Latest news with #Big12
USA Today
5 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Big 12 basketball teams ranked by returning production entering 2025-26 season
The 2025-26 Big 12 basketball season continues to draw closer with teams planning their summer exhibition series and nonconference schedules being finalized. NBA draft prospects are either heading to the draft or returning to school after the deadline to declare passed in late May. The spring transfer portal is also in the rearview mirror meaning that most 2025-26 roster is finalized. Notable Big 12 players expected to be selected in the draft include Baylor's VJ Edgecombe and BYU's Egor Demin but plenty of other conference stars 12 stars will be back to dominate arguably the top conference in college basketball. CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein recently posted the Big 12's updated returning scoring numbers for the upcoming season. As is the case for football, returning production is a strong indicator of which teams will have success in the upcoming season. Despite the Big 12 sending the second-most teams to the 2025 NCAA tournament, the conference does not have a single team with more than 50% of their 2024-25 scoring returning. The transfer portal has complicated returning production due to several high-profile teams turning to the portal to replace departing stars. However, the stat still has value when looking at general preseason rankings and predictions. Here are Rothstein's returning scoring numbers for every Big 12 team entering 2025. Big 12 programs saw a lot of turnover following the 2024-25 seasons with no team returning more than half of their scoring production. Houston was the national runner-up, but even the Cougars won't have the same squad that nearly won the title last season. On the surface, these percentages would suggest more parity in the conference and perhaps more chances for sleeper teams to make a run. However, the transfer does deflate these numbers as top teams consistently add high-profile scorers that would not count towards returning production. Iowa State looks like a legit Big 12 contender after going 25-10 last season and Houston is not going anywhere setting the conference up for another hotly contested season. Some teams will be happy that their returning production is lower if they are looking to rebuild after a down year, Colorado, Arizona State and Oklahoma State are a few examples. However the Big 12 shakes out, it should be another wild basketball season. Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
12 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
As Big Ten, SEC squabble, the College Football Playoff wins
As Big Ten, SEC squabble, the College Football Playoff wins As SEC and Big Ten infighting continues over College Football Playoff's future format, it offers a runway for a worthy compromise to emerge. Show Caption Hide Caption Kirby Smart on college football's future Kirby Smart urges leaders to prioritize the game's future over personal or conference agendas in playoff talks. Mommy and Daddy are fighting again. Or, at least, they're not operating in lockstep. Excellent. College Sports Inc. isn't your typical family unit, where it's better if parents get along. When the SEC and Big Ten – the joint heads of college sports' household – squabble, like they are now over the College Football Playoff's future format, it offers a runway for a compromise solution to emerge. And compromise could result in a sensible playoff. The SEC is the only conference powerful enough to check the Big Ten's playoff-bending power, and vice versa. Conference commissioners exited a Wednesday summit in North Carolina without aligning on a playoff format for 2026 and beyond. The Big Ten and SEC are not united behind the same format, with each exercising its checks-and-balance powers. A few potential formats have surfaced, without consensus. That's well enough, for now. That we have no playoff format for 2026 yet means the two conference power brokers didn't sync up and stampede their way to a rigged playoff that explicitly preassigns rewards to the 'Super Two' conferences – though not for the Big Ten's lack of trying. The Big Ten favors a rigged 16-team playoff format that would preassign four automatic playoff bids to the Big Ten, four more to the SEC, two apiece to the ACC and Big 12, and one more auto bid remaining up for grabs for another conference champion, along with three at-large bids. This plan also could include play-in games to determine the automatic bids. The ACC and Big 12 disavow this format that preemptively stacks the deck against them, but they carry water pistols. Only the SEC possesses the bazooka to fend off this format that would reward a conference's preseason clout and prestige as much as in-season merit. The SEC, at first, expressed openness to the Big Ten's auto-bid idea, but support for the plan faded after the SEC's coaches and athletic directors gathered in May for conference meetings, where they gained more information about formats under consideration. By the time those SEC meetings ended, the mood within the conference seemed to shift in favor of a 5+11 playoff format that would more explicitly weight strength of schedule. This model would preserve auto bids for the top five conference champions and leave open 11 at-large bids. The ACC and Big 12 also favor a 5+11 format. So, what's the issue? Well, the Big Ten won't submit to this plan – not just because it prefers a different postseason format, but because it reportedly would like the SEC to tweak its regular-season schedule. The Big Ten and Big 12 play nine conference games. The SEC and ACC play eight. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey wants a ninth conference game, but his membership feels squeamish about adding another conference game that would guarantee another loss for half its members. The conference insists its teams already endure an unparalleled gauntlet, and yet no conference plays more cupcake opponents than the SEC. To that end, Illinois coach Bret Bielema cried foul and conveyed the Big Ten's mood when he spoke to reporters this week at an event in Chicago. 'I don't think there's any way we could do a 16-team playoff if (the SEC) is not at nine (conference) games,' Bielema said. If the Big Ten and SEC don't align behind a playoff expansion format, the playoff could remain at 12 teams in 2026 and beyond, CFP executive director Rich Clark told reporters Wednesday. Would that be so bad? The four-team playoff lasted for 10 years. I wouldn't mind getting a second look at the 12-team playoff before ramrodding through another format. Anyway, we haven't even seen the 12-team playoff yet since commissioners tweaked the seeding rules earlier this year. If playoff expansion occurs, I retain hope the conference infighting and checks-and-balances underway between the SEC and Big Ten will uncork a compromise that expands the playoff without rigging it, and also incentivizes teams to play tougher regular-season schedules, with fewer cupcake opponents. What could a compromise look like? ∎ The SEC stands its ground on a 5+11 format that more explicitly weights schedule strength when determining at-large bids. The Big Ten accepts this format, if … ∎ The SEC agrees to add a ninth conference game, or otherwise requires members to play a minimum of 10 games against Power Four opponents. Currently, most SEC teams play nine games against Power Four competition, while most teams from the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC play at least 10 opponents from that tier. A Dec. 1 deadline looms to determine a 2026 format. If the Big Ten and SEC remain entrenched in their preferences, compromise could be the only path forward to a 16-team playoff. A compromise that would expand and improve the postseason, while bolstering the regular-season schedule, would be well worth this offseason bickering between Mom and Pop. Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@ and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Arizona State Defense Preview 2025: Loaded Sun Devils Will Keep Bringing the Big Plays
Lost in all of the fun of the offense was a defense that turned in a whale of a took the ball away in bunches, was the best in the Big 12 against the run, and it made up for problems on third downs, and a lack of a pass rush, with massive plays. ASU came up with four defensive scores as part of all of those with veterans and potential All-Big 12 stars, the Sun Devil defense will once again be terrific. X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN2025 Arizona State PreviewArizona State Offense Breakdown Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season- The pass rush wasn't great, but it gets back top sacker Clayton Smith. On the other side, Prince Dorbah is back after being banged up last year following a terrific 2023. Elijah O'Neal was second on the team with four tackles are even better than the ends. CJ Fite is an all-star interior pass rusher and tough tackler against the run, Jacob Rich Kongaika was great at getting behind the line last year, and Justin Wodtly made 26 tackles in the rotation. My'Keil Gardner (Oregon) should be the biggest tackle in the mix. - The linebackers will be terrific. Keyshaun Elliott made 111 tackles and was a terror in the backfield in 2023, and stepped back a little last year, but he'll be an All-Big 12 performer again on the Crook missed time, but still came up with 57 tackles in the middle - he should hit the 100-tackle mark if he stays in one piece. Zyrus Fiaseau and Martell Hughes can step in and start at either spot, or see more time in a 4-3 alignment. - The safeties are among the best in the Big 12. Myles Roswer and Xavion Alford were 1-2 in tackles, combining for 183 stops, with Alford earning First Team All-Big 12 honors with five broken up passes and two picks to go along with all his stops. Kendrich Breedlove (Purdue) was a big positive on an awful Boilermaker team, and now he'll be a stat-sheet filler at the nickel corners Javan Robinson and Keith Abney II are back. They combined for 95 tackles with six interceptions and 13 tackles for loss. They're both ultra-quick juniors who are still State Offense Breakdown2025 Arizona State PreviewSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Arizona State Football Preview 2025: Sun Devils Season Prediction, Win Total Projection, Top Players
