sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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The sound of an accordion and the sight of dancers moving across the floor―it could only mean one thing: polka! Polka is both a genre of music and a type of dance, and today we celebrate both. So strap on your dancing shoes, and open your ears to a sound that has stood the test of time!
First, the dance. Polka originated in Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. "Polka" likely comes from a Czech phrase for "half-step," which refers to the short half-steps (or hops) in the dance. There are various iterations of a story in which a peasant girl named Anna Slezak ( or Slezáková) came up with the dance, either in 1830 or 1834. A music teacher named Josef Neruda saw she was dancing to a traditional folk song—"Strýček Nimra koupil šimla," or "Uncle Nimra Bought a White Horse"—in a unique way. Slezak called her dance Maděra, and Neruda taught young men to dance to the song in the way she had. From there, the dance made its way to ballrooms.
SU News
The Three Position Groups That Will Dictate SU’s Success – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Griffin)
Last week the Fizz took a look at three specific actions on the field that could lead to success in 2021. Now it’s time to break that down from a positional standpoint. Sure, the lists intersect in some aspects, but the lists are different in their own ways. With this in mind, Dino Babers needs these three position groups to excel this year if Syracuse is to have any hope of making a bowl game.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Once Taj Harris left the program, there was no go-to wide receiver last season for Garrett Shrader to throw to. That can’t happen again. The offense was far too one-dimensional a year ago, in large part due to the lack of an apparent alpha in the receiver room. Whether it be Damien Alford, Anthony Queeley, Courtney Jackson, or someone on the roster no one expects, someone developing into the top dog would be a game changer. Heck, even if all of them step it up a little bit, it’s going to make opposing defenses that much more intimidated. A boost in the play from receivers will lead to a boost in play from Shrader, and it’ll make life much easier for new offensive coordinator Robert Anae.OFFENSIVE LINE
When you have a generational talent like Sean Tucker, under no circumstances can you punt it away. But make no mistake, the Heisman candidate’s success starts with strong blocking from his line. Even though Tucker set the school record for rushing yards last year, he’s the first to admit the importance of the men up front.That wasn’t the last time Tucker commended his offensive line in his postgame tweets. And it’s not just the running game in which the offensive line is important. The unit gave up 33 sacks last year, which was in the middle of the pack in the ACC. If this unit protects Shrader, it will also help the position group mentioned above succeed. Simply put, the offensive line boosting its play would be a win-win, it’ll boost both the rushing and passing game.
DEFENSIVE BACK
The passing offenses that Syracuse is set to face this year are dynamic. Whether you look at Malik Cunningham at Louisville, Aidan O’Connell at Purdue, Brennan Armstrong at Virginia, or Devin Leary at NC State, there’s talent up and down the schedule. That’s only scratching the surface. Statistically, SU’s passing defense wasn’t too shabby last year. The Orange gave up the second-fewest passing yards in the ACC a season ago. A similar placement this year would go a long way, and the team has the studs to do it. With veteran Garrett Williams leading the charge and a chance at improvement for guys like Duce Chestnut and Justin Barron, it’s right there for the taking. With the talent at quarterback Syracuse is going to face, the performance of its defensive backs could determine the success of the defense as a whole....
Orange Watch: 2022 Syracuse football game-by-game predictions – Part 1 - The Juice Online (the juice; Bierman)
Item: It’s that time of year again. Our look into the crystal ball as to how the SU football season is going to turn out, in what’s a most critical year for Dino Babers to move the needle on the program’s success. A .500 record and bowl game participation are the minimum standards. Last year, we predicted the ‘Cuse would beat Pittsburgh in the regular season finale to go 6-6 and bowling, so we were off by one game with the 5-7 finish. A look at games 1-4 in schedule order appear below, games 5-8 and 9-12 will be published next week.
Also time for our annual rant about college football being the only sport that the team’s don’t play some sort of pre-season exhibition game. It’s crazy. All teams need live action against someone wearing different colored jerseys with a winning stake in the matter, and getting used to game management conditions with a final result that doesn’t count.
