1+ week, 20+ hour ago (242+ words) Two teams on different paths meet up to see who takes home the title, as the Washington Spirit face Gotham FC in the 2025 NWSL Championship match. Gotham's run to the final has been stunning. Despite narrowly squeaking into the postseason, they managed to eliminate the record-breaking Kansas City Current in the quarterfinals before outlasting the Orlando Pride in the semifinals. The Spirit did not have the cleanest path to the final, needing penalties to get through Racing Louisville in the opening round, but picked things up with a 2-0 victory over the Portland Thorns in the semis. Gotham was part of the wild chase for the final few playoff spots in the league. Yet, the team from the Tri-State Area managed to show that seeds can just be a number. Now, the club will look to advance to the championship match…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (212+ words) Michigan State will close the season the way it began, with a night game. The Spartans (3-7, 0-7 Big Ten) face Maryland (4-6, 1-6) on Nov. 29 at Ford Field in Detroit in a game that will kick off at 7 p.m. and be broadcast on FS1, the conference announced on Monday. Michigan State has lost seven straight games and plays at Iowa on Saturday as questions about second-year coach Jonathan Smith's job security linger. Maryland has lost six in a row and hosts Michigan on Saturday but athletic director Jim Smith on Sunday announced coach Mike Locksley will return for a ninth season leading the Terrapins. Michigan State owns an 11-4 advantage in the all-time series against Maryland. The Spartans won the last meeting 27-24 on the road last season. The season-ending matchup will be the second time in the last three years Michigan State moved its home finale…...

11+ hour, 9+ min ago (209+ words) The No. 6 Oregon Ducks will head to Seattle this afternoon for a rivalry clash with the Washington Huskies. Fans can catch the Big Ten action on CBS at 3:30 p.m., with streaming options available through Fubo, DirecTV Stream and Paramount+. All three streaming services offer free trials and both Fubo and DirecTV Stream offer first-month discounts for new customers. The Ducks would all but secure a spot in the College Football Playoff with a victory over their rivals today. They could also earn a spot in the Big Ten championship game, depending on the results of the Ohio State vs. Michigan game. If Michigan wins and the Ducks come away with the victory, they'll head to Indianapolis to play the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers in the conference championship. The 8-3 Huskies are looking to spoil the Ducks' season with a win today. They've won…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (215+ words) Since losing to USC on Oct. 11, Michigan's coaches and players have said repeatedly that all their goals are still in front of them. That may not be true. The Wolverines aren't guaranteed a spot in the Big Ten championship or College Football Playoff even with wins in their next two games. The topic was broached on the latest episode of the Wolverine Confidential podcast. Even with wins at Maryland on Saturday and against No. 1 Ohio State the following week, "I don't think they are (a shoe-in)," co-host Ryan Zuke said about No. 18 Michigan's playoff chances. "If you look at the teams in front of them, I would say there's at least 10 teams right now with better r'sum's." The Big Ten championship would play a factor, if Michigan qualifies. That would require a pair of on-field wins to close the regular…...

7+ hour, 24+ min ago (118+ words) DETROIT " Michigan State will be shorthanded again while closing a forgettable season. The Spartans (3-8, 0-8 Big Ten) face Maryland (4-7, 1-7) on Saturday (7 p.m., FS1) at Ford Field in Detroit and will be without a slew of key players on both sides of the ball. Starting guard Caleb Carter is the lone Spartan listed as questionable. Michigan State has lost eight straight games amid ongoing speculation about second-year coach Jonathan Smith's future leading the program. Maryland carries a seven-game losing streak to Detroit. Matt Wenzel has been the Michigan State football beat writer for MLive since 2017 and also covers men's and women's basketball, hockey and other sports....

1+ week, 4+ hour ago (255+ words) Michigan's football team extended its win streak to five games on Saturday, thrashing Maryland 45-20 in College Park. " The 18th-ranked Wolverines didn't punt and finished with 443 yards of offense without committing a turnover. They improve to 9-2 and 7-1 in the Big Ten ahead of next week's showdown against No. 1 Ohio State. Here are some observations and takeaways from Michigan's victory: -- What a balanced performance from Michigan, despite missing its top two running backs in Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall. It totaled 215 yards through the air and 215 on the ground while averaging 6.1 yards per play. -- Bryce Underwood made some elite-level throws, with his best coming on a fade to Andrew Marsh in the end zone for a first-quarter touchdown. He finished 16 of 23 passing for 215 yards and two scores " one of his tidiest performances of the year. -- It wasn't a flawless defensive performance from…...

1+ day, 18+ hour ago (779+ words) For a pair of teams not going anywhere after this week, the someone's got to win bowl is the last shot to walk away with pride. Michigan State (3-8, 0-8 Big Ten) has lost eight straight games and faces Maryland (4-7, 1-7), which is riding a seven-game skid, on Saturday (7 p.m., FS1) at Ford Field in Detroit. Here are five things to watch in the game and a final score prediction: Is this it for Smith? Week after week, loss after loss, speculation about Michigan State second-year coach Jonathan Smith's job security continues amid ongoing silence from athletic director J Batt. The school would be on the hook for more than $30 million to buy out the deal before season three and this looks like a tough cycle to be in the market for a new coach. Some big-name coaches " Penn State's James Franklin and LSU's Brian…...

3+ day, 6+ hour ago (546+ words) The battle to make the Big Ten championship is coming down to the final weekend of the regular season and so is MLive's competition. It's rivalry week in the conference, headlined by Michigan-Ohio State. Both teams are among the four still in the hunt for the title game in Indianapolis. MLive's college football writers have picked the league's games against the spread all season. Here are the standings through 13 weeks: This week's games, all of which are on Saturday unless otherwise noted, are below. Kickoff times are Eastern and odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Iowa has won the last two in the series and nine of the last 10, but it's been incredibly competitive recently. The past seven games have been decided by a touchdown or less, with Iowa winning each of the last two years 13-10. The Old Oaken Bucket…...

5+ day, 8+ hour ago (384+ words) After scraping by Purdue and Northwestern, Michigan's football team went to Maryland on Saturday and left with an emphatic 45-20 victory. The 18th-ranked Wolverines' well-rounded performance comes just before their biggest game of the year. They enter this week's showdown against No. 1 Ohio State riding a five-game win streak and must make it six for any chance at a College Football Playoff berth. "It was a complete game," MLive's Aaron McMann said on the latest "Wolverine Confidential" podcast. "I think we've been talking about this for a few weeks now, whether Michigan could put it together for four quarters. And by and large, they did, really, on both sides of the ball. It was the type of performance you wanted to see going into Ohio State." Michigan's offense totaled 443 yards and didn't turn the ball over. It also didn't punt the…...