Marc Lawrence

#PlaybookSports Leave your ego at the door every morning, and just do some truly great work. Few things will make you feel better than a job brilliantly done.

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

PURPLE REIGN: Louisville

Miami will start as the ACC's clear favorite, but any of five or six teams could become the obvious No. 2, and Louisville, having won 28 games in Jeff Brohm's first three seasons, is a clear candidate.

Brohm, meanwhile, looked in both directions for an answer at QB. He brought in former West Georgia quarterback Davin Wydner, a 6-foot-5 former Ole Miss signee who looked great in the spring game.

But most hopes are pinned on former blue-chipper Lincoln Kienholz, a career backup at Ohio State. Just like that, Miller (Moss) time is history in Louisville – and that’s a good thing.

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: In ten seasons as a head coach, Jeff Brohm puts opponents to sleep in games in which they score 30-plus points, going 74-19 SU/56-32-2 ATS/20-4-1 ATS as a dog.

#LouisvilleCardinals #ACC #PlaybookSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

SLIP SLIDING AWAY

Who wins the ACC in 2026? Clemson, or a team that manages to beat them in the regular season?

That’s been the unbreakable rule for 15 straight years – Clemson won in 2011, 2015-20, 2022, and 2024 – while a team that knocked them off during the regular season took the rest (2012-14, 2021, 2023, 2025).

It was Dabo Swinney’s worst full season last year, yet even-numbered years have favored them (wins in 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024).

The early buzz centers heavily on Miami, with Louisville and SMU as probable top-20 teams. Clemson’s dynasty grip on the ACC is clearly slipping.

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: This will be the first season since 2011 that neither Clemson nor Florida State will be favored to win the ACC.

From the 2026 PLAYBOOK Football Preview Guide Magazine available at Barnes & Noble newsstands nationwide or here: https://t.co/W0HaEdlbcx
for Priority Mail service.

#ACC #ClemsonTigers #DaboSwinney #PlaybookSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

BOWL MISSION POSSIBLE

After snapping a 7-17 skid over the previous two seasons with a 9-4 breakout campaign last year, it's safe to say San Diego State and head coach Sean Lewis have quickly found their footing in San Diego.

Better yet, history suggests the Aztecs usually keep rolling after rebound seasons. Following previous bounce-back years, SDSU answered with records of 8-5, 8-4-1, and 6-5-1 the next season.

That's encouraging news for a program carrying a 6.5-win season total entering 2026.

With the Aztecs also owning the No. 34 overall ranking in this year's RPR ratings – best in the Pac-12 – Lewis' crew may want to order their bowling shirts early.

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: Head coach Sean Lewis is 13-3 SU/ATS against foes coming off consecutive losses, including 9-0 SU/ATS when his team owns a .400+ win percentage.

From the 256-page 2026 PLAYBOOK Football Preview Guide Magazine, currently in stock now and going fast – get your copy here: https://t.co/yPXTfLnncH
before they sell out or find one at Barnes & Noble.

#SanDiegoStateFootball #Aztecs #PlayboolSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

MOUNT RUSHMORE OF NBA DRAFTS:

The 2026 NBA Draft class was heralded for having at least four players good enough to go No. 1 overall.

After almost two weeks of summer league, that's proving to be true.

AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson. They've all shown flashes of greatness this summer. Evidence of future all-stars capable of elevating their teams to new heights.

Now, we just have to wait to see how it translates to the regular season.

While it's too easy to put too much stock in summer league games. But that's especially true for players who emerge from nowhere to dominate a field of G Leaguers and undrafted rookies.

When it's lottery picks living up to and exceeding the expectations set before them, though, believe it. The early return on these guys is promising.

Among the players to appear in multiple games this summer, Dybantsa (25 ppg), Wilson (24.3), and Peterson (23.5) all rank top-five in scoring. Boozer was also averaging over 20 before going 4-for-12 for 12 points on Tuesday.

Dybantsa put it into a perspective that few rookie players have done when he told USA TODAY...

"I spoke to Dwyane Wade right before the draft, and I told him I want to be a Hall of Famer," Dybantsa said. "And he said that's what he wanted to be too, until he got selected for the top 75, and that was like a bigger moment for him than the Hall of Fame. So, he said 20 years from now will be the 100th anniversary, and I should be aiming for the top 100 instead of just a Hall of Famer, so that's my new goal."

Exactly the kind of thinking any NBA head coach is looking for.

#NBA #2026NBAdraft #PlaybookSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

Here's the Heat's pitch for LeBron James as the wait continues https://t.co/pzqYeJ8gL2

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

BUILT FROM SCRATCH:

Every offseason at Western Kentucky feels like a roster evacuation drill, yet Tyson Helton – college football’s most unsung head coach - masterfully turns portal chaos into gridiron gold with resilient alchemy.

