Stanley Cup Final Game 7 mega-preview: What’s at stake, key players to watch, picks
It has all come down to this. After the Florida Panthers opened up a 3-0 lead on the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, many believed the series to be all but over.
Then Connor McDavid and his friends outscored the Panthers by a combined score of 18-5 en route to tying the series up at three games apiece, becoming just the third team in NHL history to do so in the Stanley Cup Final.
Will the Oilers pull off the historic reverse sweep? Can the Panthers avoid ignominy? Here’s everything you need to know before puck drop tonight, including what’s at stake for each team, key players to watch and advanced matchup metrics from ESPN Stats & Information.
Jump ahead: What’s at stake?
Players to watch, picks
Key stats for Game 7
What’s at stake for the Panthers?
Reputation. And we’re not talking (underrated) Taylor Swift albums.
The Panthers had been afterthoughts for most of the franchise’s history. Florida lost in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final and then made just four playoff appearances — without winning a round — through the next 23 years. It was a team players aspired to join at the end of their careers, when it was more about the temperate climate and less about potential to win. And the Panthers were used to an arena filled with opposing fans capitalizing on their cheap tickets in a sunny locale not readily available in most hockey markets. A nice perk perhaps, but hardly a foundation upon which to build a thriving culture.
That’s what Florida has now, though. GM Bill Zito has methodically crafted the Panthers into a true top-tier contender. He turned Florida into a President’s Trophy winner and, when that didn’t translate to postseason success, had the courage to trade his club’s best player (Jonathan Huberdeau) for Matthew Tkachuk in a blockbuster swap that might have ended horribly for Florida. But it didn’t. Zito grabbed low-risk, high-reward players such as Gustav Forsling (off waivers) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (post-buyout) who have played key roles for them in this dominant season. If last year’s run to the Final was a fluke, this year’s berth was anything but. Florida was supposed to be this good. The Panthers were meant to be at this pinnacle and provide it repeatedly with their play throughout the playoffs.
If they let this opportunity to be Cup champions slip away after holding a 3-0 lead in this series, that’s a dagger in more ways than one. Florida can write a chapter on its history now that even five years ago might have seemed like a pipe dream. The only question for the Panthers now is: Are you ready for it?
What’s at stake for the Oilers?
In a word, legacy. Edmonton is one of those places where winning just isn’t enough. There must be something additional about the way the team won.
The Oilers haven’t just won five Stanley Cups. They won five Stanley Cups in seven seasons. They didn’t simply have great players. They had some of the greatest players of all time, with one of them being the greatest to ever play hockey. Winning this particular Stanley Cup not only adds to their legacy, but enhances it even more. A franchise that has gone from being the standard to being in the cellar is now a win away from returning to the pinnacle; it’s a chance to pull off what would become the greatest comeback in NHL history, and maybe the greatest comeback in North American professional sports.
The more sobering truth is that this could be the Oilers’ best and/or possibly only chance to win a Stanley Cup with Leon Draisaitl and McDavid, because there is no guarantee they can get back to this position. Edmonton has gone through front office, coaching, personnel and philosophical changes to do everything possible to win with a pair of generational talents. Winning Game 7 and the Stanley Cup would prove all those decisions correct. Not that losing Game 7 and the Stanley Cup would condemn every aspect of the franchise’s path. But it would lead to more questions at a time in which Draisaitl is heading into the final year of his contract as he and McDavid enter their late 20s.
Winning Game 7 would give the Oilers an opportunity to say they won it regardless what happens going forward. Losing Game 7 would only make the path forward slightly more painful to navigate knowing they were this close. — Ryan S. Clark
1:57
Messier, Subban lament ‘desperate’ display from Panthers
Mark Messier and P.K. Subban explain why the Panthers have become the desperate team as the series heads to Game 7.
Who is the one key player you’ll be watching for the Panthers?
Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter: Sergei Bobrovsky. He went from being a win away from capturing his first Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe, to now facing questions about what has gone wrong with both him and his teammates. Losing Game 7 and the Stanley Cup as a whole would not be entirely on Bobrovsky. The Panthers have struggled to defend their zone and haven’t provided the level of offensive support needed to help any goaltender. That said, Bobrovsky has also had his challenges that have compounded the Panthers’ problems. It all amounts to the fact that Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, would be one of the faces of a team that went from having a chance to sweep the Stanley Cup Final only to be on the other end of what would be one of the biggest collapses in sports history.
