Orangeyes Daily Articles for Friday - for Football | Syracusefan.com

Orangeyes Daily Articles for Friday for Football

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No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Orange Chicken Day!

Orange chicken, a Chinese-American dish beloved at Chinese restaurants in North America, particularly at Panda Express, where it is believed to have been invented, is celebrated today with Orange Chicken Day. Sometimes known as orange peel chicken, orange-flavored chicken, or tangerine chicken, orange chicken consists of chopped and battered chicken that's fried until it's light and crispy and then coated in a sweet orange-flavored chili sauce that thickens and caramelizes like a glaze. The secret to the sweet and sour taste of the dish—at least when it comes to Panda Express—is a contrast of brown sugar, honey, and oil from orange peels with soy sauce and Chinese black vinegar.

Orange chicken is similar to some sweet and sour dishes in China and is often considered to be a Chinese food in America, but it is not regularly found in China. It may be viewed as a variation of another American-born dish, General Tso's chicken. Chef Andy Kao claims to have developed the recipe for orange chicken at a Panda Express in Hawaii in 1987, as a modification of a bone-in dish the restaurant served. While it's an American creation, it may have been inspired by a tangerine chicken dish from Hunan province, China, that translates to "dried citrus peel chicken." The Chinese dish diverges in preparation and taste from orange chicken, however, and is fresh and spicy instead of sweet and sour. Besides Panda Express, where it is the signature dish, orange chicken is regularly found in school cafeterias, at military bases, and in the frozen meal aisles in supermarkets. It is prepared, enjoyed, and celebrated today, on Orange Chicken Day!

SU News

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Syracuse Football: Orange has excellent shot at landing elite running back (itlh; Adler)

In the very near future, Syracuse football recruiting target Ike Daniels plans to announce his collegiate destination.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Daniels recently said on Twitter that he is revealing his college choice on July 22, and his top two consist of the Orange and Hawaii.

So it’s either tons of snow in Central New York, or tons of surf and sun in Hawaii. Hmmm. Tough choice.

All kidding aside, Daniels is one of the top running backs in the rising-senior class. He attends Mountain View High School in Stafford, Va.

Top 2, Commitment on the 22nd pic.twitter.com/XyCkBPQZBB
— ike (@ikedaniels03) July 12, 2022

According to Daniels’ Twitter page and recruiting services, he took an official visit to the Hill during the weekend of June 24, and he officially visited Hawaii on the weekend of June 10. The ‘Cuse coaching staff offered Daniels a scholarship in late April.

Syracuse football is in the top two for three-star running back Ike Daniels.

Daniels is a consensus three-star prospect in the 2023 class, according to all of the primary recruiting services.

In reviewing his bio on various recruiting Web sites, Daniels seems to have acquired more than 15 offers throughout his recruiting process.

Besides the Orange and Hawaii, those college squads that have offered him include Pittsburgh, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Penn State, Michigan State, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, UConn, Arizona State, Coastal Carolina, Charlotte and Old Dominion.

In the 2023 cycle, On3 rates Daniels as the No. 35 running back and the No. 15 prospect in Virginia.
...


Part II: Syracuse Football is Successful If… It Wins in the Trenches – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Frank)

Earlier this week, The Fizz started a new summer series looking at how 2022 can be better than 2021 for Syracuse football. Quarterback is the most critical position on the field, but the quarterback cannot do anything if the guys in front of him don’t do their jobs. So, let’s take a look at the Orange’s offensive and defensive lines, and how vital those units are.

On offense, SU returns a decent amount of continuity on that side of the ball, which should bode well for Shrader, Tucker, and the entire offensive unit. With young guys coming up through the ranks having been in the program for multiple years, and other multi-year starters, it’s a unit that could be poised for success in 2022.

With returning starters like Matthew Bergeron and Dakota Davis and youngsters like Kalan Ellis and Enrique Cruz Jr., it’s a unit that combines youth and athleticism with experience. Everyone has to learn a new offense coached by Robert Anae, but it’s a team process, and with guys who have played together before, that makes things that much easier to learn as a group.



On the defensive side, the d-line might be the most inexperienced group on the entire team and arguably the biggest question mark as well. Caleb Okechukwu is the most recognizable name, and he only played as a rotational piece in 2021. Mainstays Josh Black, Kingsley Jonathan, and McKinley Williams are gone, along with star transfer Cody Roscoe.

Underclassmen like Francois Nolton Jr. and Chase Simmons, big recruiting wins over the last couple of cycles for head coach Dino Babers, could be asked to play big roles this season rushing the passer. In Tony White’s 3-3-5 defense, it puts extra pressure on the three up front to clog up rushing lanes and hold down the opposing team’s fronts.

With the lack of experience in this group, it puts even more questions on the Orange run defense, one that has been questioned in recent years as one of the weaknesses of the team. The pass defense and secondary have been complimented, but the run defense has not as much and has been exposed multiple times.

