Connect with us

Published

on

Georgia begins the 2023 college football season in the same place it finished the last two — atop the AP Top 25 poll. The two-time defending champ Bulldogs were a runaway pick for the top spot in the preseason poll.

While the Bulldogs will be breaking in a new quarterback, there aren’t a lot of unanswered questions with Kirby Smart’s squad.

What about for the teams chasing Georgia? No. 2 Michigan looks like it will have coach Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines in September, after he was staring at a four-game suspension. Ohio State and Alabama, like Georgia, will both have new signal callers this year, replacing C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young, respectively.

We expect to hear plenty from these teams in November, December and beyond. But what can we learn about them — and the rest of the AP Top 25 — in September? Let’s break it down.


2022 record: 15-0

What we’ll learn about Georgia in September: Given Georgia’s especially soft schedule in September, the first month of the season is about finding this team’s identity after it lost another boatload of players to the NFL draft. After Saturday’s first scrimmage at Sanford Stadium, coach Kirby Smart told his players that they’ve yet to earn anything after the Bulldogs won back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. “We have an extremely long way to go as a football team,” Smart said. “So many people make an assumption off of last year’s team and their accomplishments. I asked this team, after the scrimmage and after we ran, ‘What have you done to deserve anything you have gotten?’ They have done nothing. We have got to get the right guys in the right spot, find the guys that can really compete.” That starts at quarterback, and all signs point to junior Carson Beck taking over for Stetson Bennett. Beck completed 26 of 35 passes for 310 yards with four touchdowns as a backup last season. He has the strongest arm of the contenders and has the edge over Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton. There’s also a new playcaller in offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, a former Georgia quarterback, who is back coaching at his alma mater for a second time. Beck will have time to get comfortable. Georgia opens against FCS program UT Martin and Ball State before its SEC opener at home against South Carolina on Sept. 16. After another home contest against UAB, it plays its first SEC road game at rebuilding Auburn on Sept. 30. — Mark Schlabach

play

1:28

Can Carson Beck lead Georgia to an undefeated season?

Paul Finebaum discusses Carson Beck’s emergence as the frontrunner at QB for Georgia and what it means for its chances to win out.


2022 record: 13-1

What we’ll learn about Michigan in September: Michigan plays East Carolina, UNLV, Bowling Green and Rutgers to start the season, so we’re not likely to learn too much from those games. Michigan has the target on its back this season after beating Ohio State and winning the Big Ten championship the past two years. The team also returns most of its starters from last season. However, the defense lost defensive linemen Mike Morris, Mazi Smith, Taylor Upshaw and Eyabi Okie, who combined for 12.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss last season. If Michigan is searching for anything this season as it tries to make it back to the College Football Playoff, it’s looking for help on the edge. The staff brought in Josaiah Stewart from Coastal Carolina, who had 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks this past season. The coaches are also hoping that Braiden McGregor and Derrick Moore can contribute more in 2023, and that Jaylen Harrell improves on his successful 2022 season. There aren’t many questions for the Wolverines, but if the team doesn’t have a drop-off from its edge players, this should be another season where Michigan finds itself in the mix for the playoff. For a while, it looked like Michigan might have to go through September without coach Jim Harbaugh. But when the negotiated resolution between Harbaugh and the NCAA was not approved by the Committee on Infractions, it opened up the possibility of him coaching the entire season. — Tom VanHaaren


2022 record: 11-2

What we’ll learn about Ohio State in September: If the defense has truly turned a corner and whether coach Ryan Day has found another superstar quarterback. The Buckeyes fully believe they can have the nation’s best defensive line, although ends J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer — former top-5 national recruits — must find consistent excellence to complement talented tackle Mike Hall Jr. and others. A truly disruptive line will help mask potential issues in the secondary, particularly at cornerback, as Ohio State faces reigning FBS passing leader Western Kentucky in Week 3, followed by Notre Dame and new quarterback Sam Hartman in Week 4. Other than in 2019, the defenses have been very un-Ohio State-like under Day, but a second year under coordinator Jim Knowles should help. Day’s track record with quarterbacks, meanwhile, is un-Ohio State-like for all the best reasons. His next QB, favorite Kyle McCord or underdog Devin Brown, will have to navigate September trips to Indiana and Notre Dame. C.J. Stroud had a bit of a rocky start in 2021 before hitting his stride, so it will be interesting to see how Day’s next quarterback fares. — Adam Rittenberg