If you’re going to put an FCS team on the schedule, like Syracuse has with Wagner, then make it the season opener. It’s the closest resemblance to an exhibition contest.
Instead, the ACC and ESPN want to make sure there’s enough quality program on the ACC Network week-in and week-out. So, with five league teams already opening with games against FCS opponents in Week 1, seven others playing FBS out-of-conference games, and Clemson-Georgia Tech the designated Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta on Labor Day evening, Syracuse has to open right up away with a conference game against Louisville. Don’t like it.
At least the game is in the newly renamed JMA Wireless Dome, and hopefully a crowd in the range of 35,000 shows up to make it a ‘Loud House.’ But UL simply owns SU in ACC play winning seven of the eight games, with three straight blowouts at Cardinal Stadium.
This time we have a hunch the Orange are going to come out a team possessed from the opening drive and through the first half to lead at intermission. The Cardinals sensational quarterback Malik Cunningham (he has accounted for nine touchdowns in the last three games against SU) will forge a second half comeback to put the ‘Ville on top, before one final Syracuse drive results in a winning field goal from Andre Szmyt and a most satisfying 34-32 victory. (1-0, 1-0)
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Syracuse football recruiting: ATH Zion Tracy sets official visit, 4-star 2024 Willy Love coming for opener (247sports.com; Bailey)
Class of 2023 athlete Zion Tracy has scheduled an official visit to Syracuse football for the weekend of Oct. 28, he announced on Twitter. The Long Island native currently attending St. Thomas More School in Montville, Conn., picked up an offer from the Orange earlier this summer following a standout camp performance.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Tracy is a versatile player who can line up in the secondary or at wide receiver. He's rated three stars and the No. 5 prospect from New York State this cycle by 247Sports. Since deciding to go the prep route early this year, Tracy has seen his recruitment expand rapidly.
Temple and UMass jumped in with quick offers before a strong Northeast camp showing led Maine and UConn to follow suit. Marshall came next. Then Rutgers joined the mix before Syracuse defensive coordinator Tony White extended a second Power-Five offer in June. And Penn State hosted Tracy on a visit in late July, paving the way for a previously announced OV to PSU for the weekend of Sept. 9 to be scheduled.
The Orange currently has nine players committed this cycle. The group doesn't include a defensive back while Bryce Cohoon is the lone receiver.
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College football futures picks, predictions: Five best bets for the 2022 season (nypost.com; Casale)
The college football season officially kicks off on Aug. 27. However, before we get into wagering on games for 12 hours every Saturday, there are futures bets with plenty of value to hit.
Futures betting isn’t for everyone because it takes months for a potential payout. I enjoy futures betting and have been doing it for over three decades. Each summer I break down every college football team in search of the best value in the futures market.
Syracuse finished 5-7 last year but went through a stretch in October where they dropped 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 8-win team.
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.
Returning production can be an overrated metric sometimes. If a team is returning a ton of players but they weren’t very good last season, improvement isn’t guaranteed. I don’t believe that’s the case with SU.
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Get to Know Your Orange Man: #16, QB Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (TNIAAM; Ostrowski)
We’ve officially wrapped up the returning Syracuse Orange football roster, so that means it’s time to examine the transfer players. First up is a former 4-star recruit with four years of eligibility:
Name: Carlos Del Rio-Wilson
Position: Quarterback
Year: Redshirt Freshman
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 232 lbs.
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
High School: Cartersville
2021 stats: Did not appear in any games
2022 projections: With Justin Lamson’s season-ending injury, Carlos could quickly spring himself into the backup role and be ready to go even higher if Garrett Shrader struggles. He will have a short time to catch up with his competition in learning the playbook, but he has the highest ceiling out of this group.
How’d he get here?: Del-Rio Wilson transferred to SU after spending one season at the University of Florida. Before that, he had offers from Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Tennessee, and elsewhere but chose to start things off in the Swamp.
