sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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National Lemon Meringue Pie Day is dedicated to the popular dessert, lemon meringue pie. Traditionally, the pie has three components: shortcrust pastry, lemon custard filling, and a meringue topping. These components are in this order, with the meringue on top and the pastry crust on the bottom, and there is no top crust. Lemon has been a flavor for custards and puddings since Medieval Times, but it was not until the 17th century that meringue was invented, being done so in the Swiss village of Meiringen. Meringue usually consists of egg yolks, lemon zest, sugar, and sometimes starch. Lemon meringue pie was invented in the 19th century, with early recipes coming from Romandy, a western part of Switzerland, and possibly Dorset in South West England.
SU News
Da’Metrius Weatherspoon is the favorite to open the season as the Orange's starting left tackle.dennis nett | dnett@syracuse.com
He wanted to protect Kyle McCord’s blindside. Fran Brown told him to lose 30 pounds first (PS; $; Carlson)
Da’Metrius Weatherspoon told Syracuse football coach Fran Brown that he wanted the marquee role on the Orange’s offensive line.
He’d have a chance, Brown told him. But he’d have to lose 30 pounds first.
Weatherspoon, listed on SU’s roster at 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds, shed the weight. Now, he has his opportunity.
“He likes playing that position,” Brown said. “He wants to play that position. He did what I said he needed to do to play that position. He came in at a high weight. He had to drop 30-something pounds to be able to do it and he dropped 30-plus pounds. So he gets the chance to play that position.”
Brown has provided limited details about who is emerging from the majority of SU’s position battles throughout training camp, but Weatherspoon appears to be the favorite to open the season as SU’s starting left tackle.
After transferring from Howard University, Weatherspoon opened the spring playing right tackle.
As training camp has gone on, Brown has moved him to the left. He has played left tackle with the first unit at the last three practices during the time reporters were permitted to watch.
His anticipated role makes Weatherspoon one of the most critical acquisitions that Syracuse has made this offseason.
“He was the addition we needed,” defensive tackle Elijah Fuentes-Cundiff said about Weatherspoon.
Since taking over the program, Brown has worked to improve a unit that struggled last season by adding a pair of tackles via transfer -- Weatherspoon and Savion Washington. Those two have worked with the first-string offensive line over the past week of practice, joined by returning starters J’Onre Reed, Jakob Bradford and Mark Petry.
Petry played tackle last season but the addition of two transfers has allowed him to shift to right guard. Bradford has been working at the other guard position. Last season’s returning starting left tackle, Enrique Cruz, has been working with the second unit during open practice sessions.
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Syracuse media day held at the Ensley Athletic Center, July 16, 2024. LB Marlowe Wax (2dennis nett | dnett@syracuse.com
Syracuse linebacker makes The Athletic’s preseason All-America team (PS; $; Carlson)
Syracuse linebacker Marlowe Wax continued to pile up preseason recognition on Wednesday when he was named to The Athletic’s preseason All-America team.
Wax was selected as a Second Team linebacker. The preseason honor marks the third of the week for Wax, who was named to watch lists for the Bednarik Award and the Butkus Award earlier in the week.
Syracuse’s last All-American was running back Sean Tucker in 2021. It’s last preseason All-American was Oronde Gadsden II last season.
Was is one of two ACC linebackers listed on the second team by The Athletic, along with Clemson’s Barrett Carter.
Louisville defensive end Ashton Gillotte and Florida State punter Alex Mastromanno were the only ACC players to make the organization’s first team.
Two other ACC defensive players were also named to the Second Team. They were Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. and Louisville cornerback Quincy Riley.
Two ACC players were named Second Team on offense. They were North Carolina State wide receiver Kevin Concepcion and North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton.
Syracuse will see two of those preseason All-American’s during the regular season in Miami’s Bain and NC State’s Concepcion.
Syracuse Football: Jim Boeheim just being Jim - pokes Ohio State, has Kyle McCord's back (itlh; Adler)
Jim Boeheim is happy that Kyle McCord is leading the Syracuse football charge in the upcoming 2024 season.
The legendary former Syracuse basketball head coach, a Hall of Famer who always speaks his mind, took a fun jab at McCord's former school earlier this week as the ACC Network had some fabulous programming on Syracuse football, its first-year head coach Fran Brown, and the Orange's prospects in the 2024 term.
According to various media reports, Boeheim discussed how Brown has energized the team, and JB thinks that Syracuse football can have a special upcoming season, even if he wants to temper expectations a tad.
Boeheim also touched on McCord, a four-star transfer from Ohio State who will spend his senior year on the Hill after leading the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record during the 2023 regular season. McCord, a former five-star prep recruit, transferred to the 'Cuse, where he has long-time relationships with several Orange coaches, including Brown.
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Health Is Biggest Storyline In Training Camp Thus Far (orangefizz.net; Papillo)
There are many things that both fans and teams look forward to once training camp. Usually, you want to see units finding their footing and looking primed for big things. This training camp though for Fran Brown, the biggest storyline for the Orange has been their health.
