sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Comic Book Day!
Today is a day to celebrate the popular entertainment and collector's item, the comic book. The first American comic book is seen as being Famous Funnies, which was released in 1933, although many books and comics predated it and helped lead to its creation. For example, an 1842 hardcover book titled The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck was made up of comics. In the early 20th century periodicals that contained comics were printed in the United States. American comic books are divided into different eras. In 1938, the release of Superman launched the Golden Age of comic books. Superhero comics were introduced and very popular for most of this era. The Silver Age is seen as beginning with the introduction of Flash in 1956, which led to a rejuvenation in superhero comic books. The Fantastic Four and Spider-Man came about during this era, and the era lasted until sometime in the early 1970's, when the Bronze Age began, which lasted until the mid-1980's. From the end of the Bronze Age until the present day is known as the Modern Age. Non-mainstream comic books such as underground comix sprang up in the 1960's, followed by alternative comics in the 1980's. Comic book stores became popular in the 1970's, and comic book conventions are another way that collectors and comic book fans have connected and enjoyed their hobby.
SU News
Film Review: Analyzing key plays from Syracuse’s defense in loss to Stanford (DO; Andrews)
There’s only so much a defense can do when the offense isn’t holding up its end of the bargain. Syracuse knows this all too well.
In its third game of 2024 against Stanford Friday, SU’s defense allowed just one touchdown, forced two interceptions and quelled the Cardinal to a 5-for-14 third-down clip. The Orange weren’t perfect defensively. They gave up 173 rushing yards and surrendered points on all four Stanford red zone trips. But the Cardinal did enough to win.
Instead, the story of the game became Syracuse allowing Stanford to embark on a game-winning drive — ending in a 39-yard field goal from Emmet Kenney as time expired. The Orange were stunned by the Cardinal 26-24, their first loss under head coach Fran Brown. While SU’s unbalanced offense was the primary reason for its upset result, defensive lapses were still prevalent. Though, the good outweighed the bad.
Here is a breakdown of some key plays from Syracuse’s (2-1, 1-1 ACC) defense in its defeat to Stanford (2-1, 1-0 ACC):
2nd quarter, 11:08 — Grant reads Daniels like a book
Stanford vs. Syracuse Full Game Replay | 2024 ACC Football
The Cardinal traveled cross country to the JMA Wireless Dome for its first-ever ACC Conference game, and Stanford defeated the Orange 26-24 with a 39-yard Em...
youtu.be
With cornerback Marcellus Barnes Jr. exiting in the first quarter due to injury, SU’s secondary stared down a notable void. Barnes Jr. was supposed to be covering star Cardinal receiver Elic Ayomanor. Others needed to step up and make plays. Buffalo transfer Devin Grant did just that.
On this play, Syracuse sported a cover 2 look. Grant, who lined up as a nickel cornerback for most of the game, matched up with Ismael Cisse as Stanford faced a second-and-14 from its 22-yard line. Grant locked his eyes on Cardinal quarterback Ashton Daniels from the get-go, which he credited the play to postgame.
“Watching film all week, and just knowing my job (to keep) my eyes on the quarterback and be a ballplayer,” Grant said of his mindset on the play.
Cisse ran a streak from the slot. But Grant barely flinched, reading Daniels’ eyes as the signal-caller locked onto outside receiver Tiger Bachmeier. Grant slid to his right once Daniels threw it, briefly accelerating as the ball approached before diving horizontally.
Grant jumped the route, hauled in the interception and set SU up with a first-and-10 just outside the red zone — a drive which resulted in a Brady Denaburg field goal.
2nd quarter, 2:35 — There goes Davis
Stanford vs. Syracuse Full Game Replay | 2024 ACC Football
The Cardinal traveled cross country to the JMA Wireless Dome for its first-ever ACC Conference game, and Stanford defeated the Orange 26-24 with a 39-yard Em...
youtu.be
The game’s rushing yards discrepancy of 147 defined Syracuse’s loss. Here, Stanford back Chris Davis Jr. dashes for a 47-yard gain, 21 more yards than the Orange’s rushing offense accumulated overall.
Syracuse’s 4-2-5 defense gets fooled by the Cardinal’s split-back formation. As Daniels, flanked by Davis Jr. on his right and Micah Ford on the left, handed it to Davis Jr. on an outside zone, SU inside linebacker Derek McDonald shot the B gap. McDonald’s misplay took him out of position, allowing Davis Jr. to instantly find a massive hole past the left tackle.
Meanwhile, Stanford’s blockers dominated Syracuse at the line of scrimmage. Brown said postgame that the Cardinal “out-physicaled” the Orange. Grant echoed it too. There weren’t many better examples than this play — where eight SU defenders were either sealed off by blockers, or lagging behind the ball, as Davis Jr. crossed the line of scrimmage.
