Big Ten expert picks; NFL predictions; Another iconic sports video game making a comeback

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⚾ Good morning to everyone, but especially to …

“BACKYARD BASEBALL” FANS

What a great year to be a sports video game fan. One month after EA Sports College Football returned after an 11-year absence, “Backyard Sports” is making a comeback, too. Playground Productions announced that the video game series will be relaunching and will be featured in film and television mediums, too.

“Backyard Sports” debuted in 1997 with “Backyard Baseball” but grew to include “Backyard Basketball,” “Backyard Football,” “Backyard Hockey,” “Backyard Soccer” and “Backyard Skateboarding.” The games were last made in 2005.

“Backyard Baseball” is the one that stands out, the one that remains a cherished memory (or a beloved tradition) for so many. Pablo Sanchez, you’re up to bat, and a new generation of gamers is about to find out how awesome you are.

😁 Honorable mentions

• Tom Brady ranked his top five active quarterbacks.
• Kyler Murray is impressing.
• Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring) is on track to return for Week 1.
• Alabama landed Akylin Dear, the top running back in the 2025 class.
• The Braves signed Gio Urshela.
• Jalon Daniels is healthy and will be Kansas‘ starting quarterback. Here are other  quarterback battle winners .
• Oklahoma State players will have QR codes on their helmets for fans to donate to the team’s NIL fund.
• The general manager arms race is on … in college football.
• The loaded 2024 Maui Invitational bracket is here.
• Isabel Gonzalez’s latest WNBA Rookie Rankings are in.

😔 Not so honorable mentions

• Tyreek Hill (hand) is the latest in a long list of notable NFL players dealing with an injury.
• Brian Flores addressed Tua Tagovailoa‘s comments regarding their fractured relationship.
• Anthony Edwards threw shade at past NBA players.
• The Cardinals demoted Jordan Walker … again.
• Zach Eflin (right shoulder inflammation) is the latest Orioles pitcher hitting the IL.
• Novak Djokovic wants a review system in tennis after witnessing an “embarrassing” call.
• Rutgers star Mohamed Toure (torn ACL) is out for the season.

🏈 Big Ten expert picks: blue bloods, new bloods set to battle atop 18-team conference

Big Ten country is now … basically the entire country. It spans from New York (errrrrr … Piscataway, New Jersey) to Los Angeles, goes up to Washington state and down to just outside Washington, D.C. The 18 teams cover 14 states. It is everywhere.

And yet, even with newcomers Washington, Oregon, UCLA and USC, the preseason favorite sits right in the breadbasket: Ohio State. The Buckeyes garnered all but one No. 1 votes in our Big Ten expert picks, and Richard Johnson explained why.

• Johnson: “The most complete roster in college football will obviously win the Big Ten en route to a national championship. The Chip Kelly effect will give the Buckeyes offense an added dimension in the run game combined with the bones of Ryan Day‘s always great passing attack led by Will Howard. The defense won’t drop off much from last year’s standout unit, and O-H-I-O will R-O-L-L all the way to Indy.”

Also helping? The presence of freshman star Jeremiah Smith, who will be among Howard’s favorite targets. Will Backus placed Smith among the first-year players facing the most pressure in 2024.

• Backus: “It’s been a while since a freshman has generated this much buzz. Smith has already drawn comparisons to former Alabama great Julio Jones, who finished just below the 1,000-yard receiving line in his first year with the Crimson Tide. Some think Smith, who was the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2024, could be the greatest Buckeyes freshman receiver of all time. This is before he’s even taken a snap.”

Also making that list is Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola, and both made 247Sports’ Preseason True Freshman All-American Team. Shehan Jeyarajah has the Cornhuskers as the conference’s most underrated bunch. As for most overrated teams, the reigning champs could be in trouble.

• Jeyarajah: “Michigan — The Wolverines should still have one of the best defenses in college football, but how far can the offense fall for this team to stay in the Big Ten race? There’s a giant question mark at quarterback and the wide receivers provide little help. New coach Sherrone Moore cut his teeth along the offensive line, but that entire unit is new. Running back Donovan Edwards and tight end Colston Loveland provide some building blocks, but is that enough?”

Here’s what we know for sure: The Big Ten is loaded with awesome games both in and out of conference, and there will be big tests early. In Week 1, No. 23 USC heads to No. 13 LSU, and in Week 2, No. 9 Michigan hosts No. 4 Texas and No. 3 Oregon hosts Boise State.

🏈 NFL MVP predictions, best bets

With college football getting going this weekend, the NFL isn’t far behind. In fact, we’re just 15 days away from the Chiefs and Ravens opening the season. As such, Will Brinson has his MVP pick and best bets, and for the second straight year, he’s going with …

• Brinson: “Josh Allen (+850) — He finished fifth last year and got the only non Lamar first-place vote. In 2022 he finished third and got one of two non Patrick Mahomes first-place votes. Clearly the MVP voters are willing to reward Allen if he plays at a high level. … And then there’s Narrative Street. The Bills traded Stefon Diggs this offseason, removing Allen’s long-time No. 1 wideout … Allen and the Bills are getting the same treatment as Mahomes and the Chiefs prior to 2022 after they traded Tyreek Hill. … Mahomes … ran away with the MVP award.”

Will also has some long shots and some mid-tier options, but I like the Allen choice most, too. I would have voted him second behind Lamar Jackson for MVP last year, and I think he’s only getting better and better.

I also like another quarterback getting better and better: Jordan Love. Over his last seven games last year, he threw 18 touchdowns against just one interception. I’m high on the Packers this year, and, in turn, high on Love, who’s surrounded by a deep, talented receiving corps.

⚾ Favorites emerge in AL, NL Cy Young races

With less than six weeks left in the regular season some player award races appear they’ll be coming down to the wire, just like some the division and wild card races. When it comes to the Cy Young awards, there’s a favorite in each league, but things could change.

Let’s start in the AL, where Tarik Skubal has emerged from a crowded group. The Tigers ace leads all of MLB with a 2.49 ERA, is tied for the MLB lead with 14 wins and leads the AL with 185 strikeouts. Seems like an open-and-shut case, right?

Not quite. Skubal has hit career highs in innings pitched, and with the Tigers out of playoff contention and him under two years removed from flexor tendon surgery, he’s likely going to start getting extra rest between starts, skipped and pulled earlier than normal. Does that leave the door open? In Matt Snyder’s latest Cy Young Watch, he lists several candidates who can make up ground.

As for the NL Cy Young, Chris Sale is finally due to break through.

• Snyder: “Sale leads the majors in wins, strikeouts, FIP, strikeout rate and FanGraphs’ WAR. He’s the NL leader in ERA. If there’s a bit of a shortfall, it’s in workload, as Sale’s not in the top 10 in innings pitched and trails Logan Webb for the league lead by 24 innings. He’s been so good elsewhere, though, I have to imagine the innings doesn’t move the needle much.”

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday

⚾ Brewers at Cardinals, 7:45 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Lynx at Aces, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Mariners at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on MLB Network