The majority of the time when health is brought up in football, it’s not a good thing. This was the case last week, as Fran Brown announced that defensive lineman Braylen Ingraham will miss the 2024 campaign from a torn Achilles tendon. This loss ends the senior’s career after four seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game, and new defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson will have to mix and match his front seven without a starter from last season.
But for all that is bad, the more important thing is for the roster to be in good health, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The most important person to have a clean bill of health at the moment is all-ACC tight end Oronde Gadsden II. Coming off missing almost all of 2023 with a Lisfranc injury, the senior returned to the program with aspirations of slotting into this year’s NFL Draft. There has been a lot of worry about if Gadsden can return to his peak form. So far in training camp, the Oronde Gadsden II of days past is back, making acrobatic catches from his new quarterback Kyle McCord.
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Syracuse Orange's Top 10 Returning Players in 2024 Include Marlowe Wax, LeQuint Allen | College Football Network (CFN; Ciardello)
It’s a new era for the Syracuse Orange as Fran Brown takes over the headset following an eight-year stint under former head coach Dino Babers.
Brown made waves in the transfer portal, most notably securing Ohio State signal-caller Kyle McCord, but he’ll have a decent stable of returners to set the foundation for his tenure.
Who are the Syracuse Orange’s top 10 returning players in 2024?
Syracuse Orange’s Top 10 Returning Players
10) Jayden Bellamy, CB
After spending a redshirt true freshman season at Norte Dame in 2022, Jayden Bellamy joined the Orange and had an immediate impact. Bellamy appeared in 12 games with seven starts, finishing with 29 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and a pick-six.9) Jack Stonehouse, P
Jack Stonehouse could arguably be higher on this list after being named All-ACC Third Team last season. Averaging 44.6 yards per kick in 2023, Stonehouse, a Missouri transfer with over 100 career punts, finished with the second-best net punting season in program history. He also had 19 punts over 50 yards, and 18 landed inside the 20 last year.8) Alijah Clark, S
After spending his freshman year at Rutgers in 2021, Alijah Clark has been a continuous starter at safety for the Orange each of the last two seasons.In 25 games with the Orange, Clark has 120 tackles, seven for a loss, five pass defenses, and two fumble recoveries.
7) J’Onre Reed, C
Known as “Big General,” J’Onre Reed was an NJCAA second-team All-American in 2022 at Hutchinson Community College before starting every game at center for the Orange last year.Listed at 6’3″, 316 pounds, the Houston native brings valuable experience in the middle of the offensive line for Syracuse.
6) Enrique Cruz, LT
Entering his fourth season on the Orange, Enrique Cruz has started 18 games at left tackle over the last two seasons. The 6’6″, 319-pounder from Chicago started every game and all 803 snaps on offense for Syracuse last season. He’ll be a nice bodyguard for the Orange’s new prize behind center — Kyle McCord.5) Derek McDonald, LB
Also entering his fourth season with the Orange, Derek McDonald worked his way into the starting rotation in 2022 with eight starts before starting all 13 games last year. With 106 career tackles, McDonald racked up a career-high 64 last season, along with 3.5 sacks and four tackles for loss.4) Justin Barron, DB
Justin Barron started his career at receiver before switching to defense during his true freshman season in 2020.Manning the nickel back or “rover” position, Barron has started 33 games over the last three seasons for the Orange, including every game last year as a team captain and All-ACC Honorable Mention selection.
Of his 201 career tackles, 90 came last season, with eight pass defenses, three fumble recoveries, and an interception.
3) Oronde Gadsden II, TE
Oronde Gadsden II started his career as a receiver before the 6’4″ target switched to tight end ahead of his sophomore campaign in 2022. It was a worthwhile switch as he made the All-ACC First Team that year after leading all tight ends in receiving yards with 969 on 61 catches and six scores.Gadsen only played in two games last season before suffering a season-ending injury, landing him just outside the top two of Syracuse’s 2024 returners.
2) LeQuint Allen, RB
A 2023 All-ACC Second Team selection as a running back and Honorable Mention as an all-purpose player, LeQuint Allen had a breakout sophomore campaign with 1,064 yards and nine touchdowns rushing, and a team-leading 38 catches for 210 yards and a score. He also returned two kicks and five punts and went 1-2 passing for 9 yards last season.The Orange’s do-it-all back lands in the top two best returners for Syracuse in 2024.
1) Marlowe Wax, LB
Marlowe Wax has been a starter for the Orange since he was a true freshman in 2020, racking a 287 career tackles in 49 games, including 38 consecutive starts. An All-ACC Honorable Mention in 2023 as a team captain, Wax heads into his fifth and final season, the unquestioned leader of the team and one of the most ferocious linebackers in college football.The Juice Online - Opponent Analysis: Boston College Eagles — 2024 Syracuse Football preview (r1vals.com; Moreno)
As we countdown to kickoff in September, we’re doing a team-by-team opponent preview. Today, we're previewing Syracuse's matchup with Cal on Nov. 9 with our friend Kevin Stone over at Eagle Action.
