Category: VideoMRSS

Pelicans don’t expect Lonzo Ball to be sidelined long-term

The New Orleans Pelicans are hopeful that Lonzo Ball will be back on the court sooner rather than later.

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Lonzo Ball missed his second consecutive game for the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday due to an adductor strain — more commonly known as a groin injury.

Ball was optimistic that he’d play against the Houston Rockets on Monday, but he and the team both decided it would be best for him to get him a full five days of rest before their matchup with the LA Clippers on Thursday. While Ball’s status hasn’t been updated yet, Pelicans sideline reporter Jennifer Hale reported during Saturday’s broadcast that the team’s training staff is optimistic that Ball’s injury won’t be a long-term issue:

“The Pelicans’ training staff told me they’ve got to rest him, got to let it heal up but hopefully it won’t be anything long-term.”

Considering Ball’s history with long-term injuries, that’s great news for both Ball and the Pelicans. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean his return is imminent.

As noted previously, Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry suffered a left adductor strain in November of 2018 and missed 11 games over the course of three weeks. With Ball’s history of leg-related injuries, the Pelicans will likely take the cautious route with the 22-year-old point guard.

Ball’s status will be officially updated on Wednesday.

Nevada Wolf Pack Top UT-Arlington in Jalen Harris’ Return, 80-73

A Jalen Harris Return Was Just What The Doctor Ordered. Recap: Nevada 80, Texas-Arlington 73 Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Jalen Harris’ presence was definitely felt as Nevada gets a win against UT-Arlington. After almost two years away …

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A Jalen Harris Return Was Just What The Doctor Ordered.

Recap: Nevada 80, Texas-Arlington 73

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Jalen Harris’ presence was definitely felt as Nevada gets a win against UT-Arlington.

After almost two years away from the game Jalen Harris got to play his first full game of basketball on Tuesday night in the Lawlor Events center against a scrappy UT-Arlington Mavericks squad, and he didn’t disappoint. The former Louisiana Tech Bulldog has been a heralded transfer sitting on the bench in Reno since back under the last coaching staff. Many have waited to see Harris on the court and for those of us who watched the season opener anxiously against Utah, we felt a bit cheated.

Harris left that game in the first half and didn’t return going scoreless on 0-4 shooting and wore a boot on his right foot the remainder of the night. 

After undergoing X-ray testing last week which came back negative for any kind of broken bones, Harris was scheduled to undergo MRI testing this week. But surprised fans by showing up in the starting line up tonight against the Mavericks.

The junior guard led this Wolf Pack team with 24 points while grabbing 9 rebounds. His scoring provided a much needed break for senior guard Lindsey Drew (7 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) who was our Mountain West Wire Player of the Week.

Nevada needed another scoring option to go a long with Lindsey Drew and Jazz Johnson, who scored 16 points going 5-11 from the field Tuesday night. Having Harris as a reliable third scoring option changed the offensive dynamic on the court and relieved Johnson and Drew of having to create scoring opportunities for themselves.

Help also came from senior guard Nisre Zouzoua who had a season high 16 points on 6-8 shooting and junior forward Robby Robinson helped out with 8 points and 8 rebounds.

Texas-Arlington looked good in the first half, keeping the game close and exchanging the lead throughout the second half. Radshad Davis led the Mavericks with a double-double, 14 points and 10 rebounds. Big man Jabari Narcis had 11 points on the night, which included 3 three pointers to go a long with 9 rebounds. Sunbelt preseason first-team guard Brian Warren had a tough night going 1-12 from the field ending up with 5 points. 

Steve Alford’s squad still seems to be getting use to each other’s play in live game situations and some guys are getting used to playing at the division one level. But they are doing a great job making adjustments during games and are 2-1 on the season. With Harris back and other players stepping up, it is going to be fun watching this team grow this season.

Next up: The Wolf Pack hosts Southern California on Saturday at home before heading on the road to face Davidson in North Carolina next week. The Trojans boast a fantastic freshmen front court and will be the biggest test of the season for the Wolf Pack thus far. 

