sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to World Kindness Day!
Race, religion, gender, politics, country of residence, and other cultural differences can keep people apart, and World Kindness Day uses kindness to bridge the gaps and eliminate the boundaries these differences create so that people can see they have a common human bond. A goal of the day is for people to look beyond themselves to realize they are citizens of the world. Commonalities that people share are focused on, to help make peaceful coexistence possible between people of different backgrounds.
You look good and are very smart!
SU News
SU is the most penalized team in the country due to inexperience, poor discipline (DO; Black)
Kendall Coleman picked up his head and scanned the field, looking around for the referees. To one side were a handful of his teammates, celebrating a stop they’d just made for a two-yard loss. Syracuse was trailing Florida State, 6-0, on Oct. 26 and SU’s defense had just set up a third down.
Or so they thought. As Coleman rotated his head the opposite way, his eyes locked onto the yellow penalty flag that had been thrown in his direction. Roughing the passer. Fifteen yards. Instead of facing third down and four from their own 34-yard line, the Seminoles had a first down in SU territory. Five plays later, FSU scored a touchdown. Syracuse never came within 10 points the rest of the game.
Penalties have been a constant for the Orange (3-6, 0-5 Atlantic Coast) all season long. Syracuse is tied with Cincinnati for the most penalties per game this season with 9.33, a program-high during the past 10 seasons. The Orange are also in the top 10 in total penalties, penalty yardage and penalty yardage per game. Sometimes the calls are innocent, coming on a physical mistake like a false start by a freshman offensive lineman. Others, like Coleman’s roughing the passer, are mental and disrupt the SU defense’s game plan.
“It sucks because if it was a mental mistake,” SU cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu said, “you did everything right physically, you got a three-and-out or whatever and then a mental mistake could cost you seven points.”
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Scouting the opponent: Duke football and Syracuse set for ACC basement battle (dukechronicle.com; Piazza)
There is only one word to summarize the 2019 seasons for both Duke and Syracuse: disappointing.
It will be a tale of two painstakingly similar teams in their fourth-ever match up this weekend.
The Orange were the only ACC team outside of Clemson that cracked the preseason top 25, and Syracuse appeared to be poised to give the defending national champion, Clemson, some competition for the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
Quite the contrary has proven to be true.
After being embarrassed by Maryland in in the second game of the season, the Orange fell out of the top 25, spiraling out of control from then on. With its three wins coming against non-Power Five opponents, a bowl game is highly unlikely and, at this point, Syracuse is just competing to not go winless in conference play.
Here are five things to watch out for as Syracuse travels to take to Durham Saturday to take on the Blue Devils.
Are the Blue Devils ready for Tommy DeVito?
Orange quarterback Tommy DeVito has quietly been putting together a formidable redshirt sophomore season amidst all the utter chaos around him. Having already surpassed 2,000 passing yards, he has shown that he is comfortable slinging the ball around while still taking care of the football. He has done so behind an offensive line that, according to Football Outsiders, has allowed the worst sack rate in the country.
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David Cutcliffe Press Conference Quotes: Syracuse - Duke University (goduke.com)
Duke football head coach David Cutcliffe met with members of the local media on Tuesday afternoon for his weekly press conference inside Blue Devil Tower.
The Blue Devils are back into ACC play when they host Syracuse on Saturday at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network with Wes Durham, Roddy Jones and Eric Wood on the call. Kickoff is slated for 4:00 p.m. The game can also be heard on the Blue Devils IMG Sports Network through the TuneIn app or goduke.com
David Cutcliffe Duke Football Head Coach
(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"Good afternoon. Weather is good weather for a basketball game. If the roof doesn't leak, right? First gym I played in the roof leaked. What you to think about that? You had to set your offense up around the drip on the floor. Because if you hit the drip, there's no break. You're going to get called for traveling if you slipped on the water. I don't think Cameron Indoor will be leaking tonight.
