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SAN FRANCISCO — Giants executive Farhan Zaidi said the club expressed concerns to Carlos Correa‘s representative immediately when an issue arose with the shortstop’s physical exam that led to the deal collapsing.

Zaidi, San Francisco’s president of baseball operations, spoke publicly Friday for the first time since the $350 million, 13-year contract for Correa fell through Dec. 20. An introductory news conference was called off about three hours before it was set to begin that day. Then Correa and agent Scott Boras struck a new deal with the Mets for $315 million over 12 years.

“I was on the phone with Scott Boras on the Monday that we did Carlos’ physical right when his plane landed in San Francisco at 5 p.m., and those conversations continued from that point, so any suggestion that this was an 11th-hour thing is just not accurate,” Zaidi said on a video call with a small group of beat reporters. “As soon as we had information, we shared it. We have a good working relationship with Scott Boras and his agency.”

Zaidi confirmed the Giants and Correa’s camp had “a difference of opinion on the medical review.”

The varying opinions were over a right ankle injury and surgery in 2014 when the star infielder was in Class A ball, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of privacy rules. Correa’s deal with the Mets is being held up by similar concerns.

Zaidi said it is important and standard practice of the front office “to show them the respect of communicating any concerns immediately and not waiting until the last possible second.” He expressed having a good relationship with Boras.

In fact, the Giants were close to finalizing a $36 million, two-year contract with outfielder Michael Conforto, another Boras client who already has undergone a successful physical.

Given that Correa’s contract with New York still hasn’t gone through, San Francisco has “had some conversations since then” with Boras, according to Zaidi, but “they’re focused on a deal elsewhere at this point, so I think chances of a deal with us at this point are pretty unlikely based on their position.”

In addition, Zaidi wanted to stress to the Giants’ loyal fan base that every decision was made as a whole, not by one individual.

“One thing that I would want to be clear, and I think it’s really important for us as an organization that our fans hear it from me and hopefully believe it, is our organization was totally unified every step of the way as this unfolded,” Zaidi said, “in the initial pursuit, in the negotiation and in unfortunately what happened subsequently.”

Zaidi has faced criticism this offseason after missing out on Aaron Judge and then Correa. While Zaidi called it a “frustrating situation” for everybody involved, he is trying to keep that all in perspective, noting: “This is baseball, I feel really fortunate to be in this job, I love it, I love the responsibility that comes with it. And part of my responsibility is when things don’t go your way is to support and lift other people up and not dwell on the negatives.”

He is moving past the scrutiny and looking forward to continuing to improve the roster for 2023. A former assistant general manager with the Oakland Athletics, the 46-year-old Zaidi came to the Giants in November 2018 from his previous job as GM of the Dodgers.

“It’s always a little jarring when you open up your Twitter app just to see what’s happening in the world and your name is trending, and that’s generally not a good thing,” he said. “At the end of the day I understand it comes with the territory. We have fans that really care, really are invested in this team and at the end of the day our job is to just put a compelling, fun team to watch on the field.”

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College football Week 13 preview: Big Saturday matchups, plus who could win the SEC?

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College football Week 13 preview: Big Saturday matchups, plus who could win the SEC?

Week 13 is here as we look toward big Saturday matchups that could have an effect on the College Football Playoff rankings, along with what’s going on in the SEC and the success story of a UCLA walk-on who is now leading the FBS in solo tackles.

Starting Saturday’s slate of games, No. 5 Indiana and No. 2 Ohio State will meet in a game that could have Big Ten and CFP implications, while No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 19 Army will face each other in the evening. Army and Indiana enter their matchups undefeated, but will they stay that way?

With conference title games just around the corner, we take a look at what’s going on in the SEC. No. 3 Texas and No. 15 Texas A&M lead in the standings currently, but could we see a potential rematch between No. 7 Alabama and No. 10 Georgia on Dec. 7?

Our college football experts preview big games and storylines ahead of the Week 13 slate.

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UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger | Army-Notre Dame | Who could win the SEC?
Big Ten CFP implications

UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger engineers an extraordinary walk-on story

Before this season, Carson Schwesinger‘s story had the typical markings: walk-on, overlooked in recruiting, worked his way onto the field for a Power 4 program.

Schwesinger was a scout team standout for UCLA. He played on every special teams unit, making the travel squad and catching the attention of running backs coach DeShaun Foster. He earned a scholarship before the 2022 season. Schwesinger had limited opportunities on defense but collected 15 tackles in 2022 and 12 last fall, including a sack.

His was a nice little story. This season, he has become something very different.

Schwesinger, a junior linebacker for the Bruins, leads the Big Ten and is tied for third nationally in total tackles with 109, and also has 2 interceptions, 3 sacks and a forced fumble. A team captain, Schwesinger leads the FBS in solo tackles with 69. He’s even generating NFL draft buzz after recording seven games with 10 or more tackles, including 17 last week at Washington.

