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The Buckeyes should start the next decade with another big showing in the 2020 NFL Draft. Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer projects nine Buckeyes will be drafted in his seven-round mock, including two in the first three picks. Defensive end Chase Young and cornerback Jeff Okudah are the headliners on what is another loaded class that features seven top-100 picks. Here are the Ohio State players Iyer projects will be selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, and where they will land....

The 2020 NFL Draft will be stronger on quarterbacks than this year, especially if Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Georgia’s Jake Fromm decide to forego their senior seasons, as expected, and join Oregon’s Justin Herbert at the top of the draft. The draft order was determined based on teams’ Vegas odds to win the Super Bowl with some shuffling based on possible playoff positioning and SN projections. We know a lot can change between now and next April, but we’re still going to mock this out anyway....

That makes it another good time for an updated Sporting News first-round mock draft for 2021. The winless Jets got out of Monday night with a strong hold on the No. 1 overall pick, but there are plenty of one- and two-win teams jockeying for prime positions. Here’s how we see the picks from 1-32 playing out now. The top 18 picks are based on the current draft order, according to Tankathon....

As you might expect, that near-future class, like LSU’s Joe Burrow now, has a surefire No. 1 overall player at quarterback, one who also has won a college national championship. That would be Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, the no-brainer pick for the team with the qualifying worst record. The order for this mock draft is based on current consensus odds to win Super Bowl 55. Here’s how things might play out for the first round in Cleveland a year from now:...

From SN’s previous mock draft in late August, much has changed. The biggest things is some teams look much better or much worse than we thought they were, which shakes up the prospects’ destinations based on talent and need. Working from an order determined by our latest SN NFL power rankings — with second-half adjustments based on what 14 teams would make the playoffs — here’s how we see the first round playing out in 2021....

On Feb. 7, CBS Sports will broadcast Super Bowl 50. That means officiating “expert" Mike Carey possibly could boot another big call. Carey made his latest miscue during the AFC championship last Sunday. If he screws the pooch in front of 120 million viewers during CBS’s telecast of the Panthers and Broncos, Twitter will melt. MORE: Ranking every Super Bowl winner, 1-49 | Every franchise’s greatest team We all know a chain is as strong as its weakest link, so we got to thinking here at Sporting News: What if the NFL allowed CBS to borrow highly respected officiating expert Mike Pereira from Fox Sports for Super Bowl 50?...

That said, the team with the largest spread of the week, the Cowboys — who were favored by 7.5 points — lost outright to the Raiders in overtime. So, in some ways, this wacky, unpredictable betting season continued. In Week 13, gamblers will continue to look at the latest odds, trends, results and injuries to inform them of undervalued picks both against the spread and outright. Unfortunately, they are going to have to sort through two double-digit point spreads, as the Buccaneers (-10....

That makes the latest picks and predictions against the spread as tricky as the typical regular-season slate, only with much fewer matchups. Here’s Sporting News’ forecast for the NFL’s six playoff games over three days, starting with a marquee NFC throwback classic. MORE NFL PLAYOFFS:AFC & NFC bracket | TV schedule | Wild-card picks straight up NFL playoff picks, predictions against the spread Game of the Week: 49ers at Cowboys (-3, 47 o/u)...

Detroit, which has a 37-40-2 overall record in its 79 consecutive Thanksgiving game appearances, is a home underdog against Chicago with good reason. With Matthew Stafford out of the lineup with broken bones in his back the Lions have limped to a 3-7-1 record in a lost season. The Bears, though they’ve had their share of struggles, are still fighting for a playoff spot in the NFC. FULL WEEK 13 NFL PICKS:Against the spread | Straight-up predictions...

After a loaded day of football on Thanksgiving, Week 12 of the NFL season continues on Sunday, November 27, with only a slightly smaller slate than normal, thanks to no teams being on bye. Bettors have lines for 12 games to dissect in making their NFL picks. Here are the lines I have come across that I simply cannot say no to. Week 12 NFL Picks Chargers vs. Cardinals Over 48 My first pick of Week 12 isn’t as much about the offenses playing in this game, but rather the lousy defenses....

