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Showing posts from October, 2020

New on Sports Illustrated: SI's Top 10: Ohio State Unaffected by an Unpredictable Big Ten

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The Big Ten has been following the theme of the year: chaos. Every team except Ohio State, that is. Two weeks into the Big Ten’s 2020 season and five teams remain undefeated. That list includes Northwestern, Indiana and Purdue. Meanwhile, Penn State, Iowa and Minnesota are 0-2. Yes, 2020 is a hell of a drug. But this is reality. The Big Ten has encapsulated the year’s theme quite well. What’s this year’s theme? Chaos. Disaster. Bizarre. Pick any of them. We’ve had Halloween week hurricanes, wildfire tornadoes and a worldwide pandemic, not to mention the death of one of basketball’s greats, Kobe Bryant. Let’s not be too dramatic, though. The Big Ten’s chaotic start has nothing on any of that. But it does have chaos, only two weeks in. A few days ago, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, always one for a good quote, predicted that COVID’s impact on the season would mean that “traditional losers would be winners and traditional winners would be losers.” Woo, boy, was he right. The basket

New on Sports Illustrated: Week 8 Preview: How Familiar Foes Deal With Russ, Trade Deadline Deals That Must Happen

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Plus, Lamar Jackson’s rematch with a Steelers D that shut him down, Patriots on the brink, why the Jets would be fine for Trevor Lawrence, and more. 1a. I’ve long wondered why “Rainbow Connection” starts with the line “Why are there so many songs about rainbows/And what’s on the other side?” when there’s really only one song anyone is familiar with that even tangentially deals with that subject matter. It seems that is more placeholder lyric rather than the iconic opening line of an iconic song. I’ve also long wondered if, because he’s not just a uniquely wonderful quarterback but also a wonderfully unique quarterback, NFC West opponents have more success containing Russell Wilson than teams who prepare for him less often. Take this with a grain of salt due to (1) small sample size, and (2) the fact that the NFC West has been an especially strong division in recent years, but here’s Wilson’s numbers in intra- and inter-division play over his career: Vs. NFC West: 7.55 yds/att, 23

New on Sports Illustrated: Florida and Missouri Brawl at Halftime, Ejections Follow

Three players were ejected after Florida and Missouri got into a brawl as both teams headed to the locker room at halftime. Punches were thrown and three players were ejected during a brawl between Florida and Missouri players as both teams made their way to the locker room for halftime of Saturday night's game. Defensive lineman Zachary Carter and linebacker Antwuan Powell were ejected for Florida, while Missouri linebacker Tre Williams was also disqualified. Florida quarterback Kyle Trask took a late hit from defensive lineman Drajan Jeffcoat on the last play of the half, which seemed to fuel the fight that followed. After order was eventually restored and the two sides made it to their respective locker rooms, Florida coach Dan Mullen encouraged the home crowd on his way to the tunnel, eventually returning to the field for more pump-up material. Florida will play rival No. 5 Georgia next weekend, making any possible suspensions forFlorida players involved in the

New on Sports Illustrated: Texas Upsets No. 6 Oklahoma State in OT for Longhorns' First Road Victory Over Top-10 Team Since 2010

The upset marks Oklahoma State's first loss of the season, and the Longhorns' first road win over a top-10 team since 2010.. With just 22 seconds left in overtime, Oklahoma State lined up on the 12 yard line, hoping to match Texas' touchdown and push it to double overtime.  That is until the offensive line collapsed.  Texas chased quarterback Spencer Sanders and sacked him close to the 25-yard-line, marking an end to the game. The Longhorns stunned No. 6 Oklahoma State with a 41-34 victory, giving OKSU its first loss of the season and topping off a shocking night in Stillwater, OK. Earlier that evening, Oklahoma State displayed yellow lines on its video board during Texas' field goal attempt in late in the second quarter . The Halloween trickery, if you will, didn't work.  Oklahoma State dominated early with a 14-7 lead in the first quarter and a narrow 24-20 edge heading into half. However, the team's offensive edge seemed to stall and only score

New on Sports Illustrated: Rutgers' Near-Touchdown on 4th and 32 Must Be Seen to Be Believed

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Facing an impossible situation, Rutgers got creative and dug into its bag of tricks to nearly pull off one of the most miraculous plays in recent memory. They say desperate times call for desperate measures, and there are few moments more desperate than facing a 4th and 32 with two minutes left in the game trailing by 16. That's exactly the situation Rutgers found itself in on Saturday against No. 17 Indiana. The Scarlett Knights dug into their bag of tricks, and the result was nothing short miraculous: Eight laterals and 33 seconds was all it took for pigs to fly and hell to freeze over. The glorious moment was, unfortunately, short-lived, as replay review showed a lateral by wide receiver Shameen Jones at the 35-yard line was thrown forward, negating the Piscataway Prayer in a cruel twist of fate. Aside from actually counting, this play had everything, and choosing a favorite moment is a real 'Sophie's Choice' scenario. Here are a few standouts for considerat

