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Syracuse heads into Year Six of the Dino Babers era in a precarious position. The 10–3 campaign that Babers and the administration hoped would spark a jump from the Orange's status in the cellar of the ACC is more than two years old.

  SU followed a 5–7 campaign in 2019 by posting its second one-win season since 1948. The pandemic cut into a pivotal offseason of installation after Babers hired two new coordinators last winter. Then a string of preseason offensive line injuries forced Syracuse to start its fullback at left guard.

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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A fast start is likely in order for new Marshall coach Charles Huff. The Thundering Herd return one of Conference USA’s top quarterbacks in Grant Wells and a solid group of receivers on the outside to anchor an offense that averaged 28.5 points a game last year. Marshall’s defense lost a couple of key cogs, but eight starters are back off a unit that limited teams to 13 points a contest in 2020. The Thundering Herd hosts UAB and WKU and catches FAU on the road in early November. Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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Five years ago, new Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman took a shot on longtime NFL coach Lovie Smith, turning over the program to him.

  It didn't work. Away from the college game for more than two decades, Smith never found his footing and went 17–39 with no winning seasons. He was fired after the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign.

  Illinois didn't wait long to name Smith's replacement, hiring Bret Bielema off the staff of the NFL's New York Giants.

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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With the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo set to begin on July 23 following last year's postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic, sports fans across the world will be happy to see the return of this global event. This also means that we will soon be overwhelmed with facts, figures and features of every kind imaginable. But we found a few things you probably won't learn. Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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The Rocket Mortgage Classic is set for July 1-4 at Detroit Golf Club. That means it's time to pick your optimal DraftKings fantasy golf lineup as the PGA Tour celebrates 4th of July weekend in the Motor City.

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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Ball State was the surprise champion of the MAC last season and a repeat title is within reach for coach Mike Neu’s squad. The Cardinals return nearly every major contributor from last year’s group, including quarterback Drew Plitt and receiver Justin Hall. Senior linebacker Brandon Martin anchors a unit that limited teams to 25.8 points a game last season and should be even better in 2021. The September schedule – at Penn State, at Wyoming and Toledo – should be a good barometer for where Neu’s team stacks up next fall.

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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Wyoming coach Craig Bohl has a familiar formula to lean on in the program’s quest to win the Mountain West in 2021. The Cowboys boast one of the top backfields in the conference with Xazavian Valladay and Trey Smith returning, while new play-caller Tim Polasek hopes to spark some improvement out of a sluggish passing attack. With nine returning starters, Wyoming’s defense should be strong once again after limiting teams to 21 points a game in 2020.

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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Led by 21 returning starters, Toledo will be among the favorites to win the MAC for the 2021 college football season. An improving defense should continue to progress under coach Jason Candle. Also, the Rockets aren’t lacking for firepower on an offense that averaged 35 points a game last season. The Sept. 25 road trip to Ball State looms large in the MAC West title race.

  Related: Athlon Sports' College Football Top 25 for 2021

Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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Mel Tucker was not the first choice of Michigan State athletic director Bill Beekman to take over the Spartans football program after Mark Dantonio left. But Tucker is intent on proving that he was the right choice.

  Tucker inherited a depleted Spartan program that had suffered under Dantonio's last several years of poor recruiting. To his credit, the Spartans' new man hit the ground running and went to work.

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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The NASCAR Cup series is America's premier racing circuit, with a rich history of larger-than-life champions and a tall-tale origin story rooted in Prohibition-era bootlegging and rum-running. But the real fuel to the sport's popularity is the need for speed and the thrill of the all-out competition — which often runs as close to the edge as possible.

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series heads north to Pocono Raceway for a doubleheader, which means twice as many chances to win money in fantasy. Let Joy Tomlinson of Frontstretch.com get your daily fantasy NASCAR DraftKings rosters set for Saturday's and Sunday's races (June 26-27)!

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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Pocono Raceway will host its 2021 doubleheader this weekend, beginning with the 2021 Pocono Organics CBD 325 on Saturday, June 26. The triangular-shaped track debuted in 1974, a rain-shortened race won by Richard Petty and has remained a regular stop on the circuit ever since.

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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The NASCAR Cup Series holds its lone doubleheader of the season this weekend at Pocono Raceway. The 2021 Pocono Organics CBD 325 is scheduled for Saturday, June 26, with the Pocono Mountains 350 to be held the following day.

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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After inheriting a Rutgers program that was riding a 21-game losing streak in Big Ten play, Greg Schiano knew there would be low expectations in his return as the Scarlet Knights head coach.

  Rutgers was universally picked to finish last in the Big Ten in his first season but instead defied expectations with a road upset of Michigan State in its opener and wins at Purdue and at Maryland late in the year.

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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For Geoff Collins, overhauling Georgia Tech's program has taken a two-pronged track. The first was upgrading the overall talent level and stocking the roster with more players who fit a modern system of offensive football after so many years running the triple option. The second has been about setting a standard of energy, effort and pace that most of the players he inherited simply didn't understand.

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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With a new coach comes renewed hope, and South Carolina certainly needed it. The arrival of young, energetic and passionate Shane Beamer did more for the fan base in three months than the stodgy, businesslike Will Muschamp did in five years.

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports

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To call 2021 a make-or-break season for head coach Jonathan Smith heading into his fourth year at Oregon State is a bit premature. But it's fair to say that it's time to show fans something.

  Oregon State hasn't been to a bowl game since 2013. The fan base has endured several terrible seasons along the way, although the Beavers were competitive in every game during last year's pandemic-shortened season.

  Read the full story on Athlon Sports