Tag: Miami football

ACC starting quarterback rankings for 2024

Here are our ACC quarterback rankings for 2024, with projected starters.

We are still some time away from the start of the 2024 college football season, but that doesn’t stop us from looking ahead.

Today, we are looking at the ACC starting quarterbacks for 2024 and ranking them ahead of the season. This is just a preview, as it is still many months from the season, and things can change fast. While every team doesn’t have a starting quarterback on paper, we are making projections on these starters based on what we know right now.

The ACC is a bit different now, with the addition of new programs and new faces to the conference. Try not to get mad with these, they’re subjective! That said, here are our ACC starting quarterback rankings heading into the 2024 season.

– Updated 4/19

ACC Football Teams Ranked by Returning Production for 2024

A look at each ACC team’s returning production for the upcoming 2024 season.

Forecasting which teams will rise to greatness in college football in any given season can prove challenging. However, a key indicator often lies in the roster’s returning players.

From seasoned fifth-year senior linebackers to up-and-coming junior quarterbacks, the presence of experienced athletes opting to continue with their respective programs can significantly bolster a team’s competitive advantage. This continuity becomes particularly crucial as other teams contend with talent depletion due to NFL draft selections, transfers, or eligibility regulations.

ESPN recently released a list of all 134 FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams, with each ACC team naturally being listed. Here is a look at each ACC team’s returning production on offense, defense, and total.

Updated 4/7

Every ACC football team’s ESPN preseason SP+ ranking

The ACC has some strong teams heading into the 2024 season, according to ESPN’s SP+.

The 2024 college football season is months away, but we all know that football remains on the mind throughout the offseason. 

Early rankings have been released all over the place, with ESPN’s Bill Connelly recently releasing the preseason ESPN SP+ rankings ($$$) for the 2024 season. These SP+ rankings consider multiple key factors regarding a football team, including returning production, recent recruiting, and recent history. A strong model; here is a bit more of what Connelly had to say about the rankings. 

“It’s a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking. Along those same lines, these projections aren’t intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the season. These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we have been able to gather to date.”

Straightforward and to the point, these are power rankings based on what we know right now. So, how do Clemson and the rest of the ACC stack up in the first SP+ rankings for 2024? Check it out below.

Updated 2/16

Every ACC Football Team’s 2024 Recruiting Class Ranking After National Signing Day

Here is a look at every ACC team’s final 2024 recruiting class ranking.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff showcased their recruiting prowess in the 2024 class, adding considerable talent to their roster. However, the burning question remains: how does Clemson’s recruiting effort compare to other ACC powerhouses following National Signing Day?

Today, we delve into the post-National Signing Day landscape, dissecting each ACC football team’s 2024 recruiting team ranking according to 247Sports. While Clemson remains a formidable force in ACC recruiting circles, they find themselves not at the summit for this particular recruiting cycle. Another program is poised for a significant resurgence, and the 2024 class appears to be the catalyst for their potential return to past glory.

From perennial ACC contenders to emerging teams within the conference, let’s examine the 2024 recruiting team ranking for each ACC program, shedding light on the evolving dynamics within the conference.

–Updated 2/13

How did Rutgers football finish in the ESPN FPI?

The final update to the ESPN FPI is out and Rutgers football made a move.

Rutgers football’s Pinstripe Bowl win over Miami certainly seemed to help the program’s perception nationally. It saw Rutgers make a move in the final ESPN FPI update of the year.

Rutgers moved up four spots, finishing No. 50 nationally in the ESPN FPI index. Interestingly enough, Miami did not move at all despite the loss to Rutgers. The Hurricanes are ranked No. 24 in the nation per ESPN FPI.

With the Pinstripe Bowl win, Rutgers finished the season 7-6 (3-5 Big Ten). It was their first winning season and first bowl win since 2014.

The season certainly showed progress for head coach Greg Schiano and his rebuilding of the Rutgers program.

Rutgers finished seventh in the Big Ten in the ESPN FPI, for what it is worth.

The Pinstripe Bowl represented the first big-name opponent beaten by Rutgers in the four years since Schiano has been back with the program.

