Author: Trevor Land

Today in sports history (1945), Paul Brown agreed to coach Cleveland’s American football expansion team. The team would later be named the Cleveland Browns after him. They would achieve success the Browns have been chasing ever since. Cleveland Browns: AAFC Powerhouse When Paul Brown first accepted the position, the team was a part of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Without a name, the honor was given to Brown to name the team. Amid calls to name it after him, he declined and put it up to a fan vote. After the “Panthers” won, Brown rejected the name after hearing it was the…

In a week where the conference was supposed to beat itself up, somehow the AAC became even tighter than it was before. With just a few weeks to go in the season, the AAC sees itself split into three different races. While Houston and SMU are fighting for the regular season title, there are plenty of other key storylines going on in the conference as well. Wichita State got their first AAC win of the season just over a week ago. Temple is 6-3 in conference play and is currently third in the AAC. The two teams are separated by…

Today in sports history (2010), the New Orleans Saints capped off a storybook season by defeating the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17, in Super Bowl XLIV. The win gave the Saints their first Super Bowl victory and helped lift a city that was still struggling with the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Road to Super Bowl XLIV The New Orleans Saints posted a 13-3 record during the 2009-10 NFL season, which secured them the top seed in the NFC. The Saints offense was the focal point of the team, as they were first in the NFL, averaging just under 32 points per game. New Orleans…

Thanks to Wichita State, the AAC is open for the taking for the Houston Cougars. Coming into Saturday’s contest, SMU sat just a game out of first, at 7-1. The reigning regular season champion Wichita State Shockers were looking to make a statement that they still hold staying power. The Shockers seem to have got their signature win this season by dismantling the Mustangs at home. Now with a two-game lead in the AAC standings, Wichita State’s victory all but seals Houston’s claim to the throne of the AAC in the regular season. Although there are still eight games left,…

Today in sports history (1969), the Oakland Raiders promoted linebackers coach John Madden to head coach. Madden would coach the Oakland Raiders for 10 seasons and go on to be arguably the biggest icon in NFL history. John Madden Head Coach of Oakland Raiders Madden was hired by Al Davis to be the linebackers coach for the Oakland Raiders in 1967. He helped the Raiders advance to Super Bowl II that season. When Raiders head coach John Rauch resigned to accept the head coaching position for the Buffalo Bills, Madden took his place. John Madden was named head coach of the Raiders…

In today’s WCC college basketball matchup, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are taking on the San Diego Toreros at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. Let’s take a look at the top college basketball betting picks and betting trends, then give our Gonzaga vs San Diego prediction for the game today.  Gonzaga vs San Diego Game Info No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs (17-2, 6-0 WCC) vs. San Diego Toreros (13-9, 6-3 WCC)Date: Thursday, February 3, 2022Time: 9 PM ETVenue: Jenny Craig Pavilion — San Diego, CACoverage: ESPN2 Gonzaga vs San Diego College Basketball Betting Picks and Odds All college basketball betting odds for Gonzaga vs…

Although Temple and East Carolina are on the outside looking in on the AAC regular season title race, their college basketball matchup did help separate some teams out in the AAC standings. As always, the matchup told us a lot about both teams. While neither is very likely to get an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament, every win goes a long way. Anything can happen in conference tournaments which makes seeding that much more important. With a 71-63 win, Temple basketball showed that they are well deserving of being in the top half of the AAC. Although the Owls…

With another week in the books for AAC basketball, the race is slowly slimming down. While plenty of teams still have a chance this early in the conference schedule, it’s clear that Houston and SMU are starting to pull away. Outside of those two teams who have a combined 14-1 conference record, every other team in the conference has at least three losses. While neither top team will likely be tested much this week, the rest of the conference will likely beat itself up. This week should see more separation amongst the teams in the middle of the table. It…

Tulsa and South Florida have been the “cellar dwellers” in the AAC this season. While Tulsa was 0-7 coming into Saturday night’s game, their record was far worse than they have played. Five of Tulsa’s seven conference losses were by five or less points. For South Florida, they were above Tulsa in the standings, but have been virtually uncompetitive throughout conference play. All of their losses were by 12 points or more. Tulsa basketball saw a chance to finally break into the win column in conference play and took full advantage. With a 76-45 victory over South Florida, Tulsa made…

Coming into the 2021-22 season, many expected either Memphis or Houston to win the AAC. Wichita State wasn’t picked to finish first or second by most people, but they were looked at as a sneaky good team that would finish near the top in the conference. After their first four conference games this year, however, the reigning AAC regular season champions were still looking for their first win. Coming off of two tough losses by a combined five points, it was do-or-die time for the Shockers. It would appear that the third time was the charm at home as they…