Rivalries make or break a season, that’s a given especially in a sport like college football. When one team has enjoyed the advantage in a rivalry for a generation, a sudden shift in power will bring about plenty of questions.

The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry is currently in a position where the balance of power can swing dramatically in a way that it hasn’t for more than 20 years. The Wolverines will enter Saturday with a chance to win a third straight game over the Buckeyes, something that hasn’t happened since 1995-97. For Buckeye fans who have grown up and become accustomed to Ohio State winning “The Game” regularly, this is unfamiliar, and unwelcome, territory. Many factors can be brought up as to what went wrong in 2021, as were likely mentioned in 2003 & 2011. For Michigan to win in Ohio Stadium last year, in a game where the Buckeyes were limited to just a field goal in the second half, that brings the question of whether Michigan has truly taken control of the rivalry.

While it may be unfair, the results do bring up questions about the efficacy of Ryan Day as Ohio State’s head coach. In his fifth full season, Day has won 56 out of 62 games. The only time he didn’t record at least 11 wins in a season was 2020, when the Buckeyes only played eight games in total because that season was shortened by COVID-19.

But Day’s record against the Buckeyes’ most hated rival is 1-2. While OSU beat the Wolverines comfortably in 2019, they did so with most players recruited by Urban Meyer. After COVID canceled the 2020 meeting, the Wolverines won each of the last two contests, topping 40 points while keeping Ohio State under 30.

If Michigan wins a third straight edition of “The Game” on Saturday, does Day become viewed through the same lens as John Cooper? From an overall view, Cooper has a stellar record, and that is reflected with his induction to the College Football and Rose Bowl Halls of Fame. But to this day, many associate three numbers with Cooper: 2-10-1, his record against the Maize and Blue. The harsh words directed at Cooper during his tenure have faded, in part because of the passage of time, and in part because of Ohio State’s dominance in the rivalry since 2001. But Cooper’s record against Michigan remains a sore point among Buckeye fans.

Another point worth discussing is whether success in “The Game” will have the impact it once did, with the landscape continuing to change in college football. For multiple generations, it was the Ohio State-Michigan winner who went to the Rose Bowl, whereas the loser stayed home. Starting next year, with the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams, it’s safe to say there will be some years where the result of the rivalry game is irrelevant in terms of whether either or both teams make the playoff. But it’s a big mistake to say that the result doesn’t matter to either fan base.

That’s exactly why Ryan Day will coach a game on Saturday that may potentially define his legacy. Will he keep the string of success going that was enjoyed by Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer? Or will he be like John Cooper, a good coach who just couldn’t find a way to win the game Buckeye fans want to win more than any other? Day has an opportunity to write a positive chapter in his tenure, but if the Buckeyes are unable to win Saturday, it will be another long winter in Columbus.

Ask any Manchester United fan, a lot can happen in 90 seconds. Liverpool fans will say the same about a six-minute span. Imagine the highs and lows that a football club sees over a decade.

For Leicester City, that roller coaster was reality from 2013-2023. To understand where the Foxes are entering the 2023-24 season, it’s worth a look back at what the club has been through the last 10 years.

The look back starts in May 2013, when Leicester won the final match of the Championship’s regular season to confirm a berth in the promotion playoffs. They went toe-to-toe with Watford through 180 minutes, and appeared to be headed toward extra time and penalties for a spot in “the richest game in football,” only for chaos to ensue.

A result like that could be devastating for a club long-term, but Leicester were quick to respond the following season, winning the Championship and earning automatic promotion to the Premier League in 2014. Their first season back in the top flight was predictably filled with struggles, but wins in seven of the last nine matches saw them avoid relegation, although the club would part ways with manager Nigel Pearson in the summer.

New manager Claudio Ranieri had his work cut out for him as the 2015-16 season, with the Foxes pegged among the relegation favorites. Their odds of winning the Premier League were 5,000/1, but one of the great underdog stories in sports history received its fitting ending as Leicester ended the season as champions of England. The actual title-winning moment may have been anti-climactic, with a Chelsea-Spurs draw being the result that officially secured the title, but Leicester proved their mettle over the course of the campaign, especially with the performances of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.

The fairytale continued into 2016-17; Leicester won their Champions League group, and ultimately reached the quarterfinals. More top-half finishes in the league would follow, along with an FA Cup victory in 2021. But despite the ultimate highs from 2015 through 2017, the Foxes couldn’t quite make a second trip to Europe’s top club competition.

