sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 27,182
- Like
- 119,605
Welcome to Best Friends Day!
On Best Friends Day, best friends celebrate their relationships with each other. Some people have one best friend, while others have a few of them. Best friends are there for both the highs and lows of life. They are with you when you celebrate the good times, and they help pick you up during the bad times. They support you, encourage you, and push you to be your best. They build memories with you that will last a lifetime. On Best Friends Day, we remember not to take best friends for granted, and to cherish all they do for us.
SU News
Top 3 Road Wins in Syracuse Football History Part 3 – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Unsworth)
Brandon Walker’s kick falling underneath the right upright saved Syracuse from back-to-back 10-loss seasons, but the best Syracuse road win of all time propelled the Orange to perfection.
The year is 1959. Ben Schwartzwalder and the independent Syracuse football team are 10-0, and ranked number one in the country. All that stands between the Orange and a National Championship is a trip to Memorial Coliseum and a matchup with number 17 UCLA. The Bruins had gone through a rocky season but righted the ship down the stretch, winning their last four games, including a low-scoring affair with crosstown rivals USC.
Syracuse had issues before the game even started, struggling with snow on its practice fields before the flight out to UCLA. The game was also SU’s only nationally televised game, adding extra pressure to what was already a huge contest. But Schwartzwalder and his team would not be shaken by the expectations.
The Orange came into the Coliseum in front of a crowd of 46,000, and absolutely ran the Bruins out of their own stadium. The Orange took a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter before the Bruins scored their only points. SU scored twice in the fourth to secure the 36-8 victory. Ger Schwedes ran for 99 yards and scored two touchdowns, upping his total to 14 TDs on the year and breaking Jim Brown’s single season touchdown record. Dick Easterly went a perfect five-for-five through the air, and scampered for 50 yards as well. Syracuse finished with 354 rushing yards and 106 passing yards. The Orange left Los Angeles with a win, an undefeated regular season, and a chance to play for a national championship against Texas in the Cotton Bowl.
This concludes the Top 3 Syracuse Road Wins of all time.
Honorable Mentions: Syracuse-West Virginia 2010, Syracuse-Pitt 1991
...
Syracuse Football: Orange has easiest schedule in ACC, per CBS Sports (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse football will attempt to rebound from a so-so 2019 campaign by playing a relatively easy upcoming schedule.
Syracuse football, following a disappointing 5-7 record in 2019, is hoping to get back into the post-season, bowl-berth conversation in this fall’s term.
The Orange, it seems, will get buoyed by a 2020 calendar that CBS Sports ranks as the easiest projected slate within the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Not only that, but the article from CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli says that the ‘Cuse has “the easiest [projection] of any Power Five program.” Oh my.
As far as his methodology, Fornelli writes that he ranks “all 130 teams using … a statistical model that judges teams based on their performances in games.”
After calculating a squad’s projected strength of schedule (“SOS”), the team’s overall score is its SOS compared to the average SOS of all 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.
In case you’re wondering, Georgia Tech has the No. 1 strength of schedule in the ACC and the sixth-toughest in the nation. Here’s what Fornelli had to say about the Orange’s schedule.
...
ACC: 247Sports' projected order of finish, superlatives for 2020 (247sports.com; Marcello)
Editor's note: 247Sports national reporter Brandon Marcello breaks down each Power 5 conference race and makes his order-of-finish predictions for the 2020 season. First up is the ACC.
ACC
Atlantic
1. Clemson
2. Louisville
3. Florida State
4. Wake Forest
5. Boston College
6. Syracuse
7. North Carolina State
Clemson is among the best of the best in the country, but losing receiver Justyn Ross could cause a few hiccups early in the season. Those “hiccups” will not result in losses, however. A hiccup for Clemson these days usually means scoring under 35 points.
Still, Clemson must be concerned that its leading returning receiver is running back Travis Etienne (37 catches, 432 yards, 4 TDs) with Ross on the sidelines and his career potentially over after a congenital fashion was discovered in his spine earlier this summer. The great news for Clemson is, well, everything else. Brent Venables might have his defense in Clemson history (the entire two-deep on the defensive line returns) despite missing three key players in the defensive backfield from 2019, and the offense will still score points in bunches without Ross. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence should put up big numbers and contend for the Heisman Trophy, but the undercurrent that will define the season for those outside Death Valley is the schedule. The Tigers may not face a ranked team until it travels to Notre Dame for the ninth game of the year. The schedule is super easy, and falling to the likes of Florida State or Boston College on the road before traveling to South Bend is unlikely.