New on Sports Illustrated: In Impressive Starting Debut, the Young D.J. Uiagalelei Shows He's Up for the Challenge

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The true freshman QB had an impressive starting debut, but the stakes will be even higher next week. So far, so very good for D.J. Uiagalelei. But the next challenge is so very big. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Saturday after his team’s 34–28 comeback victory over Boston College that star quarterback Trevor Lawrence won’t play next week at Notre Dame . That will be his second straight missed game after testing positive for COVID-19 Thursday. And that means the showdown of top-five teams in South Bend will be the second collegiate start for Uiagalelei, the five-star freshman from California. His first start was pretty spectacular: 30 of 41 passing for 342 yards and two touchdowns, plus another touchdown rushing. Uiagalelei’s rocket arm, athleticism and poise were all on display against the Eagles, as he led Clemson back from an 18-point deficit—the largest home comeback in school history. “It shows he has the heart of a champion,” said Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott

New on Sports Illustrated: Oklahoma State Attempts to Distract Texas FG Attempt With Video Board

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The Oklahoma State video board operator got creative when trying to distract visiting Texas on a field goal attempt. They say all is fair in love and war—and now apparently field goal attempts. Late in the second quarter of Texas's road game against Oklahoma State, the Longhorns trotted out Cameron Dicker to try a 40-yard field goal just before the end of the half. The socially-distanced crowd at Boone Pickens Stadium attempted to make as much noise as possible to distract Dicker, but the Oklahoma State video board operator made perhaps the biggest impact by filling the video board behind the goal post with vertical yellow lines. Call it a little Halloween trickery. Dicker, who's 38-for-51 in his career and was a second-team All-Big 12 selection in 2018, somehow made the kick anyway, though watching the video is an easy way to make yourself go cross-eyed. It's unclear if there is anything in the Big 12 or NCAA rule book about whether or not a move like that is leg

New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Trevor Lawrence Out Against Notre Dame Due to COVID-19

After Clemson's win over Boston College, Dabo Swinney said Lawrence will be out against Notre Dame due to COVID-19. Trevor Lawrence is out against Notre Dame due to COVID-19 protocol, head coach Dabo Swinney told reporters after Clemson's win over Boston College.  The quarterback, who is a projected No. 1 overall pick for the 2021 NFL Draft, tested positive for the coronavirus last week and had mild symptoms.  He is isolated.  Per Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger , Lawrence received his test results Thursday from Wednesday's full-team testing. The quarterback was the only person to test positive. The ACC operates under CDC guidelines,  Dellenger highlighted. A player who tested positive must isolate 10 days from the time of their positive test.   D.J. Uiagalelei, a five-star recruit from the 2020 class, is the Tigers' backup quarterback. He went 30-for-41 for 342 yards and two touchdowns during Clemson's 34-28 victory over Boston College.  Uiaga

New on Sports Illustrated: Deontay Wilder Accuses Tyson Fury of Loading Gloves in Rematch, Demands Third Fight

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Wilder also accused Fury of cheating in their December 2018 draw and their February rematch. Deontay Wilder accused Tyson Fury of tampering with his gloves and demanded the British boxer honor their agreement for a third fight. Wilder released a video on social media on Saturday accusing Fury of cheating in their December 2018 split draw and their rematch in February. "I saw in the first fight when Ricky Hatton was pulling down your gloves to put your hand in the improper position," Wilder said in the video. "Y'all tried the same method the second time, but this time, you scratched flesh out of my ears which caused my ears to bleed." Wilder's video included pictures of Hatton, who was in Fury's corner, touching the 32-year-old's gloves between rounds in their 2018 bout. Fury has previously denied he cheated. "I highly believe you put something hard in your glove," Wilder said in reference to their February fight. "It's

New on Sports Illustrated: Raiders Stadium Will Have Fans, but for College Game Not NFL

The Raiders were the first team in Allegiant Stadium, but UNLV were the first to have fans. LAS VEGAS — The Raiders were fittingly the first team to play inside Allegiant Stadium, their sparkling new home near the famed Las Vegas Strip. But the first fans allowed inside the $2 billion venue will be there to cheer on the UNLV Rebels, not the Silver and Black. UNLV is scheduled to host in-state rival Nevada on Saturday in the annual battle for the Fremont Cannon, college football’s largest rivalry trophy. It will be the first game played with a crowd at the stadium because the Raiders have decided to play their inaugural season in Las Vegas before empty seats amid the pandemic. “They’re our roommates there at the stadium,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said. “If they want to have fans there that’s their prerogative. Whether they feel it’s safe and everything else, that’s their decision-making process.” The university’s plan to allow a limited number of spectators was recently approved

