sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Festivus!
Festivus is a holiday that shuns the commercialism and pressures of the Christmas season, and takes place on December 23 each year. It was invented by writer Daniel O'Keefe, and originally celebrated by his family. The holiday permeated American culture after O'Keefe's son, Dan O'Keefe, wrote the holiday into an episode of Seinfeld titled "The Strike," which was first broadcasted on December 18, 1997. In the episode, the holiday was created by George Costanza's father Frank, and was celebrated at Frank and Estelle Costanza's house, with the attendance of Kramer, Jerry, Elaine, George, George's boss Kruger, and two men that Cramer invited that Elaine had been trying to avoid.
Festivus has a few traditions, and they were shown in the episode. The holiday begins with putting up a Festivus pole, which is a plain aluminum pole—a contrast from the usually highly decorated Christmas tree. A Festivus dinner is served, which in the episode consisted of sliced meatloaf on a bed of lettuce. During the dinner the Airing of Grievances takes place, where each person tells the other guests how they have been disappointed by them throughout the year. Festivus ends with Feats of Strength, which are supposed to happen after the meal, but in the episode occurred during the meal. During them the head of the household picks someone who they want to wrestle, and their opponent must pin them to the floor in order for Festivus to be over. There also are Festivus miracles, which actually are easily explained events that are not miracles at all. In the episode Kramer declared two events to be Festivus miracles. The slogan of Festivus is "a Festivus for the rest of us."
SU News
Chandler Jones
See our Syracuse football All-Decade Team (PS; Staff)
It’s time to reveal our Syracuse football All-Decade Team.
Our voting panel consisted of Brent Axe, Stephen Bailey, Nate Mink and Nolan Weidner.
There were a few positions where a tie-break was needed. For those in contention, we asked our panel to rank the players, and the weighted point totals broke the tie.
Cody Conway won out over Rob Trudo and Koda Martin for the fifth spot on the offensive line.
Delone Carter edged out Jerome Smith for the second running back position.
The closest vote, naturally, was for punter, and if there is anything that best defines the last decade of Syracuse football, a debate over the best punter is near the top.
Take a look at our picks, choose your own team and engage in vigorous debate in the comments section.
SYRACUSE FOOTBALL ALL-DECADE TEAM
OFFENSE
QB: Eric Dungey - The Gerry McNamara of SU football. Dynamic athlete who set or tied 25 school records.
RB: Moe Neal - One of seven backs to rank in top 10 for both yards per carry and career rushing yards.
RB: Delone Carter - Third all-time in rushing yards; rushed for 1,233 yards during 2010 Pinstripe Bowl year.
WR: Amba Etta-Tawo - In his only season in 2016, he set or tied school mark for receiving yards in a game (270), season (1,482) and TDs (14).
WR: Steve Ishmael - Broke Marvin Harrison’s school record for career receiving yardage (2,891) in 2017.
WR: Alec Lemon - Shattered Scott Schwedes’ 26-year mark for career receptions in 2012, which stood for five years.
TE: Nick Provo - Broke Chris Gedney’s record for most career receptions by a tight end and ranks second in receiving yards (1,027).
OL: Justin Pugh - First-round NFL draft pick in 2013, twice named first-team All-Big East.
OL: Andrew Tiller - Sixth-round NFL draft pick in 2012, named first-team All-Big East.
C: Macky MacPherson - Three-year starter who finished career as second-team All-ACC center in 2013.
OL: Sean Hickey - Three-year starter at tackle from 2012-14 who earned all-ACC recognition from multiple outlets.
OL: Cody Conway - Thirty-three starts at tackle from 2016-18; signed to Green Bay Packers practice squad earlier this year.
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Remembering the 1959 Syracuse football national champions (PS; Mink)
As another decade comes to a close, syracuse.com is reliving the greatest team in Syracuse University history.
You can point to a number of reasons why the 1959 Syracuse football team stands alone.
The team boasted the great halfback Ernie Davis, who would go on to become the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.
The team won the school’s only national championship in football, knocking off Texas in the Cotton Bowl, smack in the middle of the Longhorns’ backyard in a racially divided America.
The team, fresh off its first No. 1 ranking, played its first national TV game, emphatically making a statement by crushing UCLA in Los Angeles and introducing the Orangemen to a new, wide audience.
There was an unmovable defense, which held eight of 11 opponents under 10 points.
There was a perfect offense, blending a mix of run and pass behind an enormous line with John Brown and All-American Roger Davis, a balanced backfield with Ernie Davis and Art Baker and a halfback-turned-quarterback in Gerhard Schwedes.
All of these pieces came together under no-nonsense, Hall of Fame coach Ben Schwartzwalder, who arrived in our town after serving in World War II as a paratrooper.
