sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Hot Dog Day!
National Hot Dog Day celebrates the popular cooked sausage, which many times is eaten in a bun. Hot dogs gained in popularity in the United States in the early 20th century, and are similar to frankfurters and wieners, which take their names from Frankfurt, Germany, and Vienna, Austria. In the United States, hot dogs were traditionally sold at hot dog stands and carts, and were prominent in New York City, as well as Chicago. They have become a prominent part of American culture, and have been closely associated with baseball. Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile have also become cultural icons.
SU News
https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog...-worth-a-damn-so-fran-brown-will-shut-the--up (barstoolsports.com; Ohios Tate)
Syracuse Needs To Play Someone Worth A Damn So Fran Brown Will Shut The Up
https://twitter.com/intent/follow?r...wn-will-shut-the--up&screen_name=BarstoolTate
So Fran Brown and the mighty Syracuse football team came from behind...at home...against the vaunted Ohio Bobcats...in their season opener and took a victory lap so large that I'm sure he had to stop and get water multiple times. He sprinted into his post game press conference and taunted Ryan Day and Ohio State to the point where I'm not sure he realized he played the Bobcats, not the Buckeyes, that day. Okay cool, Fran...our trash is clearly your treasure. Kyle McCord threw for a couple yards and a couple touchdowns against a MAC school. Could you imagine if the people of Columbus talked this much trash after beating a team from that conference? But I let it go. He was excited, and plus, lions don't concern themselves with sheep.
...until he was at it again this week. Syracuse held off the gutsy Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who were recently voted to finish 9th in their conference. Syracuse beat them by 3. Talk your , Fran!!!
https://twitter.com/AshleyWenskTV/s...-worth-a-damn-so-fran-brown-will-shut-the--up
...Syracuse's adjustments pay off in Marlowe Wax's 1st missed game (DO; Stepansky)
In the last five seasons, Syracuse’s defense has been led by three different defensive coordinators: Tony White, Rocky Long and now, Elijah Robinson.
Throughout the continuous change, linebacker Marlowe Wax has been the consistent piece of the puzzle, appearing in all 50 of SU’s games since 2020. However, Wax went down with a right-leg injury in the third quarter of SU’s season opener against Ohio, knocking him out of the game and sidelining him for at least six weeks.
Syracuse revamped its defense in its first game without Wax, moving to a largely three-man front and dropping edge rusher Fadil Diggs to the second level alongside linebacker Derek McDonald. The adjustment paid off, as Diggs and McDonald recorded a team-leading seven tackles each.
Without their leading tackler from the last two seasons, the Orange improved their Pro Football Focus tackling grade by 28.2 points from Week 1, while holding No. 23 Georgia Tech’s offense just enough to secure a 31-28 victory.
“(Diggs) is not a linebacker, it was for this defense,” SU head coach Fran Brown said after his team’s win over GT. “But we were able to replace (Wax) for a quick weekend, being as though the other guys were able to still stay at their spots.”
While Brown described Syracuse’s look versus the Yellow Jackets as a completely new defense, McDonald and Diggs said it was merely an expansion of its red zone defense a week prior.
In Week 1, SU played a front in the red zone that featured Diggs dropping back and filling the gaps of the three down linemen. Syracuse held Ohio to a 2-for-11 clip on third down and three first-half field goals.
Against Georgia Tech, Robinson used the concept on a larger scale.
“It’s (Robinson’s) mindset to be physical in that red zone area or just in the front,” Diggs said. “It was more violent downhill stuff. (Wax), usually he does that. So we were trying to get some of that energy back with him being out.”
Wax was the man in the middle of Long’s 3-3-5 defense in 2023, totaling 110 tackles and being named a Second Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference linebacker. In a new role in Robinson’s 4-2-5 defense, Wax recorded six tackles and a sack in less than three quarters.
After Wax exited in the third quarter, Robinson plugged a rotation of redshirt freshman James Heard Jr. and redshirt junior Anwar Sparrow to pair with McDonald. Both held their own, as Heard Jr. recorded an interception and Sparrow added a tackle.
“They showed production, so you just hope that they can do that job,” Brown said of the linebacker duo two days after SU’s win over Ohio. “You’re gonna need two or three to fill (Wax) not being there.”
Though Wax’s absence from the lineup was known early in the week, Brown emphasized keeping him around the team. According to McDonald, Wax was in most meetings throughout the week and even put on a headset in practice to speak with teammates.
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Syracuse football bowl watch: Where do national projections think Orange is headed? (PS; $; Carlson)
Two games into the college football season there is little consensus about which bowl game Syracuse is most likely to play this season. National projections range from fairly prestigious bowls (like the Pop-Tarts Bowl) and destinations that would be difficult to get excited about (like the Fenway Bowl).
The only bowl destination to appear twice in national projections this week is the Pinstripe Bowl. I have ruled out that in my projections since the Orange played in the Bronx in 2022.
On the plus side for Syracuse, everyone performing this exercise views the Orange as a bowl team. There are 35 bowls scheduled in addition to the College Football Playoffs, which take 12 teams.
ESPN’s Football Power Index projects the most likely finish for the Orange as 7-5. I think Syracuse will be better.
Here’s a look at how the ACC bowl picture could play out.
College Football Playoff: Miami
The College Football Playoff includes automatic bids for the five-highest ranked conference champions, including first-round byes for the top-four conference champions, and the seven best at-large teams. At the moment, Miami is the only ACC team that would earn an at-large spot. This projects them as the ACC champion.
Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, Florida) vs. SEC: Louisville
The ACC always sends one of its best teams to the Gator Bowl and a matchup with an SEC team. I currently have the Cardinals as the league’s second-best team although they are going to have their work cut out for them to stay here. Louisville’s schedule includes games against Miami, Clemson and Notre Dame.
Pop-Tarts Bowl (Orlando, Florida) vs. Big 12: Notre Dame
I would have sent Clemson to this bowl game, which has featured a ranked ACC team for seven-consecutive seasons, but the Tigers went to Orlando in 2021. Notre Dame hasn’t been here since 2019 and was knocked out of the CFP projections by its loss to Northern Illinois.
Holiday Bowl (San Diego, California) vs. Pac-12: Clemson
The Tigers have to end up with a prominent spot. The Holiday Bowl has loads of tradition.
Pinstripe Bowl (Bronx, New York) vs. Big Ten: Boston College
Syracuse would be the natural pick here but Orange appeared in this game in 2022. The Pinstripe Bowl is going to want a Northern team most years. Boston College has started strong and warrants a matchup with a Big Ten opponent.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Charlotte, North Carolina) vs. Big Ten: Syracuse
The game has taken a representative from North Carolina or Virginia for nine-consecutive years, so I’m breaking with tradition with this choice. There’s no one in that area as enticing as Syracuse and Kyle McCord right now. That means Fran Brown ends his first season with a mayonnaise bath. Bad news for Brown. Good news for sports photographers.
Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas) vs. Pac-12: North Carolina
I took the Tar Heels out of play for their home-state bowl, so I’m sending them across the country instead.
Fenway Bowl (Boston, Massachusetts) vs. American: Pittsburgh
No school is eager to travel to Boston in the middle of winter. This game is going to choose northeastern schools as often as possible. Thankfully for Syracuse fans, the Orange has already grabbed a spot.
Military Bowl (Annapolis, Maryland) vs. American: North Carolina State
North Carolina State hasn’t looked good but it should make its way to bowl eligibility. This one is a short trip.
Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, Florida) vs. TBD: Virginia Tech
The Hokies have an appealing fan base and get the most appealing destination remaining.
Birmingham Bowl (Birmingham, Alabama) vs. TBD: Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets are a geographically sensible pick.
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Syracuse football: Game two grades versus No. 23 Georgia Tech (TNIAAM; Chiappone)
The Fran Brown era is off to a perfect start as the Syracuse Orange overcame a fourth quarter scare to defeat the No. 23 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 31-28, a nice win in what many saw was a key early-season test for the program.
Syracuse’s new-look offense shined across the board as well as it did in week one. On the defensive side, the unit looked good for most of the game and that ended up being enough to give the Orange their first AP top-25 win of the year.