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TOP 100: 2020 Composite Boys Basketball Player Recruiting rankings

Who’s no. 1? Check out the USA TODAY Sports’ Composite Boys Basketball Recruiting Rankings for the Class of 2020.

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As the early signing period beings for D1 basketball recruits, USA TODAY Sports has compiled the top 100 composite basketball rankings for the Class of 2020.

The composite represents the average rankings of the three major recruiting services – 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals along with the USA TODAY Chosen 25. The lower the average the better. For players who are not ranked by a particular service, the player receives a maximum number +10 based on the way players are ranked for each site beyond the last player (110 for ESPN, and 160 for Rivals, 35 for Chosen 25).

Rank Player School Pos. College Chosen 25 247 ESPN Rivals AVG.
1 Cade Cunningham Montverde Academy (Arlington, Texas) CG Oklahoma State 1 2 2 2 1.75
2 Evan Mobley Rancho Christian (Temecula, California) C Southern California 6 1 1 1 2.25
3 Jalen Green Prolific Prep (Napa, California) CG Uncommitted 3 3 3 3 3.00
4 Jalen Johnson IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) SF Duke 5 8 4 5 5.50
5 Terrence Clarke Brewster Academy (Boston, Massachusetts) SG Kentucky 4 4 13 4 6.25
6 Ziaire Williams Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, California) SF Uncommitted 9 6 5 6 6.50
7 Greg Brown Vandegrift (Austin, Texas) PF Uncommitted 7 10 8 7 8.00
8 Makur Maker Pacific Academy (Irvine, California) C Uncommitted 12 5 10 8 8.75
T9 Isaiah Todd Word Of God Christian Academy (Raleigh, North Carolina) PF Michigan 8 14 7 10 9.75
T9 Scottie Barnes Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida) SF Florida State 10 9 11 9 9.75
11 Jalen Suggs Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minnesota) CG Uncommitted 17 12 6 11 11.50
12 Joshua Christopher Mayfair (Lakewood, California) SG Uncommitted 16 7 12 12 11.75
13 Sharife Cooper McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia) PG Auburn 2 20 17 16 13.75
14 BJ Boston Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, California) SG Kentucky 14 16 9 17 14.00
15 Jaden Springer IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) SG Tennessee 13 17 16 15 15.25
T16 Walker Kessler Woodward Academy (College Park, Georgia) C North Carolina 20 13 14 20 16.75
T16 Daishen Nix Trinity International (Las Vegas, Nevada) PG UCLA 21 11 21 14 16.75
18 Day’Ron Sharpe Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida) C North Carolina 25 18 20 13 19.00
19 Cameron Thomas Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia) SG Uncommitted 11 24 18 29 20.50
20 Nimari Burnett Prolific Prep (Napa Valley, California) CG Texas Tech 15 28 19 22 21.00
21 Caleb Love Christian Brothers College (Saint Louis, Missouri) PG North Carolina 24 23 24 21 23.00
22 Jeremy Roach Paul VI Catholic (Fairfax, Virginia) PG Duke 35 19 15 24 23.25
23 Bryce Thompson Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Oklahoma) CG Kansas 35 15 25 19 23.50
24 Isaiah Jackson Waterford Mott (Waterford, Michigan) PF Uncommitted 22 31 22 23 24.50
25 DJ Steward Whitney Young (Chicago, Illinois) CG Duke 18 26 26 31 25.25
26 Keon Johnson The Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tennessee) SG Tennessee 35 21 33 18 26.75
