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  • Packers rookie OT Anthony Belton on five penalties in one quarter: I’ve got to learn quick

    Packers rookie OT Anthony Belton on five penalties in one quarter: I’ve got to learn quick

    Packers rookie offensive tackle Anthony Belton had some company from head coach Matt LaFleur on his way off the field at the end of the first half on Saturday, but it wasn’t a pleasant conversation.

    Belton was penalized five times during the second quarter of Green Bay’s game against the Colts. He was flagged for a false start, unnecessary roughness and a facemask violation before drawing two illegal formation penalties just before halftime. One of those illegal formation calls wiped out a touchdown and the entire quintet was on LaFleur’s mind when he spoke to the second-round pick on the way into the locker room.

    “Just drive killers,” Belton said, via Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com. “All the penalties were drive killers. That touchdown was called back because of self-inflicted penalties. Stuff like that can’t happen. I’ve just got to grow up. I’ve got to get out of those old habits. I’ve got to learn quick. And that’s something I’m on myself about. That’s not directly what he said. That’s what I’m on myself about.”

    Belton had a better time of it in the third quarter. Running back Amar Johnson was trying to finish off a touchdown run against stiff opposition and Belton helped get him there by plowing into the pile to push his teammate over the line. The Packers will be looking for more of that and fewer penalties in the weeks and months to come.

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  • Miami Northwestern routs Lakeland 40-3 in Kickoff Classic

    Miami Northwestern routs Lakeland 40-3 in Kickoff Classic

    Football: Jaquatin Victrum leads Miami Northwestern past Lakeland

    Northwestern football coach Jaquatin Victrum led the Bulls to a 40-3 win against Lakeland in his first game since taking over for Teddy Bridgewater.

    VERO BEACH — Preseason games don’t count, but they do matter.

    The adage was certainly true for Miami Northwestern’s football team as interim coach Jaquatin Victrum guided the team to a dominant 40-3 against Lakeland in a Kickoff Classic on Aug. 16.

    “I always tell the guys, adversity is going to strike,” Victrum said. “It’s about how we respond to it. I think they responded well. They continue to grow. They grew a brotherhood. They still came to work even when adversity did strike. And when adversity poured on more, they worked harded. To see them flourish (against Lakeland), it feels really good.”

    Northwestern’s players already had their hands full with their quest to repeat as Class 3A state champions.

    Unfortunately, the Bulls had to deal with off-the-field drama that saw former coach Teddy Bridgewater suspended for alleged impermissable benefits and ultimately leave the team to return to the NFL. Northwestern’s program was thrown into a national spotlight for something that had nothing to do with football.

    But, less than two weeks after Bridgewater signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Victrum led the uber-talented team he inherited to a statement win against a perennial power.

    “It feels awesome,” Victrum said. “I’ve been around the program for a while, but as head coach it feels awesome to get my first one under my belt. But I’m more happy for the kids and the community because that’s ultimately who we’re doing it for.”

    While it wasn’t a perfect performance — a scary thought for future opponents — Northwestern showed why it opened the season at No. 2 on the USA Today Florida Network Super 25.

    The…

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  • Colts QB battle: How Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson fared vs. Packers, who has edge right now?

    Colts QB battle: How Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson fared vs. Packers, who has edge right now?

    The latest chapter of the Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback battle between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones was written on Saturday. With the club taking on the Green Bay Packers in their second preseason exhibition game of the summer, we got another look at both signal callers as head coach Shane Steichen mulls which of the two he’ll start when they host the Miami Dolphins in the Week 1 regular season opener.

    Last week, the plan was derailed after Richardson was knocked out of the contest due to a dislocated pinky. Fast-forward a week, and Steichen’s plan played out much smoother. Heading into the matchup, Jones was slated to start and play the opening two series, and Richardson would relieve him after that and take the field for the remainder of the first half. That’s exactly how it unfolded at Lucas Oil Stadium, and both quarterbacks had their moments. 

    As a general takeaway, I viewed Jones as having a slightly better afternoon, but hardly enough to close the book on this competition. That’s especially true with Richardson arguably throwing the best ball of the game, albeit with an asterisk.

    “Obviously, you’ve got a quarterback battle, you’ve got two first-round draft picks,” Steichen said postgame, via NFL.com. “When they both came in, I made it very clear that this is gonna be a battle, and they’re gonna compete for the job. Like I said, I’m gonna make the decision that I feel is best for the football team.

    “I’m very close, I’ll say that. I’m very close.”

     Below, you can find our full takeaways of this next step in Indy’s quarterback battle.

    Saints QB competition: Tyler Shough to start second New Orleans preseason game against Jaguars

    Bryan DeArdo

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  • College football predictions: 2025 conference championship matchups for Power Four, Group of Six title games

    College football predictions: 2025 conference championship matchups for Power Four, Group of Six title games

    We’re just one week away from Week 0 and the start of college football season, so it’s time squeeze in conference championship game predictions across the Power Four and Group of Six ranks before the 2025 campaign kickoff.

    For the first time, College Football Playoff seeding this fall will be entirely up to the selection committee with four automatic bids going to champions of the ACC, Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 along with the Group of Six’s highest-ranked team.

    First-round byes are back for the top four seeds, but those no longer have to hold the conference champion distinction. That emphasizes the importance of scheduling and quality wins, and makes the margin for error extremely small for those battling for a lone G6 spot.

    Bowl projections: Preseason outlook for College Football Playoff field as SEC leads way in projected bracket

    Brad Crawford

    Five conference title games will be played a neutral sites in December and the four others are hosted by the regular-season champs of the CUSA, American, Sun Belt and Mountain West.