Let’s get to the grades from Syracuse’s first game against an ACC opponent:
Quarterbacks: A+
Kyle McCord followed up his career day last week against Ohio with another one versus the Yellow Jackets. McCord finished with a 69.5% completion percentage (32/46), 381 passing yards (8.3 yards per throw) and 4 touchdowns. Yet again, the passing attack for the Orange had tempo, played consistently and led to big plays from start to finish. Personally, you will rarely see me give out an A-plus, but this week saw McCord earn a well-deserved one. This was expected to be an offensive shootout, and McCord made all the big and right plays as well as avoiding any costly mistakes. The last drive was the only real scare all game.
Running Backs: A-
Went back and forth between B+ and A-, but ultimately settled with the A-. Yes, the ground game was not nuclear levels of dominant. Yet, the Orange have to love what the running back duo of LeQuint Allen (15 carries, 83 yards; 5 catches for 47 yards) and Will Nixon (9 carries, 38 yards; 1 catch for 20 yards) are giving them both on the ground and as a receiving option. Outside of pure offensive versatility, Allen and Nixon give Syracuse two different looks at running back who each can be pretty effective down the field catching the ball. Sometimes, it helps to just have pure consistency at certain spots and the running backs did just that. And again, avoiding any costly fumbles meant Georgia Tech mostly avoided great field position.Wide Receivers: A
The receivers avoid the A+ by a slim margin due to some untimely dropped passes, but wow is this position deep for Syracuse. Oronde Gadsden (6 catches for 93 yards and 2 TDs) and Trebor Pena (6 catches for 88 yards and 2 TDs) impressed yet again, but huge props should also go to Umari Hatcher (5 catches for 67 yards), Jackson Meeks (4 catches for 32 yards) and Zeed Haynes (4 catches for 27 yards). Including Allen, six Syracuse players caught between 4 and 6 passes, and the lowest average yards per catch out of those six was Haynes (6.8 YPC). That’s remarkable.Offensive Line: A-
The generosity with the grades for the offensive possessions is certainly there, but there wasn’t much to dislike about the offensive line’s performance. Just one sack allowed the entire day. McCord had plenty of time in the pocket. The key stat that gives the O-line at least an A- is this: all of Syracuse’s four touchdowns came on plays where McCord threw the ball between 11 and 20 yards. A passing QB like McCord needs time in the pocket for that to happen, and the down-field threat of Syracuse’s passing attack gets a huge boost when he has time in the pocket to make some of those bigger throws.Defensive Line: B
For the second straight week, the D-line was probably Syracuse’s strongest position group on defense. Fadil Diggs impressed yet again and led the way for the Orange. Yes, the defensive line failed to record a single sack on Saturday, but holding Jamal Haynes to 11 carries for 35 rushing yards is a win after last week’s rushing defense turned out to be far worse. The defensive line also made the critical play of stopping Georgia Tech on fourth down in its own territory, leading to another Syracuse touchdown that proved to be vital in the grand scheme of things.Linebackers: C+
...Syracuse Football: Key takeaways from the Orange's week 2 win over Georgia Tech (itlh; Nederveld)
Ohio is a good team and they challenged Syracuse football in their week one win. But the Georgia Tech game, led by a potent rushing attack which Syracuse struggled with against Ohio, was always going to be more difficult.
The Yellow Jackets picked up an impressive week zero win over then-No. 10 Florida State and followed it up with a comfortable 35-12 win over Georgia State. In the end, Syracuse football eliminated doubts and picked up a 31-28 ranked win.
My key takeaways from Syracuse football's ACC opening victory versus Georgia Tech.
Special teams were far from special
In the past, I'd consider special teams to be a strength of the Orange. That was not the case on Saturday. In the first quarter, Brady Denaburg had a 43-yard kick blocked that would have given the Orange a 10-7 lead. Late in the second quarter, a Jack Stonehouse punt was blocked, which led to a field goal attempt for the Yellow Jackets.Having two kicks blocked is almost unheard of, and it's lucky that it didn't cost Syracuse the game. But the third special teams' major mishap almost did.
In the fourth quarter, Georgia Tech was down 31-21 with 5:06 left and needed a miracle to come back. They got it via an onside kick recovery. Postgame, Fran Brown showcased the A in his motto DART (accountability), and he owned up to the mistake. But it should have never happened in the first place. After that, the Jackets drove down the field again to make the score 31-28, and the upset win has lost some of its luster because of it.
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Syracuse football: Three takeaways from SU’s 31-28 upset win against #23 Georgia Tech (TNIAMA; Fowler)
What looked like a potential disaster for the Syracuse Orange late in the 4th quarter turned into SU’s first win against a ranked opponent since Oct. 15, 2022, against NC State.
Syracuse overwhelmed Georgia Tech on offense, but the Orange defense and special teams unit made this game much closer than Head Coach Fran Brown would’ve liked.
Let’s get to the takeaways from the Orange in week two:
Others deserve credit besides Brown and McCord
Fran Brown, QB Kyle McCord, and the other offseason additions received a bulk, if not all, of the media’s attention going into the season, and for good reason, but getting Trebor Pena and Oronde Gadsden back healthy was overlooked. And, right now, it’s hard not to overreact to what the two have already accomplished this season.
Through two games, OG and Pena have combined for 25 catches, 367 yards, and SEVEN touchdowns.
It also can’t be overstated what Offensive Coordinator Jeff Nixon has done to completely re-invent this Orange offense that was abysmal last season — Syracuse finished near the bottom of the ACC in total offense and dead last in passing offense in 2023. Brown gives Nixon a ton of credit for putting OG and Pena, among other Syracuse players on offense, in situations to be successful.
Nixon has held several roles in the NFL and at the collegiate level, most recently as the running backs coach for the New York Giants, where he worked closely with RB Saquon Barkley. Nixon’s wealth of experience will be a big help to Fran and the rest of the offense as the college football season unfolds.
Middle of the field was wide open
When you lose your star linebacker and defensive leader in Marlowe Wax, you’re going to have some trouble at the second level. Georgia Tech QB Haynes King recognized this early, and often. King took advantage of a depleted and younger LB core, completing most of his throws over the middle of the field and taking it himself several times (including two rush touchdowns).King finished the day with 333 yards of total offense and three scores.
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Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord piles up weekly awards, leads the country in touchdown passes (PS; $; Carlson)
Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord, who is currently tied for tops in the country with eight touchdown passes, piled up weekly college football awards for the second straight week on Monday.
McCord was named the ACC’s co-quarterback of the week on Monday, sharing the honor with Clemson’s Cade Klubnik.
He was also recognized as one of the week’s top eight quarterback performances by the Davey O’Brien Award committee, joining Klubnik, Iowa State’s Rocco Becht, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Northern Illinois’ Ethan Hampton, Navy’s Blake Horvath, Washington State’s John Mateer and Texas State’s Jordan McCloud.
McCord is the only member of that group who was also on the Davey O’Brien list in Week 1.
Through two games, McCord is tied with LSU’s Grant Nussmeier with eight touchdown passes. He is third in passing yards behind only Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart and North Texas’ Chandler Morris.
Syracuse beat Georgia Tech, 31-28 on Saturday, with McCord throwing for 381 yards and four touchdowns.
Mike McAllister recaps Syracuse Football's BIG win over Ranked Geogia Tech on Orange Nation (youtube; radio; Orange Nation)
Mike McAllister, publisher of Syracuse on 247 Sports, joins Steve Infanti and Paulie Scibilia to give his thoughts on and takeaways from Syracuse football's win over Georgia Tech.
Syracuse Football UNRANKED in AP Poll - What's the Path to the Top 25? | Syracuse Orange Podcast (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse Orange Football is off to a 2-0 start after its ranked victory over Georgia Tech, but Fran Brown's Syracuse squad is once again unranked in the latest AP Poll. The Orange did receive 63 votes, and if they dominate the Stanford Cardinal next Friday then they'll most likely climb into the top 25.
Jackson Holzer goes over why Syracuse wasn't ranked and what the Cuse have to do to crack the top 25 on this mini edition of the Locked On Syracuse Podcast.
