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When Ryan Day laid his head down on Wednesday night, just hours from Ohio State’s fall camp kicking off, the Buckeye head coach didn’t have any trouble falling asleep. If you jump nearly a month in the future, on the eve of the Scarlet and Gray’s first game of 2022 against Notre Dame, the same may not be the case. How Day sleeps throughout the season will likely be determined by how Ohio State performs throughout the year. He can rest easy if the Buckeyes handle that opening weekend, setting a tone for 2022 and carrying that momentum throughout. All of that starts now. “It's just the beginning of a long journey,” Day said of the first practice of fall camp . “It's the first step in a long, long journey. And there's a lot that comes with that… That's thinking about where you're going and where this journey's going to take you and what this team's like and what it needs. But that's the fun part.” The expectations for this team are clear: the Scarlet and Gray … [Read more...] about ‘Competitive stamina’ will be key for Ohio State to achieve goals in 2022

When Ohio State fell short of the 2021 Big Ten Championship Game, it marked the first time since 2016 that the Buckeyes did not reach Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. OSU star quarterback C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba told Big Ten Network this week at the conference's media days — from inside the championship game's venue — that the program was determined to bounce back in the 2022 season, including beating Michigan. "I mean, we fell short of our goals and we weren't too happy with it and we've been preparing all offseason to change that and have a different outcome," Smith-Njigba said . "We want to go 15 weeks and be at SoFi (Stadium in Los Angeles) with a (College Football Playoff National Championship Game) ring on our finger, and that's our mindset. And we didn't get it done, and that's all the motivation we need." Stroud echoed Smith-Njigba, adding that accountability was a key theme of the offseason. "I think that's been the whole … [Read more...] about Ohio State football QB C.J. Stroud, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba acknowledge falling ‘short’ after Michigan loss

New Penn State quarterback commit Jaxon Smolik is typically a chill guy. But a visit to Happy Valley earlier this summer certainly elevated the juices the for the West Des Moines (Iowa) Dowling Catholic signal-caller. And the feeling that trip gave him certainly never wore off with the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Smolik announcing his verbal to play for the Nittany Lions early Friday afternoon. “Penn State is Penn State,” Smolik’s coach Tom Wilson told 247Sports. “Obviously their history speaks for itself. I know when he went there for the workout he was extremely impressed with the people and loved the feel of the place. Jaxon is a low-key kid and I could tell the excitement on the phone when he called me that evening. I think it felt right.” At the time Smolik was committed to Tulane, a verbal he had gave at the end of June. “He was very happy with his Tulane situation so it was going to take something like this for it to change,” Wilson said. Smolik chose Penn State over … [Read more...] about New Penn State QB commit Jaxon Smolik “can make any throw that you need”

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is one of the Heisman Trophy favorites entering the 2022 college football season after throwing for 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns and just six interceptions as a redshirt freshman in 2021. During a recent episode of ESPN’s College Football Live , Greg McElroy broke down Stroud’s game ahead of the upcoming 2022 season. “On the biggest stage in the Rose Bowl, he might’ve had his finest hour. He had some great performances throughout the regular season. You could tell he was a different guy in the last 15 practices, and it felt like there was a different air of confidence with how he directed the comeback against Utah. He was decisive, he was accurate, he allowed Jaxon Smith-Njigba to work on the middle of the field, he was throwing it and anticipating throws throughout the course of that game that were difficult throws to make on a routine basis. I think the growth we saw — sometimes you have to separate the regular season from what you see in … [Read more...] about Ohio State football: Greg McElroy breaks down CJ Stroud entering 2022 season

Desmond Howard and Greg McElroy had a firm take on the preseason coaches poll ahead of the 2022 college football season. Alabama and Ohio State were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, as it seems the two teams are preseason favorites to make it to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Nowhere to be found in the top two? Defending national champion Georgia. Howard and McElroy reacted to the first poll of the year on College Football Live. "Well, I think Ohio State and Alabama are teams that you can probably switch back and forth," Howard said. "Georgia, they lost a lot — a lot — on defense. But to put them back in the top three, I guess, is because of what Kirby Smart did a year ago with that team winning the national championship, bringing some weapons back on offense. But I think Ohio State, Alabama — you can flip-flop those two — Georgia." Georgia was, of course, No. 3 in the poll. "I have no issue with the top three whatsoever," McElroy said. … [Read more...] about College football coaches poll 2022: Alabama, Ohio State ‘can switch back and forth’ in top two