The free safety, Duce Chestnut, was also late to react to Davis Jr., who easily flew past five trailing SU defenders near the left sideline. Chestnut gets near Davis Jr. at Stanford’s 40-yard line, but doesn’t bring him down until Syracuse’s 33. A poor read by McDonald, lack of battles won near the line of scrimmage and Chestnut taking a bad angle resulted in a Cardinal field-goal drive, which made it 13-3 Stanford.
4th quarter, 7:49 — Linebacker Barron barrels downhill
Stanford vs. Syracuse Full Game Replay | 2024 ACC Football
The Cardinal traveled cross country to the JMA Wireless Dome for its first-ever ACC Conference game, and Stanford defeated the Orange 26-24 with a 39-yard Em...
youtu.be
Justin Barron moved down from his typical safety position to play linebacker against the Cardinal. It allowed Syracuse to play with an extra defensive back on the field in Grant, Brown said, rather than linebackers Anwar Sparrow or James Heard Jr.
Though for Brown, Barron simply made him feel more confident in his linebacking corps — which has been without star senior Marlowe Wax since Week 1. But the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Barron is plenty built to play on the second level.
...
Syracuse Needs Run Game Going Forward (orangefizz.net; Horning)
Syracuse is fresh off its most inconsistent showing of the season. The offense was slow to start, but it picked up as the game progressed. However, the defense was rock solid for the majority of the game except for a couple costly plays.
One area that hasn’t been nearly where head coach Fran Brown wants it to be is the running game in SU’s offense. After a promising start from running back LeQuint Allen, the Orange have been stagnant on the ground.
Allen rushed for 98 yards and caught one touchdown in Syracuse’s opening win over Ohio to start the season. Since then, the junior’s totals have decreased each game. Allen ran for 83 yards on 15 carries in the win over Georgia Tech. Finally, he rushed for just 25 yards on eight carries this past weekend in SU’s loss to Stanford.
The offensive line hasn’t helped this trend, with an unstable first half in Friday’s loss. It seems like the defense is pouncing on Allen almost every handoff.
However, the effort from Allen is at an all-time high. His skills and attributes don’t show up on the stat sheet, but he is diving for extra yards and keeping his feet moving.
...
Syracuse seeks to continue dominance of Holy Cross (cbssports; FLM)
Syracuse seeks to continue dominance of Holy Cross
Syracuse will try to make it 14 straight victories over Holy Cross when the teams meet in a non-conference game Saturday in Syracuse, N.Y.
The Orange (2-1) are coming off a 26-24, last-second loss to Stanford and will finish a four-game homestand to open the season.
Holy Cross, under new coach Dan Curran, is 1-3 after giving up a touchdown with 12 seconds left and losing to Yale 38-31 last week. All three of the Crusaders' losses have been by a touchdown or less.
Syracuse has won the last 13 meetings between the schools and is eager to remove the bitter taste from the Stanford defeat.
"We're excited to play against these guys," Orange first-year coach Fran Brown said of Holy Cross. "I think they all do a good job and are a good football team. Those guys are coming off a tough loss, just like us, so it will be a good game."
Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord has energized the Orange offense at quarterback. He's thrown for more than 300 yards in each of Syracuse's first three games, and he ranks third in the nation with an average of 358 passing yards per game.
Three Orange wide receivers have 12 or more catches, led by Trebor Pena with 22. LeQuint Allen leads the rushing attack with 206 yards on 38 carries.
McCord has been sacked six times, and Brown said his team needs to be better balanced.
"We just have to run the football better," Brown said. "We have some things to work on in practice, some things to help out our offensive line, and help Kyle so we don't put as much pressure on him."
Holy Cross is coming off a season in which it won a share of the Patriot League title. Curran took over for Bob Chesney after 11 years at Merrimack. Chesney left Holy Cross after last season to become James Madison's head coach.
The Crusaders' offense took a big hit when All-America senior running back Jordan Fuller was lost for the season to an injury in a win over Bryant on Sept. 14.
Joe Pesansky has thrown for 875 yards and four scores. All-Patriot League linebacker Frankie Monte had 17 tackles in the loss to Yale.
"They believe in each other," Curran said of his team. "Every week is a new opportunity."
The NFL’s Orange Ties (syracuse.edu; Hobbs)
Syracuse University has long been known for producing world-class alumni who excel in various industries, and the National Football League (NFL) is no exception. From team operations and communications to player health and labor relations, Syracuse graduates are making significant contributions across the league.
Below are snapshots of some alumni who work in various roles in the NFL, calling on the skills and experiences they gained during their time at the University. They also share advice for current students on how to navigate their own career paths and achieve success in the professional world.
Tina D’Orazio ’98
Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff to Chairman/CEOPhiladelphia Eagles
D’Orazio is responsible for working with team executives on the organization’s key priorities and initiatives as well as overseeing the day-to-day operations of the chairman’s office.
“Through my studies in public relations and international relations, as well as various leadership positions on campus, Syracuse prepared me to become a hardworking, confident, responsible and globally minded individual,” D’Orazio says.