2022 record: 11-2

What we’ll learn about Alabama in September: What the new offense will look like. This isn’t as simple as deciding who will replace Bryce Young at quarterback, whether it’s last season’s backups Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson, or Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner. This is about picking a direction for this season and beyond. Will Alabama continue to be so reliant on the passing game — as it had become with Young, Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback — or will it return to the more balanced approach of years past in which the running game sets the tone? New coordinator Tommy Rees, who also comes from Notre Dame, has shown more pro-style leanings when compared to previous Alabama OCs, lining up more under center and running more between the tackles. Backs Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams return, and should pair nicely with freshmen Richard Young and Justice Haynes, the Nos. 1 and 2 backs in the 2023 class, respectively. A ball-control style of offense could help more than whoever steps up at quarterback. It should also benefit the defense when it goes against up-tempo offenses like Texas (Week 2) and Ole Miss (Week 4). — Alex Scarborough


2022 record: 10-4

What we’ll learn about LSU in September: If the Tigers deserve all the love they’ve received during the offseason. It won’t take long to discern whether the big expectations were warranted for a program that made it to the SEC championship game in Year 1 under Brian Kelly. Just like the expectations, there will be plenty of big tests in the month of September, and three are away from home. It all starts with a nationally ranked showdown with Florida State in the Sept. 3 season opener in Orlando, Florida. There are also road games against Mississippi State and Ole Miss in September and a home game against Arkansas. So we’ll find out pretty quickly what kind of team LSU is away from Tiger Stadium. The Tigers were stacked with young talent a year ago — tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr. on offense and linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. on defense — and are they ready to take that next step as sophomores? Some in and around the LSU program think Campbell could end up being the best player on the team as the Tigers’ starting left tackle. The front seven on defense will be worth watching, too, especially if sophomore tackle Maason Smith is healthy after injuring his knee in the first quarter of the first game last season. If he is back to 100%, look out. The Tigers are ultratalented across the front defensively. — Chris Low


2022 record: 11-3

What we’ll learn about USC in September: While Caleb Williams has garnered plenty of the headlines since the season finished, all eyes will understandably be on the Trojans’ defense in the first month of the season. The teams Alex Grinch’s defensive unit will face in September aren’t exactly projected to be offensive juggernauts (San Jose State, Stanford, Arizona State, Colorado), but that will just place a bigger focus on how much exactly the defense has improved since last season’s disappointing finish against Utah and Tulane. On paper, there are plenty of additions and returns that should project improvement for USC’s defense. The transfer portal was good to the Trojans as they went and grabbed players like linebacker Mason Cobb from Oklahoma State, defensive lineman Bear Alexander from Georgia, and defensive lineman Kyon Barrs and cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace, both from Arizona. USC also returns first-team All-American Calen Bullock at safety and versatile linebacker Eric Gentry, while hoping that highly touted prospects like Zion Branch and Domani Jackson can also add their share of impact to a unit that will be facing a lot of pressure from day one. — Paolo Uggetti


2022 record: 11-2

What we’ll learn about Penn State in September: If the Nittany Lions have a winning quarterback. They have a September slate that includes West Virginia, Delaware and Illinois. It’s an ideal lineup for a rookie quarterback to ease into the starting job, but Drew Allar or Beau Pribula also must be good enough to avoid an upset. While the selection committee will never encourage teams to run up the score, it does look for convincing wins, so finding a quarterback early who avoids turnovers and gets the ball to Penn State’s talented running backs will be critical. This should also be the deepest, most talented offensive line coach James Franklin has had in his career there, which means all the offensive pieces are in place for a talented quarterback to succeed — and yet not have to be heroic. Allar was the No. 51-ranked recruit in the 2022 class, and the coaching staff methodically got him playing time last fall, but coach James Franklin said the competition will continue this summer. “Although we’ve had some good ones here, that’s probably been the difference between us winning three New Year’s Six bowl games and getting into the playoff and winning a national championship,” Franklin said, “is having an elite quarterback that can make the plays that change games.” — Heather Dinich


2022 record: 10-3

What we’ll learn about Florida State in September: Simply, whether the Seminoles are College Football Playoff contenders. Their two biggest tests happen to come in the first month of the season: the opener against LSU and then three weeks later a huge showdown against ACC preseason favorite Clemson. Florida State beat LSU in New Orleans last year, and that victory completely changed the narrative on its season. But the stakes are much higher this year — with both teams vastly improved. Unlike last year, Florida State goes into 2023 with higher preseason buzz and greater outside expectations attached to the program. Losing to LSU could be deflating, but it is impossible to say that would eliminate the Seminoles from CFP contention. Losing to Clemson to start September 2-2 would certainly put a different spin on expectations (but also would not eliminate Florida State from the ACC championship game since there are no divisions this year). Win both to start 4-0? Imagine how many more expectations we will place on the Seminoles, who would likely be favored in their remaining games. — Andrea Adelson


2022 record: 11-3

What we’ll learn about Clemson in September: We have talked endlessly about the hire of offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and what he will do for the offense. We will know plenty more about his impact through September — especially since the Tigers play ACC rival Florida State on Sept. 23. Clemson has won seven straight over the Seminoles, but this will be a deeper, more veteran team that believes it can win at Clemson. Winning this game will be crucial to the Tigers’ early CFP hopes, especially since there are those critics who believe Clemson might not be as dominant as it once was because the offense has taken a step back over the past two years. What people most want to see out of Riley and the offense is a step forward for quarterback Cade Klubnik. Clemson has struggled for consistency at the quarterback position over the past two years and has missed the CFP both those seasons. That is no coincidence. In addition to Klubnik, the Clemson receivers have to step up, too, not only as reliable pass-catchers but as players who can stretch the field. — Andrea Adelson


play

0:56

Washington president on Big Ten move: ‘It was about stability’

Washington president Ana Mari Cauce says money wasn’t the main reason for the school to leave for the Big Ten.