Most important offensive player, defensive player
Offense: Tommy Castellanos. Goes without saying, but this team will go as he goes. He showed he can be an elite runner, but needs to cut down on the turnovers and bad decision making when throwing the ball. This is a deep WR room, it's his job to get this offense to live up to its potential.Defense: Neto Okpala. He was a force on the D-line during spring camp and has shown flashes throughout his career, just hasn't been able to stay healthy. If he's good for the full season he could be a game wrecker along with Donnovan Ezeiruaku.
Rising star on offense, defense
Offense - Jaedn Skeete. Skeete is a local product out of Catholic Memorial high school and started to have a breakout season last year. His one-handed catch against UConn in 2023 went viral and alongside Jerand Bradley (transfer from Texas Tech) and Lewis Bond, could form one of the best trios in the ACC.Defense - Amari Jackson.Elite cornerback with great ballhawking skills. He should be BC's unquestioned No. 1 shut down corner when the Eagles hit the field against Florida State in Week 1 and he's still pretty young.
Team outlook: Best-case scenario
9 or 10 wins and a major bowl. Bill O'Brien's hiring has brought expectations as high as they've been since the Matt Ryan days. This offense has a LOT of talent, just a matter of putting it all together. Defense should be good too, but unproven.Team outlook: Worst-case scenario
Another lackluster .500ish year and another lame bowl like the Fenway Bowl. Fans won't be happy unless this team wins at least 8 games.Head coach / program is on the rise, stagnant, decline because ...
Program is seemingly on the rise given the addition of O'Brien and his new staff with over 80 years combined NFL coaching experience. BC has been hot recruiting lately too as far as national prospects from states like Georgia and Oklahoma. Everything is sunshine and rainbows right now in Chestnut Hill, but that could change quickly if the Eagles start 1-2 or 0-3. Not an easy schedule to start the year.Key portal additions and losses
No real big losses in the portal, but the additions of Bradley, fellow WR Jayden McGowan (Vanderbilt) and running back Treshaun Ward (K-State/FSU) should help this offense a lot. It might be the deepest that side of the ball has been for BC in at least a decade.Family affair: Two father-son duos lead SU football's offense (cnycentral.com; Wenkowski)
With each day of fall camp that passes by, head coach Fran Brown has Syracuse football feeling more and more like a family.
But for a few players and coaches, this season actually is a family affair. Both tight ends coach Michael Johnson Sr. and offensive coordinator/running backs coach Jeff Nixon will have the opportunity to coach their sons in Orange.
Senior Michael Johnson Jr. was listed as an "offensive weapon" when he transferred to SU in May from FAU. Johnson began his career at Penn State and has emerged as a leading candidate in SU's backup quarterback battle this offseason. Though Johnson has appeared to transition fully to the quarterbacks room under QB coach Nunzio Campanile, he continues to do some of his workouts with the receivers.
"You don't really realize how surreal it is while you're doing it," said Johnson on playing with his father. "I think it's something that I'll look back on when I'm done playing, and think 'wow, not many people got that opportunity.' But, when we're here it's player-coach. When I go home on the weekends for a home-cooked meal, that's when we don't really talk about football."
Johnson Sr. said that while he tried not to influence his son's decision to transfer, he has loved having him on the SU hill.
"I love him being here because of the environment that we have and the coaches that we have," said Johnson Sr. "Whether he plays or not, he's going to be a better young man because of being here, so I'm proud of that. He has to find his way to the field."
Redshirt junior RB Will Nixon comes to the Orange from Washington last season and provides some much-needed depth behind LeQuint Allen. Nixon served as the second-back for the Huskies on their run to the national championship game last season, putting up 201 yards on 33 carries and appearing in all 15 games. He originally began his collegiate career at Nebraska.
"He's had a long journey," said OC Jeff Nixon of his son. "We're both really excited to get this opportunity- it's once in a lifetime to get to coach one of your kids. It's good because he's been away from me for four years, so now he's in town and I get to spend some quality time with him."
The Orange are about two and a half weeks away from kickoff. Syracuse opens the 2024 season against Ohio University on Saturday, August 31st at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Syracuse embraces change under quarterbacks coach Nunzio Campanile (247sports.com; Racine)
There is a new lineup of coaches for Syracuse this season, with only one coach remaining from the previous year. Now serving as associate head coach and quarterbacks coach, Nunzio Campanile is the name. With the dawn of a new era under first-year head coach Fran Brown, Coach Nunzio was kept as a key part of the team.
"Coach Nunz is extremely intelligent and sees the full picture," Coach Brown said. "He's someone who I think will be a head coach real soon. We're happy to have him back
at the position he's comfortable with. He's developed so many pros at quarterback already, going back to his Don Bosco and Bergen Catholic days. Now, he's able to return to the position he loves most. I think we're going to have some fun with him as our quarterbacks coach."
