After a massively disappointing season, Lincoln Riley is at a familiar crossroads
With USC closing out a disappointing 2023 campaign, Lincoln Riley is entering a crossroads in his college football coaching career.
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1. After a massively disappointing season, Lincoln Riley is at a familiar crossroads
With USC closing out a disappointing 2023 campaign, Lincoln Riley is entering a crossroads in his college football coaching career, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Adam Bradford.
Two years ago, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was at an inflection point in his young coaching career.
After quickly rising through the ranks as a bright offensive mind, Day got his first head coaching job at a blue blood program before his 40th birthday, taking over for a retiring legend in Urban Meyer. Day’s first few seasons as the head coach of the Buckeyes were filled with big wins, College Football Playoff appearances, and elite quarterback play.
But in 2021, things took a sudden turn. On a Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Day’s Buckeyes were physically dominated for 60 minutes by the rival Michigan Wolverines. It was Ohio State’s first loss to Michigan in a decade, and fans were embarrassed.
Does that story sound at all familiar to you?
2. NWSL’s TV deal will help the league grow
The NWSL announced its next media rights deal. It gives the league an opportunity for substantial growth, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Kamran Nia.
The NWSL is booming, and investment is increasing. The league’s viewership was up 41 percent on CBS and 83 percent on Paramount+ in 2023. Each move the NWSL makes likely will have implications for its future development. Arguably the most important of them all relates to its broadcast partners.
On Thursday, the NWSL announced its new media rights deal with Amazon, Scripps, CBS, and ESPN. Many fans’ immediate reactions were characterized by disappointment, as four platforms means spending more money to catch all of the NWSL’s action.
But the deal may be better than many people think.
3. Ducks bounce back with big win against Sharks on Legacy Night
The Ducks got back in the win column with a 4-1 victory over the Sharks on Sunday night, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Derek Lee.
On a night to honor the first decade of their 30-year history in Anaheim, the Ducks swiftly dispatched the San Jose Sharks, snapping their two-game losing streak and carrying momentum into their upcoming two-game road trip.
The Ducks got on the board first, courtesy of Frank Varano. Ilya Lyubushkin’s shot was deftly deflected by Vatrano through the legs of goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood. The Sharks would answer back midway through the period when Luke Kunin took advantage of a scramble in front of John Gibson and batted home the puck.
Anaheim responded well to San Jose tying up the game though, taking the lead back in the final minutes of the first. Vatrano’s second of the game came on the power play, a game of catch with Cam Fowler before letting loose on a one-timer from just above the right faceoff dot.
4. Grizzlies spoil Harden's home debut as Clippers lose fifth straight since trade
The Clippers are now searching for answers after fifth straight loss since the James Harden trade, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Grant Mona.
In what looked like the best performance the Clippers have put forth since acquiring James Harden, it still was not enough to trump the fight of the Grizzlies. An abysmal first quarter for the Clippers resulted in a hole that the Clippers could not fight out of.
Paul George led the way with 26 points while Norm Powell had a hot fourth quarter to finish with 20 points and get the Clippers back in the game in that same quarter. Unfortunately, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden both once again could not find the rhythm from the field and had off nights. They each finished with negative plus/minus on the scorecard.
5. With no postseason hopes, what is USC’s legacy this year?
USC began this season with national championship hopes but already has four losses going into the last regular season game, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Josh Fisher.
It was a Heisman-winning performance, just not in the direction the Trojans imagined when they saw this game on their schedule. For what it’s worth, the game could’ve been a lot worse, considering the firing of their defensive coordinator occurred just this past week, but it was still a pretty incomplete game from the Cardinal and Gold all around. Here are the takeaways from the loss in Eugene.
6. 3 takeaways from Hawai’i’s 27-13 upset over Air Force
Not only did the 'Bows provide Timmy Chang with the biggest win of their tenure, Hawai'i got much-needed answers for next-year questions during their victory over Air Force, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Paul Brecht.
We are back.
Hawai’i (4-7, 2-4 MWC) stymied an elite Air Force rushing attack and forced four 4th quarter turnovers to steal the Kuter Trophy back from the Falcons Saturday, handing AFA its first conference loss of the year. The win comes on the heels of UH’s first road victory under Timmy Chang, giving the ‘Bows a winning streak for the first time under the former QB-turned-HC.
Rainbow Warriors’ QB Brayden Schager finished an impressive 22-of-29 for 176 passing yards, adding a career-high 57 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns (2 pass, 1 rush) to help pull off one of the biggest upsets in college football this season. Hawai’i entered the game as near-20-point underdogs (+19.5) before beating Air Force by two touchdowns.
7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports
Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:
8. Ticket Time presented by Golden Gate
Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game Tuesday
7:30 p.m. – Grizzlies at Lakers – $51
9. On the Air presented by The D Las Vegas
Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region Tuesday.
4:00 p.m. - Golden Knights at Capitals - ESPN+
5:00 p.m. - Ducks at Predators - Bally Sports SoCal
7:30 p.m. – Grizzlies at Lakers – Spectrum SportsNet
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Bet in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher. You can also watch every Friday on BLEAV on FuboTV.
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That’s it for today. Talk to you on tomorrow!