Scott Satterfield has our attention after the incredible first season with Louisville, but what does he have in store for an encore? Pass protection must improve to contend for the Atlantic title, but the running game should continue to carry the load with Javian Hawkins returning. Tutu Atwell leads a great group of receivers, but the questions along the offensive line and defense will hold back the Cardinals from hitting a double-digit win total. The defense was the sixth-worst group among Power 5 teams last season (33.4 points per game). Improvement is expected but getting to that championship level (21 points or less) is going to take a minor miracle.
Clemson runs away from the top three teams. Watch out for Florida State to battle for the No. 2 spot while also securing a bowl game in Mike Norvell's first season.
...
https://www.macon.com/sports/college/acc/georgia-tech/article243354926.html (macon.com; Awtrey)
Georgia Tech football coach Geoff Collins expects his players’ involvement in non-mandatory conditioning will lead to a smoother transition when the program reopens from the COVID-19 shutdown.
The Yellow Jackets will begin the Phase I of its reopening plan June 15, opening the doors for voluntary workouts for the 20-plus athletes who live in the Atlanta area. True freshmen are not allowed to participate in Phase I.
Tech has a roster of more than 100 players.
“It may be to the outside world that it looks like we’re being very cautious and I don’t think that’s bad,” Collins said “I think the level of thought and care that went into every single decision through this for our guys and our staff is important.”
Collins said his staff has had regular contact with players throughout the pandemic and have been pleased with the way they have embraced the remote workouts.
And he said he wasn’t concerned that the Yellow Jackets will be starting a week later than other programs such as Clemson and Georgia, where players can return Monday (June 8).
“We just wanted to make sure all our processes were in place,” he said. “We had all the data that we needed to ensure that when our guys returned that we’d have the best chance to be successful and keep our guys happy and safe.”
Much of the Phase I activity will take place indoors at the Brock Football Practice Facility. The weights will be lined up on one side of the building — Collins said five additional racks are being added to make things easier — and the huge doors on both ends of the facility will be kept open to enhance air flow.
The unavailability of dorm rooms will limit the participation in Phase I to local athletes. An exception is sophomore defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjoue, who did not return to his native Belgium during the pandemic and stayed locally with senior offensive lineman Connor Hansen. It is not known how many other team members are in a similar situation.
...
Clemson Football: 3 biggest questions facing Tigers for 2020 season (saturdayblitz.com; Pryor)
for gbo
Clemson football is a favorite to win the national championship this season. What questions do the Tigers have to answer before they can win?
It appears we are going to have college football in some form this fall. The Clemson Tigers are the odds on favorite to win the national title this season. The men from “Death Valley” have made five consecutive College Football Playoff appearances winning two national titles.
This season, with Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne leading the offense, the Tigers are poised for another College Football Playoff run. They do have some legitimate questions to answer to make another playoff appearance.
There is little doubt the Tigers should win the ACC. They have separated themselves from the rest of the conference and it is not close. The questions that surround Clemson is all about how they fare against teams who make the National Semifinal.
Clemson loses four defensive starters to the NFL this season. They have a lot to replace especially on the back end with both K’Von Wallace and Tanner Muse headed to the League. The offensive line has to replace its entire interior losing both guards and their center.
How will those departures affect the Tigers this season? One part of the culture and identity of the Tigers is they are a developmental program. They have players in their pipeline ready to play. Also, this could be their most talented team.
The Tigers have recruited at a top 10 level since 2018 including landing the No. 1 player in the country twice — Trevor Lawrence and Bryan Bresee.
...
Duke football targeting three-star athlete with ACC interest (balldurham.com; Connelly)
The Duke football program is targeting a Class of 2022 athlete who has other offers inside the ACC.
It seems very early in the recruitment process for Class of 2022 athlete Price Williams Jr., but the Duke Blue Devils are getting in the race early as the program has competition from other ACC schools.
David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils extended an offer to the 6-foot-2, 222-pound athlete on June 1.