Fresh off nine wins, the Hilltoppers chase an eighth straight bowl in 2026, led by ex-Florida State gunslinger Brock Glenn and another savvy talent raid fortifying the trenches.

Brutal road tests at Georgia and Indiana loom before Conference USA's midweek frenzy, but the swagger never falters: reload, retool, repeat.

With just one losing season in seven years with the Hilltoppers, Helton's proven formula continues to deliver championship-caliber consistency.

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: The Hilltoppers are 12-2 SU/13-1 ATS at home against foes coming off a SU/ATS loss.

From the 256-page PDF version of the 2026 Playbook Football Preview Guide: https://t.co/W0HaEdkDmZ

#Hilltoppers #SunBeltConferenceFootball #PlaybookSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

1-2-3-4

The four highest-ranked teams in the FIFA World Rankings entering the World Cup have all advanced to this week's Semifinals.

1. France, 2. Argentina, 3. Spain and 4. England, all of whom have won at least one national championship since 1990.

#FIFA #WorldCup #PlaybookSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

IT'S NOT JUST A JOB, IT'S AN ADVENTURE:

Navy has spent the past two seasons torpedoing expectations with 21 wins.

The Midshipmen ripped off a 7-0 start in 2025 for the first time since 1978, then finished the voyage with 11 victories, another Commander-In-Chief's Trophy, and a bruising Liberty Bowl triumph.
Translation: the secret is out in Annapolis.

Brian Newberry's crew returns 12 starters and 46 lettermen, giving Navy something rare in today's transfer-portal madness — continuity.

Quarterback Braxton Woodson again pilots Drew Cronic's wicked flexbone attack, a high-speed shell game loaded with option looks, misdirection, and disciplined chaos.

Week after week, defenses leave the field seasick.

While other Group of Six programs reload annually, Navy reloads the cannons and keeps firing.

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: The Middies are 6-1 outright in one-score games under Brian Newberry, including 5-0 last season.

From the 256-page 2026 Playbook Football Preview Guide magazine. Download a copy here: https://t.co/H26VMs9x6e

#NavyFootball #AAC #PlaybookSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

HEAVY Strength of Schedule:

Somebody, pass me the sick bucket - and make it an industrial-sized one this time.

When we sat down to compile the 2026 Playbook Football Preview Guide, even I had to rub my eyes and check the fine print twice. Louisiana Tech looked like a team caught in the ultimate conference no-man's-land, staring at the calendar wondering if it was still shackled to C-USA or already sipping margaritas in the Sun Belt.

Before the April 2026 settlement finally ended the circus, the mid-March schedule drops were pure slapstick comedy.

Both leagues went ahead and listed the Bulldogs on their 2026 football slates as if it were no big deal—creating a laughably impossible ~20-game Frankenstein monster of a schedule. Double-booked weekends? Try triple-booked in a few spots. It was realignment insanity at its finest. Here's what the Overlap Looked Like (You Can't Make This Stuff Up):

Here is the schedule they put out this spring...
https://t.co/rIDQQz9CfD

This was classic college football realignment theater—two conferences playing tug-of-war with the same program while the Bulldogs sat there with a 20-game "schedule" that would've made a coach cry uncle.

Thankfully, the April 2026 settlement cut through the nonsense. Louisiana Tech paid a record exit fee, C-USA let go of the Bulldogs (grudgingly), and the Bulldogs officially joined the Sun Belt for the 2026 season. C-USA quietly scrubbed them from its revised slate, and Tech rolled with a clean 8-game Sun Belt conference schedule.

For the full, finalized 2026 schedule (plus my usual no-holds-barred breakdowns), grab your copy of the 2026 Playbook Football Preview Guide—the only magazine that actually sorts out this kind of mess before kickoff.

The April 2026 settlement allowed LA Tech to join the Sun Belt for 2026 (paying a record exit fee). C-USA later released a revised schedule without them. The final 2026 schedule followed the Sun Belt slate with 8 conference games.

This was a classic example of conference realignment chaos. For the exact final 2026 schedule, see https://t.co/cNGCNwXg3T or https://t.co/Ltbix5gTUs, or better yet, check out their office schedule inside the 256-page 2026 Playbook Football Preview Guide magazine.
Here for the print version: at https://t.co/W0HaEdkDmZ
Here for the PDF version:
https://t.co/H26VMs9x6e

#PlaybookSports #PlaybookFootballPreviewGuideMagazine

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

CLEAN SHEETS:

Spain's World Cup goalie Unai Simón has not conceded a goal in 609+ minutes across these matches.

