OU-UGA, USC-Michigan, Clemson-Stanford (?!): Classic games from new conference rivals
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Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff Writer
Ready or not, realignment is coming. The 2024 college football season will feature the largest power conference shuffle we’ve ever seen, with Oklahoma and Texas joining the SEC; Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington joining the Big Ten; Cal, SMU and Stanford joining the ACC; and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah joining the Big 12. We’ve also got Army entering the AAC in football and Kennesaw State jumping up to FBS to join Conference USA.
That’s a lot! And between the destruction of the Pac-12 and the discontinuation of rivalries such as Bedlam (Oklahoma-Oklahoma State), we’re losing quite a bit of connective tissue with this round. Not great. But it’s time to see what kind of connections we can stitch together in response.
Below, then, are the 50 best games college football has seen between teams that will be new (and, in some cases, old) conference mates in 2024. Between matchups like Texas-Texas A&M, Texas-Arkansas, the Holy War (BYU-Utah), Oklahoma-Missouri and Colorado-old-Big 8 mates, we are rejoining some lost conference rivalries. And hey, USC has played just about everyone in the Big Ten in a Rose Bowl at some point. But this list is equal opportunity. It’s not all Texas vs. Arkansas; there’s room for some spicy Stanford-Clemson, Cal-Virginia Tech and Oklahoma-Kentucky action, too.
(Army-Navy will continue as a nonconference rivalry even though both teams are in the AAC, so we won’t count that one in this list. It deserves its own list anyway.)
Is this a weird list? The weirdest I’ve ever made! It’s got Gary Danielson and Craig Morton and FCS playoff games and “BEVO” in grass and Aloha and Sun and Insight Bowls and Richard Nixon and onside kick returns and multiple 2003 Colorado games and Ernie Koy and 15-yard penalties for kicking tees and Bear vs. Bud. But hey, if there’s anything that ties this sport’s history together, it’s oddity. And the occasionally amazing Rose Bowl. This list has plenty of both.
A 7-0 score in the biggest game of the year? A 6-3 bowl game between two teams that would then play another 6-3 game in 2003? We can’t say there’s anything Midwestern about Los Angeles, but with scores like 7-0, 6-3 and 6-3, maybe UCLA has actually been Big Ten all along?
As with Dave Matthews Band and 64-ounce soft drinks, the rest of the world doesn’t quite share the same amount of passion for American football that we do. But you can’t say we haven’t given it the ol’ college try. We’ve sent Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes to Germany, and 34 years ago we sent David Klingler and the run-‘n’-shoot offense to Tokyo for the Coca-Cola Classic. Klingler completed 41 of 70 passes for 716 yards and seven touchdowns, including bombs of 51, 42 and, with 1:32 left in the game, 95 yards. ASU gained 666 yards and scored in every quarter but simply could not keep up.
TCU was in only the second year of its long surge back toward the game’s elite, and Arizona was coming off of its first ever top-five finish, but they were dead even in a storm-delayed Week 2 game early in 1999. The Horned Frogs scored a pair of safeties and took a 25-7 lead early in the third quarter, but they couldn’t contain Arizona receiver Dennis Northcutt, who scored touchdowns of 38, 59 and 30 yards. The last came with 2:10 left, and TCU’s last-ditch comeback drive stalled out near midfield.
A madcap game between two teams that would finish a combined 9-9-2. Future top-five pick and Super Bowl winner Craig Morton ran for one Cal touchdown and threw for two, including a 31-yard jump ball to Jack Schraub to tie the game late. Duke was preparing for a game-winning 30-yard field goal but forgot the kicking tee (a legal thing then). When a coach threw it in from the sideline, the Blue Devils were penalized 15 yards for “coaching from the sideline.” (Yeah, I didn’t know that was a thing either.) They then missed the ensuing 45-yarder. Delightful.
Every list needs a little bit of Mike Leach. We expect any memorable Tech game from the 2000s to feature a million yards and a hundred points, but there’s a good reason Tech scored only 26 here: Quarterback B.J. Symons threw picks on the Red Raiders’ first four possessions! And they won anyway! CU predictably took an early 14-0 lead, but Wes Welker’s 58-yard punt return bought Symons some time, and a 13-yard Symons-to-Welker touchdown in the third quarter gave Tech a 19-14 lead. The teams traded TDs, and CU got a late chance to win, but Vincent Meeks picked off Joel Klatt at the Tech 7. Just like a Leach team, winning with defense and special teams.
The only meeting between these two schools nearly featured a 27-point comeback. With 291 first-half yards in front of a mostly partisan crowd of 80,104, Clemson bolted to a 27-0 halftime lead, but Stanford charged back with three touchdowns from star running back Brad Muster and got a late chance to take the lead. Alas, the Cardinal turned the ball over on downs, and the Tigers survived.
43. No. 13 Arizona 32, Texas Tech 28 (1975)
Arizona was unbeaten and into the top 15 for the second straight year when Tech came to town and… probably should have pulled the upset. Down 21-6 at halftime, the Wildcats battled to tie the game, only for Tech to drive 80 yards with its triple option and take a 28-21 lead right back. The Wildcats responded in kind, with Theopolis Bell catching a touchdown pass with under four minutes left, but they failed on a 2-point attempt. Game over? Nope. Tech punted and committed a pass interference penalty, and Arizona set Lee Pistor up for a game-winning 41-yarder with six seconds left. A desperate Tech kick return attempt went awry, and Arizona added two bonus points with a safety at the end.
One of the cattier editions of the classic rivalry. Texas fans spelled out “BEVO” (the mascot) by pouring chemicals in the Kyle Field grass and rainy conditions turned the field into muddy slop. A Texas regent said the field was a “disgrace” and that “no university which makes any pretense of having a major athletic program would permit any such condition to exist.” Pearls: clutched.
Oh yeah, and Texas finished its first unbeaten regular season in 43 years by overcoming a 13-3 fourth-quarter deficit and scoring the winning touchdown with 1:19 left.
A week after upsetting Notre Dame to move into the AP top five, SMU, always tantalizing and slightly disappointing, welcomed one of Bobby Dodd’s best Tech teams to Dallas. It was a very Dodd result. The Yellow Jackets scored the only points of the first half on a blocked-punt safety (set up by a great quick kick — the 1950s, everybody!), and although a Lon Slaughter touchdown got SMU within range of an upset late, Tech held on.
40. Georgia Tech 18, No. 17 Stanford 17 (1991 Aloha Bowl)
Stanford got off to a much better start in this bowl, but the result was the same as it was against Clemson five years earlier. With 104 rushing yards from Tommy Vardell, Dennis Green’s Cardinal led 17-10 at halftime and almost made it hold up, but Willie Clay ripped off a 63-yard punt return with 1:41 left, setting up Shawn Jones‘ one-yard score, and Jimy Lincoln’s two-point conversion run, with 14 seconds left.
(Instead of this one, I almost chose another down-to-the-wire Stanford bowl game: The Cardinal’s 25-23 Sun Bowl win over North Carolina in 2016, which featured a failed UNC two-pointer with 25 seconds left. Stanford has made its rare ACC encounters count, at least.)
In front of what was, at the time, the largest-ever Autzen Stadium crowd (59,023), Oregon scored one of its biggest-name home wins. Special teams made the difference: Michigan scored on a blocked field goal return, but Oregon scored on both a punt return and a blocked punt return, and after a late Steve Breaston touchdown got Michigan back to within four, the Wolverines’ last-minute desperation drive stalled at the Oregon 41.
About three months after the win over Michigan came another Big Ten battle for Mike Bellotti and his Ducks. Oregon’s Samie Parker caught 16 passes for 200 yards and two scores, but the vaunted Minnesota ground game did its job — 241 rushing yards, led by Laurence Maroney’s 131 — and after two Jared Siegel field goals gave Oregon a 30-28 lead with 4:16 left, a fourth-and-two conversion by Maroney set up a 42-yard Rhys Lloyd field goal with 23 seconds left. Oregon finished the year 1-1 in the Big Ten.
Things have gotten a little trickier for Army recently as head coach Jeff Monken has had to deal with cut-block rule changes, but for a while there, his Black Knights were always good for a couple of wild, back-and-forth contests per year, often against AAC-level competition.
In 2015, against Tulane in a game that featured a 90-yard pass, a 48-yard fumble return and a blocked punt return score, Army charged back from 28-7 down to tie the game with 1:59 left. But the Green Wave drove 59 yards in nine plays and won with a 35-yard Andrew DiRocco field goal at the buzzer.
Two years later, Army rushed for 534 yards, North Texas threw for 386, and Army overcame four separate second-half deficits only for the Mean Green’s Trevor Moore to knock in a 39-yarder with five seconds left. May we get a few more of these with the Army now in the AAC.
Underdog Purdue jumped on visiting Washington in front of a crowd of 60,102, thanks primarily to the fleet feet of future college football commentator Gary Danielson. He completed only 1 of 9 passes but rushed for 213 yards as Purdue burst out to a 21-0 lead. But Washington’s Sonny Sixkiller overcame four picks to lead the Huskies back, and they took their first and only lead of the game with a 25-yard Steve Wiezbowski field goal with two minutes left.