27 MarJon Beauchamp Dream City Christian (Glendale, Arizona) SF Uncommitted 35 32 28 28 30.75
28 Earl Timberlake DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Maryland) SF Miami 35 30 35 26 31.50
29 Jaemyn Brakefield Huntington Prep (Huntington, West Virginia) PF Duke 19 52 23 36 32.50
T30 Mark Williams IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) C Duke 35 29 30 38 33.00
T30 Hunter Dickinson DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Maryland) C Uncommitted 23 36 36 37 33.00
32 Adam Miller Morgan Park HS (Chicago, Illinois) SG Uncommitted 35 46 27 27 33.75
33 Dawson Garcia Prior Lake (Prior Lake, Minnesota) PF Uncommitted 35 22 44 35 34.00
34 Dalen Terry Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Arizona) SF Arizona 35 27 49 30 35.25
T35 Kyree Walker Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Arizona) SF Uncommitted 35 33 34 42 36.00
T35 Lance Ware Camden (Burlington, New Jersey) PF Kentucky 35 34 43 32 36.00
37 Corey Walker Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Virginia) SF Tennessee 35 38 39 33 36.25
38 Mady Sissoko Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah) C Michigan State 35 35 37 41 37.00
39 Jabri Abdur-Rahim Blair Academy (Blairstown, New Jersey) SF Virginia 35 50 31 39 38.75
40 Moses Moody Montverde Academy (Montverde Florida) SG Arkansas 35 44 29 50 39.50
41 Henry Coleman Trinity Episcopal School (Richmond, Virginia) PF Duke 35 37 42 44 39.50
42 Josh Hall Moravian Prep (Durham, North Carolina) SF Uncommitted 35 48 53 25 40.25
43 Micah Peavy Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) SF Texas Tech 35 61 32 34 40.50
44 Cam’Ron Fletcher Vashon (Saint Louis, Missouri) SF Kentucky 35 45 45 40 41.25
45 Matthew Murrell IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) SG Ole Miss 35 43 48 45 42.75
T46 JT Thor Norcross (Norcross, Georgia) C Uncommitted 35 51 38 53 44.25
T46 Cliff Omoruyi Roselle Catholic (Roselle, New Jersey) C Uncommitted 35 41 47 54 44.25
48 Puff Johnson Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Arizona) SF North Carolina 35 39 62 43 44.75
49 Dain Dainja Park Center (, Minnesota) C Baylor University 35 47 52 57 47.75
50 Dwon Odom St. Francis (Alpharetta, Georgia) PG Xavier 35 40 69 49 48.25
51 Deivon Smith Grayson (Loganville, Georgia) PG Mississippi State 35 42 65 52 48.50
52 Marcus Bagley Sheldon (Sacramento, California) SF Arizona State 35 49 61 51 49.00
53 Reece Beekman Scotlandville Magnet (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) PG Virginia 35 57 41 68 50.25
54 Andre Curbelo Long Island Lutheran (Puerto Rico) PG Illinois 35 68 54 46 50.75
55 R.J. Davis Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, New York) CG North Carolina 35 66 40 65 51.50
56 Cam Hayes Greensboro Day School (Greensboro, North Carolina) PG North Carolina State 35 59 68 47 52.25
57 Jalen Terry Beecher (Mount Morris, Michigan) PG Uncommitted 35 55 73 48 52.75
58 Xavier Foster Oskaloosa (Oskaloosa, IA) C Iowa State 35 76 51 56 54.50
59 Dominick Harris Rancho Christian (Temecula, California) CG Gonzaga 35 62 59 66 55.50
60 P.J. Hall Dorman (Roebuck, South Carolina) PF Clemson 35 67 60 62 56.00
61 Zeb Jackson Maumee (Maumee, Ohio) SG Michigan 35 65 74 58 58.00
62 Julian Strawther Liberty (Henderson, Nevada) SF Gonzaga 35 64 70 64 58.25
63 Hassan Diarra Putnam Science Academy (Putnam, Connecticut) PG Texas A&M 35 73 55 73 59.00