New on Sports Illustrated: One Week After Loss to Rutgers, Michigan State Upsets No. 13 Michigan

The Spartans' victory makes Mel Tucker only the program's second coach to win his debut vs. Michigan. Michigan State football (1-1) pulled off a close upset over rival No. 13 Michigan (1-1) on Saturday, snagging a 27-24 road victory and taking home the Paul Bunyan trophy.  The Spartans were coming off a 38-27 loss to Rutgers last week, while the Wolverines had a commanding 49-24 victory over Minnesota. Coming into the matchup, MSU was a 22-point underdog.  Michigan State receiver Ricky White led the way with 196 receiving yards against Michigan, becoming the only player with more single-game receiving yards in this rivalry series history is Sparty's Plaxico Burress (255 in 1999). The Spartans had an early edge, tallying the first touchdown, and never lost the lead. While the two were neck-and-neck throughout the game, MSU ultimately outmuscled and outplayed the Wolverines, and the passing game gave them the edge.  Spartans QB Rocky Lombardi went 17 for 32 for 323

New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Washington LB Jon Bostic Fined $12,000 for Andy Dalton Hit

Bostic was ejected from last week's game after he hit Dalton in the head as the Cowboys QB was sliding to the turf. Washington Football Team linebacker Jon Bostic has been fined $12,000 for his brutal hit on Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton last Sunday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero . Bostic was ejected from the game after he  hit Dalton in the head as the QB was sliding to the turf . Dalton exited the game and did not return after sustaining a concussion. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters after the game that he took exception to the hit, seemingly more so, though, because of how his team responded.  "We speak all the time about playing for one another, protecting one another," McCarthy said. "It definitely was not the response you would expect." The Cowboys trailed Washington, 22–3, in the third quarter at the time of the hit. Dalton had completed just nine of his 19 pass attempts for 75 yards with one interception. Dallas went

New on Sports Illustrated: How to Watch Ohio State vs. Penn State: Live Stream, TV Channel, Start Time

Ohio State and Penn State will meet in a Big Ten clash at Beaver Stadium on Saturday night. Ohio State and Penn State will meet in a Big Ten clash with potential College Football Playoff implications at Beaver Stadium on Saturday night. The matchup might be the toughest of the season for both the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions, who are two of the top teams in the conference. Even though No. 18 Penn State fell to No. 17 Indiana in its season opener , it will present No. 3 Ohio State with its most challenging road test. The Buckeyes' other road games during the Big Ten's shortened conference-only schedule include Maryland, Illinois and Michigan State. How to Watch: Time: 7:30 p.m. ET TV Channel: ABC Live Stream: You can stream the game on Fubo TV. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. The Nittany Lions fell to the Hoosiers, 36–35 , in a shocking overtime loss to open the season. Both teams scored touchdowns in overtime, but Indiana went for two after scoring. Indiana qua

New on Sports Illustrated: Cowboys QB Andy Dalton Ruled Out vs. Eagles, Rookie Ben DiNucci to Start

Rookie Ben DiNucci will start for Dallas on Sunday. The Cowboys have downgraded quarterback Andy Dalton from doubtful to out for Sunday night's game against the Eagles. Dalton exited last weekend's matchup with Washington after a helmet-to-helmet hit from linebacker Jon Bostic. He was hit in the head as he slid to the ground and later diagnosed with a concussion. Dalton was replaced by rookie Ben DiNucci , who will make his first career NFL start on Sunday. Garrett Gilbert will be DiNucci's backup against the Eagles. The Cowboys signed Gilbert off the Browns' practice squad on Oct. 13. Dinucci, a seventh-round pick out of James Madison, is the third quarterback to play for Dallas this season. Starting quarterback Dak Prescott is out for the year after fracturing his ankle against the Giants on Oct. 11.  Dallas activated linebacker Sean Lee and center Joe Looney ahead of Sunday's game. Lee has yet to play this season due to a pelvic injury, while Looney hurt

New on Sports Illustrated: USL Championship Canceled Due to Multiple Positive Coronavirus Tests