La Roja's World Cup team has 6 consecutive clean sheets (shutouts) — a new all-time World Cup record.

Looking back, in its 3-0 Round of 32 win over Austria, Spain held Austria's Wunderteam to ZERO shots on goal.

Belgium has allowed 5 goals across 5 matches (with 1 clean sheet) in this year's World Cup.

With that, the UNDER 2.5 goals in today's Belgium-Spain Quarterfinal looks mighty appealing.

#FIFAWorldCup #Spain #Belgium

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

NO SWEAT:

From Wednesday's Coffee Club at https://t.co/CvRMKgDbEt...

For Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond, the last twelve months have been one wild, unpredictable ride.

He opened the 2025 season splitting time with Behren Morton. Then, on October 25 in a 42–0 rout of Oklahoma State, Hammond's year ended in brutal fashion with a torn ACL.

Morton went on to play well enough to get drafted in the seventh round by the Patriots, which should have made Hammond the clear starter in 2026… until Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby hit the portal and temporarily changed those plans.

Now Sorsby is gone — extraordinary circumstances have a way of clearing the deck — and Hammond is suddenly back in the driver's seat. The only question left is his health.

Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire isn’t losing any sleep over it.

Texas Tech’s early slate: September 5 at home against Abilene Christian; September 12 at Oregon State (CBS prime time); and September 18 at home against Houston (Fox prime time). McGuire said Tuesday that Hammond has a real chance to start the opener against the Wildcats.

“We'll see where he’s at,” McGuire told reporters. “He’s in great shape. Ask him, and he’ll tell you he’s starting Week 1. We're going to be smart about it — if the doctors and trainers give us the green light, he’ll be our guy from the jump.”

McGuire's emphasis isn’t just on getting Hammond back on the field but on making sure he’s truly football-ready.

“You want rhythm because — look, Weeks 1 and 2 are solid opponents and that trip to Oregon State won’t be a picnic — but Week 3 we open Big 12 play against Houston,” McGuire said. “They should be a top-25 team and probably undefeated by then. That’s the one we really want him locked in for.”

Last season, Hammond showed real juice before the injury: 69-of-109 passing (63.3%) for 680 yards, seven touchdowns and three picks. He also ran for five scores and averaged 37.4 rushing yards per game. His best day came off the bench against Utah — 13-of-16 with a couple of scores in a 34–10 win.

Bottom line: A healthy, confident Will Hammond is exactly why you won’t see one drop of sweat rolling off Joey McGuire's brow this season. If the kid's right, the Red Raiders just got their quarterback back — and Lubbock might be smiling again.

#TexasTech #Big12Football #PlaybookSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

SHOW ME THE RING:

“When just winning isn’t enough.”

It may someday be etched on the tombstone of Sean McDermott's coaching legacy.

Never mind seven straight double-digit win seasons and five consecutive AFC East crowns. The stain remains Buffalo's pedestrian .500 playoff record under franchise quarterback Josh Allen, who continues to be the league’s ultimate dual-threat weapon, throwing for 3,668 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding 680 rushing yards and 12 scores in 2025.

James Cook powered a ground attack that amassed a staggering 2,714 rushing yards, one of the NFL’s top single-season totals this century, while leading the league with 1,621 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns. The offense gets another boost with the arrival of D.J. Moore, whose big-play ability complements Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid.

Defensively, Buffalo reinforced both the pass rush and secondary. The challenge? An eighth-ranked strength of schedule, packed with difficult road assignments and familiar AFC East battles. Time is ticking on the Bills' Super Bowl aspirations.

The Playbook Bottom Line: The talent is undeniable. If Allen stays healthy and Moore elevates the passing game, Buffalo has all the ingredients needed to reclaim the AFC East and challenge for a championship. The difference will come when the lights shine brightest.

STAT YOU WILL LIKE:
Buffalo's 2025 offense rolled up 2,714 rushing yards, ranking No. 4 all-time in NFL annals.

The preview above is from the 2026 Playbook Football Preview Guide, on sale now at Barnes & Noble, or score a copy directly at https://t.co/CvRMKgCDOV

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

LOCKED AND LOADED

In case you missed it, the 2026 college football season is right around the corner.

It's notable that, in preparing for this season ahead, an old standby, reliable measure of success has been returning starters.

However, with the rise of player transfers resembling free agency, the primary factor in assessing each team's returning experience is ESPN's Returning Production Rankings, compiled annually by college football expert Bill Connelly.

With it, the number of returning starters in college football has become somewhat less significant.