Then came 2022-23, of which the Premier League portion started with a draw, but was then followed by six straight losses. The team would recover to be in the middle of the table by the World Cup break, but was never higher than 13th as the results kept going south. Manager Brendan Rodgers was sacked in April, with Dean Smith brought in to keep the club from going down. Leicester entered Matchday 38 with a chance of survival, but Everton’s win over Bournemouth confirmed the Foxes would be headed back to the Championship after nine seasons.

So Leicester City now begins a new season Sunday in the second tier of the English system, with the main goal being promotion. Historically, some clubs have shown great resolve to regain Premier League status after only one year away. The task is now Leicester’s to see if they’ll join that category, and if another eventful decade awaits them.

More than 20 years ago, then-New York Jets head coach Herman Edwards went viral for his “YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!” rant. But when you think about it, that is the root of sports and all competitions. One plays, or observes, to see who comes out on top.

For the England cricket team, that test (pun intended) continues Thursday at Old Trafford.

The most prestigious rivalry in the sports, the Ashes, enters its Fourth Test with Australia leading England 2-1. England need to win at both Old Trafford and The Oval to win a series for the first time since 2015, while Australia need just a draw in either Test to keep the urn for another two years.

Since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes were named head coach and captain, respectively, England have adopted the approach known as “Bazball,” a positive mindset as opposed to digging in for defense. It can be entertaining to watch for fans, but there’s always the possibility of that approach backfiring.

Case in point: the first two Ashes Tests this summer. England batted first at Edgbaston, reaching 393/8 before an unexpected declaration from Stokes. That Joe Root was on an unbeaten century, and Australia responded with 386 in their first innings, only added to the questions as the visitors went on to win by two wickets. The way the match was affected by the weather, it’s fair to say the First Test would’ve been at least a draw had England continued to bat until they were bowled out. But you have to keep the early declaration in mind when considering how the Second Test unfolded.

At Lord’s, the hosts had a second-innings target of 371 to square the series. With several quick losses in the top half of the batting order, there was pressure on the partnership of Stokes and Jonny Bairstow to save the match. That is, until Bairstow left his crease after a delivery and was stumped out by Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey when it appeared the sequence was over. It’s a debate that applies to baseball; when is a ball in play or when is time called? England took exception, claiming Carey went against the unwritten code of fair play (the “Spirit of the Game”). But this isn’t Bairstow’s first rodeo; he knew what was at stake, and despite a valiant 155 from Stokes, Australia took a 2-0 lead.

England must be given credit for putting the disappointment of Lord’s behind them to win at Headingley and keep the series alive. But now comes another must-win affair. Four years ago, it was an almost identical situation; the hosts winning a thriller at Leeds, only for Australia to come back, win the Fourth Test and retain the Ashes. This time, should the visitors prevail, it would be a first series win in England since 2001. Having started the English summer with a World Test Championship win, the chance of making more history will not be lost on Aussie captain Pat Cummins.

England have done well to create an identity of positive, entertaining cricket, but now they need the results to back it up. If they fail to win the last two Tests, the questions will resume about the best way going forward.

As has been noted on this website and others, the last decade hasn’t been easy for Manchester United fans. Watching one club fall from grace, while their crosstown rivals – Manchester City – have become the club to win trophies on a regular basis. That came to a head Saturday, when City’s 1-0 win over Inter Milan resulted in their first Champions League triumph, and completed a treble of winning the domestic league, domestic cup, and the European Cup in the same season.

It was an accomplishment that among English clubs, only United was able to claim, and it will be painful for Red Devil supporters to admit that as of Saturday, their club is no longer alone in accomplishing this feat. However, when it comes to comparing which team’s Treble is more impressive, there are several factors to consider that slant United’s way.

United’s Treble came first

When you think about it, how many historical achievements are remembered for being the first? Most know that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were on the first Apollo mission where astronauts walked on the Moon. Many know that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were in the first group confirmed to have successfully climbed to the top of Mount Everest. How many can name the second group of people to accomplish those feats without looking them up first? Being the trailblazer comes with its own unique advantages, and for United to accomplish their Treble in 1999 – when no other English team could claim the same before Saturday – is bragging rights that will provide some consolation to MUFC supporters.

