Eagles have now found themselves with an invitation to the Servpro First Responders Bowl and will play the day after Christmas—far from the prestigious New Year’s Six that BC had a conceivable path to.
Over the last decade-plus of ACC football, teams have taken turns having strong seasons, but one constant has been true—at least two of Clemson, Florida State, and Virginia Tech will find itself in the AP Poll for much of the season. With two of those teams in BC’s division, it’s often hard for the Eagles to make much noise in the Atlantic Division unless they’re awfully good. It’s no coincidence, then, that BC’s only two appearances in the conference championship—or a high finish in the division, for that matter—came when Clemson and FSU were enjoying uncharacteristically off seasons.
...
Conference realignment doesn't seem likely, but LHN, ACCN, P12N could be key (awfulannouncing.com; Bucholtz)
...
While college experts were skeptical about widespread conference shake-ups, they unanimously said they’ll be watching three factors that could be triggers for change: Texas, Oklahoma and the success of the ACC Network.
…When the Big 12 begins negotiating its next media rights deal, it will be incumbent on the league to show enough revenue growth, without expanding, to keep the Longhorns and Sooners from exploring alternatives. Whether the Big 12 can generate significant raises from its base of 10 schools remains to be seen.
…Another potential trigger for change is the ACC Network, which is scheduled to launch in August in an environment rife with cord cutters and dwindling subscriber bases. ESPN fully owns the channel and was able to secure the right to launch it on Altice’s New York-area systems and nationally on at least one digital multichannel video provider.
If the channel is successful in signing more carriage deals, the conference’s makeup will remain the same. If not, some of the ACC’s stronger programs — Florida State, Clemson — could become targets for the SEC and Big Ten.
As that piece notes, any further realignment is far from assured. In fact, Texas AD Chris Del Conte told SBJ in that piece “Right now, it’s very calm. I don’t see any movement right now.” And if the TV situations remain about as they are right now in the next wave, nothing big may happen. But what happens if they start to dramatically diverge? As per SBJ, Texas currently makes around $36 million annually in distributions from the Big 12 and another $15 million from ESPN for LHN (and it doesn’t really matter for the Longhorns that no one watches that and that its carriage isn’t great, as they get paid regardless), which would put them pretty close to Big Ten schools (the current leader in media rights revenue). But if the bidding for Big Ten rights or SEC Tier 1 rights in this next round goes through the roof, and if there’s lesser interest in the Big 12 rights and the chance of Texas falling behind even with their LHN revenue, that could lead to them exploring an exit.
There are some interesting possibilities out there for Texas outside the Big 12, and wherever they go, they’ll still have LHN in some form (as that contract isn’t tied to the conference). One option is for the Longhorns to go independent in football a la Notre Dame, and they’re perhaps well set up to do so; with LHN already somewhat established, they could put their top-tier rights there in return for a massive boost in rights fees (which ESPN would probably jump at, as compelling games would let them raise the LHN price while also expanding its carriage and audience). Another is them heading to the Big Ten or the ACC, but the Big Ten would carry some challenges given its well-established conference network (owned by Fox and the conference) and its current rights split between Fox and ESPN.
...
ACC Football Rx: On 2nd Thought: Detroit Bowl (accfootballrx.com; HM)
On 2nd Thought: Detroit Bowl
When the ACC signed up to play the Big Ten in the Quick Lane Bowl I thought it was a good idea. Add another Big Tenbowl opponent, play indoors, convenient for the northern teams...
...now I'm not so sure. I mean, does ANYBODY want to play in this bowl?
Anyway, here are some questions you might reasonably have about this year's QLB, along with what I hope are reasonable answers...
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Q #1: Is the ACC somehow singling out Georgia Tech to go to the Quick Lane Bowl?
A #1: It doesn't look like it, considering that both UNC and Duke have already played there...
| Date | Big Ten team | ACC Team | Attendance |
12/26/2014 | Rutgers (W)40 | North Carolina (L)21 | 23,876 |
12/28/2015 | Minnesota (W)21 | Central Michigan*14 | 34,217 |
12/26/2016 | Maryland (L)30 | Boston College (W)36 | 19,117 |
12/26/2017 | Northern Illinois*14 | Duke (W)36 | 20,211 |
12/26/2018 | Minnesota | Georgia Tech |
For poor old Minnesota, this is the Gophers SECOND trip to Detroit! Be that as it may, GT is now the 4th different ACC team to play in the Quick Lane Bowl - hard to claim they were singled out.
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Other
Onondaga Creekwalk closed indefinitely due to erosion damage (PS; Coin)
The northwestern end of the Onondaga Creekwalk, shut down this fall because of erosion from Onondaga Lake, will remain closed indefinitely.
Ice and waves damaged the pavement along the shoreline at the end of the creekwalk behind Destiny USA, said Owen Kerney, Syracuse's assistant planning director.
"It's created a situation where a portion of that area has eroded," Kerney said. "Out of an abundance of caution we're going to close access to this until we can repair it."
Rather than making a temporary fix, he said, the city will repair the damage next year when it builds the Onondaga Lake Lounge, a tiered viewing platform where the creekwalk dead-ends at the lake. Large rocks will be placed along the shore to prevent erosion from causing more damage, he said.
The city will seek bids for the lounge project this spring, and hopes to complete it by the end of summer, Kerney said. The end of the creekwalk will be closed at least through the construction of the lounge for safety, he said. The rest of the 2.2 mile- creekwalk, which runs to Armory Square, remains open.
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