Brian Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan will be part of West Indies' pre-series camp in Antigua ahead of the first Test against India.

Jimmy Adams, Cricket West Indies' (CWI) Director of Cricket, said Lara and Sarwan's involvement would help the younger batsmen in the side.

The 13-men West Indies squad for the two-match Test series includes John Campbell who has played just three Tests, and the uncapped Shamarh Brooks and offspin-allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall. Shimron Hetmyer, who made his red-ball debut in 2017, has featured in 13 Tests.

"We have some good young batsmen in the team who we believe will form the future of West Indies cricket," Adams said. "We saw some very good signs of development earlier this year in the Test matches when we played so very well to beat England and we want to see them grow and become outstanding players for the West Indies.

"We have taken the step to have Brian and Ronnie [Sarwan] work with these players, who have demonstrated a will to learn and succeed. We know they still have the passion and love for West Indies cricket and are eager to assist and share their information with the present generation."

The Test series, starting on August 22 in Antigua, will mark both India and West Indies' debuts in the World Test Championship. So far, India have been undefeated on their tour to the Caribbean, winning the T20I series 3-0 and the ODI series 2-0.

The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), which oversaw the reappointment of Ravi Shastri as head coach of the India men's team, wants to have a say in picking his three assistants too.

The CAC has written to the BCCI expressing its desire to be involved in selecting the batting, bowling and fielding coaches, even though the senior selection panel, currently headed by MSK Prasad, is empowered to choose them as per the board's new constitution.

All three CAC members - former India captain Kapil Dev, former India opener Anshuman Gaekwad, and the former India women captain Shanta Rangaswamy - have signed the letter, which reasons that the task of picking the three assistant coaches should be given the same importance as the selection of the head coach, and to that end, the CAC's opinion should be taken on board. ESPNcricinfo understands that Shastri could also be consulted before finalising the three assistant coaches.

"Yes, we should have a say," Kapil said during the announcement of the head coach, in Mumbai on Friday. "If you ask me, we have a recommendation to the board from the three of us and [we have asked for it] to put in black and white in the minutes [that] it is not right if we are not doing that job also. We [have] given a letter to the board."

When asked if the CAC should exclusively be entrusted with the responsibility of selecting the support staff - as was the case with the head coach's appointment - Kapil disagreed.

"No, including [both the CAC and the selection panel]," Kapil said. "There should not be a communication gap. Their (the selectors') strength and our strength is the same for the team; we want to make sure that team should get benefited, and that's what we wanted. If we can help them (the selection committee), and the chairman of selection committee, and his team can help [us], and the board also want[s] the same and I have no doubt you (the media) also want the same [that] the Indian team should do well."

During the previous appointment procedure of the head coach and his support staff, in 2017, the CAC at the time - Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman - also recommended to the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) that Zaheer Khan (bowling consultant) and Rahul Dravid (batting consultant for overseas Test series) come on board. The CoA said these weren't official appointments, and that the CAC hadn't been empowered to make them. In the end, following the recommendation of Shastri himself, the BCCI appointed Sanjay Bangar (batting), Bharat Arun (bowling) and R Sridhar as his assistants.

Now, the BCCI will forward the CAC's letter to the CoA ahead of the interview process for the three assistant coaches, which will take place next week, tentatively from August 19 to 22.

The process of selection of the head coach and remainder of the backroom staff began last month with the BCCI putting out an advertisement to invite applications. The board had stated in the advertisement that Shastri and the rest of the existing coaching staff comprising Bangar, Arun and Sridhar would get automatic entries during the recruitment process.

Former chief selector Vikram Rathour and former Mumbai and India batsman Pravin Amre are understood to have also thrown their hat in the ring for the role of batting coach, while Venkatesh Prasad is among those vying for the job of bowling coach.

Stumps Australia 80 for 4 (Smith 13*, Wade 0*, Broad 2-26) trail England 258 by 178 runs

Jofra Archer snared his maiden Test wicket as England overcame a sluggish start to put Australia in peril on another rain-interrupted day during the second Ashes Test at Lord's. In Australia's favour, with two full days' play expected over the weekend, first-Test saviour Steven Smith was at the crease alongside Matthew Wade, who added a century of his own to Smith's twin tons at Edgbaston. The tourists' fortunes could rest largely on what happens with those two on Saturday's resumption after rain forced play to be suspended just minutes before the scheduled lunch break on Friday and abandoned at 5.25pm without another ball being bowled. Before that, Australia slipped from 30 for 1 - having lost David Warner late on Thursday, which was the first day's play following Wednesday's washout - to 71 for 4 after England had endured a frustrating first 45 minutes. Cameron Bancroft and Usman Khawaja had the luxury of leaving a good many deliveries as England persisted with Archer's short-pitched bowling and Stuart Broad as opposed to calling on Chris Woakes under heavy skies, despite the latter two combining to take four and six wickets respectively to demolish Ireland in their second innings amid similar conditions at the same ground three weeks ago. But when Woakes was introduced to the attack, in the seventh over of the day, it was Archer who drew first blood, trapping Bancroft lbw with a ball that nipped back off the seam, prompting a huge roar of celebration from 24-year-old debutant Archer. Bancroft reviewed but the umpire's call was upheld and he was on his way back to the pavilion. Woakes struck three balls later, enticing Khawaja into a prod outside off stump to give Jonny Bairstow a straightforward catch behind the stumps. That had Australia teetering at 60 for 3. Travis Head stayed around for a little while and little reward, adding just seven before Broad had him out to a plumb lbw which England had to use DRS to affirm after umpire Aleem Dar was initially unmoved. Wade had to rely on an appeal to survive after umpire Chris Gaffaney judged him out lbw to a Ben Stokes delivery which the DRS showed had pitched outside leg, much to Australia's relief shortly before lunch was called slightly early with Wade not out nought, having faced 23 deliveries, and Smith unbeaten on 13.

BALTIMORE -- Lamar Jackson provided the highlight moment Thursday night when the Baltimore Ravens quarterback faked out one Green Bay Packers defender before leaping over another to reach the end zone.