Victoria Matiash, NHL analyst: Carter Verhaeghe. Minus-11 through the past four games, he has one lonely assist since the series opener. Not so good. The top-line winger now has one contest remaining to save his team from suffering a legendary collapse and his own reputation as a clutch playoff performer. No one will remember the inferior numbers leading in if Verhaeghe manages to tangibly turn it around when it matters most.
Arda Öcal, NHL broadcaster: Gustav Forsling. As the Panthers have gone, so has Forsling. He was plus-4 in Games 1-3, minus-5 in Games 4-6. Will he be able to play that shutdown role in Game 7? Can he contain McDavid like he did in the first three games? Forsling will certainly get his flowers from hockey fans, even if his contributions might not receive the big headlines, but they certainly are important and critical to Florida’s success in Game 7 and ultimately raising the Stanley Cup.
Kristen Shilton, NHL reporter: Sam Reinhart. Reinhart has been noticeably missing in this Cup Final. One goal and two assists through six games — and zero points total in the past three when Florida had a chance to put Edmonton away? That’s shocking output from a skater who put up 57 goals in the regular season and produced 12 points in 17 postseason games prior to the Panthers facing the Oilers. Whatever has gone wrong for Reinhart so far, he’d better put it behind him in a hurry. Florida needs its best players to match what Edmonton has going from its stars in this series.
Greg Wyshynski, NHL reporter: Matthew Tkachuk. Welp, here we are. The chance for a superstar to have a superstar moment. Tkachuk tied with Aleksander Barkov for the team lead in scoring (22 points), but you can count on one hand the number of games in which Tkachuk was a driving force for Florida. We caught a glimpse of that player in the Panthers’ Game 5 loss: Throwing the body, defending brilliantly and factoring on two goals. That was sandwiched by two minus-3 efforts, including Game 6, when his line with Sam Bennett and Evan Rodrigues was a major dud. A playoff run that has been more compilation than clutch will be immediately rewritten by an impactful Stanley Cup Final Game 7. A broken sternum cost him this kind of chance in 2023 against Vegas. This is his moment.
Who is the one key player you’ll be watching for the Oilers?
Clark: Connor McDavid. The fact he didn’t have a single shot on goal in Game 6 is wild, given that he’s the game’s best and most dominant player. But it also speaks to how the Oilers can win even if he doesn’t record a shot or a point. We’ve seen the Oilers rely on their entire roster to force a Game 7. If they can get another multipoint performance from McDavid in addition to the secondary and tertiary offense they produced in Game 6, it could prove too overwhelming en route to winning their first Stanley Cup in more than 30 years.
Matiash: Leon Draisaitl. It would seem a bit bizarre to watch the Oilers hoist the Cup following a seven-gamer in which Draisaitl, even badly hobbled, didn’t score a single goal. Especially considering his postseason history and the handful of recent quality chances. One of his own past Panthers goaltender Bobrovsky, along with a helper similar to Friday’s perfect pass to Warren Foegele to open the scoring in Game 6, would go a long way to sealing the deal for Edmonton.
Öcal: The obvious answer here is McDavid, but I’ll go with Draisaitl. He has three assists this series, which is surprising by his lofty standards. The Oilers won their first game without McDavid registering a point or a shot in Game 6, but the Oilers also pushed this to Game 7 without Draisaitl being the second-best player on the team, which he usually is. He had flashes of his usual self Friday; what if Monday is “The Draisaitl Game”?
Shilton: Zach Hyman. We can’t say Hyman is underrated, per se. But he has 16 goals in the playoffs (the most by any active player in a single postseason), and he tends to light the lamp in a timely fashion to boot. That’s going to be key for Edmonton in Game 7. Florida will be zeroed in on containing McDavid and Draisaitl, which should continue to give Hyman opportunity to do his thing. If the Oilers need a consistent performance in any facet of the game, they can count on Hyman to deliver. And he’s just fun to watch.
Wyshynski: Stuart Skinner. Were it not for McDavid rewriting the record books, Skinner would have a legitimate claim to the Conn Smythe Trophy for his late-series mastery in every round. Skinner has a 10-0 record, a 1.50 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage in Games 4-7 in the postseason. He’s 5-0 when facing elimination this postseason, only the eighth goalie to win five elimination games in a single postseason. In Edmonton’s past three wins, he has a 1.67 GAA and a .942 save percentage. Heck of a Mario Kart player, too.
1:22
Zach Hyman credits Oilers ‘unshakeable belief’ after Game 6 win
Zach Hyman praises the Oilers’ resilience throughout the season that prepared them for the high stakes playoff moments.
The final score will be _____.
