sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Maple syrup is used on breakfast foods such as pancakes, waffles, and French toast, and can be added to many dishes as a sweetener. It can even be poured on top of ice cream for dessert. Today we use a little more of it than usual, as it is National Maple Syrup Day.
Maple syrup is made from sap from sugar maple trees—trees that are also known as rock maples or hard maples. Maple syrup is a North American product; Canada produces most of it, and in the United States most of it comes from Vermont and New York. Native Americans in the northeastern part of the continent were the first to make it, by cutting the bark on trees and letting the sap drip out.
By the 1720s, colonists learned the technique, which became known as sugaring. After the thaw in late winter allowed the sap to begin flowing through the maple trees, the colonists would gash the trunks and guide the sap into troughs. They would then boil it over fires. Using maple as a sweetener was done in part to save money, as cane sugar from the West Indies was more expensive. This especially was the case after 1764, when the Sugar Act placed high duties on imported sugar.
SU News
Column: Count boring early NSD as win for Syracuse, Dino Babers (247sports.com; Bailey)
Early National Signing Day has come and gone for Syracuse football, barring a late signee. The Orange landed all 19 of the commits who came into the day expected to ink national letters of intent. It was, for signing day standards, a boring morning for the Orange. There was no surprise flip, not even the excitement of a key target making a public announcement.
But after a one-win season -- the school's first since 2005 and second since 1948 -- business as usual is, well, a victory, for head coach Dino Babers and Co. SU has its work cut out this offseason to retool its roster, bulk up young contributors and advance on-field development after the team's two first-year coordinators barely got a chance to do that during the truncated spring and summer of 2020.
Babers cleared the first hurdle on Wednesday.
The Orange held on to its top-10-rated commits, including New Jersey defensive back Duce Chestnut, who said on Tuesday that Ohio State, LSU and Miami all inquired about whether he'd consider flipping in the week leading up to early National Signing Day. UCF made runs at offensive lineman Austyn Kauhi and defensive lineman Jatius Geer, but both stuck with Syracuse. Only Wisconsin defensive end Hayden Nelson decommitted from SU after UCLA made a hard push down the stretch; Nelson has not signed anywhere as of Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.
Quarterback signee Justin Lamson said a couple of weeks ago that the team's commitment class understood that Syracuse's lack of on-field success this year was rooted, at least partially, in uncontrollable issues like injuries and a schedule change due to the pandemic.
"We talk during the games and we obviously want Syracuse to win," Lamson said. "but everyone's like, 'There's stuff going on that some people don't understand outside the program.'"
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Babers: Syracuse's 2021 class keeps program on track for goals (247sports.com; Bailey)
During a year when it felt like nothing went right for Syracuse football, the Orange signed 19 of its verbal commits on Wednesday. Early National Signing Day was a successful, if uneventful point in a year that has challenged fifth-year head coach Dino Babers.
Speaking with media early Wednesday afternoon, Babers commended his staff for holding on to all but one pledge as opposing coaching staffs pursued SU targets following the program's second one-win season since 1948. He admitted that in a non-pandemic year, other programs might have pushed harder to flip Syracuse's commits.
But the bottom line, Babers said, is Syracuse took a necessary step toward achieving its long-term goal.
"I want to get this place to where we can be consistent winners, and to do that, it's going to take some time," Babers said. "And I understand that time is limited, and that's OK. That's why I love my job. That it is limited time and that everybody can't do it, but this team, these guys, I think if we can keep moving at the place that we're moving, that we're going to give everybody what everybody wants and what they deserve, and that's consistent winners."
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Austyn Kauhi (Kamehameha) & Kalan Ellis (Saint Louis) sign their National Letters of Intent to play college football at Syracuse University
Pair of Hawai’i prep offensive linemen sign National Letters of Intent to play college football at Syracuse (khon2.com)
Saint Louis School’s Kalan Ellis says he’s only been to the snow once, but loved it. The 6’5, 350 pounder is about to see a lot more of it after signing his National Letter of Intent to player college football in Syracuse University.