The Tampa Bay Rowdies and Phoenix Rising will keep their titles as conference champions, but there will be no USL Cup champion in 2020. The first U.S. sports league to return from the pandemic pause and play in home markets almost made it. The USL came so close. But ultimately, its clubs couldn’t hold off the coronavirus long enough to play their championship games. First, Friday’s third-tier USL League One final between Greenville Triumph and Union Omaha was canceled after 10 individuals from the latter tested positive. Then on Saturday afternoon, Sunday night’s USL Championship title match between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and visiting Phoenix Rising—which was to be the first game in USL history broadcast live by ESPN—was called off following multiple positive tests among the host delegation. The USL Cup, the culmination of U.S. pro soccer’s second-division season, was to be played at the Rowdies’ Al Lang Stadium in downtown St. Petersburg. The USL league office is across the bay in

New on Sports Illustrated: John Tessitore Fake vs. Clemson Leads to Insane TD Catch by CJ Lewis

The candidate for catch of the year came after a nifty fake field goal by Boston College's John Tessitore. Boston College ended its first-half surge against Clemson with two of the wildest moments you'll see all year. The action started with an Eagles' incredible fake field goal on 4th-and-2. Placekicker John Tessitore sprinted to the line of scrimmage and got Clemson to jump offsides and give Boston College the first down.  The Tigers called a timeout before Eagles quarterback Phil Jurkovec connected with wide receiver CJ Lewis on an insane 18-yard touchdown pass. After a Clemson defender nearly knocked the ball from Lewis's hands, he bobbled it and managed to scoop it up before it fell to the ground.  Tessitore's crucial role in drawing Clemson offsides was made even more special since his father—ABC broadcaster Joe Tessitore—got to call the moment. The proud dad managed to remain collected while describing the play. The Tigers were already sca

New on Sports Illustrated: Alavés vs. Barcelona Live Stream: Watch Online, TV Channel, Start Time

Barcelona has won eight straight games against Alavés in all match-ups while Alavés hasn't managed a clean sheet against Barcelona for 12 games. FC Barcelona is looking to build on its victory over Juventus and continue to celebrate this week as the club takes on Deportivo Alavés on Saturday.  Josep Bartomeu resigned as the President of Barcelona  on the eve of the club's Champions League group stage match vs. Juventus. This news came after 20,000 of the club's members signed a petition to enact a vote of no confidence on the president and the board.  The next day, the Blaugranes swept Juventus 2-0.  While things seem to be going well for Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, it's been more turbulent in La Liga. Barcelona sits at No. 12, with seven points out of a possible 15. Their last La Liga match was a  humiliating 3-1 loss against No. 2 Real Madrid where the VAR had a significant role. Deportivo Alavés sits level on points with Barcelona. Alavés has lost fo

New on Sports Illustrated: Christian Pulisic Suffers Injury in Warmup Before Match vs. Burnley

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Timo Werner replaced Pulisic for Chelsea's match against Burnley. U.S. men's national team star Christian Pulisic suffered an injury in warmups ahead of Chelsea's match against Burnley on Saturday. "There's a late change to our starting team. Timo Werner replaces Christian Pulisic and young goalkeeper Karlo Ziger is on the bench," the Blues announced on social media. No additional details are known about his injury. Chelsea will certainly miss Pulisic on Saturday after he scored a perfect hat trick in the Blues' 4–2 victory over Burnley last year. The 22-year-old recently returned from a hamstring injury and didn't start for Chelsea's Champions League match against Krasnodar on Wednesday. However, Pulisic came off the bench to draw a penalty and score the final goal of a 4–0 rout of Krasnodar. It marked his first goal of the season and tied DaMarcus Beasley's record for an American in the Champions League with his fourth career goal in

New on Sports Illustrated: Illinois QB Brandon Peters Tests Positive for COVID-19, Out vs. Purdue

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Peters will be sidelined until Nov. 21 due to COVID-19 protocols. Illinois will face Purdue on Saturday without starting quarterback Brandon Peters, who has tested positive for COVID-19. The Illini announced on Saturday morning that Peters and redshirt freshman tight end Griffin Moore returned positive tests. "Several other players" will also be sidelined this weekend and next week against Minnesota due to contract tracing. Moore and Peters will miss 21 days due to Big Ten protocols and be eligible to return on Nov. 21 against Nebraska.  Peters went 8-for-19 for 87 yards with zero touchdowns in Illinois's season-opening loss to Wisconsin. The news of Illinois's two positive cases comes shortly after Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez announced the Badgers' COVID-19 outbreak has grown to 22 cases. Wisconsin canceled this weekend's game against Nebraska due to the outbreak.

