Barry Alvarez

Baltimore Sun reporters Don Markus and Jeff Barker and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. Given the 2014 schedule announced Thursday by the Big Ten, how tough will Maryland’s road back...

Not to dis Mickey Mouse, but Big Ten officials know their fans don't want to go to Orlando every year. Or Tampa. Or Houston. There is one exception. "Pasadena," Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said. So to combat the bowl fatigue that affects...

Cupcakes are out. Compelling matchups are in. "We want to get out of the business," Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said, "of scheduling games that feel like scrimmages to our fans." To that end, the Big Ten will begin playing nine...

Given that attendance at the Big Ten football championship game torpedoed – from 64,152 in the inaugural game to 41,260 last year – moving the game out of Indianapolis after 2015 could become a hot topic. But Wisconsin athletic director...

From Auburn to Western Michigan – the coaching carousel was in overdrive as 30 different Football Bowl Subdivision jobs were vacated and filled this offseason. Each day this week, we will debut a new coach who will make an impact in 2013-14....

Tim Beckman faced a dilemma on the 14th hole at Olympia Fields' North Course: lay up or try to fly it 160 yards from the right rough to clear the scrub area. "You know me," the Illinois football coach said. "I'm not going to play it dang short." At...

The Southeastern Conference needs to go on a diet. Forget the cabbage. Put away the watermelon. Leave the grapefruit for the health nuts. What the SEC needs to avoid is the cupcakes. Not the sugary sweet ones that you find next to the deli at the...

The Big Ten is considering cutting back on the cupcakes. Conference officials are discussing no longer scheduling games against Football Championship Subdivision opponents. "We've made an agreement that our future games will all be Division I schools,...

The Big Ten has gotten its fill of cupcakes. In an effort to strengthen its nonconference image, the Big Ten is reportedly looking to stop scheduling games against opponents from the Football Championship Subdivision. This latest revelation comes...

MOBILE, Ala. — "Relentless equals high velocity, nonstop." That coaching slogan sure sounds like it could have come out of the Rod Marinelli book of wisdom. But it didn't. It is the motto of the new Bears defensive coordinator, not the old....

So far this offseason, there have been 29 coaching moves made with the latest coming when the University of Oregon announced that Mark Helfrich was being promoted to head coach. With that in mind, here is our updated look at the coaching hires with...

Some people probably think quarterback Jim Plunkett led Stanford to its last Rose Bowl victory. It's understandable if memories are foggy, because it's been that long. It was actually Don Bunce, backed by the "Thunderchickens" defense, back in 1972....