Along with her studies at Syracuse, D’Orazio participated in the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Syracuse University Program in Florence, which she says had a profound impact on her personal development and deepened her cultural awareness. After graduation, D’Orazio moved to New York City to embark on her career, receiving her first job lead from a fellow Syracuse alum.
Advice for students: “Seek out opportunities and be persistent in your pursuit. When landing a role, it is important to show a solid work ethic, day in and day out, displaying your commitment to the position.”
Thomas VanDruff ’97
Acute Care Nurse PractitionerWashington Commanders
As the first full-time nurse practitioner for an NFL franchise, VanDruff assesses and manages acute illness or injury of the players, coaching staff and football operations personnel at the team’s training facility. He also assists the team’s medical staff to expedite care of the players.
“I started my nursing career with a bachelor of science degree from Syracuse University, receiving a top-notch education as well as encouragement to pursue an advanced degree after graduation,” he says.
Marking his transition to young adulthood, VanDruff found his time at Syracuse to be invaluable. He says the shared experiences with his classmates allowed him to expand his vision of what might be possible professionally.
Advice for students: “You need to be open to the idea of changing your mind and pursuing new opportunities, even if those opportunities take your life and career in new and unusual directions.”
Lawrence Ferazani ’92
Deputy General Counsel, LaborNFL
Ferazani leads the team responsible for negotiating, implementing and enforcing the NFL’s collective bargaining agreements with players and game officials—from the salary cap to how the teams practice and play to the benefits active and retired players receive. His team also provides counsel to the 32 clubs, the commissioner and other league departments.
“Syracuse helped me develop the communication skills essential to success in my role negotiating complex agreements and educating our clubs about their rights and obligations,” Ferazani says. “Syracuse also fostered my love for athletics, football in particular.”
What made Syracuse special for him was the people—from the professors whose lessons he still remembers to the lifelong friendships he made. Ferazani was a first-year speech communications major and a fraternity pledge at the time of the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people, including 35 Syracuse University students returning from studying abroad. He says the way the University came together to grieve was a powerful lesson in the strength of community.
Advice for students: “Get involved in the community. In addition to a world-class education, Syracuse offers so many extracurricular opportunities to develop skills that will serve you well as you enter the real world.”
Jordyn White ’17
Corporate and Community Communications DirectorCleveland Browns
White works with members of the media to help create storytelling around the organization’s business initiatives and community efforts both in the Cleveland market and nationally. She also assists with football communications, helping with media preparation and interview opportunities.
“I went to Syracuse to play softball and ended up finding a career that I’m passionate about,” White says. “It shaped the course of my life.”
While taking classes in communication and rhetorical studies and sport management that sharpened her writing and interpersonal communications skills, White also worked in athletic communications for Syracuse Athletics. Syracuse provided her with the professional development tools that set her up for success, she says.
Advice for students: “Build your network. Not just with your professors, managers or alumni, but also your peers. The Orange network is so vast, but make sure you’re cultivating relationships with your classmates as they’ll be in similar industries—and connections are everything.”
Syracuse OL Coach Dale Williams on Many Topics in 2024 Season (youtube; podcast; WakeUpCallDT)
“Peeling Back the Orange” - DT speaks w/ Syracuse Orange Offensive Line Coach Dale Williams on Savion Washington at RT, Da’Metrius Weatherspoon at LT, Enrique Cruz Jr, Jakob Bradford, & Mark Petry, along w/ the run blocking, the grade he’d give the O-Line from the first 3 games, what he enjoys the most about being w/ this team, his mentors, & More…
DT & Drum - Real Talk on Syracuse Football, Coaching at JD, & being a Hall-of-Famer (youtube; podcast; WakeUpCallDT)
DT & Robert Drummond from Mother's Cupboard (3709 James St, Syracuse, NY) speaking on Rob returning to Alma Mater of JD to be the Defensive Coordinator, Syracuse Orange Football in 2024, & being inducted into the BC Lions Hall-of-Fame…
Syracuse football: what college football is saying about the Orange after week 4 (TNIAAM; Wall)
Each week, we’ll take a look at what other college football media sites are saying about the Syracuse Orange. Let’s see what they are saying after the Orange’s first bye week
Syracuse.Com
Chris Carlson drops Syracuse down to 9th this week between Stanford and UNC.
ESPN
In this week’s SP+ rankings Syracuse slides down four to the 68th spot with the offense 58th while the defense ranks 66th. The Orange are ranked between Fresno State and Vanderbilt.
The Football Power Index drops Syracuse 9 spots in 68th place between Virginia and North Carolina. FPI predicts the Orange for 5.9 wins and gives them a 51.6 % chance of making a bowl game.
ACC/ESPN Media
Andrea Adelson has Syracuse 11th between Cal and Georgia Tech.
Eric Mac Lain puts Syracuse 8th between Stanford and SMU
CBS Sports
In the CBS Sports power rankings Syracuse is down 11 to 40th between Liberty and Arkansas
The Athletic
The Orange drops 15 spots to 46th in The Athletic’s Top 134 Power Rankings placing them in between South Carolina and Georgia Tech.
