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Welcome to MLB Awards Week.

As we look ahead to 2024 and await some of the offseason’s biggest free agent signings (where will you go, Shohei Ohtani?), we celebrate the best players in the game during the 2023 regular season.

The week started off with Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson unanimously winning American League Rookie of the Year honors and Corbin Carroll also winning unanimously in the National League. Next up, Henderson’s skipper, Brandon Hyde, took home AL Manager of the Year, with Skip Schumaker taking home the NL silverware.

On Wednesday, San Diego’s Blake Snell took home his second Cy Young Award — this time in the NL, after having previously won in the AL in 2018 — while New York’s Gerrit Cole unanimously won the AL’s Cy Young, the first in his career.

The awards schedule is as follows (all awards announced starting at 6 p.m. ET):

Monday: Jackie Robinson Rookies of the Year: Corbin Carroll, Gunnar Henderson

Tuesday: Managers of the Year: Brandon Hyde, Skip Schumaker

Wednesday: Cy Young Awards: Blake Snell, Gerrit Cole

Thursday: MVP Awards

Below, we list the three finalists in each category, along with what you need to know before the results are announced and our picks to take home the hardware. We’ll update each section with news and analysis from Bradford Doolittle as the awards are handed out.

Jump to … :
Rookie of the Year: AL | NL
Manager of the Year: AL | NL
Cy Young: AL | NL
MVP: AL | NL

American League Cy Young

Winner: Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees

Final tally: Cole, 210 (30 first-place votes); Sonny Gray, Twins 104; Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays 82; Kyle Bradish, Orioles 39; Luis Castillo, Mariners 23; Zach Eflin, Rays 19; Pablo Lopez, Twins 11; George Kirby, Mariners 8; Framber Valdez, Astros 6; Chris Bassitt, Blue Jays 4; Felix Bautista, Orioles 3; Chris Martin, Red Sox 1

Experts’ picks: Cole (13 votes) (unanimous choice)

Doolittle’s take: Gerrit Cole ranked seventh among active big league pitchers with 40.7 career bWAR following his 2023 campaign. The six pitchers ahead of him won a combined 12 Cy Young awards. The only pitcher ahead of Cole without a trophy was Boston’s Chris Sale, whose career has been more or less derailed by injury for the last half-decade. That made the argument that Cole was the best active pitcher without a Cy Young an easy call. Suffice to say, Cole is happy to no longer be a part of that conversation.

Timing is everything when it comes to awards because whether you win doesn’t just depend on what you do, but what everyone else does. Whether or not you see 2023 as Cole’s best season depends on what statistics and metrics you value. To me, he’s had better seasons, if only because he’s posted much higher strikeout rates in the past. His 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings was his lowest figure in six years. Yet Cole managed to lead the AL in ERA+ (165), ERA (2.63) and innings pitched (209). Despite allowing more balls in play than normal, he still led the league in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (6.8) while slashing 13 homers off his AL-high figure of 33 in 2022.

Now, at age 32 and four years into the nine-year contract he signed with the Yankees in 2020, Cole has not only been worth the $36 million per season investment so far, but his evolution this past season showed that there is plenty of reason to believe that he will continue to justify his massive salary. Cole remains a fixture in any team’s dream rotation, and while the 2023 Yankees had a lot of problems, he certainly wasn’t one of them. In fact, he is the sixth Yankee to win a Cy Young but the first to do so in a year in which the Yankees didn’t make the World Series. (The others: Bob Turley, 1958; Whitey Ford, 1961; Sparky Lyle, 1977; Ron Guidry, 1978; Roger Clemens, 2001).

At this point, Cole has 145 career wins, 40.7 bWAR, 2,152 career strikeouts and a league-adjusted ERA+ that’s 30 points better than average. He owns two ERA titles and has been an All-Star six times. And, now, he has a Cy Young trophy to put on his mantle. Of course, it’s too soon to start talking Cooperstown for Cole, but it’s not hard to see a path for him getting there. As the role of the starting pitcher has morphed over time, especially during Cole’s time in the majors, we’ll eventually have to take a stern look at what it means to be a Hall of Fame pitcher in a 21st century context. Cole is on his way to establishing the paradigm for what that looks like.

Here’s how my AXE leaderboard had it:

1. Cole, Yankees (153 AXE)
2. Gray, Twins (143)
3. (tie) Gausman, Blue Jays (134)
Bradish, Orioles (134)
5. Kirby, Mariners (133)


National League Cy Young

Winner: Blake Snell, San Diego Padres

Final tally: Snell, 204 (28 first-place votes); Logan Webb, Giants 86 (1); Zac Gallen, D-backs 68 (1); Spencer Strider, Braves 64; Justin Steele, Cubs 32; Zack Wheeler, Phillies 28; Kodai Senga, Mets 15; Corbin Burnes, Brewers 13

Experts’ picks: Snell (12 votes), Webb (1)

Doolittle’s take: There just wasn’t much that separated the top candidates in the NL this season. If anything, Snell’s win is an interesting snapshot of what voters ballot in modern-day Cy Young voting. That’s not to take anything away from his campaign, but you could have made a cogent argument for any of the top six on the AXE leaderboard and I might have been swayed.