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(ESPN; radio; Orange Nation)
Steve and Paulie begin the show assessing their favorite baseball teams’ play since the trade deadline before Paulie brings up a complaint about the Sunday Night Baseball broadcast. Then, the guys give their first game-by-game predictions for Syracuse Football in 2022 before a familiar caller breaks down the Orange’s path to making a bowl game.
Mike McAllister "Orange Nation" 8-8 (ESPN; radio; Orange Nation)
AllSyracuse.com publisher Mike McAllister joins Steve and Paulie to give an update on JP Estrella’s recruitment, reveal the newest member of the Syracuse women’s basketball team, and give some thoughts on the first week of Syracuse Football practice.
On The Block On Demand 8-8 (ESPN; radio; Axe)
Brent highlights a few questions that will shape Syracuse’s season. Later, Brent reacts to the first USA Today coaches poll.
Syracuse star Josh Black eyes spot on N.O. Saints roster (spectrumlocalnews.com; Callaway)
Who doesn't love a great football movie?
Syracuse University product Josh Black is a perfect character, the one the audience would be rooting for from the opening credits to the final triumphant scene.
The defensive lineman was invited to the New Orleans Saints minicamp as a tryout, and was about to get on his flight to go back home after what he said was "an OK camp."
What You Need To Know
- Josh Black played six seasons at Syracuse
- In 60 games, he had 155 tackles, two fumble recoveries, an interception and two blocked kicks
- He is in New Orleans working hard to make the roster during training camp
He went through security, but then noticed a couple of calls from his agents and the Saints office.
It was great news. They were coming to get him, wanted him to come back and wanted to sign him.
"That was one of those things that's going to stick with me for the rest of my life," Black said. "Just the environment, just everything that was going on right there. Got all packed for my flight, made it all the way through security. 'Yeah, we're coming back to get you right now, we want to sign you.' So many emotions come over me, just working my entire life for this moment. It was great to see and great to hear that feedback from the Saints."
The Saints first preseason game will be Saturday at Houston.
2022 PFF College Preseason All-ACC Team | College Football | PFF (pff.com)
Ahead of the 2022 college football season, PFF presents its preseason All-ACC Team.
Below are the first, second and third teams in addition to an honorable mention team. For in-depth analysis of these college football talents — and their respective programs — take a look at the 2022 PFF College Football Preview Guide.
FIRST TEAM
QB: Sam Hartman, Wake ForestRB: Sean Tucker, Syracuse
RB: Treshaun Ward, Florida State
WR: Josh Downs, North Carolina
WR: Keytaon Thompson, Virginia
WR: Dontayvion Wicks, Virginia
TE: Marshon Ford, Louisville
OT: Jordan McFadden, Clemson
OT: Zion Nelson, Miami
G: Caleb Chandler, Louisville
G: Christian Mahogany, Boston College*
C: Grant Gibson, North Carolina State
DI: Bryan Bresee, Clemson
DI: Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
Edge: Myles Murphy, Clemson
Edge: Xavier Thomas, Clemson
LB: Trenton Simpson, Clemson
LB: Drake Thomas, North Carolina State
CB: Tyrique Stevenson, Miami (FL)
CB: Storm Duck, North Carolina
S: Andrew Mukuba, Clemson
S: James Williams, Miami (FL)
Flex D: Tyler Baker-Williams, North Carolina State
K: B.T. Potter, Clemson
P: Ivan Mora, Wake Forest
KR/PR: Jaylen Stinson, Duke
SECOND TEAM
QB: Brennan Armstrong, VirginiaRB: Will Shipley, Clemson