AP and Coaches Poll
No votes for the Orange this week.
ACC Week Four Scores
Stanford 26 Syracuse 24
James Madison 70 North Carolina 50
NC State 35 Clemson 59
Virginia 43 Coastal Carolina 24
Georgia Tech 19 Louisville 31
Rutgers 26 Virginia Tech 23
Youngstown State 17 Pitt 73
Duke 45 Middle Tennessee State 17
...
Analyzing Syracuse Football's MASSIVE Lineup Changes against Holy Cross | Syracuse Orange Podcast (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse Orange Football Head Coach Fran Brown released the depth chart for the upcoming matchup against the Holy Cross Crusaders with a ton of lineup changes. Jackson Meeks is now the number-one wide receiver for Syracuse and Justus Ross-Simmons is back on it. Marcellus Barnes is officially a starting corner. Plus, Devin Grant, Justin Barron, and Derek McDonald are all switching positions for the Orange.
Jackson Holzer analyzes the lineup changes ahead of Syracuse's next game on this edition of the Locked On Syracuse Podcast.
Overall Thoughts on Syracuse Football's Lineup Changes against Holy Cross | Syracuse Orange Podcast (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse; premieres at 10 AM)
Syracuse Orange Football Head Coach Fran Brown released the depth chart for the upcoming matchup against the Holy Cross Crusaders with a ton of lineup changes. Jackson Meeks is now the number-one wide receiver for Syracuse and Justus Ross-Simmons is back on it. Marcellus Barnes is officially a starting corner. Plus, Devin Grant, Justin Barron, and Derek McDonald are all switching positions for the Orange.
Jackson Holzer analyzes the lineup changes ahead of Syracuse's next game on this edition of the Locked On Syracuse Podcast.
‘Cuse Militia Podcast: Episode 490- Syracuse Football: Holy Cross Preview/Picks! (bleav.com; podacst; Cuse Militia)
What's up Cuse Nation?!?! We are back to tell you a little of what we know about Holy Cross as Syracuse hosts them this Saturday in the dome. Then, we'll hear your picks and give you our always accurate predictions!
Stanford Football Weekly Press Conference | Clemson Week (youtube; podcast; Stanford Athletics)
Coach Taylor is live for this week's press conference, breaking down the win at Syracuse and previewing Saturday's showdown at Clemson.
ACC News
ACC quarterbacks ranked by QBR after Week 4 (usatoday.com; Haley)
More and more ACC teams have a conference game under their belts in 2024, and the power structure of the conference makes more sense every week.
The Clemson Tigers seemed left for dead after a 34-3 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in Week 1, but back-to-back blowout wins have Dabo Swinney and his team rolling. The Clemson offense averaged 62.5 points per game between victories over Appalachian State and NC State thanks in part to 11 total touchdowns from quarterback Cade Klubnik, most notably from a 55-yard touchdown run against the Wolfpack on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Miami Hurricanes kept the pedal down with a 50-15 win over South Florida. Through his first four games in his new offense, quarterback Cam Ward is averaging 359.8 passing yards per game at nearly 12 yards per attempt.
On the other side of the momentum aisle, the Florida State Seminoles broke into the win column with a 14-9 triumph over California. Did quarterback DJ Uiagalelei do enough to move himself up the conference rankings?
Here are the ACC starting quarterbacks ranked by ESPN QBR through Week 4.
1 Cam Ward, Miami Hurricanes – 94.4
2024 Stats: 89/123 (72.4%), 1,439 yards, 11.7 YPA, 14 TD, 2 INT, 89 rush yards, 1 rush TD
Week 4: 24/34 (70.6%), 404 yards, 3 TD, INT, 43 rush yards in 50-15 win over South Florida
2 Cade Klubnik, Clemson Tigers – 93.3
2024 Stats: 58/79 (73.4%), 729 yards, 9.2 YPA, 8 TD, INT, 58 rush yards, 3 rush TD
Week 4: 16/24 (66.7%), 209 yards, 3 TD, 70 rush yards, 1 rush TD in 59-35 win over NC State
3 Haynes King, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets – 85.2
2024 Stats (5 games): 102/138 (73.9%), 1,274 yards, 9.2 YPA, 6 TD, INT, 216 rush yards, 4 rush TD
Week 4: 21/32 (65.6%), 312 yards, 58 rush yards, 1 rush TD in 31-19 loss to Louisville
4 Tyler Shough, Louisville Cardinals – 82.7
2024 Stats (3 games): 52/76 (68.4%), 850 yards, 11.2 YPA, 8 TD, 15 rush yards
Week 4: 13/19 (68.4%), 269 yards, 2 TD, 19 rush yards in 31-19 win over Georgia Tech
5 Kyle McCord, Syracuse Orange - 72.8
2024 Stats (3 games): 86/127 (67.7%), 1,074 yards, 8.5 YPA, 10 TD, 3 INT, 1 rush yard, 1 rush TD
Week 4: 27/42 (64.3%), 339 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, -8 rush yards, 1 rush TD in 26-24 loss to Stanford
...