64 Joe Bamisile Monacan (Richmond, Virginia) SG Virginia Tech 35 81 63 60 59.75
T65 Tramon Mark Dickinson (Dickinson, Texas) PG Houston 35 72 67 78 63.00
T65 Isaiah Cottrell Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nevada) PF West Virginia 35 63 82 72 63.00
67 Ian Martinez J Serra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, California) SG Utah 35 56 110 59 65.00
68 Andre Jackson Albany (Albany, New York) SF Connecticut 35 101 50 76 65.50
T69 A.J. Hoggard Huntington Prep (Huntington, West Virginia) PG Michigan State 35 102 56 71 66.00
T69 Jaylin Williams Northside (Fort Smith, Arkansas) C Uncommitted 35 75 87 67 66.00
71 Jaylen Clark Etiwanda (Rancho Cucamonga, California) SG Uncommitted 35 69 100 61 66.25
72 Samson Ruzhentsev Hamilton Heights Christian(Chattanooga, Tennessee) SF Florida 35 53 110 75 68.25
73 KK Robinson Bryant (Bryant, Arkansas) PG Uncommitted 35 71 90 80 69.00
74 Jaden Ivey La Lumiere (La Porte, Indiana) CG Purdue 35 80 84 79 69.50
75 Justin Lewis Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Towson, Maryland) PF Marquette 35 91 57 98 70.25
76 Ethan Morton Butler Senior(Butler, Pennsylvania) SG Purdue 35 109 66 74 71.00
77 Ryan Kalkbrenner Trinity Catholic (Saint Louis, Missouri) C Creighton 35 84 98 69 71.50
78 Keon Ambrose-Hylton Andrews Osborne Academy (Toronto) PF Uncommitted 35 97 58 99 72.25
79 Caleb Murphy Grayson (Loganville, Georgia) SG USF 35 93 110 55 73.25
80 Matt Cross Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, New Hampshire) SF Miami 35 100 81 83 74.75
T81 Osasere Ighodaro Desert Vista (Phoenix, Arizona) PF Marquette 35 58 110 97 75.00
T81 Terrance Williams Gonzaga (Washington, District of Columbia) PF Georgetown 35 98 76 93 75.50
T83 Ben Carlson East Ridge (Woodbury, Minnesota) PF Wisconsin 35 90 88 89 75.50
T83 Chibuzo Agbo Jr. St. Augustine (San Diego, California) SF Texas Tech 35 70 110 87 75.50
85 LJ Cryer Morton Ranch (Katy, Texas) PG Baylor 35 94 64 114 76.75
86 JJ Traynor Bardstown (Bardstown, Kentucky) PF Louisvile 35 77 110 88 77.50
T87 Darius Maddox Oak Hill Academy (Mouth Of Wilson, Virginia) SG Virginia Tech 35 92 93 91 77.75
T87 Jordan Geronimo St. Paul’s School (Concord, New Hampshire) SF Indiana 35 89 110 77 77.75
89 Josh Taylor Norcross (Norcross, Georgia) PF Georgia 35 78 110 90 78.25
90 John Hugley Brush (Cleveland, Ohio) C Pittsburgh 35 74 110 95 78.50
91 Demarr Langford Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, New Hampshire) SF Boston College 35 116 83 81 78.75
92 Rondel Walker Putnam City West(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) PG Oklahoma State 35 145 46 94 80.00
T93 Jamal Mashburn Jr. Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, New Hampshire) CG Minnesota 35 87 97 103 80.50
T93 Eugene Brown III Southwest DeKalb (Conyers, Georgia) SG Ohio State 35 95 110 82 80.50
95 Max Murrell Millard North (Omaha, Nebraska) PF Stanford 35 79 110 101 81.25
96 Jamari Sibley Oak Hill Academy (Glendale, Wisconsin) PF Uncommitted 35 122 85 86 82.00
97 Karim Mane Vanier College (Montreal) CG Uncommitted 35 25 110 160 82.50
T98 Saba Gigiberia Prolific Prep (Napa, California) C Georgia Tech 35 85 110 102 83.00
T98 Zach Loveday Huntington Prep (Huntington, West Virginia) C Baylor 35 103 110 84 83.00
100 Chris Moore West Memphis (West Memphis, Arkansas) PF Uncommitted 35 96 110 100 85.25