“It meant everything to me. It meant all my hard work and education paid off to get me to this spot. Finally putting that pen to that paper really made me happy and excited,” Ellis said after his signing ceremony inside Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, “I’ll be the first person on my moms side to go to college and actually earn a scholarship. They really helped me work towards my progress and on my craft, giving me tips even after a games and practices.”
It was a momentous day for the Ellis family because Kalan becomes the first person on his mother’s side to earn a division one scholarship.
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National Signing Day Recap (SI; McAllister)
National Signing Day was a rousing success for the Syracuse Orange on Wednesday. All 19 players expected to sign going into the day did so, resulting in almost no drama. In this case, a boring day was a good day for Syracuse. Here is a look back at all of our coverage of the day as Syracuse brought in what Dino Babers thinks is going to be one of its best classes in recent memory.
THE GRAPHICS
Syracuse Uses Album Graphics to Announce Signees
DINO'S COMMENTS
Six Things Babers Said About the 2021 Class at Signing Day Presser
CLASS ANALYSIS
What's Left for Syracuse in 2021?
Five Signees Who Could Contribute as True Freshmen
Three Sleepers in Syracuse's 2021 Class
Where do Syracuse's Signees Come From? Geographical Analysis
Positional Review of Syracuse's 2021 Class
Live Blog: Timeline of When Players Signed
PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS & EVALUATIONS
DB Duce Chestnut
OL Enrique Cruz
OL Kalan Ellis
DB Malcolm Folk
DL Elijah Fuentes
WR Oronde Gadsden
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Syracuse Uses Album Graphics to Announce Signees (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football signed 19 players on National Signing Day during the early period that runs from December 16th through the 19th. When schools announce their signees, they are usually accompanied by graphics of some sort. Syracuse has had very creative, well done graphics the last few years and they took it up a notch for the 2021 class. They created albums for each of the signees. Check them out below side by side with the original.
DB DUCE CHESTNUT: A Boogie wit da Hoodie - The New Prince of New York
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Babers on new recruits: I’m fighting, scratching, clawing to coach them (PS; $; Mink)
Dino Babers isn’t sticking his head in the sand.
On the day all coaches wax poetic introducing a batch of new recruits, Babers gave a candid appraisal of his standing heading into a new offseason on the heels of an abysmal record.
It was not surprising to hear him think he’s got a young nucleus capable of winning in the ACC. Every coach, especially on this day, inspires hope for the future.
It was acknowledging the urgency to arrive at all that promise, perhaps sooner than expected, that revealed the inner workings of what this offseason and this early signing day represents to this coach.
“I’m fighting. I am scratching. I am clawing every day to make sure that I am around to coach these guys when they get to be juniors and seniors,” Babers told Matt Park, Syracuse University’s in-house radio voice on Wednesday.
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SU recruit wants to be the ‘New King of New York’ (PS; Curtis)
Darian “Duce” Chestnut woke up at 6:30 on Wednesday morning and threw on a navy blue Syracuse T-shirt along with a baseball cap featuring Otto the Orange on the front.
He was preparing for one of the most important days of his high school career as he sat down at his kitchen table to sign his national letter of intent to play football at Syracuse University.
Chestnut, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound cornerback from Camden, New Jersey, was one of 19 prospects in the Class of 2021 expected to take advantage of Early National Signing Day and officially sign with the Orange.
After signing his letter, he snapped a photo of it and emailed it to Syracuse around 7 a.m. About 30 minutes later, Chestnut checked Twitter and saw the school had announced he would be joining the program.
“Coming for the crown, welcome to ‘Cuse @Ballgame_duce,” is the greeting he received, along with a design inspired by his favorite music artist, A Boogie wit da Hoodie.
