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While ESPN’s higher-ups have been doing anything and everything to bolster the SEC’s status and supposed dominance this season, the reality of the situation unfolded in the First Round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
14 SEC teams were placed in the NCAA Tournament by the selection committee, and after the opening round, the league has one of the worst records of any eligible conference.
Through the opening round, the SEC’s 14 teams hold an overall record of 8-6, while the Big Ten is undefeated at 8-0, followed closely behind by the Big 12, which sports a 6-1 record. Elsewhere, the WCC is 2-0, the Big East is 4-2, the Mountain West is 2-2, and the ACC is 2-3.
First Round 2025 NCAA Tournament Record By Conference
Big Ten: 8-0
Big 12: 6-1
Big East: 4-2
SEC: 8-6
ACC: 2-3
WCC: 2-0
Mountain West: 2-2
The Big 12’s lone loss, Kansas, came against John Calipari and Arkansas, a game that cemented the Jayhawks’ struggles to adapt to the new era of collegiate basketball. The Big 12 did receive a win over the SEC thanks to Baylor, who clashed with Mississippi State in an exciting game.
The SEC will have a chance to improve its stock in the Round of 32, while the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East have a chance to stick the final nail in the coffin of their rival’s overblown hype.
Of the SEC’s three games on Saturday, two are against Big East teams, with two against the Big Ten. Arkansas plays St. John’s and Auburn takes on Creighton, while Tennessee faces UCLA and Texas A&M tips off vs. Michigan.
On Sunday, it will be the Big East, Big Ten, Big 12 and WCC each with their own opportunities to spoil the SEC’s season. Florida plays UConn, Kentucky faces Illinois, Ole Miss tips off vs. Iowa State and Alabama takes on Saint Mary’s.
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Bengals QB Joe Burrow has a worrying complication for surgery
The timeline for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's return from a toe injury is murky, and the star has a complication that could delay his surgery, pushing back the time he can play again this season. Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Burrow is set to have surgery on his toe on Friday, but that could be pushed back based on how much swelling the quarterback is experiencing. Joe Burrow's swelling is another complication for the Cincinnati Bengals A three-month recovery would put Burrow's return date around Week 16, when the Bengals are set to play the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 21. If the swelling doesn't go away soon, he could miss more time this season. Every game is precious for a Cincinnati team that entered the season believing it could contend for the playoffs. However, the Bengals will be fortunate to be in the chase for a wild-card spot without Burrow for the majority of the season. The Bengals started the season 2-0 with wins over the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars, but backup quarterback Jake Browning will have his hands full in the coming weeks, starting with the Minnesota Vikings and elite defensive coordinator Brian Flores on Sunday. Browning went 21-of-32 for 241 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in the Bengals' 31-27 win over the Jaguars. The turnovers are an issue, and Cincinnati needs to consider pulling off a trade for a quarterback like Jameis Winston of the New York Giants or Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons if it hopes to make the postseason.
Bombshell report expands on culture issues within 0-2 Dolphins
A Wednesday report shared that the Miami Dolphins "did a lot of work in the offseason to try to transform their team culture" before they opened the ongoing campaign with back-to-back losses. For a lengthy piece published on Thursday, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN expanded on alleged culture issues that have impacted the Dolphins under head coach Mike McDaniel, who has been in his role since 2022. Mike McDaniel hasn't run a tight ship with Dolphins "Multiple sources in and around the team said tardiness was an issue throughout this past season," Louis-Jacques revealed. "...One current Dolphins player said he believed some captains this past season took advantage of the role. [Cornerback Jalen Ramsey] and wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who were two of the eight players voted captains in 2024, were among repeat offenders who received numerous fines throughout the season. Players were often late to practice and meetings, with multiple team sources suggesting it reflected a lack of respect for the first-time coach McDaniel -- who was hesitant to publicly admonish players outside of posting fines." On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted that Dolphins players "believe the culture is better after the franchise moved on from several key players, many of whom did not appear happy there." Specifically, Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith were traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a pick swap in June. Safety Jevon Holland left the Dolphins and signed with the New York Giants in free agency. As for Hill, questions about his dedication to the cause arose when he subbed himself out of Miami's regular-season finale and then told reporters that he was "out" this past January. He later publicly apologized for his actions but has remained the subject of trade rumors through September. Are McDaniel and Dolphins general manager Chris Grier on the hot seat? Whispers throughout the offseason suggested Dolphins owner Stephen Ross could part ways with McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier if the club finished this season without at least a playoff appearance. McDaniel has yet to guide the Dolphins to a single postseason win, and his team was coming off an 8-9 campaign before it dropped two straight games this month. "A source familiar with Ross' thinking told ESPN this offseason they don't believe McDaniel's and Grier's job security is as simple as 'playoffs or bust,' and reiterated that sentiment after Week 1," Louis-Jacques wrote. "...Although there is a limit to [Ross'] patience with the team's results. After a winless start to the 2025 season, and prime-time games against division opponents coming, there will be increased outside attention on how far Ross' patience will stretch." As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had the winless Dolphins as massive 11.5-point road underdogs for Thursday night's game at the 2-0 Buffalo Bills. One can't help but wonder how Ross may react if Miami gets blown out at Buffalo's Highmark Stadium.