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McAllister: 2019 Syracuse football early signing class continues recruiting uptick - The Juice Online (the juice; podcast; Cheng)
247 Sports’ Mike McAllister calls in to analyze the 2019 early signing period for Syracuse football with host Wes Cheng on The Juice on the Cuse podcast hosted by SNY.tv. TJO editor in chief Brad Bierman then calls in to chat about the basketball team heading into ACC play.
1959 National Champs: Gerhard Schwedes captains Syracuse football (PS; Croyle)
There will not be a bowl game in Syracuse football fans’ Christmas stocking this year. The Orange, despite high expectations this summer, struggled to a 5-7 record and a disappointing sixth-place finish in the ACC Atlantic division. To fill the void, we are looking back at Syracuse’s greatest football triumph, the 1959 national championship, on what would be the 60th anniversary of that team. Over the next 11 days, you can read about the the players, games and the head coach who directed what is considered by some one of the most dominant teams in college football history.
Today, it’s Gerhard Schwedes, the captain.
***
The 1959 Syracuse University football team began its season with a gaping hole at the game’s most important position -- quarterback.
Head coach Ben Schwartzwalder looked at his two QB candidates -- sophomores Dave Sarette or Dick Easterly – and he did want either running the show.
So, just three weeks before the season opener against Kansas, he turned to his captain, halfback Gerhard Schwedes, and informed him he was now the starting quarterback.
“He is our best returning back and a Dean’s List student,” the coach said, “and I don’t see anything wrong with trying your best at a team’s toughest position.”
Schwedes, who had led the team in rushing and receiving the year before, was not exactly thrilled.
"Ben called me during the summer and said to start getting my arm in shape, that I was going to be the quarterback," he said in 2000. "I told him I didn't want to be the quarterback.”
While the move seemed unorthodox, Syracuse fans and media had the utmost confidence in both Schwartzwalder and Schwedes.
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TRI-PARTISAN: 2020 Class Won't Be Counted On Early, Which Is Good For NC State (insidepacksports.com)
Each week I submit a Tri-Partisan column to WRALSportsFan.com, and here is today's feature where I tell you why NC State's 2020 recruiting class isn't expected to be counted on for the Wolfpack's potential turnaround next season.
NC State will end the early 2020 signing period with 17 signees, and it is a class expected to add depth to the roster. However, maybe the biggest positive is that the Wolfpack's roster is in a position to not need major contributions from this class – something that is rare for a team to say following a 4-8 season.
"Looking at the roster and who’s coming back... we didn’t lose a lot off the roster," Dave Doeren stated on Wednesday. "It was a young football team. There were only a few seniors that were starters. I’ve always wanted competitive talent, a depth chart that’s full of competition for positions. That’s what you’re looking at."
That is why NC State fans should be optimistic. Often after a down season, the hope is a bunch of newcomers will arrive and potentially save the day. For this program, though, those types of players are already on the roster – it’s just that they were largely unable to contribute in 2019 due to injury and/or transfer status.
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Michigan State New Era Pinstripe Bowl Media Guide - Michigan State University Athletics (msuspartans.com)
Michigan State (6-6) vs. Wake Forest (8-4)
NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL
Date: Friday, Dec. 27
Kickoff: 3:20 p.m. EST
Location: New York, N.Y.
Stadium: Yankee Stadium (47,878)
Surface: Natural Grass
TV/Web/Mobile: ESPN/WatchESPN
Announcers: Adam Amin (play-by-play), Matt Hasselbeck (analyst), Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
Radio: Spartan Sports Network | Affiliate Listings
Announcers: George Blaha (play-by-play), Jason Strayhorn (analyst), Will Tieman (broadcast host)
Satellite Radio: Ch. 372 (XM, SiriusXM.com)
National Radio: ESPN Radio
Announcers: Chris Carlin (play-by-play), Jack Ford (analyst), C.J. Papa (sideline)
Satellite Radio: Ch. 80 (Sirius, XM, SiriusXM.com)
Live Stats: msuspartans.com | Sidearm Live Stats
All-Time Series: First meeting
MSU in Bowl Games: 12-16 (29th bowl appearance)
COACHES:
MSU Head Coach: Mark Dantonio
MSU Record: 113-57 (13th year)
Overall Record: 131-74 (16th year)
WFU Head Coach: Dave Clawson
WFU Record: 36-39 (Sixth year)
Overall Record: 126-119 (20th year)
FIRST-AND-10 –
• Michigan State is playing in a bowl game for the 12th time in the past 13 seasons as the Spartans take on Wake Forest in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Friday, Dec. 27 at 3:20 p.m. in Yankee Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN with Adam Amin, Matt Hasselbeck and Paul Carcaterra on the call. The Spartans finished the regular season with a 6-6 record after winning their final two games, while Wake Forest went 8-4 overall and tied for third in the ACC Atlantic Division with a 4-4 league mark. This marks the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Michigan State is one of three Big Ten schools to make 12 bowl appearances in the last 13 years, joining Wisconsin (13) and Ohio State (12).
