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  • 2024 NCAA Tournament: Revisiting the Alabama-Clemson rivalry in football as schools vie for Final Four bid

    2024 NCAA Tournament: Revisiting the Alabama-Clemson rivalry in football as schools vie for Final Four bid

    Clemson and Alabama are both making waves during March Madness. The two southern football giants are set to face off in Saturday’s Elite Eight with an appearance in the coveted Final Four on the line — a goal that neither basketball program has yet to attain. While this may be a rare postseason showdown between the two on the hardwood, the Crimson Tide and Tigers share a rich history on college football’s biggest stage. 

    Between 2016-19, Alabama and Clemson competed in four straight College Football Playoff games, three of which were for the national championship. That streak constitutes four out of the five matchups between the two teams since the turn of the century. On top of that, Alabama and Clemson have never played one another — outside of the playoff format — in the postseason. 

    As one might expect from such a prolific modern rivalry, Alabama and Clemson’s playoff streak featured amazing moments and monolithic figures. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was in the midst of building an emergent dynasty, while former Alabama coach Nick Saban worked to stack wins onto an already Hall of Fame worthy résumé. 

    Myriad future NFL Draft picks, All-Americans and Heisman Trophy winners featured in these clashes, highlighted by the likes of Deshaun Watson, Jalen Hurts, Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa. With Alabama and Clemson set to play in the postseason once more, this time on one of college basketball’s biggest stages, it felt appropriate to look back at their College Football Playoff rivalry. 

    2016: College Football Playoff National Championship

    Final: Alabama 45, Clemson 40 

    In the first meeting between the two teams in eight years, Alabama and Clemson took center stage at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with a…

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  • Will 49ers, Brandon Aiyuk get a deal done?

    Will 49ers, Brandon Aiyuk get a deal done?

    49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk wants the second contract that he has earned. The 49ers don’t seem to be inclined to give him one, at least not at the level he has targeted.

    Will they get something done?

    Via Jordan Elliott of NBCSportsBayArea.com, Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reported on Friday that the two sides aren’t close on a new deal. And that’s no surprise.

    The 49ers have the right to squat on Aiyuk in 2023 at his fifth-year option of $14.12 million. His rights are limited, and expensive. Due to his status as a player under his fifth-year option, he would be subject to a daily fine of $40,000 for skipping training camp and a fine in the amount of one regular-season game check (i.e., $784,444) for each preseason game missed. (The fines can be waived by the team.)

    Before that, Aiyuk can skip the offseason program, including the mandatory minicamp (the total fine for skipping the three-day mandatory camp is $101,716). And while that could help him get what he wants, the 49ers need to remember what missing the offseason did to receiver Deebo Samuel in the first year after he got his long-term deal.

    Speaking of Samuel, Aiyuk is surely irked that Samuel received a long-term contract after only three seasons — and that Samuel averages $23.85 million per year when Aiyuk was the far more productive player in 2023.

    It all comes down to whether the 49ers are willing to tear up the last year of the five-year contract and give Aiyuk what he wants. They might be willing to reward him with a new contract, but not for top-of-market money.

    Currently, the highest paid receiver is Tyreek Hill, at $30 million per year. But that’s a fugazi number, inflated by a bogus 2026 compensation package of $45 million. Take that away, and it’s a $28.3 million deal.

    Regardless of where the bar is currently, it’s going to increase once the Vikings pay Justin Jefferson and/or the Bengals pay Ja’Marr Chase. That will only make it more expensive to sign Aiyuk.

    That’s the one basic reality that most…

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  • ‘I don’t know that we’re going to be great this year’, Kirby Smart on Georgia’s 2024 defense

    ‘I don’t know that we’re going to be great this year’, Kirby Smart on Georgia’s 2024 defense

    With just over two weeks of spring practice remaining, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart isn’t yet sure what to expect from the Bulldogs defense in 2024.

    Despite the questions in the secondary due to the departure of starters Kamari Lassiter, Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith to the NFL draft, Smart’s concern falls on the defensive line.

    “Either we’re maybe a little weaker on the defensive line or we’re really good on the offensive line,” Smart said. “The glaring thing I’ve seen at practices is that the offensive line has done a really good job. That’s not to say we were subpar on the defensive line last year. We just weren’t great. We didn’t have a dominant guy, but we’re always going to be good on defense. I don’t know that we’re going to be great this year, but I think we have a chance to be great on offense.”

    UGA wasn’t as dominant in the trenches in 2023 as what we’ve grown accustomed to for a Smart defense. After leading the country in run defense over back-to-back national title seasons, Georgia finished No. 16 in that category last season.