So we’re looking at you, Browns, Falcons, Panthers, Steelers and Texans. These are teams that entered the 2019 season with postseason aspirations but dropped their openers. The problem for some of them is that their Week 2 matchups appear no easier than the games they just lost. MORE: Get the latest NFL odds at Sportsbook Review On the other hand, teams like the Cowboys, Patriots, Saints, Packers, Rams and Chiefs, to name a few, are coming off games in which they delivered on their playoff-level expectations....

NFL spokesman Mark Waller told BBC Sports on Tuesday that the United Kingdom will have its own locally-based football franchise within six years. It’s the first time the league has committed to a franchise permanently based in the UK. MORE: History of the NFL’s moves | Back-to-back weeks in London? Wembley Stadium in London has hosted regular-season NFL games since 2007, with the Jaguars playing one home game a season there since 2013....

It used to be that 12 total teams made the playoffs with six from each conference qualifying. Two teams from each conference were awarded bye weeks while the remaining eight teams paired off in wild-card stand-offs. Now, there are fewer bye weeks to begin the playoffs and more games — just the way the NFL likes it. Many are still getting used to the new-ish playoff format. Sporting News is here to break down the NFL playoffs for those that need a refresher on how they work....

The Bills are the No. 2 seed in the AFC, and entered the postseason scorching hot. They’ve now won their last eight games after beating the Dolphins for the second time in three meetings this season between the division rivals. While Miami is left to look to next season, the Bills are on to the divisional round. MORE: Sporting News’ NFL experts make their playoff, Super Bowl 57 picks...

Last season, the higher seed finished 5-1. In 2020, the higher seed was 2-4. This year, the NFL is rolling with a three-day format that will set up the divisional round. There are three rematches and three divisional three-matches, too. Those divisional matches should be fun. San Francisco swept Seattle. Cincinnati and Baltimore and Buffalo and Miami split heading into their rubber-match. There are surprise rematches.. The Jaguars have a home game and beat the Chargers 38-10 in the regular season....

An updated look at the current NFL playoff scenario going into Week 14: MORE: Week 13 must-see photos | Chiefs are big teases again | MVP: Aaron Rodgers | Saints back on track AFC (who would be in) Patriots (9-3). The loss at Green Bay didn’t affect their conference position, but there went their breathing room for the top seed, making this week’s road game vs. the Chargers, easily their most difficult matchup left, a must win....

That leaves six more waiting to punch their tickets going into Week 16. Here’s a look at their chances. MORE: Week 16 odds | BAD BEATS: Bettors’ worst Week 15 moments AFC Who would be in: Patriots (12-2), champions, AFC East — They clinched a first-round bye after rolling through Tennessee and should lock down home-field advantage. Expect the AFC road to Super Bowl 50 to go through Foxborough. Schedule: at NYJ, at MIA MORE: Meet Joey Iosefa, the Patriots’ latest backfield steal...

Former No. 1 picks Joe Burrow and Kyler Murray are in that group, along with former Alabama stars Mac Jones and Jalen Hurts. Veteran Derek Carr rounds out that group. That group will look to challenge the establishment. Seven-time Super Bowl champion and three-time MVP Tom Brady is at the top of the list, along with two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers in the NFC. Patrick Mahomes II has led the Chiefs to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances....

All that’s left in the 2018 regular season is the month December before everything counts in larger amounts for the 12 teams that make the playoffs. Although there are some surefire playoff teams in place, Sporting News’ power rankings ahead of Week 13 show there’s plenty room for movement beyond them. MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture NFL power rankings New Orleans Saints 10-1 (last week: 1) The Saints let the good times keep rolling on Thanksgiving by getting even more guys involved in Drew Brees’ late-career MVP campaign....