Coach Nunzio spent the last couple of years coaching tight ends at Syracuse. After the head coach was fired. He became the interim head coach toward the end of last season,
leading the Orange to a bowl game for the second year in a row. However, Coach Nunzio was more impressed with how the athletes handled the chaos of losing their head coach.
"That was a tough situation for those guys. I think they played and worked really hard during that time. It was a tough transition," Coach Nunzio said.
Coach Nunzio understands that greatness is expected of the Syracuse program and is eager to continue the development process under Coach Fran Brown. He was even more thrilled to get the opportunity to transition back to coaching quarterbacks. Over the years Coach Nunzio has coached six quarterbacks to the NFL and now with some of the key players on the Syracuse offense staying and Kyle McCord coming in, he knew this would be a perfect opportunity for him to go back to his roots and Head Coach Fran Brown gave him that chance.
He was particularly moved by the persistence of players like running back LeQuint Allen and tight end Dan Villari, who took the lead in embracing his title switch and the
new coaching staff.
"One of the coolest things is how quickly they've embraced everything Fran has brought here. They've totally bought into the culture and are committed to building the program going forward. That's something I'm really proud to see because change is hard," Coach Nunzio said.
Looking ahead to this season, with a new playbook, new coaches, and an even stronger roster, Coach Nunzio is fully on board with the direction of the team. He's embraced the
guidance of new offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon and believes this offensive squad has all the tools needed for success.
"I love this offense. There are so many great ideas in it, so many ways to continually twist the concepts we're using, and it's really well orchestrated," Coach Nunzio said.
As training camp continues, the Orange will continue perfecting small details in the schemes of the offensive game plan, so when it's time to perform in the high-paced
environment, they can just activate their muscle memory.
Syracuse football: ACC All-Access thoughts (TNIAAM; Wall)
The Syracuse Orange finally got some prominent ACC Network coverage Monday night with the release of the first episode of the All-Access series on Fran Brown’s squad.
Behind the scenes look at some of the spring practices and start of camp gave us some insights into the 2024 Orange and some things that probably only matter to fans of this website. Let’s dig in:
We’ll start with Kyle McCord’s importance. For those of us who really don’t know much about McCord, we got to see why Fran Brown was outside his Columbus apartment like he was Jon Cusack in Say Anything. You can see the way McCord carries himself and what he brings as we saw him:
- Mic’d up telling teammates what to do in drills.
- Encouraging everyone to finish the rep
- Droppin dimes
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McCord might be the stoic lead by example but Justin Barron has to be this team’s “vibes guy”. From the sweet Salt City Mets hat to his resistance to clearing out his locker, we see why keeping Barron was critical for Fran Brown.
Oronde Gadsden spent the last few months picking up marbles with his toes and we are thankful he’s back with the Orange and not trying his feet at America’s Got Talent.
We got to learn more about Fran Brown’s work ethic from his early morning workouts to his firm approach with the players. It’s clear that since Brown arrived the focus has been on developing a culture and that starts with attention to detail and focuses on physicality. Brown wants his squad ready to make opponents question themselves.
He also gave us another gem with his “This big boy football now” line. Put that on a shirt because Fran’s got bars.
The only negative from episode one is that Fran’s got some concerning posture and we need him to work on that in the off-season. Maybe it was the ACC Network crew or his temporary office, but we can’t have our leader hunched over his desk while talking to the media. Need his shoulders loose and limber for when it’s “arms in the air to celebrate” time.
What stood out to you from the first episode?
Keeping Up With The 315 8-14-24 (ESPN; radio; the 315)
Brian Higgins discusses who will be crucial to the Orange’s passing attack besides star Oronde Gadsden, previews the men’s non-conference basketball schedule, and talks about how the football preseason hype is as high as it has been in the past few decades.
Dan Villari "The 315" 8-14-24 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Syracuse tight end Dan Villari joins Brian Higgins to provide an update on training camp, talk about Kyle Mccord’s leadership, as well as discuss how Oronde Gadsden looks heading into the season.
Which Syracuse Football Players will be All-ACC in 2024? | Syracuse Orange Podcast (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse Football Head Coach Fran Brown has lots of talent to work with on his roster. Tight End Oronde Gadsden and Linebacker Marlowe Wax were preseason All-ACC selections and are likely to live up to the hype. Next, there's Kyle McCord, LeQuint Allen, Justin Barron, and Fadil Diggs who are all possible candidates to be all-conference. Finally, Savion Washington, Duce Chestnut, and Zeed Haynes are sleepers to be All-ACC in 2024.
Jackson Holzer discusses the Syracuse players most likely to be All-ACC in 2024 on this edition of the Locked On Syracuse Podcast.
Get to Know Your Orange Man: #12, WR Justus Ross-Simmons (TNIAAM; Tomaiuolo)
It’s time to start preparing for the 2024 Syracuse Orange football season. We’re going through the roster to take a look at each Syracuse player as we get to know a lot of new faces to kick off the Fran Brown Era.
Next up is...