2022 record: 11-2

What we’ll learn about Washington in September: We know the offense will be explosive. We know expectations are high. What we don’t know is just how high they should be after Washington won 11 games last season. By the end of September we should have a pretty good sense if the Huskies are legit conference title and playoff contenders. With games against Boise State and Michigan State in the nonconference, there can’t be any easing into the season. Even Cal and Arizona at the end of the month won’t be walks in the park, and the schedule ramps up from there. — Kyle Bonagura


2022 record: 8-5

What we’ll learn about Texas in September: Are the Longhorns really ready for prime time? A year ago, Quinn Ewers came out dealing against Alabama, living up to his status as the No. 1 recruit in the country. Then he was injured on a big hit in the first quarter and missed several weeks. He returned and tossed four TDs against Oklahoma in a historic 49-0 beatdown. But as the year went on, Ewers had his struggles, particularly in the second half of losses against Oklahoma State and TCU, when both teams dared Ewers to beat them and he couldn’t, and finished 97th nationally in raw QBR in the fourth quarter and 104th on third downs. Steve Sarkisian has spoken all offseason about the work Ewers has put in, and his teammates have vouched for his leadership. Texas has the talent to be a contender. If the whole is as good as the sum of the parts, the Longhorns will roll into Tuscaloosa on Sept. 9 looking to finish what Ewers started last year. On Sept. 23, Texas will visit Baylor, which has played the Longhorns tough under Dave Aranda, with the past three games (two Texas wins) averaging a score of 30-25, before Kansas comes to town. As September ends with Oklahoma looming the next weekend, it should show if the Longhorns have put it all together. — Dave Wilson


2022 record: 11-2

What we’ll learn about Tennessee in September: If quarterback Joe Milton III and the Vols can set themselves up for an all-important month of October. Milton has been the rage in the offseason with his ability to throw the ball a mile and his mobility. He now gets a chance to show that he can run Josh Heupel’s high-powered offensive machine just as efficiently as Hendon Hooker did the past two seasons. Milton played well at the end of last season when he filled in for the injured Hooker. After starting his career at Michigan, this is Milton’s chance to show that he is “The Man” for an entire season. His coaches and teammates have raved about his leadership and focus. The Vols shouldn’t have much trouble against Virginia in the season opener in Nashville, but a trip to the Swamp to face Florida awaits two weeks later. Milton is on record as saying, “I don’t lose in Florida.” Getting out of September unbeaten would set up a crucial three-game stretch in October — home against Texas A&M, on the road against Alabama and on the road against Kentucky. Nobody has ever questioned Milton’s arm strength. But making key decisions and key throws during critical points of the game — and in big games — is what will shape this season for him and the Vols. — Low


2022 record: 9-4

What we’ll learn about Notre Dame in September: If Marcus Freeman has the Irish back in the national spotlight in his second season. On Sept. 23, Notre Dame hosts Ohio State, and the Irish should be undefeated heading into what will likely be their most difficult game and best chance to impress the CFP selection committee. Last year, Freeman started his first season as a head coach with a respectable 21-10 loss at Ohio State but then suffered one of the biggest upsets of the season in a home loss to Marshall. Notre Dame shouldn’t lose to Navy in Ireland, and the trip to NC State could be tricky, but Freeman could reassert the Irish as a CFP contender with a 5-0 start. “Last year, I’m talking about national championships, winning the 12th and all this stuff and you’re 9-4,” Freeman said. “You can’t talk national championships. You have to work. Winning a national championship is a result of so many things. We were 0-2 to start the season, so now what do we do? What’s the motivation now? That’s what I’ve gone away from. Don’t talk about those things. All we can focus on is reaching our full potential.” — Dinich


2022 record: 10-4

What we’ll learn about Utah in September: How’s this for an opening two weeks: Florida at home and a road game at Baylor. After winning the Pac-12 the past two years but missing the playoff, Utah has all the motivation it needs to get off on the front foot. A loss in either of those first two nonconference games would eliminate all margin of error from a playoff standpoint, while two wins would go a long way toward establishing the Utes as playoff contenders. — Bonagura


