sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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On today's date in 1769, frontier hero Daniel Boone supposedly first set his sights on the land that would eventually become Kentucky. The date is taken from John Filson's book, The Discovery, Settlement and Present State of Kentucky. The book is also known for its appendix, titled "The Adventures of Colonel Daniel Boone," which has info that apparently came from Boone himself, but was still written by Filson. The book isn't considered to be 100% accurate by historians. Like many stories about Boone, it may include exaggerations and fabrications of his life. Nonetheless, today's holiday celebrates Boone and his first visit to Kentucky. The day has been celebrated since the nineteenth century by the Kentucky Historical Society.
Daniel Boone—the fur trapper, hunter, explorer, and frontiersman—was born on November 2, 1734, in Berks County, Pennsylvania. As a youngster, Boone spent most of his time outside in the wilderness. His family moved near the Yadkin River in North Carolina in 1750. He soon joined the militia to protect white settlements from Native Americans. He then fought with the British in the French and Indian War. It was at this time that he first heard about "Kentucke."
SU News
Who Gives Syracuse a Higher Ceiling at Quarterback? – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)
Syracuse football’s quarterback situation has been a hot topic of discussion during the entire offseason. After just six wins in the past two seasons, it’s all the more important for Dino Babers and his staff to evaluate the position correctly.
Part of that evaluation process is deciding who gives Syracuse the most upside not just in 2021, but in seasons beyond as well. Any starting experience given to someone in the QB room could factor into future playing time.
Who gives Syracuse the highest ceiling at QB in 2021?
With three guys with starting experience in the quarterback room in Tommy DeVito, Garrett Shrader (at Mississippi State in 2019) and JaCobian Morgan (two starts in 2020). There are arguments to be made for each one of the three, however cherry-picked they may be.
DeVito’s experience (16 games since 2019) and arm talent make him the ideal candidate, while Garrett Shrader’s dual-threat resumé while playing in the SEC in ‘19 makes him the only true alternative, albeit as a bit of a wild card. Morgan showed some flashes as a true freshman in 2020 and is more athletic than DeVito, but clearly needs more seasoning. If it was possible to take Morgan in a “dynasty” fantasy football league, he’d probably be the best bet to contribute a few years from now.
From a talent perspective, DeVito is the most likely to play and succeed if he can be protected, while Shrader looks more viable if the SU offensive line falters again and a more mobile player is needed. That makes the whole question about ‘ceiling’ a little bit misleading, and its answer hinges on a whole separate position group: the offensive line.
It can be argued no Power 5 offensive line has been worse than Syracuse’s over the past two seasons, at least in pass blocking. Prior to 2019, SU had to replace two standout tackles in Koda Martin and Cody Conway as well as guard Aaron Roberts. That forced Syracuse to start a mostly new line, and problems immediately surfaced. To make things worse, starting center Sam Heckel was injured after the season opener and never returned, while graduate transfer Ryan Alexander quit the team midway through the season. Depth and talent problems have persisted ever since. Unsurprisingly, opponents racked up 88 sacks against the SU offense over the past two seasons. No quarterback is built to withstand that, on Syracuse’s roster or otherwise.
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Ten Non-Conference Opponents Syracuse Football Should Schedule (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football's 2021 schedule is set, but that is not going to stop us from taking a look at who the Orange could face in future seasons. Specifically in the non-conference portion of the schedule. Here are some options we'd like to see.
1. Penn State
Syracuse and Penn State was once an annual rivalry game. The two have played a few times over the last two decades, but adding the Nittany Lions again would be nostalgic for fans. Perhaps a home and home so the northeast teams will add a quality non-conference games to the schedule.
All-time series: Penn State 23-43-5
2. Middle Tennessee State
Syracuse lost its only game against MTSU when former Orange head coach Scott Shafer was the defensive coordinator a few years ago. Syracuse was not prepared mentally for that matchup, with many players recruited by Shafer still on the roster. Shafer is still in that position, and Syracuse would be much more prepared for that storyline.
All-time series: MTSU 1-0
3. East Carolina
Syracuse and East Carolina had some good battles in the 80s and 90s. Renewing a series with them, especially as Syracuse becomes more active in the Carolinas in recruiting, would make sense.
All-time series: Syracuse 7-3
4. Navy
Another service academy, Navy would provide a quality opponent for Syracuse in the non-conference. The two teams have played 27 times in the past, and renewing the rivalry would be fun.
All-time series: Syracuse 19-8
5. Temple
Temple and Syracuse were old Big East rivals. Syracuse largely dominated the series, but the Owls started to be more competitive as the Orange declined in the late stages of the Paul Pasqualoni era. Temple transitioned to the MAC for a few years and is now in the American Athletic Conference.