The newest member of FBS was a new member of FCS not too long ago, too. In just their third year of football existence, the Kennesaw State Owls — and their Turnover Plank, of course — beat future Conference USA mates Liberty and Jacksonville State on their way to the FCS quarterfinals, where a third future peer proved too much. Jeremiah Briscoe threw three touchdown passes, and the Bearkats led by as much as 17, but the deficit was only seven when KSU got one last chance. The Owls drove to the SHSU 11, but a fourth-and-5 option pitch was stuffed. SHSU advanced.
Plank has a new look today ? #FCSPlayoffs #GoKSUOwls @NCAA_FCS pic.twitter.com/wVG6tGDmon
— Kennesaw State Football (@kennesawstfb) November 25, 2017
The game was fun enough. Ole Miss’ Deuce McAllister ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run, Oklahoma’s Josh Heupel set an Independence Bowl record with 390 passing yards, the Sooners charged back from a 21-3 halftime deficit to take a late 25-24 lead, and Les Binkley’s 39-yard field goal at the buzzer won it.
My favorite part, however, was driving through Oklahoma City the day after the game and listening to sports talk radio callers complaining about the Sooners’ loss, with one of them talking about how OU was “settlin’ for mediocrity” by not firing first-year coach Bob Stoops after a 7-5 season.
I wonder what that guy thought about the Sooners winning a national title 12 months later.
32. No. 9 Washington 21, No. 16 Maryland 20 (1982 Aloha Bowl)
There are a lot more important things you could do with a time machine if you had the chance, but imagine going back to Christmas Day 1982 in Honolulu and telling Maryland and Washington fans congregating at the inaugural Aloha Bowl that, 40 years later, their teams would be conference mates? Imagine explaining all the dominoes that fell for that to happen?
The only Terrapins-Huskies game to date was lovely, by the way. Maryland’s Boomer Esiason threw two touchdown passes, but Washington’s Tim Cowan threw three, the last one to Anthony Allen with six seconds left.
31. No. 10 Utah Utes 13, No. 11 TCU Horned Frogs 10 (2008)
The Mountain West was basically a power conference in the late-2000s, and this game between top-15 teams had major BCS bowl implications. Both teams boasted brilliant defenses, and even with Andy Dalton (TCU) and Brian Johnson (Utah) at QB, the teams could combine for only 23 points. TCU scored the first 10, but after two field goals, Utah scored the last seven on a nine-yard pass from Johnson to Freddie Brown with 47 seconds left. Robert Johnson picked Dalton off at the Utah 15 with four seconds left, and Utah ended up in the Sugar Bowl.
30. No. 6 LSU Tigers 45, No. 9 Texas Longhorns 38 (2019)
We had no idea what awaited either of these teams — that LSU would roll to 15-0 with quarterback Joe Burrow completing one of the greatest seasons of all time, or that Texas would stumble to 8-5 after a top-10 finish the year before. All we knew at the time was that this game was 60 minutes of nonstop fireworks.
29. No. 7 Michigan 38, No. 9 Washington 31 (1993 Rose Bowl)
A year after Washington wrapped up a national title campaign with a 34-14 Pasadena pummeling of Michigan, the Wolverines got their revenge and wrapped up a strange, unbeaten campaign (9-0-3) of their own. Sophomore Tyrone Wheatley capped a 1,300-yard season by rushing 15 times for 235 yards and scores of 56, 88 and 24 yards. The second Elvis Grbac-to-Tony McGee touchdown of the day gave Michigan a 38-31 lead with 5:29 left, and it held up.
28. No. 9 Wisconsin Badgers 38, No. 6 UCLA Bruins 31 (1999 Rose Bowl)
27. No. 9 Wisconsin 21, No. 14 UCLA 16 (1994 Rose Bowl)
After 31 years away, Wisconsin finally earned a long-awaited Rose Bowl bid in 1993, and despite the game taking place in UCLA’s home stadium, Badger fans swarmed the Rose Bowl. They watched their team (a) do Wisconsin things and (b) get some breaks. They recovered all seven of the game’s fumbles — at one point in the second quarter, famed announcer Keith Jackson said, “Somebody needs to stick a fork in that [football]. It’s walking around.” — and they ground out 250 rushing yards, 158 from Brent Moss. A fourth-quarter score from quarterback Darrell Bevell provided the winning points in the school’s first ever Rose Bowl victory.
They earned their second five years later against the same opponent. UCLA was better and less mistake-prone, but Wisconsin had Ron Dayne, who rushed for 246 yards and a Rose Bowl record four touchdowns. Cade McNown and UCLA kept up for a while, but Jamar Fletcher’s 46-yard pick six in the fourth quarter all but put the game away.
26. No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats 13, No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners 7 (1951 Sugar Bowl)
Bear Bryant vs. Bud Wilkinson! It doesn’t get much bigger than that. Wilkinson’s Sooners had already wrapped up their first AP national title and rode a 31-game win streak into New Orleans, but Bryant’s best UK team ended the run. Future college football hall-of-famer Babe Parilli threw his 22nd and 23rd touchdowns of the season as Kentucky took advantage of OU miscues and seized a 13-0 lead in front of 83,000. The Sooners fought back, but fumbles and a pesky Wildcats front spoiled their trip.
25. No. 3 USC Trojans 14, No. 2 Michigan Wolverines 6 (1977 Rose Bowl)
The 1970s played out pretty consistently for the Big Ten: Either Ohio State or Michigan wins the conference, then loses to the Pac-10 champion (usually USC) in the Rose Bowl. In this one, USC’s star running back Ricky Bell got hurt early, but future star running back Charles White subbed in, rushed for 114 yards, and scored a seven-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to create the winning margin. Two years later, White rushed for 120 and scored again (though he probably fumbled before crossing the goal line) as USC beat the Wolverines, 17-10.
24. Colorado 45, No. 17 TCU 42 (2023)
With everything that happened with Deion Sanders’ Colorado after this game — a 3-0 start, celebrities on the sideline, a complete collapse to 4-8 — it’s almost easy to forget just how wild last year’s season opener in Fort Worth really was.
Shedeur Sanders threw for 510 yards, four different CU receivers gained at least 117 yards (and one of them, Travis Hunter, also had an acrobatic interception), TCU’s Emani Bailey gained 164 on the ground, and TCU nearly took control with a 21-7 second-half run. But Sanders’ third TD pass (to Jimmy Horn Jr.) gave the Buffs the lead with 7:36 left, and when TCU scored just 36 later, CU went right back down and scored on Sanders’ fourth TD pass (to Dylan Edwards). One late stop, and CU was 1-0.
23. Texas A&M 30, No. 1 Oklahoma 26 (2002)
In 2000, Texas A&M gave Oklahoma one of its only challenges as the Sooners rolled to the national title: They led 31-21 with eight minutes left before a Quentin Griffin touchdown and a Torrance Marshall pick six saved OU’s unbeaten season.
Two years later, the Aggies got their revenge. OU was unbeaten and No. 1 once again, and the Sooners jumped to a 10-0 first-quarter lead as well. But Reggie McNeal, subbing in for a struggling Dustin Long, played the game of his life. He rushed for 89 yards, and while he completed just eight passes, that included touchdowns of 61, 40, 17 and 40 yards. With the Aggies nursing a late lead, they first forced a turnover on downs, then picked off Nate Hybl to seal the upset.
(Bob Stoops was pretty good at revenge, too. The Sooners would beat A&M 77-0 the next year in Norman.)
22. No. 4 SMU Mustangs 7, No. 6 Pittsburgh Panthers 3 (1983 Cotton Bowl)
Maybe the two most physical teams in the country finished the 1982 season with an absolute slobberknocker. Pitt limited the Pony Express backfield of Eric Dickerson and Craig James to 181 yards on 41 carries, and SMU limited Pitt’s Dan Marino to 19 of 37 passing and an interception. But with the Panthers leading 3-0 in the fourth quarter in rain and sleet, two huge Lance McIlhenny-to-Bobby Leach completions, one for 20 yards and one for 42, set up McIlhenny’s game-winning option keeper. Blaine Smith picked off Marino in the end zone, and the single touchdown made the difference.
21. No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners 26, No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers 24 (1968 Orange Bowl)
Unbeaten Tennessee didn’t get a shot at top-ranked USC because the Trojans were playing Indiana in the Rose Bowl. (Indiana in the Rose Bowl! The 1967 season was an odd one.) Instead, knowing that USC had already won earlier on January 1, the Vols had to face an inspired Oklahoma team in Miami. Winners of seven in a row, the Sooners charged to a 19-0 halftime lead. Tennessee finally responded. A 24-7 run brought the Vols back, and when Jack Reynolds stuffed OU quarterback Steve Owens on a fourth down, UT had one last chance to win. But with seven seconds left, Karl Kremser’s 43-yard field goal sailed well wide. Game: Sooners.
By the way, can we mandate that for any game these teams play moving forward, OU has to wear its crimson jerseys and Tennessee has to wear its orange ones? Because these are some pretty highlights.
