De Laura threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran one in for a touchdown in the 34-28 win.

Oregon State’s defense made easy work of the California Golden Bears.

With the loss, the Bears made a decision to relieve offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and offensive line coach Angus McClure of their duties.

USC lived up to their ranking, by destroying the Colorado Buffaloes 55-17. Only question now is if quarterback Caleb Williams will enter the Heisman Trophy discussion.

Washington State improved to 6-4 on the season and got their third conference win by defeating the Arizona State Sun Devils 28-18. Utah crushed Stanford 42-7.

The post Pac-12 Week 11 Round-Up appeared first on INSCMagazine.

Tennessee Volunteers vs BYU Cougars

Tennessee started the season in a shocking way, losing to a much less talented team in Georgia State. This was supposed to be a season to reignite the program and put them in contention with Georgia and Florida for the SEC East crown, but it looks as if this may be the season the Tennessee loses its prominence as a top tier college football program. BYU also started the season on a low note, losing to in state rival Utah 30-12. For one team, it could be a turnaround for their season, and for the other, it means that it will be a long season for the team and fans.

Prediction: Tennessee 27, BYU 17

Florida vs UT Martin Skyhawks

Florida opened their season against Miami two weeks ago, and the offense looked less than impressive. The defensive line shined in the game, as they recorded double digit sacks. UT Martin has yet to play a game this season, and this will not be a good way to start it. Look for Florida to pull away fast, and play much more aggressive this weekend, as they try to show everyone why they were ranked in the top 10 to begin the season.

Prediction: Florida 52, UT Martin 7

Missouri Tigers vs West Virginia Mountaineers

Kelly Bryant sure did impress in his first game at Missouri, passing for 428 yards, and two scores. Although he did look impressive, the rest of the team did not. They lost to Wyoming, who came into the game with only an 11.2 percent chance to win the game. This will be a big test as to how far this Missouri team can go this season. They are not technically eliminated from the race for the SEC East crown, but a loss could be detrimental.

Prediction: Missori 48, West Virginia 31

South Carolina Gamecocks vs Charleston Southern Buccaneers

Will Muschamp was given another opportunity at coaching in the SEC when South Carolina named him as their head football coach in 2016. Since then, he has had a record of 22-18. Muschamp will have to find a way to turn the season around if he wants to keep his coaching job. Luckily for him, he will at least survive one more week as South Carolina hosts Charleston Southern. The Gamecocks should have no problem handling this weeks opponent.

Prediction: South Carolina 38, Charleston Southern 10

Vanderbilt Commodores vs Purdue Boilermakers

The battle of the gold and blacks. Both teams had setbacks last week, and started the season off with losses. Purdue lost a close game to Nevada, while Vanderbilt lost to heavily favored Georgia. Neither team is expected to make much noise this season, but both teams could put on a show against each other. Vanderbilt has one of the best dual threat running backs in the country, Keyshawn Vaughn, while Purdue has a top prospect receiver in Rondale Moore.

Prediction: Vanderbilt 24, Purdue 29

Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

Fresh off of a win against Louisiana Lafayette, Mississippi State gets their in-state rival Southern Miss. Mississippi State will likely start the scoring early, and not hold up. Running back Kylin Hill is looking to have another huge game on the ground, and he will most likely get it. He ran for 197 and a score last weekend, and shows no sign of slowing down against the Golden Eagles.

Prediction: Mississippi State 49, Southern Miss 24

Alabama Crimson Tide vs New Mexico State Aggies

Alabama comes into the game ranked second in the country, and this matchup will be a tune up game for the Tide. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will continue his efficient start from last week, when he had only five incompletions out of 31 attempts. The Aggies can possibly put up ten points if they are lucky, but I do not expect much else.

Prediction: Alabama 49, New Mexico State 7

Georgia Bulldogs vs Murray State Racers

This game will get ugly fast, and will serve as just a small stepping stone to Georgia’s run at a National Championship. Murray State has not took the field yet this season, and the season will start rough for them. Look for Georgia to be playing their second and third string guys by halftime, as they will not want to risk injury before their big matchup with Notre Dame in two weeks.