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Sunday Musings - Kendrick to Georgia, ACC Projected Wins Released (shakinthesouthland.com; Kantor)
We are now just 13 weeks away from the start of college football. Things are returning to normal, and a delightfully regular year of college football appears to be on the way.
We recently learned that Clemson’s season will open against a familiar face. Cornerback Derion Kendrick was dismissed from Clemson after violating team rules one too many times. Losing a first round talent is always frustrating, but Coach Swinney’s decision was almost immediately affirmed when Kendrick was arrested on gun and drug charges in his hometown of Rock Hill shortly after his dismissal. Now he has joined the Georgia Bulldogs.
It’ll be interesting to see Kendrick go against Clemson’s promising WR Corps. He was very good against most of Clemson’s ACC opponents, but struggled in the Sugar Bowl against elite WRs. He is typically very strong in coverage, but sometimes looks like a former-WR when tackling. If he comes up with a big interception or an acrobatic pass break-up that swings the game in the Dawgs’ favor, it’ll be a bitter pill to swallow. A win will be even sweeter though. The opening matchup couldn’t be bigger.
In a disturbing episode of the Clemson Pawcast, STS writer Alex Craft picked Georgia to win the opener (but Clemson to run the table after that). I’m more optimistic. Georgia seems to have patched up their secondary through the transfer market, adding not only Kendrick, but several other DBs including CB Brandon Turnage from Alabama. Nonetheless, I just don’t trust their offense. Their strong finish with QB JT Daniels last season was aided by beating up on the weak underbelly of the SEC (Miss St., U of SC, Missouri, and Vanderbilt), before an ugly low-scoring win over Cincinnati. If Clemson’s offensive line has improved as much as the coaches say and DJ Uiagalelei is as good as I imagine he’ll be, I give the Tigers the advantage.
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http://allsportsdiscussion.com/2021/06/06/five-areas-where-the-accnetwork-is-getting-it-right/ (asd; Fann)
It’s been an up and down first couple of years for the ACC Network. Recently we documented where the ACC Network needs to improve, but there have been some highlights and positives that should be noted.
We list them below.
1) The Packer & Durham Show with @MarkPacker and @WesDurham. My morning commute is dialed into this show, and has been since it’s inception. Packer and Durham have a great historical perspective of the league, and are fun and engaged with ACC student athletes and personalities during interviews from a variety of sports. They care about the league and it shows.
2) Increased exposure for ACC sports wrestling, lacrosse, and women’s softball. While every ACC sport in getting increased exposure, these sports in particular seem to be benefitting the most. ACC wrestling now has a dedicated Friday night of viewing. Lacrosse where the ACC is the nations best conference had dozens of men’s and women’s game televised. Softball also had more than 30 games televised. These athletes now have a platform to get interviewed as well.
3) Prime-Time ACC football. Remember a few years ago when ACC football games seems to be clogged together at noon and early afternoon time slots? The ACC Network has allowed for ACC football games to spread across the day. Each Saturday there’s a ACC football game at night which is a welcome sight.
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2021 Hot Seat Coaches, ACC (RX; HM)
2021 Hot Seat Coaches, ACC
SaturdayBlitz picked their "College football hot seat: 10 head coaches feeling the heat in 2021", and four of them coach in the ACC...3. Justin Fuente (Virginia Tech)
You don’t want to be the guy who replaces the guy and Justin Fuente is that guy.Ever since taking over for legend Frank Beamer, Fuente has been doing “OK” but just “OK” should not be good enough for a program like Virginia Tech.
Outside of Clemson, the ACC continues to remain wide open. However, Virginia Tech has failed to take advantage of the opportunity to establish themselves as the second-best team in the conference and at least be a threat to the Tigers.
Instead, Fuente is 38-26 at Blacksburg and finished last year with a 5-6 record. The Hokies opted not to go to a bowl game, and even though it was their decision, their absence still goes on Fuente’s record after Virginia Tech’s streak of 27 consecutive bowl appearances was snapped.
Recruiting also has been underwhelming lately and rival Virginia is no longer a pushover after finally beating the Hokies in 2019.
The fear among fans is that the school located in the backwoods of Virginia which Beamer elevated to a national brand is starting to slip into the background of the college football landscape.
Virginia Tech’s athletic department was expected to face an $18.6 million budget shortfall at the end of last year, and Fuente’s buyout stands at $10 million.
Even so, Fuente’s seat is en fuego going into next season.
COMMENTS: I agree that Fuente has been doing "OK", and that the main reason that's not good enough is because of comparisons to Beamer's hey day (Fuente is actually doing as well or better than Beamer in his final years).
5. Dino Babers (Syracuse)
For a brief time, Dino Babers and Syracuse appeared to be the closest team to being a rival to Clemson in an ACC that has not produced much opposition for the Tigers. A stunning upset against Clemson in 2017 set up Syracuse for a 10-3 season the following year as the Orange almost pulled off another shocker against the Tigers in 2018. It was Syracuse’s best season in almost two decades, and as a result, Babers was named AP ACC Coach of the Year.Since then, the falloff has been precipitous. Syracuse went 5-7 in 2019 and 1-10 last year which is enough to instantly put any coach on the hot seat.