2022 record: 10-3

What we’ll learn about Oregon in September: Oregon won 10 games last season, including a bowl game, and one of its three losses was against the eventual national champion, Georgia. But Dan Lanning’s team did fail to make the Pac-12 title game and couldn’t beat state rival Oregon State. During that loss and the loss to Washington, questions about Lanning’s decision-making and time management during games arose, and it will be interesting to see how he tackles his second season at the helm. There is no Georgia to face this time around, as the Ducks will only have to go to Lubbock in Week 2 to face a tough Texas Tech team. They do have plenty of returning talent led by Bo Nix at quarterback as well as some key transfer additions like wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. With Lanning having been a defensive coordinator with the Bulldogs, the evolution of the Ducks’ defense will be interesting to watch early on as they were 105th in the nation in defensive EPA per game. — Uggetti


2022 record: 10-4

What we’ll learn about Kansas State in September: Does this offense still have the playmakers? Deuce Vaughn and his 1,936 yards from scrimmage are gone. So is Malik Knowles (725 receiving yards, 15.1 per catch). No. 3 receiver Kade Warner had some big moments; he’s gone, too. K-State brings a lot to the table after last year’s Big 12 title run — quarterback Will Howard, the Big 12’s most proven offensive line, a ridiculously reliable linebacker duo in Austin Moore and Daniel Green — but while the defense has some transition to work through on the line and (especially) in the secondary, the Wildcats will be fine as long as they’re making as many big plays as they’re allowing. They should have what they need at running back, where sophomore DJ Giddens (5.8 yards per carry) and Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward (6.6) have flashed exciting explosiveness. But slot man Phillip Brooks is the only wide receiver who caught more than seven balls last year. K-State has to find some new weapons for Howard if the Wildcats are going to survive a trip to Missouri and tricky home games against Troy and UCF unbeaten. — Bill Connelly


2022 record:13-2

What we’ll learn about TCU in September: Can the Horned Frogs avoid the sophomore slump? In 2020, No. 12 Oklahoma claimed a 27-21 win over No. 8 Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game. Neither team made the title game the next season, with the Cyclones going 7-6 in 2021. That year, No. 9 Baylor held off No. 5 Oklahoma State, 31-21. In 2022, those two teams combined to go 13-13 as TCU and Kansas State played a thriller in Arlington, Texas. In a league with great parity, can TCU survive another season on the brink like last year? Can the Frogs plug all the holes left by eight NFL draft picks, TCU’s most since 1957? In September alone, they will be in the national spotlight against Colorado in Deion Sanders’ debut, make a conference road trip to Houston in the Cougars’ Big 12 debut, and play a century-old rivalry game against SMU before West Virginia comes to town for another conference game. With a new offensive coordinator in Kendal Briles, a plethora of transfers playing key roles, especially at receiver, and a new QB in Chandler Morris, the Frogs will get to see what they have in a hurry. — Wilson


play

3:32

Ryan McGee’s ode to the Pac-12 Conference

Ryan McGee pays tribute to the Pac-12 by taking a look back at what made the conference so special.

2022 record: 10-3

What we’ll learn about Oregon State in September: Three letters: DJU. The arrival of D.J. Uiagalelei in Corvallis via the transfer portal was, at first blush, a surprising one but also one that immediately made sense for both sides. The Beavers haven’t had an elite quarterback in recent years and would likely never have the chance to recruit someone of DJU’s caliber out of high school. They also had a team that went 10-3 last season and could use a quarterback of Uiagalelei’s potential. For DJU, September alone won’t prove the decision to transfer from Clemson was the right move, but it could be the start of a career-defining season for a player who has plenty to prove after struggling to fulfill his five-star potential under Dabo Swinney. Oregon State’s September schedule is no easy task, either. The Beavers get UC Davis and San Diego State at home to start and they also get Utah in Corvallis, which will be an early test for how much Jonathan Smith’s team can replicate its success from last season as well as how comfortable Uiagalelei is in this new environment. — Uggetti


2022 record: 7-6

What we’ll learn about Wisconsin in September: If the new offense has the right pieces this season or if the Badgers still have some retooling to do with the roster. With Luke Fickell and Phil Longo on the staff, the Wisconsin offense is going to be a style of air raid that will be a departure from the past. The coaches have brought in quarterback Tanner Mordecai from SMU and Nick Evers from Oklahoma, as well as receivers CJ Williams from USC, Bryson Green from Oklahoma State and Quincy Burroughs and Will Pauling from Cincinnati to help transition to the new style. The Badgers are also returning running back Braelon Allen, but changing systems in one offseason can be difficult for any program. Longo was the offensive coordinator at North Carolina last season, when the Tar Heels ranked No. 11 in pass yards per game, averaging 309.3 per contest. Wisconsin was ranked 114th with 183.8 pass yards per game in 2022. That won’t just be a drastic shift in personnel but philosophy as well and could take some time for the players to fully grasp in real game settings. — VanHaaren