Name: Justus Ross-Simmons
Position: Wide Receiver
Year: Junior
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 212 lbs
Hometown: Rochester, New York
High School: Inglewood (CA)
Previous College: Colorado State
2023 stats: 45 receptions, 724 receiving yards and three touchdowns for the Rams.
2024 projections: Behind Gadsden, Ross-Simmons has a legitimate shot to finish second in receiving yards for the Orange. His size and experience make the CSU transfer a formidable threat on the outside, and he should post better numbers in all three categories at SU.
How’d he get here?: Transferred to the Orange in late April after receiving tons of interest from other programs, including Alabama, Penn State, Florida and South Carolina.
What’d recruiting sites say?: Consensus three-star prospect out of the transfer portal. Out of high school, Ross-Simmons received three stars from ESPN and 247Sports, two from Rivals.
Social Media Info:
Instagram: @j.ross_2
Twitter: @ross_justus
There’s nothing better than returning home and holding up your favorite fruit:
Justus ross-simmons on Instagram: "Coming back home ‼️"
1,433 likes, 212 comments - j.ross_2 on April 24, 2024: "Coming back home ‼️".
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Interesting nugget: Before his senior year of high school, Ross-Simmons and his mother moved cross-country from Rochester to California to pursue an athletic scholarship for Justus. After playing football and basketball for the Sentinels, he received collegiate offers from CSU and Nevada.
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118 reactions | family business @atlantafalcons | Syracuse Football | atlantafalcons · Original audio
family business @atlantafalcons . atlantafalcons · Original audio
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ACC News
Teel: Multiple bids in expanded College Football Playoff 'critical' for ACC (newsvirginian; Teel)
During his four seasons leading Richmond’s football program, Dave Clawson competed in a league that annually produced multiple FCS playoff teams. The Spiders were among those squads, reaching the 2005 quarterfinals and ’07 semifinals, and the CAA’s prominence became part of Clawson’s recruiting pitch.
Entering his 11th year as Wake Forest’s coach, and with the College Football Playoff tripling to 12 teams this season, Clawson understands how essential it is for the ACC to do the same.
Become a consistent, multi-bid conference and advance in the bracket. There is no other path for the ACC to repair its football image with fans, media and prospects, no other avenue to alter CFP revenue sharing skewed toward the Big Ten and SEC.
"I think our challenge in the ACC, and as ACC coaches, is let’s put a product on the field that warrants getting a second, third bid,” Clawson said at the conference’s preseason gathering. “Then once we get in there, we’ve got to make noise.
"I don’t think we have a football problem in our league. I think we have a perception problem. The only way to change that perception is to put teams in. Once we get in there, win those games against those other two conferences.”
The ACC and SEC were the only leagues with at least one representative in each of the first seven four-team playoffs, 2014-20. And as the ACC champion, Clemson won two national titles in that stretch and lost two other finals, affirming the league’s quality — at least at the top.
But the CFP selection committee bypassed ACC champions Pitt in 2021, Clemson in ’22 and Florida State last season. The Panthers and Tigers, both 11-2, were routine omissions. The 13-0 Seminoles were the first undefeated power conference team excluded.
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ACC Network's Eric Mac Lain criticizes ESPN's Heather Dinich for 'trash' Clemson analysis (awfulannouncing.com; Axelrod)
Eric Mac Lain might be an analyst for the ACC Network, but it’s pretty clear where his loyalties in the conference lie.
That was apparent on Tuesday, as the former Clemson offensive lineman took issue with ESPN’s Heather Dinich’s analysis of the Tigers being ranked No. 14 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25.
“Here we go with this trash again,” Mac Lain wrote, while quote-tweeting an on3 article aggregating Dinich’s comments questioning the preseason hype for Clemson during Tuesday’s episode of Get Up. “@GetUpESPN I’m available at your convenience.”
It seems unlikely that Get Up‘s producers will take Mac Lain up on his offer. To quote Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, “If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you’d have invented Facebook. ” In other words, if Get Up was interested in having Mac Lain on to sing the Clemson fight song provide his analysis on the Tigers, he’d already be there.
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ACC football preseason power rankings: Clemson, Florida State headline top contenders entering 2024 season (247sports.com; Nagel)
Much of the ACC faces a critical 2024 college football season with one, maybe two, spots in the expanded playoff up for grabs. The new-look league had just four teams in the preseason AP Top 25 rankings — Clemson, Florida State, Miami and NC State — the lowest number among the Power Four conferences. There is a clearcut top tier in the ACC, which now has 17 members following expansion. But how does the rest of the league fall in order with kickoff less than two weeks away?
The additions of California, SMU and Stanford provide a new dynamic of cross-country travel within the ACC as some teams are set to rack up more than 10,000 miles for road games in 2024. How will that affect the race for a conference title and automatic bid in the College Football Playoff?
The transfer portal played a key part in roster building for some ACC teams, while others — like Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech — expect to benefit from returning experience.