"We do not have a conference policy on injuries. I know you all ask me all the time about injuries. I don't like that we don't have a policy. I don't understand that. In fairness to everyone, whether it be team to team or to the media. I don't think it should be a coach's vote. I think this is bigger than the coaches, but with that said, I'm going to tell you because I think it's fair and right that Jack Wohlabaugh had surgery this morning and will be out. That young man has been a warrior. He has fought to stay in and to stay in. We have several people playing hurt. But it was time and it was the right thing to do. I know that's out there now, I get it. But I hope you respect the fact that I'm letting you know because I believe in doing the right thing. Right now I can't tell you who else we got or don't have. It's a constant ebb and flow during the week.
"With that I'll jump off to Syracuse. Dino Babers is not only an outstanding football coach; he is an outstanding man. He is a person I like and respect. There is no accident to why the culture changed at Syracuse. Special team a year ago. We're all in a little bit of the same boat. There's a fine line and I don't know every problem they've had; they don't know every problem we've had. But I know they're having a tough year; just like we're having a tough year. But I've always loved what they do offensively, always. They scare you to death when you're playing them. But I've watched them a lot in years we didn't have them on the schedule. Watched them a lot in the offseason. Defensively, they're always aggressive, physical. I know they've had a change in coordinator on the defensive side so there may be some change there. They're outstanding in the kicking game. You might think, well, why the record? Well, this is a tough league. And again, I don't know what all the problems are. But I have the utmost respect for this Syracuse program and this Syracuse team and we're going to continue to work to become an outstanding football team of our own. And we can. We got three games left and we got to try to go 1-0 this week. I'm not worried about three games. The focus is going to try to be the best Duke team we can be this week. If it maybe sounds like I'm in a serious mood, yes, I am. I'm far from defeated, but if you asked me if I was in a good mood, I'd tell you no. There's a reality to all of this."
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Duke and Syracuse set for a crucial mid-afternoon kickoff in Durham (balldurham.com; Connelly)
The Duke Football team is set for a crucial mid-afternoon kickoff against the Syracuse Orange in a major matchup for both teams.
The ACC announced last week that the Duke Blue Devils and the Syracuse Orange will kickoff at 4:00pm EST on Saturday, November 16.
Both teams desperately need to win this game in hopes of becoming bowl eligible as the Blue Devils stand at 4-5 and the Orange are at 3-6 as both team have three games left to play.
MORE FROM BALL DURHAM
- Duke basketball commit dismisses rumors from sour fans
- Consistency is the major element for No. 2 Duke against Central Arkansas
- Central Arkansas battle tested coming into Cameron Indoor Stadium
- Stock up, stock down from the Duke basketball win over Colorado State
- Duke Football on outside looking in of latest ESPN bowl projections
Duke has lost three straight games and four of its last five while Syracuse four straight and six of its past eight.
Most recently the Blue Devils suffered a beat down at the hands of the then No. 15 Notre Dame Fighting Irish while the Orange had a bye last week, but previous to that Syracuse surrendered 58 points to the Boston College Eagles, in a 58-27 loss at home.
The Duke Blue Devils have dominated the small sample size against the Syracuse Orange in football, although this will be the first matchup between the teams since 2014, where Duke won 27-10 in the Carrier Dome.
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Syracuse Football: Steve Stanard has chance to ‘paint his portrait’ in 2019 (itlh; Esden Jr)
Steve Stanard has a chance to ‘paint his portrait’ in the final three games of the Syracuse football season. Here are all the details.
Brian Ward was thrown out the door and now Steve Stanard holds the interim title of Syracuse football defensive coordinator.
On Monday Dino Babers spoke to local media for the first time since making the coaching change.
He reiterated the same phrase over and over again about wanting to see “something different.” Dino referenced his vision speech when he was first introduced as the Orange coach and said he no longer saw it anymore on defense.
Babers fired Ward after his squad allowed 496 rushing yards to Boston College. Although Dino clarified saying the firing wasn’t based on any one thing it was a lot of things that he didn’t want to get into.
Dino Babers said this was extremely personal and the decision was “unfortunate” and very difficult to make.
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Syracuse Football: Dwight Freeney immortalized by Indianapolis Colts (itlh; Queripel)
Former Syracuse football star Dwight Freeney was immortalized by the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Here are all the details.
Former Syracuse football standout Dwight Freeney was immortalized in the rafters on Sunday when the Indianapolis Colts inducted him into their Ring of Honor. In his career, the Syracuse football alum holds the majority of the program records for defensive linemen.