New on Sports Illustrated: Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez Says Football Program Has 22 Positive COVID-19 Tests

The Badgers canceled Saturday's game against Nebraska due to the outbreak. Wisconsin's COVID-19 outbreak continues to grow amid a rough week for the football program. Athletic director Barry Alvarez provided an update on ESPN's College GameDay  on Saturday morning and said the program has 22 positive COVID-19 tests. The results include 10 staff members and 12 players. "So we are still having additions in our cases, and that's something we have to get our arms around and control of," Alvarez said, per Saturday Tradition . He added that the Badgers are evaluating their upcoming game against Purdue on Nov. 7 and will make a decision on their Week 3 status on Tuesday. If Wisconsin can't play Purdue, it will drop the team to a six-game schedule, which is the minimum needed to contend for the Big Ten championship. The league is playing an eight-game, conference-only schedule this fall and has no bye weeks to make up missed games. Since teams will be playin

New on Sports Illustrated: Michigan State vs. Michigan Live Stream: Watch Online, TV Channel, Start Time

Michigan State and Michigan will meet in a rivalry showdown in Ann Arbor on Saturday. No. 13 Michigan will welcome Michigan State to the Big House on Saturday in a rivalry that's turned up the heat in recent years.  The two teams had vastly different results in their season openers last weekend. The Wolverines trounced Minnesota in a 49–24 victory, while the Spartans shockingly fell 38–27 to Rutgers . First-time starter Joe Milton displayed his accuracy and poise  for Michigan while going for 15-for-22 with 225 yards and one touchdown. He also proved he's effective as a runner while rushing for 52 yards on eight carries. Following Michigan's win over the Gophers, coach Jim Harbaugh praised Milton's performance. "He was on target all night and played with the poise of a savvy veteran, had great command of the offense, ran the ball with authority and athleticism and speed and had great ball security," he said. Meanwhile, turnovers played a huge role in Mi

New on Sports Illustrated: Real Madrid vs. Huesca Live Stream: Watch Online, TV Channel, Start Time

Real Madrid rests at second in La Liga, just a single point behind Real Sociedad. Huesca is hanging on with zero wins after being promoted. Reigning La Liga champions Real Madrid return to action after a rollercoaster week to take on underdogs Huesca.  Zinedine Zidane's team beat FC Barcelona 3-1 in El Clasico, but they have been struggling in the Champions League. The squad lost to Shakhtar at home (2-3) but then scored two late goals to draw 2-2 with Borussia Monchengladbach on Tuesday.  But in La Liga, Real Madrid is just a single point behind leaders Real Sociedad. Huesca, on the other hand, is winless with five draws and two defeats so far this season in La Liga, following promotion from the second division. Real Madrid will be without Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Odriozola and Martin Odegaard, but  Mariano Diaz was brought back into the squad  ahead of Saturday's matchup. José Ignacio Fernández Iglesias, known as Nacho, is still doubtful after suffering a tight injury duri

New on Sports Illustrated: Biopic on Randy Arozarena in the Works After Breakout Postseason

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Arozarena set records for most home runs and hits in a single postseason during Tampa Bay's World Series run. Following his record-setting playoff run that saw him set a new record for home runs (10) and hits (29) in a single postseason, the Randy Arozarena story is reportedly on its way to the silver screen. Wonderfilm Media is in early stages of production on a biopic around Arozarena, according to The Hollywood Reporter . The film's screenplay will be penned by Brad Gann, whose writing credits include 2006's 'Invincible' about the unlikely NFL career of Vince Papale; and 2011's 'Soul Surfer' about surfer Bethany Hamilton, who survived a horrific shark attack before recovering and returning to professional surfing. Arozarena defected from Cuba to Mexico in 2015 before signing with the Cardinals in 2016. He made his major league debut in 2019 before getting traded to the Rays in January 2020. Arozarena missed the first five weeks of this season aft

New on Sports Illustrated: 10 Best Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Players of All Time

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These are the top 10 Pittsburgh Steelers defensive players of all time. The Steelers have always been known for tough defense and these are the men that built that reputation. Linebacker James Harrison is one of the best defensive players in Steelers' history. There are two ways to win a football game: score more points than your opponent or prevent them from scoring more points than you. For the last fifty years, the Steelers have excelled at the latter. During the ‘70s, the Steelers' Steel Curtain defense was a 4–3 scheme with a dominant front four, three athletic linebackers and hard-hitting defensive backs. The ‘90s ushered in the Blitzburgh era, marked by hyper-aggressive linebackers who relentlessly ran down quarterbacks. During the Super Bowl years of the mid-2000s, the addition of a roving, tenacious, strong safety made the Steelers defense even more dangerous. The Steelers defense has ranked in the top five for points allowed in a season 17 times since 1972. Dur