Archives: Previews

Sunday’s matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and host Houston Texans is a tale of two teams with the same 3-4 record but vastly different postseason prospects. Despite losing three in a row, Tampa Bay resides in the NFC South, where front-running Atlanta is only a half-game ahead at 4-4 and has made a quarterback change. The Texans are 2 1/2 games behind streaking Jacksonville in the AFC South. The Buccaneers’ position might have influenced

The Seattle Sounders can clinch their first-round MLS Cup playoff series with a win in Game 2 against host FC Dallas on Saturday. The Sounders collected a 2-0 victory in Game 1 on Monday in Seattle. Albert Rusnak and Jordan Morris scored in each half, and Stefan Frei made four saves to earn his 12th career clean sheet in a playoff match. With Seattle holding 57 percent of the possession and a 19-10 advantage in

For Central Michigan and Oklahoma, the ceiling for renewed hope is high after disappointing finishes last season. The Chippewas visit Norman, Okla., on Monday to face the Sooners in the season opener for both teams, and a pair of third-year coaches expect more from their teams after difficult finishes a season ago. Central Michigan looks to bounce back from a 10-21 mark, including eight losses in their last 11 games. Oklahoma dipped to 15-17 and

BYU begins a new era in basketball when the Cougars host Houston Christian in the season opener for both teams. The Cougars joined the Big 12 Conference this season after spending a dozen seasons in the West Coast Conference. Growing pains are expected with the transition to one of the toughest basketball conferences in Division I. BYU was picked to finish 13th in the 14-team league in the preseason, slotted ahead of only fellow newcomer

With four of last season’s top five scorers returning, Georgia Tech coach Damon Stoudamire begins his first season with the team Monday night when the Yellow Jackets welcome Georgia Southern into Atlanta. After a slow start last season, the Yellow Jackets won seven of their last 10 games. But their 15-18 season, including 6-14 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, cost coach Josh Pastner his job. Enter Stoudamire. “I’ve been very demanding and very intentional about

Pittsburgh’s men’s basketball team will begin its mission to build on last season’s NCAA Tournament appearance and prove Blake Hinson made the right decision when it opens at home against North Carolina A&T on Monday night. The Panthers, who finished their prior campaign 24-12, reached March Madness for the first time since the 2015-16 season and notched two wins in the bracket. Pitt was picked to finish ninth in the ACC preseason poll, but Hinson

Following a season filled with both success and disappointment, the Clemson Tigers will look to start the 2023-24 season off on the right foot. The Tigers won 23 games last season, their highest total since the 2017-18 season. That matched their second-highest win total under long-time coach Brad Brownell. Despite the departure of first-team All-ACC forward Hunter Tyson, the Tigers remain in prime position to contend for the conference championship. Former Syracuse star Joe Girard

The Sabres will aim for their second win over the Philadelphia Flyers in three nights when the two clubs meet in Buffalo on Friday. The quick rematch comes after a 5-2 Sabres victory Wednesday in Philadelphia, a result that Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim found “frustrating” for his team. The Flyers outshot Buffalo by a lopsided 40-15 margin, and Joel Farabee scored to give Philadelphia the early lead just 55 seconds into the game. The score

Ohio State hosts Oakland on Monday in the opener for two programs looking to rebound from the disappointment of last season. The Buckeyes went 16-19, including a stretch of 14 losses in 15 games, to miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time in coach Chris Holtmann’s six seasons in in Columbus, Ohio, excluding the pandemic shortened 2019-20 season. Even a three-game winning streak in the Big Ten tournament to reach the semifinals was little

It will be tough for No. 24 Alabama to repeat last year’s historic success as the 2023-24 campaign opens with a home date against Morehead State on Monday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Head coach Nate Oats has built the Crimson Tide into a powerhouse and expectations are high following a 2022-23 season that ended with a 31-6 overall record, a 16-2 mark in the SEC and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.