Houston scores millions in multibillion-dollar sports tourism industry
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 8: The Michigan Wolverines celebrate after defeating the Washington Huskies 34-13 in the CFP National Championship game at NRG Stadium on January 8, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo)
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USA Today
15 hours ago
- USA Today
Where Oregon ranks in odds to win the title
Where Oregon ranks in odds to win the title The college football landscape is evolving rapidly as the sport undergoes multiple seismic changes simultaneously. Name, image and likeness licensing, the transfer portal and new player eligibility rules make the sport increasingly more complex to understand. ESPN created the Football Power Index (FPI) to try to quantify the changes and make them understandable for the average fan. The site ranked teams using a number of categories such as their odds to make the playoffs, records for the season and even national championship odds. The site listed 20 teams, but here are the 15 with a real chance to win the title: No. 15 – Michigan Wolverines FPI Rank: 14.6 Projected Wins: 8.4 Championship %: 1% Michigan's quarterback situation will make it tough to win a national championship, but there is always a chance when you sport one of the best defenses in the country. No. 14 - Auburn Tigers FPI Rank: 14.8 Projected Wins: 7.5 Championship %: 1.1% The Tigers have a long way to go to reach contender status, but ESPN gives them long-shot odds of winning the title. No. 13 - Ole Miss Rebels FPI Rank: 15.9 Projected Wins: 8.3 Championship %: 1.5% Ole Miss can certainly hang with the heavy hitters, given they beat the Georgia Bulldogs last year. If the Rebels can refrain from playing down to opponents, a deep playoff run is on the table. No. 12 - LSU Tigers FPI Rank: 17.1 Projected Wins: 7.9 Championship %: 1.8% ESPN doesn't expect LSU to have the best chance, but it has a consensus top-10 pick, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who makes a national championship a possibility. FPI Rank: 17.9 Projected Wins: 8.1 Championship %: 2.1% The Aggies had a chance to make the College Football Playoffs before dropping the final three games of last season. If they can finish strongly this year, there is a real possibility they can compete for the title. No. 10 - Tennessee Volunteers FPI Rank: 17.4 Projected Wins: 8.7 Championship %: 2.3% After a sudden and controversial exit by Nico Iamaleava, the Volunteers are scrambling to put a plan in place for the quarterback position. That inevitably will spark a regression this year. No. 9 - Notre Dame Fighting Irish FPI Rank: 18.1 Projected Wins: 9.3 Championship %: 2.4% ESPN projects last season's national championship runner-up to have a massive slide because there still is no solid plan at quarterback despite an elite defense. No. 8 - Miami Hurricanes FPI Rank: 17.5 Projected Wins: 9.7 Championship %: 3.2% Last year's starting quarterback, Cam Ward, was the first pick in the NFL draft, so there could be some natural slippage in Miami with a lower caliber player under center. No. 7 - Clemson Tigers FPI Rank: 17.3 Projected Wins: 9.7 Championship %: 3.8% Once considered a college football juggernaut, Dabo Swinney attempts to lead Clemson to its first College Football Playoff since 2020. No. 6 - Oregon Ducks FPI Rank: 20.5 Projected Wins: 10 Championship %: 4.8% Coach Dan Lanning brought his team all the way to the Rose Bowl last year, but extreme roster turnover will make it difficult for Oregon to reach those heights again. No. 5 - Penn State Nittany Lions FPI Rank: 21.5 Projected Wins: 10.2 Championship %: 7.6% After an impressive first year under a new offensive coordinator, the Penn State offense is primed to take another step to complement its championship level defense. No. 4 - Alabama Crimson Tide FPI Rank: 24.2 Projected Wins: 9.6 Championship %: 10.4% A team with an NFL pipeline as strong as Alabama is always replenishing its stockpile of talent, and ESPN projects this year to be no different. No. 3 - Ohio State Buckeyes FPI Rank: 23.8 Projected Wins: 10.4 Championship %: 11.6% The Buckeyes have the third-best championship odds and would likely be higher had they not lost their starting quarterback to the NFL. No. 2 - Georgia Bulldogs FPI Rank: 26.6 Projected Wins: 10.1 Championship %: 17.5% Georgia consistently has an elite defense as well as one of the best coaches of the era. That stamps them as perennial contenders. No. 1 - Texas Longhorns FPI Rank: 28.5 Projected Wins: 10.4 Championship %: 22.2% Texas has one of the top quarterbacks in the nation, Arch Manning, to go along with a loaded roster, so it is no surprise the Longhorns have the best championship odds. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes and opinions.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