Prediction: Georgia 45, Murray State 3

Auburn Tigers vs Tulane Green Wave

Auburn was one of the few teams last week that had a big matchup, and the Tigers responded to it in the best way possible. They had a comeback win against Oregon, a team that many experts picked to win the PAC-10 this season. The win solidified Auburn as a national title contender, and propelled them to the top 10 in the rankings. Auburn will most likely keep freshman quarterback Bo Nix in for the whole game to give him experience before they come up on the bulk of their schedule.

Prediction: Auburn 38, Tulane 10

Kentucky Wildcats vs Easter Michigan Eagles

Kentucky had perhaps its’ best season ever last year, and will look to continue that success this season. They enter the season unranked after losing a lot of key players to the NFL Draft. They will try to prove that last season was not just a fluke, and that they can be real contenders in the SEC East race.This game should go down as an automatic win for the Wildcats.

Prediction: Kentucky 41, Eastern Michigan 14

Arkansas Razorbacks vs Ole Miss Rebels

This stands as the lone SEC matchup in week 2. It’s not between the conferences powerhouses neither. Both teams finished in the bottom of the SEC West last season, and this season will serve as much of the same. Ole Miss’s offense looked atrocious last weekend against Memphis, and Arkansas was able to escape with a win against Portland State at home last week. Needless to say, no one should be watching this game, but someone has to come in 6th place in the SEC West, and that intrigues some people.

Prediction: Arkansas 7, Ole Miss 13

Texas A&M Aggies vs Clemson Tigers

After nearly beating the top ranked Tigers last season at College Station, the Aggies look to avenge their loss this season. The Tigers are still the top ranked team in the country, and if they can get by the Aggies, it should be smooth sailing until the College Football Playoffs. If the Aggies are looking for a stage to prove that they can get it done against tough competition, this will be the game they have to show up to.

Prediction: Texas A&M 21, Clemson 31

LSU Tigers vs Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns are finally back in the top 10, and will look to continue from a successful season a year ago that included a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia. LSU needs to win this game if they want their National Championship hopes to stay alive. In what will most likely be the biggest matchup of the weekend, the winner of this game could control their own destiny to the College Football Playoffs.

Prediction: LSU 34, Texas 20

The post SEC Week 2 Preview appeared first on INSCMagazine.

It has been reported that Meyer has been part of another cover up involving former assistant coach Zach Smith. This stemming from an incident in 2017 involving former Buckeye wide receiver Trevon Grimes who is now playing college football at the University of Florida.

Ohio State has stated it will “certainly looking into legal action” over the report from Brett McMurphy. Here’s the tweet that started it all.

Multiple sources told @WatchStadium that Urban Meyer helped cover up a racially-charged practice altercation b/w former assistant Zach Smith & former Buckeye Trevon Grimes in 2017. Ohio State admits “interaction” b/w Smith & Grimes, but denies racial slur https://t.co/SErLV2UZeU

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 13, 2018

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Unfortunately for Meyer it’s rather difficult to dismiss this allegation due to his history. Since his time at Florida he has never been known for being a disciplinarian. One only has to look at the Brandon Spikes eye gouging incident where he was only suspended for a half of play. Yet due to the backlash and the attention it received from the media at the time it ultimately led to a one game suspension. Numerous playets at Florida got arrested as well. Further proving it was always about winning, not character.

There’s also the investigation that got Meyer suspended for the first three games of the season. Still Ohio State’s president Michael Drake is backing him. He tweeted.

We stand by @OSUCoachMeyer and strongly refute the reported allegations. https://t.co/zra6D7u66s pic.twitter.com/yHqd18AsKH

— Michael V. Drake (@OSUPrezDrake) November 13, 2018

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Athletic director’s tweet as well.

&n

The accusations made today by Brett McMurphy regarding our coach and the reasons for the transfer of Trevon Grimes are unequivocally false. Urban Meyer embraces diversity and would absolutely never support an environment of racism. It simply isn’t tolerated here…
MORE>>>

— gene smith (@OSU_AD) November 13, 2018

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Also, getting support from players.