 

Northern Illinois vs. Toledo Fearless Prediction, Game Preview

Northern Illinois vs. Toledo fearless prediction and game preview.

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Northern Illinois vs. Toledo fearless prediction and game preview.

Northern Illinois vs. Toledo Broadcast

Date: Wednesday, November 13
Game Time: 8:00 ET
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
Venue: Glass Bowl, Toledo, OH
Network: ESPN2

– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Northern Illinois (3-6) vs. Toledo (6-3) Game Preview

If want in on this week’s games, sign up with BetMGM

What’s Going To Happen

The MAC West is already muddled, and it was made more so with Western Michigan’s thrilling win over Ohio on Tuesday night.

Northern Illinois is out of the MAC title chase with a loss, and it’s ensured of a losing season if it drops this. Win, and it has to get by Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan to hope for a swag bag trip.

Toledo has had a rocky year, but it beat Western Michigan and still has Central Michigan to deal with. It’s the Rockets’ last home game of the season,  and it’s going to be a balmy 25 degrees at game time.

Toledo’s running game has to own this game from the start.

The league’s best ground attack already has a 1,052-yard, ten-touchdown year out of Bryant Koback, helping to lead the way for an O that’s rushed for over 500 yards in the last two weeks. He’s banged up, but there are plenty of other options – Toledo is 6-0 when running for 190 yards or more, and 0-3 when rushing for fewer.

The Northern Illinois run defense isn’t all that bad, but the team is 0-4 when it gives up 190 yards or more.

It’s about to give up 190 yards or more.

The Huskie defensive front doesn’t get behind the line and doesn’t generate enough of a pass rush to be disruptive. NIU can move the ball, but it’s not consistent enough to come through late to pull this off on the road.

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Northern Illinois vs. Toledo Prediction, Line

Toledo 31, Northern Illinois 24
Bet on NIU vs. Toledo with BetMGM, or for latest line 
Toledo -2, o/u: 55.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
– Get Tickets For This Game

Must See Rating: 2

5: The Mandalorian (if it came out in 1984)
1: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

Bowl Projections | CFN Rankings
Predicting The Rest of the Season
Week 12 Expert Picks

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Packers tally 14 pressures from OLB Za’Darius Smith vs. Panthers

Za’Darius Smith didn’t have a sack, but he was ultra productive rushing the Panthers QB on Sunday.

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Za’Darius Smith didn’t have a sack on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, but the Green Bay Packers outside linebacker was nothing if not ultra-productive rushing the passer.

Position coach Mike Smith told Wes Hodkiewicz of the team’s official site that the Packers recorded 14 total pressures from Smith.

The official box score credited Smith with nothing more than three quarterback hits. A good day at the office, to be sure. But box scores often lie, and clearly Smith was far more impactful as a rusher than his traditional statistics indicated.

The same was true for Kenny Clark, who set a new career-high with 10 pressures but didn’t have a sack.

The Packers lined Smith up all over the defensive front, and he won pass-rushing battles from both edges and inside against the guards. On several reps, he had Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen in his sights but couldn’t finish the sack.

Overall, the Packers produced nine quarterback hits and three sacks of Allen, who was surprisingly elusive despite consistent pressure.

After 10 games, Smith ranks second in the NFL with a career-high 20 quarterback hits. He’s also sixth in the NFL in sacks with 8.5 and third among outside linebackers in total pressures.

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Steelers vs Browns injury update: James Conner returns to practice

Things are looking up for the Steelers on the injury front.

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On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers got together for what is essentially their only real workout of the week. The team will do a Friday walkthrough on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s game with the Cleveland Browns but this is the one shot to truly evaluate the health of the roster. And the good news from practice is injured running back James Conner was back and was a full participant.

Additionally, guard Ramon Foster was a full participant as he continues to deal with a concussion. However, there’s been no official word from the team that Foster is out of concussion protocol so his status is still unknown.

Running back Benny Snell Jr., fullback Roosevelt Nix and wide receiver Ryan Switzer were all DNP on Tuesday and their status is in jeopardy. Linebackers Ola Adeniyi and Anthony Chickillo were both limited on Tuesday but could see more reps on Wednesday.

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Bowling Green vs. Miami University Fearless Prediction, Game Preview

Bowling Green vs. Miami University fearless prediction and game preview.

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Bowling Green vs. Miami University fearless prediction and game preview.