20. No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks 14, No. 1 Texas Longhorns 13 (1964)
Texas was the defending national champion and riding a 15-game winning streak when Arkansas visited Austin and stifled the UT offense. Future Arkansas head coach Kenny Hatfield gave the Hogs a 7-0 lead with an 81-yard punt return, and the Hogs led 14-7 when Texas’ Ernie Koy scored with 1:27 left. Not wanting to settle for a tie, Texas’ Darrell Royal went for the win, but the two-point pass fell incomplete. Arkansas would go unbeaten and claim a share of the title instead of the Horns. And a year later, the Hogs would win another thriller, 27-24, in Fayetteville to extend their own win streak to 17.
19. No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners 28, No. 18 Missouri Tigers 27 (1975)
Missouri was the upset king of the 1970s, taking down Nebraska (four times), Notre Dame (twice), Ohio State, Alabama and USC … but never Oklahoma. The Tigers came close four times in five years but couldn’t get the job done.
The 1975 game might have hurt the worst. Trailing 20-7 in the fourth quarter, Mizzou ripped off 20 straight points to send the home crowd into delirium. But All-American running back Joe Washington exploded for a 71-yard touchdown on fourth-and-1, then dove into the end zone for a two-point conversion. Mizzou got two opportunities to win at the end, but Tim Gibbons, who missed at PAT earlier in the quarter, badly missed field goals of 40 and 54 yards.
18. No. 17 UCLA Bruins 50, Northwestern Wildcats 38 (2005 Sun Bowl)
You’ll rarely see a stranger bowl. (It’s funny how many times we say that about a Sun Bowl.) Northwestern parlayed a pair of pick sixes into a 22-0 lead just 11 minutes in, but a 36-0 UCLA run gave the Bruins a comfortable lead. Northwestern cut the deficit to 36-31 with 2:29 left, but Brandon Breazell returned an onside kick attempt 42 yards for a score. Northwestern scored again with 24 seconds left … and Breazell returned another onside kick for another score!! Even by Sun Bowl standards, this was wild.
17. Texas 27, Texas A&M 25 (2011)
It was the end of a disappointing regular season for two six-win teams, but with Texas A&M leaving for the SEC the next year, this one was for all-time bragging rights. (Or, as it turned out, bragging rights until late 2024.)
A&M raced to an early 13-0 lead, but touchdowns via a trick play and a pick six got Texas going, and they stormed to a 24-16 lead heading into the fourth quarter. After Randy Bullock’s third field goal made it 24-19, A&M’s Ryan Tannehill found Jeff Fuller for a 16-yard score to give the Aggies the lead. But they missed the two-point conversion, and that loomed large because Texas had Justin Tucker. A key personal foul penalty got the Horns to near midfield, and a 25-yard scamper by Case McCoy put them in Tucker range. He nailed a 40-yard field goal at the buzzer.
15. Kansas Jayhawks 52, Colorado Buffaloes 45 (2010)
You just never know when college football is going to create something magical. These two conference games remind us that you always have to pay attention just in case. In 2004, Colorado and K-State had combined to go just 9-9 when they met, but they put together the nuttiest fourth quarter you’ll see. KSU scored three touchdowns in the final 9:12 and tied the game twice, but Ron Monteilh somehow got wide open against a K-State prevent defense and scored on a 64-yard pass from Joel Klatt with five seconds left. It was such a shocking win that CU fans rushed the field … after beating a 4-5 team.
Six years later, it was CU’s turn to suffer a shocking defeat. The Buffs had lost seven conference games in a row, and Kansas had lost 11 when the two met in Lawrence in November 2010. KU suffered an absolute no-show for three quarters: Colorado led 45-17 early in the fourth quarter. But then James Sims scored, and 90 seconds later Johnathan Wilson did the same. Tyler Patmon returned a fumble for a touchdown, and suddenly it was 45-38. Sims scored again with 4:30 left, and we were somehow tied. And with 52 seconds left, Sims scored again, from 28 yards out, to give the Jayhawks a wildly unexpected win. They wouldn’t win another Big 12 game for three more years, but at least they made this one count.
14. No. 7 Purdue 14, USC 13 (1967 Rose Bowl)
The Big Ten’s “no repeats” rule, banning teams from back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances, created awkwardness in the 1960s. In 1966, a brilliant Michigan State team romped through the Big Ten, but the conference sent a two-loss Purdue team to Pasadena. In turn, the Boilermakers would win the conference the next year with a better team, but Indiana would go instead.
While Indiana couldn’t make the most of its first Rose Bowl bid, however, Purdue most certainly did. USC stifled Bob Griese and the Boilers’ passing game, but two short Perry Williams touchdowns gave Purdue a late 14-7 lead; a 19-yard play-action pass from Troy Winslow to Rod Sherman brought USC within a point with 2:28 left, but George Catavolos picked off a two-point pass, and a last-gasp USC drive came up well short. Purdue scored its first and, to date, only Rose Bowl win.
13. Utah Utes 41, BYU Cougars 34 (2005)
12. No. 21 BYU 33, Utah 31 (2006)
The Holy War rivalry doesn’t really have ebbs and flows — only long waves. From 1896-1971, Utah went 41-8-4 against BYU, basically clinching a forever lead in the series. But from 1972-92, LaVell Edwards’ BYU turned the tables and won 19 of 21. More recently, Utah has won nine of 10 since 2010.
The only time this series was really up for grabs on a year-to-year basis was from 1993-2009, but damn near every game in that span was a classic, from back-to-back 34-31 wins for Utah in 1993-94 to back-to-back comebacks for BYU in 2000-01.
The peak probably came in the perfect back-and-forth of 2005-06. In Provo in 2005, Utah bolted to a 24-3 halftime lead, but two Curtis Brown touchdown runs and two John Beck touchdown passes brought BYU back. The Cougars tied the game with 4:50 left in regulation, but on the second play of overtime, Utah’s Travis LaTendresse torched double coverage and caught a 25-yard touchdown pass. BYU went four-and-out, and the road team won. Just as it would the next year.
BYU got off to an infinitely better start in 2006, but a 14-0 first-quarter lead turned into a 24-14 fourth quarter deficit before Beck got rolling again. His third touchdown pass of the game made it 27-24 Cougars with 3:23 left before Utah responded with a two-minute touchdown drive of its own. It was 31-27, but there was just enough time for one more plot twist. On the final snap of the game, Beck drifted left waiting for someone to get open, then had to scramble back to his right under pressure. After a full 10 seconds with the ball, Beck threw back across his body to a wide open Jonny Harline in the left corner of the end zone. Ballgame.
11. No. 5 Texas Longhorns 21, No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide 17 (1965 Orange Bowl)
The 1963 national champion beat the 1961 and 1964 champ with big plays. Ernie Koy’s 79-yard run and George Sauer’s 69-yard catch-and-run staked Texas to an early lead, and while game MVP Joe Namath’s two TD passes got Bama back into the game, the game started and ended the same way: with a Texas goal-line stand.
10. No. 19 Oklahoma 31, No. 23 Tennessee 24 (2015)
Act 1: Tennessee scores 17 points in the first 18 minutes to take a commanding lead in front of a delirious home crowd in Knoxville.
Act II: After struggling for most of the game, first-year OU starter Baker Mayfield throws two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to force overtime at 17-17.
Act III: Mayfield runs for one score and throws to Sterling Shepard for another, then Zack Sanchez picks off Josh Dobbs to clinch a stunning win. “One of the more special wins, maybe my favorite of all of them,” according to Bob Stoops.
9. Cal Golden Bears 52, Virginia Tech Hokies 49 (2003 Insight Bowl)
There are few things better than a turn-your-brain-off popcorn flick in bowl season, and Virginia Tech and Cal gave us one of the best ones on record. Can I interest you in 1,081 total yards? How about a 394-yard performance from Cal’s Aaron Rodgers? Or Tech’s Bryan Randall outdoing him with 398 yards and four scores? Or Tech’s DeAngelo Hall tying the game with a 52-yard punt return with 3:11 left? Both teams led by 14 at one point, but Cal had the ball last, and Tyler Frederickson’s 35-yard field goal at the buzzer made the difference.
8. No. 6 Oregon 45, No. 9 Wisconsin 38 (2012 Rose Bowl)
Oregon’s first Rose Bowl win came in 1917 over Penn. The Ducks had to wait 95 years for another one, and they made it memorable. De’Anthony Thomas exploded for touchdowns of 91 and 64 yards, and the Ducks gained 621 total yards, but they couldn’t shake Wisconsin. Russell Wilson threw for 296 yards, Montee Ball rushed for 164, and the teams went score for score. Neither team led by more than seven points all game, but down seven late, Wisconsin blinked. Jared Abbrederis lost a fumble with 4:06 left, and after a long pass to Nick Toon with two seconds left, the Badgers couldn’t quite get another snap off.
7. No. 3 USC Trojans 17, No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes 16 (1980 Rose Bowl)
Ohio State began the 1979 unranked after the famous firing of Woody Hayes. But Earle Bruce’s Buckeyes climbed the polls all season and, at 11-0, needed only a win in Pasadena to secure their first national title in 11 years.
They just couldn’t figure out how to stop Charles White. In front of a crowd of 105,526, White rushed 39 times for a Rose Bowl record 247 yards, and his one-yard score with 1:32 left gave the Trojans the win — and gave Alabama the national title — in an incredible big-play affair.
6. No. 9 USC Trojans 52, No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions 49 (2017 Rose Bowl)
There were no real national title implications at play here — both USC and Penn State had suffered multiple early losses before picking up steam and winning their respective conferences. But that didn’t stop the teams from putting on one of the best popcorn flicks of the 2010s.