Clark: 4-3 Oilers. For one, that score line depicts the amount of games won by each team in the Cup Final. Even with that prediction, there are questions. The Oilers have averaged six goals over their past three games against the Panthers. Can they have another offensive outburst, or will the Panthers have finally found an answer? Then there’s another question facing the Panthers with this scenario: Can they create the sort of consistency that allows them to keep pace with the Oilers, or could they be forced to climb out of what would be another sizable deficit in Game 7?
Matiash: 4-2 Oilers. After picking the Panthers to win Games 5 and 6, I’m still marveling that we’re even in the position to prognosticate scores for the final-for-sure game of the season. But give Kris Knoblauch’s crew full credit for fully figuring out how to chisel its way back into this thing. The optimistic chatter flowing out of Florida’s camp — “feeling positive” and “feeling excited” were phrases uttered to the media — isn’t sounding as convincing as earlier. Understandably so, as the Panthers have been outscored 18-5 since taking a 3-0 series lead.
Öcal: 3-2 Oilers, in overtime. Because that’s what this series needs. It has been a surreal journey to get here. The cherry on top would be one goal to award the Cup.
Shilton: 4-3 Panthers, in overtime. Listen, it would not surprise me in the least if Edmonton pounds its way to a historic Cup victory here (and more power to them if that’s the case; what a ride it has been). After all, I thought (and predicted) the Panthers would close this thing out two games ago. But here we are in Florida’s building, where the Cup won’t be leaving this time until it’s cradled in the arms of a player who just won it. When you talk about big moments — of the career- or franchise-defining type — this is it. The Panthers have no excuse. For one last time I’m betting that gives Florida a whisper-thin edge over Edmonton.
Wyshynski: 5-2 Oilers. I thought the Panthers would close out this series in Game 6 because they thrive when being counted out and getting to play the underdog. So there’s always a chance they channel that at home in Game 7. But that would also require a reversal of fortune for 90% of their roster that has been outplayed by the Oilers for the majority of the series. This feels like Edmonton’s moment. This feels like Canada’s moment. The Oilers just sent this thing to a seventh game without needing McDavid to carry them there — that should scare the whiskers off the Panthers. Edmonton wins the Cup, makes sports history and bestows shame upon this Florida team.
Notes from ESPN Stats & Information
Game 7 fast facts:
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Monday will be the 18th Game 7 in Stanley Cup Final history, and the first since 2019 (St. Louis Blues defeated the Bruins in Boston)
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Road teams have won three straight Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Final; home teams are 12-5 all time.
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The Oilers will play in their third Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final (defeated Philadelphia Flyers in 1987, lost to Carolina Hurricanes in 2006).
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Edmonton will be playing in its 13th playoff Game 7 in franchise history, and second this postseason (defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in Game 7 in the second round). The Oilers are 8-4 overall in playoff Game 7s.
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The Panthers will be playing in the fourth Game 7 in franchise history (2-0 on road, 0-1 at home). The home loss was to the New Jersey Devils in the 2012 conference quarterfinals.
Past teams to come from down 0-3 to tie a series 3-3
More on the Oilers
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Edmonton scored 18 goals over the past three games to even up the series, tied for the second-most goals in a three-game span in a Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers held the Panthers to five goals during that span, giving them a plus-13 goal differential in Games 4-6, tied with 1984 Oilers (plus-13 vs Islanders in Games 3-5 to close out the series) for the largest goal differential in a three-game span in Stanley Cup Final history.
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The Oilers improved to 5-0 this postseason when facing elimination, the most such wins in a single postseason in franchise history and tied for the fourth most by any team in a single postseason. Only the 2014 Kings — who went 7-0 when facing elimination — have more wins without a loss in that situation a single postseason.
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The Oilers have recent history across sports on their side. The last home win in Game 7 in the championship series for MLB, the NBA or the NHL was by the Miami Heat in 2013. That is six straight Game 7 wins by the road team (2019 World Series, 2019 Cup Final, 2017 World Series, 2016 World Series, 2016 NBA Finals, 2014 World Series). The current six-game losing streak in Game 7s across the World Series, NBA Finals and Cup Final by home teams is the longest ever. The previous long was four straight between May 1974 (Bucks lost to Celtics) and October 1979 (Orioles lost to Pirates). This is also the longest gap in terms of time. Game 7 on Monday will be 4,022 days since the Heat won at home in June 2013. The previous long gap was 3,286 days between Oct. 21, 1973 (Oakland Athletics beat New York Mets), and Oct. 20, 1982 (St. Louis Cardinals beat Milwaukee Brewers).