In some ways, Snell has become the consummate ace, circa 2023. He prevented runs better than any other pitcher in the NL, which is why he won the award. He led the league with a 2.25 ERA, and his ERA+ was a robust 182. He can be maddening to watch because he just doesn’t give in to a hitter. That keeps his whiff rate elite (11.7 per nine innings) but also means a lot of walks (5.0) — though hitters needed those walks to get on base because Snell yielded an absurdly-low 5.8 hits per nine innings.

The cost of the way Snell works, however, is that he doesn’t often keep deep into games. He led the NL with 99 pitches thrown per game but ranked just 18th in innings pitched per start. Despite making 32 starts on the season, he ranked just 10th in innings pitched (180). He labors to keep runs off the board and while he requires more bullpen support than your typical ace, at his best, he is really hard to score against.

Snell is the 22nd pitcher to win multiple Cy Young awards. In some ways, he’s perhaps the most unlikely hurler to do so.

Now eight years into his career, this is just the second time Snell has compiled enough innings to qualify for the ERA title. But when he has, he has actually won those ERA titles both times … and won a Cy Young Award. Other than a lower win total, his 2023 season for the Padres is a virtual copy of his Cy Young season for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. Other than those two standout seasons, Snell has never reached even 130 innings pitched despite a career ERA+ of 127. He’s a quality-over-quantity guy, a true avatar for the current description of a rotation ace.

As I mentioned earlier, good arguments could have been made for the others — especially the other finalists, Webb and Gallen, who both threw at least 30 more innings than Snell did. These days, innings may be the single most telltale detail of a starter’s season because a high total doesn’t just suggest durability and pitch efficiency, but also excellence in those innings — or else many of them would have been allotted to the bullpen. Still, when you keep runs off the board at a top-of-the-charts rate and take all your turns in the rotation as Snell did, it’s a hard combination to beat.

Here’s how my AXE leaderboard had it:

1. (tie) Snell, Padres (142 AXE)
Webb, Giants (142)
3. Wheeler, Phillies (139)
4. Gallen, Diamondbacks (138)
5. (tie) Steele, Cubs (134)
Strider, Braves (134)

American League Manager of the Year

Winner: Brandon Hyde, Baltimore Orioles

Final tally: Hyde 144 (27 first-place votes); Bruce Bochy, Rangers 61 (3); Kevin Cash, Rays 52; Rocco Baldelli, Twins 8; Dusty Baker, Astros 4; John Schneider, Blue Jays 1

Experts’ picks: Hyde (9 votes), Bochy (4)

Doolittle’s take: Anyone paying attention knew the Orioles were a franchise poised to bust out — but few thought they’d do so in a 100-plus win fashion, let alone this year, just two seasons removed from a 110-loss season. With the laid back Hyde setting the tone, the Baby Birds won more game than any Baltimore team since the days of Earl Weaver, Jim Palmer and Eddie Murray. The O’s added 18 wins to their 2022 win total (83) — which was in itself a major surprise.

While the manager awards are the hardest to contextualize with metrics at the individual level, Hyde stood out in all the areas that tend to attract observers to managerial excellence. Baltimore outperformed its run profile by 7.2 wins, second-largest positive gap in the majors. The Orioles beat their preseason over-under consensus by 23.5 wins, making them easily the most surprising team in baseball. And they went 30-16 in one-run games.

Beyond that, the Orioles were just fun, as Hyde and his staff continue to transition some of the game’s most promising young players into the big-league level. Who will forget the “Homer Hose” which was totally not at all exactly like a fraternity party beer bong?

Some managers are hired ostensibly to be a rebuild skipper, to hold down the fort as the losses pile up and the team builds its roster to contention worthiness. Often, those beleaguered managers are fired in favor of a big-name skipper as soon as the team starts contending. Anything can happen, of course, but it sure looks like Hyde and the Orioles are a fit poised for a long run together.

Hyde becomes the fourth Oriole to win AL Manager of the Year honors, joining Frank Robinson (1989), Davey Johnson (1997) and Buck Showalter (2014). Bochy finished a distant second, so he’ll have to be content with his fourth World Series trophy. Chances are he’s happy to do just that.

Here’s how my EARL leaderboard had it:
1. Hyde, Orioles (17.3)
2. A.J. Hinch, Tigers (8.9)
3. Cash, Rays (4.8)
4. Bochy, Rangers (0.4)
5. Scott Servais, Mariners (minus-0.3)

Note: EARL is a metric that looks at how a team’s winning percentage varies from expectations generated by projections, run differential and one-run record. While attributing these measures to managerial performance is presumptive, the metric does tend to track well with the annual balloting.

Manager of the Year must-reads:

How the Baltimore Orioles went from raw talent to really good

Why Bruce Bochy might be the greatest manager ever


National League Manager of the Year

Winner: Skip Schumaker, Miami Marlins

Final tally: Schumaker, 72 (8 first-place votes); Craig Counsell, Brewers 51 (5); Brian Snitker, Braves 48 (8); Torey Lovullo, Diamondbacks 42 (4); Dave Roberts, Dodgers 41 (4); David Bell, Reds 13 (1); David Ross, Cubs 3

Experts’ picks: Counsell (7 votes), Schumaker (6)

Doolittle’s take: First off, I have to point out that the voters overlooked a prime candidate in David Bell, who led a rookie-laden Reds team to a 20-win improvement. Whether he did a superior job to Schumacher, Counsell or Snitker is an open debate — but the latter two piloted teams that most observers felt would contend, and Snitker led a loaded Braves team that you could all but pencil into the playoffs. None of this is to knock the finalists, but more to give some props to the overlooked Bell.