So, if the Orange can have success up front on both sides of the ball, it eases the pressure on their stars in the offensive and defensive backfields to play aggressive, and make game-changing plays. The strength of Syracuse’s team comes in their offensive skill position players, and the back seven or eight on defense.
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Syracuse football odds, picks: Bet this side of the Orange win total (nypost.com; Casale)

There was a lot of excitement around the Syracuse football program when the school hired Dino Babers. That excitement, however, hasn’t led to many wins. Babers went 10-3 in 2018, but his other five seasons were all below .500.

Oddsmakers aren’t expecting much to change for the Orange in 2022. BetMGM has Syracuse’s win total set at 4.5. If you look closely, however, there is enough talent on this Orange squad to reach a bowl game.

Syracuse finished 5-7 last year, but went through a stretch in October in which they lost three straight games by a field goal — to Florida State (33-30), Wake Forest (40-37 OT) and Clemson (17-14). In reality, the Orange were a couple of plays from being an eight-win team last season.

No one is talking much about Syracuse in the ACC, but I think they could be the most improved team in the conference. Before you look up my Twitter handle so you can post an “LOL” on my timeline, here are some reasons why I’m betting Over 4.5 wins with the Orange:

Returning production

This can be an overrated metric sometimes. If a team is returning a ton of players, but they were awful last season, improvement isn’t guaranteed. I don’t believe that’s the case with Syracuse.

According to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, Syracuse is returning 80 percent of last season’s production, which ranks 15th in the country. As I mentioned above, Syracuse just missed out on a bowl game last season and is now one of the most experienced teams in college football.
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Syracuse football’s Tony White named a coach to watch by ESPN (TNIAAM; Wall)

Syracuse Orange fans have been very pleased with the performance of defensive coordinator Tony White. His work has certainly been noticed outside of Central New York as White was named one of 45 minority coaches to watch by ESPN.

Here is what they said about White:

There’s some urgency around Syracuse, which needs to show improvement this fall, but White’s overall profile makes him appealing as a potential head coach. He has worked on both coasts and came up in the Rocky Long system (New Mexico, San Diego State) before becoming a coordinator at Arizona State in 2019. White, who is Black and Korean, oversaw a top-20 Syracuse defense last season.
The list was based on input from people within the industry and was comprised of coaches who project as potential head-coach hires in the next seven years. White was grouped among other Power 5 coordinators which included the coach who briefly preceded him at Syracuse, Zach Arnett. Former Syracuse assistant Mike Hart who is now at Michigan is also named as a coach to watch.

White can certainly raise his stock again this Fall if he can develop a scheme to support an inexperienced defensive line and continue to find ways for players like Mikel Jones and Garrett Williams to shine for NFL scouts.

Syracuse fans might have to brace for White’s departure in the near future but let’s hope it’s due to him taking a head coach job and not because the Orange are bracing for a coaching staff overhaul under new leadership.


Syracuse Football: Will there ever be another #44? (yardbarker.com; White)

The History of #44 The number 44 may just be the most historic number in college football history. What other backfield consisted of not one, not two, but three players in the college football hall of fame? Just to add on to that, two of those three players were inducted into Canton. Ernie Davis (pictured above) sadly passed away from leukemia before his NFL career could even start. Just for context, these legendary players didn’t all play at one time. Jim Brown, probably the greatest NFL player of all time, wore the number first back in 1954. His predecessor, Ernie Davis, became the first African American to ever win the Heisman Trophy. Finally, there was the great Floyd Little. Aside from being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, Mr Little was also one of the greatest humans to ever walk the earth.

A Hall of Fame Backfield

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Syracuse Post Standard

This picture alone deserves an article of it’s own, but I’ll break it down for you. Every player on the right side of the photograph deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. The first player receiving the handoff is hall of famer Floyd “the franchise” Little. The man to the right of him is future NFL coach Tom Coughlin. Coughlin would go on to lead the New York Football Giants to two Super Bowl wins. The last player on the end is none other than the original “beast mode”, hall of famer Larry Csonka. So to summarize, the legendary string of Syracuse running backs consisted of…

1. #44 Jim Brown (1954-1956)
2. #44 Ernie Davis (1959-1961)
3. #44 Floyd Little (1964-1966)
4. #49 Tom Coughlin (1964-1967)
5. #39 Larry Csonka (1965-1967)

Potential Syracuse Players Worthy of #44

As you can see, the #44 is more than just two digits on a jersey. It’s symbolism. It’s iconic. Following the Floyd Little era, the number was only given out to those most deserving of it. Afterall, they had some big shoes to fill. To wear this number, you had to do more than just play well. You had to be the best. You were a leader, both on the field and in the classroom. To wear this number, you had to set an example by either being named team captain or by demonstrating exceptional leadership. With a history as rich as this one, you were expected to not only carry on the legacy, but live up to it.

The last player to ever dawn the historic jersey was fullback Rob Konrad back in 1998. Since then, nobody has ever worn that number. So with that being said, that leads us to the question…

If Syracuse were to ever bring back the legendary “44”, which player(s) in the last 20 years or so would be the most deserving of it?