For ACC teams, adding an NFL-like front office is the new norm for transfer-portal recruiting (apnews.com; Beard)
New Boston College coach Bill O’Brien wanted to build a pro-style approach to handle the growing demands of recruiting in the transfer-portal era. North Carolina State’s Dave Doeren saw the same need in his 12th season.
For coaches old and new in the Atlantic Coast Conference and nationally, there’s been a push to bolster staffs for a wildly different landscape with players able to move freely between schools and cash in on their own fame within the past four years.
That includes athletic departments building their own NFL-esque front offices, which can prepare for candidates who might potentially change addresses and do the advance scouting work before the portal window opens and teams are clear to race in with official pitches.
“We’re continuing to grow,” said California coach Justin Wilcox, whose Bears are in their first ACC season. “I think that’s the one area where you’re going to really see teams continue to grow, personnel-wise. The recruiting department, call it whatever you want, the personnel department — absolutely.”
Coaches no longer lean exclusively on recruiting the high school ranks and developing talent over time to strengthen a program, thanks to the readily available stream of experienced college talent ready to move from one campus to another.
The 68 schools in the Power Four conferences — the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and Southeastern — along with Notre Dame, added 1,063 transfers ahead of the 2024 season at an average of 15.9 per school, according to data from 247Sports. Roughly 17% of those (179) were considered four-star prospects and six were five-star additions.
In the ACC specifically, schools added an average of 14.8 transfers, with 2.2 of those being four-star talents, with Clemson as the notable outlier as Dabo Swinney largely passes on the portal.
The right fits
A school’s target could be a player lost in a close recruiting battle out of high school. Maybe it’s a talented prospect from the region who isn’t playing much or off to a slow start at their current school, raising at least the possibility they could be looking to move back closer to home. Tracking all of that is now part of the job of running a major college program — part predicting what pieces might become available, part assessing which of those will fit the roster puzzle — as players jump in and out of the portal sometimes weeks before schools resume classes for a semester.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal said working ahead can only help when facing that tight window, which opens Dec. 9.
...
While Scott German managed to not mention Duke in his breakdown of the ACC, his update is still a fun look at the State of the Union that is ACC Football…. It’s time to play UNC for the Victory Bell ! (aroundthevalleyin60days.com; German)
Scott German is Chris Graham’s partner in crime up in Waynesboro. Each week during the season one of them will take a look at the league.
The sad part for me in the UNC upset loss at home to James Madison University is that it prevented a match-up of 4-0 teams when the Tar Heels load up the Bus for the nine mile drive over to Wallace Wade Stadium this Saturday.
Duke – Carolina football has produced insane games the past few seasons, including the Double OT race to 50 points last year. Sadly, the Battle for the Victory Bell isn’t front page news on Tobacco Road. It’s remains one of my favorite days of the Year, win or lose.
Travis King is a Sports fan that I believe lives in my neck of the woods. King recently penned a piece about loyalty to a program and realistic expectations of said program. While I don’t know Travis personally, I was impressed by his words in regards to Virginia Tech.
It was 50 years ago that I decided that I wanted to attend Duke University. One small thing prevented it happening, complete lack of intelligence. Other than that, I was spot on qualified.
Ended up living on Campus and pumping Gas for the folks that actually got into the School
But I have been a die hard fan of the University as a whole and the Football team more than all others. When you are a Duke Football fan you have different expectations.
Terms like Big Boy Football are not part of the day to day and Cold weather Bowl games for 6-6 teams are welcomed. This year I looked up and down the schedule to see if we could sneak out 6 wins as we started the Manny Diaz portion of our Football legacy. First thing that had to happen was we had to open 4-0 ( which we did) because like everyone else, it appeared the league was loaded for Bear .
Four weeks into the season some teams, like Scott mentioned, are simply not as scary as the might have first appeared. Still doesn’t change the fact that we are 0-for-Life against Florida State. Two wins in the next eight games gets us to the Great White North (Annapolis, New York or Boston). Anything beyond that is Icing on the Bowl cake.
Remember that a Duke Football season has only ended in a Bowl game 10 times in my 61 years, so not going to become greedy!
Back to Travis for a minute, I could not agree with him more in regards to his take on remaining loyal to one’s program. In my mind, I look at College the same way I look at High School. Your School should be Your School
...
Updated CFP Projection 2024 Week 5 (RX; HM)
Updated CFP Projection 2024 Week 5
From Athlon Sports:
Projected Playoff Teams (after Week 4)
1. Texas (Projected SEC Champion)
2. Ohio State (Projected Big Ten Champion)
3. Miami (Projected ACC Champion)
4. Utah (Projected Big 12 Champion)
5. Georgia
6. Tennessee
7. Ole Miss
8. Alabama
9. Oregon
10. Penn State
11. Missouri
12. Boise State (Projected Highest G5 Champion)
Yes, they are currently projecting six SEC teams to make the playoffs! However, there's hope...