The apparent 18-yard touchdown was nullified by an illegal block, but it led to a suggestion from Aaron Rodgers after the Ravens' 26-13 win over the Packers.

"I love watching you play, man," Rodgers told Jackson. "That was pretty spectacular."

Rodgers then added, "Have a great season. Slide a little bit."

Jackson smiled, pointed at Rodgers and responded, "I got you, baby."

Jackson's running has been a hot topic since he took over for the injured Joe Flacco last year. In leading Baltimore to the AFC North title, Jackson averaged 17 rushes per game and set the NFL single-season record for rushing attempts by a quarterback with 147.

In May, owner Steve Bisciotti told Ravens season-ticket holders that he expects Jackson not to do as much running, saying, "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised that Lamar is not going to be running 20 times a game."

But at the start of training camp, it was brought up with coach John Harbaugh that Cam Newton's career high in rushes for a season was 139. Asked about Jackson, Harbaugh said, "Take the over."

Then Jackson said in early August on "The Rich Eisen Show" that he doesn't expect to carry the ball as much as he did in his rookie season.

During training camp, Jackson has occasionally run the ball but has been focused on throwing. With no designed rushes thus far this preseason, Jackson didn't run in the opener but took off twice for 14 yards Thursday night after initially dropping back to pass.

On the nullified touchdown run, Jackson said the four-man rush gave him a running lane that he had to take.

"If I am out there in the open field, one-on-one, I have to make you miss," Jackson said. "That's just me. That's how I always played. If I get tackled by one person, I am mad. I feel like I lost that play, could have gained more yards, could have probably scored. I don't know. If I am not passing, if I do decide to run, I am trying to score a touchdown or get a first down. I am not trying to get 2 yards and get tackled. That's not how I play."

Harbaugh was asked if he had any concern when he saw Jackson pull the ball down and run.

"What are you going to do? He's going to play," Harbaugh said. "He's going to play football. We're not trying to run him. We're not running those plays. He's in the pocket, and he's staying in the pocket a lot. It's not like he's trying to run, but sometimes ... what are you going to do? You can't hold him back forever."

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns coach Billy Napier wants to see each of his players become dues-paying members of the school's booster club, asking his team to spend a minimum of $50 to join.

Napier, a former assistant coach at Alabama who is now in his second season with Louisiana, said in a news conference Wednesday that the booster club memberships were "about gratitude" and a means to bond the players and school.

"That's probably a little bit unheard of and a little bit unique, but I think this is a place where I think that would be appreciated," Napier said. "I think it's part of the type of program that we want to have."

Napier said the memberships were "mandatory." The school, however, issued a statement Friday correcting that language, suggesting they were simply "strongly encouraged."

"The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Department of Athletics is thrilled that head coach Billy Napier's football program and its student-athletes expressed their collective desire to give back and show gratitude to the Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation," the school's statement said. "Members of the football program have started an initiative to demonstrate their appreciation to the RCAF, including its board of directors, staff and investors, when they are able to do so.

"Additionally, student-athletes will be encouraged to join the RCAF at the introductory level during their college careers, an initiative the program and its coaching staff supports in order to give back to the foundation that has done so much to support the Louisiana Football team and the Department of Athletics."

A school spokesman said every member of the coaching staff has already become a booster club member.

The urging to join the club at a price comes at a time when schools are under increased scrutiny about the current amateur model in which players cannot be compensated with cash or other outside benefits in return for their services, name or likeness. Several members of the U.S. Congress have voiced concerns about the amateur model and pushed for reforms, including paying players as employees.

Louisiana's policy appears to be unique within college football, with several other head coaches telling ESPN they were not aware of any similar rules at other schools.

You've heard the talk for months now. Really, for three years now.

The ACC is Clemson and everyone else. (And by everyone else, its critics mean nobody any good.)

This is why Alabama fans, and more generally, SEC fans, complain repeatedly about Clemson and strength of schedule, why Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses made headlines when he said Georgia was a tougher opponent than the Clemson team that steamrollered the Tide 44-16 in the national championship game.

What Clemson has done to separate itself is staggering, if only because a program that used to be the butt of jokes is now the one laughing. Clemson has four straight playoff appearances and two national championships and is a heavy favorite to play for another title this season. That has some to do with its ACC schedule and everything to do with the future NFL draft picks the Tigers have up and down their roster.

But distinguishing what Clemson has done seems to always get tangled up with what the rest of the ACC has done. As coach Dabo Swinney likes to say, "Used to be we couldn't win because we don't play anybody. Now we only win because we don't play anybody. That doesn't add up to me."

It's a double standard that always comes up with the ACC, in large part because the ACC struggled to produce a championship-caliber football program during the height of the BCS era. At the same time, the SEC produced four programs that won national titles. Though the ACC has never missed the College Football Playoff, Clemson cannot escape hearing the jeers that it simply did not play a worthy-enough schedule.

Even though Clemson had the No. 1 strength of record last year. Even though over the past three seasons, Clemson has played 15 games against teams ranked in the final AP top 25, compared to 17 for Alabama. Swinney is 14-1 in such games; Nick Saban is 14-3. The difference is two games, but sure, Clemson has played no one.

Yes, it is true the ACC had two teams ranked in the final AP top 25 last year (Syracuse was 15th). Yes, it is true it would help the league and the ongoing narrative for more teams to join the rankings and perhaps challenge Clemson for conference supremacy.

New North Carolina coach Mack Brown, who spent the past five seasons as a college football analyst for ESPN, knows it's not a problem unique to the ACC.

"There's a [national] gap between Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Alabama and Clemson," he said. "Right now, we've got a group at the top that are looking down on everybody else."

We are in an era of the superpower team, and that truly has little to do with conference affiliation. In fact, ESPN Stats & Information projects that if Clemson played Alabama's schedule, the Tigers and Tide would be projected to have similar records. Clemson also is the higher-rated team in the FPI rankings. If that doesn't dispel the "they don't play anyone in the ACC" argument, not much else will.

