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USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Jack Crousore parlays lessons in course management into Hoosier Am win
Jack Crousore had high expectations for his freshman season at the University of Minnesota when he arrived on campus a year ago. The adjustment, however, was tough. A year later, Crousore can point to monumental growth in one area in particular: course management. And there may be no better validation of that growth than his Aug. 7 victory at the Hoosier Amateur, played at the Pfau Course in Bloomington, Indiana. Crousore, who hails from Bluffton, South Carolina, has family ties to the Midwest and to Indiana University, where his older sister Annie attended school. The 20-year-old, who carried his own bag around IU's course this week, put his biggest focus on hitting fairways. That led the way to rounds of 69-68-69 that ultimately left him at 7 under and three shots better than runner-up Carson Baez of Davenport, Florida. Liam Nelson, of Chicago, had a share of the lead with nine holes to play but withdrew because of illness. Baez, who plays for Richmond, has found himself in contention quite a bit lately. He lost a playoff for the individual title at the National Golf Invitational in May and also lost a playoff for the Southeastern Amateur title in June. Crousore, however, just could not be overtaken this week, particularly after opening his final round with four consecutive birdies. 'A couple of really bad swings' off the tee led to a triple-bogey on the par-4 eighth and the leaderboard remained tight until No. 13. 'I had this short-sided bunker shot, back left bunker, and I ended up making it for eagle,' Crousore said of that hole. 'When I made that, I kind of was like OK, there we go.' Crousore, 20, struggled to break into the Gopher lineup consistently last fall. But by March, when the team competed at the Colleton River Collegiate at Crousore's home course, Colleton River Golf Club, the freshman led the team in scoring. He was the Gopher's leading scorer four more times in the spring, culminating with a team-best T-7 finish at the Big Ten Conference Championship. 'My coaches and teammates helped me through that rough patch and once we hit spring I started getting back into form,' he said. 'Them having faith in me when I was struggling gave me a lot of confidence and really helped me get through that rough patch.' Crousore, like any seasoned player, has certainly hit dips in his game before. He experienced one after his last major victory, at the Beth Daniel Junior Azalea in August of 2023. He took some time off after that and didn't feel like he hit peak form again until the following January. Interestingly, Crousore also didn't feel like he had his best stuff in the weeks leading up to the Hoosier Amateur. Namely, he was struggling off the tee. 'I was working with my coach a little bit this past week and we kind of found something and it was really nice to see that click and carry on through this week,' Crousore said of his work with instructor Jason Sutton at Colleton River. 'I think those small little swing thoughts that we picked out are going to be really helpful going into the start of the fall season.' That fix, together with knowledge about his game that Minnesota head coach Justin Smith helped bring to light, proved to be a huge difference maker at the Hoosier Am. Crousore had a lot of conversations about his game with his college coaches over the past year. They gathered data and helped create a strong game plan for how he should attack golf courses. At the Pfau Course, his focus was to keep it where he could see it, particularly off the tee where fescue frequently comes into play. The biggest part of Crousore's game plan since March, regardless of the course, is to get the ball on the green as quickly as possible – a concept that sounds simple enough but is still a good reminder for Crousore not to be tempted by tucked pins, especially when there's trouble nearby. 'My strength is my putting and we really highlighted that in our meetings, and I think ever since having that conversation of them just saying, 'Hey, rely on your strengths instead of trying to play to something you're not as good at,' really helped me take a step back and realize I don't have to do everything great, I can lean on this one part of my game that's really strong,' Crousore said. 'I think that, since March, has really helped me get my way around the course a lot better.'
USA Today
04-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oregon Ducks among top teams in first US LBM Coaches Poll of 2025 season
Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks will head into another college football season with immense pressure on them. That was considered to be the case even before the first iteration of the US LBM Coaches Poll was released on Monday morning. In the coaches' poll, the Ducks landed at No. TK in the nation, standing as the No. 3 Big Ten team in the rankings. Here's a look at the top 25: A year ago, Oregon spent a majority of the season at No. 1 in the coaches' poll rankings, finishing the regular season with a 13-0 record. They won the Big Ten Conference Championship in their first year as conference members before earning the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. This year, Oregon still faces high expectations, although several questions have arisen surrounding its new-look roster. The Ducks return just four total starters from last year's team: one on offense and three on defense. They will have a new quarterback under center and a ton of young faces who need to step up and prove themselves. Despite the inexperience among players, Oregon's coaching staff remains largely intact, with Lanning bringing back both offensive coordinator Will Stein and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, as well as many of the position coaches. There are expectations that the Ducks will once again compete for a Big Ten title and likely secure a spot in the College Football Playoff when all is said and done in 2025. 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.