Bubble Watch After Week 4
Michigan (3-1)Notre Dame (3-1)
USC (2-1)
LSU (3-1)
Clemson (2-1)
Iowa State (3-0)
Louisville (3-0)
Illinois (4-0)
Oklahoma (3-1)
Oklahoma State (3-1)
BYU (4-0)
Kansas State (3-1)
It's unlikely the ACC sends more than two teams, and even that 2nd spot may be taken by Notre Dame if no ACC team can hand the Irish their 2nd loss.
...
Good Wins, Bad Losses 2024 (so far) (RX; HM)
Good Wins, Bad Losses 2024 (so far)
Background
Long-time readers are familiar with my definition of a "good win" (over a P5 team) and a bad loss (to anyone else), which I've tracked for years. It's an indication of what the conference teams really accomplished out-of-conference (for good or bad). Here's my analysis of the 2024 season so far...
Good Wins, Bad Losses
| Conf. | Good wins (P4+) | Bad Losses (G5/FCS) |
| Pac 3:0 | Wash St 24, Washington 19 | (none) |
| Oregon St 38, Purdue 21 | ||
| Wash St 37, Texas Tech 16 | ||
| B1G 7:0 | Oregon 49, Oregon St 14 | (none) |
| USC 27, LSU 20 | ||
| Maryland 27, UVA 13 | ||
| Rutgers 26, Va Tech 23 | ||
| Penn St 34, W Virginia 12 | ||
| Nebraska 28, Colorado 10 | ||
| Illinois 23, Kansas 17 | ||
| SEC 8:2 | Texas 31, Michigan 12 | Vanderbilt 32, Ga State 36 |
| Alabama 42, Wisconsin 10 | Miss. St 17, Toledo 41 | |
| Georgia 34, Clemson 3 | ||
| Vanderbilt 34, Va Tech 27 | ||
| Tennessee 51, NC State 10 | ||
| Missouri 27, Boston C. 21 | ||
| Ole Miss 40, Wake F. 6 | ||
| Oklahoma 16, Houston 12 | ||
| ACC 8:2 | Miami 41, Florida 17 | UNC 50, JMU 70 |
| Cal 21, Auburn 14 | FSU 12, Memphis 20 | |
| UNC 19, Minnesota 17 | ||
| Duke 26, N'western 20 | ||
| B.C. 23, Mich St 19 | ||
| Pitt 28, Cincinnati 27 | ||
| Pitt 38, W Virginia 34 | ||
| SMU 66, TCU 42 | ||
| XII 5:2 | Arizona St 30, Miss St 23 | Houston 7, UNLV 27 |
| Okla. St 29, Arkansas 31 | Kansas 20, UNLV 23 | |
| Iowa St 20, Iowa 19 | ||
| TCU 34, Stanford 27 | ||
| BYU 18, SMU 15 | ||
| ND 2:1 | ND 23, Texas A&M 13 | ND 14, NIU 16 |
| ND 66, Purdue 7 |
ACC Comments
Seven different teams had a total of 8 good wins over P4 competition.On the other hand, there were only 2 bad wins, one each by 2 teams.
...
2024 US News & World Report - ACC (RX; HM)
2024 US News & World Report - ACC
From the official ACC release of Tuesday, September 24, 2024 ...
ACC Again Leads the Way in U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” Rankings
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – For the 18th consecutive year – and now with 18 member institutions – the Atlantic Coast Conference leads the way nationally among Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conferences in the “Best Colleges” rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.
The 2025 “Best Colleges” rankings were released on Tuesday, September 24.
“ACC schools are dedicated to providing every student-athlete with a world-class academic experience and the highest level of athletic competition," stated ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “Our schools' unwavering commitment to comprehensive excellence continues to be prominently recognized. We must never lose sight of the academic connection to intercollegiate athletics and the importance of these experiences for the long-term future of our student-athletes. We are proud our institutions collectively remain the standard of academic and athletic success."
Notable details from this year’s rankings – all of which were improvements from last year:
- The ACC has led all FBS conferences in the best average rank in each of the last 18 years.
- This year’s 51.7 average rank of ACC schools is the best among all FBS conferences.
- Two ACC schools rank in the top 10, only one other school in an FBS conference is in the top 10.
- Four ACC schools rank in the top 20, no other FBS conference has more than two.
- Six ACC schools are among the top 30 in this year’s rankings, also the most among all FBS conferences.
- The ACC has 14 member schools among the top 70, no other FBS conference has more.
For more information and the complete list, visit U.S. News and World Report “Best Colleges” rankings: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges.
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Here's some info on the Top ACC Public Universities, from USNews:
...
https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article292904264.html (miamiherald.com; $; McPherson)
Cam Ward has led the Miami Hurricanes’ offense to new heights through his first four games with the team.
But as far as Ward is concerned, the slate has been wiped clean.