At first glance, you’d have to think that the number could only be given to a running back, or at least an offensive player. I’d agree, but for the sake of argument, let’s expand that to any player. Without a doubt, the first player to come to mind has to be Syracuse’s current running back, Sean Tucker. RB

Sean Tucker #34 (2020-Present)

The last time Syracuse had an offensive player selected in the draft was back in 2013. Since then, if you were lucky enough to hear your name called out on draft day, you were either a defensive player or a placekicker. In fact, the last time Syracuse had a running back taken in the draft was in 2011. If you haven’t already noticed, Syracuse hasn’t had the best of luck when it comes to their offensive weapons. Sean Tucker is an exception. Had he declared for the draft this year, he might’ve been one of the first running backs off the board.

Tucker finished the 2021 season as the sixth leading rusher in the nation with 1,500 total yards. Syracuse has never, in it’s history, had anyone rush for that many yards in one season. The only person to come close was Joe Morris in 1979. Without a doubt, Tucker has been Syracuse’s best tailback since the days of Brown, Davis, and Little. Hopefully one day, Syracuse will return to its days of producing NFL talent on a consistent basis. He’s a great player, but an even better person. Maturity, leadership, and honor are all words that could be used to describe Sean Tucker.

LB Zaire Franklin #4 (2014-2017)

There’s only been two, three-time captains in the history of Syracuse football. The first was Robert Adams in 1894, and the second was Zaire Franklin. A two time, all ACC selection, Franklin was a standout for the Orange. Having played through some of the losingest years in school history, Franklin still found a way to make it into the pros. If you were a Syracuse fan during those days, you were either tuning in to the game for one of two reasons. Our dual-threat quarterback, Eric Dungey, was reason number one. Zaire Franklin was reason number two. One thing is for certain. People weren’t watching Syracuse because they won a lot.
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What Syracuse Football Questions Do You Want Answered At The ACC Kickoff Next Week? (audible.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)

Matt Bonaparte and Brad Klein discuss what needs to be asked to each Syracuse representative at the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina next week. Lucky for you, Matt will be there to ask them. Let us know what you want to hear! Plus, the guys discuss Boeheim's Army's newest addition, Matt Morgan.

A Vikings Fan's Guide to CFB: Pittsburgh's ACC Title Defense (purpleptsd; Frey)

Just like the NFL season is fast approaching, we are nearing the day where college football teams will arrive on campus and begin their own preseason work. As a self-proclaimed NFL Draft nerd, I get almost as excited for the college football season as I do for the NFL season. Because of that, I am putting together guides for many of the notable college football programs ahead of the 2022 season. Whether you’re a seasoned college football viewer, or just getting into it for the first time, there is something here for everyone. We’ve already gone through many of the major contenders in the AAC, and now we are in the thick of it with the ACC. Today, we discuss the ACC’s reigning champs, the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Overview

If there was a Cinderella story of the 2021 college football season, it was certainly the Pittsburgh Panthers. In head coach Pat Narduzzi’s eighth season with the program, Pittsburgh went 11-3, won an ACC title, attended a major bowl game for the first time in 17 years, and sent their QB Kenny Pickett down the road when he was selected with the 20th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It’s hard to imagine things getting much better than that, but this program has its sights set high for 2022. They lost star wide receiver Jordan Addison to USC, but they bring in a couple talented replacements in Jerrod Means and Konata Mumpfield. Kedon Slovis looks to follow in Pickett’s footsteps as well as he transfers in from USC and is the likely starting QB in 2022. With other teams around the conference reloading in order to take their crown, it will certainly be a difficult title defense, but the Panthers are equipped to get it done.

finishing up Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kedon Slovis unleashes this dime pic.twitter.com/Ap5BIhaWjv
— Big Game Bengal (@BengalYouTube) April 5, 2021

2022 NFL Draft Prospects

Notable Transfers In

  • QB Kedon Slovis (USC)
  • WR Jerrod Means (Louisiana Tech)
  • WR Konata Mumpfield (Akron)

Notable Transfers Out

  • WR Jordan Addison (USC)
  • QB Joey Yellen (Hawaii)
  • QB Davis Beville (Oklahoma)
  • LB Cam Bright (Washington)
  • EDGE Naquan Brown (Norfolk State)
...

Clemson football: NIL the Clemson way – The path less traveled (rubbingtherock.com; Coleman)

If you’ve perused Twitter in the last year or so you’d think Clemson football players are not allowed to sign NIL deals or participate in “profiting” from their name, image and likeness once those floodgates were opened.

While many colleges and boosters took NIL as a free for all way to “buy” a championship, Clemson seemingly sat on the sidelines feeling their way through the morass of agents, boosters, hangers on and those after a quick buck in the NIL game

I’m not saying that’s necessarily wrong. A teenager can be paid millions to play tennis, golf or soccer, so why not football? Good for them.