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Experts on SU football’s 2021 recruiting: ‘It’s certainly not a bad class’ (PS; $; Axe)
Three college football recruiting analysts expect Syracuse will have one of its best recruiting classes in Dino Babers’ five years when the school concludes its Early National Signing Day celebration on Wednesday.
It’s a group that seems geared to address last year’s weaknesses on the offensive and defensive lines and at wide receiver.
That’s the good news.
The class, at least on paper, also doesn’t look substantially different than the ones that have helped Babers compile an overall record of 24-36 at Syracuse over five seasons. It’s unlikely there are too many players who will be impact players as true freshmen for a program that desperately needs them after going 1-10 last year.
That’s the bad news.
Like most seasons, Syracuse football’s Early National Signing Day will force you to pick a side, and this year you’ll have less information than usual.
Is it a good class or a bad class?
Well.
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Ex-Syracuse QB Don McPherson honored for contributions to the sport and society (PS; Kramer)
Former Syracuse University quarterback Don McPherson, a long-time champion for college football and helping with the larger issues of society, has earned an award paying tribute to his work.
The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today that McPherson, a College Football Hall of Fame member, will be the 2020 recipient of the NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award.
The award provides national recognition to those whose efforts support the NFF or who have made significant contributions to the game of football either to how it is played and coached or to how it is enjoyed by fans. McPherson becomes the 43rd recipient of the award.
“For me, the operative word with this award is amateur,” McPherson said in a statement. “The reality is that the overwhelming preponderance of guys who play football, don’t go pro, and that makes the amateur part of this award really important. . . When you truly care about the game, you realize the stewards of the game are the guys who are involved with the NFF, and when you look at the list of past recipients of this award, it is truly a list of people who care deeply about the game. So, this is very humbling.”
McPherson has served on the Hall of Fame Content Committee when it was formed after the facility moved from South Bend, Ind. to Atlanta. McPherson cites moderating a Black History Month roundtable in 2017 with fellow inductees Thom Gatewood (Notre Dame), Gene Washington (Michigan State) and John Wooten (Colorado) as one of his most memorable NFF moments.
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Syracuse Football Top 25 Players of All-Time: No. 10 John Mackey (itlh; Peelman)
Syracuse Football has had a long history of success. We look back at some of the best players to play at Syracuse University. Up next, No. 10: John Mackey.
Syracuse Football has had some amazing athletes come through its program since 1889. In this series so far we have already talked about the likes of Vic Hanson, Walter Reyes, Jim Nance, Chandler Jones, Gary Anderson, Qadry Ismail, and so many others. Now that we have finally reached the Top 10 of our list, this is where we meet the cream of the top: the best of the best, and next up is John Mackey.
Of the 10 athletes remaining, seven have had their jersey or number retired by Syracuse Football. In total, there are nine athletes on our entire list who have had their jersey/number retired by SU, some having the same number: No. 44. Only Don McPherson – ranked 11th, and Joe Morris – ranked 12th, are the only others on this list not in the Top 10 who have their jersey/number retired. Mackey, the first one in our Top 10, is one of those privileged few who have had that honor of having his No. 88 jersey retired, according to Cuse.com.
Mackey may not have been the best tight end to ever play for Syracuse Football, but he redefined the tight end position in an era when rushing the ball was a huge part of the offensive strategy. Though Chris Gedney, who we had highlighted previously was great, Mackey was the one that paved the way for Gedney’s success.