Below is an updated look at the ACC preseason power rankings ahead of the season openers in August:
17. Stanford Cardinal
Stanford is not expected to make significant improvements in Year 2 under coach Troy Taylor. The Cardinal face a challenging schedule in their ACC debut, which includes a few cross-country trips for road games on the East Coast. Returning wide receiver Elic Ayomanor is a bright spot on the roster having become the first Stanford player to surpass 1,000 yards receiving in a season since 2018.
16. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Wake Forest is still trying to figure out its quarterback situation for 2024. The Demon Deacons brought in former Boise State and Louisiana Tech transfer Hank Bachmeier to compete alongside Michael Kern, a redshirt senior entering his fifth season in Winston-Salem. Wake Forest took a big step backward offensively in 2023 without quarterback Sam Hartman.
15. Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia is in a similar position without a clear front-runner for QB1. Anthony Colandrea and Tony Muskett continue to split reps. The Cavaliers' defense, which should be better in 2024 with a group of returning starters, got the better of the offense in the first scrimmage of fall camp this past weekend. Virginia ranked last in the ACC and 119th nationally a year ago with 33.8 points allowed per game.
14. Duke Blue Devils
Duke could be somewhat of a mystery team in the ACC this season after new head coach Manny Diaz stepped in to replace a departing Mike Elko. The Blue Devils lost a handful of key players to the transfer portal, too. Former Texas backup quarterback Maalik Murphy takes command of the offense with a powerful arm.
13. Pittsburgh Panthers
How will Pittsburgh respond to its worst season yet under head coach Pat Narduzzi? The Panthers won just three games a year ago. The defense is rather inexperienced after several key transfer departures. New offensive coordinator Kade Bell had nine returning starters to work with after coming over from Western Carolina.
12. Boston College Eagles
Bill O'Brien made his return to the college ranks as a head coach for the first time since 2013 when he led Penn State for two seasons. The New England native took over at Boston College after Jeff Hafley made a later departure during the coaching carousel. Although O'Brien is viewed as somewhat of a quarterback guru, the Eagles should maintain their identity as a run-first offense with dual-threat Thomas Castellanos and running back Kye Robichaux.
11. Syracuse Orange
Syracuse could be one of those "boom or bust" teams in college football this season. New head coach Fran Brown arrived in Upstate New York and instantly generated a new buzz around the program. Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord headlines a strong list of newcomers. Returning 1,000-yard rusher LeQuint Allen should help open up the offense a bit. Will Brown have success early as a first-time head coach having spent the past two years as an assistant at Georgia?
10. North Carolina Tar Heels
Post-spring power ranking: No. 8
The quarterback race is still on at North Carolina where Conner Harrell and Max Johnson continue to battle for the starting job. The Tar Heels and Mack Brown have not been able to fully capitalize on the talents at quarterback over the years, often falling short defensively. New coordinator Geoff Collins is familiar with the ACC from his years as the head coach at Georgia Tech. Pass-rush specialist Kaimon Rucker is primed for another productive season for UNC. The Tar Heels will lean heavily on running back Omarion Hampton, arguably one of the best in the country at that position
9. California Golden Bears
Post-spring power ranking: No. 9
California could be a surprise newcomer in the ACC. The Golden Bears must manage a difficult travel schedule with several cross-country trips for road games. Running back Jaydn Ott returns after rushing for more than 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. The addition of North Texas transfer quarterback Chandler Rogers could open up the passing game, assuming he grabs the starting job. Fernando Mendoza is back after starting the final eight games of 2023. Cal also picked up some talent on the perimeter in four-star transfer receivers Mikey Matthews from Utah and Tobias Merriweather from Notre Dame. Adjusting to the ACC will take some time for California.
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https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5700776/2024/08/15/acc-win-projections-best-bets/ (The Athletic; Mock)
This season, the Atlantic Coast Conference adds a couple of teams that are a short drive from the Pacific coast (and one from Texas). But that’s college football in 2024.
Stanford, Cal, and SMU will all compete in the ACC this year, and SMU has a chance to make some noise in Year 1. Florida State still reigns supreme but is followed closely by Clemson, Miami, Virginia Tech and Louisville. My model sees a little bit of distance between Florida State and the rest of the conference compared to the betting markets, but there are plenty of teams that are going to find themselves in the mix as ACC contenders.
So let’s talk about the futures market. For future betting, I take my college football projection model — which takes play-by-play data and creates a projection for each team — and simulate the season 100,000 times to see how many games a team is expected to win and how many times they win their conference and make the College Football Playoff.
My playoff algorithm is based on 10 years of the four-team playoff. Thanks to conference realignment and the new 12-team playoff structure, this year could have more variance than years past. It’s hard to know how much this will disrupt projections, but my algorithm takes into account a level of randomness because of this, and, well, these are humans making selections. They’re not guaranteed to see things the way that my model sees them.