There’s no way that anyone would believe this. NO WAY. This lie is just out of hand. I was present during the entire altercation and what’s said in this article NEVER HAPPENED. I can guarantee it. Crazy how social media gives people platforms just to spread nonsense. https://t.co/FRBLucb9WY

— Parris Campbell (@PCampbell21) November 13, 2018

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Ohio State is still close to the playoff picture at no.10 and are playing better. Still one has to wonder with everything that has happened in 2018 if Meyer will get brought back. There were already reports about his status for 2019, this likely is the icing on the cake.

The post Latest Allegations Against Urban Meyer Put Ohio State At The Crossroads appeared first on INSCMagazine.

In the West, Toledo played two of the top teams in the Eastern Division and came away with solid defeats. Western Michigan stumbled twice while Ball State moved into a tie with the Broncos for second place.

Here is a look at the week that was on the hardwood in the MAC

EASTERN DIVISION:

AKRON:

After their thrilling win over Bowling Green on Saturday, the Zips took to the road to Eastern Michigan and lost to the Eagles 63-49. So far, this season, UA has failed to win a ‘true’ road game away from Rhodes Arena have lost four of their last five games in MAC play and seven of their last nine overall. Zips shot only 30.9% from the field including 7-of-29 from three-point range. Eric Parrish led the Blue and Gold with 18 points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals while Malcolm Duvivier added 12.

The Zips bounced back on Saturday following the loss at EMU by defeating Northern Illinois at the JAR 82-67 for their second MAC win of the season and improve their home record to 9-1 overall. UA used a 17-2 run midway through the first half to take complete control. They tied a season mark with 15 three-pointers. Duvivier and Cotton led the Zips with 17 points each. Jimond Ivey had 15 and 10 rebounds while Utomi had 16 all in the second half going four-of-six from beyond the arc

This week the Zips host Ohio on Tuesday before traveling to Ball State on Saturday.

BOWLING GREEN:

The Falcons bounced back after their heartbreaking loss at Akron on Saturday, the Orange and Brown traveled down I-75 to Oxford where they defeated Miami 81-70 to gain a split of the season series. BGSU shot 60 percent from the field overall and a sizzling 69 percent from the floor in the second half in which they scored 51 points. Demajeo Wiggins led four Falcons in double figures with 22 points with 15 rebounds, five assists and a blocked shot his seventh double-double of the season

Saturday the Falcons dropped their third in the last four games this time at the hands of Central Michigan losing to the Chippewas 84-75. It was the only home game in a five-game stretch for BGSU who led by three points at halftime and by as much as 15 in the second half. The visitors then went on a tear from three-point range hitting seven of eight from beyond the arc to take a lead they would not relinquish. All five starters scored in double figures led by Rodrick Caldwell with 16 points and four assists with Wigging collecting his fifth double-double of the season with 13 and 11 rebounds.

The Orange and Black are on the road this week, first to Northern Illinois on Tuesday then on Saturday their annual battle with their “neighbors’ up I-75 the Toledo Rockets.

BUFFALO:

The Bulls ran their winning streak to six games overall and remained perfect in MAC play at 5-0 as they defeated Northern Illinois at Alumni Arena 85-67 as they shot 63.9 percent from the field and 63 percent from beyond the arc. The 5-0 start is the best for UB since 1997-98 the year before they moved into the MAC. Nick Perkins came off the bench to score a career high 26 points while CJ Massinburg added 16 and Jaylen Graves scored 12 with six rebounds, two assists and three steals

Friday night before a national television audience UB traveled to Western Michigan and extended their winning streak with an 84-74 win over the Broncos their seventh straight win overall and sixth in conference play as they opened a 12-point lead in the first half bt led by only four at halftime then in the second half, UB took control shooting 57 percent from the field while going 5-of-13 from three-point range. Harris & Massinburg led Buffalo with 20 points each while Perkins had 18 and nine rebounds.

This week Buffalo plays both games at home beginning with Eastern Michigan on Tuesday then Ohio comes to Amherst on Saturday.