USC went on a 20-7 run in the game’s first 20 minutes, but Penn State scored four touchdowns in six minutes — including a 79-yard Saquon Barkley run and a 72-yard Chris Godwin catch-and-run — to take a 42-27 lead out of nowhere. Barkley’s third touchdown made it 49-35, but the fourth quarter belonged to USC. The Trojans tied the game at 49-49 with 1:20 left, and after PSU’s Trace McSorley got a little too aggressive and threw a deep interception, USC’s Matt Boermeester hit a 46-yard field goal as time expired.
5. No. 1 USC 42, No. 2 Wisconsin 37 (1963 Rose Bowl)
Oh look, another USC Rose Bowl win! I guess that’s kind of a theme here. After the 0-0 tie between Army and Notre Dame in 1946, college football had to wait an almost inexplicable 16 years for another No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle. It came in the Rose Bowl, as John McKay’s first great USC team met Milt Bruhn’s last good Wisconsin squad.
It nearly featured the greatest rally of all time. Pete Beathard’s fourth touchdown pass of the game gave USC a dominant 42-14 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Wisconsin scored 23 points in 10 minutes. A 19-yard pass from Ron Vander Kelen (who was 33-for-48 for 401 yards in a 1963 football game) to Pat Richter made it 42-37. USC recovered the ensuing onside kick, and even though Wisconsin came achingly close to blocking a punt on the final play of the game, the Trojans survived.
4. Texas 26, No. 6 Texas A&M 24 (1998)
The game basically began with one of the most famous runs in college football history, Ricky Williams’ 60-yarder that set the all-time career rushing record.
Somehow, the game got even better from there. Texas took a 23-7 lead on a Kwame Cavil touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but the Aggies — who would upset Kansas State to win their first Big 12 title a week later — scored 17 points in six minutes. Randy McCown’s one-yard plunge made it 24-23 A&M with 2:20 left, but that gave Major Applewhite too much time. After a series of short completions, he again found Cavil for 25 yards, and with five seconds left, Kris Stockton knocked in a 24-yard field goal and ended any national title hopes the Aggies had.
3. No. 5 UCLA Bruins 14, No. 1 Michigan State Spartans 12 (1966 Rose Bowl)
One of those perfect games, with perfect weather and huge stakes, that the Rose Bowl has provided so many times through the years. UCLA had lost only once since a season-opening 13-3 defeat at Michigan State, and the Bruins came prepared for revenge against the top-ranked Spartans. After a short Gary Beban touchdown, UCLA got the ball back with a surprise onside kick, and Beban scored again.
Those 14 were just enough. MSU’s big running back, Bob Apisa, scored on a 30-yard touchdown run with 6:13 left, but a two-point pass attempt — a very progressive strategy for the mid-1960s! — failed. Hall-of-famer Bubba Smith partially blocked a UCLA punt, and with 31 seconds left, quarterback Steve Juday scored to make it 14-12. State had to go for two points and the tie, and thanks to No. 2 Arkansas and No. 3 Nebraska both losing their bowl games, a tie might still be enough to win the national title. Alas. Apisa took an option pitch, but Jim Colletto got him by the shoulders and tiny Bob Stiles briefly knocked himself unconscious, stopping Apisa short of the goal line. As with USC’s win over Ohio State in 1980, a Rose Bowl upset gave Alabama the national title.
2. No. 1 Texas 15, No. 2 Arkansas 14 (1969)
For one of the first times in the sport’s history, television manipulated the schedule a bit in 1969. Knowing that Texas and Arkansas would both be top teams that fall, ABC convinced the schools to move their huge head-to-head meeting to the end of the regular season. Sure enough, both teams went unbeaten, and they were the top two teams in the country when they met, with President Richard Nixon in attendance, in one of the true Games of the Century in Fayetteville.
Big college football games are special no matter what. But sometimes they manage to exceed expectations. Arkansas took a 14-0 early in the third quarter, but one of the best fourth quarters of all-time awaited. James Street raced 42 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Texas coach Darrell Royal, having decided before the game that he wanted to avoid a tie at all costs, elected to go for two. Street got in, and it was 14-8. Arkansas nearly put the game away with a lovely 73-yard drive, but quarterback Bill Montgomery got too aggressive and was picked off by Danny Lester in the end zone when a field goal would have done just fine. The Horns were still down six when Right 53 Veer Pass forever entered the college football lexicon. On fourth-and-3 from the Texas 43, Street went long to a well-covered Randy Peschel, who reeled in the 44-yard pass and set up Jim Bertelsen’s tying touchdown and Happy Feller’s game-winning PAT. Tom Campbell picked off Montgomery in the final minute, and Nixon declared Texas the national champion after the game. (Joe Paterno, head coach of fellow unbeaten Penn State, wasn’t too happy about that.)
1. No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs 54, No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners 48 (2018 Rose Bowl)
Even in the College Football Playoff era, the Rose Bowl has been able to create magic. And even with last-second title winners in 2017 and 2018, this semifinal game might still be the best thing the CFP has produced.
I mean, come on.
OU threatened to run away with the game in the first half, with two Rodney Anderson touchdowns and a trick play touchdown pass to quarterback Baker Mayfield driving a 31-14 lead. But long touchdown runs by Nick Chubb and Sony Michel brought Georgia back, and the Dawgs took their first lead early in the fourth quarter. OU rebounded, scoring on a Mayfield touchdown pass to Dimitri Flowers and a 46-yard fumble return by Steven Parker, but another Chubb score sent the game to overtime.
After the teams traded field goals in the first OT possession, Oklahoma’s Austin Seibert missed a 27-yard chip shot. Just one play later, Sony Michel raced down the left sideline and sent Georgia to the national title game.
3:49
Georgia tops Oklahoma in 2OT thriller
In the highest-scoring Rose Bowl ever that featured six lead changes, Sony Michel scored four times including the game-winner to overcome Baker Mayfield’s big game in double overtime.
This run of realignment might have been awfully strange, but we get to reminisce about this game anytime OU and Georgia play. I’m cool with that.
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Rachel Doerrie
The 2025 Memorial Cup is upon us, and there is a ton of intrigue. The tournament is brimming with talented young players, some of whom will play in the NHL as soon as next season and one who is the consensus first overall selection in 2026.
There’s everything from elite forwards who should become 30-goal scorers in the NHL to top-four defenders that will man NHL blue lines for years to come. The level of talent on display in this Memorial Cup surpasses those of the last few years. There is no shortage of eye-popping talent in every game of this tournament, and each team has a few players that NHL fans should expect to see as soon as this fall.
Here’s a team-by-team rundown of the top prospects, including scouting notes on each:
London Knights
OHL
It is no small feat to hold the playoff scoring record for the London Knights given the top-flight talent that has come through the team, and Easton Cowan has accomplished that feat; he now has 96 playoff points after tallying 39 points in 17 playoff games this year. He is the straw that stirs the drink in London, and will be looking to avenge a loss in last year’s Memorial Cup Final.
Cowan plays an in-your-face style with high-end skill. He hits, gets in the kitchen of opponents, dangles and creates high-danger scoring chances. His chemistry with Halttunen played a key role on London’s OHL Championship run, and everyone expects him to be a major talking point over the next 10 days.
The MVP of the OHL playoffs tallied 15 goals in 17 playoff games, including multiple hat tricks in the OHL final. He went through playoff opponents like a hot knife through butter, and is going to be the No. 1 shut-down target in the Memorial Cup.
If London is going to win as the Memorial Cup favorites, Halttunen will likely need to lead the tournament in goal scoring. He can score from distance with an NHL-ready shot, and can also deflect pucks, and drive the net. On the power play, his one-timer is a significant weapon. Halttunen will be one of the best offensive players in the tournament and the top priority for opponents to neutralize.
The two-way center was fantastic for London throughout the OHL playoffs, tallying 22 points while shutting down the opponent’s best players. He is going play a key role in shutting down the likes of Gavin McKenna, Andrew Basha, Caleb Desnoyers and Jacob Mathieu.
O’Reilly is a quality penalty killer and excellent matchup center because he’s relentless on the puck, his stick routinely breaks up passes and he wins most of his puck battles. O’Reilly is Dale Hunter’s go-to player in tight situations, and will be deployed in every key spot. If he can effectively neutralize the opponent’s best players and put up around four points, London will be in good shape.
Dickinson is one of two standouts on the Knights’ blue line and is their best offensive defenseman, tallying 31 points in the OHL playoffs. The offensive facilitator has been excellent as a junior player, and finds himself projected to become a top-pair defender in the NHL.
Dickinson will be expected to play a steady game, break up plays and thwart offensive threats. He’s at his best when he plays a simplified defensive game while joining the rush offensively with excellent skating ability. He can tilt the ice in the Knights’ favor from the back end, and if he plays mistake-free hockey defensively, the Knights will be in good shape.
Bonk is not flashy the way Dickinson is, but Hunter relies on him to play the toughest matchups. He’s a steady presence on the blue line, shutting down opponents effectively by forcing them into poor areas of the ice and killing the play.