Brian Schottenheimer deserves credit for Cowboys’ strength that will win Dallas many team games
So far, so good for Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer. He seems be in control of the locker room. The offense is innovative. But he’s also thriving in important areas of the game. The Cowboys rank first in the NFL in third down conversion percentage, for example. Game management has mostly been good for a first-year head coach. But one area that’s really stood out as a strength is the team’s red zone efficiency. There are a couple of keys to that. Let’s break it down. Cowboys’ run game has been productive inside the 20 Disclaimer: This is a limited data point since we’re only two weeks into the regular season and the sample size is small. But Cowboys RB Javonte Williams ranks first in the NFL in EPA/attempt in red zone carries. The film backs up the data. The Cowboys’ new RB1 has shown a little bit of everything: Physicality, acceleration, and vision. But mostly, it’s been Williams’ patience to allow blocks to develop that’s paid off. In goal-line situations, the Cowboys have run power runs and other concepts using pulling linemen along with pre-snap motion. If Schottenheimer keeps finding ways to run the ball efficiently in the end zone, Dak Prescott’s job will become much easier as defenses worry about fitting the run. Red zone passing has also been on point On Sunday’s win over the New York Giants, Prescott has two touchdowns, both of which came inside the 20. One was to KaVontae Turpin over the middle of the field while the other one was a one-on-one shot to George Pickens from the six-yard line. The latter could be a key to continues success in the red zone. With the threat of a good run game and an elite WR like CeeDee Lamb, Pickens is likely to get a lot of favorable matchups. As long as he keeps winning those one-on-ones, Prescott will have a go-to target in scoring situations. Defenses could double Pickens and leave Lamb alone but that’s not a winning bet either. And if defenses double him and Lamb, good luck stopping the run. Red zone success is crucial The Cowboys are a flawed roster. The defense is missing a premium pass rusher since the Micah Parsons trade, cornerback is a a banged-up position, and Matt Eberflus has yet to adjust. Meanwhile, the pass protection on offense is troublesome. This is to say, winning on the margins will be huge for this Cowboys team. Red zone success is one of the top ways to win the details. Let’s see if they keep it up. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');
Mike Matheson and David Savard in talks with the Canadiens
Mike Matheson has entered the final year of his contract and, with an annual salary of $4.875 million, will be free as a bird on July 1 if he hasn’t signed a new deal by then. But if we’re to believe David Pagnotta(The Fourth Period), it might not come to that, because according to the informer, discussions are currently underway between the defenseman and the Canadiens to extend his contract. We know that Matheson wants to play here, and we also know that the Canadiens like him a lot. Jeff Gorton praised him this summer, saying he was important to the club at the moment… and even if there are other defensemen growing within the organization, making room for a veteran like him isn’t a crazy idea. Especially when you recognize the fact that the Canadiens’ defense is very young. Matheson is valuable to the Canadiens. His role will diminish (possibly even more so after the arrival of Noah Dobson), but we’re still talking about a player who helps the team in his own way. Last season, he was particularly useful on the power play, and he’s likely to have a similar role this year too. If he can produce offensively, on top of all that… [content-ads] Matheson is said to be in talks with the Habs… but the same can be said of David Savard. No, it wouldn’t be in the context of a return to the ice. But the former Canadiens defenseman, who retired at the end of last season, admitted to Kevin Dubé(Journal de Québec): there may be a position waiting for him with the Canadiens at some point. We’ve had a lot of conversations, and nothing’s closed yet. – David Savard The Journal de Québec article was published on the TVA Sports site (and Habs and NHL also wrote on the subject): It’s not the first time we’ve heard about this, but it’s interesting nonetheless. Because it shows one thing: there really seems to be an interest on the part of the defenseman and the organization to find something for him. Savard was on the ice with the Quebec Remparts on Tuesday, and it’s worth remembering that he’ s associated with 44 seconds, a consulting firm that helps junior and professional defensemen. Clearly, he’s still interested in staying in the hockey world. And so much the better, if the Canadiens are able to find a role for him within the organization [spacer title=’Overtime’] – It’s true that we’re talking about a beautiful amphitheatre. – The – He knows what he has to do. – Happy reading,
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