    The loss of players like Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith played a part in the regression. The good thing for UGA this year is the return of starters Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse. Those two have to become game wreckers if the Bulldogs want to get back shutting down the run game.

    Georgia will end spring practice on Saturday, April 13 in Sanford Stadium. Kickoff for G-Day is set for 1 p.m. ET, televised on SEC Network+.

    Story originally appeared on UGA Wire

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  • Projected 2024 NFL win totals for all 32 teams: Steelers top list of five best over/under bets to make now

    Projected 2024 NFL win totals for all 32 teams: Steelers top list of five best over/under bets to make now

    The start of the NFL season is still more than five months away, but arguing about the NFL is a year-round sport and you’ll be able to hold some healthy debates with your closest friends over the next few weeks now that the win totals have been released for all 32 teams. 

    The oddsmakers at BetMGM have released their over/under win totals for the 2024 season and in news that probably won’t surprise you, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are tied for the highest projected win total in the NFL at 11.5. 

    Here are a few nuggets from all the win totals. 

    Oddsmakers love America’s team. There are a total of eight teams that have a double-digit win total and of those eight, seven of them have played in at least one conference title game since 2020. The only team on the list that hasn’t is the Cowboys, who have a win total of 10.5.  No respect for several 2023 playoff teams. There are four playoff teams from last season who have an over/under lower than nine and those four teams are the Browns (8.5), Rams (8.5), Steelers (7.5) and Buccaneers (7.5). The Steelers and Browns play in arguably the toughest division in the NFL, so it’s somewhat understandable that their win totals are low. On the Rams’ end, they just lost their best defensive player (Aaron Donald) to retirement, so that probably doesn’t help things. As for the Buccaneers, the oddsmakers seem to think that Tampa Bay will be taking a small step back. Lowest win total: Panthers. With an unproven quarterback in Bryce Young and a new coaching staff in place, it’s not a huge surprise that the oddsmakers have no faith in the Panthers, who have the lowest win total in the NFL this year at 4.5. 

    Here’s a look at the over/under win totals for all 32 teams. 

    Now that we have the totals, it’s time to figure where the oddsmakers went wrong, so I’m going to give you the five bets that I like the most right now. 

    Steelers over 7.5…

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  • College football spring games 2024: Schedule, TV, live streams, start times, dates for Power Four conferences

    College football spring games 2024: Schedule, TV, live streams, start times, dates for Power Four conferences

    USATSI

    Spring games are right around the corner, and these scrimmages will give college football fans a first glimpse at what will be a completely different landscape. Waves of change will be implemented during the 2024 season: The College Football Playoff is expanding to 12 teams with a new auto-bid structure surrounding conference champions, the Pac-12 is operating with just two teams and the remaining power conferences — the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 — will each be introducing new members. 

    More than 40 programs have officially announced dates and times for spring games, while each conference has placed the majority of television and streaming options to watch. As it stands, Alabama is the only team in the country to place its spring game on basic cable, but for good reason because it’ll be a fascinating one to watch. Following the retirement of legendary coach Nick Saban, Kalen DeBoer will lead his Crimson Tide squad onto the field for the first time on ESPN. 

    The Big Ten’s spring games will air on Big Ten Network, while the Big 12, ACC and SEC will all show up on ESPN streaming. It should also be noted that the Pac-12’s dissolution does not go into effect until July, so the conference still stands at 12 member institutions throughout the spring. As such, Pac-12 spring games will be aired on the Pac-12 Network — potentially for the last time ever. 

    You can view all the Power Four spring game dates and times below. For convenience, schools have been grouped into the conference in which they’ll be competing in the 2024 season. So, for example, USC and UCLA are included with the…

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  • NFL free agency: Eagles trading Haason Reddick to Jets and more news, updates

    NFL free agency: Eagles trading Haason Reddick to Jets and more news, updates

    NFL free agency is here! Stay updated with Yahoo Sports and learn everything you need to know right here.

    Who are the top remaining free agents?

    QB Ryan Tannehill
    WR Tyler Boyd
    TE Logan Thomas
    DL Calais Campbell
    CB Xavien Howard
    S Justin Simmons

    Check out Yahoo Sports NFL writer Frank Schwab’s top 25 NFL free agents here.

    Check out Schwab’s top five free agents at each position here.

    What is the NFL salary cap this season?

    The salary cap is $255.4 million, a $30 million increase from 2023. Here’s Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein with an overarching look at the jump.

    Fantasy reaction to NFL free agency

    What do all the moves mean from a fantasy perspective? Find out from Yahoo Sports’ fantasy experts with their live reactions right here.