The Marlins hired Schumker, a former Cardinals coach, last winter to succeed Don Mattingly. The first-year skipper was up for the challenge, leading Miami to a 15-win improvement, a winning record and a surprise wild-card slot. And so he out-paced Counsell in the voting and prevents the Cubs’ new manager from being honored for his work in leading his old team past his new team in the NL Central race. (Baseball gets confusing at times.)

The Marlins outperformed their run profile by an MLB-high 9.1 wins this season on the strength of a surreal 33-14 record in one-run games. Leading a team that lacked offensive firepower — Miami ranked 14th in park-adjusted run scoring — Schumaker guided his club through a surfeit of tight, low-scoring games, belying his lack of experience as the top guy in the dugout. It’s hard to argue against his place atop the balloting.

At 43, the future looks bright for Schumaker at a time when his team is again feeling around for the elusive stability that has always eluded the Marlins franchise. He’s the fourth Marlins pilot to win Manager of the Year Honors. The previous three — Jack McKeon (2003), Joe Girardi (2006) and Mattingly (2020) — led the Marlins for a combined total of four seasons after being honored.

Counsell, perhaps the game’s best manager, has still never won the award — he’s now finished second in the balloting four times. Snitker fell short in his bid to win his second; he, too, has finished fourth or better in the voting in each of the last six years.

Here’s how my EARL leaderboard had it:

1. Bell, Reds (8.5)
2. Snitker, Braves (6.6)
3. Schumacher, Marlins (6.2)
4. Dave Martinez, Nationals (5.7)
5. Lovullo, Diamondbacks (5.5)

Manager of the Year must-reads:

Why Cubs stole Craig Counsell from Brewers

How Craig Counsell reset the managerial salary landscape — maybe forever

American League Rookie of the Year

Winner: Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles

Final tally: Henderson, 150 (30 first-place votes); Tanner Bibee, Guardians 67; Triston Casas, Red Sox 25; Josh Jung, Rangers 16; Yainer Diaz, Astros 6; Masataka Yoshida, Red Sox 3; Edouard Julien, Twins 2; Anthony Volpe, Yankees 1

Experts’ picks: Henderson (13 votes) (unanimous choice)

Bradford Doolittle’s take: In many years, you are tempted to throw out the observation that the Rookie of the Year isn’t necessarily the best prospect in a season. This time around, the argument is more about whose long-term outlook is more sparkling — the AL’s Henderson or the NL’s Carroll. In terms of preseason consensus, both entered the season as the top prospect in their respective league, and, all these months later, they are no-brainer picks for the Rookie of the Year awards. It’s nice when things line up like that.

Henderson struggled at the plate early in the season. By the end of the season, he was a catalyst in the Orioles’ lineup, finishing with 28 homers. And he took over as Baltimore’s everyday shortstop, moving over from the hot corner in June. From there, he played at short more often but could flip back depending on the needs of the lineup. His defensive metrics were strong at both spots.

Moving forward, there is room for Henderson to get even better. He hit just .199 with a .595 OPS against lefties, carrying over the platoon split he displayed in the minors. That’s probably more of a concern for future Orioles opponents than it is for Henderson.

Henderson becomes the first Oriole to win AL Rookie of the Year honors since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1982. Last season, Adley Rutschman finished second in the voting behind Julio Rodriguez. With Jackson Holliday a popular pick as the current top prospect in the game, this foundation for the Orioles just keeps getting stronger and deeper.

Here’s how my AXE leaderboard had it:

1. Henderson, Diamondbacks (130 AXE)
2. Bibee, Guardians (118)
3. Zack Gelof, Athletics (113)
4. (tie) Royce Lewis, Twins (112)
Edouard Julien, Twins (112)
Yennier Cano, Orioles (112)

Note: AXE is an index that creates a consensus rating from the leading value metrics (WAR, from Fangraphs and Baseball Reference) and contextual metrics (win probability added and championship probability added, both from Baseball Reference).

Rookie the Year must-reads:

How young Orioles rode their talent to the AL’s best record


National League Rookie of the Year

Winner: Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks

Final tally: Carroll, 150 (30 first-place votes); Kodai Senga, Mets 71; James Outman, Dodgers 20; Nolan Jones, Rockies 17; Matt McLain, Reds 5; Spencer Steer, Reds 4; Eury Perez, Marlins 1; Elly De La Cruz, Reds 1; Patrick Bailey, Giants 1

Experts’ picks: Carroll (13 votes) (unanimous choice)

Doolittle’s take: The NL’s 2023 rookie class was a strong one, but after April, there was little drama in the race for this award. Carroll rolled to a .910 OPS during the first month, though he was a bit overshadowed by James Outman‘s powerful first month for the Dodgers. After that, it was all Carroll, who displayed both the consistent and the spectacular on his way to a historic rookie campaign.

Carroll is the complete package at the plate. At 22, he manifested speed (54 steals, NL-high 10 triples), power (25 homers, .506 slugging), contact (.285 average) and discipline (57 walks and 13 HBPs). He hit at home (.902 OPS) and on the road (.843). He hit righties (.286) and lefties (.283), though he showed a lot more slug against righties. He became the first rookie to reach 25 homers and 50 steals in the same season.