He’s a defense-first player who doesn’t get caught up ice. His gap control allows him to force turnovers, steer opponents through the neutral zone and force dump-ins. Hunter will need him to shut down junior hockey’s best players, and it will be a major test of Bonk’s ability to neutralize NHL-caliber players. If Bonk can win his matchups against McKenna, Desnoyers and Cataford, the Knights will be in pole position to win the Memorial Cup.
Medicine Hat Tigers
WHL
After missing a year with injury, the No. 4 overall pick from 2024 tallied four points in four WHL championship games. The big forward is going to have a lot of eyes on him at the Memorial Cup after losing a year of development. He needs to use his body to protect pucks, drive to the middle and be a consistent scoring threat.
Lindstrom has the ability to tilt the ice in Medicine Hat’s favor, driving offense and physically imposing himself on opponents. He is the X factor for Medicine Hat; if he’s excellent, the Tigers have a real chance to win the Memorial Cup. If he can’t perform at his very best, they may struggle to handle the depth of London and Moncton.
Gavin McKenna, 2026 draft prospect
There will be at least two or three viral plays from Gavin McKenna in the Memorial Cup. One of the best players — if not the best player — outside of the NHL is not draft-eligible until 2026.
McKenna has eye-popping offensive abilities, elite hockey sense and routinely turns defenders into pretzels. He’s the most gifted player in this Memorial Cup, and if Medicine Hat is going to win, will likely lead the tournament in scoring.
McKenna is a threat with and without the puck, in the offensive zone and in transition, and no one at the junior hockey level has effectively neutralized him. He’s a truly special talent, and unlike other special talents before him (Connor McDavid, Connor Bedard), McKenna has the opportunity to play in the Memorial Cup.
A point-per-game player in the WHL playoffs, Ritchie doesn’t get the same media attention as McKenna, Lindstrom and Basha do, but he’s a very effective player. A dual-threat offensive talent, Ritchie struggled to adjust to Medicine Hat’s system of play earlier in the season after an August trade from Prince Albert, and rounded into form as the season wore on.
Ritchie can shoot the puck with authority and his playmaking ability prevents defenders and from cheating to the shot or pass. He can drive play, create scoring chances and facilitate for his teammates. Medicine Hat will need him to facilitate offense and be a catalyst in the middle of the lineup to provide scoring depth.
Basha missed a significant portion of the regular season and playoffs recovering from ankle surgery, but made an immediate impact when he returned. At his best, Basha is a dynamic offensive threat who beats defenders with speed. He can beat teams in many ways, with playmaking and scoring ability.
While he’s more of a playmaker than shooting threat, Basha will be a major part of Medicine Hat’s offensive production at even strength and on the power play. With the likes of Lindstrom, McKenna and Ritchie, Basha has no shortage of players with whom to make plays. He’s the type of player who elevates the play of his teammates, and shows flashes of truly elite offensive talent.
With 20 points in 18 playoff games, Molendyk continues to be an elite defenseman at the junior level. He defends the rush with supreme effectiveness, which will be key against the likes of Easton Cowan, Kasper Halttunen, Caleb Desnoyers and the like.
He neutralizes elite offensive talent in transition with elite skating and puck moving. His identity as a two-way defender who moves the puck well and defends the rush gives him a confident projection as a top-four defender in the NHL. Molendyk is the leader on Medicine Hat’s back end, and the player relied upon to drive play from the blue line. Expect him to play a significant role in all situations for the Tigers at the Memorial Cup.
Rimouski Océanic
QMJHL
The two-way forward will be key for the hosts of the tournament, who lost to Moncton in the QMJHL Final. Cataford is a well-rounded player that provides significant value on both sides of the puck. He will need to be impactful on the forecheck, facilitate offense with his passing skill and get quick shots off from scoring areas.
He’s got the strength and skill to drive transition play and create plays at the net front. He can and will play in all situations, and will need to be a catalyst in all three zones for Rimouski to overcome the champions of the OHL, QMJHL and WHL.
Jacob Mathieu, Undrafted free agent
The leading point producer in the QMJHL playoffs will need to lead the charge for the hosts in the Memorial Cup. The 21-year-old undrafted player is looking to make an impression to earn an invite to an NHL development camp and perhaps, an entry-level contract.
Mathieu tallied 31 points in 23 playoff games, including four goals and seven points in the QMJHL Final. He’s found the offensive game that many teams hoped to see in his draft year, and has put it together at the right time for Rimouski. They will need him to produce and drive offense, as well as support plays in all three zones. If Mathieu continues to perform and produce at the Memorial Cup, he will surely get consideration for an NHL contract this fall.
The big, right-handed defender missed the entirety of the QMJHL playoffs with a broken ankle, and is hopeful to return for the Memorial Cup. He’s a quality defender who can be a difference-maker on the back end with his physicality and transition ability, if he’s able to play.
There is no word on whether he will be ready or not, but Gill’s presence in the lineup would be a major boost to for the host’s chances after losing 4-2 to Moncton in the QMJHL Final.
Moncton Wildcats
QMJHL
Caleb Desnoyers, 2025 draft prospect
Desnoyers has a rare chance to make a final impression on scouts and NHL executives long after many of his draft-eligible counterparts have stopped playing. While they’re readying for the combine, Desnoyers is looking to lead his team to a Memorial Cup.
An excellent two-way player, Desnoyers has excellent hands and quality playmaking ability. He plays in the face of opponents and can neutralize their best players. Moncton is expecting him to lead the charge offensively while playing head-to-head against the top players. If Desnoyers has a standout performance on both sides of the puck, he may find himself inside the top 5 when the draft rolls around.
One of Moncton’s best players in the playoffs, with 22 points in 19 games, the big center will continue to play a key depth role for Moncton after scoring the series clincher in the QMJHL Final. He is a menace at the net front, proving near impossible to move, with proven ability to deflect pucks and finish rebounds in tight.
At 6-5 and 207 pounds, he’s almost too much to handle at the junior level, bullying his way through battles, forechecking and holding opponents off. He should be able to continue physically dominating players at the Memorial Cup, even if he lacks dynamic skill. He plays an effective, power-forward game and can turn momentum with a big hit or altercation.
Expected to play on the top line with Desnoyers, Pekarcik tallied nine goals in the QMJHL playoffs, including goals in each of the first three games against Rimouski in the Final. Pekarcik is one of the smarter players on the Wildcats’ roster, and can execute plays at a high pace. He understands how to read defensive coverage, find holes and attack them with speed. He takes what defenders give him and will need to continue that to produce alongside Desnoyers.
He’ll play a key role on the power play recovering pucks, funneling the puck to the net and dissecting coverage.
One of the best defenders in the QMJHL playoffs, Morin is the catalyst from the back end for Moncton. Tallying 11 power-play points this postseason, Morin was a major reason the Wildcats made opponents repeatedly pay for their infractions.
He quarterbacks the Moncton power play, is a shooting threat from the point and facilitates opportunities for Desnoyers and Pekarcik. Defensively, he plays a physical game, punishing opponents while effectively moving the puck and getting himself out of trouble. He’ll play major minutes against the top players in the tournament, and will be required to shut them down for Moncton to have success.
The Detroit Tigers have continued their meteoric rise up our list … all the way to No. 1, usurping the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot in Week 8.
The Tigers, who started at No. 18 in our preseason rankings, continue to dominate the majors in 2025. You would have to go back maybe more than 10 years to find the last time they sat atop ESPN’s power rankings.
The St. Louis Cardinals join Detroit as another team on the rise this week, jumping up three spots to No. 12, as the Baltimore Orioles continue to collapse, dropping to No. 27 from their preseason ranking of sixth.
Where does every other MLB club stand ahead of Memorial Day?
