Our reporters preview this weekend’s games by highlighting coaches who are eager to get off to hot starts in new places and running backs to watch for. We also break down some of the week’s best quotes and numbers to keep in mind over the weekend.
Week 1 trend to watch: Coaches in new places
Louisville: Jeff Brohm is as eager as anyone to see what his team looks like when Louisville kicks off the 2023 season. He has an idea, of course, but there’s just so much that’s new — new coaching staff, new scheme, nearly two dozen transfers, including starting QB Jack Plummer. For folks around Louisville, the opener at Georgia Tech has all the excitement of Christmas morning with just a hint of the looming danger that accompanies any gender reveal involving pyrotechnics.
It could look great. It could be a mess. Either way, Brohm said, it’ll be a learning experience.
“My nerves will be going,” Brohm said. “You want to please a lot of people and get off to a good start. You make sure you’re as ready as you can be, but you have to just go out and play and coach and be positive with your players.”
There’s ample promise surrounding this Louisville team. Brohm’s return — he played for the Cardinals from 1989 through 1993 — has injected a groundswell of enthusiasm, but all that goes away, Brohm said, if the team on the field doesn’t match the one fans have dreamed about.
That makes the Georgia Tech game critical — a game that will undoubtedly involve working out a few kinks, but one that will be played without much of a safety net. Louisville is just 4-11 in true road games over the past three years.
“This will be a first time for a lot of guys playing together,” Brohm said. “You have to trust your preparation and go out and execute.”
But don’t expect Brohm to water down the game plan while his team gets its sea legs. He’s approached practice the past few weeks as on-the-job training, stressing his defense with gadget plays and challenging his offense with some exotic looks on D.
He’ll do the same to Georgia Tech, he said.
“We want to be aggressive in our approach on both sides of the ball,” Brohm said. “You have to have enough in your pocket to be able to help your team if you’re struggling or get out of a rut and show some things you haven’t shown before.”
What will it look like? Brohm isn’t venturing a guess, other than to insist he won’t be surprised by anything.
That’s the whole point of fall camp, he said. It’s hardly a guarantee that it all looks seamless, but it’s an assurance that if things go sideways, it won’t be the first time his team has had to rebound. — David Hale
Wisconsin: The Luke Fickell era in Madison commences against Buffalo, but pay special attention to how offensive coordinator Phil Longo orchestrates his Air Raid system. The program — coming off its most losses (six) since 2012 — has undergone a makeover with designs on claiming the Big Ten West for the fifth time since 2014.
The Badgers’ passing offense, which ranked 11th in the Big Ten (183.8 yards per game) a season ago, will be going opposite a Bulls’ defense that was middle of the pack in the MAC (fifth; 216.2 ypg) in 2022.
With 7,791 career passing yards and 76 career touchdowns passes to his name, former Oklahoma and SMU signal caller Tanner Mordecai will surely feel pressure to show right away that it is indeed a new day with Fickell and Longo, previously the OC at both Mississippi Rebels and North Carolina, now calling the shots. — Blake Baumgartner
Colorado: Prime Time is finally here and the eyes of the college football world will, for the first time in a while, fixate on Colorado and the much-anticipated debut of coach Deion Sanders’ new-look team. The first impression won’t be an easy one to make for the Buffs given they have to face one of the four best teams of last season, TCU.
Plenty has changed for both teams heading into the matchup, but after Sanders arrived in Boulder and upended nearly everything about the program — including the conference where they will play next season — the expectations are plenty, even if they aren’t high. It will be a rebuilding year for Colorado to say the least, but given their new coach and new players as well as the attention that will follow them, it certainly won’t feel like a transition year come kickoff in Texas this weekend. — Paolo Uggetti
Auburn: New coach Hugh Freeze entered preseason camp “anxious” and “uncomfortable” after so much roster upheaval. He said he’d get asked all the time how good they’ll be. And his answer was frank: “I don’t know.”