“These games don’t really matter,” Ward said of Miami’s routs of the Florida Gators, Florida A&M Rattlers, Ball State Cardinals and, most recently, the USF Bulls. “The only games that matter is ACC play.”
For the No. 7 Hurricanes (4-0), ACC play begins when Miami hosts Virginia Tech (2-2) on Friday, with kickoff from Hard Rock Stadium set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
And when the game does begin, it will pit Ward against a familiar face in Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones.
Ward and Drones are cousins, with Ward saying they found out they were related around his junior year of high school. Ward is a year older than Drones and both still work out together in the Houston area during the offseason.
“It’s been good,” Ward said of their relationship. “We’ve been building ever since. We work with the same quarterback coach. I’m just ready to play the game.”
At the ACC Football Kickoff in July, Drones said the two had some back-and-forth banter heading into the season. They both have immense respect for each other and want to settle on the field who is the better quarterback.
“It’s just competitiveness,” Drones said. “We trained together all summer, so me and him are going to bicker back and forth and then we going to see who the real quarterback is when we play Miami.”
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https://athlonsports.com/college-fo...m-ward-announcement-following-miami-usf-game- (athlonspoirts.com; Sullivan)
No. 7 Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward has established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation this season, leading one of the strongest Miami teams in recent memory.
On Tuesday, the ACC recognized him for his impressive performance, solidifying his place in the Heisman race as Miami enters conference play.
Ward was named ACC Quarterback of the Week after throwing for a season-high 404 yards, marking the fourth consecutive game in which he surpassed 300 passing yards.
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So far this season, Ward has accumulated 1,439 yards, 14 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. He boasts a quarterback rating of 94.4, the second best in college football, along with an impressive passer rating of 204.9.
His experience, combined with his talented skill set, fits perfectly into Mario Cristobal's offense. The growth he has shown since transferring from Washington State has been highly noticeable.
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https://www.si.com/college/louisville/football/acc-power-rankings-2024-week-5 (SI; McGavic)
We're now a month into the 2024 college football season, and in the Atlantic Coast Conference, we have as much clarity as we do questions.
The only thing that seems relatively concrete is that Miami, Louisville and Clemson are the three best teams in the ACC, with the order still yet to fully be determined. After that? Some team that had slow starts are starting to come around, for others it's vice versa. For some teams, we still don't have a firm grasp on their floors and ceilings.
With that being said, where do things currently stand in the conference following four weeks of football? Check out our week five ACC power rankings below:
1. Miami Hurricanes
- Record: 4-0, 0-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 1
- Week 4 Result: W, 50-15 at USF
2. Louisville Cardinals
- Record: 3-0, 1-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 2
- Week 4 Result: W, 31-19 vs. Georgia Tech
3. Clemson Tigers
- Record: 2-1, 1-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 3
- Week 4 Result: W, 59-35 vs. NC State
4. Boston College Eagles
- Record: 3-1, 1-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 5
- Week 4 Result: W, 23-19 vs. Michigan State
5. Pitt Panthers
- Record: 4-0, 0-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 8
- Week 4 Result: W, 73-17 vs. Youngstown State
6. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Record: 3-2, 1-2 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 4
- Week 4 Result: L, 31-19 at Louisville
7. SMU Mustangs
- Record: 3-1, 0-0 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 9
- Week 4 Result: W, 66-42 vs. TCU
8. Cal Golden Bears
- Record: 3-1, 0-1 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 6
- Week 4 Result: L, 14-9 at Florida State
9. Syracuse Orange
- Record: 2-1, 1-1 ACC
- Last Week's Ranking: No. 7
- Week 4 Result: L, 26-24 vs. Stanford
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https://www.wdrb.com/sports/bozich-...cle_58520eae-7a82-11ef-8d80-576959b432f1.html (wdrb.com; Bozich)
As always, the Southeastern Conference sucks all the oxygen from the debate about the best teams in college football. Honk if you've heard the talk that Kirby Smart's league will field half of the 12-team college football playoff field.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is scrambling for attention. At DraftKings, three ACC teams are listed among the top 29 teams to win the national title.
Those three are, in order: Miami (+1,800), Clemson (+4,000) and Louisville (+13,000).
After a week on the sidelines, I'm back with my rankings of the 17 ACC programs now that we have passed the quarter-pole on this season.
As I've previously noted, my ratings are skewed to reflect teams that have actually played conference games.
Miami is unbeaten. Miami is ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25. Miami is quarterbacked by Cam Ward, likely the frontrunner for the 2024 Heisman Trophy. Miami squashed Florida and South Florida.
Miami has not played an ACC opponent.
So the Hurricanes are not No. 1 in my rankings.
But they might be next week.
- Louisville (3-0, 1-0): I'm not giving the Cardinals the hometown discount. They're the only team unbeaten inside the league and outside the league. If they win as a six-point underdog at Notre Dame on Saturday, this season will get interesting, very interesting.