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Despite the Hurricanes being down several players for the game, the 31-24 win was nonetheless a big step forward for a program that has struggled to beat the top-tier programs in the Big Ten since they joined the conference in 2014.

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ESPN’s Tom Luginbill saw the Rutgers win as an important one for the program.

“It was a solid win and I think it’s very fair and it is valid to say that because of who it was against and the athletes that are on that team – for Rutgers to beat that team,” Luginbill told Rutgers Wire last week.

“And I know it’s not the full Miami team and that’s fine, but they’ve got great athletes and they probably got lots of athletes that Rutgers would take right now on their two-deep and they beat them.”

ESPN analyst Tom Luginbill calls the Pinstripe Bowl ‘a solid win’ for Rutgers football

Rutgers football made a national impression with their Pinstripe Bowl win over Miami.

It was certainly an eye-opening performance from Rutgers football in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. Beating Miami, a brand name in college football, saw Rutgers take a step forward in terms of the overall perception of the program’s rebuild.

For Rutgers, the Pinstripe Bowl win was their first postseason since 2014.

Miami had a number of opt-outs (transfer portal and the NFL draft) but still fielded a very solid team in the Pinstripe Bowl. Arguably, up and down the roster, it could be said that Miami had more overall star talent than Rutgers.

Rutgers, down in the third quarter, rolled back for a 31-24 win over the ACC program. The bowl win gives Rutgers a 7-6 record to close out the season.

Kyle Monangai rushed for 163 yards to be named the game’s MVP.

“It was a solid win and I think it’s very fair and it is valid to say that because of who it was against and the athletes that are on that team – for Rutgers to beat that team,” Luginbill told Rutgers Wire.

“And I know it’s not the full Miami team and that’s fine, but they’ve got great athletes and they probably got lots of athletes that Rutgers would take right now on their two-deep and they beat them.”

The win is one that is being seen as a perception-changer for Rutgers. Since head coach Greg Schiano returned to the program in 2020, the rebuild has pragmatically moved along.

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But what Rutgers has lacked in these past four seasons is a signature win. This game against Miami, arguably, is the biggest win for Rutgers in Schiano 2.0.

“And I think it says something about their preparation because I’m now more than ever convinced that bowl games are not necessarily about who’s the best team, it’s not necessarily about, you know, the layoff and were you prepared for it,” Luginbill said.

“It’s about whether you want to be there. Like do you care? You know, and I thought Rutgers did a great job of kids showing up and performing.”

Scroll down and check out the best photos from Rutgers football’s Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl win over Miami!

Five takeaways from Rutgers’ victory in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl

Rutgers defeated the Miami Hurricanes in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. Here are the five takeaways from Rutgers’ seventh bowl victory.

On Thursday, Rutgers football (7-6) defeated the Miami Hurricanes (7-6), 31-24, in the 2023 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. It marks the program’s seventh bowl win all-time and the sixth under head coach Greg Schiano (6-2).

The Scarlet Knights trailed in the third quarter, 17-14, with a little over 10 minutes remaining. But they would score 17 unanswered points to clinch their first winning season since 2014.

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Rutgers junior running back Kyle Monangai would capture the game’s MVP trophy after finishing the game with 25 carries for 163 yards and a touchdown. Monangai recorded his seventh 100-yard rushing game against Miami and would finish the season with 1,262 rushing yards. Rutgers would go on to outgain the Hurricanes by 78 yards on the ground.

Rutgers’ victory on Thursday marks their first victory over the Hurricanes in 12 matchups. Below are the five takeaways from Rutgers’ 31-24 victory in the Pinstripe Bowl.

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Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Five players to watch for the Scarlet Knights

Heading into the Pinstripe Bowl, multiple Scarlet Knights will make an impact as Rutgers football takes on the Miami Hurricanes.

Heading into the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Thursday, Rutgers football is hoping to have several breakout performances against Miami.

It was a good season for the Scarlet Knights in their fourth year of a rebuild under head coach Greg Schiano. They finished 6-6 (3-5 Big Ten) with their best regular season record since 2014.