Arizona State Sun Devils Key to the Season Hit your passes, Sam helped to have a back like Cam Skattebo to take all the heat off the passing game. Run No. 4, make teams cheat up to deal with the run, and boom - the throws were there. Skattebo is gone, and now it's on star quarterback Sam Leavitt to do even State was 10-0 when Leavitt hit 60% of his throws, and was 1-3 when he didn't. The one win came against Mississippi State when Skattebo went off and the team ran for a season-high 346 yards. Arizona State Sun Devils Key Player Kanye Udoh, RB Kyson Brown. To Moneyball this, can the combination of Brown and Udoh, and transfer from Army, combine to match the 1,711 rushing yards and 21 scores, and the 45 catches for 605 yards and three scores that Cam Skattebo ripped off? No, but they can be is a good veteran, and Udoh is a tough, quick runner who averaged over six yards per carry with 1,117 yards and ten scores last year. However, he only caught two passes with the Knights.2025 Arizona State PreviewArizona State Offense BreakdownArizona State Defense Breakdown Arizona State Sun Devils Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss Top Transfer In: Nyland Green, CB State is already set at corner, but it got another strong option who should find a spot somewhere in the secondary pecking order. Green was a big recruit for Georgia, but he didn't do much in his three season, he made 23 tackles with five broken passes and two sacks, but he missed a bulk of the year hurt. One of the better corners in the portal, ASU got him. Top Transfer Out: Markeston Douglas, TE State didn't lose any key players through the transfer portal, and that includes Douglas. He was a strong part of the Florida State offense, making 25 grabs with four scores in two years, and then he came to Tempe and caught just one pass for three yards. Now he's back at … Florida State. Arizona State Sun Devils Key Game at Utah, Oct. 11The 2025 Utes should be the team everyone thought the 2024 Utes would be. Arizona State gets a week off to prepare for the old school Pac-12 vs Pac-12 battle - a 27-19 win over the Sun Devils last year - and it might turn into one of the key games in the Big 12 title chase.- 2025 Arizona State Schedule Breakdown Arizona State Sun Devils Top 10 Players 1. Jordyn Tyson, WR Jr. 2. Sam Leavitt, QB Soph. 3. Xavion Alford, S Sr. 4. Keyshaun Elliott, LB Sr. 5. Myles Rowser, S Sr. 6. Chamon Metayer, TE Sr. 7. Prince Durbah, DE Sr. 8. CJ Fite, DT Jr. 9. Javan Robinson, CB Jr. 10. Jordan Crook, LB Sr. Arizona State Sun Devils 2024 Fun Stats - Fumbles: Opponents 14 (lost 7), Arizona State 6 (lost 3)- Time of Possession: Arizona State 32:37, Opponents 27:23- 2nd Quarter Scoring: Arizona State 156, Opponents 77 Arizona State Sun Devils 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen Arizona State has the experience, the stars, the depth, and the mojo to keep it all going and be one of the best teams in the Big 12 again, and the it'll need something special to come close to matching last year's success. Going to Mississippi State is an under-the-radar early problem that could be a stumble, and there are few breaks in the Big 12 slate after an almost-certain win over Texas no BYU, Kansas State, or Oklahoma State to deal with. That's huge, and Cincinnati, Kansas, and UCF will all be better, and they're missing from the year's team was able to get to, and win, the Big 12 Championship with losses to Texas Tech and Cincinnati along the way, and there will be at least two losses this time, too. The three road games at Baylor, Iowa State, and Utah are all landmines, and while home games against Houston and West Virginia should be wins, TCU, Texas Tech, and Arizona aren't won't be The Arizona State Win Total At … 8.5Likely Wins: Northern Arizona, Texas State50/50 Games: Arizona, at Baylor, at Colorado, Houston, at Iowa State, at Mississippi State, TCU, Texas Tech, at Utah, West VirginiaLikely Losses: No projected sure-thing losses 2025 Arizona State PreviewArizona State Offense BreakdownArizona State Defense Breakdown © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shedeur Sanders Fighting For Browns' QB2
Shedeur Sanders Fighting For Browns' QB2 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Cleveland Browns are the NFL team with the most quarterbacks on their roster, as they currently have five. As a result, the team has to decide where all of those guys will go on their depth chart. Advertisement One of the team's field generals is former Colorado superstar Shedeur Sanders, who the team drafted in the fifth round after he slid all the way from the first. Some think he has some growing to do, but others say the Browns should trust him going into the 2025 season. "When you and me both know that this man has the most upside of any other quarterback on this roster, there is no way that Shedeur Sanders is not entering training camp, for me, as QB No. 2 on this Browns depth chart," analyst Earl Da Pearl said on 92.3 The Fan. There are realistically four guys that will be competing for the starting job in Cleveland, as Deshaun Watson is still recovering from an Achilles tear that he suffered this past season. As a result, Sanders has an even better chance of earning the job. The 23-year-old quarterback finished his final season with the Buffaloes with 4,134 yards and 27 touchdowns on 74 percent completion, all of which led the Big 12 Conference. Advertisement No matter how you feel about the confident QB, there is no denying that he is talented, and he will be looking to use that talent to earn the Browns' starting spot in his rookie season. Related: Despite 'Ridiculous' Hype Browns Remain Longshot to Win AFC North Related: Quarterback Still Browns' Top Need After 2025 NFL Draft This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