How Syracuse Football Improved Their Defense Against Georgia Tech | Syracuse Orange Podcast (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse Orange Football had a much better defensive performance against Georgia Tech. Syracuse only missed six tackles compared to 19 the previous week. Elijah Robinson also made the adjustment to have Fadil Diggs play linebacker, which worked nearly to perfection in stopping Haynes King and Jamal Haynes.
Jackson Holzer gives his defense takeaways against Georgia Tech.
Former Syracuse Quarterback Don McPherson Discusses Kyle McCord's Play so Far (youtube; podcast; Cuse Sports Talk)
Former Syracuse QB Don McPherson joins Gomez and Company to discuss Kyle McCord, what bowl game Syracuse could get, and more.
The Juice Online - Podcast: Fran Brown used Brent Key's words as motivation for Syracuse (r1vals.com; podcast; Juice on the Cuse)
When Fran Brown met the media after Syracuse's 31-28 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday, he spoke about the chip he had on his shoulder heading into the game.
Earlier in the week, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key had mentioned the importance of being physically tough against the Orange, and Brown said that irked him.
"I took it personal when he talked about it not being about X's and O's, it was about coming up here and being tough and physical for four hours," Brown said. "We’re from the Northeast- what do you mean by that? Like we don't play football, we're not physical and tough?”
We discussed the bulletin board material on today's Juice on the Cuse Podcast, presented by Rivals and Bleav. Afterward, several players including Fadil Diggs said the coaching staff played clips of Key's interview over and over again through the week.
We also dive into an outstanding performance from the offense, and Syracuse being just outside of the Top 25 heading into a bye week.
You can listen to our whole conversation by following “The Juice on the Cuse Podcast,” a Syracuse Orange podcast presented by https:///, by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you get your podcasts.
McCord Racks Up National Honors - Syracuse University Athletics (cuse.com)
Quarterback Kyle McCord continues to rack up national honors after performing as one of the nation's top quarterbacks through two weeks.
McCord was named to the Davey O'Brien Award's Great 8 for the second-straight week. He also was named the East-West Shrine Bowl "Monday Morning Quarterback," a weekly honor the Shrine Bowl puts out, and was named a Manning Award star of the week.
McCord set new career highs in completions (32) and yards (381), while matching his personal best from a week prior with four touchdown passes, in the Orange's win over then No. 23 Georgia Tech.
The Orange signal caller now leads the nation in touchdown passes (8), ranks second in completions (29.5 per game), third in passing yards (735) and fourth in total offense (372.0 per game).
McCord and the Orange are on a bye this week, they'll return to action on Friday, Sept. 20 when Stanford visits the JMA Dome for the first time. Fans can get their tickets today at Cuse.com/Tickets.
Syracuse Football on Instagram: "stand on business, move like a boss YT.be/nflsundayticketstudent"
cusefootball on September 9, 2024: "stand on business, move like a boss YT.be/nflsundayticketstudent".
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ACC News
Syracuse 31, #23 Georgia Tech 28 REACTION (youtube; podcast; Gramlich & Mac Lain)
Mac & KG react to Syracuse's big win over GT and 'Cuse jumping into the Top-25.
10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to after Week 2 in the ACC (saturdaydownsouth.com; Friedlander)
Clemson was picked to finish 2nd in the ACC’s preseason poll. NC State was picked to finish 4th. Both had early, high-profile matchups against SEC opponents. And both lost.
Badly.
There are those who will inevitably use those lopsided results to prove their point that the ACC is a subpar conference.
It’s not. It’s just not in the same zip code as the SEC this year.
Both things can be true. They’re not mutually exclusive. But that’s not going to stop the haters from hating. It’s just what they do.
Their tired narrative is just 1 of the 10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to after Week 3 in and around the ACC.
10. Irish eyes would still be smiling in the ACC
Notre Dame made a lot of people happy by stubbing its toe against Northern Illinois on Saturday.Nobody more so than Jim Phillips.
The ACC commissioner isn’t one of the legions of college football fans sick of the Irish’s sense of entitlement as they cling to their independent football status as if it were a rosary and continue to be overhyped based on ancient history. He’s actually a Notre Dame guy. But because of the structure of the new 12-team Playoff, the ACC stands to benefit from the Irish’s misfortune.
Why?
Notre Dame’s loss to NIU severely diminishes their chances of getting into the bracket as 1 of the 7 at-large selections. If they were a full-time member of the ACC, they’d still be a favorite to earn an (almost) automatic bid and first-round bye as a power conference champion. That stark reality should be enough incentive for them to realize that the time has come to give in and join.
Notre Dame already plays 5 ACC games per season, poaches ACC transfer quarterbacks and has made an ACC Championship Game appearance during COVID.
It’s time.
9. Thanks again, Scott Satterfield
Scott Satterfield did Louisville and the ACC a favor by deciding to make a lateral move and leave for Cincinnati 2 seasons ago. His departure opened the door for favorite son Jeff Brohm to return to his alma mater.And the rest, as they say, is history.
The Cardinals were immediately transformed from an irrelevant middle-of-the-pack team to a championship contender by winning 10 games and earning a spot in the conference title game last season. And they’re off to another promising start after laying a 49-14 hurting on Jacksonville State.
Leaving Louisville, however, isn’t Satterfield’s only recent contribution to an ACC team. Saturday, his Bearcats helped Pitt get off to a 2-0 start by squandering a 3-touchdown lead in a last-second 31-30 loss to the Panthers.
8. Making new friends … for now
Cal hasn’t wasted any time endearing itself to its new conference cousins on the opposite coast. Off the field and on social media, its fans have fully embraced the move to the ACC. And on Saturday, Justin Wilcox’s team added to the popularity by going to Auburn and scoring a victory on the field against an SEC opponent.The Bears’ success against the SEC wasn’t the main reason they were added to the league, along with Stanford and SMU. But it certainly hasn’t hurt. Saturday’s win was their 4th in its past 5 games against the nation’s top conference. They also beat Tennessee in 2007 and Ole Miss in 2017 and 18.
As much as the folks at Cal are enjoying the warm welcome they’ve been getting, they better enjoy it now while they can. Because the goodwill won’t last once their team begins conference play and starts beating some of their new friends.
7. Who did Georgia Tech tick off to get this schedule?
It’s bad enough that the ACC had the Yellow Jackets come right home from Ireland in Week 0, turn right around and jet lag be damned, play another game the following Saturday. Against a cross-town rival, no less.But then the schedule-makers upped the degree of difficulty on Brent Key’s team by sending it back out onto the road for Week 2 for an ACC contest against Syracuse. At least its opening game opponent Florida State was given this week off to rest and get its legs back. Tech will have to wait until Week 5 to get the 1st of its 3 open dates.
There’s no way of knowing how much the grueling schedule played a part in the Yellow Jackets’ loss to the Orange. It might not have made a difference as well as Fran Brown’s up-and-coming team played.
But it certainly didn’t help.
6. Take Tony off the hot seat
Tony Elliott didn’t officially save his job with Virginia’s come-from-behind win at Wake Forest. He’ll need a few more of those for that to happen. But it’s just a matter of time based on the decisions he’s made and the performance of his team over the first 2 weeks.The Cavaliers are 2-0 for the first time since Bronco Mendenhall’s final season in 2020 and are just 1 victory from matching their entire season total in each of Elliott’s first 2 campaigns. More important, they’ve shown tangible signs of growth along the way, especially in the way they rallied in the 4th quarter against the Deacons.
It was a game UVa would have lost a year ago. Five of its 9 defeats in 2023 were by a touchdown or less, with 4 coming by 3 or fewer points. This time they flipped the script by battling back from a 30-17 deficit to take the lead with just over 2 minutes remaining. They then sealed the victory by forcing a turnover on Wake’s final possession.
The win gives the Cavaliers a realistic shot at reaching the 6 wins needed for bowl eligibility. It also provided validation for the most pivotal personnel decision of Elliott’s tenure – choosing Anthony Colandrea as his starting quarterback after a hotly contested competition with Tony Muskett. Colandrea threw for 357 yards and 3 touchdowns and showed poised leadership in leading his team’s game-winning 12-play drive.
Elliott hasn’t had it easy in his first 2 seasons in Charlottesville. He’s had to endure an unthinkable tragedy, a rebuilt roster and a string of close losses. But his persistence is finally paying off. And the temperature under his office chair is a whole lot cooler because of it.