At least one of those newcomers will be heavily featured in Auburn’s season-opener against UMass on Saturday. Former Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne won the starting quarterback job early in camp, giving the Tigers two years’ worth of starting experience. But what about last year’s starter, Robby Ashford, who is a home-run threat running the football? Freeze, who called Ashford the most athletic quarterback he’s ever coached, has plans for him.
“Robby, if he handles things the right way, he has to get on the field,” Freeze said. “He’s different.”
If Thorne struggles, don’t be surprised if Freeze turns to Ashford early. And it might not even be Thorne’s fault that a change is made. With so much unknown about this team, particularly at receiver, Ashford’s ability to pick up yards on the ground could save a developing offense. — Alex Scarborough
Cincinnati: When Scott Satterfield leads Cincinnati out of the tunnel Saturday, he’ll be up against more than Eastern Kentucky. He’s replacing Luke Fickell, the first Group of 5 coach to crash the College Football Playoff, who went 53-10 the last five seasons. He’s working in 23 transfers and jump-starting an offense with just one returning starter. His quarterback, Emory Jones, is one of those new faces, in his sixth year after stops at Florida and Arizona State.
Satterfield, who arrives after a 25-24 stint at Louisville, will be trying to regain the magic that saw him win three straight conference titles at Appalachian State after leading the Mountaineers from FCS to FBS. He’s taken a big leap before. But Oklahoma arrives in Week 4 for Cincinnati’s first Big 12 game. Expectations are not high: The Bearcats were picked to finish 13th out of 14 teams in the preseason media poll.
“It’s all new, you know?” Satterfield told ESPN. “New conference, new coaches and new players, we’re all figuring each other out. So it’s gonna be exciting and interesting. We’ll see how it all unfolds.” — Dave Wilson
Shipley was the backbone of Clemson’s offense a year ago, rushing for nearly 1,200 yards, catching 38 passes and adding another 324 yards on kick returns — all of which resulted in him making the All-ACC team at three different positions. But as the Tigers get set to kick off the 2023 season, Shipley’s role could actually grow in his junior season. New OC Garrett Riley wants to ensure Shipley maximizes his touches. Last season, Riley’s TCU offense threw behind the line of scrimmage on one-third of its dropbacks. Meanwhile, Clemson’s Week 1 opponent, Duke, allowed 7.06 yards-per-attempt on throws to tailbacks last year, the second-worst rate in the ACC. — Hale
There will be plenty of attention on the debut of Clemson transfer DJ Uiagalelei when Oregon State kicks off its season Sunday, but I’m watching out for the Beavers’ phenom running back Martinez, whose impressive freshman year (982 yards, 161 carries and seven touchdowns) went a little under the radar. Martinez has all the tools to be a force to be reckoned with all season long, and the combination of him and DJU could super-charge this Oregon State offense from the start. — Uggetti
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said the running game will be done by committee, but Daijun Edwards, who was second on the team with 769 rushing yards last season, might have an opportunity to separate himself. Kendall Milton, who was third on the team with 592 rushing yards, has been dealing with a hamstring injury, while Andrew Paul is coming off a torn ACL, and Branson Robinson is out for the season with a ruptured tendon. — Scarborough
Back healthy after a knee injury ended his tremendous 2022 season, Corum (1,463 yards, 18 TDs) returned to Ann Arbor with some unfinished business. That work begins with the Wolverines hosting East Carolina, which will provide an interesting test for Corum, a Doak Walker Award finalist as a junior. The Pirates’ rush defense (111.4 YPG) ranked second in the AAC last year. — Baumgartner
Bailey quietly led the Big 12 in yards per carry in 2022 (8.1) playing behind Kendre Miller and Emari Demercado, who both are in the NFL now. Bailey, who transferred from Louisiana last year, is the starter in Kendal Briles’ RPO-heavy offense and has held off Alabama transfer and former No. 1 RB recruit Trey Sanders for the No. 1 spot in the Frogs’ high-profile opener. — Wilson
“We all should be about diversity, equity and inclusion. I’m calling for a system that is fair, equitable and benefits all involved. Don’t exclude the student-athletes from the profits. My opinion, you can’t say you’re about diversity, equity and inclusion, if you aren’t willing to include the student-athletes in revenue sharing.”