    All conference champion odds are courtesy FanDuel Sportsbook.

    Conference USA Championship (Dec. 5, campus site)

    Projected matchup: Liberty vs. Louisiana Tech 
    Winner: Liberty (+120)

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  • Jalon Walker held out of Friday’s preseason game with groin injury

    Jalon Walker held out of Friday’s preseason game with groin injury

    Falcons rookie edge rusher Jalon Walker didn’t play in the team’s second preseason game Friday night. His absence was a surprise.

    Coach Raheem Morris said after the 23-20 loss to the Titans that Walker tweaked his groin near the end of Wednesday’s joint practice with the Titans.

    The Falcons expect Walker to return to practice next week.

    The 15th overall pick had a minor hamstring injury early in training camp but returned to play 19 defensive snaps in the team’s first preseason game against the Lions. He had one tackle.

    The Falcons drafted Walker after they totaled only 31 sacks last season, which was the second-fewest in the league.

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  • Highly touted Ohio State freshman running back sheds black stripe

    Highly touted Ohio State freshman running back sheds black stripe

    Another Ohio State freshman has just been welcomed into the Brotherhood, with the season just a little over two weeks away. Four-star running back Bo Jackson has shed his black stripe.

    Jackson entered his freshman season at OSU with a college-ready frame, standing at 6-foot and 205 pounds. He is an electric back with speed and wiggle and was rated as the No. 11 running back in the country according to 247Sports. The Cleveland native would suffer a knee injury that would rob him of a full senior season, but his junior year numbers were impressive to say the least. Jackson lit up scoreboards with 30 total touchdowns at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School, while averaging over 10 yards per carry for over 1,700 rushing yards.

    The Buckeyes beat out both Alabama and Georgia, among others, to land Jackson’s pledge.

    James Peoples and West Virginia transfer C.J. Donaldson are expected to take the lion’s share of carries for the Ohio State backfield, but don’t count Jackson out. All it takes is one small injury, and it’s “Next man up.” He’s had an excellent spring and summer camp and should be ready if called upon.

    Jackson becomes the fifth Buckeye freshman to shed his black stripe this year.

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  • Chiefs vs. Seahawks odds, prediction: Free expert picks for NFL preseason Week 2

    Chiefs vs. Seahawks odds, prediction: Free expert picks for NFL preseason Week 2

    The Seattle Seahawks will host the Kansas City Chiefs in the second week of the NFL preseason on Friday. The Seahawks ended their 2024 campaign 10-7 and returned to the gridiron last week with a 23-23 tie against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Chiefs went 15-2 en route to their third straight Super Bowl berth last season, but didn’t play any of their starters in their 20-17 preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals last week.

    Kickoff from Lumen Field in Seattle is set for 10 p.m. ET. Seattle is a 3-point favorite in the latest Seahawks vs. Chiefs odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 38.5 in the NFL odds. Before locking in any Chiefs vs. Seahawks picks or predictions, you need to see what proven SportsLine’s Larry Hartstein has to say. New users at bet365 can get $150 in bonus bets instantly with the latest bet365 bonus code for Friday’s game:

    Hartstein is 967-821 all-time on NFL sides and props (plus 13.8 units) at SportsLine including 593-518 ATS, and cashed all five of his 2024 NFL futures plays (plus 5.35 units). 

    Here are Larry Hartstein’s best bets for Seahawks vs. Chiefs on Friday:

    Seahawks -3 (-105)Over 38.5 (-105) 

    Seahawks -3 (-105)

    The line has changed over the course of the week, going from favoring the Chiefs against the spread to swinging in the complete opposite direction. Regardless, the expert is giving Seattle the advantage here since Mike Macdonald will have Sam Darnold and some of his starters going and Andy Reid will play Gardner Minshew, Bailey Zappe and Chris Oladokun under center instead of Patrick Mahomes.

    “Mike Macdonald learned under preseason legend John Harbaugh in Baltimore,” Hartstein said. “He has coached four preseason games with Seattle (2-1-1 SU) and the worst result was a 1-point loss at Tennessee last season. Play the home dog.”

    Place this bet at -105 at DraftKings Sportsbook, where you can get over $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket plus get $200 in bonus bets…

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  • College football odds: Georgia, Notre Dame among best win total bets to make ahead of 2025 season

    College football odds: Georgia, Notre Dame among best win total bets to make ahead of 2025 season

    The 2024 college football season brought widespread upheaval with conference consolidation, the eradication of divisions in the ACC, Big Ten and SEC, the expansion of the College Football Playoff and 14 Power Four coaching changes. While the college sports enterprise as a whole remains in a period of transition, the 2025 football season is lighter on change.

    There are no membership changes in any Power Four conference and just six P4 head coaching changes are taking hold. The CFP is also holding steady at 12 for at least one more year. Arguably, the most significant winds of change are at the quarterback position, as seven of the top 10 teams in the CBS Sports 136 preseason rankings will be debuting new starting quarterbacks.

    Indiana and Tennessee are playoff teams from last season that are in the same boat, and mighty Michigan may start a true freshman, Bryce Underwood, under center. QB changes are also in store at Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Utah, just to name a few more. As such, many team win total bets hinge, in large part, among on talent at the game’s most important position. 

    Bowl projections: Preseason outlook for College Football Playoff field as SEC leads way in projected bracket

    Brad Crawford

    We aren’t shying away from that reality in this year’s edition of the best win total bets, as all five plays are on teams with new starting quarterbacks. The track record…

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