ESPN College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon Schedule, Preview, and Predictions

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While the college basketball season began in earnest over the weekend, there weren’t too many marquee games on the schedule, and the sport was forced to compete with college and pro football.  That won’t be the case when ESPN’s fourth tip-off marathon begins.  The event features 19 men’s games spanning roughly 25 hours, starting at 12:00 Tuesday morning.

I’m too old to stay up for the whole thing, but for those of you wishing to check it out, I can offer you two things: 1) a link to the complete schedule of the games and commentators and 2) my thoughts and predictions for each contest.

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Fantasy Football Week 11 Waiver Wire Advice and Pickups

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There are many reasons I enjoy fantasy football, but I was reminded of an important one yesterday.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock in Philly, I stuck a fork in the season of my beloved Eagles; but at least I still have hope for the remainder of the season from a fantasy perspective. So no matter where your favorite team rates on the bed-crapping spectrum, the remaining seven weeks of the season still have a chance to bring you some joy.

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10 Things We Learned This Weekend

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My view from the very top row of Evansville's new Ford Center during Saturday's Evansville-Butler game.

After 5 days of serious discussions about what has happened off the field in State College, Pennsylvania, it was nice to have two full days of actual games to take our minds off of more serious matters.

This week, I explain how a 1- or 2-loss team from a non-AQ league could realistically clinch a BCS bowl bid, why Oregon is more deserving than Alabama of a rematch with LSU, and why Major League Soccer needs to shift its schedule or risk losing casual fans.

But first things first.

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NFL “Suck For Luck” Power Rankings: Week 11

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In the aftermath of Stanford’s disappointing loss to Oregon on Saturday night, you are likely to hear little birdies chirping that Andrew Luck isn’t all he’s cracked up to be.

Don’t buy it.

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GIF: Watch Marshawn Lynch break Ray Lewis’ ankles

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I’ve decided to make it my new Sunday night mission to find the best of the best animated GIFs to share with you here at MSF.

Last week it was pointing and laughing at Mark Sanchez’s now-infamous flinch. This week, we head to Seattle where Marshawn Lynch stabbed Ray Lewis’ ankles and then obstructed justice on Jarret Johnson afterwards.

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Fantasy Football Start em, Sit em Live Chat for Week 10

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Every Sunday morning starting at 10:00 CT (11:00 ET) we are here to answer your last minute start/sit questions.

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Should MLS Have Played Cup Final on Veteran’s Day?

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Veteran’s Day should not be looked at as a day for marketing sports, because it is so much more important than that; but it became that yesterday for college basketball, and perhaps it should in the future for the MLS as well.

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Fantasy Football Week 10 Advice: Last Minute Tips

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Some fantasy owners might already be trying to “Suck For Luck”, but for those of you still in the race here are some last minute tips on some players who may surprise or disappoint.

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The 12 Best Conor Oberst Songs…So Far

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One of the things I love more than watching, reading, and writing about sports is listening to music. Music is great on so many levels, and like everyone else, I have my favorite artists. Conor Oberst falls into that category for many reasons.

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New England Patriots v New York Jets Preview and Prediction

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Rex Ryan has come out and said how his team needs a win in this AFC East battle between the Jets and Patriots Sunday night, and he is absolutely right.

Both teams currently have a 5-3 record, but a loss would give the Patriots both head-to-head wins, which gives them the tiebreaker if the teams ended the year with the same record. Both teams must also keep pace with the 5-3 Bills, who may or may not be for real this season.

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Fantasy Football Week 10 Stock Report

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I absolutely love the fact that there are no byes this week even though it makes things harder on my own team. How’s that for a contradiction?

As I stop with the filibuster lines, let’s discuss the injuries that have begun to rear their many ugly heads.  And I’m not just talking about injuries to players on your roster. Something else to pay attention to is injuries to your players’ opponents. These can sometimes affect your guys greatly. For example, Johnathan Joseph will play this week against Tampa Bay, but his hamstring isn’t 100%.

As a matter of fact, in the NFL, after week 1 nobody is 100% anymore. This is a tough game we play we with tough decisions, and we highlight who is healthy enough and good enough to play in this week’s stock report.

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Season of Expectations Begins Tonight for Tom Crean, Indiana

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There are few days on the sports calendar I look forward to more than the first IU basketball game. And there are few first IU basketball games I have ever looked forward to more than tonight’s home tilt against Stony Brook.

The reason is easy: the Season of Expectations is finally here for the Hoosiers. (As is the first episode of The Assembly Call.)

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A Look at Muggle Quidditch on the Eve of the 5th World Cup

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The official logo of the IQA's fifth annual World Cup

This weekend hundreds of athletes without an ounce of magical blood in their bodies will descend on New York for the fifth annual Muggle Quidditch World Cup.

This year top-ranked Middlebury College, winners of the first four world cups, will try to stave off #2 Kansas and contenders such as LSU, Texas A&M, and McGill University in Montreal to win its fifth consecutive title.

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Required Listening: Heath Evans on Child Sexual Abuse

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If you can stomach it, you need to listen to this episode of the Michelle Beadle podcast with former Seahawk and Patriot Heath Evans, now with the NFL Network and the Heath Evans Foundation for abused children.

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Stanford-Oregon Preview: Point Spread, Prediction, Poll, and Keys to Victory

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The college football game that will get the most attention this week goes without saying, but the college football game of the week based on national title impact is out on the west coast as the two best teams in the Pac-12 square off with a likely birth in the conference championship game on the line.

#7 Oregon heads to Palo Alto, California to take on #4 Stanford in a game that will spotlight two of the best offenses in college football.  Unlike last week’s 9-6 game between LSU and Alabama, this game should see both teams break the plane of the end zone many times.  These offenses are very explosive but are completely different from one another and should make for a very entertaining game.

Here is what you can expect from these two elite teams in the Pac-12.

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