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ACC Blue Chips - 12/17/20 (RX; HM)
ACC Blue Chips - 12/17/20
How many "blue-chip" (4- or 5-star rated) players did each ACC team sign on the first day of the Early Signing Period for football? Here's your answer...
| ACC Team | #blue chips | graphical | points |
| Clemson | 16 | ================ | 282.31 |
| Miami | 13 | ============= | 263.33 |
| N. Carolina | 12 | ============ | 253.51 |
| Notre Dame | 11 | =========== | 265.71 |
| Florida State | 5 | ===== | 201.48 |
| Pittsburgh | 3 | === | 208.02 |
| NC State | 3 | === | 200.45 |
| Virginia | 2 | == | 204.73 |
| Louisville | 2 | == | 198.08 |
| Boston College | 1 | = | 191.6 |
| Georgia Tech | 1 | = | 187.81 |
| Virginia Tech | 0 | | | 189.6 |
| Syracuse | 0 | | | 175.15 |
| Duke | 0 | | | 175.07 |
| Wake Forest | 0 | | | 162.37 |
Early Signing Day (lunch time) - 12/16/20 (RX; HM)
Early Signing Day (lunch time) - 12/16/20
Here are your early Early Signing Day team rankings update:
2021 Football Team Rankings
Powered by 247Sports Composite
| Rank | Team | 5-stars | 4-stars | 3-stars |
| 1 | Alabama | 6 | 13 | 4 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 5 | 13 | 3 |
| 3 | Georgia | 3 | 11 | 5 |
| 4 | LSU | 1 | 14 | 5 |
| 5 | Clemson | 2 | 14 | 2 |
| 6 | Oregon | 0 | 16 | 5 |
| 7 (up 3) | Oklahoma | 1 | 12 | 3 |
| 8 (down 1) | Florida | 1 | 14 | 11 |
| 9 (down 1) | Notre Dame | 0 | 11 | 14 |
| 10 (up 1) | Miami | 2 | 10 | 8 |
The Virginia Tech Hokies End 2020 - Opting Out of Postseason (gobblercountry.com; Fahvaag)
Well fellow football fans, as they say in the south... “Ass-it an’ there ain’t gonna be no mo” at least not until, hopefully Spring, and a new football season reignites. Perhaps we’ll get the word and cleared that we can have a normal season with normal coverage. Let us all hope.
The reason for this? We’ll allow Offensive Lineman Austin Cannon to explain:
And, technically the streak isn’t really broken, either. If the Hokies were going to receive a bowl bid, then the Opt out shouldn’t count against the streak. We’ll argue that in the future. This team is exhausted. The coaches are tired. The staff (who have often filled in for sick coaches) is wanting a break, and the budget cuts are really putting a damper on people’s lives.
So, we put the torturous 2020 season into the flower bed where all the manure goes, and hopefully the Spring will bring nice healthy roses. If you haven’t seen Coach Fuente’s signing day press conference, please go to HokieSports.com and listen in. It would be worth your time.
Yes, this team is going to face challenges. Bryan’s going to get the National Signing Day summary out, but it looks like we’ve rounded up all of the commitments plus a few here and there. No, they aren’t big star people. They are Lunch Pail type people. That’s where the Hokies live. Take a look at them and their Bios. It’s going to be an interesting year for them.
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ACC football bowl season scorecard: Here's who will be in, who won't and what they're saying (greensboro.com; Wooten)
Bowl projections involving ACC teams are taking a beating this week as more teams continue to opt out of consideration for postseason games.
The selections for the College Football Playoff and bowl games will be announced officially Sunday. Thirty bowl games, outside of the Rose and Sugar in the playoff semifinals, remain in place after cancellations related to the pandemic.
The NCAA has waived its minimum requirements, meaning all teams are eligible.
Here's how the ACC teams stand:
They're going bowling
North Carolina (7-3, 8-3): The Tar Heels could get to the Orange Bowl, if No. 3 Clemson can beat No. 2 Notre Dame in the ACC championship game Saturday. That result should mean that the Tigers and Irish both go to the College Football Playoff and Carolina, despite its three losses, plays in a major bowl game for the first time in 71 years. Carolina would fill the ACC's slot as the highest-ranked team, at No. 15, among those not chosen for the playoff.