Hugh Freeze: New to The Plains, Freeze is eager to see what Tigers fans can offer on gameday.
“It’s gonna be a magical experience I know in that stadium (Jordan Hare). … I soak in every game pretty much… even at Liberty, we played in SEC arenas and those are always fun to play in and I embrace those opportunities. To me, I think the most exciting thing to me would just be taking in what I consider to be one of the best home atmospheres in college football and I don’t know that I’ve had that — no offense to any other places that I’ve been.”
Steve Sarkisian: Last week, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark made waves when he told Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire that he “better take care of business” against Texas. Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian has advised his team to stay focused on games, but did offer this retort.
“I got a letter from the commissioner about sportsmanship the day before that speech, so I’m trying to figure out what are we promoting to our student-athletes. To go say those types of things? I’m not guessing he’s gonna have his Thanksgiving dinner with us the night before that game.”
Kenny Dillingham: ASU announced a self-imposed one-year bowl ban, and Dillingham said the news was “upsetting.” But the head coach is still rallying his players to go out and give it their all.
“It’s my job to try to get our team and rally our team behind each other to go compete and go work at the highest level.”
Numbers to know
Watch out for three-peats in 2023.
Pac-12: Utah is going for a three-peat as Pac-12 champs, and though its opener against Florida won’t hold any weight in the conference race, the Utes want to get off on the right foot with a win over the Gators.
SEC: Georgia is going for the ultimate of three-peats. The Bulldogs have won the College Football Playoff Championship the past two years (as well as the SEC), and though Georgia should easily win Saturday, it’s a tall task to win three national championships in a row.
Big Ten: Can Michigan win the Big Ten for the third year in a row? To do so, the Wolverines in all likelihood would have to beat a certain conference rival for the third straight season. Michigan hasn’t beaten the Ohio State’s Buckeyes three consecutive times since 1995 to 1997.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — It’s time for another Smarty party.
Twenty-one years after Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, the chestnut colt has been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame announced Thursday that he was the lone candidate in the contemporary category to appear on the majority of ballots, with 50% plus one vote required for election. It was his first year on the ballot.
Bred in Pennsylvania, Smarty Jones won eight of nine career starts and won the Eclipse Award for 3-year-old males in 2004.
That year he became the first undefeated Kentucky Derby winner since Seattle Slew with a 2 3/4-length victory. Two weeks later, Smarty Jones won the Preakness by a record 11½ lengths to set up a Triple Crown bid. His hard-luck story captured hearts along the way, with schoolchildren writing letters wishing him luck and people throwing Smarty parties.
But he was beaten by a length in the Belmont Stakes by 36-1 long shot Birdstone in front of a record crowd of 120,139 in New York.
Smarty Jones retired after the Belmont with career earnings of $7,613,155. He was owned by Roy and Pat Chapman, trained by John Servis and ridden by Stewart Elliott. Smarty Jones is 24.
Also elected were racehorses Decathlon and Hermis and trainer George H. Conway by the 1900-1959 Historic Review Committee. Edward L. Bowen, Arthur B. Hancock III and Richard Ten Broeck were elected by the Pillars of the Turf Committee.
The newest Hall of Fame members will be enshrined on Aug. 1 in Saratoga Springs, New York.
The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs have already included some twists and turns, including long-injured players returning to the ice and others playing through various ailments.
Two teams carry 2-0 leads into Game 3 on Thursday, and history is on their side: according to ESPN Research, teams with a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series have gone on to win 86% of the time.
With the Panthers up 1-0, ESPN BET has adjusted the series line to install Florida as the series favorite at -210, whereas the line was -115 before Game 1.
Matthew Tkachuk made his return after more than two months on the shelf, and scored two goals to help the Panthers take Game 1 in the Battle of Florida. Matthew and brother Brady both scored goals Tuesday, which was the 83rd time in Stanley Cup playoffs history that a pair of brothers scored on the same day, the most recent being Marcus and Nick Foligno on April 21, 2023.