“Any opportunity I was going to get, I was going to try and make the most of it,” Schwesinger said. “I don’t like going in with too many expectations about stats or playing time or whatever. I’m not a huge stats guy.”

Schwesinger attributed his production spike to several factors: increased playing time, facing more run-oriented offenses in UCLA’s first season in the Big Ten, and his teammates, especially star tackle Jay Toia and fellow linebackers Oluwafemi Oladejo and Kain Medrano. Ikaika Malloe, who coached the line in 2023, became Schwesinger’s fourth defensive coordinator in as many years but didn’t overhaul the scheme.

“He’s just somebody who you can count on,” said Foster, now UCLA’s head coach. “Just to see him continuously make plays, flying around and really being the quarterback of the defense, is just amazing. We’re not surprised by it, but he just keeps doing more stuff that’s just impressive.”

A native of Moorpark, California, Schwesinger played safety and wide receiver at Oaks Christian School, the football power not far from UCLA’s campus that regularly produces Power 4 recruits. But no one wanted Schwesinger, as he “slipped through the cracks,” Foster said.

Schwesinger came to UCLA to study bioengineering. One of his sisters studied physiological science there, and another was studying engineering “across town” at USC, the team the Bruins host Saturday.

“It’s definitely a little bit more time consuming,” said Schwesinger, who schedules most of his lab classes in the offseason. “It just takes a little bit extra preparedness throughout the week. The professors have been great in terms of being flexible and allowing me to be able to do both of my passions.”

Schwesinger hopes to use his degree and work in the sports science field after finishing with football.

“He’s going to real school, it’s not just showing up and taking TV,” said Foster, quoting fictional coach Pete Bell from the movie “Blue Chips.”

Schwesinger is a semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, given to the top college football player who started his career as a walk-on. He’s also a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, bestowed upon the sport’s top linebacker.

“I’m proud of just being able to continue to work, even when there were times when it didn’t seem like it was going to be going to work out for me,” Schwesinger said. “I’m just thankful for the opportunities that I’ve been given, and want to continue to make the most of any that I keep getting.” — Adam Rittenberg


What’s on the line in the Army-Notre Dame matchup?

Back in August, everybody had the Army-Notre Dame game in the next-to-last weekend of the regular season carrying College Football Playoff implications, right? And the same goes for Army coming into the game unbeaten, correct?

Sounds like fantasy, especially with the game being played at Yankee Stadium and the history of the two institutions, but the winner of this game takes a sizable step toward the playoff. Granted, Notre Dame is a big favorite and has been playing lights out since a shocking loss to Northern Illinois in the second week of the season. Since that loss, the Irish (9-1) have won eight straight games with seven of those wins coming by 18 or more points. After Army comes a trip to the West Coast to face USC, and with wins in both of those games, Notre Dame should be safely in the playoff for the first time since 2020.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman wants no part of what might lie ahead for his team, and he also doesn’t want anybody mistaking Army for Navy, which the Irish routed 51-14 back in October. The Midshipmen were unbeaten and nationally ranked at the time.

“I met with the defensive staff, and the first thing we said is the biggest mistake we can make is to think this is Navy 2.0. It’s not. It’s a different offense,” Freeman said. “They do some different things. They have a different identity and present a different challenge.”

The Black Knights (9-0) moved to 19th in the playoff committee’s latest rankings and have already clinched a berth in the AAC championship game against Tulane. The highest ranked Group of 5 conference champion will earn an automatic spot in the playoff. But with such a weak strength of schedule, Army is going to need a marquee win (like Notre Dame) to have a chance to pass Boise State in the final rankings even if it wins a conference championship.

Either way, this is the most anticipated Army-Notre Dame matchup in more than 50 years, although Army coach Jeff Monken has chosen to go down another road with his players, as in emphasizing the things — blocking, sure tackling, winning the turnover battle and winning on special teams — that have gotten them to this point.

“If I’m telling our guys this is the biggest [Notre Dame] game since 1946, I mean, how does that help our team win?” Monken said. “Does it? It just puts undue pressure on them.”

For sure, but it’s the kind of pressure, and the kind of stage, anybody in or around Army’s program would have gladly accepted back in August. — Chris Low


What’s going on in the SEC?

The dream of complete chaos happening in the SEC — an eight-team tie for first place — ended with LSU’s 27-16 loss at Florida last week.

With only two weeks to play in the regular season, there’s still much unknown and plenty of potential havoc that can happen in the deepest Power 4 conference.

No. 3 Texas and No. 15 Texas A&M, the only teams with one conference loss, are in the driver’s seat in getting to the Dec. 7 SEC championship game. If those teams win Saturday (the Longhorns host Kentucky, and the Aggies travel to Auburn), the winner of their Nov. 30 showdown at Kyle Field will punch its ticket to Atlanta.