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Last-minute Links - 12/20/19 (RX; HM)
Last-minute Links - 12/20/19
According to JFann at AllSportsDiscussion, the ACC had 5 winners and 2 losers on Early Signing Day yesterday. RECOMMENDED. Click here to find out which programs won and lost:
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Virginia Tech just won a national championship - of sorts...
Duh! According to CNN, She already has dual Bachelor of Science degrees from Virginia Tech in Biochemistry and Systems Biology - and she plans to get a doctor of pharmacy degree at VCU, where she is currently enrolled [LINK].
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SEC Tier 1 TV Rights News/Rumors - 12/21/19 (RX; HM)
SEC Tier 1 TV Rights News/Rumors - 12/21/19
Sports Business Journal published some information about the ongoing negotiations for SEC Tier 1 media rights for college football, which were previously held by CBS, and for which CBS was paying the bargain price of $55 million per season for the top 15 to 17 games [LINK]. Since that contract is set to expire by 2024, there has been a bidding war between CBS, ESPN/ABC and possibly Fox to acquire those rights going forward. SBJ reports that CBS backed out once the bids exceeded $300 million per year...
Keep in mind, that's not $300M per year for ALL rights, just for the rights previously held by CBS at a cost of $55M - i.e. an increase of $245M per year, or about $17.5M per SEC school per year. As most of you know, SEC schools already enjoy some of the highest TV revenues of any college football conference (either first or second, depending on how the Big Ten is doing) - and, most important to ACC schools, already a good $10M to $20M more than the ACC TV revenue. Now add another $17.5M on top of that. Feel free to subtract whatever you think the ACC Network will pay - but I promise you, the financial gap will still be huge.
What does that mean for ACC football going forward? Perhaps nothing. Perhaps everything.
Why perhaps nothing? Because the financial gap was already very big, yet it hasn't stopped Florida State and Clemson from winning multiple national championships in football, nor has it hindered UNC, Duke, Louisville or Virginia from winning them in men's basketball. Even at the current revenue levels, every school in the ACC has been able to upgrade its stadium and practice facilities. Every team has been able to hire, fire, and hire again until they get the right coaches in place. The truth is, at least until now, all that extra money simply hasn't made much difference. Alabama wins because Nick Saban has a system that works for them. Oh, yeah, Texas A&M was able to poach Jimbo Fisher from FSU; where, exactly, has that gotten the Aggies so far?
Why perhaps everything? Because, while schools might be able to ignore a difference of $10 million per year, can they really ignore $25M or $30M more? True, it only matters if they're actually invited to join the SEC (or Big Ten) - but what if they are? What if the SEC decides it's easier to have Clemson join them than to try to beat them? Where would that leave the remaining ACC programs? Sure, those teams all signed a grant-of-rights, but what if courts decide it isn't fully enforceable? It could lead to more conference realignment as the two black holes of college football - the SEC and the Big Ten - continue to absorb every team they want.
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2019-20 Bowl Swag (RX; HM)
2019-20 Bowl Swag
What kind of gifts will ACC football players receive at their bowl games this season? Here's what I was able to find...
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From "Gift suites remain the go-to for bowl hosts"
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Recruiting vs SP+, 2016-19 (RX; HM)
Recruiting vs SP+, 2016-19
In my Friday morning email newsletter from Banner Society, they set out to compare average team recruiting rankings over the last four years (but NOT counting the just-signing-now class of 2020) to their 2019 performance on the field (as measured by SP+). It tells an interesting story about ACC football which is not what I would've expected, to be honest.
The UNDERACHIEVERS
- teams that had a 2019 SP+ rank more than 10 spots lower than their 4-year average recruiting ranking would indicate:
Some of these make sense:
Georgia Tech was transitioning from the triple option to a brand new offense - they get a pass.
Florida State had a bunch of turmoil that blended to make Willie Taggart’s final season a bad one (though not as bad as his first).
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Can the ACC Survive? (RX; HM)
Can the ACC Survive?
Will the P5 remain five?
With the SEC getting such a huge boost in TV revenue (an extra $17 to $18 million per year per team, when they were already getting significantly more than ACC teams) and the Big Ten in the same ballpark (and their rights come up again in 2 years), what's going to happen to the ACC and its schools?
The pessimist will quickly say the ACC is doomed. I'll admit, that is a possibility - but definitely not inevitable. Why do I say that? Because unlike the pessimist, I think ACC teams - and the ACC itself - will fit for financial survival. They won't simply "fiddle while Rome burns". That said, what can they do? Here are some thoughts and prescriptions...
What can the ACC office do, short-term?
Unfortunately, the ACC is locked into a very long-term contract with ESPN (expires 2034, IIRC) which includes all football and basketball rights... so putting it up for bids is not an option and won't be for quite some time. However, that doesn't mean they can't do anything to enhance TV revenue...