United’s Treble chase had a more dramatic ending

Part of the allure of Manchester United’s 1998-99 season is how close it came to everything going sideways. The Premier League battle with Arsenal came down to the final day, the Champions League Final was won with two goals in second-half stoppage time, and while the FA Cup Final was a straightforward 2-0 win over Newcastle, the semifinal replay against Arsenal is still regarded as a classic match, more than 20 years after that eventful night in Birmingham. With City’s Treble in 2022/23, there always seemed a certain inevitability about how things would play out, taking the fun away for neutrals. While Arsenal led the Premier League for much of the season, and Inter put up a stubborn resistance in the Champions League Final, once City took the advantage in both instances, it was only a matter of time before they claimed the trophies. Not exactly the most entertaining for neutral fans.

United’s Treble will remain unaffected

While the media is recognizing what City has achieved on the pitch this season, some outlets are also acknowledging a significant number: 115. That’s how many charges Manchester City is facing from the Premier League for alleged financial violations. Controversy has been ever-present with the club since the change in ownership 15 years ago; they were originally banned from the Champions League for a period of time before that ban was lifted. Manchester United’s treble came without any related allegations, and the fact is that if City are sanctioned as a result of these charges, it could result in a loss of Premier League titles. It is possible that United could return to that status of the lone English club to win the Treble.

Fans can make arguments about why City’s Treble is more impressive of the two, but the above factors are all something United followers will use to boost their club’s claim to having the more notable Treble. And with the possibility that City could be losing titles based on sanctions, it will be another way for Manchester United to reclaim bragging rights, as they continue their quest to return to the world’s elite.

Coming up on a decade since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, it has been noted time and again around the world how the club’s status as one of the world’s best has fallen over the 10 years since. Even with Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho winning notable cup competitions, it’s been a painful admission for fans that United is no longer the standard that English clubs look up to.

So the bar wasn’t exactly high when Erik ten Hag took over for 2022-23, especially considering how United limped to the finish line in 2021-22, throwing away a chance at the Champions League. And it didn’t start any better with disappointing performances in losses to Brighton and Brentford. But slowly, ten Hag’s guidance helped United establish momentum, mostly undisturbed through 2022 even with two lengthy breaks (one following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and another for the World Cup).

But the last two months demonstrate perfectly how far United still have to go.

The club entered March flying high after a Europa League knockout round win over Barcelona and a triumph in the League Cup, their first silverware of any kind in six seasons. But a 7-0 defeat at Liverpool was the first example of “coming back to Earth” that has stayed with them in April. United were considered the favorites to win among the Europa League quarterfinalists, and looked the part through the first half of the first leg; however, a late collapse allowing Sevilla to draw was followed by a comprehensive second-leg win for the Spanish team. How Sevilla scored their first and third goals Thursday, in particular, shows how off United were on the night.

So all is not lost for Manchester United entering the homestretch of 2022-23. As of Friday the Red Devils are third in the Premier League, six points ahead of fifth-place Tottenham with a game in hand (two games after this weekend). MUFC still has the chance for more silverware in the FA Cup, with a semifinal against Brighton awaiting. But ten Hag’s job is far from done, and it’s not without saying that the wheels could fall off in a manner similar to last season. If United do end up in the third-tier Europa Conference League next season, it will be yet another massive blow to a club once regarded on a regular basis as among the world’s elite.

If this is the new normal for Manchester United, it still remains a bitter pill for supporters.

At the end of the Round 3 highlights posted on the Open Championship’s official YouTube page, you can hear one of the commentators make a prophetic statement about the final round:

“I think we’re going to have a sensational day’s golf tomorrow on the Old Course…..”

Indeed, perhaps it was meant to be considering all the buildup to the 150th edition of golf’s oldest major championship. A notable anniversary in any event – sports or not – brings an extra sense of anticipation in the months and weeks leading up to it. The NFL went to great lengths to promote Super Bowl 50 during the 2015 season, then again in 2019 to celebrate 100 years of the league. The NBA recently celebrated its 75th season, and are surely making plans for a bigger celebration in 25 years.