5. You’re not in the American anymore, SMU
Maybe we should have seen it coming.Sure, SMU won 11 games and the American Athletic Conference championship last season, But it was 0-3 against power conference opponents, including a loss to now-ACC rival Boston College in the Fenway Bowl. And the Mustangs picked up right where they left off on Friday in their 1st power conference test of 2024.
It’s bad enough that Rhett Lashlee’s team lost to BYU. At home. But the way it lost was even more troubling. The Mustangs couldn’t block anyone, either in the pass or run game. Neither of its quarterbacks, starter Preston Stone and backup Kevin Jennings, distinguished himself in combining to produce an anemic 261 yards of offense. All 15 of their points came on 5 Collin Rogers field goals. Two of which were more than 50 yards. Five red zone trips produced only 6 points.
And that’s against a Big 12 bottom feeder.
As overmatched as the Mustangs looked against BYU, it’s only going to get tougher from here on out. Their final 9 games are all against power conference teams. It’s no gimme that they’re going to get the 4 more wins they need for bowl eligibility.4. Ohio State did Syracuse a huge favor by running Kyle McCord out of town
McCord completed 66% of his passes for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions while going 11-1 in his only season as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback last year. Apparently, that wasn’t good enough for the folks in Columbus.Although coach Ryan Day claimed to want McCord back, he essentially ran him out of town by failing to commit to him as his starter for 2024. It’s hard to understand why, other than the fact that he wasn’t CJ Stroud and he had the audacity to lose to Michigan. A result that cost his team a spot in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State’s loss has been Syracuse’s gain.
McCord is off to a flying start in new coach Fran Brown’s offense. After throwing for 354 yards and 4 touchdowns in an opening-week win against Ohio, he made an even louder statement on Saturday. He lit up Georgia Tech’s improved defense for 381 yards and 4 more scores, spreading the ball around to 8 receivers in a statement victory for himself and his team.
If McCord was still with the Buckeyes, he’d already be front-and-center in the Heisman Trophy conversation. Based on his first 2 performances at Syracuse, it’s time for the college football mainstream to look beyond the usual suspects and start talking about him now.
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Top 5 Offensive Plays Of The Week | 2024 ACC Football (youtube; video; ACC DN)
There was plenty of action on ACC football fields in week2! From Conner Harrell and Christian Hamilton providing some fireworks for the Tar Heels to Tyler Neville and Stephen Gosnell showing some serious catch-radius range, you won't want to miss this collection of plays. Add in a Cam Ward exclamation point and a game-winner for Maalik Murphy and Eli Pancol to really add some spice! Check 'em all out here, and see which one earns the top spot.
ACC Power Rankings: With Kyle McCord rolling, how close to the top is Syracuse football? (PS; $; Carlson)
While a favorite to reach the ACC title game has already emerged two weeks into the season, the search for a second choice is a fascinating one.
There are plenty of defendable choices.
Clemson was high on the list entering the season. The Tigers looked great this week and have a long track record of success. They were blown out by Georgia in the opener but that happens to pretty much everyone that plays the Bulldogs at this point.
Louisville finished as the league’s No. 2 team last year. The Cardinals haven’t done anything to create skepticism but have faced fewer tests than anyone in the conference.
Boston College has a pair of lopsided wins, including one over ACC program. Pittsburgh has a road win over a Big XII opponent. California has a road win over an SEC opponent.
And then there is Syracuse, which is one of just three teams (North Carolina and Pittsburgh) that have multiple wins over FBS opponents already. Syracuse only beat Georgia Tech by three points on Saturday but anyone who watched the game knows the Orange was the better team and has an impressive quarterback.
Here’s a look at how I’d rank the ACC this week. Who would you have at No. 2?
1. Miami
Record: 2-0 (0-0)Last week’s ranking: 1
Last week’s result: Win 56-9 vs. Florida A&M
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Ball State, 3:30 p.m., ACC Network
Why No. 1? Miami has played one reasonably good team (Florida) and outscored its opponents, 97-26. Cam Ward is averaging more than 10 yards each time he throws -- not just completes -- a pass. He and Kyle McCord are the early favorites for ACC Player of the Year.
2. Louisville
Record: 2-0 (0-0)Last week’s ranking: 2
Last week’s result: Win 49-14 vs Jacksonville State
This week’s schedule: Off
Why No. 2? Louisville has only faced lower-level competition but has done what good teams should do. It has dominated in all facets. Seventh-year quarterback Tyler Shough has looked in control with six touchdowns and no interceptions, and the Cardinals are currently the league’s top rushing team. Given Louisville’s success last year and the fact that its transfer portal class was ranked the country’s best, I’m giving the Cardinals the benefit of the doubt.
3. Clemson
Record: 1-1 (0-0)Last week’s ranking: 5
Last week’s result: Win 66-20 vs. Appalachian State
This week’s schedule: Off
Why No. 3? Clemson seemed to have a point to prove against the Mountaineers, who are traditionally a feisty Group-of-Five opponent. Much-criticized quarterback Cade Klubnik threw five touchdowns for a much-criticized offense, which scored 35 points in the first quarter. Clemson will face tougher teams than Appalachian State but Georgia is so good that the majority of the ACC might actually be closer to the level of the Mountaineers than they are to the Bulldogs.
4. Syracuse
Record: 2-0 (1-0)Last week’s ranking: 8
Last week’s result: Win 31-28 vs. Georgia Tech
This week’s schedule: Off
Why No. 4? Kyle McCord is clearly one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC and currently leads the league in passing yards. Box score watchers (like I am forced to be with many of these teams) aren’t going to be wowed by the margin of victory over Georgia Tech. But they will be overlooking the fact that the Orange would have won comfortably if not for some correctable mistakes on special teams. After seeing how the Orange fixed its Week 1 tackling woes, I’m betting those get shored up.
5. Boston College
Record: (2-0, 1-0)Last week’s ranking: 3
Last week’s result: Win 56-0 vs. Duquesne
This week’s schedule: Saturday at Missouri, 12:45 p.m., SEC Network
Why No. 5? Beating Florida State is solid but probably isn’t as impressive as many thought. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos averaged 23.4 yards per pass against the overmatched Dukes this past weekend, completing 9 of 10 for 234 yards. The increase in competition level will be dramatic this weekend at Missouri.
6. Pittsburgh
Record: 2-0 (0-0)Last week’s ranking: 7
Last week’s result: Win 28-27 at Cincinnati
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. West Virginia, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Why No. 6? The Panthers showed excellent toughness coming back from 21 points down on the road against a Big XII opponent. It would have been better if that wasn’t necessary. Given the offensive concerns entering the year, I have worries about the up-and-down performance. Quarterback Eli Holstein threw for 66 yards in the first half and 239 in the second.
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BOZICH | The Good, Bad & Preposterous from Week 2 of ACC football (wdrb.com; Bozich)
The record shows that the Southeastern Conference has six of the top seven and eight of the top 16 teams in the latest Associated Press college football poll.
ESPN's Football Power Index is nearly as bullish. They are five SEC teams in the FPI top six and nine in the top 20.
Jeff Sagarin does not have a national TV deal with the SEC. But his rankings concur. Five of the top six and nine of the top 20.
And the Atlantic Coast Conference?
Mostly scraps.
Miami sits No. 10, Louisville 19th, Clemson 22nd and Boston College 24th in the AP poll.
The same four made ESPN's Top 25, led by Louisville at 11. Sagarin's predictor numbers have Miami 19, Clemson 18 and Louisville 21. That's it. Not a ton of love.
Yes, Georgia knocked Clemson into 2012. Vanderbilt punctured Virginia Tech's thoughts of a return to the Top 25 this season. And Tennessee used North Carolina State as a runway into the national championship debate.
But ... Miami did put Billy Napier into the first chair of the Hot Seat List in Week 1. And California did roll into Jordan-Hare Stadium and send 88,043 Auburn fans home with indigestion Saturday.
So I'm here to give ACC football some love — and rank the 17 teams after last weekend's games. Reminder: You get extra credit for actually winning conference games, which is, you know, how the league will decide which two teams get to Charlotte for its championship game.