Williams Jr., a Purcellville, Virginia native, also holds offers from Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Buffalo, Campbell, Liberty, Kent State, and Old Dominion.
The Woodgrove High School standout is ranked as the No. 51 athlete in the rising junior class and the No. 18 player in the state of Virginia.
Price Williams Jr. exploded on the scene in his freshman season when he was named to the First Team All-District as a running back and then followed up his inaugural season with a selection to First Team All-Region and Second Team All-State as a sophomore.
The three-star running back, wide receiver, and tight end is also receiving interest from Penn State but has not received an offer from James Franklin's program yet.
Williams Jr. has already taken unofficial visits to Virginia Tech, Virginia, and Penn State.
...
Three uncommitted signees most likely to commit to Miami football (caneswarning.com; Rubenstein)
There is a lot of anticipation with the 2021 recruiting class for the Miami football program. A productive 2020 season could push the Hurricanes 2021 signing class into the top 10 nationally.
The 2021 Miami football recruiting class currently ranks 12th in the nation and third in the ACC. Coming off of a 6-7 2019 season with the nation’s 13th ranked recruiting class in 2020, the Hurricanes have done an exceptional job under the circumstances procuring talent on the roster.
Miami leads for several high profile recruits for the 2021 class. Four-star wide receiver Romello Brinson is likely the next highly coveted player by Miami who will announce which college football program he is committing to. Brinson’s decision is expected to be between Miami, Georgia and Texas A&M on June 13.
It is difficult to project which school some of the recruits who have five or more programs listed as finalists will commit to. Some players seem to be leaning heavily to Miami, while the Hurricanes are one of the pack of schools listed among other recruits. The list of players who are likely to commit to Miami is a mix of the above.
The most recent commit to the 2021 Miami recruiting class was four-star WR Jacolby George on Wednesday. George is the first WR to commit to the Hurricanes in the 2021 Class. With Miami switching to the spread offense this season, expect the Hurricanes to try to sign three to four WRs in 2021.
...
Links, News and Yodelling - 6/8/20 (RX; HM)
Links, News and Yodelling - 6/8/20
Most Intriguing Transfers
For The 2020 College Football Season: ACC
Keep in mind they weren't saying "most impactful", but "most intriguing"... in other words, it's purely subjective and just their opinions...
__________
This one's based a little more on facts and statistics...
...
ACC FB on ESPN - May 2020 (RX; HM)
ACC FB on ESPN - May 2020
ESPN needs ACC football. Why? Just take a quick look at the "Throwback Thursday" schedule of games on ESPN for the last 3 weeks:
| 5/14/2020 | 7:00 PM | ABC College Football: Florida State vs Miami |
| Thanks to yet another missed field goal by a Florida State kicker in the final seconds, No. 1 Miami hung on for a 28-27 victory over the ninth-ranked Seminoles. | ||
| 5/21/2020 | 7:00 PM | 2017 CFP National Championship: Alabama vs Clemson |
| A rematch of the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship. Overall, the championship game marked the 17th meeting between the two schools. From Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL. | ||
| 5/28/2020 | 7:00 PM | 2003 BCS National Championship: Miami vs. Ohio State |
| The Ohio State Buckeyes and Miami Hurricanes couldn’t be separated after four quarters, tied at 17. It then took two overtimes to crown a winner in an instant college football classic. |
At a time when ESPN has virtually zero live sports, they could've shown replays from any conference they have a contract with, but they didn't - they showed 3 ACC games in 3 weeks. True, this week they showed Colorado vs. Michigan - so the streak has ended - but that doesn't change who they partnered with first to get through the dead period...
...