He had an illustrious 11-year career in Indy, where he recorded 107.5 of his 125.5 sacks. Freeney is second on the Colts all-time sack list just behind Robert Mathis.
The former Orange defensive end finds himself second in forced fumbles and first in tackles for loss in the Colts record books.
When Dwight Freeney was asked about being inducted, he looked back on what it all means:
“It’s amazing. It’s something that you just don’t think about,” Freeney said. “I didn’t plan for this when I was playing. I just went out and had a good time, and I got the phone call that said, ‘Hey, you’re gonna be in the Ring of Honor.’ It was shocking. And now to see so many guys I haven’t seen in 10, 15 years, out of all that comes emotion, and it feels great.”
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Clemson moves to No. 3 in College Football Playoff poll (P&C; Needelman)
for gbo
Tuesday’s reveal of the latest College Football Playoff rankings is not final. There are several more games to play, and opportunities for complexion-altering upsets abound.
But Clemson football fans have reason to be excited. The Tigers, who were slotted No. 5 in last week’s rankings, moved up to No. 3 on Tuesday.
LSU, fresh off its win over Alabama, checked in at No. 1, and Ohio State fell one spot to No. 2. Georgia checked in at No. 4, with Alabama at No. 5 and Oregon at No. 6.
Clemson defeated N.C. State, 55-10, this past Saturday, marking coach Dabo Swinney’s team’s fifth straight blowout win. The lone blip on the Tigers’ resume is a too-close 21-20 win at North Carolina on Sept. 28.
But Clemson now controls its own fate. So long as it can pick up expected wins over Wake Forest and South Carolina in its final two regular seasons, and earn a fifth straight ACC Championship against the representative from the crowded, underpeforming Coastal Division, Clemson is likely to earn a spot in the Playoff for the fifth straight season.
“We’re built for November. We’re built for the postseason,” Swinney said last week. “Everything builds to this, and I love it. A lot on the line every week, and there’s very few teams that are in that position, and we’re one of those teams.”
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Bowl Watch Week 12: Orange Bowl still in play for UVA (streakingthelawn.com; Trogdon)
Virginia notched another win this weekend against Georgia Tech, though the score was closer than many would have liked. The Wahoos earned a much-needed week off before ending the season at home against Liberty and Virginia Tech. Their top priority will be getting healthier in the secondary, where they’ve suffered a number of season-ending injuries.
Around the ACC, Wake Forest’s loss to Virginia Tech shook the stranglehold it had on the league’s Orange Bowl projections. It now looks like Wake, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Pitt all have a chance to make it to Miami Gardens. For the Hoos to get there, they’ll need to win their last two, keep it respectable (at least) in the ACC title game against Clemson, and hope the committee ranks them higher than Wake Forest on December 8.
We’re less than four weeks from Bowl Selection Sunday, and there’s a lot to cover. So let’s get to it!
Current Bowl Projections
Here’s how the media currently forecasts Virginia’s bowl destination and opponent:
Bowl Projections
SourceBowl GameDate and TimeOpponent
| Sporting News | Orange Bowl | December 30, 8PM | Alabama |
| Athlon Sports | Orange Bowl | December 30, 8PM | Florida |
| SB Nation/Banner Society | Orange Bowl | December 30, 8PM | Georgia |
| Sports Illustrated | Orange Bowl | December 30, 8PM | Georgia |
| USA Today | Orange Bowl | December 30, 8PM | Georgia |
| ESPN - Bonagura | Orange Bowl | December 30, 8PM | Penn State |
| Bleacher Report | Music City Bowl | December 30, 4PM | Tennessee |
| CBS Sports | Music City Bowl | December 30, 4PM | Kentucky |
| 247 Sports | Music City Bowl | December 30, 4PM | Kentucky |
| Brett McMurphy | Pinstripe Bowl | December 27, 3:20PM | Illinois |
| ESPN - Schlabach | Sun Bowl | December 31, 2PM | Oregon State |
| College Football News | Sun Bowl | December 31, 2PM | Arizona State |
Virginia picked up six Orange Bowl nods this week, which is considerably more than they’ve earned in previous weeks. Half of the pundits have them headed there, while the other half placed them into a mix of the Sun, Music City, and Pinstripe Bowls. We don’t have any intel yet on how the various bowl committees are leaning.