Sergei Bobrovsky has backstopped the Cats to many playoff wins recently, and the Game 1 win was his 45th, putting him fifth all-time in playoff wins for goalies born outside North America. The leader? His opponent Andrei Vasilevskiy, with 66.
Nikita Kucherov won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading point-scorer in the regular season, but was limited to just one assist in Game 1. Will that trend continue?
The Maple Leafs have won just one playoff series in the past 20 years, but they are halfway to doing so here in the Battle of Ontario. Oh, and speaking of decadeslong droughts, this is the first time the Leafs have held a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series since the 2002 series against the New York Islanders (which they won in seven games).
Max Domi was the overtime hero for the Leafs in Game 2, which was his first playoff OT goal. His father Tie played 98 playoff games in his NHL career, and never had one — albeit in a career where he was known more as a pugilist than a scorer.
Toronto’s Core Four continue to drive the train. John Tavares (two goals, two assists), Mitch Marner (one goal, three assists), William Nylander (one goal, two assists) and Auston Matthews (three assists) are in the top four positions on their stats sheet heading into Game 3. They’ve also gotten strong play from goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who became the sixth netminder in Leafs history to win his first two playoff games with the franchise — Ken Wregget, Mike Palmateer, Bernie Parent, Frank McCool and Lorne Chabot are the others.
One pathway to a comeback for Ottawa is for goaltender Linus Ullmark to steal a game or two. The 2023 Vezina Trophy winner has allowed nine goals on 45 shots through two games, a save percentage of .800. Ullmark allowed just two goals on 50 shots in two games against Toronto in the regular season, both of which were wins for Ottawa.
Why is this game so important? The winner of Game 3 in a series tied 1-1 has gone on to win 66% of the time in Stanley Cup playoff history (240-123).
The Wild didn’t want to take any chances in Game 2, scoring three first-period goals and keeping the Knights at arm’s length for the remainder of the game. Kirill Kaprizov reminded everyone why he was a Hart Trophy favorite before getting injured this season, scoring two goals and adding a ridiculous assist on Matt Boldy‘s goal. Kaprizov’s second goal tied him with Marian Gaborik for the second-most playoff goals in Wild history, with 12, four behind Zach Parise.
On the Vegas side, “Playoff” Tomas Hertl has shown up, scoring a goal in each of the first two games. The longtime San Jose Shark is the fourth different player to score a goal in his first two games with the Golden Knights, a list that includes Mark Stone, William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault.
The Knights are also hoping this is just a bump in the road for goaltender Adin Hill. He has an .833 save percentage through two games; that figure was .931 in three games last postseason and .932 in 14 starts during their Stanley Cup run in 2023.
One other bit of history working against the Blues: Presidents’ Trophy winners that have won Games 1 and 2 of a best-of-seven series have gone on to win that series 95% of the time (tracked since 1985-86).
The Blues will want to track Kyle Connor closely if the game hangs in the balance. He has scored the game-winning goal in both games thus far, giving him five in his career, passing Paul Stastny for the most in Jets 2.0/Atlanta Thrashers history.
St. Louis rookie Jimmy Snuggerud — who was playing for the University of Minnesota earlier this spring — became the second rookie to notch a goal this postseason, joining Carolina’s Logan Stankoven.
Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou — who led the Blues in regular-season scoring and both tallied goals in Game 1 — were held pointless in Game 2.
Arda’s three stars from Wednesday night
Sometimes the stat lines don’t matter. The Avs captain returning to the NHL for the first time since lifting the Cup in 2022 is a moment that transcends one team, and is celebrated throughout the hockey world. Welcome back, Gabe!
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Gabriel Landeskog makes triumphant return to Avs after 3-year absence
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog makes his return for the Avalanche after nearly three years on the sidelines due to a chronic knee injury.
Kempe scored two goals and added two assists as the Kings dismantled the Oilers 6-2 to take both games at home as the series now shifts to Edmonton.