UPDATE: 2021 Team Recruiting Rankings - 6/6/20 (RX; HM)
UPDATE: 2021 Team Recruiting Rankings - 6/6/20
Quite a few players have been making verbal commitments lately, and the ACC is looking STRONG! I mean, just check this out:
- 2 teams in the top 5
- 3 in the top 11
- 4 in the top 22
- 8 in the top 29 (that's just ridiculous!)
| Rank | Team | Total | Avg. | 4-stars | 3-stars |
| 1 | Ohio State | 19 | 95.34 | 4 | 11 |
| 2 | Clemson | 14 | 94.54 | 1 | 12 |
| 3 | Tennessee | 23 | 89.89 | 1 | 9 |
| 4 | USC | 16 | 91.37 | 0 | 10 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 15 | 91.2 | 0 | 10 |
| 6 | Michigan | 17 | 88.93 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | Florida | 17 | 89.86 | 0 | 9 |
| 8 | LSU | 12 | 92.84 | 0 | 9 |
| 9 | Minnesota | 18 | 87.47 | 0 | 5 |
| 10 | Oregon | 12 | 91.57 | 0 | 8 |
| 11 | Miami | 15 | 87.83 | 0 | 6 |
| 12 | Iowa | 15 | 88.21 | 0 | 3 |
| 13 | Maryland | 16 | 87.1 | 0 | 3 |
| 14 | Georgia | 9 | 94.05 | 1 | 7 |
| 15 | Notre Dame | 10 | 91.93 | 1 | 6 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 13 | 88.28 | 0 | 4 |
| 17 | Texas | 11 | 91.46 | 1 | 6 |
| 18 | Penn State | 12 | 88.26 | 0 | 4 |
| 19 | Rutgers | 20 | 84.67 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | Baylor | 15 | 86.26 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Texas A&M | 10 | 90.34 | 0 | 6 |
| 22 | Pittsburgh | 16 | 85.46 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | Auburn | 9 | 90.95 | 0 | 5 |
| 24 | Cincinnati | 16 | 85 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Georgia Tech | 14 | 85.7 | 0 | 1 |
| 26 | Florida State | 10 | 88.46 | 0 | 3 |
| 27 | Virginia | 14 | 85.5 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | 8 | 91.22 | 0 | 4 |
| 29 | Louisville | 11 | 86.37 | 0 | 2 |
| 30 | Iowa State | 4 | 84.33 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | SMU | 11 | 86.18 | 0 | 1 |
| 32 | Missouri | 11 | 86.21 | 0 | 1 |
| 33 | Boston College | 15 | 84.68 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Wake Forest | 13 | 83.97 | 0 | 0 |
Iowa strength coach denies 'unethical behavior or bias' (fltimes; AP)
Iowa football strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle denies any “unethical behavior or bias” based on race after being accused by several former players of contributing to what they allege is systemic racism in the program.
Doyle was placed on administrative leave Saturday, part of a decision made by coach Kirk Ferentz in what he called “a defining moment” for Iowa’s football program.
Several black former players posted on social media Friday night about issues they saw in the football program, attributing many of them to Doyle. The 51-year-old assistant coach issued a statement Sunday on Twitter in which he applauds the “courage” of the former players and says he is “proud of them" for speaking out, but disputes the claims.
“I have been asked to remain silent, but that is impossible for me to do,” Doyle wrote. “There have been statements made about my behavior that are not true. I do not claim to be perfect. I have made mistakes, learned lessons and, like every American citizen, can do better.
“At no time have I ever crossed the line of unethical behavior or bias based on race. I do not make racist comments and I don't tolerate people who do.”
Other
Kelley’s Restaurant near Syracuse to close after 37 years /(PS; Weaver)
Kelley’s Bar and Restaurant, a beloved neighborhood pub open for nearly four decades, is closing because of the economic hardship caused by the coronavirus, the Kelley family announced today on its website.
Here’s part of the statement from the Kelley family:
"We voluntarily shut down our restaurant in March to keep our guests and employees safe during this worldwide pandemic with the hope of reopening again. During this time, we discovered it would be challenging, if not impossible, to replicate the beloved “Kelley’s” experience due to the new COVID reality of running a restaurant due to increased compliance costs, food supply concerns, and New York State mandates.
“To all our employees, friends, guests, and suppliers, thank you for 37-years of memories we have made with you at Kelley’s Bar and Restaurant. We are so thankful for your support, friendship, and understanding. Please be safe and take care of one another.”
It was signed by Jon, Irina, Damon and Kira Kelley.
Kelley’s, at 5076 Velasko Road, in the town of Onondaga, served pub favorites alongside delicious, more complicated meals. Yes, many came for the wings.
But Kelley’s menu was far deeper than burgers and fries. It was a place for after work drinks, Saturday afternoon basketball games and even a place to celebrate anniversaries and holidays.
...