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Ed Hardin: Orange Bowl contenders, even Wake Forest, need for Clemson to keep winning (greensboro.com; Hardin)
As the college football season winds down, and as the ACC Coastal Division becomes a bit more stable, the big prizes are still out there for Clemson and whichever team can lock down that elusive claim of second-best.
Even as Wake Forest struggles and Virginia, Pitt, Virginia Tech and Louisville hang around, the two most obvious goals are Clemson making the College Football Playoff and another ACC team going to the Orange Bowl.
Nothing else matters. Who cares what other bowls are out there? Other than the playoff and the Orange Bowl, no other goal is worth worrying about for any ACC team.
So two things must happen between now and Dec. 30. First, Clemson has to go undefeated. There’s no way the Tigers make the playoff with a loss to Wake or to South Carolina. No way.
A Clemson loss would create a one-game playoff – also known as the ACC championship game – for the Orange Bowl bid, which automatically goes to the ACC champion if it isn’t in the playoff top four.
Second, presuming Clemson doesn't lose and is selected for the playoff, some other ACC team has to crack the playoff rankings or the Orange Bowl itself will decide which league school is invited.
It would, in essence, go back to the way bowls used to operate: Behind closed doors in a smoke-filled room – politics, money and all.
As of now, without a “next highest-ranked" school, according to the tie-in description on the league's site, the Orange Bowl could take any ACC team it wants. Even hometown Miami.
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Deion Sanders Responds to Florida State Coaching Rumors (fanbuzz.com; Duffley)
To the surprise of no one, the Florida State Seminoles fired Willie Taggart as head football coach.
After losing to Miami, FSU stumbled to 9-12 under the Florida native and finally pulled the trigger. Florida State’s blowout loss in the College Football Playoff to Oregon during the 2014 season was the last time the Seminoles even sniffed elite status. After Jimbo Fisher’s departure for Texas A&M, things went from bad to worse to downright embarrassing in Tallahassee.
Even before Willie Taggart was canned, college football analyst and ESPN College GameDay co-host Kirk Herbstreit absolutely ripped the program by saying, “I’m done with Florida State… They’re the most undisciplined team you’re going to watch and a terrible team.”
We’re in the bus in Memphis and weave all over the CFB map for 15 minutes: praise for UGA, Utah and scorching words for FSU.. and some for beloved CU. Plus quick look at LSU- Bama. Cheers!
A post shared by Chris Fowler (@chrisbfowler) on Nov 2, 2019 at 9:48pm PDT
Yikes.
Florida State football is left for dead. Even with running back Cam Akers being named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award as college football’s best player, energy and support for the program is Tom Petty free falling. The university must now ride this season out under interim head coach Odell Haggins — a 26-year veteran of the program — and hope he can get this team into a bowl game.
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UPDATE: State of VT Football - 11/13/19 (RX; HM)
UPDATE: State of VT Football - 11/13/19
A few weeks ago I wrote a post on 10/4/19 about "The State of VT Football 2019: Red Alert!" in which I listed some problems facing the Hokies' football program:
- Massey computer ranking - just above Vanderbilt and Liberty
- VT's record was 2-2 and they were not expected to win at Miami
- Only two P5 wins in the previous 365 days
- A head coach whose record was declining year-to-year
- Twelve players left via the transfer portal
The Massey ranking which had VT at 92nd on 10/2/19 [LINK] now have the Hokies at a much more respectable 48th - up 44 spots - and hopefully will continue to rise! Currently, Virginia Tech has ranking neighbors like California and Arizona State.
The record, which was 2-2 (0-2 vs. P5 opponents) in early October is now 6-3 (3-3 vs. P5 teams). By the way, the Hokies beat the Hurricanes in their place. Also, while 3-3 isn't very impressive vs. power teams, keep in mind that VT is on a 4-1 run.
Good news for Coach Fu: there's no way the downward trend can continue this year.
Virginia Tech Hokies
| Year | W-L |
| 2016 | 10–4 |
| 2017 | 9–4 |
| 2018 | 6–7 |
| 2019 | 6–3 |
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Links, news and rumors - 11/13/19 (RX; HM)
Links, news and rumors - 11/13/19
Would it be a horrible idea for Florida State to simply remove the "interim" tag from Odell Haggins? Consider these 5 facts:
Something to think about, Noles...
