Go back to 2017. Lincoln Riley, well before he came to USC, made the College Football Playoff at Oklahoma. That year, he coached Baker Mayfield to the Heisman Trophy, and came within an eyelash (overtime in the playoff semifinals) of competing in the national championship game. Kyle Whittingham and Utah had not yet made a single appearance in the Pac-12 …

A member of Bill Parcells’ coaching tree, Sean Payton is known to mimic his former boss by offering a notable line or two during interviews. Payton was at it again Thursday when he used an interesting metaphor to sum up his quarterback room that consists of rookie Bo Nix, Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham.  “They’re all orphan dogs,” Payton said, …

The 2024 season is an interesting one for the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who at some point in the year will play on every day of the week except Tuesday. It is no surprise that the back-to-back champs were selected for so many prime-time and holiday games as they look to be the first team to three-peat. …

Last week, Ohio State football put out an offer to Ziyare Addison, a highly-rated offensive tackle in the 2025 recruiting class. The Buckeyes are in the mix to land Addison as on Thursday he named his top nine schools, a list that included the Scarlet and Gray. Addison is rated as a four-star recruit by all four main recruiting resources. …

Carmen Vitali NFC North Reporter The dirty little secret about the NFL is that there is no true offseason.  That’s especially true for rookies coming into their first year in the league. The NFL does a great job staying relevant all year long and honestly, if you’re a player, you need to stay in shape year-round to keep up, regardless …

Peyton Manning has just one request for the crop of recently drafted quarterbacks. He wants them to surpass his worst record. The former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback spoke about the rookie class, featuring a record-tying six first-round quarterbacks, while accepting the Mizel Institute 2024 Community Enrichment Award on Wednesday. Jokingly (we think), he said he hopes one of …

Most Ohio State fans will remember Corey Smith from his targeting ejection during the 2014 Big Ten Championship game against the Wisconsin Badgers. Smith was a receiver for the Buckeyes from 2013 through 2016 and finished his Ohio State career with 31 receptions for 351 yards. Big things were expected of Smith as he was the first Junior College addition …

USATSI Daniel Jones fully plans to be the Giants’ starting quarterback when New York faces the Vikings in Week 1. Jones said as much Thursday. Jones has been making positive strides as he continues to work his way back from a torn ACL he suffered in Week 8 of last season. “No, I don’t have any doubt about it right now,” …

Getty Images Living on South Beach comes with plenty of perks, but Jaelan Phillips just experienced the negatives. The Miami Dolphins linebacker recently shared that he was greeted by an iguana during a recent trip to the restroom.   It’s safe to say that the iguana was just as surprised to see Phillips, the former Hurricanes standout and 2021 first-round pick. …

The pieces are coming together for the 2024 college football season. Networks are busy snatching up prime matchups for broadcast while athletic departments are prepping for a season that is just 100 days away. One of the most anticipated games of the year will be featured on October 12 when Ohio State heads to Eugene to face Oregon. The Buckeyes …

49ers’ Aiyuk, Samuel among PFF’s top-10 NFL wide receivers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel have developed into a dynamic tandem, but where do the 49ers stars rank among their peers at the wide receiver position? Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson released a list ranking his top-32 NFL wideouts, with Aiyuk and Samuel both …

A major turning point in college athletics is about to come to fruition. The historic House v. NCAA case is a few steps away from a settlement, which will fundamentally end amateurism as we know it.  For the first time, schools will directly share a portion of revenue with athletes. Scholarship and roster rules are expected to change. Major athletic …

Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions were one half away from reaching their first Super Bowl in franchise history before blowing a 17-point lead to the San Francisco 49ers in last year’s NFC Championship Game.  The Lions — fresh off a 12-5 season and with every key player returning — have even higher expectations heading into the 2024 season, even with the …

Football is a team sport, which means no unit — offense, defense, special teams — is irrelevant in the chase for a Lombardi Trophy. But the NFL is also built on parity, requiring teams to navigate the salary cap and risk resetting at premium positions on both sides of the ball. The result? Sometimes — nay, oftentimes — even the …

The 2024 college football season will feature a handful of sizable changes, however, Alabama Crimson Tide football fans are mostly focused on their own team. Without Nick Saban at the helm, new head coach Kalen DeBoer will be forced to tackle some high expectations in his first season in Tuscaloosa. With a new-look SEC and an expanded College Football Playoff …