Instead, Connelly's annual Returning Production Rankings have become the gold standard when measuring each team's experience as they prepare for a new season.

As we enter the 2026 season, here are the Top 10 teams ranked by returning production. These rankings account for snaps and games played in the previous season.

Incorporating former starters and transfers into the mix can be complicated, but Connelly is an expert at this. Here are his Top 10 teams in terms of production rankings for the 2026 season:

1. Notre Dame
2. Maryland
3. Nebraska
4. Virginia Tech
5. South Carolina
6. Texas
7. Minnesota
8. Georgia
9. UCLA
10. Florida

Note that the top three teams in these annual ratings have enjoyed the greatest degree of success.

Forewarned is forearmed.

#PlaybookSports #PlaybookFootballPreviewGuide

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

YOU CAN BET ON IT:

If you're serious about sports betting, put BetBash on your bucket list now.

BetBash delivers unmatched insight, connections, and Vegas energy all in one unforgettable week.

Good luck with the 2026 football season — it's coming up fast. Get ready now!

BetBash 2026 is the premier sports gambling networking conference, taking place August 4–7, 2026, at the Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

This 21+ event blends professional development with high-energy socializing. Expect watch parties at Stadium Swim and the Circa sportsbook, cocktail parties, open bars, speed networking, and plenty of casual connections.

Hosted by professional sports bettor Gadoon "Spanky" Kyrollos, BetBash brings together sharp bettors, industry pros, and passionate enthusiasts.

What to Expect:

Networking — Build relationships through speed networking, open bars, parties, and informal hangs with fellow bettors and gambling insiders.

Education — Gain insights from seminars, expert panels, and discussions on betting strategies, sports gambling trends, and industry developments.

Legends & Community — Celebrate the game's icons at the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame induction ceremony on August 7.

For tickets, schedule, and full details, visit: https://t.co/t9SsJH0gyQ

#BetBash #SportsGamblingHallofFame #PlaybookSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

WORTH KNOWING:

The Browns own the Defensive Rookie of the Year from each of the last two seasons in LB Carson Schwesinger in 2025 and DE Jared Verse in 2004.

In addition, Cleveland ranked No. 4 overall in defensive yards allowed per game last season, allowing 263.8 YPG.

They finished No. 1 in defensive yards allowed per game in 2024.

Just sayin'.

#Browns #PlaybookSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

LIKE A ROCKET:

Stop us if you've heard this one before.

2028 five-star WR Jett Harrison has committed to Ohio State.

The younger brother of former Buckeyes star (and current NFL wideout) Marvin Harrison Jr. — and son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr. — made it official on July 1, 2026. He picked the Buckeyes over finalists Oregon and Miami.

His Recruiting Profile Highlights ...

Rankings: No. 1 overall in the Rivals300 for the 2028 class; No. 4 nationally in the 247Sports composite (No. 2 WR behind only Brysen Wright)

Physical/Tools: Around 6-1, 175-180 lbs. He's drawn praise for elite route-running, ball skills, separation, and polished play as an underclassman — with some scouts noting Justin Jefferson-type vibes.

High School: St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia, PA). He's already put up big numbers as a sophomore.

Ohio State's wide receiver pipeline under Brian Hartline stays red-hot, and adding another Harrison only strengthens the "Wide Receiver U" legacy.

Buckeyes fans are fired up to keep the family tradition alive in Columbus.

This is a major early win for OSU in the 2028 cycle — exciting times ahead for Buckeyes recruiting. What else is new?

View this article and more in today's Playbook Coffee Club e-mail: https://t.co/JI4w9eGH3C

#JettHarrison #OhioState #PlaybookSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

BUILT PAC-12 TOUGH:

Fresno State

Jeff Tedford may be gone, but expectations in Fresno haven't changed.

After a successful debut season under head coach Matt Entz, the Bulldogs enter 2026 facing their toughest challenge yet: proving they belong in the rebuilt Pac-12.

Fresno State returns 14 starters from a nine-win Arizona Bowl champion while bringing back one of the nation's stingiest defenses.

Even better, the Bulldogs suffered minimal portal damage while adding 18 transfers and another strong recruiting class.

Toughness, defense, and consistency remain the foundation of the program. Those traits should travel well into the new conference.

Anything short of a sixth straight bowl appearance qualifies as disappointment.

STAT YOU WILL LIKE: The Bulldogs are 10-0 ATS with revenge when both teams are coming off a loss.

From the 256-page 2026 Playbook Football Preview Guide magazine. In stock now - get yours here: https://t.co/wpufa0W4xT

#FresnoState #PlaybookSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

RAM TOUGH

I’ll bet you didn't know that NFL teams with the defending league MVP from the previous season have gone 140-75 SU (10.77-5.77 win-loss ave) with the same QBs on the roster the following regular season, and 157–84 SU (12.50-6.46 win-loss ave) overall with playoffs.