My totally subjective and easy to question rankings will look more reasonable after more league games are played.
I hope.
1. Boston College (2-0, ranked No. 1 last week): I'm not saying BC is the best team in the ACC. But they're the only team with a conference road victory against a ranked opponent. Florida State is not ranked any more. But the Seminoles were the pick of 81 voters to win the league before the season. BC has allowed one touchdown and 81 rushing yards in two games. We'll find out if the Eagles are top-10 worthy when they visit No. 6 Missouri on Saturday.
2. Syracuse (2-0, 8 last week): I haven't spent much time worrying about the Orange, because they're not on Louisville's schedule. But new coach Fran Brown has come close to filling the JMA Wireless Dome by beating Ohio University and No. 23 Georgia Tech, igniting his team by blowing up comments that Tech coach Brent Key made about toughness.
"Don't give no ammo to me," Brown said after the Orange won, 31-28.
The 'Cuse should be tough enough to win their next two over Stanford and Holy Cross to be 4-0. Of course, they were 4-0 last year and Dino Babers got fired.
3. Virginia (2-0, 13 last week): Look who's the league's third 1-0 team in ACC play. It is the Cavaliers, who went on the road and beat Wake Forest, not the easiest assignment. There were whispers that UVA coach Tony Elliott was on the Hot Seat in year three, but sophomore quarterback Anthony Colandrea has completed nearly 76% of his passes while throwing for 327 yards per game. U of L plays at Virginia on Oct. 12. Might not be a gimme.
4. Miami (2-0, 3 last week): The wise guys say this is the team to beat in the ACC. The Hurricanes have the shortest odds to win the ACC title. They have a Heisman Trophy contender in quarterback Cam Ward. They have a road win against Florida. There's an excellent chance the Hurricanes will be a 6-0 national story when they visit L&N Cardinal Stadium on Oct. 19. Dare I whisper ... College Game Day?
5. Louisville (2-0, 5 last week): The Cards have done what they were supposed to do: take care of Austin Peay and Jacksonville State without any furrowed brows. They ease into an off week ranked 11th in ESPN's Football Power Index and No. 21 in Jeff Sagarin's predictor rankings. We'll know more when Georgia Tech visits Sept. 21. But no alarms have gone off — the way they did in Lexington on Saturday.
6. North Carolina (2-0, 4 last week): A two-point win over Minnesota was impressive. An 18-point home win over Charlotte was not. New quarterback Connor Harrell ranks 16th in the ACC in passing at 126.5 yards per game with two touchdowns. In other words, he ain't Drake Maye.
7. Pitt (2-0, 9 last week): The Panthers spotted Scott Satterfield and Cincinnati a 27-6 lead late in the third quarter and then roared back to beat the once formidable Bearcats, 29-27. The Pitt players put an exclamation mark on their victory by racing toward the end zone and taunting UC, repeating the same vulgar chant that had been directed at them all day. Pitt has a rivalry game with West Virginia on Saturday. Interesting.
8. Duke (2-0, 10 last week): Pitt wasn't the only team to come from behind and win on the road. Duke spotted Northwestern a three-point lead before tying the game with a field goal in the final 15 seconds and then watched the Wildcats score first in overtime before delivering a 26-20 win in the second overtime. New quarterback Maalik Murphy, a transfer from Texas, had a better day than former Duke QB Riley Leonard had at Notre Dame. The Blue Devils should beat Connecticut and Middle Tennessee to get to 4-0. Also interesting.
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ACC power rankings entering Week 3: Miami hangs tight as NC State collapses (247sports.com; Hughes)
Over half of the ACC remains unbeaten and four league teams cracked the AP Top 25 as we enter Week 3 of the college football season. NC State and SMU were the only ACC teams to lost to non-conference opponents this week. Both teams tumbled down our power rankings for Week 3 as a result.
FCS Western Carolina exposed cracks in the Wolfpack's roster in Week 1, and Tennessee took full advantage this weekend. The Volunteers throttled Dave Doeren and Co. 51-10 in front of a national television audience, marking the Wolfpack's fifth-straight loss against an SEC opponent. A day earlier, SMU dropped to 2-1 with an 18-15 loss at home to BYU. The Mustangs entered the game as an 11.5-point favorite.
Miami rocketed up our power rankings last week after its dominant 41-17 win at Florida. The Hurricanes backed up their strong Week 1 outing with another impressive performance on Saturday. Boston College, Clemson, Louisville and Syracuse are also surging after big wins in Week 2.
Here are updated ACC power rankings entering Week 3:
17. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (1-1)
Week 2 Result: Loses to Virginia, 31-30
Last Week's Ranking: No. 16
Wake Forest blew a 13-point lead to Virginia at home and suffered its first loss to the Cavaliers since 2007. Quarterback Hank Bachmeier ranks No. 4 in the ACC in passing yards and hasn't thrown a pick, but the Demon Deacons have major questions on defense.
16. Stanford Cardinal (1-1)
Week 2 Result: Beats Cal Poly, 41-7
Last Week's Ranking: No. 17
Stanford jumps a spot after its blowout win over FCS Cal Poly. The Cardinal got another big performance from starting quarterback Ashton Daniels, who went 19-of-23 for 221 yards and two touchdowns.
15. SMU Mustangs (2-1)
Week 2 Result: Loses to BYU, 18-15
Last Week's Ranking: No. 8
A near-loss at Nevada in Week 0 raised concerns at SMU. This week, a brutal home loss to BYU confirmed the Mustangs have major issues. Quarterback Preston Stone doesn't look like the same player before injury and was benched against the Cougars.
14. Virginia Tech (1-1)
Week 2 Result: Beats Marshall, 31-14Last Week's Ranking: No. 10
Virginia Tech rebounded from its Week 1 loss to Vanderbilt with a much-needed victory against Marshall. Quarterback Kyron Drones wasn't asked to do much as running back Bhayshul Tuten broke loose for 120 rushing yards and a score on 22 carries.
13. Florida State Seminoles (0-2)
Week 2 Result: Bye
Last Week's Ranking: No. 11
Florida State got to regroup this week after its embarrassing 0-2 start, but this week's home matchup with 2-0 Memphis isn't a gimme. The Seminoles are still one of the more talented teams in the league, but we can't put Mike Norvell and Co. ahead of the undefeated teams on this list until we see them win a game.
12. Virginia Cavaliers (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Beats Wake Forest, 31-30Last Week's Ranking: No. 16
Virginia is 2-0 for the first time under Tony Elliott after an important win over Wake Forest in Week 2. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea looks like the spark the Cavaliers needed under center. He threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns against the Demon Deacons. Senior receiver Malachi Fields leads the conference with 248 receiving yards.
11. Duke Blue Devils (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Beats Northwestern, 26-20
Last Week's Ranking: No. 14
Duke survived its biggest September test with a double-overtime victory at Northwestern. There are concerns over the Blue Devils' offense as quarterback Maalik Murphy ranks towards the bottom of the conference in yards per attempt (6.7), but nothing is wrong with Manny Diaz's defense.
10. Pittsburgh Panthers (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Beats Cincinnati, 28-27Last Week's Ranking: No. 12
Pitt overcame a 21-point deficit late in the third quarter to secure an impressive road win against Cincinnati. Alabama transfer Eli Holstein continues to look like the real deal at quarterback. He completed 20-of-35 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns with an interception. Western Carolina transfer Desmond Reid had another big game with 19 carries for 148 rushing yards. He leads the ACC in rushing (293 yards) through two weeks.
9. North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Beats Charlotte, 38-20Last Week's Ranking: No. 7
North Carolina handled Charlotte in its home-opener, but it wasn't as easy as it should've been. An injury to star running back Omarion Hampton gave way to an impressive performance from true freshman Davion Gause, who carried the ball 16 times for 105 yards and a score. The Tar Heels will have arguably the ACC's best backfield when Hampton and transfer Darwin Barlow return to the lineup. UNC still needs more from sophomore quarterback Connor Harrell. He looked hurried in his first start in place of injured Max Johnson.