Our expert panel has combined to rank every team based on a combination of what we’ve seen and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Jesse Rogers, Jorge Castillo and Bradford Doolittle to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
1. Detroit Tigers
Record: 33-17
Previous ranking: 3
Plenty is going right for the Tigers: the resurgence of Javier Baez … in center field; Tarik Skubal‘s sterling defense of his AL Cy Young Award; former No. 1 picks Spencer Torkelson and Casey Mize finding their way; and the bullpen’s dominance. Lost in those headlines is Gleyber Torres having a solid season, continuing where he left off down the stretch in 2024 with the Yankees. The second baseman is batting .281 with five home runs and an .794 OPS. If that production continues, the 28-year-old Torres, who signed a one-year deal for $15 million, will be in line for a multiyear contract next offseason. — Castillo
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 31-19
Previous ranking: 1
The Dodgers’ 18 comeback wins are the most in the majors. But the story behind all those rallies is less about an emergent resilience and more about an injury-riddled starting rotation that has put the club in early holes too often. The Dodgers’ 4.30 rotation ERA ranks 23rd in the majors. That’s stunning enough but it’s worse when you look at the first inning, where L.A.’s 6.30 ERA ranks 28th. Amazingly, Cy Young candidate Yoshinobu Yamamoto has allowed just one first-inning earned run in 10 outings. The other Dodgers’ starters have a collective 7.65 first-inning ERA. — Doolittle
Record: 31-18
Previous ranking: 6
A torrid stretch that began in late April lifted the Phillies into first place in the NL East, positioning them for another postseason push. Alas, if Philadelphia does earn a spot in the NL bracket, closer Jose Alvarado won’t be there to help. He tested positive for PEDs, leading to a suspension that will cost him 80 regular-season games and postseason eligibility. The silver lining is that Jordan Romano, the Phillies’ new top option for saves, appears to have righted the ship after a ragged start. His spree of eight scoreless outings included four saves and a couple of holds. — Doolittle
Record: 29-19
Previous ranking: 5
The Subway Series was all about Juan Soto‘s return to Yankee Stadium, but it was Cody Bellinger, one of Soto’s replacements in the Bronx, who starred all weekend. The versatile former NL MVP went 7-for-11 with three walks, two doubles and two home runs, including a grand slam, in the three games. The Mets retired him just four times in his 14 plate appearances. The outburst is part of Bellinger’s turnaround since his sluggish start. Bellinger entered April 29 batting .194 with a .574 OPS and two home runs in 26 games. Since then, he’s slashing .357/.430/.686 with six homers in 18 games. — Castillo
Record: 30-20
Previous ranking: 2
A disappearing offense led to the Mets’ worst week of the season. They lost road series against the Yankees and Red Sox, dropping them out of first place in the NL East behind the Phillies. Soto’s numbers remain below his career standard, and that’s made some fans antsy. Pete Alonso‘s recent sudden cooling after a blistering start has sapped the heart of the Mets’ lineup. Through May 5, Alonso had a 1.143 OPS, 25 walks and 24 strikeouts. Since: a .414 OPS, three walks and 24 strikeouts over 14 games, seven of which the Mets have lost. — Doolittle
Record: 30-20
Previous ranking: 7
Since being dropped to eighth in the batting order at the end of April, Dansby Swanson is hitting close to .400 with an OPS over 1.000. He’s back up higher in the order as he’s seemingly figured things out after the slow start, raising his batting average from .185 to .262 in that time frame. It’s hard to know for sure but the lineup change may have helped him relax. Pitches he was swinging through previously, he’s now hitting with authority, making him a bigger part of a dangerous offensive attack in Chicago. — Rogers
Record: 27-20
Previous ranking: 4
A Padres’ rotation that has ranked in the top 10 by ERA all season should get even stronger soon with the impending return of Yu Darvish. Darvish pitched four innings in a rehab outing at the Triple-A level last week, but the exact date of his return remains unknown. According to reports, Darvish may join the team this weekend, even if he doesn’t make a start. The Padres can afford to be patient with him thanks to fill-in Stephen Kolek, who posted a 2.33 ERA over his first three outings. — Doolittle
Record: 28-20
Previous ranking: 9
Luis Castillo looked like his vintage self against the White Sox on Monday, pitching seven scoreless innings after doing nearly the same against the Yankees in his previous start. In three of his four outings this month, he’s totaled 19 innings while giving up just two runs. Castillo’s changeup isn’t nearly as valuable as it once was, but his other pitches are as good as ever, including his four-seam fastball, which batters are hitting just .189 off of. The Mariners will continue to lean on the longtime veteran as they deal with injuries to their rotation. — Rogers
Record: 29-21
Previous ranking: 8
The Giants moved Jordan Hicks to the bullpen this week. It was a surprise when the Giants signed Hicks (1-5, 6.60 ERA) as a starter instead of a reliever, and the gambit hasn’t worked out. He is 5-16 with a 4.91 over 37 career starts between the Giants and Cardinals. His ERA as a reliever is 3.73 and his strikeout rate is 1.1 more per nine innings in that role. Replacing Hicks in the rotation is Hayden Birdsong, who held the Royals to one unearned run over five frames in his first start. — Doolittle
Record: 27-22
Previous ranking: 16
The Twins won 13 straight games — the longest winning streak in the majors in 2025 — to erase a dismal start and plant themselves in the postseason picture before Memorial Day. But even that blistering stretch was accompanied by injury woes. Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton landed on the seven-day concussion injured list Friday after the two collided while pursuing a shallow fly ball. Pitching has fueled the Twins’ turnaround — their staff is tied for fifth across the majors in ERA — but the club will need its stars healthy and productive to stay within striking distance of the Tigers in the competitive AL Central. — Castillo
Record: 26-24
Previous ranking: 11
The Diamondbacks have been a baseball version of a high-tempo basketball team. They are the only team in MLB scoring and allowing more than five runs per contest — and they would obviously like one of those trends to end. Improved pitching health would help, and there is hope on that front. Eduardo Rodriguez, A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez are on the IL but all have resumed throwing. Martinez has made a pair of rehab outings in the minors and topped 100 mph in his last appearance. — Doolittle
12. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 27-23
Previous ranking: 15
The surge up the standings by the Cardinals has been partly due to a balanced lineup and a starting staff performing above expectations. Take Miles Mikolas, for example. In the past, he has given up more hits than innings pitched — but not this year. He has allowed 40 hits in 45⅓ innings with only two leaving the yard. That’s been a trend for the Cardinals this season, as their entire rotation has only given up 26 home runs, putting them among the league leaders in fewest allowed. Combine that with the return of hot hitting catcher Ivan Herrera, and St. Louis is keeping pace with the Cubs near the top of the NL Central. — Rogers
Record: 28-23
Previous ranking: 12
Starting pitching is the Royals’ strength, and the club’s quest to solidify its depth has led it to a very experienced option. Rich Hill, 45 years young, signed a minor league deal with Kansas City last week. He made his debut for the organization in the Arizona Complex League against the Cubs on Tuesday, striking out seven of the 12 batters he faced — none of which were born when he was drafted in 2002. He is expected to join Triple-A Omaha soon, and if he makes it to Kansas City, he will join Edwin Jackson as the only players to play for 14 major league teams. — Castillo
Record: 24-24
Previous ranking: 14
The Braves’ season has been a roller coaster, ranging from the heights of lofty preseason expectations to the lows of an 0-7 start before finally settling into MLB’s middle as Atlanta surpassed .500 for the first time last week. All of this before Memorial Day. Now the Braves are getting whole. Spencer Strider returned to the rotation this week and Ronald Acuña Jr. is getting close, though no specific date has been announced for his return. Acuña reached base in 13 of his first 22 plate appearances while on a rehab assignment. If that’s rust, the Braves will take it. — Doolittle
Record: 25-24
Previous ranking: 17
Framber Valdez might have found his rhythm in May. He has thrown 22 innings over his past three starts, giving up a total of five runs and striking out 22 while using his curveball more efficiently. Batters are hitting .224 off of it compared to .121 last season, but it’s still trending in the right direction compared to where he was last month. In his last outing Sunday, he threw 31 curveballs, producing 10 total swings-and-misses or called strikes to go with nine foul balls. Valdez is heating up. — Rogers
Record: 25-26
Previous ranking: 13
The uproar surrounding Rafael Devers‘ decision to not even entertain moving to first base isn’t bothering the man himself. Since May 8, the day he flatly said he will not make the switch from designated hitter, Devers is batting .413 with five home runs and a 1.331 OPS. He has hits in 10 of the 13 games and multiple hits in six of them. On Saturday, he delivered his first career walk-off home run against the Braves to snap Boston’s four-game losing streak. The Red Sox are stuck in neutral, hovering around .500, but Devers isn’t the issue. He has been designated to hit — and he’s doing just that. — Castillo
Record: 25-25
Previous ranking: 18
So how is the Bret Boone as hitting coach era going? There are mixed reviews as the Rangers still reside in the bottom third of the majors in OPS over the past couple of weeks — but they have shown signs of coming out of it. A nice five-win stretch in six games against the Tigers and Rockies helped vault them back into contention in the AL West, with the offense putting up three six-plus run outings over that span. Josh Jung has been hot since Boone came onboard, compiling an OPS over 1.000 in his past 11 games. Texas needs more of that from plenty of others in its lineup. — Rogers
Record: 26-22
Previous ranking: 10
Typically, the Guardians’ pitching staff has masked an average-to-below-average offense. But that isn’t the case in 2025: The pitching staff ranks 20th in ERA, which means Cleveland’s offense could use more juice.