But that’s not for everybody, others choose a different path and for those of us who attended Clemson we like to think Clemson is different.

To that end, the way Clemson and their players are attacking NIL is different than the vast number of colleges and athletes.

Yes, there are Clemson players with your more typical NIL deals with tee shirts, fast food restaurants, jewelry outlets and car dealerships.

But there’s also TigerImpact, which describes itself this way:

A purpose-driven NIL Collective developing Clemson student athletes to positively impact others through community charities.
It’s quite refreshing after some of the things we’ve seen this summer.

Will Shipley has partnered with a Children’s Hospital, Xavier Thomas a Boys and Girls Club, while Beaux Collins works with a children’s home and sponsors his nephew’s youth sports endeavors.

Was able to bless and sponsor my 3 nephews for this upcoming season! Right where I played youth ball with the Baldwin Hills Bruins!! #FOE
Plant where you bloom pic.twitter.com/iJnYp9Gsbi
— Beaux Collins⁸⁰ (@beaux_collins) June 22, 2022

I’m guessing Clemson players aren’t the only players to partner with charities and children, but they seem to be the only players emphasizing and promoting it, at least on Social Media.

Clemson has probably lost some recruits because the NIL deals weren’t big enough or with the right brand and they’ll probably lose more down the line.

I’m OK with that.

Under Dabo Swinney Clemson has always recruited differently.

I put “profiting” in quotes up top, because I believe the Clemson players are profiting, too. Just not in the same way as most NIL recipients.

I would have never understood that at the age in which these decisions are being made by these young people and that’s impressive.
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Ranking the atmospheres of NC State football's 2022 road trips (on3.com; McDowell)

The ACC has no shortage of intense stadium atmospheres. During any given season, it’s likely that NC State will have to travel to a packed stadium against a formidable opponent in an environment considered amongst the nation’s best.

Whether it is 81 thousand fans draped in orange producing ear-ringing levels of noise at Clemson, Virginia Tech’s earthquake-inducing entrance, or the intimidating atmosphere of the Wolfpack’s own Carter-Finley stadium, the these teams have no problem producing an exciting gameday experience.

NC State is set to play in a total of five away matchups this season, including four contests against ACC opponents. The Wolfpack will travel to ECU, Clemson, Syracuse, Louisville and North Carolina.
The Wolfpacker ranked the difficulty of each of the five road trips, taking into account stadium atmosphere, program prestige, the team’s recent track record at home and the Wolfpack’s overall history with the opposing program.

5) Syracuse

Date: October 15
Last year’s record: 5-7 (3-4 at home)
Average home attendance: 32,461

Syracuse definitely has one of the most unique home environments in the country, sheltering visiting programs in the warm, but not necessarily welcome, confines of the Carrier Dome. In terms of milage, this is NC State’s longest trip of the season. The Orange are in the midst of another rebuilding year and likely will not finish in the top half of the conference.

NC State last traveled to upstate New York in 2020 for a late-season tilt with Syracuse, winning 36-29 to help plunge the Orange to a 2-10 season. Two of the three past matchups between these squads were decided by one possession, with the exception of last year’s 41-17 win by the Wolfpack.

4) East Carolina

Date: September 3, 12 p.m.
Last year’s record: 7-5 (4-2 at home)
Average home attendance: 36,059

The in-state rivalry is renewed, after two years apart, for NC State’s lone out-of-conference road game this season. East Carolina put together a solid 7-5 campaign last year as it attempted to pull itself out of a rebuild. In their 2021 home opener against South Carolina, the Pirates welcomed a season-high 40,816 fans to their home stadium and lost by three points. The program will likely draw a similar crowd for the week-one showdown with NC State.

It’s no secret that the Wolfpack’s expectations for the season are high, as they return 17 starters, and they will have a great opportunity to shake off early-season nerves and make a statement against the Pirates. NC State won the last two matchups by a combined 83 points but did lose the prior three games against ECU, including two trips to Greenville in 2010 and 2016.

3) Louisville

Date: November 19

Last year’s record: 6-7 (4-3 at home)

Average home attendance: 43,965

Louisville has one of the most underrated home atmospheres in the ACC, and now they are headed into the 2022 season with the most excitement around their program since Lamar Jackson was in town. With star quarterback Malik Cunningham leading the charge, the Cardinals have a chance to make some noise in the ACC this year. This is the first of two really challenging road trips to end the regular season.

The Cardinals lost to NC State in Carter-Finely 28-13 last year, as the Wolfpack defense was able to stifle the Louisville’s offense to its lowest point total of the 2021 season. Louisville has not hosted NC State since 2018 when the program went 0-8 in the ACC. NC State won that matchup 52-10.
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Schedule Ahead: How far out are future ACC matchups for Notre Dame football? - ACCSports.com (accsports.com; Geisinger)

The relationship between Notre Dame and the ACC extends back to 2013, nearly a full decade as a partial member of the league. Per Notre Dame’s agreement with the ACC, the Irish are conference members for Olympic sports, yet remain (proudly) Independent in football, the school’s golden-domed crown jewel.