8. NC State Wolfpack (1-1)
Week 2 Result: Loss to Tennessee, 51-10Last Week's Ranking: No. 6
NC State entered the season as a College Football Playoff dark horse but any hope the Wolfpack could compete for a national championship was erased in the first two weeks. Tennessee humiliated Dave Doeren and Co. in its home state on Saturday despite a mediocre performance from star quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The Wolfpack's touted transfer haul disappointed. Quarterback Grayson McCall is a Group of Five transplant and played like it against the Volunteers. Running back Jordan Waters ran seven times for -4 yards.
7. California Golden Bears (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Beat Auburn, 21-14Last Week's Ranking: No. 13
Is Cal legit? The Golden Bears rocketed six spots in these power rankings after an impressive win at Auburn on Saturday, the program's first win over an SEC opponent since 2019. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza had a clean outing with 233 yards and two touchdowns, but the real story of the game was Cal's defense. The Golden Bears forced five turnovers and held the Tigers to 286 yards of total offense.
6. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2-1)
Week 2 Result: Loses to Syracuse, 31-28Last Week's Ranking: No. 2
Georgia Tech climbed to No. 2 in these rankings last week after a 2-0 start that featured an impressive win over Florida State in Dublin. That Week 0 win lost some of its shine when Boston College throttled the Seminoles a week later. The Yellow Jackets looked out of sorts against Syracuse on Saturday. The defense allowed 515 yards of offense while the offense mustered its third-lowest rushing output (112 yards) of the Brent Key era.
5. Syracuse Orange (2-0)
Week 2 Result: Beats Georgia Tech, 31-28Last Week's Ranking: No. 9
Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord racked up 381 passing yards snap four touchdowns in the win over Georgia Tech and now leads the ACC in passing yards (735) and passing touchdowns (eight) through the first two weeks of the regular season. Syracuse is rolling under new head coach Fran Brown and has a good chance of being 5-0 when it travels to NC State on Oct. 12.
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ACC Power Rankings updated after Week 2 of college football (on3.com; Kosko)
The latest ACC Power Rankings are here following Week 2 of college football and a full slate of action, courtesy of the On3 Massey Ratings.
The On3 Massey Ratings – which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated high school sports team rankings since 1995 – rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.
Let’s dive into the ACC Power Rankings following Week 2 of the college football season.
1. Clemson (+2)
The Tigers soared to No. 1 in the Massey ratings after a dominant display over Appalachian State. The 66-20 was a completely different showcase than last week’s loss to Georgia.Cade Klubnik was nearly perfect, going 24 of 26 passing for 278 yards and five touchdowns. Phil Mafah added 10 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown. Clemson also led 35-0 in the first quarter, so this was over early and put Clemson at the top of the rankings.
2. Louisville (-1)
The Cardinals improved to 2-0 on the season with a win over Jacksonville State, 49-14. However, Louisville dropped a spot per the Massey ratings.It’s an interesting comparison between Louisville and Clemson in the rankings. Yes it was an impressive display from the Tigers, but they do have a loss. Strength of schedule still matters in this case.
3. Miami (-1)
The Hurricanes might have something to say about the rankings as well. Now at 2-0, Mario Cristobal’s crew is rolling right now following a 56-9 win over Florida A&M.Cam Ward was nearly flawless in this one, going 20 of 26 passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a score. Next up is Ball State and South Florida before ACC play.
4. California (+6)
What a win for Cal to boost their place in the rankings. Going to Auburn is never easy, but the Bears got it done 21-14.Leading 14-7 at halftime, it was a back and forth affair and it was the new ACC squad on top in the end. Fernando Mendoza threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns and the Cal defense forced Auburn’s Payton Thorne into four interceptions.
5. North Carolina (+3)
In their first game without Max Johnson starting at QB, the Tar Heels beat Charlotte 38-20. UNC moved into the top five of the rankings, now at 2-0.Subbing in, Conner Harrell threw for 219 yards, two touchdowns and one pick. NC Central and James Madison are next and then it’ll be interesting to see how the Tar Heels matchup against Duke.
6. Duke (+3)
Speaking of Duke, the Blue Devils are next up in the rankings. Manny Diaz and crew beat Northwestern 26-20 in overtime by the lake.No matter how it gets done, the Blue Devils are 2-0 and have winnable games against UConn and Middle Tennessee before playing UNC. In this latest win, Texas transfer Maalik Murphy threw for 242 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
7. Boston College (+4)
The Eagles might be getting a lot of love in rankings across the country. The AP Poll even had them in the top 25 this week following a 56-0 win over Duquesne.After beating Florida State in Week 1 and this weekend’s beatdown, Bill O’Brien and company head to Missouri, which could be a very intriguing game. What a turnaround through two weeks.
8. Pittsburgh (+6)
Pitt vaulted up the rankings with a road win at Cincinnati, 28-27. It was a comeback in the fourth quarter, trailing 27-13 going into the final 15 minutes.How about Eli Holstein? He threw for 302 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Desmond Reid was a great supporting character, carrying the ball 19 times for 148 yards.
9. Georgia Tech (-2)
The Yellow Jackets fell to 2-1 on the season with a 31-28 loss to Syracuse. Coming in, Georgia Tech already had wins over Florida State and Georgia State.Haynes King didn’t make many mistakes, throwing for 266 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for two scores. But the Yellow Jackets simply fell short to a solid ACC squad.
10. Syracuse (+3)
Speaking of Syracuse, the Orange moved up in the rankings, but didn’t quite pass the team they just beat. It might be only a matter of time after this performance.Kyle McCord, man what a get in the transfer portal. He threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns. If he plays at this level all year, Syracuse might be a very dangerous team in Fran Brown’s first year as head coach.
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ACC Football Power Rankings - Week 2 (backingthepack.com; PirateWolf)
1. Miami (last week: 56-9 W vs Florida A&M)
The Hurricanes will remain here unless they are somehow challenged by Ball State this week. That “road trip” to South Florida the next week at least looks a bit tougher after the Bulls pushed Alabama (don’t let the 42-16 final score fool you, it was 21-16 Bama with under 6:00 to play in the game). Cam Ward and the offense still look amazing and the defense is solid. If you’re looking for a must-watch game, circle that 10/19 game against...
2. Louisville (last week: 49-14 W vs Jacksonville State)
The Gamecocks hung around a bit more than expected, but this game was never really in doubt as the Cardinals controlled throughout. Tyler Shough and the offense totaled over 600 yards in the game as things continue to hum. We’re going to find out a lot more very quickly as Louisville takes on Georgia Tech and Notre Dame over the next two weeks.
3. Boston College (last week: 56-0 W vs Duquesne)
Oh, crap... BC may be turning this thing around quicker than expected under Bill O’Brien. Yeah, don’t too carried away with a win against an overmatched Duquesne squad, but the Eagles dominated in every which way including holding the Dukes to 135 yards of total offense. BC has a running back named Turbo and he ran for 74 yards. I thought you should know that. The Eagles head to Missouri this week. A win there would put BC can start dreaming about a CFP spot.
4. Clemson (last week: 66-20 W vs Appalachian State)
Good gracious - what a response to a resounding thud the week prior (NC State, take notice how it’s done - cough, cough, cough). The Tigers gave the Mountaineers the Debo treatment. Cade Klubnick was 24-of-26 passing for 378 yards, 5 TD, and 0 INT, while also rushing for two short TDs. Can’t do any better than that. Time will tell if that 712-yard output is Dabo finally letting Garrett Riley do his own thing with the offense or if the App defense is really that atrocious. Clemson takes this week off before hosting the Wolfpack.
5. Syracuse (last week: 31-28 W vs Georgia Tech)
Much of this game looked like Syracuse was going to roll GT, but they let the Yellow Jackets mount a late comeback attempt that fell just short. The Orange are 2-0 under Fran Brown with a multi-faceted offense leading the charge. Kyle McCord looks like a heck of a portal grab for Cuse, leading a 515-yard effort. Keeping that up is going to make this a dangerous team, especially in a wide-open ACC. Syracuse should be 5-0 heading into a road trip to Raleigh as the next three games are against Stanford, Holy Cross, and at UNLV. That UNLV is going to be tougher than it looks, though.