The average overall win-loss record is shown in parentheses.

The question is, can Matthew Stafford navigate a schedule that finds only three other teams - Arizona, Miami, and Carolina - with a more difficult schedule, when weighed against opponents' projected win totals throughout the 2026 schedule - per the 2026 Playbook Football Preview Guide magazine? https://t.co/wpufa0W4xT

#NFLRams #PlaybookSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

LOADED DRAFT:

BYU's AJ Dybantsa was selected No. 1 overall by the Wizards on Tuesday night in Brooklyn, where nearly every team earned top marks for their selections in the first round of an absolutely loaded NBA Draft, per Yahoo Sports.

Top 4: Any of these freshman uber-prospects could have reasonably gone No. 1 in most years, so Washington, Utah, Memphis, and Chicago should all be thrilled with the young men who are about to join their ranks.

Dybantsa (Wizards): The 6-foot-9 athletic freak and scoring machine (he led the NCAA with 25.5 points per game last season) gives Washington someone who could become one of the NBA's most unstoppable shot-creators, and someone who should slot in nicely alongside veteran All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis.

Darryn Peterson (Jazz): The 6-foot-5 guard out of Kansas is a buttery-smooth scorer and dynamic playmaker who can shine with or without the ball, and his 6-foot-11 wingspan makes him a high-impact defender, to boot. Utah got a potential superstar as long as he can avoid the cramping issue that hindered his otherwise sensational season in Lawrence.

Cameron Boozer (Grizzlies): The most polished player in the class and reigning POY out of Duke made this an incredibly easy choice for Memphis, who get a 6-foot-8 forward that can score from the post with both footwork and power. Plus, second-generation players like him have historically outperformed their draft-slot expectations by 26%.

Caleb Wilson (Bulls): The most gifted athlete in the draft class is 6-foot-9 with springs for legs, and when the North Carolina big is flying above the rim, finishing through contact, and chasing down every shot, he looks like a future franchise cornerstone. That sort of defensive anchor with offensive upside is exactly what the Bulls need in the frontcourt.

Next up:  Those four freshmen at the top were followed by four freshman guards who went in succession, as the Clippers got Illinois' Keaton Wagler, the Nets got Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr., the Kings got Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr., and the Hawks got Houston's Kingston Flemings.

Consider this: 11 of the 14 lottery picks were first-year students, while the other three were transfers — all of whom won the national championship with Michigan. Morez Johnson Jr. went ninth to the Mavericks (where he'll reunite with Dusty May), Yaxel Lendeborg went 11th to the Warriors, and Aday Mara went 12th to the Thunder.

#NBADraft #NBA #PlaybookSports

[Marc Lawrence @MarcLawrence]

INSIDER TRADING:

The dust is still settling on the Cleveland Browns' trade with the Los Angeles Rams that sent Myles Garrett to the Rams in exchange for Jared Verse and three draft picks.

It's rare to orchestrate a trade for one Hall of Fame player over the course of an entire ownership tenure; it's even more rare to be involved in two. The odds of those two trades happening in the same calendar month are microscopic.

Haslam just accomplished that feat.

Three weeks after the Garrett trade, Haslam, who is a co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, led a trade that sent future NBA Hall of Famer Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. It is a trade that could have sent shockwaves through the NBA if he had gone to the Boston Celtics, but it actually feels like a neutral one that hardly moves the needle in either direction.

It is rare for an owner to give the okay for one of those types of trades, let alone two of them. Whether the guy is liked or not doesn't change the fact that he is always on the lookout for a better way to do something. He pours his own money into improving his teams, and he is not afraid to take risks.

Just as he was set to turn the Browns from a three- or five-game winner to a 10- or 11-win playoff team, he is set to turn the Bucks back around. He is going to try to do it the hard way, building it through youth.

If that sounds familiar, it is because it is exactly the move he is making in Cleveland with his Browns. Just as the Bucks received several draft picks, so did the Browns with the Garrett trade. Growing the foundation of a team through youth is the best long-term solution for any team.

Team success is rarely bought; it's almost always built.

Try as he might, the truth is that in football, your roster doesn't mean anything unless the quarterback improves. For Milwaukee, they got rid of most of their problems and can begin working on their future immediately.

It's the same blueprint that the Browns are following. Either way, Haslam is taking a big swing, and both Cleveland and Milwaukee fan bases are praying he hits.

#JimmyHasleo #Bucks #Heat #Brpwns #Rams