KENT STATE:

The Golden Flashes Tuesday night defeated Western Michigan 73-71 at the MAC Center as Mitch Peterson put in a follow-up shot with two-tenths of a second remaining. KSU outscored the Broncos 25-9 to take an 18-point lead the first of two by the home team. They survive furious comeback that saw WMU tie the score in the closing moments but they held on for their third win in the last four games. Kevin Zabo led four Flashes in double figures with 23 points with Adonis de Larosa adding eleven with twelve rebounds

Saturday night the Flashes traveled to Toledo and gave the Western Division-leading Rockets all they could handle leading by two with four minutes remaining. In the end however UT made the big plays late and came away with a 72-65 victory. Zabo led KSU with 20 points while Jaylin Walker added 19.

This week the Flashes entertain Ball State at the MAC Center then head to Central Michigan on Saturday

MIAMI:

The Redhawks lost their second straight and third in the last four games falling at home to Bowling Green 81-70 as the two teams split their regular season series. BGSU shot 69 percent while scoring 51 points in the second half. Nike Sibande led MU with 20 points while Darrin Ringo added nine points with six assists and four steals

Saturday the Hawks returned to the win column with a dominating 71-53 home win over Ball State as they used a 15-2 run to take control of the contest and built as much as a 17-point lead. Ringo led MU with 21 points going a perfect five-for-five from beyond the arc with four assists and five steal with Logan McLane adding 20. They were pair of four Miami players in double figures.

This week Miami travels to Central Michigan to battle the Chippewas before returning home to face Eastern Michigan

OHIO:

The Bobcats were sent to third consecutive loss on Tuesday night at the hands of the Toledo Rockets using a 15-0 run midway through the first half to take command of the game and routing the Cats 91-57. It was not a good night for the green and White as they shot just 35 percent from the field and only 3-of-15 from beyond the arc. Doug Taylor led Ohio with a career high 15 points with five rebounds and two assists while Treyon Kirk added 10 and five boards

The Green and White bounced back from their loss to the West leading Rockets traveling to Eastern Michigan on Saturday and defeating the Eagles 72-66 ending this three-game losing streak. After going 6-of-20 in the opening half, the Bobcats shot 63 percent from the field in the second. Jordan Dardis led Ohio with 24 points with two rebounds and two steals while Kirk added 12 with three boards, three helpers, and four thefts.

This week is a crucial week for the Cats with a pair of Eastern Division battles. Tuesday night they travel to Akron to face the Zips then on Saturday division leading Buffalo comes to the Convocation Center.

WESTERN DIVISION:

BALL STATE:

The Cardinals stayed on the heels of Toledo and Western Michigan in the West as they improved to 9-1 at home this season with an 82-76 win over Central Michigan. Jeremie Tyler led BSU with 21 points going 5-of-10 from three-point range in all five Cardinals scored in double figures including Trey Moses who had 13 and 11 boards his third double-double of the season

Saturday BSU made the short trip to Miami and were routed by the Redhawks 71-53. Moses made his first nine shots from the field to lead the Cards with 18 points while Persons added 12 and Sean Sellers set a career high with 10 rebounds. A key stat in the loss to MU was a season-high 21 turnovers.

This week the Cards face the two MAC schools of Northeast Ohio as they travel to Kent State on Tuesday and then on Saturday host Akron

CENTRAL MICHIGAN:

Tuesday night the Chippewas traveled to ball State where they lost to the Cardinals 82-76, It was the fourth straight loss for CMU ho shot just 36 percent from the field. The Chips trailed most of the evening by double-figures however they closed their deficit to six in the final moments but could get no furthers. Luke Meyer led the chips with 26 points and 14 rebounds. Cecil Williams added 14 and seven rebounds while Shan Roundtree had 16 with six assists and two steals

The Chips traveled completed their two-game road trip Saturday in Bowling Green where they came back from a 15-point second half deficit hitting seven of eight shots from tree-point range part of a 23-6 run to defeat the Falcons 84-75 and end their four-game losing streak. In addition, they hit 54.8 percent from the field in the second half. Roundtree led CMU with 19 points with three rebounds six assists and a steal while Meyer and McKay (off the bench) each scored 16.