6. Georgia Tech (last week: 28-31 L @ Syracuse)
The Yellow Jackets looked out of sorts for much of the game, but still almost came back to win it. There’s some grit with this team, certainly something that wasn’t there under the previous head coach. GT isn’t a top-25 squad and there was too much stock placed in that win over Florida State, but don’t this is still a solid team. A layup against VMI is up next before a road trip to Louisville.
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ACC Power Rankings: Week 2 (bloggersodear.com; Bridgers)
Week 2 is in the books for the ACC, and the teams are beginning to separate themselves with some impressive wins and not so great losses.
Elite
- (-) Miami (2-0): A win over an FCS team is meaningless, but Miami is here until they prove otherwise
Contenders
2. (↑16) Clemson (1-1)—It was fun mocking Clemson for getting blown out last week because they are suing the ACC, but the Tigers reminded everyone this week that, while they may not be in that elite tier with the likes of Georgia, they are still a very, very good football team.3. (-) Boston College (2-0)—An FCS win doesn’t move the needle at all, so BC remains in 3rd place.
4. (↑5) Syracuse (2-0)—A win over a ranked GT squad while Kyle McCord threw for nearly 400 yards and 4 touchdowns. Syracuse has surprised me thus far.
5. (↑11) Cal (2-0)—Auburn may not be any good, but anytime you go on the road to an SEC stadium and win, it’s impressive. Welcome to the ACC, Cal.
6. (↑8) Louisville (2-0)—The schedule has been pretty weak, but the Cards keep blowing teams out of the water. We’ll find out what they’re made of later in the season when the play Miami, Clemson, and Notre Dame.
7. (↓4) UNC (2-0)—The Heels have 2 FBS wins, but they aren’t blowing anyone out and they don’t have a signature win like the teams ahead of them. Their schedule is pretty light until they play at FSU in November, so they could be in play for the championship game.
8. (↓6) Pitt (2-0)—On one hand, they came back from a 21-point deficit to beat Cincinatti. On the other hand, they had a 21-point deficit to Cincinatti.
9. (↓2) Georgia Tech (1-1)—The rushing attack that we saw against Florida State was stymied by the Orange in this one. Haynes King led a nice comeback, but it just wasn’t enough. The Jackets still look like one of the better teams in the ACC to this point.
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ACC Football Power Rankings: Syracuse, Boston College & California surge up rankings (fightinggobblers.com; Roche)
If there is one thing that we've learned through Week 0, Week 1 and Week 2 is to expect the unexpected in the ACC in 2024. Yes, I know, it's kind of like Big Brother a little bit. You never know what's going to happen week to week.
That was the case for Week 2 where some results were surprising and some were disappointing, depending on which fanbase you root for. The one thing that has been consistent is that Miami has shown that they're the best team in the ACC for now and until someone can knock them off. They'll have their roadblocks, but how will they handle them?
With that said and another week down, it's time for the latest ACC Football Power Rankings.
ACC Football Power Rankings after Week 2
| Rank | Team | Record | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Miami | 2-0 | 1 |
| 2. | Louisville | 2-0 | 4 |
| 3. | Boston College | 2-0 | 12 |
| 4. | North Carolina | 2-0 | 6 |
| 5. | California | 2-0 | 13 |
| 6. | Syracuse | 2-0 | 10 |
| 7. | Clemson | 1-1 | 7 |
| 8. | Pittsburgh | 2-0 | 9 |
| 9. | Duke | 2-0 | 14 |
| 10. | Georgia Tech | 2-1 | 3 |
| 11. | NC State | 1-1 | 2 |
| 12. | Virginia Tech | 1-1 | 11 |
| 13. | SMU | 2-1 | 8 |
| 14. | Virginia | 2-0 | 16 |
| 15. | Florida State | 0-2 | 5 |
| 16. | Stanford | 1-1 | 17 |
| 17. | Wake Forest | 1-1 | 15 |
ACC Football Power Rankings: 2024 Week 3 (SI; McGavic)
We're just two weeks into the 2024 college football season and we've already seen chaos amongst the ACC.
Things haven't changed at the very tip top of the conference, but beyond the top three in the league, it's position shuffling galore. Some teams are making pushes to the top half of the conference, while others seeing their status bottom out. And we've yet to hit the meat of ACC play.
So where do things currently stand in the conference following two weeks of football? Check out our week three ACC power rankings below:
1. Miami Hurricanes
- Record: 2-0, 0-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 1
- Week 2 Result: W, 56-9 vs. Florida A&M
2. Louisville Cardinals
- Record: 2-0, 0-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 2
- Week 2 Result: W, 49-14 vs. Jacksonville State
3. Clemson Tigers
- Record: 1-1, 0-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 3
- Week 2 Result: W, 66-20 vs. Appalachian State
4. Boston College Eagles
- Record: 2-0, 1-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 9
- Week 2 Result: W, 56-0 vs. Duquesne
5. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Record: 2-1, 1-1 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 5
- Week 2 Result: L, 31-28 at Syracuse
6. Florida State Seminoles
- Record: 0-2, 0-2 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 7
- Week 2 Result: Bye Week
7. SMU Mustangs
- Record: 2-1, 0-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 4
- Week 2 Result: L, 18-15 vs. BYU
8. Cal Golden Bears
- Record: 2-0, 0-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 11
- Week 2 Result: W, 21-14 at Auburn
9. Syracuse Orange
- Record: 2-0, 1-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 13
- Week 2 Result: W, 31-28 vs. Georgia Tech
10. NC State Wolfpack
- Record: 1-1, 0-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 6
- Week 2 Result: L, 51-10 vs. Tennessee (Neutral)
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Power Ratings, 2024 Sep 9th (RX; HM)
Power Ratings, 2024 Sep 9th
With 2 weeks in the books, we can start to take a look at actual 2024 power ratings. Here are the Top 100 football teams as ranked on Sonny Moore's website (ACC teams highlighted):
| Rnk | TEAM | W | L | T | SOS | PR |
| 1 | Georgia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 78.47 | 97.64 |
| 2 | Texas | 2 | 0 | 0 | 63.66 | 95.74 |
| 3 | Mississippi | 2 | 0 | 0 | 45.97 | 92.71 |
| 4 | Alabama | 2 | 0 | 0 | 49.1 | 89.65 |
| 5 | Ohio St. | 2 | 0 | 0 | 44.03 | 89.06 |
| 6 | Oregon | 2 | 0 | 0 | 55.26 | 88.86 |
| 7 | Missouri | 2 | 0 | 0 | 46.41 | 87.31 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 2 | 0 | 0 | 63.83 | 86.5 |
| 9 | Notre Dame | 1 | 1 | 0 | 61.05 | 85.13 |
| 10 | Penn.St. | 2 | 0 | 0 | 57.48 | 84.32 |
| 11 | Clemson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 74.88 | 83.83 |
| 12 | Miami (FL) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 61.96 | 83.17 |
| 13 | Oklahoma St. | 2 | 0 | 0 | 56.84 | 82.49 |
| 14 | Utah | 2 | 0 | 0 | 55.57 | 82.44 |
| 15 | Michigan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 68.33 | 81.99 |
| 16 | USC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 64.47 | 81.77 |
| 17 | LSU | 1 | 1 | 0 | 69.64 | 81.33 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | 2 | 0 | 0 | 43.33 | 79.62 |
| 19 | Texas A&M | 1 | 1 | 0 | 82.7 | 78.61 |
| 20 | Florida St. | 0 | 2 | 0 | 59.27 | 78.33 |
| Rnk | TEAM | W | L | T | SOS | PR |
| 21 | Kansas St. | 2 | 0 | 0 | 55.57 | 76.43 |
| 22 | Kansas | 1 | 1 | 0 | 51.34 | 75.5 |
| 23 | Louisville | 2 | 0 | 0 | 45.92 | 75.42 |
| 24 | NC State | 1 | 1 | 0 | 66.51 | 74.59 |
| 25 | Liberty | 2 | 0 | 0 | 45.2 | 73.35 |
| 26 | Arizona | 2 | 0 | 0 | 35.5 | 73.14 |
| 27 | Nebraska | 2 | 0 | 0 | 52.52 | 72.07 |
| 28 | Iowa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 55.34 | 71.81 |
| 29 | Memphis | 2 | 0 | 0 | 46.65 | 69.43 |
| 30 | Washington | 2 | 0 | 0 | 48.11 | 68.59 |
| 31 | Auburn | 1 | 1 | 0 | 52.11 | 68.56 |
| 32 | West Virginia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 79.55 | 68.52 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | 2 | 0 | 0 | 37.83 | 68.33 |
| 34 | Central Florida | 2 | 0 | 0 | 48.19 | 67.86 |
| 35 | Kentucky | 1 | 1 | 0 | 52.06 | 67.32 |
| 36 | Georgia Tech | 2 | 1 | 0 | 61.58 | 67.16 |
