They make good, often great, money — some in the millions and millions — and their livelihood is playing a game. But their futures typically are etched in sand, with the tide always threatening to rush in with little notice. “It’s a strange life to live,” Chargers tight end Gerald Everett said. “It’s a strange career to have. Most people …

You have waited all bowl season for the Big Ten to start going head-to-head with the SEC, and that moment has finally arrived. Ohio State will take on the Missouri Tigers in the Cotton Bowl Classic, the first New Years Six bowl on the schedule this bowl season, on Friday evening. Ohio State will have a new starting quarterback and …

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is on track to play against the Commanders this Sunday despite leaving the team’s Christmas night loss to the Ravens with a stinger and that means he will have a chance to show how he responds to as rough an outing as he’s had in the NFL. Purdy threw four interceptions for the first time in …

In the final year of the Pac-12, it was not the program with the second-year coach who made the most headlines upon his arrival, the program with a returning Heisman Trophy winner as its quarterback, the program that was among the coveted first two out the door to the Big Ten. But if you were paying attention entering 2023, it …

Here’s what to understand about the 90th Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Friday’s game between No. 16 Notre Dame and No. 19 Oregon State features two rosters full of players who want to be in El Paso. Those who didn’t are gone by now, preparing for the draft or a new school in the transfer portal. The Beavers and Fighting …

In the process of pondering the failure of teams to try to sign quarterback Lamar Jackson to an offer sheet in March, we were reminded of the grievance filed by the NFL Players Association in November 2022 over the refusal to give fully-guaranteed contracts to “certain quarterbacks,” following the five-year, fully-guaranteed Deshaun Watson deal with the Browns. After last night’s …

Bowl season rolls on into the final week of 2023, and one of the final bowls features what is essentially a home game for one Tennessee-based team. The Memphis Tigers (9-3) are the “visiting” team when they play the Iowa State Cyclones (7-5) in this year’s AutoZone Liberty Bowl. However, the stadium that hosts the bowl is none other than …

The Browns clinched a playoff berth with Thursday night’s win over the Jets, but their regular season could end with a much bigger prize: The No. 1 seed, a bye week and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. Cleveland is one of three AFC teams, along with Baltimore and Miami, that still has a chance at the No. 1 seed. …

USATSI One of the best bowl games of Thursday took place in the Orlando with the Pop-Tarts Bowl between No. 18 NC State and No. 25 Kansas State. The meeting of ranked-on-ranked teams featured two of the more consistent programs across the last couple of seasons, but the game was defined by creativity and unpredictability.  Kansas State struck first with …

Aer Lingus College Football Classic – Notre Dame v Navy Notre Dame will cap its 2023 season in the Sun Bowl today against No. 19 Oregon State, a rare top-25 matchup outside of the New Year’s Six bowls held in the second-oldest bowl game. There may have been some early-December consternation about what bowl game the No. 16 Irish (9-3) …

Football is family. Nope. Football is business. They say “football is family” because it’s good for business to say “football is family.” In the aftermath of the benching of quarterback Russell Wilson by the Broncos, some have lost sight of the business realities that underpin every decision made by every team, almost every day. Each player on the roster is …

The entire Iowa Hawkeyes’ roster will be looking to players like former Lena-Winslow star Gennings Dunker and former Byron standout Tyler Elsbury to help the offense turn things around when their New Year’s Day Citrus Bowl matchup with Tennessee arrives. After an impressive 10-2 regular season, the Hawkeyes were blown out — and the offense was shut out — during …

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With such a recent emphasis on the College Football Playoff, bowl games across the country have lost some luster over the years. But there’s a few reasons why Auburn football’s matchup with Maryland (7-5, 4-5 Big Ten) in the Music City Bowl on Saturday (1 p.m. CT, ABC) should mean something to the Tigers. Chief among those …

Coaches like Bud Grant and Tom Landry were known for being stoic. Jets coach Robert Saleh, who was demonstrative during his days as defensive coordinator of the 49ers, has adopted a flatter demeanor as a head coach. Particularly during a season that was largely lost on the fourth offensive snap, when quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon. While being …

Lakeland won its first state title under Bill Castle in 1986 with a record-setting quarterback in Shane Willis. Thirty-seven years later, the Dreadnaughts won their first state title under Marvin Frazier with another record-setting signal caller. Junior Zander Smith, who was in his first year at Lakeland after transferring from Palmetto, broke two school records and tied a third in …