2022 record: 6-7

What we’ll learn about Oklahoma in September: Did the patches fix the leaky defense? Year 1 of the Brent Venables era was a nightmare for the longtime defensive coordinator. The Sooners finished No. 122 out of 131 teams in total defense (106th against the run, 119th against the pass), giving up 461 yards and 30 points per game. Venables started his fixes up front, signing six transfers on the defensive line alone, along with linebacker Dasan McCullough, a speedy fit for Venables’ hybrid “Cheetah” position. The Sooners also added five-star recruits Peyton Bowen (safety) and P.J. Adebawore (DE), who are expected to push for immediate playing time. There’s not much reason for concern on offense with the return of quarterback Dillon Gabriel, and the Sooners have a star recruit to back him up in Jackson Arnold, a reassurance for Sooners fans who saw the team pass for 39 yards in a 49-0 loss to Texas when Gabriel was injured. They’ll have time to work out kinks with a manageable September schedule: Arkansas State, SMU, at Tulsa, at Cincinnati and then home against Iowa State. — Wilson


2022 record: 9-5

What we’ll learn about North Carolina in September: Questions about UNC’s defense aren’t likely to go away even if the Heels have a terrific September (and, for what it’s worth, two of the three top-40 offenses from 2022 they’ll face this year — Appalachian State and Minnesota — are September games), but we should learn a great deal about one of the biggest pieces to the puzzle: the pass rush. South Carolina, App State, Minnesota and Pitt all figure to feature among the more physical and tenacious offensive lines the Heels will see this year, and if there’s real improvement from last year’s dismal pass rush — 111th nationally in non-blitz pressure rate; just 10 sacks in 14 games when not blitzing — that’s a great sign for UNC moving forward. — David Hale


2022 record: 8-5

What we’ll learn about Ole Miss in September: Is Pete Golding’s defense going to be an improvement over 2022’s unit? Golding comes over from Alabama and is tasked with fixing a defense that gave up 35 points per game over the final seven outings, resulting in a 2-5 record after starting the season 6-0. The Rebels’ defense should be tested in Week 2 in New Orleans by the Green Wave’s experienced quarterback, Michael Pratt. A week after facing a Georgia Tech team under new head coach Brent Key, the Rebels travel to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama and then welcome LSU to Oxford. And while there are also questions offensively for this team, that has hardly ever been a concern for a Lane Kiffin-coached team. If Ole Miss is able to get stops, this team will be a tough out every Saturday this season. — Harry Lyles Jr.


2022 record: 5-7

What we’ll learn about Texas A&M in September: Will the offense really change now that Bobby Petrino is (theoretically) calling the plays? On paper, the month of September should be a good proving ground for the Aggies. It’s arguably the easiest stretch of the season with games against Austin Peay, Miami, Louisiana Monroe, Auburn and Arkansas. But last season’s loss to Appalachian State taught us not to take anything for granted. With that said, we should learn — win or lose — whether the unlikely marriage of Jimbo Fisher and Petrino will work. Petrino has a checkered past and a reputation as a prickly personality, but he has proved time and again he knows how to get the most out of his offenses. The question is how involved Fisher will be with the process, especially on game day. Fisher has never handed over playcalling duties before, and his public comments this offseason have fueled speculation that he might not fully let go of the reins. — Scarborough


2022 record: 12-2

What we’ll learn about Tulane in September: The Green Wave were one of the best stories of the 2022 season, in part because of the leadership of linebacking duo Nick Anderson and Dorian Williams. Both are set to be playing on Sundays this fall, and finding out who will replace their leadership on that side of the football will be key. Offensively, Michael Pratt has four offensive linemen returning with him, and he will certainly be among the leadership group for Tulane. But for a team that was known for being bullies defensively, replacing Anderson and Williams (despite not lacking talent coming into 2023) will be something to look out for. Shiel Wood comes over from Troy as the Green Wave’s new defensive coordinator after Chris Hampton left for Oregon. Most of their September schedule isn’t daunting, aside from welcoming Ole Miss to town in Week 2. But by the end of the month, we will have seen whether the momentum this team has fought hard to build over the past couple of years will carry over thanks to the leadership of a renewed defense. — Lyles Jr.


2022 record: 8-5

What we’ll learn about Iowa in September: Whether the offense is fixed. Iowa couldn’t get much worse than last season, when it finished 122nd nationally in points per game and 129th in both yards per game and offense expected points added. Embattled coordinator Brian Ferentz faces tremendous pressure, including a per-game points provision in his contract, to put out a more respectable product. Cade McNamara, the quarterback transfer from Michigan, should provide an immediate upgrade, along with other transfers such as tight end Erick All and wide receiver Kaleb Brown. The September schedule is tricky with trips to both Iowa State and Penn State. Iowa has reached 20 points or more just once in its past four games against Iowa State, and scored just seven in last year’s loss at Kinnick Stadium. — Rittenberg

Continue Reading

Sports

Amid angry fans, CEO says Pirates won’t be sold

Published

on

By

Amid angry fans, CEO says Pirates won't be sold

Pittsburgh Pirates CEO Travis Williams said the organization is committed to winning but declared to frustrated fans that owner Bob Nutting will not sell the team.