RB: Tiyon Evans, Louisville
WR: AT Perry, Wake Forest
WR: Zay Flowers, Boston College
WR: Konata Mumpfield, Pittsburgh
TE: Gavin Bartholomew, Pittsburgh
OT: DJ Scaife Jr., Miami (FL)
OT: Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse
G: Dillan Gibbons, Florida State
G: Jake Kradel, Pittsburgh
C: Johnny Jordan, Virginia Tech
DI: Robert Cooper, Florida State
DI: Jermayne Lole, Louisville
Edge: Habakkuk Baldonado, Pittsburgh
Edge: Rondell Bothroyd, Wake Forest
LB: Mikel Jones, Syracuse
LB: Charlie Thomas, Georgia Tech
CB: Shyheim Battle, North Carolina State
CB: Duce Chestnut, Syracuse
S: Jammie Robinson, Florida State
S: Jaiden Woodbey, Boston College
Flex D: Josh DeBerry, Boston College
K: Andres Borregales, Miami (FL)
P: Lou Hedley, Miami (FL)
KR/PR: Trebor Pena, Syracuse
THIRD TEAM
QB: Kedon Slovis, PittsburghRB: Kobe Pace, Clemson
RB: Dontae Smith, Georgia Tech
WR: Jalon Calhoun, Duke
WR: Billy Kemp IV, Virginia
WR: Joe Ngata, Clemson
TE: Will Mallory, Miami (FL)
OT: Carter Warren, Pittsburgh
OT: Trevor Reid, Louisville
G: Kaden Moore, Virginia Tech
G: Adonis Boone, Louisville
C: Will Putnam, Clemson
DI: Corey Durden, North Carolina State
DI: Jared Harrison-Hunte, Miami (FL)
Edge: YaYa Diaby, Louisville
Edge: Yasir Abdullah, Louisville
LB: Stefon Thompson, Syracuse
LB: Nick Jackson, Virginia
CB: Tony Grimes, North Carolina
CB: Caelen Carson, Wake Forest
S: Akeem Dent, Florida State
S: Brandon Hill, Pittsburgh
Flex D: Kenderick Duncan, Louisville
K: Connor Lytton, Boston College
P: Porter Wilson, Duke
KR/PR: Taylor Morin, Wake Forest
HONORABLE MENTION
QB: Tyler Van Dyke, Miami (FL)RB: Pat Garwo III, Boston College
RB: British Brooks, North Carolina
WR: Taylor Morin, Wake Forest
WR: Jared Wayne, Pittsburgh
WR: Thayer Thomas, North Carolina State
TE: Kamari Morales, North Carolina
OT: Renato Brown, Louisville
OT: Andre Harris Jr., Duke
G: Jacob Monk, Duke
G: Marcus Minor, Pittsburgh
C: Michael Jurgens, Wake Forest
DI: Tyler Davis, Clemson
DI: Leonard Taylor, Miami (FL)
Edge: Marcus Valdez, Boston College
Edge: Keion White, Georgia Tech
LB: Tatum Bethune, Florida State
LB: Amari Gainer, Florida State
CB: Kai'Trel Clark, Louisville
CB: Garrett Williams, Syracuse
S: RJ Mickens, Clemson
S: Kamren Kinchens, Miami (FL)
Flex D: Elijah Jones, Boston College
K: Christopher Dunn, North Carolina State
P: Alex Mastromanno, Florida State
KR/PR: Thayer Thomas, North Carolina State
Rumor: B1G won't be on ESPN/ABC (RX; HM)
Rumor: B1G won't be on ESPN/ABC
Brett McMurphy reports B1G news:
...and John Ourand backs him up; from SBJ Media: Fox, CBS, NBC look likely to win Big Ten deals
This is significant! It confirms the ESPN/Fox split that so many people have been talking about.
What does this mean for the ACC (assuming it's accurate)?
1. It frees up 15 slots on ABC, 5 on ESPN, and 5 more on ESPN2 which previously went to the Big Ten. The SEC and ACC figure to get some of them, along with whatever rights to the Big XII and Pac that ESPN ends up with. Which leads us to...2. Acquisition of other media rights. According to the SBJ article:
That could mean signing up those entire conferences, but it might also mean paying a current ESPN property to expand. As you know, the ACC and the SEC are both 100% ESPN for the next decade, but there's a big difference in cost: adding a team to the SEC would cost at least $80 million, while the ACC can expand for as little as $22 million - although in order to get the ACC to agree, ESPN would likely need to include a pay bump to existing schools, so let's say at least $37 to $52 million.