More on the Panthers
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The Panthers are going for their first Stanley Cup title in their third attempt (lost in 1996 and 2023) and are one of 11 active franchises to not have won the Stanley Cup. They can become the fourth expansion team over the past 40 seasons to win the Stanley Cup, joining the Lightning (2004, 2020-21), Ducks (2007), and Golden Knights (2023).
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With a win, Florida becomes the third team in the expansion era (post-1967) to win the Cup the year after losing in the Final, along with the 2009 Penguins and 1984 Oilers. Last season, the Panthers lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games, including a 9-3 blowout in the Cup clincher.
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Overall, it’s the 18th Game 7 in Stanley Cup Final history, with the home team owning a record of 12-5. The past three have been won by the road team, with the Penguins winning at Detroit in 2009, the Bruins topping Vancouver in 2011 and the Blues beating Boston in 2019. Don’t expect a high-scoring contest. The most goals any team has scored in Game 7 of the Cup Final is four, done on five occasions, most recently by the Blues in 2019. The most combined goals in Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final is seven in 1950 (Detroit 4, Rangers 3).
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Chris Low
There isn’t much surrounding college football that isn’t in something of a state of flux.
The discussions surrounding the future playoff format bounce around like a pingpong ball. Schools are for the first time in history sharing revenue with athletes. Conference realignment marches onward, and the overhaul of rosters via the transfer portal continues at a dizzying pace.
All the while, the start of the 2025 season is less than a month away.
What that means is it’s time to take a magnifying glass to the 2025 schedule and hand out some superlatives, some flattering and some not so flattering. All rankings referenced are from ESPN’s post-spring Top 25, and Notre Dame, despite being an independent, will be considered a Power 4 school for our purposes.
Before we dive in, an annual reminder: Schedule strength tends to look a lot different in July than it does in late October.
Toughest overall Power 4 schedule: Florida
A year ago Billy Napier and his Florida football team epitomized resiliency. Despite an ugly 1-2 start, Napier never lost the locker room and guided the Gators to four straight wins to end the season with an 8-5 finish. But just like a year ago, Florida’s schedule is again brutal.
The Gators are the only team in the SEC facing the league’s three highest-ranked preseason teams (No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Georgia and No. 6 LSU), with the Georgia and LSU games away from home. The Sept. 13 trip to LSU is followed by a trip to No. 21 Miami the next week. In a five-week stretch from Sept. 13 through Oct. 11, which includes a bye on Sept. 27, Florida plays at LSU, at Miami, at home against Texas and at Texas A&M. The Gators’ annual showdown with Georgia in Jacksonville on Nov. 1 is followed by back-to-back SEC road games against Kentucky and No. 24 Ole Miss.
Wisconsin is a close second in this category. Luke Fickell and the Badgers could use a strong bounce-back season after losing five in a row to end 2024 and missing a bowl game for the first time in 22 years. Like Florida, Wisconsin faces six ranked teams, including four of the top 11 — at No. 9 Alabama on Sept. 13, home against No. 5 Ohio State on Oct. 18, at No. 8 Oregon on Oct. 25 and home against No. 11 Illinois on Nov. 22.
Easiest overall Power 4 schedule: Wake Forest
Jake Dickert takes over for Dave Clawson at Wake Forest and has his work cut out to get the program back into the upper tier of the ACC. But he faces only one preseason Top 25 team in 2025: SMU at home Oct. 25, with a bye the preceding week. The Deacons avoid Clemson, Miami and Louisville in the ACC. Their first four games are at home along with two of their last three games. A game at No. 24 Ole Miss was replaced by a trip to Oregon State, meaning there are no Power 4 nonconference foes on the Deacons’ schedule. Their only back-to-back conference games on the road are against Florida State and Virginia on Nov. 1 and Nov. 8, and those teams finished a combined 7-17 last season.
Missouri, coming off back-to-back seasons of at least 10 wins under Eliah Drinkwitz, has a schedule tailor-made to make it three straight seasons with double-digit wins. The Tigers’ first six games are at home, and they avoid Texas, Georgia and LSU in the SEC. Their toughest nonconference game is against Kansas at home.
Toughest overall non-Power 4 schedule: Kent State
This one doesn’t seem fair. Kent State went 1-23 over the past two seasons, fired coach Kenni Burns in April and replaced him with interim coach Mark Carney. Not only do the Golden Flashes have to play three Power 4 nonconference teams on the road, including No. 16 Texas Tech on Sept. 6 and No. 25 Oklahoma on Oct. 4, but they face MAC preseason favorite Toledo on Oct. 18 on the road.
