Season opener college football

247Sports It was a simpler time six years ago. The lone National Signing Day for the 2017 cycle was the first Wednesday in February, but that was before everything changed 10 months later with the introduction of the early signing period in December. Since that first early signing period during the 2017-18 recruiting cycle, we've witnessed a seismic shift in the timing of when top recruits announce their college choices and sign with their schools, a timeframe that has heavily shifted to December. Though the landscape has drastically changed, there remains a few uncommitted/unsigned players who have yet to make their decisions and will do so on Wednesday, Feb. 1. So there are still plenty of storylines to follow during the traditional National Signing Day which will take center stage next week, so let's break down some of the top ones to follow as the 2023 recruiting cycle quickly comes to a close. 1. Coach Prime's time In December 2021, Deion Sanders and Travis Hunter … [Read more...] about College football recruiting: Five key storylines to follow during National Signing Day 2023

USATSI STORRS, Conn. — Rare is the occasion that my power rankings opens with a dateline, but I was in the building Wednesday night for Xavier's 82-79 win over UConn, a top-20 Big East affair. So this week's Hey Nineteen will start there. What began as a Xavier bombardment ended in a gripping Musketeers escape inside a bumping Gampel Pavilion, which at a few points hit ear-splitting levels after Connecticut managed to cut a 17-point second-half deficit down to a one-possession game. "That was the loudest building I've ever been in," Xavier associate head coach Adam Cohen told me outside the team locker room after the win. Xavier led wire to wire, opening the game 9-0 in the first four minutes, then bloating its lead to 15 points by halftime — a margin that would prove pivotal after UConn made a couple of second-half pushes to bring some much-needed drama to the best matchup of the night in college basketball. UConn's Jordan Hawkins had 28, the second-highest point … [Read more...] about College basketball power rankings: Xavier slides into top 10 after win at UConn; Alabama makes move to No. 1

Getty Images The most famous recruit in the Class of 2023 also stands as the last uncommitted prospect. Four-star Bronny James, the eldest son of Lakers star LeBron James, is still deciding where he will take his talents next season (though, to be clear, South Beach has been ruled out). Bronny is reportedly down to a final three of Ohio State , Oregon and USC , each of which offers something unique to him and his prospects of developing into a future NBA player. Ranked No. 34 in his class, it's no sure thing he'll have a path straight to the pros, much less as a one-and-done. However, his development in recent months suggests his high IQ, selfless play and shooting ability from the guard spot has at least positioned him to join his father in the NBA. So where will he land after his high school career at Sierra Canyon comes to an end? Which finalists are in the best position to secure his commitment? Let's dive a little deeper below into his options with a look at … [Read more...] about Bronny James recruitment: Ranking the best college basketball fits for LeBron James’ son

USATSI A Big Ten battle on Thursday night features the Iowa Hawkeyes (12-7) traveling to take on the Michigan State Spartans (13-7). The Hawkeyes look to get back on track after having their four-game win streak halted. On Saturday, Iowa fell to Ohio State 93-77. Meanwhile, Michigan State has dropped three of its past four matchups. On Jan. 22, Indiana beat the Spartans 82-69. Tipoff from the Bresil Center in East Lansing is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Spartans are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Iowa vs. Michigan State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 147.5. Before making any Michigan State vs. Iowa picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model . The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 12 of the season 45-26 on all-top rated college basketball picks , returning more … [Read more...] about Michigan State vs. Iowa prediction, odds: 2023 college basketball picks, Jan. 26 best bets from proven model

USATSI Duke freshman and former five-star prospect Dariq Whitehead will not play Saturday in the team's road game against Georgia Tech as he recovers from a lower-leg injury, coach Jon Scheyer announced Thursday. The good news for Duke and Whitehead is the injury he sustained in Duke's Monday night 78-75 loss against Virginia Tech is not an Achilles tear, nor is it season-ending. "We've got positive news, but he's not ready for Saturday," Scheyer told reporters. Whitehead went through multiple tests this week, and the MRI scans showed "no structural damage." "It's a strain, it's not anything more than that," Scheyer said. The first-year Blue Devils coach sounded encouraged, but did not offer up a timeline for how long Whitehead could be out. "I don't want to speculate on a time, because we don't know," Scheyer said. Whitehead left the Virginia Tech game with 17:20 remaining after landing awkwardly on his left leg. He was helped off the court, unable to put any … [Read more...] about Dariq Whitehead injury: Duke’s projected lottery pick will not miss season with lower-leg injury