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College football coaches speak anonymously about ACC teams, via Athlon (247sports.com; Crawford)
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SYRACUSE ORANGE
Anonymous coach to Athlon Sports: "If they could find a long-term solution on offense, I think Dino Babers would probably get more credit than he does, because they've come a long way from what he was known for schematically when he took the job. He was smart enough to move on when the personnel didn't match, and they've found some solid kids in a hard place to recruit to."
247Sports' Take: Mississippi State transfer Garrett Shrader was a terrific addition to the Orange last season and made the most of the elite-level help he received from tailback Sean Tucker. That offense has a chance to be one of the best in the Atlantic, but it's the defense that will determine if Syracuse is bowl-eligible or not in a few months.
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What’s The ACC’s Future? (audacy.com; podcast; Da Show)
Bill Roth, Voice of the Virginia Tech Hokies hops aboard to preview the upcoming college football season and talk ACC Football, Stunned to a News, Is the Bonilla contract worth 180K?
The Solid Verbal - College Football Podcast: The ACC Atlantic and American Conference Preview for 2022: Part 2 + College Football Podcast for 8/4 on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; The Solid Verbal)
Previewing the ACC Atlantic (Clemson, NC State, Florida State, Wake Forest, Louisville, Boston College and Syracuse) and a second batch of AAC teams (UCF, SMU, Tulsa, Tulane and Temple)
Preseason Notes: Practice No. 4 - Boston College Athletics (bceagles.com)
ESPN and ACC Network were on campus Sunday and Monday for the Eagles' turn on the "ACC Road Trip" show, which airs Monday night at 7 p.m. on ACCN with replays of the hour-long show following immediately throughout the night. Jordan Cornette hosted the show alongside former BC linebacker Mark Herzlich '10 and Wes Durham. The crew met with head coach Jeff Hafley, wide receiver Zay Flowers and running back Pat Garwo at the set for in-practice interviews. Herzlich also took the opportunity to shadow and talk with defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu during the Eagles' first "indy" period of the practice.
Monday night's show will also feature an interview with long-time BC coach and administrator Barry Gallup '69, who recently retired after 46 years with the university. Herzlich also snuck in a visit to the Seaport with a pair of defensive stalwarts Marcus Valdez and Vinny DePalma.
Monday Morning Briefing: Due to ACCN's presence, practice was moved exclusively outside and into Alumni Stadium for the first time this preseason… practice No. 4 also marked the first day in uppers as the Eagles work toward their first full pads practice on Friday… during the first team period, Kam Arnold and Jason Maitre both recorded interceptions… the ones and twos were put on the field in the final period in a first-and-10 scenario with the offense picking up the first down in each scenario… Phil Jurkovec completed a pair of passes to Xavier Coleman and Lewis Bond for the first team… Emmett Morehead and the twos bounced back from a negative pass play on first down with an eight-yard catch by running back Jackson Treister and a first down grab by Dante Reynolds.
BOZICH | Coaches say Louisville's football schedule tougher than Kentucky's (wdrb.com; Bozich)
I can't identify the solitary bold coach who gave the University of Louisville football team its one and only vote in the USA Today coaches' Top 25 preseason poll.
The coaches, brave souls that they are, demand a secret ballot. We're lucky they release the names of the coaches who participate. They are not fans of being second guessed.
This season, Tyson Helton (Western Kentucky), Tom Allen (Indiana) and, hmmmm, Scott Satterfield (Louisville) are three of the 66 voters.
Of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision programs, more than 42% earned at least one vote, including the Cards, who finished tied with Florida State and Texas San Antonio for No. 53.
Here is something I can tell you: If you trust the opinions of the coaches, Louisville will play a more demanding 2022 schedule than Kentucky or Indiana.
According to the coaches' poll, Louisville will play five Top-25 opponents. Indiana is booked against four.
And Kentucky?
The Wildcats will play only one; defending national champion Georgia, which will visit Kroger Field on Nov. 19
Surprising?
I believe so.
But so is this nugget: Although the Southeastern Conference led all leagues with six teams in the preseason Top 25, the ACC placed five teams in the top 20. The SEC had three in the top 20, the Big Ten four.