Williams addressed fans’ frustration over Nutting’s ownership Saturday during a Q&A session at the Pirates’ annual offseason fan fest.

As Williams was responding to the first question, one fan in attendance shouted, “Sell the team,” prompting some applause from the audience. At that point, several fans started chanting, “Sell the team!”

Greg Brown, the Pirates’ longtime television play-by-play announcer, asked the fans to stop the chant and to “be respectful.” Another fan then asked Williams, who was seated next to Pirates general manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton, why Nutting was not in attendance.

“We know, at the end of the day, this is all passion that has turned into frustration relative to winning,” Williams said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I think the points that you are making in terms of ‘Where is Bob?’ That’s why he has us here, we’re here to execute and make sure that we win.”

Williams added that Nutting, who has owned the Pirates since 2018, was scheduled to attend the event and interact with fans at some point later Saturday.

“To answer your immediate question that you said earlier, Bob is not going to sell the team,” Williams said. “He cares about Pittsburgh, he cares about winning, he cares about us putting a winning product on the field, and we’re working towards that every day.”

Nutting has been widely criticized by fans and local media in recent years as the Pirates have toiled at or near the bottom of the National League Central standings.

The Pirates went 76-86 last season en route to their fourth last-place finish in the past six seasons. They have not finished with a winning record since 2018, have not reached the playoffs since 2015 and have just three postseason appearances since 1992.

“We know that there is frustration, frustration because we are not winning, with the expectations of winning,” Williams said. “At the end of the day, that’s not due to lack of commitment to want to win.”

Spurred by the arrival of ace pitcher Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, the Pirates were 55-52 at the trade deadline last season before a 21-34 free fall through the final two months dropped Pittsburgh to last in the NL Central.

“We can just look at last year,” Williams said. “It was a big positive going through the middle of the season, we were going into August two games above .500, but unfortunately we had a tough run in August and that tough run in August took us out of the hunt for the wild card. … From myself to Ben to Derek to lots of other people that are here today and throughout the entire organization, but that’s not for a lack of commitment or desire to win whatsoever.

“That’s from the top all the way down to the bottom of the organization. We are absolutely committed to win; what we need to do is find a way to win.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Dodgers land closer Scott for $72M, sources say

Published

on

By

Dodgers land closer Scott for M, sources say

The Los Angeles Dodgers have added left-hander Tanner Scott, arguably the best relief pitcher on the free agent market, agreeing to terms on a four-year, $72 million contract, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Sunday.

The addition of Scott likely puts the finishing touches on another busy offseason for the reigning World Series champions.

Before Scott, the Dodgers signed Blake Snell, one of the best starters on the market; brought back Teoscar Hernandez and signed Michael Conforto, solidifying the corner outfield; signed Korean second baseman Hyeseong Kim, freeing up a trade of Gavin Lux; extended Tommy Edman; and, in one of the winter’s biggest developments, lured phenom Roki Sasaki.

Now Scott, 30, will slot into the back end of a dominant bullpen alongside Michael Kopech, Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia and Ryan Brasier, among other high-leverage arms.

Originally a sixth-round pick in 2014, Scott has established himself as a dominant force over these past two years. With the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres from 2023 to 2024, Scott posted a 2.04 ERA in 146 appearances, striking out 188 batters and issuing 60 walks in 150 innings.

With Scott, the Dodgers’ luxury tax payroll is estimated to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $375 million, about $70 million more than that of the second-place Philadelphia Phillies.

The New York Yankees are the only other team with a competitive balance tax payroll projected to be over $300 million.

Continue Reading

Sports

‘Past and present’: Traditional powers Ohio State and Notre Dame have evolved

Published

on

By

'Past and present': Traditional powers Ohio State and Notre Dame have evolved

ATLANTA — “Think traditionally, but without traditional thinking.”

Those were the words of Ross Bjork, the still-new Ohio State athletic director during the Saturday morning media day ahead of Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship game. The question was about the balanced approach taken by his football program, and also by the opponent, Notre Dame. The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish inarguably rank among the most tradition-rich teams in the 155-year history of college football. Yet, here they are, after a combined 271 seasons, the second- and fourth-winningest programs of all time, having steered their way to the final game of this season by embracing modernized approaches to the sport while honoring the history that is as much a part of their DNA as helmets and shoulder pads.

Maintaining the shine on those silver and gold helmets by piling up silver and gold in the form of NIL money.

“We want to work at these places because of what they are and what they have been and the success they’ve enjoyed,” Bjork said. “But we have also been charged with ensuring that’s what they continue to be.”