USA Today
29-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Ohio State linebacker Jack Sawyer harps on 2022 loss to Michigan
Jack Sawyer is a national champion heading into this rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL. However, the former Ohio State football linebacker is still trying to process how the Buckeyes lost to rival Michigan in the regular season finale in 2025. The Wolverines pulled off a major upset with a 13-10 win on Nov. 30 in "The Game" to keep OSU out of the Big Ten Conference Championship game. REQUIRED READING: Central Michigan hit with NCAA Notice of Allegations tied to Michigan sign-stealing case The Buckeyes, of course, bounced back and ended up winning the national championship, which was sealed by a game-clinching fumble return for a touchdown by Sawyer, who never beat Michigan during his OSU career. "I think they beat us straight up last year, obviously, and the year before, but my sophomore year, we left the field and we were like, 'This feels weird,' " Sawyer said during a recent podcast appearance on Not Just Football with Cam Heyward. "We lost by double digits, and it felt like we had beat the (expletive) out of them all game. You know, we ran a screen pass that we had never put in – not the formation, not the look, anything. "And you see them on the sideline, they're doing (the signals), and we change it, we audible to it or whatever, and when we run it, all the D-linemen as soon as the ball is snapped, the linebackers, everybody, they sniffed it out." The game Sawyer is referencing is a 45-23 Michigan win in 2022, when both teams entered "The Game" with an undefeated record. However, the Wolverines outscored the Buckeyes 21-3 in the fourth quarter, which included touchdown runs of 85 and 75 yards, respectively, from Michigan back Donovan Edwards. The 2022 game stands out as it was 11 months before news broke that the NCAA was investigating Michigan over alleged sign-stealing. "It's just good scouting," Sawyer said. "Come on." Conor Stalions responds to Jack Sawyer's comments Conor Stalions, the former Michigan analyst who is alleged to have led the sign-stealing scandal, responded to Sawyer's comments on Tuesday, July 29. Stallions resigned from Michigan in November 2023. "Their signal for this play was: The letter 'Y' (TE in 99% of offenses), The Delay of Game sign. So 'Y Delay.' Wonder what this will be," Stalions wrote in a post on X. "Jack is admitting they never ran it before. Your head coach already admitted that you changed your signs for us." 1. Jack is saying Ohio St never ran a Slot YY formation all year (pull up any of their games on YouTube and you'll see them run that look).2. Their signal for this play was:- The letter 'Y' (TE in 99% of offenses)- The Delay of Game signSo 'Y Delay.' 🤔 Wonder what this… The NCAA is still in the process of giving out the final ruling of the investigation into sign-stealing and advanced scouting. The NCAA sent a notice of allegations to Michigan in August 2024, which included several Level I violations, the most serious offenses in the NCAA rulebook. Meanwhile, Sawyer earned second-team all-Big Ten honors for the Buckeyes in 2025 and then helped the program win a national title. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Steelers.
Fox Sports
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 CFB Odds: Who Will Be Crowned the Big Ten Champion?
College football kicks off in just two months. After winning the College Football Playoff championship last season, sportsbooks are favoring Ohio State to win the Big Ten title this year. Additionally, the Michigan Wolverines took home the national title the previous year. It's safe to say the Big Ten has recently been one of the most successful conferences in college football. So, which other team do oddsmakers think will have a shot at the conference title this year? Let's take a look ahead at the 2025 Big Ten title odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of June 23. Big Ten Conference Championship Winner 2025-26 Ohio State: +195 (bet $10 to win $29.50 total) Penn State: +265 (bet $10 to win $36.50 total) Oregon: +285 (bet $10 to win $38.50 total) Michigan: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total) USC: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total) Illinois: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total) Fresh off a CFP title win, the Buckeyes sit at the top of the oddsboard to win the Big Ten title. It has been five years since Ohio State was crowned Big Ten champs, last achieving this in 2020 when they defeated Northwestern 22-10. Since the Big Ten Championship Game began in 2011, the Buckeyes have claimed the Big Ten title five times: 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Ohio State finished its 2024-25 season fourth in the conference with a 7-2 record. Next on the board sits Penn State, with +265 odds. The Nittany Lions secured their sole Big Ten title in 2016, defeating the Wisconsin Badgers 38-31. They made it to the championship game in 2024 but fell short of winning the title. Last season, Penn State tied for second place in the conference with Indiana, each finishing with 8-1 records. Oregon is another team that sportsbooks see as a top contender to win the title. The Ducks earned their first Big Ten title last year, outlasting No. 3 Penn State 45-37. Prior to that, Oregon last won its conference championship in 2020 while in the Pac-12. Coach Dan Lanning, who holds the most wins by any Oregon head coach through his first three seasons, will return for his fourth year in Eugene. Michigan won the Big Ten Championship Game for three consecutive years: 2021, 2022 and 2023. Head coach Sherrone Moore returns for his second season after finishing with a 5-4 record in the conference, which tied for fourth place with Minnesota. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
30-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How to watch Oregon Ducks vs Utah Valley today: Time, TV channel for Eugene Regional
How to watch Oregon Ducks vs Utah Valley today: Time, TV channel for Eugene Regional After taking home the regular season Big Ten Conference Championship, Mark Wazikowski and the Oregon Ducks are looking to make a splash in the postseason, starting on Friday afternoon. Named one of the regional sites for the NCAA Tournament, the 12th-seed Ducks open up with a game against Utah Valley at PK Park. Arizona and Cal Poly are also in the Eugene Regional and will play on Friday as well. The winners of the two games will play each other on Saturday night, while the losers of the first game meet early on Saturday afternoon. Game times on Sunday are 3 p.m. for the loser-out game and 7 p.m. for the championship game. If an if-necessary game is needed, it will be played on Monday, with a time to be determined after Sunday's action. This will be the fourth time in the last 14 years that Oregon has hosted a regional, and if they advance, they could be in a great spot to host a super regional for the third time in 14 years. Here's everything you need to know about tuning in for the game. Watch Oregon Ducks vs. Utah Valley on ESPN+ (Free Trial) Here's how to watch the Oregon Ducks vs. the Utah Valley Wolverines game today, including time, TV schedule and streaming information: What channel is the Oregon Ducks vs. Utah Valley on today? TV Channel: ESPNU/ESPN+ Livestream: ESPN+ (free trial) The Oregon Ducks vs. Utah Valley game will be broadcast on ESPNU and via the streaming service ESPN+. The game will be called by Roxy Bernstein and Wes Clements at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon. Oregon Ducks vs. Utah Valley time today Date: Friday, May 30, 2025 Friday, May 30, 2025 Start time: 6:00 p.m. PT We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage. 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.
