Hawai’i wasn’t a good team last year, but the Rainbow Warriors showed signs of turning things around near the end of the year. This isn’t necessarily your older brother’s Hawai’i, as coach Timmy Chang now appears to understand that running the ball sometimes makes sense.
The Seminoles are simultaneously a team on a mission and a team with a lot of questions. They open with an opponent that’s on the rise in Georgia Tech. Is the Jackets’ defense ready to handle the Seminoles?
These aren’t sunny times at the King Power Stadium, and Leicester hasn’t spent much to improve its team. That’s left them woefully unprepared for Tottenham.
Chelsea are trying to learn a new system and figure out which pieces go where, and they’re doing it on the fly. Manchester City are four-time defending champs, making this a tough ask for the Blues.
Aston Villa have been one of the worst in the Premier League at starting the season. The Lions have avoided defeat just once in their past five season openers, and they got run over last season by Newcastle United. With Villa now in the role of the hunted, another similar performance would mean disaster.
The U.S. will host the World Cup in two years. The U.S. soccer federation will not have a better chance to make soccer explode here for at least another three decades. After crashing out of Copa America, the Americans can’t go into the World Cup with the same coach.
Neither team is totally secure in first place, as the Orioles still have the Yankees hot on their heels and the Guardians have to contend with the Twins and Royals. Put simply, the pressure is on in Cleveland.
The FCS is often overlooked, but it shouldn’t be. It’s one of the best ways to make money if you know these teams well, because Vegas just doesn’t care about these games.
The Sun Belt is the most balanced G5 conference, as there’s no truly dominant teams and only one doormat. That makes this a wide-open race with plenty of value.