ACC projections
XWINS is the average number of wins a team got through the simulations. CONF is the chance a team is projected to win its conference.| Team | xwins | conf |
|---|---|---|
| Florida State | 9.1 | 32.2% |
| Clemson | 8.5 | 20.2% |
| Virginia Tech | 8.9 | 11.1% |
| Miami | 8.5 | 10.9% |
| Louisville | 7.8 | 8.6% |
| SMU | 8.4 | 7% |
| NC State | 8.2 | 6.2% |
| North Carolina | 7.5 | 2% |
| California | 6.3 | 0.7% |
| Syracuse | 6.5 | 0.3% |
| Georgia Tech | 5.2 | 0.3% |
| Pittsburgh | 5.6 | 0.1% |
| Virginia | 5.2 | 0.1% |
| Boston College | 4.9 | 0.1% |
| Wake Forest | 5.3 | 0.1% |
| Duke | 5.5 | 0.1% |
| Stanford | 4.2 | 0.0% |
Best bets
Virginia Tech over 8.5 wins (+124)Look at any returning production or starters chart, and you’ll find Virginia Tech firmly in the top 10. The Hokies will be experienced, and combining that with a favorable schedule makes this an over play. They avoid Florida State, Louisville, SMU and NC State. They do have to travel to Miami, which will be a tough game, but circle their November 9 matchup with Clemson as a game with major playoff implications. My model ranks their defense as the stronger unit, but quarterback Kyron Drones could be a dark-horse Heisman candidate if he takes the next step. I think this team has about the same chance to win 10 games as it does to win eight.
Miami under 9.5 wins (-170) (to win 0.5 units)
This Miami team has a ton of talent and should find themselves at the top of the ACC race come season’s end. But Mario Cristobal has shown time and time again that he’s going to lose games that he shouldn’t. They’re projected to play in three coin flips (at Florida, at Louisville and vs. Florida State), and I just can’t trust them to win two of those games and get through the rest of the schedule unscathed. I’m reducing risk here as the price is a bit steep for how much talent is on this team, which could overcome the pause I have with Cristobal on the sideline.
Syracuse under 7.5 wins (-142)
I think the Fran Brown hire will end up paying dividends for Syracuse in the long run, but I’m not sure it’s going to happen right away in Year 1. They manage to avoid Florida State, Clemson, Louisville and SMU, so that is a worry, but getting to eight wins is something my model thinks is unlikely. In fact, my model has six games that are lined under a touchdown and a few others that are just outside of the touchdown range. Despite adding former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, that’s too many coin-flips for me to think this team can get to this number. I think this should be priced at 6.5/7.
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What's the top storyline for each ACC Football team? (youtube; podcast; 99.9 The Fan)
Tim Donnelly & Dennis Cox discuss the upcoming college football season, and the biggest storyline line for each ACC football team, including NC State football, Duke football, and UNC football.
2024 ACC Football Season Previews | Cal Golden Bears with Matt Moreno of @RivalsDotCom! (youtube; podcast; Basketball Conference)
Matt Moreno of joins us to discuss ACC newcomer Cal and their expectations and outlook for the 2024 season!
2024 Projected CCG Participants (CFBNumbers) (RX; HM)
2024 Projected CCG Participants (CFBNumbers)
From "Simulating the 2024 CFB Season: Power 4" on CFBNumbers substack, here are their projected CCG participants...
First, the ACC
- 2024 ACC CG Participants (projected): 9-3 Florida State vs 9-3 Clemson
- Other realistic possibilities: Miami, SMU, NC State, Louisville, Va Tech
- Outside chance: UNC, Syracuse
Now, the rest of the P4
Projected Conference Championship Game Participants, other leagues:- SEC: 11-1 Georgia vs 10-2 Texas
- B1G: 11-1 Oregon vs 11-1 Ohio State
- XII: 9-3 Kansas State vs 9-3 Utah
Next, the G5
Who will be the G5 representative to the CFP? They also simulated those leagues and came up with this in "Simulating the 2024 CFB Season: Group of 5":- AAC: 9-3 Memphis vs 8-4 UTSA
- MWC: 8-4 Boise State vs 8-4 Fresno St OR Air Force
- SBC: 9-3 James Madison vs 8-4 Louisiana OR App State
- MAC: 8-4 Toledo vs 8-4 Miami, OH
- USA: 10-2 Liberty vs 7-5 W. Kentucky OR Jacksonville St
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2024 Preseason All-Americans (RX; HM)
2024 Preseason All-Americans
How many ACC players were selected for "ESPN's 2024 college football preseason All-America team"? Here you go...
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USA Today also has its "USA TODAY Sports preseason college football All-America team".
How many ACC players made their list?
Here are their First Team ACC picks:
- P: Alex Mastromanno, Florida State (Sr.)
- DE: Ashton Gillotte, Louisville (Sr.)
- DT: Howard Cross III, Notre Dame (Sr.)
USA Today also lists a Second Team:
- RB: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina (Jr.)
- PK: Andrew Borregales, Miami (Sr.)
- LB: Barrett Carter, Clemson (Sr.)
- CB: Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame (Jr.)
- S: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame (Sr.)
- KR: Jayden Harrison, Notre Dame (Sr.)