The 2020 season stands out for obvious reasons; that’s when the ACC allowed Notre Dame football to join the conference for one season, no strings attached. Two years removed, this really does look like a missed opportunity for the ACC — one that could have long-term ramifications. For now, though, it’s an outlier: when a desperate Notre Dame program needed

Notre Dame does, however, play five ACC opponents in football each season; that’s an important piece of the agreement, which was set in 2014. In a micro sense, those games are major boons for ACC programs. Those games are great from a branding perspective, while adding large TV audiences and potential sellouts for teams hosting the Irish. (This can also translate into additional season ticket packages being sold.)

This means: nearly 42 percent of Notre Dame’s games are scheduled ahead of time, years in advance, with ACC opponents. In fact, as is currently constituted, the next 15 years of ACC opponents are set. Back in 2017, the ACC and Notre Dame announced that annual matchups for the 2026-37 seasons, one year beyond the ACC’s Grant of Rights (2036).

Previously, the two parties already arranged matchups through the 2025 campaign. In some of the future seasons, ACC opponents are the only games on the schedule, currently. Of course, that’ll change over time, too, regardless of realignment.

Last month, the ACC announced its own future scheduling model. Starting in the 2023 season, the league will move away from the two-division system and adopt a 3-3-5 model.

Starting with the 2022 season, here’s a year-by-year look at Notre Dame’s scheduled ACC matchups, which could obviously shift depending on how things fall with realignment. (If available, the dates for each matchup are marked to the side.)


2022

Notre Dame at North Carolina (9/24)
Notre Dame at Syracuse (10/29)
Clemson at Notre Dame (11/5)
Boston College at Notre Dame (11/9)


2023

Wake Forest at Notre Dame (10/28)
Notre Dame at Clemson (11/4)
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Louisville
Notre Dame at NC State


2024

Notre Dame at Georgia Tech (10/19)
Florida State at Notre Dame (11/9)
Virginia at Notre Dame (11/16)
Miami at Notre Dame


2025

NC State at Notre Dame
Syracuse at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Boston College
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh
Notre Dame at Miami


2026

Notre Dame at North Carolina (10/3)
Virginia at Notre Dame (10/17)
Louisville at Notre Dame
Syracuse at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Florida State


2027

Virginia Tech at Notre Dame (11/6)
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Clemson
Notre Dame at Duke
Notre Dame at Wake Forest


2028

Notre Dame at Virginia Tech (11/4)
Boston College at Notre Dame
Miami at Notre Dame
Clemson at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh


2029

Notre Dame at NC State (10/6)
Notre Dame at Florida State (11/10)
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame
Wake Forest at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Syracuse


2030

Notre Dame at Louisville (11/2)
Duke at Notre Dame
Florida State at Notre Dame
North Carolina at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Boston College


2031

Notre Dame at Clemson (9/1)
Notre Dame at Virginia (10/11)
NC State at Notre Dame (11/22)
Miami at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh


2032

Notre Dame at Georgia Tech (10/30)
Florida State at Notre Dame
Louisville at Notre Dame
Wake Forest at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Miami


2033

Notre Dame at Duke (9/24)
Virginia Tech at Notre Dame (11/5)
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Boston College
Notre Dame at Louisville


2034

Notre Dame at Miami (10/26)
Clemson at Notre Dame
Syracuse at Notre Dame
Virginia at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh


2035

Notre Dame at NC State (11/10)
Boston College at Notre Dame
Duke at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Virginia
Notre Dame at Louisville


2036

Notre Dame at Virginia Tech (9/1)
Notre Dame at Georgia Tech (9/27)
Florida State at Notre Dame (10/4)
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame (11/1)
North Carolina at Notre Dame (11/8)


2037

NC State at Notre Dame (10/3)
Miami at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Clemson
Notre Dame at Syracuse
Notre Dame at Wake Forest


Why a Notre Dame football alliance with the SEC makes so much sense | Toppmeyer (tennessean.com; Toppmeyer)

If Notre Dame wanted to be in a conference, it would be in a conference. The Irish don’t lack for suitors. Clearly, Notre Dame savors its football independence, even as super conferences spring up.

The Irish don’t hold all the cards, though.

Conference commissioners could nudge Notre Dame into a conference by hammering out a College Football Playoff that would penalize the Irish’s independence.

That’s where the SEC comes in.

Greg Sankey’s conference may become an important ally in Notre Dame’s desire to remain independent.

A Notre Dame-SEC alliance should be more productive than the farcical Alliance between the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12, because the desired outcomes for Notre Dame and the SEC overlap. An independent Notre Dame behooves the SEC, as opposed to the Irish joining (and enriching) the Big Ten or the ACC.

Plus, Notre Dame’s ideal outcome for the playoff's future meshes with the SEC’s: The more at-large playoff bids, the better for the SEC. Same for Notre Dame.