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ACC football rankings: Which running backs will make their mark in 2022? (yahoo.com; Thompson & Cubit)
The Atlantic Coast Conference may have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the quarterback position, but the same can't be said about running backs.
Heading into the 2022 season, two of the four top returning rushers are quarterbacks — Louisville's Malik Cunningham and Syracuse's Garrett Shrader — and the league looks to be pass-heavy entering the final year of split divisions.
But there is still plenty of talent in the backfield with the potential for some major breakouts.
Here's a look at the USA TODAY Network's rankings of the ACC's Top 10 running backs entering the 2022 season.
10. British Brooks, North Carolina
Brooks may have been UNC's third-leading rusher last fall, but when he touched the ball, the junior made things happen. He rushed for 295 yards and four touchdowns on just 31 carries, good for 9.5 yards a carry. With the Tar Heels still searching for a quarterback, Brooks may be asked to carry the load for a UNC team looking to rebound from a disappointing 2021 season.9. Dylan McDuffie, Georgia Tech
McDuffie has yet to play a snap of ACC football, but his statistics at his former school put him on this list. The redshirt junior played in 29 games over four seasons at Buffalo and rushed for 1,049 yards in 2021 including four games with over 100 yards rushing and 12 total touchdowns. We'll see if he can do the same in the ACC.8. Justice Ellison, Wake Forest
With Christian Beal-Smith transferring to South Carolina, Ellison will be the main guy in the backfield for the Demon Deacons. Despite sharing carries with Beal-Smith in 2021, Ellison still rushed for 541 yards and seven touchdowns on 107 attempts and had over 50 yards rushing in six games last fall....
Five ACC Teams Ranked Among Top 25 of Preseason Coaches Poll (theacc.com)
No. 4 Clemson leads a group of five ACC teams ranked among the top 25 of the preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA coaches poll released on Monday.
The Tigers are joined by No. 13 NC State, No. 16 Pitt, No. 17 Miami and No. 19 Wake Forest. The ACC’s five ranked teams are second-most among all conferences.
NC State and Wake Forest claimed their highest preseason ranking ever in the coaches poll, and defending ACC champ Pitt holds its highest preseason spot since 2010.
Clemson, which recorded its 11th consecutive double-digit win season with a 10-3 finish in 2021, was picked as the ACC preseason favorite in a poll of 164 ACC media members in late July. The Tigers were also tabbed likely Atlantic Division winners. Miami was picked to finish atop the Coastal Division following a 7-5 campaign last season that included wins in five of the final six games.
Pitt and defending Atlantic Division champion Wake Forest each finished 11-3 in 2021, and NC State is coming off a 9-3 season.
The 2022 ACC football season gets underway on Saturday, Aug. 27 (Week Zero), when Florida State hosts Duquesne at 5 p.m., followed by North Carolina playing host to Florida A&M at 8:15 p.m., both on ACC Network. It marks the first August season opener for the league since 2019.
The ACC will be featured throughout the Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 1-5) with 12 games over a five-day span. No other league plays across all five days. This is the fourth time in the last six years the ACC has played over five consecutive days in Week One.
The Labor Day weekend begins on Thursday, Sept. 1, with both of last year’s ACC division champions in action. ACC and Coastal Division Champion Pitt hosts West Virginia at Heinz Field at 7 p.m. on ESPN, and Atlantic Division champion Wake Forest opens against VMI in Winston-Salem at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network. On Friday, Sept. 2, Virginia Tech plays at Old Dominion at 7 p.m. on ESPN, while Duke plays host to Temple at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network.
Saturday’s slate includes the first league matchup of the year with Louisville at Syracuse at 8 p.m. on ACC Network. Other games on Sept. 3 include North Carolina at Appalachian State at noon on ESPNU, NC State at East Carolina at noon on ESPN, Rutgers at Boston College at noon on ACC Network, Richmond at Virginia at 12:30 p.m. on RSN and Bethune-Cookman at Miami at 3:30 p.m. on ACC Network.