There is one more case to be made here for Clemson and the ACC. It is far better to have an elite team at the top than to be the Pac-12, which might be the most balanced conference in the nation but is derided as a nonfactor because it hasn't been in the championship conversation since the first year of the playoff.

What has been good for Clemson has actually been great for the ACC, especially with the ACC Network set to launch on Aug. 22.

"It wasn't that long ago that we weren't in a position for this to happen," ACC commissioner John Swofford said recently. "That fact had a lot to do with our pursuit of expansion because we felt like looking ahead, that if we didn't expand, we just weren't going to be in a strong enough position to have the opportunities to really enhance our television. Football, more and more, has driven the train from a business standpoint and we've transitioned from a basketball-centric league to one that's extraordinarily well-balanced, football and basketball-wise."

Jimbo Fisher helped change the ACC football narrative as he built Florida State into a national champion in 2013, just before Swinney and Clemson turned the corner from good to elite. But expansion also changed the way the conference had to think, and programs beyond the more traditional football schools had to start investing in football.

The result has been a far better football product over the past six years. A program like NC State, for example, has produced 17 draft picks since 2016. In the nine years before that, the Wolfpack had 16 total players drafted. Louisville, new to the ACC, is in a slump now. But this is also the program that produced Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson only three seasons ago.

Syracuse is coming off its first 10-win season since 2001, and is one of two ACC teams to beat Clemson over the past three seasons. These are all tangible signs the ACC overall is better, even if the total number of ranked teams in 2018 doesn't necessarily show it.

"The gap is not as big as everybody thinks, but certainly it's there," Boston College coach Steve Addazio said. "They've had an elite quarterback and great defense [at Clemson]. I love their culture, or at least my perception of that. If you look back, there has been a segment of time, programs have been just a little bit up there. That doesn't mean you can't get beat. Everybody gets beat. It just means you're hitting it at all cylinders. I think they are hitting it at all cylinders, and I think it's great for our conference."

When Louisville coach Scott Satterfield was at Appalachian State, he and his staff would visit with Swinney and the Clemson staff during the spring. He saw firsthand how Swinney built the program, so now that he is in the same division, he has a complete understanding about what needs to be done to at least try to compete.

"It starts with how you run your program. I think we're very similar," Satterfield said. "We try to lead with love and not fear. Some programs are going to make you do things; I want these guys to want to do these things, and to me that's Clemson's model. After that, you have to get some talented players. That's the difference now with Clemson compared to six, seven, eight years ago. They're getting some of the best players in the country. Last spring, when I visited with them, of guys that early enrolled -- there may have been five or six different players of the year in their state. When that happens, you've got a chance right off the bat to be pretty good.

"So we've got to do a great job getting the right kind of players here, that fit what we do that will give us an opportunity to compete for a championship. You've got to start with one, then get two, then you win some games, and the next thing you know, it snowballs. I've seen that at Clemson and now they've got the facilities and the recruits, now it's rolling."

Perhaps it rolls all the way to another national championship. And if the Tigers do, it will be because they are the best team in the country, not because they somehow lucked out playing a softer schedule.

The names atop college football's hierarchy rarely change. Five programs, after all -- Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Oklahoma, and Oregon -- have accounted for 25 of 45 AP top-five finishes this decade and 15 of 20 College Football Playoff bids.

Alabama hasn't finished outside the top 10 since 2007, Ohio State has done so only twice since 2004, Oklahoma has won the past four Big 12 titles and either Clemson or Florida State has won the past eight ACC titles.

Still, there's always movement. There's always a team experiencing a dream season. There's always a run we didn't see coming. It's one of the things that keeps us coming back even in times of power consolidation.

On average, about one team per year improves its S&P+ rating -- the tempo- and opponent-adjusted efficiency measure I created at Football Outsiders in 2008 -- by 20 or more adjusted points per game. Another handful improve by at least 15 per game. Those are huge shifts. That's Western Michigan going from 1-11 to 8-5 in 2014, or Auburn going from 3-9 to 12-2 in 2013, or FAU going from 3-9 to 11-3 in Lane Kiffin's first season.

Similarly, about one team per year regresses by 20 or more adjusted points per game, and about three more fall by 15-plus.

And while some breakthroughs can provide sustainable improvement -- Western Michigan, after all, hasn't won fewer than six games in a season since 2014's rise and Auburn hasn't gone worse than 7-6 since 2013 -- what typically happens in the following season is fairly predictable: Our old friend Regression to the Mean shows up at the party.

When a team improves by 18 or more adjusted points per game in S&P+, it averages a dip of 4.9 ppg the following year. When a team improves by 9-18 points per game, it sees a dip of two points. On the flip side, when a team regresses by 18 or more points, it averages an uptick of 5.8 points per game the following year. Regressing by 9-18 points? That's followed by a surge of 3.4 points per game on average.

So which teams will sustain their improvement from last year and which are the top bounceback candidates?

Teams that will sustain 2018 gains

In 2018, 14 teams improved by at least nine adjusted points per game in S&P+. Four of those -- BYU, Fresno State, Nevada, and Utah State -- improved by at least 15, and one (Fresno) improved by more than 20.

The biggest risers -- Fresno State, UAB and perhaps Utah State -- are among those most likely to stumble this fall. Buffalo (which just lost a large chunk of its offense to transfer or graduation) and Kentucky (which just lost massive star power on defense) will also find it difficult to maintain last year's standard. That said, this group of improved programs has solid stability in that only one team lost its head coach, and only four lost their starting QBs. Nine return both, which maybe makes for a softer landing?

Cincinnati Bearcats
Last year: Improved from 4-8 to 11-2, from 95th to 50th in S&P+, and from 106th to 44th in FPI
2019 projections: 41st in S&P+ (7.6 average projected wins*) and 39th in FPI (8.5 wins)

Luke Fickell's Bearcats are a year ahead of schedule. After a massive first-year youth movement in 2017, Fickell went with a second youth movement of sorts in 2018, replacing senior incumbent QB Hayden Moore with freshman Desmond Ridder and giving almost every carry to a freshman or sophomore. Two of the top three tacklers were sophomores, as well.