1. Push for more/better ACC Network carriage.
This should be obvious - every subscriber the ACCN adds is more money for the ACC. To achieve that, the conference needs more saturation in-footprint. That means getting more carriers in the ACC states who aren't already signed up (hello, Comcast and Cox!), as well as more subscribers to existing carriers like Spectrum and Verizon Fios).
2. See if there's a way to renegotiate the TV contract without expansion.
We know ESPN offered a small bump to the ACC if it agreed to play a 9-game conference schedule OR 8 with 2 P5 OOC games (and by "small bump" I mean a couple hundred thousand per year - definitely not worth it!). But would ESPN agree to pay for a division realignment which gives them more marquee matchups? If, say, in addition to FSU/Miami, FSU/Clemson and Clemson/GT, what if they were guaranteed FSU/GT and Clemson/Miami annually? What if Louisville/VT was every year? Would "the Mouse" pay extra for better annual matchups - particularly if it was coupled with 10 power matchups per year? What if ACC teams agreed to stop playing FCS opponents? Any or all of those things could translate into extra money.
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Baker Mayfield, Jadeveon Clowney, Manti Te’o among Yahoo Sports' college football all-decade team (yahoo.com; Cooper & Bromberg)
In 2010, the Big 12 had 12 teams. The Pac-12 was the Pac-10. The Big East still existed at the top level of college football. And the College Football Playoff was still four seasons away.
The 2010s were college football’s most transformative decade. A system steeped in tradition finally gave way to the cries for a playoff — albeit on a limited scale — as teams changed conferences and conferences changed names or ceased to exist entirely.
The decade was still dominated by the bluebloods, however. Alabama, Florida State and Ohio State won six of the nine championships contested so far while Clemson and Auburn — teams who can stake claim to past national championships — won the other three.
The past 10 years have been a lot of fun. And the next 10 years could be even more fun. Especially if the playoff expands to eight or even 16 teams at some point in the 2020s. As we conclude the 2010s, here is Yahoo Sports’ college football team of the decade.
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2019-20 Conference bowl records: Scores, updates through title game | NCAA.com (ncaa.com; Pekale)
With 41 college football games scheduled over 24 days, buckle up for what should be another exciting bowl season. Last year the ACC and SEC led the way with six postseason wins each, including Clemson's win over Alabama in the College Football Playoff national championship game.
With 12 leagues represented, we're once again tracking the results of each conference this bowl season. Here's who will be participating:
FULL BOWL SCHEDULE | SCOREBOARD
MORE: College football teams with the most national championships
Note: All times Eastern and subject to change. Parentheses indicate the number of teams participating in bowl games by conference.
American Athletic Conference (7)
Record: 0-1
Record: 0-0
Other
Weather forecasts look good for traveling, bleak for white Christmas (PS; Carlson)
Syracuse’s prospects of a white Christmas look bleak this year with no snow forecasted for the area to start the week and warm weather likely to reduce an snow remaining on the ground.
The National Weather Service forecasts don’t currently project Syracuse to receive snow until at least Thursday with above average temperatures predicted for most of the week.
Monday’s forecast is for a sunny day with temperatures peaking around 47 degrees and dropping to around 25 degrees in the evening. Tuesday’s forecast is for a mix of sun and clouds, with temperatures ranging between 37 and dropping to around 26 degrees on Christmas Eve.
The Christmas Day forecast is also for a mix of sun and clouds, with temperatures ranging between 43 and 31.
The first day that the National Weather Service calls for a chance of snow is Thursday night, when there is projected to be a 30 percent chance of rain or snow showers.
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Festivus is a holiday that shuns the commercialism and pressures of the Christmas season, and takes place on December 23 each year. It was invented by writer Daniel O'Keefe, and originally celebrated by his family. The holiday permeated American culture after O'Keefe's son, Dan O'Keefe, wrote the holiday into an episode of Seinfeld titled "The Strike," which was first broadcasted on December 18, 1997. In the episode, the holiday was created by George Costanza's father Frank, and was celebrated at Frank and Estelle Costanza's house, with the attendance of Kramer, Jerry, Elaine, George, George's boss Kruger, and two men that Cramer invited that Elaine had been trying to avoid.
Festivus has a few traditions, and they were shown in the episode. The holiday begins with putting up a Festivus pole, which is a plain aluminum pole—a contrast from the usually highly decorated Christmas tree. A Festivus dinner is served, which in the episode consisted of sliced meatloaf on a bed of lettuce. During the dinner the Airing of Grievances takes place, where each person tells the other guests how they have been disappointed by them throughout the year. Festivus ends with Feats of Strength, which are supposed to happen after the meal, but in the episode occurred during the meal. During them the head of the household picks someone who they want to wrestle, and their opponent must pin them to the floor in order for Festivus to be over. There also are Festivus miracles, which actually are easily explained events that are not miracles at all. In the episode Kramer declared two events to be Festivus miracles. The slogan of Festivus is "a Festivus for the rest of us."