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CFB Odds - 11/12/19 (RX; HM)
CFB Odds - 11/12/19
| IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: These odds are provided strictly for informational and entertainment purposes. We recognize that many fans appreciate knowing how outsiders view their team's "odds". However, neither Hokie Mark nor ACCFootballRx supports, endorses, or condones gambling. We strongly urge you NOT TO GAMBLE! Use this information as it is intended by us: for informational and entertainment purposes only. |
People say Clemson has an easy schedule?
Odds of Ohio State beating Rutgers
Florida State isn't the only P5 opening...
Odds of Arkansas head coach in Week 1 of 2020 season
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CBS Bowl Projections - 11/11/19 (RX; HM)
CBS Bowl Projections - 11/11/19
I'll probably do a multi-source projections comparison soon (maybe next week?) but for now, I think it's sufficient to just show one (CBS) and discuss it. Here are the ACC-related projections...
| COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF | ||||
| BOWL | DATE | LOCATION | MATCHUP | PREDICTION |
| Championship Bowl | Jan. 13 | New Orleans, LA | Semifinal winners | TBD |
| Peach Bowl | Dec. 28 | Atlanta, GA | CFP Semifinal | LSU vs. Oklahoma |
| Fiesta Bowl | Dec. 28 | Glendale, AZ. | CFP Semifinal | Ohio State vs. Clemson |
| NEW YEAR'S SIX (CFP SELECTION COMMITTEE) BOWL GAMES | ||||
| BOWL | DATE | LOCATION | MATCHUP | PREDICTION |
| Orange Bowl | Dec. 30 | Miami, FL. | ACC vs. SEC/B1G/ND | Wake Forest vs. Georgia |
| Cotton Bowl | Dec. 28 | Arlington, TX. | at-large vs. at-large | Memphis vs. Florida |
| OTHER BOWL GAMES | ||||
| BOWL | DATE | LOCATION | MATCHUP | PREDICTION |
| Gator Bowl* | Jan. 2 | Jacksonville, FL. | Big Ten vs. SEC | Michigan vs. Missouri |
| Citrus Bowl** | Jan. 1 | Orlando, FL | ACC/B1G vs. SEC | Minnesota vs. Auburn |
| Sun Bowl | Dec. 31 | El Paso, TX | ACC vs. Pac-12 | Miami (FL) vs. Arizona State |
| Belk Bowl | Dec. 31 | Charlotte, N.C. | ACC vs. SEC | Virginia Tech vs. SMU+ |
| Music City Bowl* | Dec. 30 | Nashville, TN | ACC vs. SEC | Virginia vs. Kentucky |
| Camping World Bowl | Dec. 28 | Orlando, FL | ACC vs. Big 12 | Notre Dame vs. Texas |
| Pinstripe Bowl | Dec. 27 | New York, NY | ACC vs. Big Ten | Louisville vs. Illinois |
| Military Bowl | Dec. 27 | Annapolis, MD | ACC vs. American | Pittsburgh vs. Navy |
| Quick Lane Bowl | Dec. 26 | Detroit, MI | ACC vs. Big Ten | Florida State vs. Michigan St |
| Independence Bowl | Dec. 26 | Shreveport, LA | ACC vs. SEC | North Carolina vs. Charlotte+ |
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Other
NY plan would reduce Onondaga Lake Parkway to two lanes (PS; Weaver)
New York transportation officials are proposing to reduce a portion of Onondaga Lake Parkway from four lanes to two lanes to decrease accidents on the main commuter route just north of Syracuse.
The proposal is part of an estimated $8.6 million plan that the New York State Department of Transportation will unveil at an open house Thursday evening.
Other ideas include creating a median to separate oncoming traffic, reducing the speed limit and replacing the detection system meant to warn trucks about a low railroad overpass.
That overpass – a CSX railroad bridge – is a chronic and occasionally fatal problem.
The average height of a semi-truck trailer is 13 feet 6 inches to 14 feet. The clearance under the bridge is marked as 10 feet 9 inches. An early-warning system installed in 2011 doesn’t always result in truck drivers turning around.
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