This, of course, says very good things about where Cincinnati might be headed. Ridder has 3,000-yard passing/1,000-yard rushing potential, RB Michael Warren II is a workhorse, almost all of last year's receiving corps and secondary returns, and Fickell could live off the fruits of an incredible 2018 recruiting class for a while.

This year's schedule is rugged, featuring visits from UCLA, UCF and Temple, and trips to Ohio State, Marshall, Houston, USF and Memphis. Matching last year's 11-win total will be almost impossible. But sustaining last year's gains on paper (and the computers) should be realistic.

Florida Gators
Last year: Improved from 4-7 to 10-3, from 34th to ninth in S&P+, and from 50th to 11th in FPI
2019 projections: Sixth in S&P+ (8.7 wins) and eighth in FPI (8.2 wins)

A lot of Florida's 2018 improvement came after people had stopped paying attention. Florida's decades-long win streak over Kentucky ended early in the year, and the Gators lost to Georgia and Missouri by a combined 40 points. But the Gators won their final four games, averaging 45 points and wrecking Florida State and Michigan in the process.

Better yet, they return most of those responsible for that late-season surge. Quarterback Feleipe Franks and an ultra-deep skill corps are back, and last year's sophomore-heavy defense is now junior-heavy. The offensive line is undergoing a major rebuild, but the continuity is strong everywhere else despite recent attrition in the secondary.

Florida also has history on its side. While the 2010s haven't been nearly as fun in Gainesville as the 2000s, the Gators have still finished four of the past five seasons in the S&P+ top 25. It's more likely that 2017 was the outlier, not 2018.

Georgia Southern Eagles
Last year: Improved from 2-10 to 10-3, from 117th to 87th in S&P+, and from 118th to 76th in FPI
2019 projections: 83rd in S&P+ (6.9 wins) and 75th in FPI (7.6 wins)

As with Florida, 2018 was more of a rebound than an out-of-nowhere surge. After averaging eight wins and a No. 72 S&P+ ranking from 2014 to 2016, their first three FBS seasons, the Eagles crumbled to 2-10 in 2017, showing signs of life only after Chad Lunsford took over as interim coach for the ousted Tyson Summers. Lunsford got the full-time job for 2018, and voila -- Southern was Southern again.

Southern should remain Southern this fall, especially now that quarterback Shai Werts' recent drug charge has been dropped. The Eagles are loaded with experience, especially on defense and on the offensive line. With trips to LSU, Minnesota, and the three best non-Southern Sun Belt teams (Appalachian State, Troy, and Arkansas State), reaching 10 wins again could be a hefty challenge, but the quality of the team itself is no longer in question.

Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
Last year: Improved from 3-9 to 8-6, from 124th to 103rd in S&P+, and from 120th to 107th in FPI
2019 projections: 96th in S&P+ (5.9 wins) and 88th in FPI (6.7 wins)

Nick Rolovich's Warriors began 2018 6-1, averaging nearly 40 points and rising from a projected 129th in S&P+ to 78th. Quarterback Cole McDonald's midseason numbers were staggering: 65% completion rate, 24-to-2 TD-to-INT ratio, 169.8 passer rating.

McDonald began battling a nauseating number of ailments, however, from a strained MCL to internal bleeding in his scrotum. Believe it or not, that affected his performance. He completed 53% of his passes the rest of the way, with a 123.6 rating, and Hawaii finished 2-5.

McDonald is back and healthy, his offensive line could be the best in the MWC, and while the defense probably still won't be very good, it will be more experienced. The schedule is unforgiving -- three Pac-12 opponents and Army in nonconference games, plus trips to Nevada and Boise State -- so reaching another bowl will be tricky, but a healthy McDonald means a high ceiling.

Texas A&M Aggies
Last year: Improved from 7-6 to 9-4, from 36th to 11th in S&P+, and from 40th to 13th in FPI
2019 projections: 11th in S&P+ (7.1 wins) and 11th in FPI (7.4 wins)

You're probably seeing a trend here. Cincinnati, Georgia Southern, and Hawaii all improved on paper, but their win totals all got a boost from favorable schedules that will get harder (even while the team improves) in 2019.

Consider A&M the poster child for this effect. The Aggies play the typical West gauntlet but also draw a Georgia trip in interdivision play and visit Clemson in nonconference. They play each of S&P+'s projected top-four teams and seven of the top 17.

The Aggies will have to play at a top-10 level or better to match last year's win total. They very well might. The first-year improvement that Jimbo Fisher engineered seemed organic and sustainable, and while the Aggies have to deal with pretty stiff turnover on both sides of the ball, they still have QB Kellen Mond and a receiving corps that has gone from sophomore-heavy to junior-heavy. They're incredibly dangerous.

Teams that will bounce back

Fifteen teams also fell by at least nine adjusted points per game last year, and two -- Florida State and Louisville -- fell by dramatic margins: 21.4 ppg for FSU, 28.3 for Louisville. Since 2006, only three teams have fallen by a larger amount than last year's Cardinals: 2009 Ball State, 2009 Rice, and 2012 Southern Miss. That's the wrong kind of rarefied air for the denizens of Cardinal Stadium.

Partially because of the depth of the tumble, the Seminoles and Cardinals are both among the five teams I feel are most likely to rebound in 2019. Who else will? And by how much?

Florida State Seminoles
Last year: Fell from 7-6 to 5-7, from ninth to 71st in S&P+, and from 20th to 67th in FPI
2019 projections: 33rd in S&P+ (6.7 wins) and 21st in FPI (8.1 wins)

There are two ways to look at FSU's recent malaise. On one hand, bad offensive lines -- like the historically awful one the Seminoles fielded last year -- can rebound pretty quickly, especially with better luck when it comes to injuries. If the 2019 line is simply mediocre, there's enough talent elsewhere to push a rebound of two or three wins, minimum. Plus, new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles could potentially bring his typical jolt of energy -- both FAU's offense in 2017 and Houston's in 2018 improved dramatically under his guidance.

