Yardbarker

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans. You can find him on Twitter/X and Threads at @ericsmithling and at Bluesky at @ericsmithling.bsky.social.

EXPERTISE:

NFL, College Football, NBA, Men's and Women's College Basketball, NHL

Watch: Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart interceptions wreck team's College Football Playoff hopes

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart threw two brutal fourth-quarter interceptions against Florida to sink the Rebels' College Football Playoff hopes.

Watch: Incredible UMass TD keeps Minutemen within striking distance of Georgia

UMass wide receiver Jakobie Keeney-James made the catch of Week 13 as the Minutemen kept their road game against Georgia closer than anyone expected.

Watch: Indiana, Ohio State trade second-quarter turnovers

The Indiana and Ohio State defenses came to play on Saturday.

Watch: Indiana strikes first in top-five showdown against Ohio State

Indiana made a statement on its opening series against Ohio State.

CFB Week 13 winners, losers: SEC in CFP trouble

In the penultimate week of college football's regular season, Indiana and Army's Cinderella runs ended with blowout losses, while the SEC was thrown into turmoil.

Watch: Browns force fourth-down stop after offensive fumble

The Browns defense bailed out the offense early in the third quarter against the Steelers on Thursday night.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly's seat is on fire after losing No. 1 recruit

LSU head coach Brian Kelly's seat went up in flames on Thursday. 

Aaron Judge joins elite Yankees company with AL MVP win

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge entered rarefied air on Thursday. He was named AL MVP for the second time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and joining elite company.

Five burning CFP questions: Biggest Week 13 games, dark-horse contenders and more

The College Football Playoff field will be finalized in less than three weeks, but there's still so much we don't know. 

Massive Colorado commitment should dispel Deion Sanders NFL talk

Some have speculated Sanders could be a candidate for the Cowboys' head-coaching job if they parted ways with Mike McCarthy.

That's rich: Billionaire NFL owners making headlines for wild statements

Billionaires say the darndest things. A week after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones declared war on curtains with a strange rant about the sun, The Athletic reported Jets owner Woody Johnson was just as nonsensical earlier this season.

Army and Tulane's rise keeps pressure on Big 12

The Big 12's spot in the College Football Playoff is no longer safe.

Five moves to fix Cowboys: Trading Micah Parsons should be an option

As with any bad team, the Cowboys have multiple problems. Here's how we'd right the ship in Dallas.

Joe Douglas firing creates most undesirable job opening in NFL

Any potential candidate should read the job description before applying for this Jets role.

76ers appear unsalvageable after loss to Heat drops them to 2-11

The 76ers might be beyond saving. Philadelphia continued its horrid start to the 2024-25 season on Monday with a 106-89 road loss to the Heat. With the loss, the Sixers dropped to 2-11, tied with the Wizards for the most losses in the NBA.

'MNF' takeaways: Cowboys are officially broken after blowout loss to Texans

The Cowboys' misery extended on Monday night with a 34-10 home loss to the Texans. Here are five takeaways from the Week 11 finale:

Watch: Cowboys show how desperate they are with first-quarter fake punt

The Cowboys are in desperation mode and want the world to know it.

AL's Rookie of the Year race was shockingly close

Every vote mattered in the 2024 American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year race.

Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes adds hardware to historic rookie season

The accolades keep pouring in for Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes. On Monday, MLB announced that Skenes won the voting for 2024 NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year honors.

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola makes bold vow amid team's losing skid

Nebraska freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola is trying to speak a bowl appearance into existence.

Five numbers that show how bad Jaguars loss to Lions was

The Jaguars (2-9) hit rock bottom in Week 11's 52-6 loss to the Lions. Let's dig into five numbers that illustrate how bad the defeat was, which might have significant repercussions in Jacksonville.

Week 11 worst QB performances: Former MVPs struggle in losses

Even good quarterbacks can have bad games. Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, quarterbacks who've combined to win the past six MVP awards, were among those to have poor outings in Week 11.

Watch: Taysom Hill's TD run, INT highlight eventful first quarter for versatile playmaker

The Saints' Swiss Army knife showcased his vast arsenal of talents on New Orleans' opening drive Sunday against the Browns.