- Clemson (2-1, 1-0): The Tigers are not yet the team to beat in this league but they're better than the clown show they looked like against Georgia. Dabo's guys averaged nearly 261 rushing yards and four touchdowns while squashing Appalachian State and North Carolina State.
- Boston College (3-1, 1-0): As they prepare to host Western Kentucky on Saturday, the Eagles have already played three power conference opponents, handling Florida State and Michigan State while taking Missouri to the wire in Columbia. That's a reasonable schedule.
- Virginia (3-1, 1-0): Yes, the Cavaliers stumbled against Maryland, but they have a road win. In fact, they have two of them, including one in conference over Wake Forest. Some people were not certain the Cavs would win twice all season.
- Stanford (2-1, 1-0): That win at Syracuse on Friday night helped me forget the Cardinal lost to the TCU squad that has been beaten by Central Florida and SMU. This isn't Jim Harbaugh's Stanford.
- Miami (4-0, 0-0): The Hurricanes are likely the actual team to beat for the ACC title. Even though they've outscored their opponents by 168 points, I'm not going to say it until they beat somebody better Florida. (I just checked Miami's schedule again. The only ranked team the Hurricanes play is Louisville.)
- Pittsburgh (4-0, 0-0): Reports of Pat Narduzzi's demise were greatly exaggerated. The Panthers rank second in the ACC, behind Miami, in total offense. And they're 2-0 against the Big 12, which should help the ACC's computer numbers, right.
- Syracuse (2-1, 1-1): After the Orange lost to Stanford in the dome Friday night, the talk in town turned to whether Carmelo Anthony's son, Kiyan, plans to commit to the basketball program.
- Duke (4-0, 0-0): Elon, Northwestern, UConn, Middle Tennessee. I've seen tougher schedules in the Hoosier Hills Conference.
- Georgia Tech (3-2, 1-2): All that excitement created by the Yellow Jackets opening weekend score in Dublin, Ireland, was more of a reflection of how ordinary Florida State actually is. Right?
Other
Lunch at Sugar Grove Cafe and Bakery in downtown Syracuse. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)(Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)
https://www.syracuse.com/food/2024/...-relocates-to-heart-of-downtown-syracuse.html (PS; $; Miller)
The line of customers that stretched out onto South Salina Street in downtown Syracuse during lunch hour on Tuesday put Tonya Duffy at ease. It was her third day at her new location, and it was the third straight day of out-the-door traffic.
Sugar Grove Café and Bakery opened over the weekend at 401 S. Salina St., next door to the Galleries of Syracuse and the public library.
Duffy rebranded and relocated after spending four years as The Toast in Cazenovia. She started the business in Canastota in 2015, but outgrew the kitchen and headed to Route 20 in Caz. But as the country came out of the Covid pandemic, The Toast battled staffing issues. What’s more, Cazenovia College closed and took much of Duffy’s built-in customers with it.
“The timing for this was perfect,” Tonya said. “I knew Cazenovia wasn’t for us, and we had been wanting a place in Syracuse.”
The owners of the Dey’s Centennial Building — Richard DeVito and Robert Doucette — reached out to Tonya a year ago when she started looking for a spot in downtown Syracuse. The 3,200-square-foot building was the perfect size to accommodate 70 customers and a kitchen large enough for four bakers and a few cooks.
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This is a map of the proposed redevelopment of Great Northern Mall in Clay, N.Y. Source: CHA Consulting Source: CHA Consulting
https://www.syracuse.com/business/2...orthern-mall-clears-a-key-hurdle-in-clay.html
(PS; $; Doran)
Plans for the former Great Northern Mall to be transformed into a large community of apartments, shops, offices, medical care, hotels and entertainment has cleared a major hurdle.
The conceptual plan was approved by the Clay planning board, which sent it to the town board. The town board on Sept. 16 gave its approval of the concept and plans so far, Town Supervisor Damian Ulatowski said.
That’s a major step.
The developer has no new details or changes to the original plan since the March announcement.
Now it returns to the Clay planning board, which will do a deep dive into the details, Ulatowski said. Board members will look at traffic, environmental impacts, parking and other aspects before making a referral to the town board.
That could happen as early as November, the supervisor said. Then the town board takes a last in-depth look before making a final decision.
Local developer Guy Hart of Hart-Lyman Co. and his housing partner Conifer Realty plan as many as 1,700 apartments and condos, six hotels and a new medical hub. The development would stretch across more than 200 acres.
The developer is acquiring land around the old mall, which sits on 126 acres. Hart has bought or has under contract about 100 more acres.
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https://www.syracuse.com/business/2...-under-construction-in-a-syracuse-suburb.html (PS; $; Doran)
Construction is starting on a new, 110-room hotel in the town of Salina, town officials said.
Home 2 Suites, a Hilton brand hotel, is being built at 241 Elwood Davis Road. Salina Town Supervisor Nick Paro said plans were approved and a building permit issued.
The new hotel will be on vacant land next to the existing Homewood Suites on Elwood Davis Road.