ESPN FPI Gives Deion Sanders, Colorado No Chance To Win CFP National Championship
ESPN FPI Gives Deion Sanders, Colorado No Chance To Win CFP National Championship originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In his first two seasons as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, Deion Sanders has done a solid job, going 4-8 in 2023 and then an astounding 9-4 in 2024, which marked their first winning season since 2016 (excluding 2020). Advertisement Even throughout the offseason, his impact is felt, as the Buffaloes have landed a total of 30 players in the transfer portal, per On3. However, even as the program continues to improve and a handful of talented players join the roster, their ability to compete for the ultimate prize remains limited and in ESPN's FPI, a predictive rating system, it gives Colorado a 0% chance to win the national championship. Of course, for as much success as they've had bringing players in from the portal, they've also felt the negative effects from it, which includes losing a total of 37 players, which as of now is tied for the third-most of any Big 12 program. Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion J. Downing-Imagn Images There's no doubt they're also going to be feeling the effects of having several players make the leap to the NFL, including quarterback Shedeur Sanders, two-way star Travis Hunter and wide receivers Jimmy Horn Jr. and LaJohntay Wester. Advertisement They also have several unanswered questions, with one of the biggest being trying to figure out Sanders' successor, as a two-way battle has been brewing between freshman Julian Lewis and Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter. Even despite having the fifth easiest remaining strength of schedule in the Big 12, they still go up against some of the conference's biggest juggernauts, including BYU (Sept. 27), Arizona State (Nov. 22) and Kansas State (Nov. 29), where they will be truly tested if still in college football playoff contention. In order to even be close to that, though, Sanders and the Buffaloes need to start the season off on a good note, which may be tough in a Week 1 matchup against Georgia Tech, where ESPN BET has Colorado at 3.5-point underdogs. Related: Elite 5-Star Prospect Makes Feelings Clear After Official Visit to Miami This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
North Carolina Reacts to Retirement of Former Patriots Super Bowl Champion
North Carolina Reacts to Retirement of Former Patriots Super Bowl Champion originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There's no doubt that under head coach Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots formed one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history, winning a total of six Super Bowls. Advertisement Of course, with that much success, the team had several talented players suit up, and a big contributor to their dominance has officially announced his retirement. On Monday, center David Andrews called it a career after 10 years. It's certainly a big loss for the Patriots and even drew the attention of Belichick's new team, the North Carolina Tar Heels, who tweeted, "Congratulations David on your retirement after a great career!" via an X post. What's interesting is that despite earning recognition from North Carolina, Andrews played his collegiate career with the Georgia Bulldogs (2011-2014) before landing with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent. Advertisement However, he had a deep connection with Belichick, as the two spent nine seasons together in New England, where the center helped the team win two of those Super Bowls. "Coach Belichick, thank you for giving me the opportunity I so desperately wanted in this league," Andrews said during his Monday press conference. "I learned more about this game from you than anyone has ever taught me... You always demanded our best and challenged us each and every week. The details were important and mattered, and that is something I'll carry the rest of my life." New England Patriots center David Andrews (60).Eric Canha-Imagn Images Of course, hearing a former player praise Belichick to this level is exactly the kind of thing North Carolina would love to hear, as he will be trying to turn the program around after going just 6-7 in 2024. Advertisement Related: ESPN FPI Gives Deion Sanders, Colorado No Chance To Win CFP National Championship This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