SU News
Chandler Jones
See our Syracuse football All-Decade Team (PS; Staff)
It’s time to reveal our Syracuse football All-Decade Team.
Our voting panel consisted of Brent Axe, Stephen Bailey, Nate Mink and Nolan Weidner.
There were a few positions where a tie-break was needed. For those in contention, we asked our panel to rank the players, and the weighted point totals broke the tie.
Cody Conway won out over Rob Trudo and Koda Martin for the fifth spot on the offensive line.
Delone Carter edged out Jerome Smith for the second running back position.
The closest vote, naturally, was for punter, and if there is anything that best defines the last decade of Syracuse football, a debate over the best punter is near the top.
Take a look at our picks, choose your own team and engage in vigorous debate in the comments section.
SYRACUSE FOOTBALL ALL-DECADE TEAM
OFFENSE
QB: Eric Dungey - The Gerry McNamara of SU football. Dynamic athlete who set or tied 25 school records.
RB: Moe Neal - One of seven backs to rank in top 10 for both yards per carry and career rushing yards.
RB: Delone Carter - Third all-time in rushing yards; rushed for 1,233 yards during 2010 Pinstripe Bowl year.
WR: Amba Etta-Tawo - In his only season in 2016, he set or tied school mark for receiving yards in a game (270), season (1,482) and TDs (14).
WR: Steve Ishmael - Broke Marvin Harrison’s school record for career receiving yardage (2,891) in 2017.
WR: Alec Lemon - Shattered Scott Schwedes’ 26-year mark for career receptions in 2012, which stood for five years.
TE: Nick Provo - Broke Chris Gedney’s record for most career receptions by a tight end and ranks second in receiving yards (1,027).
OL: Justin Pugh - First-round NFL draft pick in 2013, twice named first-team All-Big East.
OL: Andrew Tiller - Sixth-round NFL draft pick in 2012, named first-team All-Big East.
C: Macky MacPherson - Three-year starter who finished career as second-team All-ACC center in 2013.
OL: Sean Hickey - Three-year starter at tackle from 2012-14 who earned all-ACC recognition from multiple outlets.
OL: Cody Conway - Thirty-three starts at tackle from 2016-18; signed to Green Bay Packers practice squad earlier this year.
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Remembering the 1959 Syracuse football national champions (PS; Mink)
As another decade comes to a close, syracuse.com is reliving the greatest team in Syracuse University history.
You can point to a number of reasons why the 1959 Syracuse football team stands alone.
The team boasted the great halfback Ernie Davis, who would go on to become the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.
The team won the school’s only national championship in football, knocking off Texas in the Cotton Bowl, smack in the middle of the Longhorns’ backyard in a racially divided America.
The team, fresh off its first No. 1 ranking, played its first national TV game, emphatically making a statement by crushing UCLA in Los Angeles and introducing the Orangemen to a new, wide audience.
There was an unmovable defense, which held eight of 11 opponents under 10 points.
There was a perfect offense, blending a mix of run and pass behind an enormous line with John Brown and All-American Roger Davis, a balanced backfield with Ernie Davis and Art Baker and a halfback-turned-quarterback in Gerhard Schwedes.
All of these pieces came together under no-nonsense, Hall of Fame coach Ben Schwartzwalder, who arrived in our town after serving in World War II as a paratrooper.
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McAllister: 2019 Syracuse football early signing class continues recruiting uptick - The Juice Online (the juice; podcast; Cheng)
247 Sports’ Mike McAllister calls in to analyze the 2019 early signing period for Syracuse football with host Wes Cheng on The Juice on the Cuse podcast hosted by SNY.tv. TJO editor in chief Brad Bierman then calls in to chat about the basketball team heading into ACC play.
1959 National Champs: Gerhard Schwedes captains Syracuse football (PS; Croyle)
There will not be a bowl game in Syracuse football fans’ Christmas stocking this year. The Orange, despite high expectations this summer, struggled to a 5-7 record and a disappointing sixth-place finish in the ACC Atlantic division. To fill the void, we are looking back at Syracuse’s greatest football triumph, the 1959 national championship, on what would be the 60th anniversary of that team. Over the next 11 days, you can read about the the players, games and the head coach who directed what is considered by some one of the most dominant teams in college football history.
Today, it’s Gerhard Schwedes, the captain.
***
The 1959 Syracuse University football team began its season with a gaping hole at the game’s most important position -- quarterback.
Head coach Ben Schwartzwalder looked at his two QB candidates -- sophomores Dave Sarette or Dick Easterly – and he did want either running the show.
So, just three weeks before the season opener against Kansas, he turned to his captain, halfback Gerhard Schwedes, and informed him he was now the starting quarterback.
“He is our best returning back and a Dean’s List student,” the coach said, “and I don’t see anything wrong with trying your best at a team’s toughest position.”
Schwedes, who had led the team in rushing and receiving the year before, was not exactly thrilled.