Sankey has expressed content with the continuance of the four-team playoff, in which no automatic bids are awarded to conference champions. That format will remain in place at least through the 2025 season, after which the CFP contract ends. Sankey also has shown interest in either an eight-team playoff filled entirely by at-large selections (no AQs for conference champions) or a 12-team playoff with at least six at-large spots.

Any of those formats would allow the SEC to command a strong playoff presence while Notre Dame would retain a clear path to the playoff.

The Irish’s independence has never created a roadblock to the national championship, because college football's various postseason formats never penalized independents in a substantial way.
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A hypothetical look at Clemson's travel in the Big Ten (theclemsoninsider.com; Potter)

For now, Clemson is still part of the Atlantic Coast Conference. With the Southeastern and Big Ten conferences triggering the latest conference realignments with their recent moves, that could change in the future, which would also alter future travel plans.

While Clemson and the rest of the ACC stand pat for now – the league’s grant of rights agreement with ESPN is playing a major role in that at the moment – The Clemson Insider is pondering a potential question for the Tigers’ future: How much farther would Clemson have to travel as a member of one of those megaconferences?

After taking a look at potential travel destinations in the SEC, we’re entertaining the hypothetical of Clemson joining the Big Ten here. Adding Clemson would change the Big Ten’s geographic footprint since the conference doesn’t yet have a football member in the Southeast. In fact, Ohio State, located 485 miles away in Columbus, is the closest Big Ten program to Clemson.

Yet that’s a hop, skip and a jump compared to the Big Ten’s latest additions. The conference now stretches coast to coast after poaching Southern Cal and UCLA from the Pac-12 as its 15th and 16th members. Those schools will begin competing in the Big Ten in 2024, adding a cross-country trip to Clemson’s travel schedule.

It’s hard to know how often the Tigers might have to trek to Los Angeles. While the ACC is one of the Power Five conferences that’s already announced plans to eliminate divisions in the future, the Big Ten hasn’t yet made that decision. So without knowing what the conference’s scheduling model would look like by the time Clemson joins the league, we’ll start with a broader look at the travel distances before getting more specific.

The distance from Clemson to every ACC stadium is a combined 5,794 miles, or nearly 10,000 fewer miles than the total distance to every Big Ten stadium. The Big Ten currently having two more teams than the ACC contributes to that difference, but not nearly as much as the hundreds if not thousands of miles that separate Clemson from every Big Ten school.

Even if Clemson was to make the four shortest trips as part of an eight-game conference slate during its first year in the league, which would include Ohio State, Indiana (520 miles), Maryland (530) and Penn State (654), the Tigers’ road schedule would cover 2,189 miles. That’s nearly 500 more miles than Clemson is scheduled to travel within the ACC this fall with trips to Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Florida State and Boston College, which is the longest trip Clemson ever has to make in the conference at 966 miles.

With the addition of USC and UCLA, the Big Ten now has nine institutions that are more than 700 miles away from Clemson. One of the non-California schools (Iowa) is more than 900 miles away while two others (Minnesota and Nebraska) would each be trips in excess of 1,100 miles.

And if Clemson has to make the trek to Los Angeles or Pasadena every other year, which would be likely if the Big Ten adopts a rotating schedule or pod system, the distances would double. The Rose Bowl, where UCLA plays its home games, is 2,292 miles away while USC’s Coliseum would be a 2,303-mile trip.

Of the two most likely moves Clemson would make to another conference, jumping to the Big Ten would easily be the more taxing and expensive one from a travel standpoint.

Note: The distances for this story were calculated in miles from Memorial Stadium in Clemson to each opponent’s stadium using the shortest route shown in Apple Maps. They also assumed driving as the mode of transportation. Flying would slightly alter the distances.

Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24. Now there is a new way to support Clemson student-athletes. Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session. If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events. Purchase your tickets today at
Dear Old Clemson.

Josh Heird updates process with Cardinal Stadium naming rights (247sports.com; Demling)

One year ago at the ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, N.C., then University of Louisville athletic director Vince Tyra said the school was "getting closer" to having a new corporate partner to purchase naming rights for Cardinal Stadium.

Tyra said then the hope was to "have that taken care of" by the start of the 2022 football season.

But less than two months before the start of the football season, U of L has gone through a transition in leadership with Tyra stepping down and Josh Heird being named the new athletic director and there's still been no word on the stadium naming rights.

Speaking to the media after announcing a new partnership with U of L Health, Heird was asked about the stadium naming rights. He said the athletic department is still in the process of negotiating with several companies, but no decision was coming.

Heird said he wanted a decision "sooner rather than later."

"We're continuing to have conversations with organizations, with companies that might have an interest, and once again, like this agreement, we're asking for a significant investment and so we are going to take our time and find the right partner," he said to the media. "But, absolutely, conversations are ongoing and hopefully, we can get something across the finish line here sooner rather than later."
...