USATSI The 2022 college football season is less than two weeks away, and now we know which title contender enters the season with the coveted No. 1 ranking. The Preseason AP Top 25 was released on Monday with Alabama beginning the season as the top team in the country for the fifth time in the last seven years. The Crimson Tide boast the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in Bryce Young , star EDGE threat Will Anderson Jr . and motivation to get back to the top of the college football world after falling to Georgia in the national title game in January. Ohio State comes in at No. 2 after missing the College Football Playoff last season. The Buckeyes are led by star quarterback C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba -- perhaps the top wide receiver in the country. The biggest question facing coach Ryan Day's squad is on defense, though he poached defensive coordinator Jim Knowles away from Oklahoma State to fix the issues that plagued the team last season. … [Read more...] about AP Top 25 poll: Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia headline college football rankings ahead of 2022 season

Getty Images The full 2022-23 NBA regular-season schedule was officially released on Wednesday, which means the start of the season is right around the corner. The upcoming season will tip off on Oct. 18, run through early April and feature a full 82-game slate for each team. For the first time, the schedule will feature a Rivals Week , which will highlight rivalries both new and old. Also, after its popularity over the past two years, this season will again feature a play-In tournament to determine the final playoff spots in each conference. Here's a look at all the key dates and matchups for the upcoming NBA season. CBS Sports HQ Newsletter Your Ultimate Guide to Every Day in Sports We bring sports news that matters to your inbox, to help you stay informed and get a winning edge. By submitting my email I agree to receive the "CBS Sports HQ Newsletter" and other marketing and promotional emails from CBS Sports, which may include information from … [Read more...] about 2022-23 NBA schedule release, key dates: Warriors-Lakers on opening night; LeBron, Luka meet on Christmas Day

Getty Images The Connecticut Sun are chasing the franchise's first WNBA championship and that journey begins with a best-of-three first-round series against the Dallas Wings in the 2022 WNBA Playoffs. Although the Sun (25-11) have had their fair share of bumps along the way, the team is tough and has adjusted well enough to earn the No. 3 seed. Meanwhile, the No. 6 seed Wings (18-18) are entering their second consecutive WNBA playoffs and have their best record since moving to Dallas in 2017. However, they've entered the postseason without their star player Arike Ogunbowale and will be without her for at least the first round. The Wings won two out of three encounters this season, but anything could happen in the playoffs. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the action: (3) Connecticut Sun vs. (6) Dallas Wings (All times Eastern) Game 1: Wings at Sun | Thursday, Aug. 18, 8 p.m. | TV: ESPNU, NBA TV, TSN | Stream: fuboTV ( try for free ) Game … [Read more...] about 2022 WNBA playoffs: Connecticut Sun vs. Dallas Wings first-round preview, keys to series, players to watch

It was another exciting weekend on the recruiting trail as prospects continue to lock in their college futures before the kickoff of their respective senior seasons. A couple more quarterbacks came off the board, Florida moved into the Top10 of the 247Sports Recruiting Rankings, Clemson and LSU added to their respective Top10 classes and Alabama, Louisville, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas tech and Tennessee were among the other schools to add top targets. 247Sports gives you the rundown here. Florida flexes on SEC rivals The weekend the Gators had on the recruiting trail is one that can help you quickly reinvent a program. Billy Napier and his first-year Gators staff landed four top targets, all front-seven defenders as they try and revamp a unit that a season ago ranked No. 51 in total defense, a group that struggled to stop the run all year ranking No. 85 nationally in that category. That’s an SEC no no right there! While this fall Florida will implement defensive … [Read more...] about Weekend Recruiting Rundown: Florida flexes, several Top10 programs add key pledges

Getty Images The soap opera that is FC Barcelona continues ahead of the season opener at Real Sociedad on Saturday . The historic Spanish club is looking to once again return to the top of both Spanish and European soccer, aiming for an identity that doesn't revolve around the legendary Lionel Messi . The Argentine superstar may be at PSG , but Barça president Joan Laporta, in a recent interview with CBS Sports , did not shy away from making it clear that he wants Messi back in a blaugrana shirt. Still, there are pressing non-Messi-related issues at hand for Laporta, including his road to register all the new players he signed this summer. It's as if they are playing the career mode in a sports video game with the "Salary Cap" option toggled to off. We saw how their financial issues resulted in losing Messi and the difficulties they had in registering new players last season, but will their shocking spending see more massive changes at the club? With all those hurdles … [Read more...] about Five Barcelona predictions: Race to register players and financial issues loom as Joan Laporta seeks trophies