MELBOURNE, Australia — What all seemed so different, so daunting, even, about trying to win a Grand Slam title to Elena Rybakina a little more than six months ago is now coming rather naturally. And if she can win one more match, she will add a championship at the Australian Open to the one she collected at Wimbledon. Rybakina, a 23-year-old who represents Kazakhstan, reached her second final in a span of three major tournaments by beating Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (4), 6-3 at Melbourne Park on Thursday, signaling a rapid rise toward the top of tennis. “Everything was new at Wimbledon,” Rybakina said after hitting nine aces in the semifinals to raise her tournament-leading total to 44. “Now I more or less understand what to expect.” That could come in handy Saturday, when she will face No. 5 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. Sabalenka reached her first Grand Slam title match at age 24 by beating unseeded Magda Linette 7-6 (1), 6-2 in Thursday’s second semifinal. … [Read more...] about Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka set for Australian Open final

Hope Powell has revealed how she defied her Mum to play football, how she built England Women and the importance of representing her communities. Powell is perhaps best known for her time as a coach with the Lionesses, Team GB and, more recently, with Brighton. But she was also an experienced player herself, amassing over 60 England caps and a raft of other domestic accolades. However, growing up in West Indian culture in south London in the 60s and 70s, it was not the most conventional career path for a girl - and Powell's mother even tried to dissuade her from football. "When I was growing up and playing on the estate, I honestly thought I was the only girl that played," she told Jess Creighton on Inside the WSL. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player This week's episode of Inside The WSL takes a dive into the life of Hope Powell - one of the most influential figures in the game. Izzy Christiansen: WSL postponements a … [Read more...] about Hope Powell: Defying Mum to play football, building England Women and representing her communities

USATSI The 2023 NFL Pro Bowl Games will be the first of its kind, presenting a new spin on the league's annual all-star game. Replacing a full-contact exhibition with an expanded skills competition and flag football tournament, the February showcase could ultimately also be a stepping stone to even bigger changes down the road. When the NFL first announced details for the Pro Bowl Games in a memo to league personnel, it referred to the event as the "Replacement Event," suggesting the new format is merely a trial run. That is, in fact, the case, according to Anthony Storm, senior vice president of A. Smith & Co. Productions, which is behind this year's Pro Bowl Games. "I don't know what the NFL's future plans are," Storm tells CBS Sports, "but I know this is a great opportunity for us to grow the skills competition. And I know flag football is a big initiative over there. So I think there's a lot of room for growth. This is the first time we're expanding it into a … [Read more...] about 2023 NFL Pro Bowl Games testing expanded skills competition, could be ‘bigger and better’ next season

Getty Images The return of Bill O'Brien as New England Patriots ' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach will come after one of the most dysfunctional seasons in the Bill Belichick Era, according to the Boston Herald . The team's 18.2 offensive points per game were its worst since Year 1 under Belichick in 2000, while its third-down and red zone offense were both the worst in Belichick's 23 seasons as Patriots head coach. 2022 Patriots offense NFL Rank Offensive points per game 18.2 22nd Total yards per game 314.6 26th Third-down percentage 34.9%* 27th Red zone touchdown percentage 42.2%* Last * Worst in Bill Belichick Era (since 2000) O'Brien experienced great success running the Patriots offense as the play-caller in 2011 when the team reached the Super Bowl , and just like Matt Patricia and Joe Judge -- the two longtime Belichick coaches who ran the offense in 2022 -- he's an … [Read more...] about Patriots experienced unprecedented offensive disarray under Bill Belichick during 2022 season, per report

CBS Sports After reaching the Western Conference Finals last season, there was a lot of pressure on the Edmonton Oilers to make another deep playoff run this year. The team got off to a shaky start in 2022-23, but it has the best player in the world on its roster. Despite some of the questions about the Oilers' goaltending and depth, Connor McDavid has been able to cover those up by scoring at a rate not seen in the post-lockout era. Through 48 games played, McDavid has already scored 40 goals and tallied 88 points. He has the Oilers riding a six-game winning streak. McDavid is on pace to finish the regular season with 68 goals, 82 assists, and 150 points. The NHL hasn't seen numbers like that since Mario Lemieux notched 69 goals and 161 points in the 1995-96 season. Edmonton may have some personnel deficiencies, but those don't matter when McDavid is averaging almost two points per game. As McDavid leads the Oilers up the Pacific Division standings, here are the … [Read more...] about NHL Power Rankings: Oilers are ascending, thanks to Connor McDavid’s sensational season