This week CMU is a home to face Miami on Tuesday and Kent State on Saturday looking for revenge for a loss early in the season to the Golden Flashes.

EASTERN MICHIGAN:

The Eagles got back into the win column Tuesday night as they defeated Akron 63-49 at the Convocation Center. The home team took control of the game with an 8-0 run midway through the first half building a seven-point lead at halftime and maintaining as much as a 10-point advantage in the second half. Elijah Minnie, the transfer from Robert Morris led EMU with 22 points with four steals, five rebounds and four blocked shots while Paul Jackson added 20 with eight boards and four assists

EMU faced Ohio on Saturday at home and fell to the Bobcats 72-66 as the visitors shot 63 percent from the field in the second half. The home team trailed by as much as 11 points in the second period closing their deficit to four with 92 seconds remaining but could get no further. Thompson, who remains the only player in the MAC this season averaging a double-double this season (points & rebounds) had his thirteenth of the season with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

This week the Green and White is on the road first to Buffalo to battle the Bulls then to Miami on Saturday for a meeting with the Redhawks.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS:

The Huskies began this two-game road trip in Buffalo on Tuesday night where they fell to the Eastern Division leading Bulls 95-67 losing for the 13^th consecutive time to them. In addition, it was the third loss in the last for road games for NIU who have only one road win away from DeKalb so far this season. The Huskies trailed by only three at halftime however they were outscored 59-34 in the second half. Eugene German led the Red and Black with 17 points, three assists and two steals

NIU finished this two-game road trip through the Eastern Division on Saturday with a stop in Akron falling to the Zips 82-67. It was the fourth loss in the last five games for the Red, Black, and White as a 17-2 run midway through the first half by the home team proved to be the Huskies undoing. German and Dante Thorpe had 16 point each in the loss.

This week NIU is home to Bowling Green on Tuesday then travels to Western Michigan on Saturday.

TOLEDO:

The Rockets took the lead in the Western Division on Tuesday night as they traveled to Ohio and routed the Bobcats 91-57 it was UT’s third straight win in Athens as they 52 percent from the field and 59 percent from three-point range using a 15-0 run late in the first half to take complete control of the contest. Tre-Shawn Fletched led all scorers in the contest with 18 points with six rebounds, four assists and a steal. He was one of four Rockets in double figures which included Jaelan Sanford and Nate Navigato each with 16

The Rockets extended their lead in the West Saturday night defeating Kent State at Savage Arena 72-65 for their eighth win the last nine games (their only loss in the stretch was at Buffalo) as they came back from down two with four minutes remaining to take the victory in a hard-fought game. Fletcher, the transfer from Colorado, led four UT players in double figures with 17 points and 12 rebounds along with four assists.

This week UT travels to Western Michigan to battle the Broncos for the second time this season then returns home on Saturday for the annual battle with their “neighbors” down I-75 the Bowling Green Falcons.

WESTERN MICHIGAN:

The Broncos started the week at Kent State as they came back from a pair of 18-point deficits in both halves tying the score in the closing moments only to see the home standing Golden Flashes score with two-tenths of a second remaining to take a 73-71 win. The key stat in the game for WMU was going 16-of-24 from the free throw line especially in the second half. Josh Davis led four players in double figures with 16 points five rebounds, two assists, a steal and two blocked shots.

WMU returned home on Friday night to face East Division leading Buffalo and fell to the Bulls 84-74 before a national television audience. Similar to Tuesday night at Kent State, they trailed by as much as 12-points in the first half but battled back to be only down two at halftime. However, the Bulls used a 12-2 run early in the second half to take control of the contest. Five WMU players in double figures led by Davis and Wilder each with 16 points.

Tuesday night the Broncos complete their season series with Toledo at University Arena then on Saturday they face Northern Illinois also at home.

There you have it. INSIDE MAC BASKETBALL for week four.

The division leaders have put some separation between themselves and the remainder of the competition. However, there are key games this week with the Rockets battling the Broncos then the Falcons. The Bulls have a date with the Bobcats.

SEE YOU COURTSIDE!!!

E.

