Yardbarker

Jeff Mezydlo

A Chicago native, Jeff Mezydlo has professionally written about sports, entertainment and pop culture for parts of four decades. He was an integral member of award-winning sports sections at The Times of Northwest Indiana (Munster, Ind.) and Champaign (Ill.) News-Gazette, where he covered the NFL, PGA, LPGA, NCAA basketball, football and golf, Olympics and high school athletics. Jeff most recently spent 12 years in the editorial department at STATSPerform, where he also oversaw coverage of the English Premier League. A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Jeff's work has also appeared on such sites at Yahoo!, ESPN, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated and NBA.com. However, if Jeff could do it again, he'd attend Degrassi Junior High, Ampipe High School and Grand Lakes University

EXPERTISE:

NCAA football, NCAA basketball, PGA/LPGA, international soccer, sports history, rock music, film history

College football Week 12 preview

Intriguing matchups in the American Athletic Conference and Big 12 highlight this weekend's slate of games.

The best one-and-done college basketball players of all time

The age of the one-and-done in college basketball is still going strong — and probably won't end any time soon regardless of what continues to be reported.

The 25 best coaches in college basketball

There might not be a better overall collection of coaches in college basketball at the moment. There are Hall of Famers, up-and-coming stars and a few still not getting the credit they deserve.

Mid-majors to watch in 2018-19

Every college basketball season there is a team — or two or three — that flies under the radar and ends up making a splash come March. Or there are some non-power conference programs that enjoy breakout seasons and manage to pull off upsets at the Big Dance.

Sports & Politics Intersect: USA Gymnastics fall from USOC grace

On Monday, the United States Olympic Committee said the process to decertify, or revoke, USA Gymnastics as the sport’s national governing body was underway.

Way-too-early bowl projections

The first matchup of the college bowl season is still more than a month away. So that means it's the perfect time to look into that crystal ball and see who might play who and where.

College football Week 11 preview

As the regular season winds down, conference races continue to heat up and more teams across the nation move closer to bowl eligibility. The second College Football Playoff rankings  are out, with Michigan replacing LSU in the top four.

Must-watch games of the 2018-19 college hoops season

The college basketball season begins this week, and right out of the gate, four of the best teams in the nation are in action against each other.

Sports & Politics Intersect: Maryland fails to balance athletics and morality

“I feel relief and justice for Jordan. You keep saying his name until somebody listened.” 

College basketball conference favorites for 2018-19

As another college basketball season approaches, it's time to dive into what each of the 32 Division 1 conferences looks like — the front-runners, the

College football Week 10 preview

The College Football Playoff rankings are out , and to no surprise, Alabama, Clemson, LSU and Notre Dame make up the top four. All four teams will be in action this weekend, with two of them going head-to-head in the game of the week.

10 college basketball programs on the rise, 10 on the decline

Not every college basketball program can have the perennial success of Duke or Kansas. Recruiting certainly has a lot to do with it, while good coaching also helps.

10 freshmen to watch in college basketball this season

It looks like another season where freshmen just might dominate the landscape of college basketball. We really should not be surprised, as the perhaps unnecessary one-and-done rule gives some of the game's youngest stars a year of seasoning — whether they feel it's needed or not — before fulfilling their NBA dreams.

10 men's college basketball Wooden Award candidates

It's the most prestigious individual award in college basketball. Every player strives for it, but only a few are great enough to receive it. The John

College football's most electrifying players

Being an electrifying college football player doesn't necessarily mean someone who can run fast or make a defender miss a tackle in the most creative of ways.

College basketball preseason top 25

Sure, the usual big names — Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina — will be there. So too will be some programs on the rise and others trying build on success earned from a season ago.

Sports & Politics Intersect: Verdict reveals depth of corruption in NCAA hoop schemes

The first convictions have been handed down in the ongoing college basketball corruption case. What does it mean for the NCAA and college athletics?

College football Week 9 preview

Ranked teams should have their work cut out for them this week. A total of 15 teams in the Associated Press Top 25 will play true road games. Three of those squads will match up with fellow ranked opponents in the SEC, Big Ten and Pac-12.

25 of the best music biopics

It's not easy portraying a legend on television or the big screen. It might be even more challenging for an actor or actress tackling the role of a superstar musician.

The biggest flaw of every top 25 college football team

No team in college football this season is perfect. Not even Alabama. Some teams have more glaring shortcomings than others, and that includes the better teams in the country.

Sports & Politics Intersect: USAG officials tumble as Nassar victims fight to hold those in power accountable

USA Gymnastics has long been in need of an administrative housecleaning. As of this week, it appears one is about to be forced on it.

The 'First defensive player selected in every NFL Draft' quiz

How many of the first defensive players selected in every NFL Draft since 1989 can you name in five minutes?