Carroll was a beast in the early rounds of the postseason during Arizona’s unlikely run to the World Series, but he trailed off in the National League Championship Series and the Fall Classic. He’s not a finished product at 22, but who is? As with Henderson, that he still has weaknesses to iron out is a scary prospect for Arizona opponents. Carroll is the first Diamondbacks player to be named Rookie of the Year.

As mentioned, this was an awfully good rookie class in the NL. The Reds were a one-team ROY ballot on their own, with McLain, Elly de la Cruz, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Spencer Steer and Andrew Abbott all among the first-year standouts.

The Mets and Giants found their catchers of the future in 2023 (Francisco Alvarez and Patrick Bailey). The Brewers graduated a plethora of exciting outfielders (Sal Frelick, Joey Weimer, Garrett Mitchell). The Rockies’ dismal season was partially redeemed by the play and promise flashed by shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. Senga was the best thing that happened in the Mets’ disappointing year.

Ahead of this impressive group was Carroll, who, along with Henderson, showed us that sometimes even the most hyped prospects turn out to live up to their advanced billing.

Here’s how my AXE leaderboard had it:

1. Carroll, Diamondbacks (137)
2. (tie) Senga, Mets (122)
Jones, Rockies (122)
4. Outman, Dodgers (120)
5. McLain, Reds (117)

Rookie of the Year must-reads:

Why Corbin Carroll is a star

American League MVP

Finalists:

Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
Corey Seager, Texas Rangers
Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers

Experts’ pick: Ohtani (13 votes) (unanimous choice)

What to know: We have written similar things about Ohtani for years now, but we’ve never seen anyone do what he did in 2023. At the plate, he led the AL with 44 homers, a .412 on-base percentage and a .654 slugging percentage. On the mound, he went 10-5 with 167 strikeouts and a 3.14 ERA. He earned 10.0 WAR at Baseball-Reference.com, 2.6 more than any other player in the AL, and 9.0 at Fangraphs, 2.7 more than anyone else. There is just no good argument for another player.

Still, even as Ohtani is a shoo-in for his second MVP trophy, the early end to his season and the Angels’ disappointing 73-89 record make this possibly anticlimactic to some voters. He threw his last pitch on Aug. 23 and made his last trip to the plate on Sept. 3. Not only did this quash Othani’s quest to post the best season in history, but it might have actually swayed some voters to turn to Seager, who missed a chunk of regular-season time as well. That might be especially true if the playoffs were considered, as Seager once again transmogrified into Playoff Seager when the games mattered most. — Bradford Doolittle

MVP must-reads:

Shohei Ohtani Tracker: Where will MLB’s top free agent land?

Is Corey Seager the new Mr. October?


National League MVP

Finalists:

Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves
Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers

Experts’ picks: Acuna (12 votes), Betts (1)

What to know: The results from our experts’ picks suggest this will be a runaway victory for Acuna — and it probably will be — but that belies how close of a race this was between Acuna and Betts. In fWAR, they ended up tied at 8.3. In bWAR, Betts holds the smallest of edges at 8.3 to 8.2. In most seasons, that would lead to a hotly contested MVP debate, but Acuna had the flashier numbers: 41 home runs and 73 steals, becoming not just the fifth member of the 40/40 club, but blowing past that group to create the 40/70 club.

Besides leading the majors in stolen bases, Acuna led the NL in runs, hits, OBP, OPS and total bases. Despite those gaudy numbers and despite Acuna being the favorite for most of the season, Betts had arguably pulled ahead entering the final month, after hitting .455 with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs in August. Indeed, via FanGraphs, Betts led in WAR, 7.7 to 6.7, at the end of August. Betts, however, struggled in September, hitting .244 with one home run, while Acuna finished with a burst, hitting .340 with 11 home runs. He should join Freeman (2020), Chipper Jones (1999) and Dale Murphy (1982-83) as Braves players to win MVP honors since the franchise moved to Atlanta. — David Schoenfield

MVP must-reads:

Inside Ronald Acuna Jr.’s return to MVP form

How Mookie Betts became a Dodgers … infielder

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Ted Williams’ 1946 MVP award sells for over $500K

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Ted Williams' 1946 MVP award sells for over 0K

A rare souvenir postcard picturing Hank Aaron as a rookie with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro Leagues sold for nearly $200,000 at a baseball memorabilia auction that also included Ted Williams’ 1946 AL MVP award, which went for $528,750.

The Aaron postcard from the scrapbook of scout Ed Scott, who discovered Aaron, went for $199,750 following a bidding war that soared past the pre-sale estimate of $5,000-$10,000, Hunt Auctions said.

The auction included 280 items from Williams’ personal collection that had been held by his daughter, Claudia, who died last year. Among the other items were a silver bat awarded for his 1958 batting title, which sold for more than $270,000, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom presented to him by fellow naval aviator George H.W. Bush, which went for $141,000.

The sale also included items from the collection of Rutherford Hayes Jones, the business manager of the Washington Giants, one of the earliest Black baseball teams. The trove was discovered in 2001 in a suitcase, where it had been unseen for 40 years.

A first batch of items from Claudia Williams’ collection went up for auction in 2012 at Fenway Park and garnered more than $5 million.