"Ben called me during the summer and said to start getting my arm in shape, that I was going to be the quarterback," he said in 2000. "I told him I didn't want to be the quarterback.”
While the move seemed unorthodox, Syracuse fans and media had the utmost confidence in both Schwartzwalder and Schwedes.
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TRI-PARTISAN: 2020 Class Won't Be Counted On Early, Which Is Good For NC State (insidepacksports.com)
Each week I submit a Tri-Partisan column to WRALSportsFan.com, and here is today's feature where I tell you why NC State's 2020 recruiting class isn't expected to be counted on for the Wolfpack's potential turnaround next season.
NC State will end the early 2020 signing period with 17 signees, and it is a class expected to add depth to the roster. However, maybe the biggest positive is that the Wolfpack's roster is in a position to not need major contributions from this class – something that is rare for a team to say following a 4-8 season.
"Looking at the roster and who’s coming back... we didn’t lose a lot off the roster," Dave Doeren stated on Wednesday. "It was a young football team. There were only a few seniors that were starters. I’ve always wanted competitive talent, a depth chart that’s full of competition for positions. That’s what you’re looking at."
That is why NC State fans should be optimistic. Often after a down season, the hope is a bunch of newcomers will arrive and potentially save the day. For this program, though, those types of players are already on the roster – it’s just that they were largely unable to contribute in 2019 due to injury and/or transfer status.
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Michigan State New Era Pinstripe Bowl Media Guide - Michigan State University Athletics (msuspartans.com)
Michigan State (6-6) vs. Wake Forest (8-4)
NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL
Date: Friday, Dec. 27
Kickoff: 3:20 p.m. EST
Location: New York, N.Y.
Stadium: Yankee Stadium (47,878)
Surface: Natural Grass
TV/Web/Mobile: ESPN/WatchESPN
Announcers: Adam Amin (play-by-play), Matt Hasselbeck (analyst), Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
Radio: Spartan Sports Network | Affiliate Listings
Announcers: George Blaha (play-by-play), Jason Strayhorn (analyst), Will Tieman (broadcast host)
Satellite Radio: Ch. 372 (XM, SiriusXM.com)
National Radio: ESPN Radio
Announcers: Chris Carlin (play-by-play), Jack Ford (analyst), C.J. Papa (sideline)
Satellite Radio: Ch. 80 (Sirius, XM, SiriusXM.com)
Live Stats: msuspartans.com | Sidearm Live Stats
All-Time Series: First meeting
MSU in Bowl Games: 12-16 (29th bowl appearance)
COACHES:
MSU Head Coach: Mark Dantonio
MSU Record: 113-57 (13th year)
Overall Record: 131-74 (16th year)
WFU Head Coach: Dave Clawson
WFU Record: 36-39 (Sixth year)
Overall Record: 126-119 (20th year)
FIRST-AND-10 –
• Michigan State is playing in a bowl game for the 12th time in the past 13 seasons as the Spartans take on Wake Forest in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Friday, Dec. 27 at 3:20 p.m. in Yankee Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN with Adam Amin, Matt Hasselbeck and Paul Carcaterra on the call. The Spartans finished the regular season with a 6-6 record after winning their final two games, while Wake Forest went 8-4 overall and tied for third in the ACC Atlantic Division with a 4-4 league mark. This marks the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Michigan State is one of three Big Ten schools to make 12 bowl appearances in the last 13 years, joining Wisconsin (13) and Ohio State (12).
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Last-minute Links - 12/20/19 (RX; HM)
Last-minute Links - 12/20/19
According to JFann at AllSportsDiscussion, the ACC had 5 winners and 2 losers on Early Signing Day yesterday. RECOMMENDED. Click here to find out which programs won and lost:
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Virginia Tech just won a national championship - of sorts...
Seems like a very bright young woman: ‘Miss America can be a scientist’: Camille Schrier of Virginia wins after onstage chemistry experiment
Duh! According to CNN, She already has dual Bachelor of Science degrees from Virginia Tech in Biochemistry and Systems Biology - and she plans to get a doctor of pharmacy degree at VCU, where she is currently enrolled [LINK].
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SEC Tier 1 TV Rights News/Rumors - 12/21/19 (RX; HM)
SEC Tier 1 TV Rights News/Rumors - 12/21/19
Sports Business Journal published some information about the ongoing negotiations for SEC Tier 1 media rights for college football, which were previously held by CBS, and for which CBS was paying the bargain price of $55 million per season for the top 15 to 17 games [LINK]. Since that contract is set to expire by 2024, there has been a bidding war between CBS, ESPN/ABC and possibly Fox to acquire those rights going forward. SBJ reports that CBS backed out once the bids exceeded $300 million per year...
Keep in mind, that's not $300M per year for ALL rights, just for the rights previously held by CBS at a cost of $55M - i.e. an increase of $245M per year, or about $17.5M per SEC school per year. As most of you know, SEC schools already enjoy some of the highest TV revenues of any college football conference (either first or second, depending on how the Big Ten is doing) - and, most important to ACC schools, already a good $10M to $20M more than the ACC TV revenue. Now add another $17.5M on top of that. Feel free to subtract whatever you think the ACC Network will pay - but I promise you, the financial gap will still be huge.