    Live354 updates

    Fri, March 29, 2024 at 1:11 PM MST

    Haason Reddick ‘expected to receive new contract’ with Jets, per report

    Fri, March 29, 2024 at 1:06 PM MST

    Report: Eagles trading Haason Reddick to Jets for conditional 3rd-round pick

    Trade: Eagles are sending edge-rusher Haason Reddick to the New York Jets for a conditional 2026 third-round pick that could be a second, sources tell ESPN.

    The 2026 pick becomes a 2nd if Reddick has 67.5% playtime this season and has 10 or more sacks. If not, it’s a 2023 third pic.twitter.com/AcjiqZE2L4

    — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 29, 2024

    Fri, March 29, 2024 at 1:04 PM MST

    Report: Dolphins, RB Raheem Mostert agree on new 2-year deal

    Fri, March 29, 2024 at 6:37 AM MST

    Jaguars extend LB Foye Oluokon

    Jaguars LB Foye Oluokon’s extension will be a four-year, $45 million deal, with a max value of up to $48 million, that includes $22.5 guaranteed at signing. https://t.co/0MPyRe4vEi

    — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 29, 2024

    Wed, March 27, 2024 at 3:25 PM MST

    Lions re-sign QB Nate Sudfeld

    Wed, March 27, 2024 at 12:34 PM MST

    Panthers confirm Jadeveon Clowney signing

    Wed, March 27, 2024 at 12:33 PM MST

    Details of Jadeveon Clowney’s Panthers deal

    It’s a two-year deal with a max value of $24 million, per NFL Network’s Ian…

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  • Wisconsin class of 2025 commit surprisingly flips to rival Minnesota

    Wisconsin class of 2025 commit surprisingly flips to rival Minnesota

    Wisconsin football class of 2025 commit Torin Pettaway decommitted from the Badgers and flipped to joining bitter rival Minnesota on Thursday night.

    The in-state defensive lineman initially committed to join the Badgers on March 7. His change of heart and move to rival Minnesota seems to have taken many in the industry by surprise.

    Pettaway is the No. 653 player in the class of 2025, No. 63 defensive lineman and No. 5 recruit from the state of Wisconsin.

    His decommitment leaves Wisconsin’s class of 2025 with eight total commitments. The group also slid No. 11 nationally with the news.

    The 6-foot-5, 265-pound athlete and junior at Middleton High School will be yet another in-state recruit to commit to play elsewhere — a troubling trend under both former coach Paul Chryst and current coach Luke Fickell.

    After a lot of thought and considering I have decided to reopen my commitment and de-commit from the university of Wisconsin

    — Torin Pettaway (@torinjp) March 29, 2024

     

    Story originally appeared on Badgers Wire

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  • LSU’s Brian Kelly appears to say where Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels may go in 2024 NFL Draft

    LSU’s Brian Kelly appears to say where Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels may go in 2024 NFL Draft

    It’s the offseason, which means it’s NFL Draft time. The discourse associated with the draft is ever evolving, and there may not be a greater example of that than the race to be the second quarterback chosen in the 2024 class, aka the second overall pick of the draft by the Washington Commanders.

    Entering the 2023 collegiate season, it was assumed 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and USC quarterback Caleb Williams and North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye would be the first two picks of the 2024 NFL Draft. Then, fifth-year senior LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels erupted for the Tigers, giving Maye some competition to be the second quarterback selected. He racked up 3,812 yards passing, 40 passing touchdowns and just four interceptions with a completion percentage of 72.2%. That registered Daniels with college football’s highest single-season passing efficiency rating ever (208.0). 

    He was just as electrifying with his feet, running for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on 135 rushing attempts, churning out a rate of 8.4 yards per carry. Daniels led all college quarterbacks in both passing yards per attempt (11.7) and yards per carry (8.4). Thus, there was plenty excitement around his LSU pro day on Wednesday. Daniels, who is 6-foot-4, didn’t have height concerns, but there were concerns about his stature. He didn’t weigh in at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he weighed 210 pounds at the pro day workout. However, Sports Reference listed Daniels 2023 playing weight at 185 pounds. 

    In an attempt to squash doubts about his quarterback’s weight, LSU head coach Brian Kelly may have telegraphed that Daniels will be the 2024 NFL Draft’s second overall pick by the Commanders. Or, it may have been an honest mistake after spending plenty of time talking at the pro day with Washington head coach Dan Quinn, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and general manger Adam Peters. 

    “He [Daniels] is going to be so committed…

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