The post Inside MAC Basketball 2017-18: Week Three appeared first on INSCMagazine.

According to an article from Fox Sports, Luke Heimlich pled guilty to a single count of molesting a 6-year-old girl when he was a teenager. Heimlich’s criminal history was reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive this past Thursday. This was a day or two before he’s slated to pitch in this weekend’s regional final against Vanderbilt. The winner of that game advances to the College World Series.

The report goes on to state that in an editorial accompanying The Oregonian/OregonLive’s article, the newspaper said it learned about Heimlich’s 2012 conviction while doing a routine background check before running a profile on him. Heimlich failed to renew his registration as a sex offender in Oregon, within 10 days of his most recent birthday. He was cited in Benton County on a misdemeanor charge that was dismissed last month, according to court records reviewed by the AP. It was that citation that led The Oregonian to the Washington state case. Information and records were then obtained using a public information act request.

Read the full article from Fox Sports. It goes on to state the usual “no comment from him” and the typical “so-and-so couldn’t be reached for comment” type of things.

The fact that Heimlich committed such a horrible act will never change. He will always have that following him around, in life and in whatever profession he so chooses. If he chooses to play Major League Baseball, 30 teams will have to decide if they want to give him a chance. Front office personnel across the sport will have to choose if they want to allow him to play for their club. What should their decision be?

The ramifications of drafting or signing a player with such a background as Heimlich’s is clear. The team would face a public relations nightmare. Scrutiny and backlash on social media could keep any PR team busy for hours without end. Would a team lose ticket sales? Would a team lose a portion of their fanbase? Would any of these cause long-term problems for the club?

The Texas Rangers signed a pitcher by the name of Matt Bush. On March 22, 2012, Bush was the driver in an alcohol-related automotive accident that severely injured a motorcyclist. He spent time in a prison, from December of 2012 to October of 2015. Bush was the first overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft, selected by the San Diego Padres. Bush allowed alcohol and legal issues to ruin his career leading all the way up to the accident.

After his release, Matt Bush still had Major League Baseball talent. Enough to sign a Minor League Baseball deal with the Texas Rangers. Eventually, Bush made it to the show. He is now the closer for Texas.

There are many stories like that of Matt Bush. Many athletes in professional sports have had legal issues, varying in severity. A lot of those players still managed to have careers in professional sports, whether they were successful or not. To date, no major pro sport has been disbanded by the signing of an athlete with a criminal history. However, many teams have paid the publicity price for taking them in.

Whether you are for or against athletes getting a “second chance” in life, the simple fact is that it happens. Teams will continue to employ people with criminal records. Professional sports will not slowly fade away and disappear because of it. If Luke Heimlich is drafted and signed, Major League Baseball will continue to exist as a business.

How do you feel about that?

*Featured image courtesy of Oregon Live.

The post MLB: Could Luke Heimlich Ruin The Sport’s Reputation? appeared first on INSCMagazine.

First, let us preview the American Athletic Conference East Division, I am going to start from the bottom and work my way up.

• UConn– 2016 Record 3-9 over the last 6 seasons the most wins they have had was 6 in 2015. UConn does not have the team to compete with the rest of the division.  I believe they will finish around 3-9 or 4-8 once again.
• Cincinnati– 2016 Record 4-8.  Cincinnati is one of those teams who was supposed to be better than they were and they were better than their 4-8 record showed.  The offense was bad last season they get a new Head Coach and return Hayden Moore. The defense returns 5 starters from last years unit and will look to improve.
• East Carolina– 2016 Record 3-9. The Pirates beat NC State last year but they were negative 16 on turnover ratios.  Their running game will be better which will improve their defense which in turn will allow them to compete.  4th in the East is the Best it will get.
• Temple– 2016 Record 10-4. Temple who won the conference is going to take a step back on defense and their QB situation is bad. The defense will be good enough to keep them in games but the schedule is tough.  Their crossover games are Navy and Houston and also ECU and USF on the road.
• USF–2016 Record 11-2.  USF had a great season last year under Willie Taggert who took the Oregon coaching job. They lose Marlon Mack which will affect Quinton Flowers and the team as a whole. I can’t say hiring Charlie Strong was bad but you really can’t improve much off of 11-2.  Look for USF to go 9-4 or 10-3.  The game against UCF on Black Friday will determine the East Division.
• UCF-2016 Record 6-7.  UCF last season struggled a lot on the offensive side of the ball because of their O-Line struggles. They have improved that from last season, in addition, McKenzie Milton will have another year under his belt. The defense will still stay the same as last year.  This team will make some noise and I think the home field advantage will give them a win against USF and give them the East Division crown and possibly a home championship game.