When it comes to the majors in golf, it seems to vary more how organizations choose to mark notable anniversaries. There’s little question Augusta National will soon be arranging for a grand celebration of the 100th Masters, and the 100th US Open was marked by one of the greatest individual performances when Tiger Woods won at Pebble Beach in record-setting fashion. But the 100th PGA Championship, for me at least, didn’t seem to bring with it a lot of pomp and circumstance. Apart from Brooks Koepka winning his third major in 14 months, and that this would be the last scheduled PGA Championship in August before the schedule reshuffling, it seemed like just another major – significant but not one that marked 100 years.

But the Royal & Ancient weren’t going to let the 150th playing of the Open Championship proceed under the radar.

After all, where else would have they held it but St. Andrews, the “Home of Golf.” And the Old Course certainly delivered its share of drama last weekend.

When all was said and done, it was Cameron Smith – who entered St. Andrews having already won twice on the PGA Tour this season alone – who posted a Sunday 64 to finish 20-under par (tying the lowest score to par in any major) and win the Claret Jug. His final round, which featured five straight birdies from the 10th through 14th holes, saw him overtake 54-hole leader Rory McIlroy, who ultimately finished third.

And the story of McIlroy is one that will be remembered for years to come. The Northern Irishman has won four majors, including the 2014 Open at Royal Liverpool, but a portion of his career has been defined by close calls. At the 2011 Masters, he had the lead entering Sunday before a final-round 80 took him down to T15. In 2022 at St. Andrews, McIlroy shot 70 in the final round; far from what could be described as a meltdown, but it still opened the door for Smith to win (and Cameron Young, for that matter, to finish second).

It capped off a year where McIlroy can say he finished in the top ten of every golf major in a calendar year; he was second at the Masters, eighth at the PGA Championship, and tied for fifth at the US Open. In fact, he’s posted a top 10 finish in at least one major every year since 2009. He has the talent to add to his current tally of four majors, and when he does so, it will celebrated by the thousands of fans at the course, and millions watching at home.

But the common phrase in sports is that a player or team “won” the event in question or “lost” it. In the case of the 2022 Open at St. Andrews, Cameron Smith clearly won it. And that is what the 150th Open, the first major to have been played that many times, should be remembered by the golf community.

Who would’ve imagined the summer 2022 season would play out for the England cricket team the way that it has so far?

Entering their three-Test series with world champions New Zealand, England were on a dismal run of results, including a 4-0 Ashes loss in Australia; it’s now been more than 11 years since the Three Lions won a road Test against their bitter rivals. Joe Root had resigned as captain, clearly overwhelmed by the pressures of the role, even when his individual level of play stayed high. That put Ben Stokes – a man who months ago was taking an “indefinite break” from the sport – in a spot where he had to rally a team for four total Tests against the two participants in last year’s World Test Championship Final.

No pressure, right?

Perhaps the signs were evident from the very first match with the Kiwis, who were bowled out for 132 in the first innings as England went on to win by five wickets. And that’s been the theme of the summer for the Three Lions; when things get tough, they dig deep and do whatever’s necessary to reach the desired result. Jonny Bairstow, in particular, has experienced a career revival at the crease, with four centuries in his last five innings. The only reason that streak is not 5-for-5 is because England finished their run chase of 296 in the third Test with the Kiwis before Bairstow had a chance to reach three figures; that didn’t stop him from ending the match with a towering six. Bairstow’s run continued with centuries in both innings against India, as England chased down their highest target in history to officially draw the series, a feat that would’ve seemed impossible had the final match been played in 2021 as originally scheduled.

And Ben Stokes has shown that he is capable of leading the team forward as captain. His talent was evident from his early appearances, and his performances during both the World Cup and the Ashes in 2019 provided proof that a knighthood will soon be coming. His feats, along with the “play-to-win” mentality brought forth by Brendon McCullum’s Baz-ball, has the Three Lions in a much better position then many would’ve thought even three months ago.

That’s not to say there’s absolutely no room for improvement. Yes, England have showed real character in their run chases to win all four Tests, but not all fourth-innings chases will be smooth sailing under McCullum and Stokes. There are also questions to be asked of individual players; Zak Crawley struggled mightily against New Zealand and only did marginally better against India. And do England have a reliable lineup of seamers behind James Anderson & Stuart Broad when they retire before the end of the decade?

Those questions can’t be ignored in the wake of four impressive results. The helpful news, though, is that England has more than a month now to prepare for their next Test series against South Africa. If they can continue making adjustments, they will be well on their way to proving the last month-plus was no fluke; England Test cricket will be on the way back to a point of pride.