On the other hand, though, this wasn't a one-year funk. The 2018 season might have been an outright disaster, it was also the fifth consecutive year in which FSU's S&P+ ranking fell. It could take a while to steer out of that skid.

Either way, it's a no-brainer to pick the Noles to improve this fall, simply because of how far they fell.

Louisville Cardinals
Last year: Fell from 8-5 to 2-10, from 14th to 98th in S&P+, and from 22nd to 103rd in FPI
2019 projections: 82nd in S&P+ (4.2 wins) and 66th in FPI (4.4 wins)

It should be noted that in his first season succeeding Bobby Petrino, Scott Satterfield takes over a full-on Year Zero situation this fall.

Petrino left smoking wreckage behind in Louisville, and Satterfield's first starting lineup could feature as few as six to eight seniors. The QB group lost all confidence last fall. There are certainly some exciting young athletes, but Satterfield has to build a new culture from scratch. That's usually not an overnight task.

So it wouldn't be smart to bet on a bowl bid or anything, but there is raw talent at the quarterback position and in the receiving corps, and at worst, the defense will be far more experienced than in 2018. Whether the Cards can run the ball like Satterfield wants to is quite unclear, but the bar is set at two wins and a triple-digit ranking. That's something the Cardinals can probably clear.

TCU Horned Frogs
Last year: Fell from 11-3 to 7-6, from 16th to 43rd in S&P+, and from 12th to 47th in FPI
2019 projections: 31st in S&P+ (7.3 wins) and 35th in FPI (7.3 wins)

In 2013, TCU ranked eighth in defensive S&P+ -- good by even Gary Patterson's standards -- but the offense lost its way. Starting QB Casey Pachall broke his arm and missed five games, and replacement Trevone Boykin was not yet ready to thrive. With some offseason scheme changes and improvement from Boykin, the Frogs ignited in 2014, winning 12 games and a share of the Big 12 title.

I'm not going to predict 12 wins, but a lot of TCU's 2018 issues reflected shades of 2013. The defense remained excellent (16th), and QB Shawn Robinson's midseason injury made a shaky attack worse. (TCU ended up 91st in offensive S&P+, its worst ranking since 2013, and Robinson transferred.) There was no coordinator change this time, and the QB race is ongoing, but simple in-season continuity should create offensive improvement, and the defense probably will still be Patterson-level good.

Virginia Tech Hokies
Last year: Fell from 9-4 to 6-7, from 21st to 55th in S&P+, and from 18th to 55th in FPI
2019 projections: 34th in S&P+ (8.0 wins) and 32nd in FPI (8.3 wins)

With a massively overhauled defense, a painfully young secondary and an early season QB injury, Tech's 2018 drop was the easiest to both predict and explain. The Hokies fell from ninth to 77th in defensive S&P+, and while the offense still improved overall behind QB Ryan Willis, there were lots of ups and downs.

It was pretty easy to see a stumble coming, and it's just as easy to now forecast a rebound. The offense that rallied to finish 41st in offensive S&P+ brings back Willis and a junior-heavy skill corps, and after nearly complete attrition a year ago, the Hokies return nearly their entire secondary. Their upside is as high as anyone's in the ACC Coastal aside from maybe Miami, and the primary thing preventing them from bouncing back to nine wins is a schedule that includes trips to Miami, Notre Dame and Virginia.

Wisconsin Badgers
Last year: Fell from 13-1 to 8-5, from third to 19th in S&P+, and from seventh to 24th in FPI
2019 projections: 14th in S&P+ (8.8 wins) and 38th in FPI (6.6 wins)

You've probably caught on by now that my S&P+ ratings and the ESPN Stats & Information FPI share the same sentiment about most teams. That makes Wisconsin fascinating to me, as the two systems disagree dramatically, by 24 places and 2.2 wins.

Wisconsin was as efficient as ever on offense last year but was perhaps unsustainably bad in specific situations (third-and-medium, to name one). The Badgers also suffered massive turnover in the secondary and injury on the defensive front. This season they have to replace their starting QB and most of their offensive line, and there's not a proven pass-rusher to be found.

I don't see QB play getting worse, though, and I can't even pretend to worry about a Wisconsin O-line. The skill corps is loaded, and a tested secondary could be excellent if it gets just the slightest help from the pass rush.

NEW YORK -- Giancarlo Stanton wants to return from his knee injury in time to fine-tune that powerful swing for October.

Sidelined nearly all season, the New York Yankees slugger is hitting indoors and throwing as he rehabs from a sprained right knee that's been slow to heal since he got hurt June 25. The next step will be jogging and running outside before ramping up baseball activities.

General manager Brian Cashman originally targeted August but now says the American League East leaders hope to get Stanton back sometime in September.

"Once I start moving around, just see how it bounces back. But I do want to have a few weeks of at-bats before October, for sure," Stanton said Thursday in his first comments to reporters in some time. "I want to be out there for a couple weeks, just the game routine and having whatever amount of at-bats I can."

The 2017 National League MVP said he's confident he'll return to health this season but has no particular date in mind.

"I'm doing everything I can to get there, so that's what this process is and that's what I'm working for," the 29-year-old said.

"The deadline is when my knee is ready to play major league games," Stanton added. "So if something happens to that, then I can always get at-bats, non-big league at-bats, but by close to big league pitching, to catch me up if need be. But that is the deadline -- not any rush past when my knee is ready."

Stanton strained his left biceps March 31 in his third game of the season, strained a shoulder and calf during his rehabilitation and returned June 18. He quickly went down again and is batting .290 with one home run and seven RBIs in nine games this year.

The outfielder and designated hitter was transferred to the 60-day injured list Sunday.