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Noles News: Coaches recap scrimmage, recruiting news, and more (omahawknation.com; Mire)
Excitement is ramping up with the ‘Nole faithful as football season is nearly three weeks away. Soccer and football held their first scrimmages of the fall this past weekend and a 4-star running back jolted the ‘23 recruiting class with more potential on the way.
Sit back, buckle in, and fill a football helmet with EZ Cheese. Here are some of the things that happened with FSU athletics this past weekend.
Football
Fall camp is in full swing heading into practice 10 this morning. There have been a few standouts carving their way and the work this team is putting in has been tangible. The team’s first scrimmage was on Saturday with mostly glowing reviews by the coaches and assistants but there is still work to be done and that's not an understatement. The Seminoles prepare to take on (and not look past) Duquesne at home on Aug. 27 and then face a primetime showdown against the LSU Tigers the following weekend at the Superdome.RELATED
Seminole Wrap Season Preview: Expect the Unexpected from LSU feat. Brody Miller
We all remember this game and how the cheesy beatdown from Bill Murray backfired but, in any instance, happy birthday to former Seminole and ESPN’s Lee Corso who turned 87 on Sunday.If you want to follow along closely with the team, check out our daily practice observations, film, updates, post-practice interviews, and more.
Recruiting
Big news came on the recruiting trail when 4-star running back Samuel Singleton committed to FSU on Friday. Singleton, a 5’11 and 180-pound back out of Fleming Island, FL, has the frame, footwork, and athletic abilities to contribute sooner rather than later. Tomahawk Nation’s own NoleThruandThru had this to say about Singleton early on.
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Ranking which ACC schools are most viable to join a “super conference” (saturdayblitz.com; Scimeca)
Ever since summer 2021, when OU and Texas announced their impending departure from the Big 12 to the SEC, the conference realignment wheels are turning rapidly once again.
This summer, the earth-shattering news was the defection of the Pac-12’s two most prized programs, UCLA and USC, leaving the league to soon join forces with the Big Ten.
By 2025 at the latest, both the Big Ten and the SEC will have 16 teams and may be considered college football’s “super conferences” due to the brand value, the ticket revenue, the fan support, and the resources of each athletic (namely, football) program.
With the conference realignment wheels spinning, which ACC schools are most likely to leave the league to form a new super conference?
It’s widely known that Oregon and Washington would leave the Pac-12 and join the Big Ten if they were invited. Notre Dame, despite the increased commentary and buzz lately, still fiercely clings to its independence.
The Fighting Irish have done quite well even in today’s conference-centric environment as the (semi) non-affiliated power program — they play several ACC football teams per year and the rest of their sports teams participate in the league.
Which dominoes are left to fall in the increasingly bipolar “super conference” world of college football? The wealthiest and most powerful ACC members.
And it’s only a matter of time before several of these schools join either the Big Ten or the SEC.
Yes, the ACC media rights deal lasts until 2036 in a very real and legally binding sense. But something tells me that lawyers will get involved and/or some kind of lucrative buyout will take place. It might not be pretty, but it’s hard to see everything standing pat for the next 14 years on behalf of the ACC Network.
What looks like a realistic scenario is three current ACC football teams + Notre Dame would join either the Big Ten or the SEC. If the Irish stay independent, it would be four ACC teams to make it an even number.
The driving force behind teams changing conferences today — including the aftershocks of OU and Texas like the Big 12 adding four more teams, etc. — is the financial benefit that schools can get from new media rights deals from giants like ESPN and FOX Sports. In the NIL world of college athletics with an open transfer portal, it’s “sink or swim” for all of the nation’s top football programs. You have to keep up with your opponents, or you’ll quickly fall behind.
Like it or not, the super conference era of college football is here. If you had the opportunity to poach four ACC members (excluding Notre Dame, of course), which ones would you choose?