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Power Rankings: Oregon remains on top, LSU drops out of top 25 after Week 12

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Power Rankings: Oregon remains on top, LSU drops out of top 25 after Week 12

Was something in the air in Week 12? We are now down to three undefeated FBS teams following No. 6 BYU’s loss to Kansas on Saturday night, and in total, five AP Top 25 teams lost to unranked opponents.

With BYU suffering its first loss of the season and now tied with Colorado in the Big 12 standings, what do the Cougars need to do in the last few weeks to reach the conference title game?

Georgia gained a much-needed win over Tennessee at home Saturday. The Bulldogs are well positioned to make a College Football Playoff appearance, but injuries have taken a toll on their roster depth. How can Georgia prepare for the playoff over the next few weeks, should it gain one of the 12 spots?

How did Saturday’s action affect our Power Rankings?

Here’s the latest top 25 from our college football experts, who provide their insight on each team following Week 12.

Previous ranking: 1

The 11-0 Ducks escaped Wisconsin with a 16-13 comeback victory in the fourth quarter. But again, Oregon couldn’t stifle the opposing team’s running game, as Badgers running back Tawee Walker kept the Ducks offense off the field with 97 yards on 20 carries. Oregon now ranks 71st nationally in EPA (expected points added) on run defense (minus-8.99), and 12th in the Big Ten. The league’s other playoff contenders — Ohio State, Indiana and Penn State — all rank in the top 11 nationally in EPA run defense. Oregon is sure to face prolific rushing attacks in the playoff. Getting key stops against the run — and getting its high-powered offense back on the field — will be paramount, if the Ducks are going to make a run to their first national championship. — Jake Trotter


Previous ranking: 2

The Buckeyes’ defense has responded very well from its loss to Oregon, holding its past four opponents to under 20 points and fewer than 275 yards per game. But the Buckeyes (9-1) will need to be a bit sharper on third down this coming week against Indiana, which entered Week 12 ranked 10th nationally in third-down conversions (49.1%). Northwestern converted five of its first 11 third-down chances against Ohio State on Saturday at Wrigley Field, and could have made the game more competitive if it had finished drives in Buckeyes territory.

Coach Ryan Day noted the early third-down struggles and the defense’s improvement as the game went along, saying, “We settled down a little bit.” Ohio State will need its veteran defensive line to pressure Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who has been sacked only 10 times this season, and fluster a Hoosiers offensive line that struggled against Michigan. — Adam Rittenberg


Previous ranking: 3

The 9-1 Longhorns avoided a major pothole on their road to a showdown with Texas A&M that could have SEC championship game implications, fending off a pesky Arkansas team. Texas still couldn’t get its vertical passing game on track due to the Hogs’ three-safety approach on defense, and Texas players admitted it was frustrating. But in a road game against old rivals who anxiously awaited a chance to break Texas’ hearts the way the Longhorns had done to them for years, Steve Sarkisian’s team adjusted and was able to grind out the 20-10 win. The star was the defense, which was smothering all day, holding an offense that averaged 484 yards per game to just 231. Texas has Kentucky on Saturday before the Aggies on Nov. 30. — Dave Wilson


Previous ranking: 5

Areas of improvement are tough to find for an Indiana team that leads the nation in scoring margin (301) and is 10-0 for the first time. But the Hoosiers’ offensive struggles in the second half on Nov. 9 against Michigan sounded some alarm bells, especially since they will face an Ohio State team with a lot more talent this week. IU had only 17 net yards on 24 plays in the second half against the Wolverines, as reliable quarterback Kurtis Rourke threw an interception near the goal line and a banged-up offensive line showed cracks for the first time.

The second open week came at a good time, as Rourke is still recovering from surgery on the thumb on his throwing hand, while wide receiver Myles Price and others had a chance to rest up. Indiana’s line-of-scrimmage play has been overlooked with all the other highlights, but the Hoosiers must hold up there against Ohio State to have a chance in Columbus. — Rittenberg


Previous ranking: 6

Penn State thrashed Purdue 49-10, as expected. But if the Nittany Lions are going to make a playoff run, they’re going to need to be sharper in the red zone. Coming into the weekend, Penn State (9-1) ranked just 48th in red zone scoring percentage (87.2%). Missed opportunities in the red zone doomed the Nittany Lions in their Nov. 2 loss to Ohio State.

Twice, Penn State had first-and-goal at the Buckeyes’ 3-yard line, but both times it came up empty. Ohio State’s Davison Igbinosun wrestled the ball away for an interception just before halftime. Then, with a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, Penn State couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone. Had the Nittany Lions converted both of those opportunities, they’d still be undefeated. Penn State can’t afford to come up empty on deep drives if it wants to advance in the playoff. — Trotter


Previous ranking: 8

It wasn’t supposed to be close, and it wasn’t Saturday in Alabama’s 52-7 rout of outmanned FCS foe Mercer. It was a scrimmage of sorts for the Crimson Tide (8-2, 4-2) before diving into their final two games of the season and what would almost certainly be a berth in the SEC championship game if they can win out against Oklahoma on the road this coming weekend and then Auburn at home on Nov. 30.