"It's been brutal on my side, but it's been really good to see the team playing so well. I mean, that's what's really kept it not so bad for me is just to watch everyone bringing together wins in all different type of ways, not one hero every night," Stanton said. "That's what I've been focusing on. Not poor me, all this stuff. I'm just watching how good we've been playing and just, what strategy for me to come file in. Not to just be back playing, but to get another little boost to what we've already been doing really well."

Despite a series of injuries to All-Stars and other accomplished players, the streaking Yankees began the day tied for the best record in the majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers at 81-41.

Pointed toward the playoffs, New York held a 10-game lead in the AL East with 40 to play.

"I'm definitely glad to be hitting and moving around. Still got a lot of work to do, but I'm definitely glad for that," Stanton said. "Just waiting on this knee to be full go and then we'll be ready."

NEW YORK -- Jimmy O'Brien's mind began racing.

The clock on this mid-July afternoon was ticking past 5 p.m. He needed to work fast. His first thought? This will be big. REALLY BIG. Get something to the masses as quickly as possible. They'll devour it.

With his brain flipped into hyperdrive, the 30-year-old New Jersey man and full-time New York Yankees fan started digging into his bag of software editing tricks. He sensed a duty to help explain to those who followed him -- and even to those who didn't -- just what exactly happened during one incredibly bizarre scene at Yankee Stadium.

Check screen No. 1. Rewind. Listen. Read lips. Listen harder. OK, got it. Cut the clip. Check screen No. 2. Fast-forward -- no, wait, rewind back a little more. What in the hell was Brett Gardner doing with his bat? Cut the clip. Go back to screen No. 1. Fast-forward again. Wait. Stop. Stop. Stop. Did Aaron Boone just say what it sounded like he said?! Listen hard. Read lips. Wow. He did.

Cut the clip.

Some 15 minutes after Boone, the Yankees' second-year manager, was tossed from the first game of New York's July 18 doubleheader with Tampa Bay, O'Brien -- better known on social media by his Twitter/YouTube handle of "Jomboy" -- had shared with the world a simple subtitled 21-second video that would become a defining piece of the team's season.

It's all because of what Boone said in the now-viral video to first-year umpire Brennan Miller as he bemoaned what he believed was a missed call. The rant, one of the more memorable in recent baseball history, ultimately fired up the Yankees fan base, leading to the now-infamous "Savages in the Box" rallying cry.

However the Yankees' season ends, this saying will carry them throughout. They can thank O'Brien for that.

"My guys are f---ing savages in that f---ing box, right?" Boone said to Miller in the second inning of the game. "And you're having a piece of s--- start to this game. I feel bad for you. But f---ing get better. That guy is a good pitcher, but our guys are f---ing savages in that box. Our guys are savages in the f---ing box. Tighten it up right now, OK? Tighten this s--- up."

O'Brien's video [WARNING: Sensitive, uncensored language] gave the internet a rare up-close glimpse of what life on the field sounds like. All season, he's found similar peeks into on-field baseball life at other ballparks too, thanks in large part to an ambient-sound feed provided by Major League Baseball.

When O'Brien -- who has turned his passion for sports into a full-time gig -- sits down each night as first pitches are thrown around the country, he does so in front of an elaborate multiscreen setup. He has two computers and one television, all tuned in to baseball -- typically that night's Yankees game. On the television: the live feed of the game. On the computers: the local streaming feeds -- YES Network for the Yankees and the regional broadcast partner for their opponent. When he happens to spot a quirky moment he thinks could be enhanced by the ambient-sound feed, he switches over to that. All of these streaming feeds are easily accessible to anyone with an MLB.TV package.

"If I see or hear anything that can damage someone's reputation I usually shy away from it, but to be honest, that really hasn't happened so far. I think, in most of the dustups, the overwhelming reaction is that the players and umpires are human and get swept away in frustration and emotion the same way all of us do." Jimmy "Jomboy" O'Brien

Once O'Brien sees action he considers worth sharing, he goes to work, using his self-taught method of cutting, splicing and editing digital video.

"You know the scene in 'The Social Network' when the decoders go at it? With him, it's about two hours -- of that," said Jake Storiale, O'Brien's longtime friend and Talkin' Yanks podcast co-host. "The hard work is what people kind of don't get about what he's doing. It's not, here's some video, here's some audio. It's not that."

O'Brien's video editing background isn't the only thing that has helped his creations take off. So too has his and Storiale's belief that they can create a groundswell of fresh interest in the sport.

From brawls, to contentious back-and-forth at-bats, to pitching mechanics, to random ballpark machinations across the league, O'Brien, with the help of Storiale, plus an intern and an army of volunteers, offers what he calls "breakdowns," which feature mostly humorous, sometimes obscene and often easy-to-digest commentary. His longer, two-minute, 23-second breakdown of the Boone ejection came later in the evening.

Not everyone is thrilled about these videos. Some in the sport think they could be dangerous. But others see them as a burst of joy amid baseball's marathon nine-months-long season.

"I know fans want to be involved as much as they can," Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge said. "They like seeing the inside part of the game, because a lot of times they don't get to see that stuff."

For O'Brien, that's precisely the point of everything he has done since he revived his once-dormant Twitter account two years ago.

"To educate the fan base sounds lame and like I'm an old-school teacher, but that's how you get the entertainment going," O'Brien said. "Fun, with a little bit of education."

O'Brien is no stranger to wanting to be part of the action on the field at Yankee Stadium. Family members still lovingly tease him about the night when, as a 7-year-old, he ran up to his big-screen TV and pretended he was jumping into the dogpile on the screen as the Yankees celebrated winning the 1996 World Series. A couple of years later, while briefly living in Australia, he'd watch World Series games on VHS tapes. Since the games came on when he'd be heading to school in the morning, his mom -- under constant threat of being muzzled so she wouldn't spoil the results of the game -- would record them for the family to watch later in the day.

Recording game video goes back a long way in the O'Brien household.

And it has borne a few surprising consequences.