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A total of  13 players were recognized in the All-Big Ten voting, the second-highest total for the program behind the 14 honored in 2020. According to the ESPN College Football Power Index, Rutgers’ 2023 strength of schedule is ranked No. 2 nationally.

Nearly all of the 13 players given all-Big Ten honors return for Rutgers and will play in the Pinstripe Bowl.

With the Scarlet Knights making their third appearance in the Pinstripe Bowl, below are the five players to watch for Rutgers.

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ESPN FPI: Rutgers football is the underdog against Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl

Rutgers football isn’t favored by ESPN FPI in Thursday’s Pinstripe Bowl.

Rutgers football, eligible for a bowl game for the first time since 2014, is not favored in Thursday’s Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl according to ESPN FPI.

Miami is favored at 66.5 percent to win the Pinstripe Bowl (2:15 p.m. ET, ESPN), which is played annually at Yankee Stadium.

Rutgers is 6-6 (3-5 Big Ten), a solid season for a still rebuilding team. In mid-October, Rutgers became bowl-eligible with their win at Indiana. Since then, they’ve lost four straight games.

Three of those four losses came against ranked opponents.

Miami comes into the game 7-5 with three losses in their last four games. Their final game of the season, at Boston College, saw Miami put together a strong 45-20 performance.

In the second week of the season, Miami beat then No. 23 Texas A&M. The Aggies were one of four ranked teams that Miami played this year.

Those other three games, all Miami losses, came by a combined 24 points.

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Two years ago, Rutgers stepped in to pinch-hit for Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl (the Aggies were unable to play due to COVID-19). Rutgers only had a few days notice to participate in that game.

Head coach Greg Schiano on Wednesday said that this Pinstripe Bowl experience, with a full ramp-up to bowl week, has been a great experience for the program.

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“Well, it’s been completely different. I mean, we had eight days to mobilize a team, get them back on campus, get some semblance of a walk-through and then get on a plane, which was almost impossible to find back then because it was kind of like the second wave of COVID, so you couldn’t get flight crews, you couldn’t get planes,” Schiano said on a Wednesday conference call.

“In retrospect, who knows if that was the best decision. I just love playing. I love competing. So we had a chance to go play one more that year, and we did it.

“This year, totally different. It was our traditional bowl, the way we prepare, the way that we develop. All the events and all the things that we do here that make bowl games a reward. Night and day. Now we have a great opportunity to play a really good Miami team at Yankee Stadium. We’re really fired up to do that.”

Pinstripe Bowl: From battered, bruised and beat-up, Rutgers football is ready, rested and recuperated for Miami

Rutgers football is in a good spot health-wise for Thursday’s Pinstripe Bowl.

After a difficult and physical final month of the regular season, Rutgers football was hurting. The still-rebuilding Scarlet Knights, who have an emerging two-deep but are still a roster that is taking shape, very much limped into their final two games of the regular season.

Time heals most wounds, however, as Rutgers football heads into Thursday’s Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against Miami (2:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).

It is no wonder that Rutgers football ended the season worn down, given that they had the second-toughest schedule in college football. Three of their last four games of the season were against teams currently ranked in the USA TODAY LBM Coaches Poll.

But after a month off and a dozen bowl practices, Rutgers is rested, recuperated and ready according to head coach Greg Schiano.

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“The guys that were bumped up, and a lot of it was just overuse, right? Over the course of the season. I think the way we do our bowl preparation allowed those guys to get really a few good weeks of healing in before they really put the pedal down in our preparation for the University of Miami,” Schiano said on Wednesday’s conference call ahead of the Pinstripe Bowl.

“I think we’re definitely in a much better place physically than we were on that back part of the season, and I can feeling the excitement from those guys because they weren’t really playing at the level they’re capable, and that’s frustrating for them. To be able to go out and play at full power, full speed I think will be exciting for them.”

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Rutgers is bowl-eligible for the first time since 2014 (their first season in the Big Ten). They finished the regular season 6-6 (3-5 Big Ten) and achieved bowl eligibility with a mid-October win over Indiana.