BUFFALO, N.Y. — Matt Murray looked up to the scoreboard above him, counted down the seconds as they disappeared and finally pumped his fist. It had been 638 days since Murray last felt the feeling washing over him. Bilateral hip surgery forced the Toronto Maple Leafs goalie out of the entire 2023-24 season, the final … Read more
After the College Football Playoff began on Friday with No. 7 Notre Dame handling No. 10 Indiana, Saturday gives us an entire day of action with three games wrapping up the first round of the 12-team format. Penn State took care of business in Happy Valley to start the day, using two early pick-sixes to … Read more
Alexa Philippou, ESPNDec 20, 2024, 11:00 AM ET Close Covers women’s college basketball and the WNBA Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati Enquirer Before Sarah Strong had played a game for the … Read more
Times change in the NFL, but the one constant to a great defense is elite linebacker play — and nothing is more noticeable than having that hard-hitting force in the middle of the field. The modern NFL linebacker has undergone some changes, with mobility at a premium like never before. But the truly elite linebackers … Read more
Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the greatest leadoff man and basestealer in history, has died, the league announced Saturday. He was 65. Historian Bill James once wrote that “if you could split Rickey Henderson in two, you’d have two Hall of Famers.” Henderson is in the inner circle of the inner circle of the Hall … Read more
Howard Bryant Close Howard Bryant Columnist, ESPN.com Senior writer, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine Author of “The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron” Author of “Juicing the Game” Author of “Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston” Jeff Passan Close Jeff Passan Senior MLB Insider ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: … Read more
Ohio State and Tennessee are two of the most iconic programs in college football history, yet on Saturday night they will clash for only the second time ever in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The two teams have combined to claim 14 national championships — Ohio State with eight, Tennessee with six … Read more
North Carolina made the biggest splash of the 2024-25 coaching carousel when it hired NFL legend Bill Belichick, who brings eight Super Bowl wins to Chapel Hill. Though Belichick has earned his stripes as a guaranteed Pro Football Hall of Famer, this is his first stint as a collegiate coach, entering at a time when … Read more
The No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes will try to avenge a loss to Michigan from their regular-season finale when they host the No. 9 seed Tennessee Vols in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday night. Ohio State had only lost one game prior to its setback against the Wolverines, which … Read more
Nico Iamaleava and the Tennessee Volunteers will play Ohio State during the first round of the College Football Playoffs, here’s how to watch. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images) The regular season of college football is done and we’ve entered bowl game and playoff season now, baby! This weekend will see several major matchups during the first round … Read more