Bjork said that just as the Buckeyes were ending their media day session and the players who earned a spot in the title game, the ones who cost $20 million to assemble, according to Bjork, filed in around him and headed for the team bus. His mantra about respecting the past while moving toward the future was uttered as 45-year-old head coach Ryan Day was holding court at a podium just over his boss’s shoulder. Day’s big-game failures lit the spark needed to raise those millions to sign those players who are now in Atlanta needing only one more win to earn Ohio State’s first national title in a decade.

When the Buckeyes exited the room, their seats were filled by their counterparts at Notre Dame, whose roster includes 10 additions via transfer, once a taboo subject in South Bend, Indiana. The players opted to play in northern Indiana partly due to the just-established coffers of name, image and likeness money. Those new arrivals included the quarterback from Duke who led the Irish downfield late against Penn State in the CFP semifinals, setting up the transfer kicker from South Carolina who kicked the game-winning field goal. Now, Notre Dame football is on the cusp of its first national title since 1988, when cell phones were still carried in shoulder bags. As the Irish players took their places, coach Marcus Freeman, the human energy shot, immediately and unknowingly parroted Bjork.

“Our everyday walk is spent with one foot firmly planted in our past, but that other foot is always stepping in our future.”

Is that easy, Coach?

“No. But it’s also not a burden. It’s a privilege. Once you understand that, it’s worth it. And what makes it worth it is … well …”

With a smile, the 39-year-old coach — a former All-Big Ten Ohio State defender — swept his hand broadly, toward Mercedes-Benz Stadium across the street, toward the gold-wearing Notre Dame faithful in the nearby Playoff Fan Central craning their necks to see their Irish, and toward the cylindrical gold CFP championship trophy, sitting atop a podium in Freeman’s sightline.

“You win football games by being smart and working hard, that’s no secret,” Freeman’s quarterback, Riley Leonard, said. “But you also have to evolve. I think that in college football now, as much as it keeps changing, programs and universities have to change with it. Your choice is to either do that or get left behind.”

But evolution is also a choice. The dinosaurs didn’t have to walk into the tar pits. And college football programs — even old-timers such as Ohio State and Notre Dame — don’t have to walk into the quicksand of mediocrity, led there by the blinders of obligation to keep on keeping on the same way that Knute Rockne and Woody Hayes did.

“The greatest challenge isn’t changing the minds of the people inside the football building. They are living it. They are going to do whatever it takes,” former Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn, now a college football analyst for Fox, said in December as his alma mater began its CFP run. “It’s making the people who support the program understand what needs to be done. Making them understand that the way it always worked, the way their favorite teams were built, is not how it works now. And then explaining that their support that might have always just been rooting for the team, even buying season tickets, that support needs to be backed monetarily. That makes some people uncomfortable, but it is also the reality. And it pays off. Literally.”

Freeman’s predecessor at Notre Dame, Brian Kelly, has come under fire from those who love the Irish, and some of that is warranted. But criticism that he didn’t understand the modern business model like Freeman does isn’t entirely accurate. That model has changed dramatically since Kelly’s sudden departure for LSU three years ago. Even while he still had the job, finishing his 12 seasons only 13 wins shy of Rockne’s record 105, Kelly openly described the daily tug-of-war between pulling Notre Dame into the current times while also wrestling with the longtime program backers who resisted change, aka “the Gold Seats.”

For example, replacing the analog clock and scoreboards that had long sat atop the end zone edges of Notre Dame Stadium became a battle as Kelly hoped to add videoboards. After a years-long debate, the compromise was to add the TV screens, but keep them to a modest size, similar to the old scoreboards, and immediately prior to and after games, the displays on those screens were to be changed to digital images of the old clock and scoreboard.

“Those are the challenges that you face at a university like Notre Dame that I don’t believe you do anywhere else, and I certainly coached at a lot of other places,” said Lou Holtz, chuckling when discussing his 11 years in South Bend, winning that 1988 national championship and finishing right behind Rockne with 100 victories. “There is no question that it took cooperation from the administration, after some hard conversations about where we wanted Notre Dame football to be in the future, for me to get a player like Tony Rice [QB on the ’88 team] into school. I went to [then-president] Father Joyce and appealed to him directly. But I was told he would be admitted only if he proved himself academically for a year, to go nowhere near a football game. And guess what? Tony Rice has his degree from Notre Dame and to this day, is one the most beloved players in the history of the program. We found his place, and we did it within the framework of what one might call the Notre Dame Way.”

It was with that same mentality that Freeman went about selling the idea of bringing in transfers — a practice rarely entertained by a school understandably proud of its academic reputation — as something that could still fit into the parameters of the Notre Dame Way. The 2024 roster additions were carefully selected. They were established stars but also largely graduate transfers already with college degrees. Two players were required to wait until summer to enroll after their degrees were completed, and in the meantime, were relegated to spring practice observers.