The NY Times/The Athletic also have a list - "College football preseason All-America teams: 50 of the best players to know in 2024"
First-team
- DE: Ashton Gillotte, Louisville
- CB: Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
- P: Alex Mastromanno, Florida State
Second team
- RB: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
- WR: Kevin Concepcion, NC State
- DE: Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
- DT: Howard Cross III, Notre Dame
- LB: Marlowe Wax, Syracuse
- LB: Barrett Carter, Clemson
- CB: Quincy Riley, Louisville
- S: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
2024 SMU vs TCU in Prime Time on CW (RX; HM)
2024 SMU vs TCU in Prime Time on CW
From the official ACC release of Wednesday, August 14, 2024...
SMU to Host TCU on Sept. 21 at 5 p.m. ET on The CW
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – SMU will host cross-town rival TCU in the Battle for the Iron Skillet on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 5 p.m. ET on The CW, it was announced on Wednesday. The two teams have met 102 times in the rivalry game, with the two teams first meeting in 1915.SMU will be one of eight teams playing in Week 0 next week, as the Mustangs will take on Nevada on Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. ET in Reno, Nevada, on CBS Sports Network.
Florida State and Georgia Tech will kick off the 2024 college football season at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Week 0 on Saturday, Aug. 24, at noon ET on ESPN in Dublin, Ireland. ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will broadcast live for the first time from Dublin, Ireland, marking the first time that the show will be outside of the United States.
All 17 teams will be in action over Labor Day weekend, Aug. 29-Sept. 2, with 16 games spanning four days - Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Monday. Boston College and Florida State will cap off Week 1 of the 2024 college football season with a Labor Day showdown in ACC play on Monday, Sept. 2, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The 2024 ACC Football Championship Game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on ABC on Saturday, Dec. 7, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. For the second consecutive season, the championship game will feature the top two teams based on regular-season conference wing percentage. This is the 15th time in the last 16 years that the game will be held in primetime.
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Who has the CFB Belt Going into 2024? (RX; HM)
Who has the CFB Belt Going into 2024?
Imagine a championship belt for college football which passes from loser to winner like a boxing title belt. For an imaginary belt, it sure has a life of its own!
For what happened prior to last season, see "Where is the Belt 2023 Sep 26"
It turns out the Washington Huskies were good enough to hold onto the CFB Belt for a little over a year, not losing all season until the CFP National Championship Game, where they lost to the Michigan Wolverines. This reunited the Belt with the CFP National Championship Trophy for the first time in two years, which demonstrates how the two methods of selecting a champion can differ significantly.
Now I realize there's a real possibility that Michigan may, ultimately, have to forfeit that game - but I don't believe in forfeits here. What's won on the field is won! (Even if the team cheated to win it). So, as far as I'm concerned, Michigan enters the 2024 season with the belt in their possession.
I don't think Fresno State is likely to upset the Wolverines in "The Big House" (although Appalachian State fans know it wouldn't be the first time!), so the most likely team to take the Belt away from the Big Ten would be the Texas Longhorns who visit Michigan on September 7th, 2024. Should the home team prevail in that game, the belt will likely remain in the possession of one or more Big Ten teams until the postseason... stay tuned!
If you'd like a summary of every team who has ever won the belt (along with a brief explanation), check out "Lineal - The Hatch Rankings".
If that short explanation isn't satisfying, you can read a longer explanation on this blog in the article "The College Football Belt".
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Other
NY DOT construction workers install sound barriers along the North I-81 Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com)N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com
The I-81 project will add miles and miles of noise barriers. How did the state decide where they should go? (PS; $; Breidenbach)
When Elizabeth Leich was young, she said she planted acorns along Interstate 81 with the hope that big oak trees would drown the highway sound and help her mother sleep at night.
Decades later, she tried something more effective. Leich wrote to the Department of Transportation and invited state officials to listen to the traffic whiz, rumble and zoom by her neighborhood in Mattydale, behind Roxboro Road Middle School.
The state did just that. Researchers tested the noise at five addresses on Kirsch Road and the soccer fields behind the school.
They determined the decibel levels were high enough and noise barriers would help enough people to justify the cost.
The state recently started building the foundation for more than a mile of noise barriers near Leich’s neighborhood.
“People were overjoyed,” she said. “I think it will just be an absolute positive.”
Meanwhile, in DeWitt, state officials decided against noise barriers at the busy Route 5 exit, to the disappointment of residents in the DeWittshire neighborhood. State officials said barriers would not reduce enough noise at enough homes, most of which are more than 500 feet from the highway, records show.
“My understanding is that we’re too high up and too far away,” said Caroline Brackett, who lives in DeWittshire with her two children. “It seems like something there would bounce at least some of it, keep some of it off. Some is better than none.”
In all, new and improved barriers will be built along 8.5 miles of highway in Syracuse and Cicero, Salina and DeWitt as part of the massive plan to rebuild Interstates 81 and 481 with a $2.25 billion budget.
From North Syracuse to DeWitt to Jamesville, people who live along those highways asked the state DOT to spend some of that money to mitigate the sound they anticipate will only increase over time.
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