N.C. State (7-3, 8-3): The Wolfpack, which has returned to practice in Raleigh after a week off, is ranked No. 22 in the playoff list, No. 23 by coaches and No. 24 by the Associated Press. "Typically when you're sitting there with eight wins, you're gonna play somebody that's pretty good," Coach Dave Doeren said on "The Adam Gold Show" in Raleigh this week. "So I don't know who it will be or what conference they're from, but the matchup's usually very competitive. Whoever it is, we'll look forward to that opportunity."
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Together, Notre Dame and the ACC got what they wanted this fall. What's next? (theathletic.com; $; Sampson)
Bubba Cunningham will follow this weekend’s ACC championship game in Charlotte from a basketball arena in Cleveland, tracking his alma mater, pulling for the league’s standard-bearing football program and hoping the results benefit his employer. If that sounds like a complicated way for the North Carolina athletics director and double Notre Dame graduate to observe the climax of this historic ACC football season, it is.
It’s also proof that this all worked for both the conference and its temporary houseguest during a year of extraordinary circumstances. In the end, the ACC’s decision to add Notre Dame full-time for this fall will be exactly what both parties hoped it could be last summer. Maybe better.
“I like it when people can make a decision that may not be perfect, but it’s pretty darn good,” Cunningham said. “So let’s go ahead and go with that decision.”
Cunningham will be courtside for a men’s basketball game between North Carolina and Ohio State that tips 15 minutes after Notre Dame-Clemson kicks. What happens at Bank of America Stadium could give the ACC the financial boost of landing two teams in the College Football Playoff for the first time and put North Carolina in the Orange Bowl as the next highest-ranked conference representative. And whatever the results, the ACC championship game should be the league’s highest-rated showcase ever, not only beating the Big Ten championship game for the second time but topping the ratings of every Big Ten championship game in that league’s history.
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What is Notre Dame worst-case College Football Playoff scenario? (indystar.com; Hansen)
Five days before the College Football Playoff rankings transformed from progress reports to something with finality and bite, the most romantic of Notre Dame hypotheticals still had a chance to intersect with realism.
Not that it’s a likely conjecture. Not that the Irish, No. 2 in the penultimate CFP check-in Tuesday night, wouldn’t be underdogs in each remaining step, but there’s a heartbeat.
The top five in the CFP rankings — Alabama, ND, Clemson, Ohio State and Texas A&M remained unchanged. The shocker was previously No. 6-ranked Florida (8-2) dropped only one spot, to No. 7, after falling at home to a depleted and heavy underdog LSU team, 37-34, on Saturday.
Florida was 11th in both the AP and coaches polls on Sunday.
The Gators face Alabama in the SEC Championship Game Saturday night, thus with a chance to find a backdoor into the final four with an upset.
The most urgent read between the lines, as far as ND nation is concerned, in the last reveal before Sunday’s final standings and postseason assignments are unveiled is what is Notre Dame’s worst-case scenario?
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Other
How a British con man lured slumlords from around the globe to Syracuse (PS; $; Baker)
Kevin McNally had pretty much forgotten about the house he owned near Syracuse’s Inner Harbor.
He bought it on a whim for $31,000 in 2010 after the real estate market crashed. He paid cash. He’d never actually seen the property. He’d never talked to the people who lived there. He’d never even been to Syracuse, which he always thought was pronounced “Saur-a-cuze.”
So when the place turned out to be a headache, he put it out of mind.
“20,000 pounds is such a small amount to pay for a house, it’s not worth doing much about, if you know what I mean,” McNally said from his home in a small village in northwestern England. “You’re throwing decent money at bad money. So I just left it and let it rot.”
McNally’s lone connection to the Syracuse housing market was a series of emails and phone calls with a smooth-talking Englishman named Simon Slee, who had convinced him to buy property here.
McNally is one of more than 60 foreign investors Slee lured to Syracuse with a promise of steady income without having to leave their living room.
They came from Hong Kong, Singapore, England, Romania, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland and more. Most were attracted by the jaw-droppingly low price of a house and the relatively high rents.
The Brit called his company American Dream Investments.
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