Turnovers will be key for Alabama the rest of the way. The Crimson Tide hurt themselves with turnovers in their two losses, so taking care of the ball will be critical. Quarterback Jalen Milroe was done midway through the third quarter after piling up 229 total yards of total offense and accounting for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). He has also been better at limiting his turnovers. Alabama’s defense forced three turnovers in what was the Tide’s third straight dominant performance. Since the 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt on Oct. 5, Alabama has not given up more than 25 points in a game. — Chris Low


Previous ranking: 10

After what might end up being a season-defining win over Georgia, Ole Miss (8-2) enjoyed a bye in Week 12 in anticipation of a manageable but anxious home stretch. Lane Kiffin’s Rebels will wrap the season with a trip to Florida and an Egg Bowl visit from Mississippi State. They will be comfortably favored in both games, and at 11th in the CFP rankings, they’ll have a solid shot at ending up in the playoff if they win out. But it’s not a guarantee, and Florida, who just beat LSU on Saturday, is a pretty dangerous underdog at the moment. The Gators will test Ole Miss’ big-play prevention capabilities: On six of 43 snaps against LSU, Florida gained at least 20 yards. MSU can bite off chunk plays as well, and if Ole Miss is to win out, discipline in the back will be a must. — Bill Connelly


Previous ranking: 13

Now that the sky is no longer falling in Athens, Georgia, after the Bulldogs took down Tennessee 31-17 on Saturday night, they need to focus on trying to get healthy for the stretch run. Tailback Trevor Etienne missed the game with a rib injury, leaving freshmen Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens to carry the load against the Volunteers. Receiver Dillon Bell went down with an ankle injury; coach Kirby Smart didn’t know the severity of the injury. Georgia’s depleted receiver corps, which was missing suspended Colbie Young, was already razor thin in terms of depth.

The Bulldogs (8-2) were forced to play only five offensive linemen the entire game because starting tackle Earnest Greene III is battling a shoulder injury. The starting unit of left tackle Monroe Freeling, left guard Dylan Fairchild, center Jared Wilson, right guard Tate Ratledge and right tackle Xavier Truss didn’t allow a sack and gave quarterback Carson Beck plenty of time to work. He completed 25 of 40 passes for 347 yards with three total touchdowns. Georgia had four scoring drives of 75 yards or more. With non-SEC games remaining against UMass and Georgia Tech at home, Georgia is well-positioned to make the CFP. — Mark Schlabach


Previous ranking: 11

The Irish (9-1) continued their dominance of the ACC, walloping Virginia 35-14 and finishing 5-0 against their part-time conference for the year. Since beginning a scheduling agreement with the ACC that guarantees five games against the conference each season in 2014, Notre Dame has finished without a regular-season loss six times and is 50-11 overall against the ACC. In the win over Virginia, Riley Leonard threw for three touchdowns, and Jeremiyah Love ran for two more. Notre Dame’s playoff hopes likely come down to next week’s game against undefeated Army. — David Hale


Previous ranking: 9

The 9-1 Hurricanes had an open date to prepare for their final two regular-season games, with an ACC championship game berth on the line. There is little doubt Miami spent that time focusing on its defense, and ways to ensure the breakdowns we have seen in recent weeks — especially in a loss to Georgia Tech — are fixed. While the Miami secondary had shown inconsistency throughout the season, what was particularly galling in the loss to the Yellow Jackets was a run defense that simply was out of position and unable to adjust — allowing 271 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Up next is Wake Forest and running back Demond Claiborne, one of the better rushers in the league. The matchup will provide a good test to see whether Miami has fixed one of its bigger issues. — Andrea Adelson


Previous ranking: 12

With BYU’s loss to the Kansas Jayhawks, Boise State (9-1) is inching closer toward the possibility of receiving a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. The Broncos got off to a slow start at San José State on Saturday, but after falling behind 14-0, they closed the game on a 42-7 run to win convincingly as Ashton Jeanty broke the single-season school rushing record. With 1,893 yards through 10 games, Jeanty is sure to be a Heisman Trophy finalist and could soon be within striking distance of Barry Sanders’ single-season FBS rushing record of 2,628 yards from 1988. — Kyle Bonagura


Previous ranking: 4

The Volunteers’ eighth straight loss to Georgia didn’t necessarily knock them out of the CFP, but they’re going to face an uphill battle to get back into the top 12 unless there are some upsets in the final two weeks of the regular season. Tennessee (8-2) had a great win over Alabama at home, but victories over struggling NC State and Oklahoma won’t do much to help its chances. Against the Bulldogs, the Volunteers couldn’t protect quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who returned after suffering a concussion last week, and couldn’t get enough pressure on Georgia quarterback Carson Beck.

Iamaleava was sacked five times. He completed 20 of 33 passes for 167 yards. The UT defense didn’t have a sack and had only two tackles for loss, allowing Beck to throw for 347 yards with two scores. Georgia went 8-for-14 on third down and 5-for-5 in the red zone. If the Vols beat UTEP and Vanderbilt in their final two games, they’ll be in the CFP discussion. They’ll probably be wondering if they’ve done enough. — Schlabach


Previous ranking: 14

Certainly, there is plenty to clean up after a 38-28 win over Boston College in which the Eagles took the Mustangs (9-1) down to the wire. BC was able to run the ball for 180 yards and three touchdowns and held the ball for nearly 11 more minutes than the Mustangs — not a huge surprise, given the Eagles clearly planned to slow down SMU and limit its possessions. But SMU’s defense made the plays it needed to in the end, sacking Grayson James on consecutive plays late in the game to help secure the win.