| 37 | Virginia Tech | 1 | 1 | 0 | 46.33 | 66.68 |
| 38 | Arkansas | 1 | 1 | 0 | 67.28 | 66.34 |
| 39 | Rutgers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 45.96 | 66.19 |
| 40 | North Carolina | 2 | 0 | 0 | 49.13 | 65.85 |
| Rnk | TEAM | W | L | T | SOS | PR |
| 41 | Florida | 1 | 1 | 0 | 75.02 | 65.07 |
| 42 | South Carolina | 2 | 0 | 0 | 56.47 | 65.02 |
| 43 | SMU | 2 | 1 | 0 | 46.06 | 64.39 |
| 44 | Iowa St. | 2 | 0 | 0 | 62.1 | 64.29 |
| 45 | Baylor | 1 | 1 | 0 | 65.94 | 63.76 |
| 46 | Boise State | 1 | 1 | 0 | 67.27 | 63.68 |
| 47 | Tulane | 1 | 1 | 0 | 64.02 | 63.46 |
| 48 | Maryland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 44.95 | 63.24 |
| 49 | Texas Tech | 1 | 1 | 0 | 48.42 | 61.96 |
| 50 | TCU | 2 | 0 | 0 | 40.29 | 61.62 |
| 51 | Syracuse | 2 | 0 | 0 | 56.33 | 61.39 |
| 52 | Minnesota | 1 | 1 | 0 | 63.88 | 60.68 |
PotW 2024 Week 2 (RX; HM)
PotW 2024 Week 2
For Immediate Use Monday, September 9, 2024
Week 2 ACC Football Players of the Week
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference Football Players of the Week have been recognized following their standout performances in Week 2 of the 2024 college football season. The selections are determined by a vote of a select media panel. The following are this week’s honorees:
CO-QUARTERBACK – Kyle McCord, Syracuse, QB, Mt. Laurel, NJ
McCord notched new career highs for the second week in a row in multiple statistical categories to lead Syracuse to a victory over No. 23 Georgia Tech. McCord completed 32-of-46 passing attempts for 381 yards and four touchdowns. His completions, attempts and yards were all career highs, and the four touchdown throws matched his career high, set in Week 1 versus Ohio. McCord currently leads the nation with eight touchdown passes through two weeks of the season and has 735 yards passing, which leads the ACC and is third in the FBS. McCord was named one of the eight Manning Award Stars of the Week.CO-QUARTERBACK – Cade Klubnik, Clemson, QB, Austin, TX
Klubnik completed 24-of-26 passes for a career-high 378 yards and five touchdowns, while only playing in the first half against Appalachian State. He also added a pair of rushing touchdowns to finish as the only FBS quarterback in the last 25 years with five passing touchdowns, multiple rushing touchdowns, and a completion percentage of 90.0-percent or better in a game. Despite playing only one half, his 378 passing yards were tied for the 19th-most in a game in school history. It was the most by a Clemson quarterback since Trevor Lawrence’s 400 passing yards against Ohio State to end the 2020 season. He became the first ACC quarterback to record at least four passing touchdowns and multiple rushing touchdowns in a single half since Louisville’s Lamar Jackson in 2016, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Alongside McCord, Klubnik was also named a Manning Award Star of the Week....
Links, News and Rumors 2024 Sep 9th (RX; HM)
Links, News and Rumors 2024 Sep 9th
All Sports Discussion writes
NC State football flops on the big stage.
Remember that time the Wolfpack beat that Top 25 team on national tv? Yeah, me neither.
On the other hand, they also wrote
We officially welcome Cal to the ACC after win at Auburn
Just had to be sure the Bears came ready to play, I guess?
_____
From On3 NIL (email):
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2024 Week 4 Times and TV Announced (RX; HM)
2024 Week 4 Times and TV Announced
From the official ACC release of Monday, September 9, 2024...
Football Game Times & TV Networks Announced for Week 4
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference and its television partners announced the following football game times and networks for Week 4, September 20-21.
Friday, September 20
- Stanford at Syracuse, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Saturday, September 21
- NC State at Clemson, Noon ET on ABC
- James Madison at North Carolina, Noon ET on ACC Network
- Virginia at Coastal Carolina, 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+
- Rutgers at Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network
- Youngstown State at Pitt, 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network – previously announced
- Duke at Middle Tennessee, 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU
- TCU at SMU, 5 p.m. ET on The CW – previously announced
- Michigan State at Boston College, 8 p.m. ET on ACC Network
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ACC is OVERRATED, destined to be 1-bid league to College Football Playoff l College Football Podcast (youtube; podcast; Locked on College Football; premieres at 4 PM EST)
The ACC has had several high profile defeats in the non-conference slate. Is the league bound to only get 1 team into the CFP? 'Locked On ACC' host Kenton Gibbs joins the show to push back on Spencer's take.This segment is from Tuesday's episode of Locked On College Football with Spencer McLaughlin
Other
Fans cheer for Flo Rida at the rapper's concert Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, at the New York State Fair's Suburban Park Stage in Geddes, N.Y. (Warren Linhart | NYS Fair) NYS Fair
NYS Fair hires new concert promoter, wants to keep one thing from 2024’s lineup (PS; $; Herbert)
The New York State Fair has hired a new concert promoter but wants to keep one thing from its 2024 lineup: Variety.
The NYS Fair has signed a new five-year agreement with Romeo Entertainment Group (REG), a Nashville-based talent booking agency that will book music and other entertainment acts starting with the 2025 Fair. That includes national acts for concerts at the Chevy Court and Suburban Park stages.
“They came here during the Fair, we visited with them,” Fair Director Julie LaFave said. “They’re very anxious and eager to work with us and already throwing out some names to us.”
The Fair previously had a five-year contract with Triangle Talent, which ended with the 2024 New York State Fair. The Fair hired Triangle in 2019 after breaking a previous five-year agreement signed with Live Nation in 2017 because the contract didn’t account for the addition of the larger Experience Stage, now known as the Suburban Park Stage, and possible year-round entertainment (such as the Winter Fair).
The Fair will pay REG $2,703 for each act booked at Chevy Court and Suburban Park, according to Sean Farnsworth, the New York State Fair’s Associate Director of Public Information. The Fair will also pay $739 to REG for each grounds entertainment act booked, such as Hilby the Skinny German Juggle Boy and the Nerveless Nocks.
The NYS Fair’s contract with REG is actually cheaper than its previous agreements. The Fair paid Triangle a base rate of $2,750 for each national musical act booked at its two main stages, and $5,000 per act to Live Nation.
Fair officials did not immediately say how many other booking agencies made bids for the new contract.
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Did you know? Philadelphia cream cheese was born in Upstate NY and there’s a whole festival for it (PS; Hernandez)
If you’re eating a bagel with a Philadelphia cream cheese schmear while you read this, you can thank Upstate New York.
Yes, Philadelphia Cream Cheese was invented in New York, not the city of brotherly love, though some Philadelphians may refute that claim.
Local folklore says the cream cheese came from Philadelphia, NY, just northeast of Fort Drum. It’s even mentioned on the town website, but others claim its just a myth.
According to world-renowned cream cheese expert Rabbi Jeffrey Marx, in 1872, a dairy farmer named William Lawrence from Chester, experimented with increasing the cream content in his cheese recipe. This resulted in the creation of a rich, new product simply called “cream cheese.”
When the soft cheese proved to be enough of a success in Orange County, New York cheese broker Alvah Reynolds pitched Lawrence the idea of naming it after Philadelphia. By 1880, the Pennsylvania city had made a name for itself as a goldmine of dairy products and a hotbed of cheesy commodities. Naming it after this area could make it synonymous with high quality.
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