The former Juventus boss arrived in England last summer with a reputation as one of the finest coaching minds around, but questions were inevitably asked of his ability to reproduce the successes of his past in new surroundings. Ballack hails Conte and Costa A slow start to his Blues reign heightened the focus on a man renowned for his passion and man-management. Conte, though, has shown that he boasts the tactical nous to work his way through a challenge, with a switch to his favoured 3-4-3 system delivering handsome rewards....

Cowherd’s departure is the latest in a line out of Bristol that includes Bill Simmons and Keith Olbermann. MORE: Jerks who give sports a black eye | Athletes and tattoos “We’ve enjoyed a mutually beneficial run with Colin for over a decade,” ESPN president John Skipper said in a statement. “He came to national prominence on ESPN with his unique perspective on sports and society. Endings also bring new beginnings, for ESPN and Colin, and we thank him and wish him the best....

Line: Arizona -17, Total: 120 (check our odds page for (current college basketball point spreads and totals) This matchup pits two of the nation’s top guards against each other with T.J McConnell and Gary Payton II, two players that can run the offense and score when needed. Arizona is 29th in the nation in scoring per game, (75.7) but only scored 56 the last time these two teams played....

Line: Kentucky -13.5, Total: 123 (check our odds page for current college basketball point spreads and totals) Tip-off from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville is at 1 p.m. ET (SEC Network). Kentucky is the unanimous No. 1 team in the country and the only squad to receive SEC tourney odds at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook – it is literally Kentucky vs. the field. The Don Best/Linemakers Power Ratings have Kentucky as 6 points better than any other team in the country on a neutral court, 14 better than Florida....

It’ll be the first season at the helm for several coaches at prominent schools — Hubert Davis at UNC, Mike Woodson at Indiana, Shaka Smart at Marquette, Tommy Lloyd at Arizona and Porter Moser at Oklahoma, to name a few. Similarly and perhaps most notably, it’s also the last season of Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, with all eyes on the Blue Devils as Jon Scheyer prepared to take the reins from a college basketball legend in 2022....

It’s been well documented that dual-threat quarterbacks are the most desirable players in fantasy football (pro and college) simply because they claim a higher percentage of the offense. In the CFBDynasty rankings, a large majority of the top-25 quarterbacks are indeed dual-threats, including top players C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, and Caleb Williams. DOMINATE YOUR COLLEGE FANTASY DRAFT: Join CFBDynasty There are always exceptions to the rule of dual-threat domination. Look no further than last season when Bailey Zappe threw for just shy of 6,000 yards with 62 touchdowns!...

Sporting News’ bowl projections after Week 13 have both the Tigers and Fighting Irish in the four-team Playoff as they move toward a possible rematch in the ACC championship game. Notre Dame (9-0) and Clemson (8-1) make up half the field. Alabama (8-0) and Ohio State (4-0) are as well, despite the latter’s uncertainty regarding its eligibility to make the Big Ten championship. As long as those teams win, they’re in....

Before we get into our picks and strategy, here are the key scoring settings for DraftKings Showdown contests: They’re full-point PPR and there are three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 receiving yards. The Captain pick costs 1.5 times a player’s original price, but he also gets his point total multiplied by 1.5. MORE DK SHOWDOWN: How to win a Showdown contest College Football DraftKings Showdown Picks: Georgia vs....

Georgia is looking to defend its title after narrowly surviving Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, while upstart TCU is confident and ready for the challenge after taking down favored Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl. Television coverage will, obviously, be wall-to-wall. The main broadcast of each game will be among many viewing options for fans. ESPN’s family of networks, along with streaming service ESPN+, will provide multiple in-depth looks at both games through its annual Megacast....

With that, conference championship chaos is here. The Utes rallied from a 17-3 deficit to knock off the Trojans for the second time this season. Quarterback Caleb Williams played through a leg injury, but the USC defense folded in the second half against the Utes. Utah won back-to–back Pac-12 championships in stunning fashion, and that could set the tone for a wild conference championship weekend. That left a huge impact on the Pac-12 playoff hopes, College Football Playoff picture and Heisman Trophy race....

The biggest game on the Saturday schedule is No. 1 Alabama at No. 11 Florida; the Gators look like the first real test for Nick Saban, Bryce Young and Co. in their first true road game of the season. The Crimson Tide appear to be in a league of their own after two weeks, but came out flat in what was ultimately a 48-14 win over Mercer. Florida beat USF 42-20 and saw big plays from both quarterbacks Emory Jones (14 for 22 passing, 151 yards, 1 touchdowns, two interceptions; 13 carries, 81 yards, one touchdown) and Anthony Richardson (3 for 3 passing, 152 yards, two touchdowns; four carries, 115 yards, one touchdown)....

Four of the top-five ranked teams are not in action this weekend and there are only two matchups between top-25 programs on the slate. One of those two, however, would stand out even on a week packed with ranked matchups as games between Florida and Georgia need no introduction. The 97th instalment—according to Georgia, the 98th according to Florida—of one of the most storied rivalries in college football carries with it huge implications both for the SEC and for the College Football Playoff....

A matchup of 8-0 teams between No. 5 Penn State and No. 13 Minnesota at noon will serve as the appetizer before the 3:30 p.m. showdown between the Tigers and Crimson Tide. There are 16 games featuring top-25 teams, and Sporting News is hoping to stay hot on its weekly picks against the spread. Get the latest NCAA odds & betting advice at Sportsbook Review Here is a look at our record so far this season:...

Michigan faces a road challenge at Iowa, and Clemson hosts a Pittsburgh team that’s been up and down all season. MORE: Here’s how a two-loss team could make the playoff Here’s how to watch the Top 25 games this week. All times ET. Thursday, November 10 No. 17 North Carolina at Duke, 7:30 p.m., ESPN No. 15 Utah at Arizona State, 9:30 p.m., FS1 Friday, November 11 Boston College at No....

Kansas State beat No. 6 Oklahoma 41-34 in a pseudo-revenge game for former Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez. No. 23 Texas A&M beat No. 10 Arkansas 23-21 at Jerry World. No. 11 Tennessee improved to 4-0, and No. 22 Texas and No. 25 Miami suffered their second losses. The Hurricanes will not want to hear about Middle Tennessee State for the foreseeable future. Most importantly, Kansas is 4-0, and arguably the toast of October....