Bowling Green vs. Miami University Broadcast

Date: Wednesday, November 13
Game Time: 8:00 ET
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
Venue: Yager Stadium, Oxford, OH
Network: ESPNU

– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Bowling Green (3-6) vs. Miami University (5-4) Game Preview

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What’s Going To Happen

And now it’s all there for the taking for Miami.

Thanks to its win over Ohio last week, and with wins over Buffalo and Kent State, MU will be the 2019 MAC East champion with a win over a Bowling Green team that needs this to become bowl eligible.

And, by the way, as a cherry on top, the RedHawks can get to six wins and be bowl eligible with a win, too.

The Falcons were good enough to shock Toledo, and they won their free-space game last week against Akron, but they have to win out to get to six wins.

On a three-game winning streak, MU doesn’t do much of anything on offense, it doesn’t have a passing game, and it doesn’t do much to control the clock. So how is it winning? The defensive line lives behind the line and the secondary is great at locking down against mediocre offenses.

Bowling Green doesn’t do enough through the air to make MU worry, and the running game isn’t good enough to take over.

Miami was going to be cranked up before to win this game, and now that it has its goals available, it’ll play at another level – even if it’s not scintillating.

Bowling Green has been obliterated by a combined score of 215-17 in its four road games. Miami doesn’t have the offense to come up with a wipeout, but it’ll win easily.

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Bowling Green vs. Miami University Prediction, Line

Miami 30, Bowling Green 13
Bet on BGSU vs. MU with BetMGM, or for latest line 
Miami University -17.5, o/u: 49.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 1.5
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
– Get Tickets For This Game

Must See Rating: 2

5: The Mandalorian (if it came out in 1984)
1: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

Bowl Projections | CFN Rankings
Predicting The Rest of the Season
Week 12 Expert Picks

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Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt Fearless Prediction, Game Preview

Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt fearless prediction and game preview.

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Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt fearless prediction and game preview.

Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt Broadcast

Date: Saturday, November 16
Game Time: 3:30 ET
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
Venue: Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, TN
Network: SEC Network

– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Kentucky (4-5) vs. Vanderbilt (2-7) Game Preview

If want in on this week’s games, sign up with BetMGM

Why Kentucky Will Win

Does Vanderbilt have any hope to complete a downfield pass?

Commodore QB Riley Neal hasn’t been right for a few weeks and missed the Florida game. Even when he’s been healthy, the offense has struggled to move, scoring more than ten points just once in the last five games.

Overall, the passing game is averaging just over five yards per throw with the combination of quarterbacks failing to complete more than 55% of their passes over the last five games.

This isn’t an Vandy offense that can come out and start scoring in bunches. Kentucky needs to start running, keep control of the clock, and take advantage of its opportunities.

UK should be able to run for 200 yards and hold the ball for at least 35 minutes. It’ll have to, because …

– “Go to the bank!” Today’s top pick of the day just released

Why Vanderbilt Will Win

There’s really no Wildcat passing game.

The offense is all about WR Lynn Bowden keeping things going from under center, running just effectively enough to not screw up, milking the clock, and then hoping the defense can take care of the rest.

It’s easier said than done to stop what the Wildcats are doing – slow and steady wins the race – but the O has failed to hit 100 yards passing over the last five games with just one touchdown pass in the last six outings.

It’s not just that Kentucky doesn’t do much offensively, it’s that there’s no downfield passing game to worry about, and the O doesn’t do enough when it gets its chances.

The Wildcat placekicking isn’t anything great, and the offense sputtered and struggles too much in the red zone.

Getting a point in this thing will be like pulling teeth.

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What’s Going To Happen

On the plus side for Kentucky, losing to Vanderbilt would be only the second-worst/weirdest defeat by the school this week.

The Wildcat defense will come up with stop after stop, the game will grind down to a dead stop at times, and it’ll be at the exact pace both teams need it to be.

Kentucky does this better.

Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt Prediction, Line

Kentucky 23, Vanderbilt 13
Bet on UK vs. VU with BetMGM, or for latest line 
Kentucky -9.5, o/u: 43.5
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
– Get Tickets For This Game

Must See Rating: 2

5: The Mandalorian (if it came out in 1984)
1: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

CFN Podcast: Who’s No. 4 in the CFP?
Bowl Projections | CFN Rankings
Predicting The Rest of the Season
Week 12 Expert Picks

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College Football Playoff Rankings Reactions, Week 2: 5 Things We Learned

Five reactions and what we learned from the second rankings from the College Football Playoff committee. 

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Five reactions and what we learned from the second rankings from the College Football Playoff committee. 

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– This week’s big whiff
– The known unknown
– The Group of Five situation
– What it all really means

5. Rapid-Fire First Reaction To Latest College Football Playoff Rankings

Overall, the rankings are relatively clean. There’s one massive glitch that somehow wasn’t fixed after last week, but I’ll get to that in a second. Other than that, there’s not much to get into a twist over, except for …

The rationale for Georgia at 4 doesn’t make any sense. Georgia might have beaten Florida and Notre Dame, but it had those two wins on the resumé ,last week, too, when it was at 6 and Bama was at 3. Bama’s loss to no-brainer No. 1 LSU was far more acceptable than Georgia’s home loss to a South Carolina team that’s probably going to end up 4-8. Nothing actually changed when it comes to the Georgia vs. Bama debate.

LSU being No. 1 only really matters if and when Alabama becomes the No. 4 seed. The Tigers aren’t going to budge from this spot the rest of the way if they win out. You’ve been warned over and over again – they didn’t kill the beast. Bama is still more than alive. More on that, too, in a moment.

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Technically, Florida should be higher. Its two losses came to No. 1 LSU and No. 4 Georgia. It’s win over No. 12 Auburn is better than anything Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama, Oregon, Utah, Penn State and Oklahoma have done – and that’s the problem with all of this. A team shouldn’t be punished just because it had to play nasty teams, and others didn’t. With the combination of resume and eye-test – like the committee uses, Florida should’ve settled in around seven or so, and …

Minnesota should be higher than 8. The rest of the body of work isn’t anything great, but it just beat the CFP-declared No. 4 team. If the committee loved Penn State that much, an unbeaten Gopher team should be ahead of Oregon and Utah.

Iowa’s losses? Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin. The No. 20 team should be ranked higher than No. 17 Cincinnati, No. 18 Memphis, and definitely No. 19 Texas.

There’s no chance anyone on the committee has actually seen Boise State play since the win over a mediocre Florida State team. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be ranked ahead of No. 23 Navy or No. 25 Appalachian State.

Every sort of newsy media outlet will be fully-focused on the deepest inner-workings of our government over the next several weeks and months with these impeachment hearings … and yet the idea of turning a camera on the College Football Playoff committee as it argues, debates, and reasons through the process is a non-starter.

– Auburn really did beat Oregon
– Bama needs to beat LSU
– Penn State vs. Ohio State
– What it all really means

NEXT: This week’s big whiff was …

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

WATCH: Baker Mayfield’s wife defends comments about ‘fair weather fans’

The 2019 season has not been kind to the Browns or quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The 2019 season has not been kind to the Browns or quarterback Baker Mayfield.

This week, Mayfield’s wife Emily took to Instagram to defend her husband and his team … then had to defend herself.

Late Monday, Mrs. Mayfield posted a black screen to her IG story with a short note reading, “Fairweather fans are HILARIOUS TO ME. Get out of here.”

Browns’ fans did not take kindly to the message. Tuesday, Emily clarified that she noted talking about legitimate Cleveland fans (which, to be fair, would not have had a real opportunity to be “fair weather,” during the actual season). The former first overall draft pick’s with explained she, “didn’t expect to ruffle so many feathers,” adding “No, I was not directing that at the die-hard, loyal fans who have stuck around for years. I’m talking about the idiots who say horrible things about my husband and the team when we lose and are obsessing when we win. That is laughable to me.”

Emily added one final note, “…loyal fans, I see you!”

The Browns are 3-6, better than only the winless Bengals in the division, and host the Steelers (5-4) Thursday.