The problem for the Orange has been offense as Syracuse ranked No. 125 out of 127 teams in the country in yards per game last season. Part of the issue was a lack of experience and depth notably after quarterback Tommy DeVito suffered an early season-ending injury. Still, Babers has an offensive background so their struggles have been surprising.
Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack recently came out in strong support of Babers saying, “Am I going to call it a make-or-break year? No I’m not. The proverbial hot seat, to use your word, it’s already out there. He’s not on the hot seat, so take all that chatter and just eliminate it.” However, Wildhack did go on to say that he expects “to see significant improvement in our record.” That likely means a bowl game should be the expectation for 2021.
COMMENTS: In my mind I'd be more willing to give Babers a pass if the offense were putting up 50+ points per game and the defense was struggling - but not to be able to excel at your own specialty is... problematic.
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NIL to premiere on Twitter this Summer (RX; HM)
NIL to premiere on Twitter this Summer
Here are some thoughts on ESPN's "New partnership will allow college athletes to earn money from content posted on Twitter" (which, itself, quotes from Associated Press):The article reports on a company called Opendorse which has partnered with dozens of colleges on name, image and likeness (NIL) programming, but which now has struck a deal with Twitter to allow athletes to monetize their videos on the platform.
Opendorse is equipped to handle if there is a state-by-state approach to NIL legislation.
The NCAA is still hoping to establish nationwide rules for all schools, but there are some rules in place already:
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Weekend Links (RX; HM)
Weekend Links
Yahoo Sports writes "As Recruiting Reopens, High School Recruits Are Getting [Treated Unfairly]". That's because "super seniors" and transfers are taking up scholarships that used to go to freshmen.Rx: Why not simply make an exception that 5th-year players don't count at all? Yes, some teams [Alabama, Ohio State] might stock up on these guys, but at least it would only be a temporary situation (3 years at most); if you make it so that high schoolers can't get a scholarship, it could permanently damage the recruiting pipeline.
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My 10 "Perfect" Conferences in College Football
I was sitting around the other day and a random thought hit me: if I could pick my "perfect" conferences (not that such a thing exists), what would they be? Well, here's a video briefly showing it. Thoughts? - Dustin, College Football Chronicle
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OT: Weird Attractions in ACC States (RX; HM)
OT: Weird Attractions in ACC States
School is ending. Pandemic restrictions are being lifted as people get vaccinated. For many, it's time to start planning a vacation - but it's still not safe to leave the country, so where will you go?From Thrillist: The Weirdest Roadside Attraction in Every State
If you haven't guessed, dinosaurs play a part here.
Florida
Monkey Island, Homosassa
Head to Florida’s Western coast, on the Homosassa River, and you will find Monkey Island. Naturally, your first question here is: Are there actual monkeys on Monkey Island? We are pleased to report there are. A family of spider monkeys has had the run of Monkey Island for decades. They used to live on the mainland, but kept escaping and being rude to tourists -- pickpocketing, biting, presumably a lot of poop-based vandalism. Thus, they now live on their lil monkey Alcatraz. Roll up to the Homosassa Resort and you can watch them while you enjoy food and drinks. Safely out of reach, the monkeys -- Ralph, Ebony, Eve, and Emily -- will in turn enjoy their own snacks while watching you. -- KM
Georgia
Doll’s Head Trail, Atlanta
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Other
Huge solar farm plans in Syracuse area show the future’s bright. So what’s the holdup? (PS; Knauss)
On roughly 100 acres of farmland near the village of Tully, a Boston company this summer plans to start construction of three solar farms that will sell electricity to households and small businesses.
Each of the three solar farms will be twice as large as the biggest solar farms built to date in Onondaga County. Each will produce up to 5 megawatts.
Together they will increase the county’s solar capacity by nearly 50%, producing enough power each year to cover the usage of about 2,200 average homes.
It’s the biggest local solar development to date. But it’s just a small step toward what developers and state energy officials hope to build in Central New York.
There are at least 29 large solar projects on the drawing board in Onondaga County alone, totaling 190 megawatts, according to records of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Each has been promised financial subsidies from NYSERDA.
Large-scale solar power is expected to play a big role in New York’s efforts to fight climate change by reducing carbon emissions.
Statewide, there’s a massive pipeline of proposed solar projects subsidized with state money, some of which would dwarf the new solar farms coming to Tully.
A Florida company is seeking approval for a 200-megawatt solar farm in the northern Cayuga County town of Conquest. Meanwhile, a Texas company plans to build a 200-megawatt solar farm in the southern part of the county.
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