Behind the tale of Lane Stadium North - Virginia Tech Athletics (hokiesports.com)

It's an archaic combat practice.

Upon vanquishing an opposing force on the battlefield, the prevailing battalion justifiably plants its flag on previously contested ground. New territory has been annexed. Victory has been achieved.

Waving high for all to see is a symbol of fellowship and honor – a point of pride and reflection of the effort required to have attained supremacy. After all, to the victor go the deserving spoils.

While no physical land is up for dispute when Virginia and Virginia Tech meet annually in football during the Commonwealth Clash, presented by Smithfield, ask anyone with stake in Blacksburg's side of the rivalry and they will alert you to the contrary. Someone like Parker Wood, for instance, whose iconic sign written on Walmart posterboard could be read high, amid the sea of Tech fans who stormed Scott Stadium after the Hokies' 29-24, Clash victory last November in Charlottesville:

'Lane Stadium North.'

"For the record, I did not come up with the name 'Lane Stadium North,'" Wood said. "I had seen it in miscellaneous places before. But, the night before [the game], I thought about it."

At the time of the game, Wood was in his junior year at Tech, studying finance. Growing up roughly 30 minutes outside of Charlottesville, he casually took in UVA football and basketball games with his family, more so when his older brother was attending the university.

"It really was not until my senior year of high school that I started looking more at Virginia Tech. I had toured there at the end of my junior year and just really liked how it kind of fit with me well. It was pretty late when I really started looking at Tech."
...


ACC Alumni in NFL HoF - 2022 (RX; HM)

ACC Alumni in NFL HoF - 2022

This is an update on a 2019 article.

Hall of Famers by School

* denotes player went to multiple schools
TEAM#Players (list)
Boston College(2)Art Donovan , Ernie Stautner
Clemson(1)Brian Dawkins
Duke(3)Sonny Jurgensen , George McAfee , Clarence Parker
Florida State(4)Fred Biletnikoff , Derrick Brooks , Walter Jones* , Deion Sanders
Georgia Tech(3)Joe Guyon* , Calvin Johnson , Billy Shaw
Louisville(1)Johnny Unitas
Miami(9)Ted Hendricks , Michael Irvin , Edgerrin James , Jim Kelly , Cortez Kennedy* , Ray Lewis , Jim Otto , Ed Reed , Warren Sapp
N. Carolina(2)Chris Hanburger , Lawrence Taylor
N.C. State(1)Bill Cowher
Notre Dame(13)Jerome Bettis , Tim Brown , Nick Buoniconti , Dave Casper , George Connor* , Edward DeBartolo, Jr. , Paul Hornung , Earl Lambeau , John McNally* , Wayne Millner , Joe Montana , Alan Page , George Trafton
Pittsburgh(9)Jimbo Covert , Mike Ditka , Chris Doleman , Tony Dorsett , Russ Grimm , Rickey Jackson , Dan Marino , Curtis Martin , Joe Schmidt
Syracuse(8)Jim Brown , Larry Csonka , Al Davis* , Marvin Harrison , Floyd Little , John Mackey , Art Monk , Jim Ringo
...

The Case for Unequal Sharing (RX; HM)


The Case for Unequal Sharing

You've probably read by now that there are some grumblings among ACC member schools about the revenue gap situation - and it's been suggested that maybe the conference should consider unequal revenue sharing. Here are my thoughts...

RE: Unequal sharing

People get upset when anyone brings up unequal sharing in the ACC... but there's already unequal earning on a massive scale! If you had 14 employees at a retail store where the three best salesmen sold over $50,000 dollars worth of product each month, but the three worst sold less than $20,000... would you expect to pay them all the same commission?
Clemson, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Miami carry the load in ACC football, which is 80% of all television revenue. On the other end of the scale, Duke, Wake Forest, and BC are three of the least valuable football teams in all of the P5. To be fair, while Boston College is a low tv-ratings team, at least BC brings in lots of ACCN subscriptions in New England; you could argue that ACCN would get exactly the same carriage in North Carolina with just UNC and NC State.
Here's how ACC teams rank (among schools not in either the Big Ten or the SEC) in terms of estimated TV media rights value:

RankTeammedia valuepct
3Clemson$56,350,00012.5%
4Florida St.$54,997,60012.2%
5Virginia Tech$52,743,60011.7%
7Georgia Tech$40,572,0009.0%
9Miami$36,514,8008.1%
10N.C. State$33,810,0007.5%
11Louisville$33,359,2007.4%
13North Carolina$29,302,0006.5%
18Virginia$25,695,6005.7%
21Syracuse$22,990,8005.1%
22Pittsburgh$21,638,4004.8%
ACC TV$/team$20,000,000
29Boston College$15,327,2003.4%
30Wake Forest$14,425,6003.2%
31Duke$12,622,4002.8%

As you can see, the trio of BC, Wake, and Duke actually drag the average down. Syracuse and Pitt are slightly above average now, but must continue to increase their tv ratings to stay ahead of any revenue increases. However, I believe that BC, Syracuse, and Pitt have a lot more upside than Wake and Duke.
...