For starters, last month's glimpse into Boone's in-argument persona led to a burgeoning boom for startup companies like O'Brien's Jomboy Media group, which has nearly 300,000 subscribers on YouTube, up from just 2,000 two months ago. There are at least three different versions of "Savages in the Box" T-shirts, all created by different entities. Some have even been worn regularly by players at Yankee Stadium, where there are now similarly branded T-shirts and caps for sale at the team store.

Along the way, Boone has earned an added measure of respect from many in the Yankees fan base, thought he'd prefer to have earned it in a different way.

"I had some choices of words that weren't great, especially in a public setting where kids are going to get a hold of that stuff, so you're not necessarily proud of that," Boone said the day after his tossing from Miller. The manager, whose cap made contact with Miller's, was suspended for a game.

"If I was Major League Baseball, I would actually consider hiring him. Because I'm sure with their resources he'd have even more material to work with, and have him pump out the same kind of videos for them, but be able to do them at even a higher technological level." YES Network play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco on O'Brien

Regardless of how remorseful Boone was in the immediate fallout from his ejection, his players and staff still loved every minute of what they later saw on O'Brien's "Jomboy" Twitter feed.

"Boonie had some mixed thoughts about it right away, because there obviously are some things that you don't want out there," Yankees assistant hitting coach P.J. Pilittere said. "Sometimes mantras for teams can happen organically that way, and that's kind of, I guess, the social [media] world got to see behind the curtain a little bit of what we really believe that we are."

Pilittere was so struck by O'Brien's wit and baseball savvy in the few breakdowns he'd seen, he decided to reach out. He wanted O'Brien to know that he and a few others in pinstripes were watching -- and approved of what they were seeing.

Whether it was Boone's eruption, Trevor Bauer's tossing of the ball from the pitcher's mound over the center-field wall in Kansas City or the Pirates-Reds pre-trade-deadline brawl, Yankees players have joined their coaches in glancing at O'Brien's videos when they hear, by word of mouth, of something they need to check out.

"When you do something that creates a stir within the principals in the sport, usually that means people outside of it are going to enjoy it too," said Ryan Ruocco, YES Network play-by-play announcer and co-host of the R2C2 podcast with Yankees starter CC Sabathia.

Ruocco said it was Sabathia who first put one of O'Brien's original "breakdowns" on his radar.

"All the stuff he does is different and funny," Sabathia said.

Two years ago, as the Yankees were making a somewhat unexpected run toward the postseason, they embraced the thumbs-down sign. It was a nod to the Mets fan who went viral after being caught on camera showcasing his displeasure at a Yankees home run during a Yankees-Rays game that had been moved to Citi Field as Hurricane Irma struck Central Florida.

While embracing the thumbs-down, the Yankees posed for a clubhouse picture. O'Brien ended up offering his lighthearted take on how various players were sporting their thumbs in the picture.

"I zoomed in and I was like, '[Tyler] Wade, good form, tight fist.' I was like, 'Clint [Frazier], looking the wrong way, not ready, just got called up,'" O'Brien recounted. "I kind of just made jokes. One was like, 'Judge, your knuckles are loose, buddy. You've got to tighten those knuckles up.'

"And then on the next R2C2, they talked about it. And I was blown away. You don't realize the internet can go far. CC was like, 'I keep telling Judge to keep tightening those knuckles up.' That was like heart eyes for me."

There has been some concern in the upper levels of the Yankees organization about what might happen if the ambient-sound mic catches players or coaches on any big league team saying something more regrettable and less funny than "f---ing savages in the box."

On at least one occasion, weeks before Boone's blowup scorched the internet, Yankees officials contacted MLB to inquire about how it might better legislate the way O'Brien or anyone else uses audio from the games -- particularly games in which players, coaches or umpires are not specifically miked up.

The league has yet to respond to the Yankees' inquiry.

When ESPN reached out to MLB regarding the way its broadcast feed has been used for the types of videos O'Brien has been making, the league declined to comment.

O'Brien has been given permission by those running the league's social media channels to continue posting his content, but they could claim certain videos for their own if the situation arises, since he's technically using their broadcast footage. He's fine with that.

As generally mum as the league has wanted to stay on this issue, its disciplinarian and chief baseball officer, Joe Torre, did address the growing hot-mic concerns Tuesday when he was at Yankee Stadium promoting his foundation.

"It is part of growing the game. But again, when there isn't that type of oversight and you're just kind of floating out there without a parachute, that's some really treacherous, dangerous ground that could be really personally damaging to a player, and also for the team -- and for the league, for that matter." Yankees vice president of communications and media relations Jason Zillo on hot-mic videos

"It wasn't supposed to be that clear," Torre, the former Yankees manager, said of the ambient-sound feed fans can access. "It shouldn't happen. That's just crowd noise and stuff." Added Torre, who was recently surprised that a 37-year-old video of one of his own profanity-laced managerial tirades surfaced: "[Arguments are] not something you're proud of. There is an entertaining value when you go nose to nose, as long as it ends there. ... When it starts getting personal, that's dangerous."

In his capacity with MLB, Torre spoke to Boone during his visit about keeping his composure, as well as the hot-mic issue.

Still, Yankees vice president of communications and media relations Jason Zillo says the team wants the league to do more about what O'Brien has been creating.

"[I] certainly appreciate and respect where we are in 2019, where part of growing the game is giving some of that personal and intimate dialogue and baseball give-and-take over a nine-inning game through mics," Zillo said. "But there has to be some type of guardrail to mitigate or eliminate what could become a very dangerous situation, where if players or teams aren't made aware that there is the potential of some type of live mic picking up any and all sound throughout the game, that could really become a slippery slope and it could be damaging to a team. It could be damaging to a player's career.

"Again, I appreciate, and we effort to acknowledge that intimate moments, when used with discretion and with oversight -- whether it be Fox or ESPN and/or [Major League] Baseball -- clearly there's a window for that and it should be pursued by all parties involved because it is part of growing the game. But again, when there isn't that type of oversight and you're just kind of floating out there without a parachute, that's some really treacherous, dangerous ground that could be really personally damaging to a player, and also for the team -- and for the league, for that matter."