SMU heads to Virginia next to keep its undefeated league mark intact and move one step closer to an ACC championship game appearance. Kevin Jennings and Brashard Smith were spectacular once again, combining to score all four of the Mustangs’ touchdowns. — Adelson


Previous ranking: 7

Another late game-winning drive wasn’t in the cards for BYU, which dropped its first game of the season, 17-13 at home vs. Kansas. The Cougars (9-1) remain tied with Colorado atop the Big 12 standings at 6-1, but are in a position now where they will likely need to win at Arizona State (5-2) on Friday to reach the conference title game. Their 13 points against Kansas were the fewest they have scored in a game this season, as Jake Retzlaff completed 18 of 28 passes for 192 yards with a touchdown and an interception. — Bonagura


Previous ranking: 17

The Aggies (8-2) needed a get-right game after getting shut out in the second half of a 44-20 loss at South Carolina on Nov. 2 that snapped their seven-game winning streak. They worked out some kinks against New Mexico State, including allowing just 50 yards to the other Aggies in the first half. Marcel Reed further solidified his place as A&M’s starter with two passing touchdowns and a rush for another.

In the first game without leading rusher Le’Veon Moss, Amari Daniels had five carries for 84 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown, and A&M was able to empty the bench and even get the all-walk-on 12th Man kickoff team some time. The Aggies will have to lock in for a dangerous night game at Auburn on Saturday before returning home to defend Kyle Field against the Longhorns on Nov. 30. — Wilson


Previous ranking: 15

Army (9-0) watched Tulane clinch the other spot in the AAC championship on Saturday; the Green Wave and Black Knights will face off for the title on Dec. 7. But first comes maybe the biggest (non-Navy) Army game in decades Saturday, when the Black Knights head to Yankee Stadium to face Notre Dame in a game that could determine their CFP viability. With a win, they would almost certainly rise into the teens in the CFP rankings. To pull off the upset, though, the Black Knights might have to find their inner disruptor. They are great at the bend-but-don’t-break routine, forcing few negative plays but allowing no big plays and making stops in the red zone. But Notre Dame can run the ball (and finish in the red zone) with ruthless efficiency, and if Army can’t knock the Irish off-schedule, it might not make enough stops. — Connelly


Previous ranking: 16

The Buffaloes (8-2) are on a four-game winning streak and could legitimately win a Big 12 title in Deion Sanders’ second season. But a 49-24 rout of Utah on Saturday left their head coach wanting more from the rushing attack. Arkansas transfer Isaiah Augustave broke a 37-yard touchdown run against the Utes, but the Buffs’ backs combined for 32 yards on 11 carries over the rest of the game. “We can do some remarkable things if we have a more balanced offense,” Sanders said. Colorado has gained 1,017 yards on non-sack rushes this season, fewest among all Power 4 offenses. — Max Olson


Previous ranking: 20

The Gamecocks are one of those teams that nobody is lining up to play right now, and one of the things that will make them even more formidable the rest of the way will be holding on to leads. They’re finding different ways to win, growing up in key areas and smothering opposing offenses with a defensive line that’s right up there with any in college football. The Gamecocks (7-3, 5-3) rallied past Missouri in the final minute for a 34-30 win on Saturday, giving them their fourth straight victory and marking only the second time in the past 11 seasons they have finished with a winning SEC record.

The only real snag is that the Gamecocks had a two-touchdown lead early and couldn’t hold on. That could come back to bite them down the road. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers, a redshirt freshman, is blossoming at just the right time. He passed for 353 yards and five touchdowns, with the final one being the game winner to Rocket Sanders on a 15-yard shovel pass. Two nonconference games remain for South Carolina: against Wofford at home this coming weekend and then at home vs. bitter in-state rival Clemson on Nov. 30. The Gamecocks are one of the more improved teams in the country from a year ago and a couple of close losses to LSU and Alabama away from being right in the middle of the playoff conversation. — Low


Previous ranking: 19

The Tigers are done with ACC play with two weeks to go in the regular season, going 7-1 (8-2 overall), and still have a slight chance to make it to the ACC championship game after an up-and-down 24-20 win over Pitt on Saturday. The easiest route would be for Miami to lose again. No matter what happens, Clemson suddenly has issues on its offensive line, which lost another player Saturday. The Tigers are down multiple starters, and it showed in a ragged effort against the Panthers in which they were unable to run the ball until Cade Klubnik‘s late touchdown; Klubnik was harassed for the majority of the game. The Citadel is up next, and then a huge matchup against rival South Carolina at home as the Tigers seek to notch another 10-win season. — Adelson


Previous ranking: NR

Kenny Dillingham and his coaching staff continues to pull off one of the best turnarounds in the country. The 8-2 Sun Devils notched another statement win on Saturday with a 24-14 road stunner over No. 16 Kansas State. Redshirt freshman QB Sam Leavitt is playing at a high level, Jordyn Tyson burned the Wildcats for 176 receiving yards and two scores on 12 catches and the Sun Devils’ defense didn’t allow a score until late in the third quarter. One area where they’ll need to improve if they hope to win out: the kicking game. Former USC and Ohio State transfer Parker Lewis has taken over the kicking duties and converted a 47-yard field goal against K-State. — Olson