Jose Ramirez (146 wRC+) is in All-Star form again. Steven Kwan is batting over .300 again. Daniel Schneemann (135 OPS+) has been a pleasant surprise. But Cleveland’s production in right field — by wRC+ — is the second worst in the majors, glove-first shortstop Brayan Rocchio was optioned to the minors last week after posting a .433 OPS and first baseman Carlos Santana had a .320 slugging percentage until homering in consecutive games this week. Travis Bazzanna, the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft, was on track to possibly help this season, but he is expected to miss at least two months with a strained oblique. — Castillo
Record: 25-26
Previous ranking: 21
The Reds’ offense came alive last week with nine home runs over a seven-game span, and over half of those came off the bat of one player: Will Benson. He slugged five while driving in 10 runs to give Cincinnati some much-needed pop since being called up from Triple-A earlier this month. Benson was a first-round pick in 2016 but has been slow to reach his potential, hitting just .187 in 128 games last season. While he’s not much of a fastball hitter, he has been hitting the breaking stuff all over the park. He’s likely to see a diet of four-seamers moving forward. — Rogers
Record: 24-26
Previous ranking: 20
Two more shutouts at the plate — in back-to-back games against the Twins over the weekend — gave the Brewers six on the season as they continue to search for answers. Fortunately, the slumping Orioles can fix a team’s hitting woes, as Milwaukee broke out against them in a series win earlier this week. Perhaps 2024 MVP candidate William Contreras is finally getting hot — he’s had three multihit games in his past seven, including a four-hit affair against Baltimore on Monday. He’s a key cog in an offense that has been stuck in neutral too many times this season. All six shutouts have come since May 1. — Rogers
Record: 24-24
Previous ranking: 22
Bo Bichette is better resembling his All-Star form after going without a home run through April. The shortstop is slashing .276/.345/.513 with four home runs and six doubles in 18 games this month. He’s recorded multiple hits in seven games. In all, he owns a 115 wRC+ and has accumulated 0.9 fWAR. It’s a step in the right direction for Bichette, an impending free agent coming off a disastrous injury-plagued 2024 season in which he posted a 71 wRC+ and 0.3 fWAR in 81 games. — Castillo
Record: 23-26
Previous ranking: 23
Player development is rarely linear, and Junior Caminero is going through some struggles in his first full major league season. The former top prospect is batting .230 with a .662 OPS and 87 OPS+. He’s grounded into 14 double plays, which leads the majors by five, and has hit just two home runs in May. Defensively, his minus-7 outs above average and minus-7 defensive runs saved rank last among qualified third basemen. Caminero is still just 21 years old and has the skills for stardom. Right now, though, he’s going through growing pains for a Rays club that needs more oomph from the middle of the lineup. — Castillo
23. Athletics
Record: 22-28
Previous ranking: 19
Things have gone wrong on both sides of the ball for the A’s, who have scored just 16 runs while allowing 52 over their seven-game losing streak. Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom have struggled during the skid. Is the dip a sign of things to come or just a bump in the road for the young Athletics? — Rogers
Record: 23-25
Previous ranking: 26
The highlight of the Angels’ season came this past weekend when they swept the host Dodgers while scorching their pitching staff with 23 runs in the three games. Most impressive was a wild, back-and-forth affair Saturday when the Angels scored five times in the seventh inning en route to an 11-9 win. Catcher Logan O’Hoppe continued to impress as he hit his 10th home run in that game. He added another one Tuesday against the Athletics, making him just the second catcher to reach double digits in home runs this season. — Rogers
Record: 22-27
Previous ranking: 25
When the Nationals acquired their mega package of prospects from the Padres in the 2022 Juan Soto trade, Robert Hassell III ranked alongside CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore and James Wood as major components of the deal. While the other three have justified their billing, it’s been slower going for Hassell, who was summoned to the majors for the first time Wednesday. He was needed after injuries to starting big league outfielders Dylan Crews and Jacob Young. It’s a golden opportunity for Hassell, whose numbers for Triple-A Rochester in 2025 were up across the board from last season. — Doolittle
Record: 19-29
Previous ranking: 28
The brightest spot for the Marlins has undoubtedly been the early play of rookie catcher/DH Agustin Ramirez, who has wielded a potent power bat during his first MLB stint. Though Ramirez didn’t debut in the majors until April 21, he ranks third on the Marlins with six homers and leads the club with a .567 slugging percentage. Only Washington’s Dylan Crews has more homers among rookies (7) and only Atlanta’s Drake Baldwin has a higher slug (.583). The promising start has thrust Ramirez into early NL Rookie of the Year chatter. — Doolittle
27. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 16-32
Previous ranking: 24
The Orioles are in shambles. Two weeks after general manager Mike Elias told reporters he was “very confident” in manager Brandon Hyde amid the club’s horrid start, Elias fired his skipper. The decision came the day after an ugly loss to the Nationals on Friday night, one in which they squandered a one-run lead in the last two innings. The move hasn’t changed the results. Baltimore lost the next four games under interim manager Tony Mansolino before winning Wednesday. A team with World Series aspirations before the season might have its playoff hopes dashed by Memorial Day. — Castillo
Record: 17-33
Previous ranking: 27
Nothing has gone right for Pittsburgh this season. After firing manager Derek Shelton, the Pirates got more bad news this week: Righty Jared Jones will undergo surgery on his elbow and miss the rest of the season. A setback in his rehab led to the decision to go under the knife, further putting a damper on the last-place Pirates. Jones and Paul Skenes were to be a dangerous 1-2 combo at the top of this year’s rotation, but instead Skenes will go it alone in 2025. Jones compiled a 4.14 ERA during a promising rookie season in 2024, but he’ll essentially start from scratch when he makes it back next year. — Rogers
Record: 15-35
Previous ranking: 29
Luis Robert Jr., coming off a disappointing 2024 season, has been so lousy that a contending team probably won’t give up much to acquire him before the trade deadline. Just ask him. Robert, through an interpreter, was candid to reporters Monday, telling them, “Right now, as my season is going, I don’t think anybody is going to take a chance on me.”
He’s probably right, and that’s a huge disappointment for the rebuilding White Sox. Robert was a ticket to another haul of young talent for their reset. But the center fielder, who has $20 million team options for each of the next two seasons, is batting just .178 with a .565 OPS in 46 games. That’s not good enough. — Castillo
Record: 8-41
Previous ranking: 30
If Colorado hoped that canning manager Bud Black would light a fire under the team, those aspirations were quickly dashed. The Rockies lost seven of their first eight under Warren Schaeffer, keeping them on pace for some ignominious outcomes — and not just the White Sox’s all-time loss record. Colorado is on pace to finish 74 games out of first place, which would shatter the all-time record. But wait, there’s more: The Rockies are also on pace to finish 58 games out of fourth place. They aren’t just in the basement, they are tunneling their way to the center of the Earth. — Doolittle
Sports
Real or not? Debating whether the Tigers, Cardinals and other unexpected teams are playoff contenders
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David Schoenfield
We’ve inched past the quarter mark of the 2025 MLB season and, in many ways, the season has gone as expected: The American League looks to have a crowded playoff race, the Los Angeles Dodgers are good even with a slew of pitching injuries, contending National League teams are living up to expectations and we have some awful squads at the bottom of the overall standings.
That doesn’t leave a lot of room for surprises, but let’s look at five clubs that began the season with projected playoff odds of less than 50%, according to ESPN reporter Bradford Doolittle’s initial preseason projections, and have so far exceeded those predictions.
Which of these teams are for real and which might be early-season flukes? We’ll start with a red-hot AL team that has dominated the first two months — and no, it’s not the New York Yankees.
(All stats through Sunday.)
Preseason playoff odds: 41.2%
Key stat: Last season, the Tigers hit 162 home runs in 162 games. This season, they hit 60 in their first 47 games, a pace of 207. The team OBP has improved from .300 (29th in the majors) to .333 (sixth). As a result, Detroit has increased its runs per game from 4.21 to 5.38.
Hot start: Former No. 1 picks Spencer Torkelson and Casey Mize both scuffled in 2024, with Torkelson finding himself demoted to Triple-A at one point and finishing with 10 home runs and 0.3 WAR, and Mize going 2-6 with a 4.49 ERA and 0.2 WAR. Torkelson already has 12 home runs and ranks among MLB’s best in RBIs, while Mize is 6-1 with a 2.53 ERA.
Can he keep it going? Javier Baez was so bad in 2023 and 2024 that he likely would have been let go if he didn’t still have three seasons left on his contract. However, not only is he hitting .291/.326/.485 in 2025, but he has moved to center field with Parker Meadows injured and looks like a natural out there.
Area of concern: Third base? Starting pitching depth? Really, the Tigers have shown no obvious weakness so far. Once Meadows returns, Baez can always move to third base if needed, keeping Zach McKinstry in a utility role. Sawyer Gipson-Long has started a rehab assignment, and the Double-A rotation is stacked if help is eventually needed in the rotation.
The question at this point isn’t if the Tigers are for real, but rather if they have a chance to be the best team in Tigers history. The 1984 team holds the club record with 104 wins and had that famous 35-5 start on its way to a World Series title. The 2025 Tigers are on pace for 107 wins after 47 games. They’ve been extremely well-rounded with a surprisingly deep lineup, solid defense, Tarik Skubal leading a good rotation and a bullpen picking up where it left off from last year’s out-of-nowhere trip to the postseason. Detroit has done all this with Matt Vierling and Meadows — who were second and third among position players a year ago in WAR — injured so far this season.
Mize has been a nice surprise as well, walking just nine batters in seven starts, and he should remain effective if he keeps doing that. With Skubal leading the way, the Tigers rank second to only the Philadelphia Phillies in strikeout rate among starting pitchers. The bullpen isn’t quite as dominant in that department (17th in the majors), but that’s also the easiest area to add to at the trade deadline if necessary.
If you want to nitpick, you could point to the lack of one consistent closer, as changeup specialist Tommy Kahnle, Will Vest and Brant Hurter have split duties with 12 saves between them. It’s unconventional, but all three have been effective, and manager A.J. Hinch and pitching coach Chris Fetter have certainly shown over the past two seasons they know how to work a bullpen. While some of the Tigers’ hitters can be expected to regress — Baez, in particular — getting Vierling and Meadows back will give Hinch all kinds of lineup flexibility to maximize matchups.
This probably isn’t a 107-win team or even a 104-win team, but this could be Detroit’s first 95-win team since 2011.