Boone echoed Zillo's sentiments, saying just this week he believed the hot-mic videos to this point have been executed fairly and without malice. But he did also think more could be done by all parties involved to ensure that continues to happen.

"There's a responsibility to be careful with it and careful with how do you use that, and how do you protect certain things," Boone said. "For the most part [it's being handled responsibly], but everyone could probably do a little better job of making sure."

O'Brien understands those concerns.

"If I see or hear anything that can damage someone's reputation I usually shy away from it," O'Brien said, "but to be honest, that really hasn't happened so far. I think, in most of the dustups, the overwhelming reaction is that the players and umpires are human and get swept away in frustration and emotion the same way all of us do."

Judge contends that's why, whether the dugout microphones are hot or cold, he's going to play with the same level of fire, emotion and passion.

"I'm working. So if I say something that's not supposed to be out, I mean, I'm competing out there," Judge said. "Sometimes when you're competing -- and this is our livelihood, so we're out there trying to compete as best we can -- things are going to come out. F'n savages or things like that, a couple of cuss words and stuff like that, but that's part of it. We're working. I never want to shield what I'm saying."

A link with content creators like O'Brien could be an opportunity for MLB as it seeks to bring the game back to prominence among younger generations -- the same generations subscribing to O'Brien's YouTube channel at an accelerating pace.

"That's the thing that's crazy about the YouTube channel and tying it all to baseball," Storiale said. "The people that subscribe to the YouTube channel are the young, target demographic. And if one of those gets posted, it's going to get six-figure views -- at minimum."

O'Brien's channel in fact received more than a million views for each of his breakdowns of Boone's ejection vs. the Rays, as well as the ejection Gardner got just last week in Toronto. It also got about 550,000 views for a video O'Brien did tracking the epic and entertaining 13-pitch at-bat last Sunday between flamethrowing Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman and Blue Jays rookie Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

MLB's video of the Chapman-Guerrero battle earned just shy of 170,000.

"If I was Major League Baseball, I would actually consider hiring him," Ruocco said. "Because I'm sure with their resources, he'd have even more material to work with, and have him pump out the same kind of videos for them, but be able to do them at even a higher technological level."

Ruocco believes O'Brien has left his imprint firmly on this Yankees year -- even if some with the club are uneasy about that.

"He will forever be tied to the 2019 season," Ruocco said. "When we look back at 2019, we're always going to think of Jomboy blowing up and creating entertaining content for us to enjoy."

Local sprints star Matt Hudson-Smith is ready for his first race of the year at this weekend’s Müller Grand Prix at the Alexander Stadium

Matt Hudson-Smith makes a belated beginning to his 2019 track season on Sunday when he tackles the 400 metres. It is his first race since the IAAF Continental Cup last September after a succession of injuries have so far prevented the Birmingham-born athlete from opening this season’s campaign.

Hudson-Smith was due to race at the IAAF World Relays in May but withdrew due to an injury – just one of several niggles he has struggled with lately. But he believes his late start to the season could prove a blessing in disguise.

“Because I’m starting my season later I might not be as jaded as some athletes who have been racing since January,” he says. “My situation has its benefits and has its weaknesses.”

He adds: “I’ve been in worse situations before with illnesses. Before the English Schools in 2013 I was ill and only prepared for two weeks (Hudson-Smith won 200m gold).

“In 2016 I had a similar kind of preparation as this year but it was less publicised (he ran 44.61 to place eighth in the Olympic 400m final in Rio). So I’m used to this kind of situation where it’s a tight fit and we’ll just go with the flow.”

Hudson-Smith continues: “My coach (Lance Brauman) doesn’t want to rush it because we know it doesn’t take me that long to get fit. Doha is where it matters and the bigger one is the Olympics in Tokyo. If you’re going to do it then it’s best to do it properly.

“It helps that this is a long season. If it was a normal season then I probably wouldn’t have made it. But it’s funny how things work out.”

A rare talent, Hudson-Smith made a name for himself in 2014 when he ran 44.97 at a Diamond League meet in Glasgow before improving to 44.75 in Zurich to place runner-up to Martyn Rooney at the European Championships. At the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow he also anchored England to 4x400m victory.

“It seems like a lifetime ago,” says Hudson-Smith, who is still only 24. “But I only moved up to 400m in 2014 so I’m relatively new to the event and only just starting to get to know what works for me and what doesn’t.”

Hudson-Smith has also been settling into life in Florida with a Braumann-coached group that includes fellow Brits Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Jazmine Sawyers and Desiree Henry. He moved there in autumn 2017 and describes it as a “big drastic change” but adds: “I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s a great place to train.”

Certainly it paid off during 2018 when he won the European 400m title in Berlin in emphatic style. Clocking 44.78 he won by more than a quarter of a second (pictured below) and he also won the British title in 44.68.

Problem is, lots of his training this year has involved cross-training and gym work. “I can tell you now,” he laughs, “if my stability hasn’t improved 10-fold this year then I’ll be surprised I’ve been on underwater treadmills, wobbly boards, you name it.

“I’ve been cross training like a nutcase. At the start I found it boring but my coach told me it served a purpose and once I got my head around it I got it done.”

Which parts has he dreaded most? “Probably the assault bike. It literally made me cry. I did intervals – hard on/off – and it was simulating the build-up of lactic. Also, aqua jogging has been hard. A couple of times I nearly drowned. I had a float on but my head was under the water!”

Given this, he is eager to put spikes on to race. “Things have gone well in recently and my coach is happy and he wouldn’t have let me run if he wasn’t happy,” he says.

Aged 24, he still has time on his side when it comes to breaking Iwan Thomas’ long-standing UK 400m record of 44.36 too. “I’ve had my eye on it for so long now!” says Hudson-Smith, whose best of 44.48 was set in the Olympic semi-final in Rio.

“It’s definitely coming. Iwan keeps bantering me and he says he did it when he was aged about 27-28, so I have time to do it yet.”