Previous ranking: 25

It’s difficult to nitpick a Green Wave team that has won eight straight games by an average margin of 28.8 points and clinched a spot in the AAC title game with a 35-0 win over Navy on Saturday. However, if Tulane (9-2) wants to make the most of its outside shot at a playoff berth, it could use an uptick in the passing game. Freshman quarterback Darian Mensah delivered another efficient performance in Week 12 (10-of-14, 138 yards, two TDs), while Tulane’s 10th-ranked rushing attack totalled 220 yards. The Green Wave offense is rolling, but Mensah has eclipsed 14 completions just twice over the past eight games and 200 yards only three times during that stretch. The Tulane run game has carried Jon Sumrall’s program this fall, but it will need a passing attack when it meets Army — and the nation’s No. 3 run defense (82.6 yards per game) entering Week 12 — in the AAC championship game on Dec. 6. — Eli Lederman


Previous ranking: NR

The Cyclones (8-2) snapped a two-game skid Saturday with a 24-point second half powered by a pair of Rocco Becht touchdowns. But the biggest hitch in Iowa State’s slim Big 12 title game (and playoff) hopes remains a run defense that was gashed for 287 rushing yards in a 34-17 road win over Cincinnati on Saturday night. The injuries that have ravaged Iowa State’s defense in the back half of the season have shown up on the ground, where Jon Heacock’s unit has now given up 200-plus yards in five of the Cyclones’ past eight games. Can Iowa State improve against the run with a depleted and inexperienced defense in the coming weeks? Unclear. But it’s the area in which the Cyclones need to improve if they’re going to scrap back into the conference title race ahead of a visit to Utah and a home game vs. Kansas State to close the regular season. — Lederman


Previous ranking: 18

The Cougars escaped a number of close calls throughout the season, but their luck finally caught up with them in a poor road performance at New Mexico. Wazzu led 28-14 at halftime, only to collapse in a 38-35 loss, with New Mexico scoring the game-winning touchdown with 21 seconds to play. If the Cougars (8-2) win out, they can still tie their single-season school wins record (11), but there’s no sugarcoating this: It was a terrible loss to take this deep in the season. — Bonagura


Previous ranking: NR

There’s not much to nitpick about the 8-2 Rebels following their 41-20 win over San Diego State late Saturday night. UNLV was never in much danger in this one, pulling away with a 21-point second quarter and surpassing 250 yards both passing and rushing. The Rebels have a top-10 scoring offense in the FBS but haven’t been among the nation’s best in third-down efficiency, ranking 86th entering Saturday with a conversion rate of 38%. They boosted that percentage against the Aztecs by going 8-for-16, but coach Barry Odom knows it’s going to take excellent situational football to win the Mountain West. — Olson


Previous ranking: 24

For the first time since a loss to Kentucky in November 2022, Missouri lost a one-score game. The Tigers’ nine-game winning streak in such games came to an end at the hands of LaNorris Sellers, Raheim Sanders and the South Carolina offense. Mizzou got a gutty performance from quarterback Brady Cook, who started despite being listed as doubtful for much of the week because of a wrist injury; the senior threw for 237 yards and got 150 rushing yards from Nate Noel and a glorious late touchdown from Luther Burden III to give the Tigers the lead with 1:10 left. But the Gamecocks scored 55 seconds later, and Mizzou fell to 6-3. The biggest challenge for the rest of the season: remaining focused. Mizzou entered the season with playoff hopes, and those are out the window, but the Tigers will be favored in each of their last two games and could still finish 9-3. That’s never bad in Columbia. — Connelly

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Kelly yells at LSU player, gets yelled at by other

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Kelly yells at LSU player, gets yelled at by other

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — LSU coach Brian Kelly was caught on camera screaming at one player and getting yelled at by another.

The sideline scenes were clear signs of frustration for a program that was on its way to losing a third consecutive game, at unranked Florida on Saturday. Now, the Tigers (6-4, 3-3 SEC) will be the ones out of the polls following the 27-16 defeat.

And the LSU fan base might be out of patience with Kelly.

“This is a simple exercise of do you want to fight or not?” Kelly said after his team’s latest loss. “Do you want to fight and take responsibility as coaches and players that we’re not playing well and we’re struggling right now?

“There’s a rough spot here that we have to fight through, and we have to do it together.”

Kelly appeared to get into it with wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. in the first half. Kelly got in Hilton’s face after a play, and online lip readers suggested Kelly eventually called Hilton “uncoachable.”

Late in the third quarter, cameras captured wideout Kyren Lacy yelling at Kelly on the sideline after an empty possession.

In the clip, Lacy could be seen apparently letting Kelly have it. The coach’s eyes widened as he seemingly realized what was happening. The ABC camera quickly cut away from the interaction.

LSU lost to Florida for the first time since 2018. This one came despite the Tigers running 92 plays and having the ball for more than 41 minutes.

“We’re going to put guys on the field that are going to fight and do everything they can do to correct where we are right now — and that is struggling with consistent execution,” Kelly said. “I think we’ve seen it enough to know we have to be better as coaches and players.”

Kelly’s streak of 10-win seasons will end at seven. Kelly won double-digit games in each of his last five seasons at Notre Dame and extended it with consecutive 10-win campaigns in Baton Rouge.

But losing three in a row, to Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida, makes it impossible to get past nine victories.

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