ACCN Coverage of 2022 FB Kickoff (RX; HM)

ACCN Coverage of 2022 FB Kickoff

From the ESPN press release of July 14, 2021...

ACC Network to Offer Expansive Coverage of ACC Football Kickoff, Live from Charlotte July 20-21

  • On-air personalities from The ACC Huddle, All ACC and more will preview the season and report the latest news and storylines from the Queen City
  • Interviews with all 14 ACC football head coaches and participating student-athletes from across the conference
  • Commissioner Jim Phillips Forum to air live July 20 at 9:30 a.m. ET
ACC Network will be live from the ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte on July 20-21, for two days of expansive coverage of the conference’s annual football media days.
...

How Expansion Pays for Itself (RX; HM)

How Expansion Pays for Itself

From the CSNBBS thread "ACC needs to revamp and concentrate on making Football a bigger priority going forward", here are some of my thoughts:

1. RE: Adding brands (expansion)

Conference TV ratings don't grow linearly with more brands, they grow exponentially.
- If you have 2 big brands, you have ONE big game per year (A vs. B).
- If you have 3 big brands, you have, not two, but THREE big games (A/B, A/C, B/C)
- With 4 big brands you have SIX big games (A/B, A/C, A/D, B/C, B/D, C/D)
- 5 brands gives you 10 big games
- 6 brands gives you 15 big games, etc.
It's just combinations of N brands taken 2 at a time*. Here's a table to explain illustrate:

#Teams#Games
21*
33***
46******
510**********
615***************
721*********************
828****************************
936************************************
1045*********************************************
That's why expansion - if it's with viable brand-name football teams - causes revenue to grow so fast. Some have referred to this effect as "content multipliers". This could justify adding a less valuable team like West Virginia - because it would be a big game when Syracuse, Pitt, Virginia Tech, or Clemson plays them.
__________

2. RE: Value added (expansion)

Teams don't have to be more valuable than your most valuable teams; does anyone think USC + UCLA are more valuable than Ohio State + Michigan? No, they just have to be more valuable than the average - or, what the new average value will be once they're added. Oregon and Washington definitely fit the bill, and Oklahoma State and Arizona State probably do as well. Since the ACC currently gets only about $20 million/year per team from its undervalued tv contract, there are several teams which could bring up the average:
Teammedia value
Notre Dame$88,000,000
Washington$56,800,800
Oregon$44,822,500
Arizona St.$38,640,000
Stanford$29,752,800
Kansas St.$28,080,000
Oklahoma St.$27,720,000
Utah$27,434,400
Colorado$26,661,600
California$25,502,400
Texas Tech$24,840,000
Arizona$21,252,000
Kansas$21,240,000

I probably don't have to tell you that the ACC would love to get Notre Dame all-in on football, but we know that's not going to happen under any realistic circumstances. However...


‎The Andy Staples Show & Friends: A show about college football: Big 12 is "open for business", Blue-Chip Ratio & championship chances + maniacal recruiting coaches on Apple Podcasts (apple.com podcast; Staples)

The Big 12 is "open for business", and Andy and Ari discuss what programs commissioner Brett Yormark could target in the Pac-12, Arizona's additional value, preserving rivalries, and a third super conference. The pair then dive into Bud Elliott's annual 'Blue-Chip Ratio' and examine the trends the data reveals. The guys also hit on coaches that are maniacal recruiters before slipping into a Random Ranking.

Other

HDTWAFB2EJHHRGWCPUZYZOMQS4.jpg

The "corpse flower" makes its first bloom in Syracuse in the rooftop greenhouse of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. The small dots in the center are the actual flowers of the plant, but the bowl-like structure, call the spathe, that surrounds the seeds, is among the largest flower heads in the plant kingdom. N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com

‘Corpse flower’ blooms at ESF: A first-time phenomenon in Syracuse (PS; Coin)

After nearly five years of waiting, the first “corpse flower” bloomed this week in the hot, humid greenhouses at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

The bizarre plant, which produces its signature stink to lure pollinators such as flies and carrion beetles, blooms every five years or so, and lasts for just a day or two before the whole 4-foot high, 3-foot-wide flowering structure collapses into itself.

“Through eons of evolution, these plants have gradually adapted these traits to be able to persist,” marveled Terry Ettinger, the greenhouse manager. “It gives us the opportunity to just sort of sit back and ponder how nature has got all of this stuff figured out.”

The plant produces one of the largest flower heads in the plant kingdom.

ESF got four potato-like tubers five years ago, and planted them in pots in the greenhouse on top of Illick Hall, across the street from Syracuse University’s JMA Wireless Dome. Every 12 to 18 months, the plant produces a tall, palm-like stalk that soaks up sunlight and, through photosynthesis, stores energy in the ever-growing tuber. Those stalks can grow to 10 feet high, Ettinger said.
...
 

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