Here’s a rundown of how each ACC member stands in terms of attractiveness in the latest round of conference realignment:
14. Boston College
Sorry, Doug Flutie and Eagles fans — Boston College ranks at the bottom of this list.The Eagles’ best days were their first three seasons in the ACC, which they joined in 2005. The team compiled a 30-9 record in those three years. The 2007 squad was ranked No. 2 at one point in the season before losing the ACC title game to Virginia Tech and finishing 11-3, ranked in the AP Top 10.
The Eagles haven’t won more than seven games in a season since 2009. Maybe the saving grace for BC would be its location in Boston, with a metro area of 4.9 million people — didn’t that large-city proximity somehow earn Rutgers a seat in the Big Ten a few years ago?
13. Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons had a nice season last year, going 11-3 and reaching the ACC title game before losing to Pitt. They return quarterback Sam Hartman this year and could make some noise — but this recent success has been the exception instead of the rule in Winston-Salem, N.C.There’s not an overwhelmingly huge fan base and the results are pretty weak overall. Since 2009, the team has only recorded four winning seasons and the Demon Deacons were one of the ACC’s worst teams in the 1990s.
12. Syracuse
You’ve got to love the Carrier Dome and the 2-3 zone defense — but the highly regarded men’s basketball team won’t get Syracuse into a super conference anytime soon.The Orange joined the ACC in 2013, and the football team has struggled ever since. From that point, they’ve only had two winning seasons. Although 2018’s 10-3 squad under coach Dino Babers was nice, it feels more like a flash in the pan.
11. Pittsburgh
The Panthers have been one of those solid-but-not-spectacular football teams since joining the ACC in 2013 from the Big East. True, last year’s squad won the ACC title with star quarterback Kenny Pickett (a future first-round NFL Draft selection), but that was Pitt’s best team since 1981.The 1976 team won the national title, sure, with Tony Dorsett winning the Heisman Trophy, but Pitt hasn’t come close to matching that success recently. Last year’s No. 13 finish in the AP poll was the first time the Panthers finished the year ranked since 2009.
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Workers at Santillo’s serve up hot food on the opening day of the New York State Fair Friday, August 20, 2021. Lauren Long | llong@syracuse.com
15 first-time food stands are coming to 2022 NYS Fair. See list of all food vendors (so far) (PS; Cazentre)
In the six years since Mike Sharlow launched Syracha’cuse, a line of local hot sauces, he’s pitched his products at lots of festivals, shows and events, including a few held at the New York State Fairgrounds.
But until this year, he’s never had a stand during the run of the State Fair itself.
“I’m excited to be at the fair because it’s a great opportunity to get some exposure,” he said. “If you have one person that discovers you today who didn’t know you yesterday, that’s a win.”
Syracha’cuse will be one of at least 15 food vendors making their State Fair debut this year. At the request of syracuse.com, State Fair officials have released a preliminary list showing a little more than 100 food vendors signed up for this year (see below), with more contracts still being negotiated. The fair runs Aug. 24 to Sept. 5.
Last summer, a large number of regular vendors backed out of the fair, citing lingering Covid issues and difficulty in finding workers, plus the one-year experiment that increased the run from 13 days to 18 days. In all, 65 traditional fair vendors, including 21 food stands, declined to participate in the 2021 fair.
That represented a drop of about 10% from a typical, pre-pandemic fair.
With a return to a 13-day schedule and more relaxed Covid protocols, fair officials see an opportunity for a rebound in the number of vendors.
Sean Hennessey, recently named interim director of the 2022 State Fair, points to the list of first-time new vendors as a positive sign.
“Fifteen new vendors is a higher number than we usually see,” he said, noting the fair typically has had five or six first-time food stands each year. Plus, he said, the list of first-timers represents a lot of diverse cuisines.
“It’s a variety pack of new foods,” Hennessey said.
New vendors include stands with names like Balkan Street Food of Utica, Brazilian Bowls of Keystone Heights, Fla. and Tropical Delights of Durham, N.C. Others are already established Central New York businesses, such as Bold Coast Lobster Co. (a food truck based in Oswego County), Munjed’s Middle Eastern Café of Westcott Street in Syracuse and Theos Petros, a Greek cuisine food truck from Wayne County.
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