Thompson made 25 saves, including some key stops on dangerous chances in the third period, to help the Caps beat the Habs 3-1 and take a 2-0 series lead.
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Messier: Logan Thompson won the game for the Caps
Mark Messier tells Scott Van Pelt the critical role Logan Thompson played for the Capitials in their 3-1 win over the Canadiens in Game 2.
Another game that was perhaps a bit closer than the pundits (and the fans in D.C.) expected. Montreal’s Christian Dvorak opened the scoring in the second period, before the Caps answered with two goals in a one-minute span from Connor McMichael and Dylan Strome. That lead would hold despite the Habs’ best efforts, thanks to some heroic saves from Logan Thompson. McMichael added an empty-netter just before the final buzzer to ensure that the fans went home happy, and that his team takes a 2-0 lead to Montreal for Game 3.
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Capitals take lead over Canadiens on back-to-back goals
Connor McMichael and Dylan Strome score a minute apart to put the Capitals ahead of the Canadiens in the second period.
The big story here was the return of Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog after three years. And a first-period goal from Valeri Nichushkin sent the crowd into a frenzy. But the Stars have veteran players of their own, and captain Jamie Benn tied the game midway through the third period, before Tyler Seguin tallied the game-winning goal at 5:31 of overtime.
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Tyler Seguin breaks Avs’ hearts with OT winner for Stars
Tyler Seguin spoils Gabriel Landeskog’s return with a goal to claim the Stars’ second overtime win as they take a 2-1 series lead vs. the Avalanche.
For the past three postseasons, the Kings have been eliminated in the first round by the Oilers. Is this finally the year they get past their tormentors from Alberta? Continuing to score six goals per game would certainly help. Brandt Clarke got the party started with a power-play goal at 8:44 of the first period, and he was joined on the scoresheet by Quinton Byfield, Andrei Kuzmenko, Adrian Kempe (with two) and Anze Kopitar. The Kings’ power play has been electric in this series, as L.A. has scored five goals on 10 opportunities with the man advantage.
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Adrian Kempe scores again as Kings close in on victory
Adrian Kempe’s second goal of the night makes it 6-2 Kings as they take full control of Game 2 against the Oilers.
The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs have begun with 16 teams looking to be the last one standing after four grueling rounds of playoff hockey action. The Florida Panthers return to defend their championship, but will have to contend with regular-season powerhouses including the Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals and the Edmonton Oilers.
The Panthers first have to contend with their cross-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning, but got off to a strong start in Game 1 with 6-2 road win. The victory saw the Panthers leapfrog several teams to be given the second-shortest odds behind only the Carolina Hurricanes, who have emerged as the Eastern Conference favorites thanks to a 2-0 series lead over the banged-up New Jersey Devils.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, looking to snap the longest championship drought in NHL history, are up 2-0 on their provincial rivals, the Ottawa Senators, and are now among the top five favorites. The Capitals took care of business in Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens with Alex Ovechkin scoring his first career playoff OT winner and followed it up with a Game 2 victory to take a commanding series lead.
In the West, two of the favorites clash in the first round as the Dallas Stars take on the Colorado Avalanche with the teams trading wins in Games 1 and 2, followed by a Game 3 road win by the Stars which saw the teams essentially trade places in the odds race. The Jets have a 2-0 series lead on the St. Louis Blues, while the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild traded wins in Games 1 and 2. The Oilers lost both their road games to the Los Angeles Kings, who are considered the favorite in this series, and must now win at home to get back into the race.
Last year’s Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Connor McDavid, won the top award for playoffs MVP despite his team not winning the championship. This year, he hopes to win it again, but on a happier note. Below, you can see all of the top favorites for Conn Smythe, as well as the odds for every team to win their opening-round series, advance to, and to win the Stanley Cup.
All odds accurate as of publish time. For more, go to ESPN BET.
Odds to win Conn Smythe trophy
The Conn Smythe is awarded to the player deemed to have been the most valuable to his team throughout the playoffs. Players listed with 200-1 odds or better. More odds available at ESPN BET..