Paulus to become an Orange man

Could it be that Syracuse is not far from once again being a respectable college football program? It seems that new head coach Doug Marrone is nudging things in the right direction. First thing's first, a quarterback who can function:

Former Duke point guard Greg Paulus is expected to play for Syracuse, according to sources... The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Paulus, a standout high school quarterback, would fit into new Syracuse coach Doug Marrone's pro-style offense. Redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Nassib has been tabbed as the Orange's starter, but Paulus could be the perfect bridge in a one-season homecoming.

Not a bad little coup by Marrone and the Orangemen (I'm still not giving up on the old name), one which could spark just enough interest in the Upstate upstart. I'm not going to jump the gun on this one. Paulus might back out. He could completely flop once on the field.

Yet, any way you look at this, it's a positive note for the once-proud program. As old rivals, we should always hope our enemies remain competitive at the least, and elite at best. That way, when we beat any of them, it makes the victory that much sweeter.

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Syracuse looking for the next Stephfon Green

◊ Hide the women and children. Batten down the hatches. Syracuse just might have hired a head coach with a brain. Well, maybe, but at least he's on the right track.

In a Sporting News article today, Dave Curtis writes about newly-hired Orange(men) head coach Doug Marrone's quest to recruit better in the City of New York. Curtis smartly mentions Penn State's recent success in that state:

"Penn State, led by Brooklyn-raised Joe Paterno, has maintained a decent presence in New York. But there's an opening there for another school, and Marrone hopes he can fill it with the Orange."

Decent presence? Try these names on for size: Maurice Evans, Stephfon Green, and Ollie Ogbu. They're just three names from last season's roster from NYC (Nerraw McCormack and Shane Thompson were the two others). Evans came in much-heralded, but Green and Ogbu were very much under the radar. You want to bet that Marrone sees guys like Green, and knows deep down he can get them to the 'Cuse?

"We're not going to fill all our scholarships with kids from there," [Marrone] said in his office in December. "But we know the area. And we know that even though the talent might not be fully developed, we know there is talent there."

That has Green written all over it. So, Penn State, this is your second warning (the first being Rutgers a few years ago): watch out, because there's another school looking to tap into your recruiting lines.

Think Penn State is really worried? Me neither.

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