What does that mean for ACC football going forward? Perhaps nothing. Perhaps everything.
Why perhaps nothing? Because the financial gap was already very big, yet it hasn't stopped Florida State and Clemson from winning multiple national championships in football, nor has it hindered UNC, Duke, Louisville or Virginia from winning them in men's basketball. Even at the current revenue levels, every school in the ACC has been able to upgrade its stadium and practice facilities. Every team has been able to hire, fire, and hire again until they get the right coaches in place. The truth is, at least until now, all that extra money simply hasn't made much difference. Alabama wins because Nick Saban has a system that works for them. Oh, yeah, Texas A&M was able to poach Jimbo Fisher from FSU; where, exactly, has that gotten the Aggies so far?
Why perhaps everything? Because, while schools might be able to ignore a difference of $10 million per year, can they really ignore $25M or $30M more? True, it only matters if they're actually invited to join the SEC (or Big Ten) - but what if they are? What if the SEC decides it's easier to have Clemson join them than to try to beat them? Where would that leave the remaining ACC programs? Sure, those teams all signed a grant-of-rights, but what if courts decide it isn't fully enforceable? It could lead to more conference realignment as the two black holes of college football - the SEC and the Big Ten - continue to absorb every team they want.
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2019-20 Bowl Swag (RX; HM)
2019-20 Bowl Swag
What kind of gifts will ACC football players receive at their bowl games this season? Here's what I was able to find...
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From "Gift suites remain the go-to for bowl hosts"
Here are the bowls in date order, with ACC-related bowls highlighted in light blue:
| Bowl Game | Location | Gifts (if known) |
| Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl | Nassau, Bahamas | Gift suite; board shorts; Yeti Rambler bottle; towel; pin; string backpack |
| Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl | Frisco, TX | Gift suite; Justin cowboy hat; football; college football 150th anniversary coin; lapel pin; Blingware cup; beanie |
| Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl | Atlanta | Gift suite; headphones; backpack; beanie |
Recruiting vs SP+, 2016-19 (RX; HM)
Recruiting vs SP+, 2016-19
In my Friday morning email newsletter from Banner Society, they set out to compare average team recruiting rankings over the last four years (but NOT counting the just-signing-now class of 2020) to their 2019 performance on the field (as measured by SP+). It tells an interesting story about ACC football which is not what I would've expected, to be honest.
The UNDERACHIEVERS
- teams that had a 2019 SP+ rank more than 10 spots lower than their 4-year average recruiting ranking would indicate:
School | recruiting 4-yr avg | 2019 rank SP+ | Diff |
| Georgia Tech | 49 | 109 | -60 |
| NC State | 38 | 92 | -54 |
| Florida State | 5 | 57 | -52 |
| Louisville | 39 | 63 | -24 |
| Duke | 46 | 66 | -20 |
| Pittsburgh | 41 | 56 | -15 |
| North Carolina | 27 | 39 | -12 |
| Virginia Tech | 28 | 40 | -12 |
| Boston College | 70 | 82 | -12 |
Some of these make sense:
Georgia Tech was transitioning from the triple option to a brand new offense - they get a pass.
Florida State had a bunch of turmoil that blended to make Willie Taggart’s final season a bad one (though not as bad as his first).
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Can the ACC Survive? (RX; HM)
Can the ACC Survive?
Will the P5 remain five?
With the SEC getting such a huge boost in TV revenue (an extra $17 to $18 million per year per team, when they were already getting significantly more than ACC teams) and the Big Ten in the same ballpark (and their rights come up again in 2 years), what's going to happen to the ACC and its schools?
The pessimist will quickly say the ACC is doomed. I'll admit, that is a possibility - but definitely not inevitable. Why do I say that? Because unlike the pessimist, I think ACC teams - and the ACC itself - will fit for financial survival. They won't simply "fiddle while Rome burns". That said, what can they do? Here are some thoughts and prescriptions...
What can the ACC office do, short-term?
Unfortunately, the ACC is locked into a very long-term contract with ESPN (expires 2034, IIRC) which includes all football and basketball rights... so putting it up for bids is not an option and won't be for quite some time. However, that doesn't mean they can't do anything to enhance TV revenue...
1. Push for more/better ACC Network carriage.
This should be obvious - every subscriber the ACCN adds is more money for the ACC. To achieve that, the conference needs more saturation in-footprint. That means getting more carriers in the ACC states who aren't already signed up (hello, Comcast and Cox!), as well as more subscribers to existing carriers like Spectrum and Verizon Fios).