Leonard is an undergrad, but no one questions Duke’s academic credentials. He is also a Notre Dame legacy, the great-grandson of James Curran, a 1940 Irish graduate who played football under head coach Elmer Layden, one of the fabled Four Horsemen.

“The transfer portal has really helped us because it’s allowed us to address specific needs, but it’s also helped us distinguish ourselves as a program in the sense that our kids are still picking Notre Dame for a host of reasons, not just NIL,” said Jack Swarbrick, who served as Notre Dame’s AD from 2008 to 2024 and made the decision to promote Freeman after Kelly’s departure. “No one would come to Notre Dame just for NIL. It’s too hard. If all you worried about is the compensation, you’ll go get it somewhere else. … So, for all the schools that are just recruiting with an emphasis on compensation, we’re now even more distinct than we used to be, and I think that’s helped.

“We have to be very careful in the transfer portal. It’s why nine out of 10 are grad students. It’s just really hard to get undergraduate transfers into Notre Dame.”

As Freeman bolstered his roster in the most gold-helmeted fashion, many who had worn those helmets paved the NIL road. That effort was anchored by a collective kick-started by Quinn, with a stated mission of proving to those Gold Seats who feared the future that their shared alma mater could keep up with the times and still do it on their terms. Friends of the University of Notre Dame — FUND — paid athletes for charity work. Now that the NIL structure has changed again, FUND has been closed, handing over the reins to for-profit collective Rally, designed to better handle the next imminent sea change — revenue sharing.

“It is very important to all of us to do everything we can to honor the hard work and investment that so many people are putting in us, especially the former players,” said sophomore defensive back Christian Grey, who hauled in an interception that set up that final CFP semifinal-winning drive for Leonard & Co. “To me, that’s also learning the history of Notre Dame football. My high school English teacher [in St. Louis] was a Notre Dame grad and he taught me that as soon as I committed. He gave me a Four Horseman poster and it’s been on my wall ever since. It reminds me of what we are playing for. Past and present.”

Meanwhile, it was Ryan Day who spurred the NIL and roster revolution in Columbus. Bjork took over as Ohio State AD one year ago, mere days after Buckeyes archenemy Michigan had won its first national championship in 26 years — this after beating OSU for the third straight season. Bjork hadn’t even unpacked his office when Day approached him with a detailed plan on how to catch up to Michigan. Together, they drummed up financial support, having to point only to the Wolverines’ title run as the reason to start cutting checks. Among those listening were former players.

“We had started a collective, the Foundation, in 2023 because we saw what was happening at places like Texas, Alabama, Michigan, you name it, and we knew our school was falling behind,” said Cardale Jones, quarterback on Ohio State’s 2014 team that won the inaugural CFP title. “Sadly, we didn’t get a lot of support from the school itself. But once that commitment started coming from the inside, you see what happened.”

What happened was that $20 million shopping spree that led to a stunning influx and retention of talent, the most impressive offseason this side of the Philadelphia Eagles. And just when it appeared that de facto Avengers assemblage might not pay off — see: two regular-season losses, including a fourth straight to Michigan — the team that entered the newly expanded 12-team CFP as an at-large invitee has been a Buckeye Buzzsaw. A return on investment.

So is there a long-term place in a universe of perpetual college football change for stuff like gold helmets and Buckeye helmet stickers? The House that Knute Rockne Built and the Horseshoe? “Wake Up the Echoes” and the script Ohio? Stories of Paul Hornung and Hopalong Cassady, or George Gipp and Archie Griffin? Is this fast-forward sport of checks and cascading spreadsheets a place where lighting candles in the Grotto and chanting “O-H! I-O!” is anything other than outdated?

Day and Freeman not only believe all of that can coexist within the framework of the modern college football world, but the two head coaches who will shake hands at midfield Monday night — one a champion — believe that all of the above is the key to survival. The grounding rod. The only way to properly digest — or enjoy — what this world has become.

It’s why Freeman reinstated the lost tradition of Notre Dame football players attending Mass as part of their pregame routine; he has converted to Catholicism. It’s why Day got misty-eyed Saturday morning when asked about Ohio State’s Friday night golf course dinners, with the homemade pecan rolls that became a staple of the Woody Hayes experience, and leading his team into pregame Skull Session pep rallies.

“We are in this to win games and championships, but also to do right by our players and by those who have spent their lives dedicated to the idea of Notre Dame football,” Freeman said. “You lose sight of any part of that, and you’ve lost sight of what this all means.”

Added Day: “As long as they have been playing college football, the greatest programs have stayed great by adapting to the times they are in. You evolve your defense. You evolve your offense. So you also have to evolve how you run your program. But you can’t run away from who you are. You cannot let that happen. Ever. That’s when you lose a lot more than some football games.”

Continue Reading

Trending