Verdict: Real
Preseason playoff odds: 33.9%
Key stat: The Cardinals went 12-1 from May 4 to 17, posting a 2.33 ERA and throwing three shutouts in that stretch. The rotation ranks a solid eighth in the majors with a 3.64 ERA — although just 25th in strikeout rate.
Hot start: Brendan Donovan is hitting .330/.387/.466 with 15 doubles. Ivan Herrera missed a month with a bone bruise in his knee but is hitting .429 in 15 games with 11 of his 21 hits going for extra bases.
Can he keep it going? Matthew Liberatore pitched primarily out of the bullpen in 2024, but the 25-year-old lefty has moved into the rotation and is 3-3 with a 2.92 ERA and an impressive 47-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Area of concern: Former top prospect Jordan Walker was up and down between the Cardinals and Triple-A last year, struggling while in the big leagues with a .201 average. Given another opportunity at regular duty, he’s off to a slow start, hitting .189 with 44 strikeouts in 145 plate appearances.
The Cardinals dropped to 14-19 in early May and looked kind of like what everyone expected: not very interesting and not very likely to be a factor in the NL Central race. Then came that hot streak, and while it included sweeps of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals, it also included series wins over the Phillies, New York Mets and Kansas City Royals. Indeed, there’s nothing fluky in the team’s overall win-loss record, with a plus-38 run differential — heck, St. Louis is even 0-4 in extra-inning games to drag the record down a bit.
The number that jumps out, however, is the strikeout rate from the rotation. Erick Fedde, Andre Pallante and Miles Mikolas are all averaging fewer than 6.0 K’s per nine, and it’s difficult to remain successful in this baseball era with strikeout rates that low. Of 116 pitchers with at least 40 innings, that trio ranks 105th, 106th and 111th in strikeout rate and has also combined for a 3.77 ERA. Add in Liberatore and Sonny Gray, and that’s a rotation that could make the playoffs — if they can keep it going. I’m skeptical, although Pallante in particular is an extreme ground ball pitcher and has great infield defense behind him with Masyn Winn, Nolan Arenado and Donovan.
The offense feels a bit more like the real deal, even as Walker and Nolan Gorman struggle. Victor Scott II has been much better after being overmatched in the majors a year ago, and Winn has a .349 OBP after looking lost in spring training, when he went 4-for-50. If Scott and Winn can provide decent enough offense to go with their defense, it makes the lineup a little deeper and helps make up for the team’s overall lack of power.
In the end, those are two things that pop out: the lack of strikeouts from the starting pitchers and the offense having not quite enough power. There is potential here to surprise and battle the Chicago Cubs for the division, but for now, I’m not completely sold.
Verdict: Not real
Preseason playoff odds: 24.6%
Key stat: Relievers Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers, Randy Rodriguez and Erik Miller are a combined 10-2 with a 1.27 ERA in 78 innings while holding batters to a .164 average.
Hot start: Logan Webb looks better than ever with a 2.42 ERA, just two home runs allowed and a career-high 27.4% strikeout rate.
Can he keep it going? Wilmer Flores has 10 home runs and leads the majors with 42 RBIs, even though his overall batting line doesn’t pop out at .258/.324/.454. He has hit .395 with runners in scoring position, and his home runs include one grand slam and three with two runners on.
Area of concern: Jordan Hicks just got removed from the rotation with a 6.55 ERA and Justin Verlander remains winless in nine starts. Giants first basemen are hitting .189 with just four home runs and their catchers rank next to last in OPS in the majors (although defensive stalwart Patrick Bailey isn’t going anywhere).
Maybe the most impressive aspect of the Giants’ start is that they’re winning even though the entire team hasn’t necessarily clicked on all cylinders. Besides the concerns listed above, Willy Adames got off to a slow start and closer Ryan Walker has had a couple of hiccups. The bullpen has otherwise been dominant, however, and could get even better with the hard-throwing Hicks moving back there with Hayden Birdsong getting a shot in the rotation.
Can San Francisco keep it going? It’s worth noting the Giants haven’t played the Dodgers yet and went 0-2 against the San Diego Padres and 1-2 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in their lone series against those other NL West rivals. Flores probably isn’t going to finish with 145 RBIs — the pace he’s currently on. Indeed, the entire lineup has hit especially well with runners in scoring position, ranking third in OPS behind the Dodgers and Cubs (but ranking just 15th in overall OPS).
The Giants need to get Adames going on a consistent basis and need to get more from first base, but the bullpen has a chance to be special, with Rodriguez emerging as a top setup guy and Doval pitching well again after struggling with his command last year. For now, I’m a believer. Let’s see what happens with that first series against the Dodgers in June.
Verdict: Real
Preseason playoff odds: 19%
Key stat: Based on their underlying statistics, the Guardians would be an expected 19-27, not 25-21. Most of the “clutch” performance has come on the pitching side, where they’ve allowed 4.39 runs per game against an expected total of 4.80 runs per game.
Hot start: Hunter Gaddis is showing last year’s 1.78 ERA was no fluke as he has a 1.00 ERA through 18 innings with 26 strikeouts. The only two runs he allowed both came on solo home runs.
Can he keep it going? Kyle Manzardo is hitting .221 with a .309 OBP but has 10 home runs and is slugging .493. That puts him on pace to hit 35 home runs — essentially replacing the power production of the traded Josh Naylor.
Area of concern: The rotation ranks 21st in the majors in ERA, 19th in strikeout rate, 24th in innings and 25th in OPS allowed. Cleveland isn’t getting any offense from shortstop with Brayan Rocchio hitting .165, and his defensive metrics haven’t been as impressive as they were in 2024 (although they’re still average overall).
Even though they won 92 games and reached the American League Championship Series last season, the preseason prognostications weren’t high on the Guardians, with concerns about the starting rotation plus factoring in some regression from the historic performance of last year’s bullpen. Emmanuel Clase had some early bumps, but the bullpen has been solid overall, ranking fifth in the majors in win probability added. The rotation, no surprise, hasn’t dominated, especially with Tanner Bibee seeing dips in his numbers across the board (his strikeout rate, in particular, has dropped from 26.3% to 16.4%, a huge year-to-year decrease).
You can see where this is headed: The Guardians are fortunate to be four games over .500. The offense, even with Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan, probably isn’t good enough to overcome a shaky rotation over the long haul of a 162-game season. Additionally, with Andres Gimenez in Toronto and Rocchio’s defense not as good early on, the defense hasn’t been nearly as impressive as it was last season — the team batting average allowed on balls in play has jumped from .277 to .313.
Still, at least Cleveland has put itself in a contending position. The rotation had been healthy, with the top five guys starting 44 of the team’s 46 games, until Ben Lively went on the injured list last week with a forearm strain. Slade Cecconi had a strong start filling in for Lively, so he now becomes a huge key. And maybe the Guardians will get Shane Bieber back at some point.
In the meantime, they’ll be tested over the next month, with series against the Minnesota Twins, Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners and Giants. If they can survive this stretch, we’ve learned to never count out the Guardians, but for now, it feels like they’ve overachieved.
Verdict: Not real
Preseason playoff odds: 8.4%
Key stat: The A’s were just one game out of first place in the AL West after beating Seattle on May 5, but then they went 2-9 against the Mariners, Yankees, Dodgers and Giants to fall under .500.
Hot start: Jacob Wilson is hitting .337/.369/.478 with just 10 strikeouts in 188 plate appearances.
Can he keep it going? In Tyler Soderstrom‘s case, maybe not. He was hitting .315 with nine home runs through his first 19 games but hit .243 with just one home run in his next 28 games.
Area of concern: The A’s have a lack of front-line pitching, both in the rotation and the bullpen. In going 6-10 to start May, they posted a 6.13 ERA, including six games in which they allowed at least nine runs. The team’s defense isn’t helping — it ranks last in the majors in defensive runs saved.
The Athletics looked a lot more like a viable playoff contender 10 days ago but struggled in this brutal stretch against winning teams, losing four consecutive series. Indeed, the A’s are 7-12 in blowout games — those decided by five or more runs — and that’s an indicator that they might not stay relevant for the duration of the season.
On the other hand: It’s possible no team runs away with the AL West. The Mariners have three starting pitchers on the IL, stressing a pitching staff that’s already without much depth, while the Texas Rangers and Astros have both scuffled to score runs at times. One little winning streak and the A’s can climb right back into it.
Two keys: Lawrence Butler and Nick Kurtz. Butler was on my breakout list after hitting .302/.346/.597 over the final three months last season, but he’s hitting .227/.292/.386 in 2025 with a lot of swing-and-miss (he was in the 37th percentile last season in whiff rate but has dropped to the eighth percentile). Kurtz looked ready for the majors after ripping up Triple-A to begin the season, but he has been overmatched so far, hitting .219 with one home run and 30 strikeouts in 81 plate appearances. He’s going to have to improve the contact rate, or a demotion back to the minors might be forthcoming.
This is still a fun up-and-coming team. Wilson looks like a hitter who will contend for batting titles year after year with his ability to put the ball in play. I still believe in Butler and Kurtz. But the A’s rank 26th in rotation ERA and 28th in bullpen ERA. Some of that is Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park, but they’re also still 20th in road ERA. They probably don’t have the pitching to stay close all season, even in a mediocre AL West.
Verdict: Not real
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