2. See if there's a way to renegotiate the TV contract without expansion.
We know ESPN offered a small bump to the ACC if it agreed to play a 9-game conference schedule OR 8 with 2 P5 OOC games (and by "small bump" I mean a couple hundred thousand per year - definitely not worth it!). But would ESPN agree to pay for a division realignment which gives them more marquee matchups? If, say, in addition to FSU/Miami, FSU/Clemson and Clemson/GT, what if they were guaranteed FSU/GT and Clemson/Miami annually? What if Louisville/VT was every year? Would "the Mouse" pay extra for better annual matchups - particularly if it was coupled with 10 power matchups per year? What if ACC teams agreed to stop playing FCS opponents? Any or all of those things could translate into extra money.
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Baker Mayfield, Jadeveon Clowney, Manti Te’o among Yahoo Sports' college football all-decade team (yahoo.com; Cooper & Bromberg)
In 2010, the Big 12 had 12 teams. The Pac-12 was the Pac-10. The Big East still existed at the top level of college football. And the College Football Playoff was still four seasons away.
The 2010s were college football’s most transformative decade. A system steeped in tradition finally gave way to the cries for a playoff — albeit on a limited scale — as teams changed conferences and conferences changed names or ceased to exist entirely.
The decade was still dominated by the bluebloods, however. Alabama, Florida State and Ohio State won six of the nine championships contested so far while Clemson and Auburn — teams who can stake claim to past national championships — won the other three.
The past 10 years have been a lot of fun. And the next 10 years could be even more fun. Especially if the playoff expands to eight or even 16 teams at some point in the 2020s. As we conclude the 2010s, here is Yahoo Sports’ college football team of the decade.
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2019-20 Conference bowl records: Scores, updates through title game | NCAA.com (ncaa.com; Pekale)
With 41 college football games scheduled over 24 days, buckle up for what should be another exciting bowl season. Last year the ACC and SEC led the way with six postseason wins each, including Clemson's win over Alabama in the College Football Playoff national championship game.
With 12 leagues represented, we're once again tracking the results of each conference this bowl season. Here's who will be participating:
FULL BOWL SCHEDULE | SCOREBOARD
MORE: College football teams with the most national championships
Note: All times Eastern and subject to change. Parentheses indicate the number of teams participating in bowl games by conference.
American Athletic Conference (7)
Record: 0-1
- No. 17 Memphis — Cotton Bowl Classic vs. No. 10 Penn State | Dec. 28 at 11 a.m.
- No. 22 Cincinnati — Birmingham Bowl vs. Boston College | Jan. 2 at 3 p.m.
- No. 23 Navy — Liberty Bowl vs. Kansas State | Dec. 31 at 3:45 p.m.
- SMU: L, 52-28 to Florida Atlantic in the Boca Raton Bowl
- Temple — Military Bowl vs. North Carolina | Dec. 27 at noon
- Tulane — Armed Forces Bowl vs. Southern Mississippi | Jan. 4 at 11:30 am
- UCF — Gasparilla Bowl vs. Marshall | Dec. 23 at 2:30 p.m.
Record: 0-0
- No. 3 Clemson — Fiesta Bowl (College Football Playoff) vs. No. 2 Ohio State | Dec. 28 at 8 p.m.
- No. 24 Virginia — Orange Bowl vs. No. 9 Florida | Dec. 30 at 8 p.m.
- Boston College — Birmingham Bowl vs. No. 22 Cincinnati | Jan. 2 at 3 p.m.
- Florida State — Sun Bowl vs. Arizona State | Dec. 31 at 2 p.m.
- Louisville — Music City Bowl vs. Mississippi State | Dec. 30 at 4 p.m.
- Miami (Fla.) — Independence Bowl vs. Louisiana Tech | Dec. 26 at 4 p.m.
- North Carolina — Military Bowl vs. Temple| Dec. 27 at noon
- Pittsburgh — Quick Lane Bowl vs. Eastern Michigan | Dec. 26 at 8 p.m.
- Virginia Tech — Belk Bowl vs. Kentucky | Dec. 31 at noon
- Wake Forest — Pinstripe Bowl vs. Michigan State | Dec. 27 at 3:20 p.m.
Other
Weather forecasts look good for traveling, bleak for white Christmas (PS; Carlson)
Syracuse’s prospects of a white Christmas look bleak this year with no snow forecasted for the area to start the week and warm weather likely to reduce an snow remaining on the ground.
The National Weather Service forecasts don’t currently project Syracuse to receive snow until at least Thursday with above average temperatures predicted for most of the week.
Monday’s forecast is for a sunny day with temperatures peaking around 47 degrees and dropping to around 25 degrees in the evening. Tuesday’s forecast is for a mix of sun and clouds, with temperatures ranging between 37 and dropping to around 26 degrees on Christmas Eve.
The Christmas Day forecast is also for a mix of sun and clouds, with temperatures ranging between 43 and 31.
The first day that the National Weather Service calls for a chance of snow is Thursday night, when there is projected to be a 30 percent chance of rain or snow showers.
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