Lastly, we will preview the American Athletic Conference West Division. The same situation, we start with last and work to the top.

• Tulane–2016 Record 3-9.  Tulane got a new coach last season but even he couldn’t save them from their 3rd straight 3-9 season.  They will be better this year and either finish 4-8 or 5-7. But they will be in the bottom of the West Division.
• Tulsa– 2016 Record 10-3.  They finished 2nd in the West last season but uncertainty at QB will have them either 6-6 or 10 wins again.  The big game will be on September 29th when Navy comes to town. They will know their fate after that game
• SMU– 2016 Record 5-7.  SMU another team with question marks at QB.  They also need to be better at penalties and Punt Returns.  Last Season they were outscored 120-50 they need to improve on that. This is year 3 of Chad Morris Era this is the time for wins. I think they will need to compete for the West title and make a bowl in order to consider it a success.
• Navy– 2016 Record 9-5.  This may be where I am wrong putting them to finish 3rd because they can very easily win the West.  And they will if they can get their defense off the field on 3rd downs.  If they do they have the ability to win the Conference.
• Houston–2016 Record 9-4. New head coach Major Applewhite has a tough task of taking over a program that has been on the rise. Houston lost some major pieces and I think it will end up hurting them they can finish 2nd in this division or as far as 4th in my opinion.
• Memphis– 2016 Record 8-5. This team is the best combination of experience and upside.  They return everyone on the offensive side of the ball. The defense was not very good last year. If they can improve that they will be the team to beat.  In my opinion, they will be favored in 9 or 10 of the games they play this year.

This leaves an American Athletic Conference title game of Memphis-UCF. The team with the better conference record will host. I think it will be Memphis and it will be a rematch of an early September game for those two where Memphis comes to UCF.

The post American Athletic Conference 2017 Football Preview appeared first on INSCMagazine.

Texas starting pitcher, Morgan Cooper, went eight innings. He was named a Collegiate Baseball All-American earlier in the week.

Long Beach took an early lead, with baserunning awareness. Texas answered back in the second inning. Redshirt-junior Brett Boswell slammed a long ball that tied the game at 1-1. The Dirtbags hit their own home run in the second, giving them the edge back. The score stayed 2-1 over the next four innings of baseball.

In the seventh inning, it was Brett Boswell who evened the game up. He launched his second home run of the game. The Longhorns were back in it, with the score at 2-2. Just like in the second, Long Beach was quick to respond. An unearned run in the seventh put the Dirtbags back on top. This run was manufactured by more excellent baserunning skills.

In the eighth, senior Zane Gurwitz answered the Long Beach Dirtbags with his own home run. That solo shot made it 3-3. The score would hold, and send this NCAA matchup to extra innings.

In the 12th inning, Long Beach walked two, one intentionally, and gave up a single. There were two outs, with the bases loaded, when Travis Jones stepped up to the plate. With the count at 1-1, Jones knocked a single to left field, allowing two runs to score. Texas took the lead, at 5-3.

From TexasSports.com: Beau Ridgeway, who tossed a perfect 11th, returned to the mound in the 12th looking to finish things out. After a one-out single, Ridgeway (2-2) got a strikeout and a groundout to end the ballgame and move the Longhorns to 2-0 in regional action.

The Long Beach Regional Final will be played Sunday.

Follow Blake Cole on Twitter (@blakeacole) for more on Texas Longhorns baseball, and other MLB and MiLB news.

*Featured image courtesy of TexasSports.com.

The post Texas Longhorns: Long Beach Dirtbags Fall In Extra Innings appeared first on INSCMagazine.