If either Texas or Texas A&M slips up this weekend and then comes back to win in the regular-season finale, however, there’s potential for a six-way tie for first if the other contenders (No. 7 Alabama, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 10 Georgia and No. 11 Tennessee) win out.

Another potential scenario: If Texas or Texas A&M lose this week and then bounce back in the regular-season finale, it could potentially be an Alabama-Georgia rematch in Atlanta (as long as the Tide win at Oklahoma on Saturday and against Auburn in the Nov. 30 Iron Bowl).

Still with me?

Georgia’s SEC season is complete after the Bulldogs took down the Volunteers 31-17 last week. Tennessee closes the regular season at Vanderbilt on Nov. 30. The Rebels play at surging Florida on Saturday and host rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Nov. 29.

Even if the Texas-Texas A&M winner has only one SEC loss, there’s a good chance there could be a multiteam tie for second. Because not everyone played each other in the 16-team league, head-to-head and common-opponent tiebreakers can’t be used.

So the fourth tiebreaker, cumulative conference winning percentage of all SEC opponents, would probably be used to settle the debate. That’s where Alabama has an advantage over the others with a 27-26 record (.509) going into this weekend.

Of course, a couple of upsets over the next two weeks could change everything in the SEC. — Mark Schlabach


What does each team need to capitalize on to win?

Indiana: Led by the electrifying playmaking foursome of running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins and wideouts Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith, the Buckeyes rank third nationally in offensive efficiency. Operating with those playmakers around him, quarterback Will Howard ranks fourth with a QBR of 85.3.

Still, despite thriving otherwise in his first and only season with the Buckeyes, Howard remains prone to making big mistakes. On Nov. 2 against Penn State, Howard committed two colossal turnovers, throwing a pick-six on Ohio State’s opening drive, then later fumbling away the ball on the way to what would’ve been a touchdown run. The Buckeyes overcame those takeaways on the way to a 20-13 victory. But if the Hoosiers, who rank 10th nationally in turnover margin, can force Howard into those types of mistakes again, they could hang around and, potentially, pull off the upset.

Ohio State: The Hoosiers became the first team in 26 years to open 8-0 without trailing once. Despite winning 10 games for the first time in program history, Indiana has yet to face a ranked opponent. The Hoosiers also haven’t had to play in an imposing venue like Ohio Stadium. Two years ago, while still at Ohio, Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke struggled in such an environment, throwing for just 119 yards in a 46-10 loss at Penn State. In two years with James Madison competing in the FBS, Indiana’s Curt Cignetti never coached anywhere like the Horseshoe. Cignetti is on track to become college football’s coach of the year, and Rourke is having a fabulous season. But Ohio State can make the moment — and the setting — too big for them. Indiana hasn’t had to play from behind all year. Ohio State could put the Hoosiers in an uncomfortable and precarious position with a couple of quick early strikes. — Jake Trotter

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ACC-leading SMU signs Lashlee to extension

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ACC-leading SMU signs Lashlee to extension

SMU coach Rhett Lashlee has signed a contract extension with the school, as he has the team positioned for a run at its second straight conference title and its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.

Terms of Lashlee’s deal were not disclosed, as SMU is a private school. He also received a multiyear contract extension in November 2023 “to keep him on the Hilltop for years to come,” athletic director Rick Hart said at the time.

Lashlee is 27-10 at SMU, which won the American Athletic Conference title in 2023, its first since 1984. The program moved to the ACC this season and is the only team undefeated in league play, as its faces Virginia and Cal to close the regular season. SMU is No. 13 in the CFP standings with its only loss coming to No. 14 BYU in Week 2.

“We changed leagues and changed levels,” Lashlee told ESPN.

Since the start of the 2023 season, SMU is tied for sixth nationally in win percentage at 20-4 overall (.833). Lashlee, 41, served as SMU’s offensive coordinator under Sonny Dykes in 2018 and 2019, and also held coordinator roles at Miami, UConn, Auburn and Arkansas State. He’s a former quarterback at Arkansas.

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ECU CB Revel Jr. declares for NFL draft

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ECU CB Revel Jr. declares for NFL draft

East Carolina senior cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. announced Friday that he will declare for the 2025 NFL draft, forgoing his final year of eligibility.

Revel hasn’t played since suffering a season-ending torn ACL in September.

Revel had been one of the most productive corners in the country for the Pirates. Since the start of 2023, he had 11 pass breakups and two defensive touchdowns, including a 50-yard interception return against Appalachian State on Sept. 14.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Revel as the No. 2 cornerback and 23 overall prospect in the 2025 draft. At 6-foot-3 and 193 pounds, he earned second-team All-AAC honors last year, which put him on the radar of many major programs that tried to lure him to transfer last year.

“The size, the length and the movement skills, for being as tall and long as he is … you don’t see a body type as rangy and fluid as he is at that size,” an NFL scout told ESPN in September.

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