South Florida’s schedule is equally daunting. The Bulls open the season against Boise State, Florida and Miami in successive weeks (Florida and Miami on the road) and face American Athletic Conference contenders Navy, Memphis and North Texas on the road.
Easiest overall non-Power 4 schedule: Liberty
The Flames are a repeat winner here, which means Jamey Chadwell’s club should be a prime candidate to be the Group of 5 representative in the playoff. Liberty doesn’t face any Power 4 nonconference opponents, although James Madison’s trip to Lynchburg on Sept. 20 will be a game to watch. The toughest Conference USA challenge might come in Week 2 against Jacksonville State on the road. Otherwise, Liberty received a favorable draw in the conference. In other words, not returning to the Conference USA championship game for the second straight season would be a big disappointment on the Mountain. Elsewhere, North Texas’ path to the American championship game is helped by avoiding Tulane and Memphis, and its toughest nonconference game is against Washington State at home Sept. 13.
Toughest Power 4 nonconference schedule: Clemson
This was a coin flip between Clemson and Stanford until quarterback Jake Retzlaff departed BYU. Now the trip to No. 10 BYU on Sept. 6 doesn’t look quite as daunting for the Cardinal, who end the season Nov. 29 at home against No. 7 Notre Dame.
So Clemson gets the nod. The Tigers open the season Aug. 30 at home against No. 6 LSU, then close the season Nov. 29 on the road against bitter rival South Carolina, which is ranked No. 13. Clemson also faces Troy, a top contender in the Sun Belt Conference, at home a week after the LSU opener.
Miami has three tough early-season matchups out of conference, albeit all three at home, against No. 7 Notre Dame on Aug. 31, South Florida on Sept. 13 and No. 19 Florida on Sept. 20.
Easiest Power 4 nonconference schedule: Penn State
It’s Penn State by a mile, or about as long as it takes to get to Happy Valley from just about any major airport. This should be James Franklin’s best and most balanced team, but one that will be untested when it rolls into Big Ten play against Oregon at home Sept. 27. The “warmups” come in the first three weeks of the season, all at home, against Nevada, Florida International and Villanova, followed by a bye week before facing the Ducks.
We can’t let Indiana completely off the hook. For the second straight season, the Hoosiers won’t play a nonconference game against a Power 4 foe. They open the season with three straight home games against Old Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State (without Larry Bird). To be fair, Indiana is also the only Big Ten team that has to play Penn State and Oregon on the road.
Must-see nonconference games
To be clear, neutral-site games don’t count for this list:
• Auburn at Baylor, Aug. 29
• Utah at UCLA, Aug. 30
• Texas at Ohio State, Aug. 30
• Notre Dame at Miami, Aug. 30
• LSU at Clemson, Aug. 30
• Alabama at Florida State, Aug. 30
• Michigan at Oklahoma, Sept. 6
• Kansas at Missouri, Sept. 6
• Texas A&M at Notre Dame, Sept. 13
• Florida at Miami, Sept. 20
• USC at Notre Dame, Oct. 18
• Clemson at South Carolina, Nov. 29
Better be careful
Some sneaky good games matching Power 4 teams against Group of 5 teams:
• Toledo at Kentucky, Aug. 30
• James Madison at Louisville, Sept. 5
• UCLA at UNLV, Sept. 6
• Army at Kansas State, Sept. 6
• South Florida at Florida, Sept. 6
• Arkansas State vs. Arkansas, in Little Rock, Sept. 6
• Duke at Tulane, Sept. 13
• Arkansas at Memphis, Sept. 20
• Tulane at Ole Miss, Sept. 20
• BYU at East Carolina, Sept. 20
• San José State at Stanford, Sept. 27
• Boise State at Notre Dame, Oct. 4
Jeff Lebby, in his second season, will lead the Bulldogs against four playoff teams from a year ago at Davis Wade Stadium: Arizona State on Sept. 6, Tennessee on Sept. 27, Texas on Oct. 25 and Georgia on Nov. 8. If that’s not enough, the Bulldogs close the season at home Nov. 28 in their annual Egg Bowl matchup with No. 24 Ole Miss. Nearly 80% of Mississippi State’s roster is made up of first- or second-year players with 60 new players added for this season.
Easiest Power 4 home schedule: Texas
Only one preseason Top 25 team will visit DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium this season, and that’s at the very end when No. 23 Texas A&M makes the 105-mile trip to Austin. After opening against No. 5 Ohio State on the road, Texas plays San José State, UTEP and Sam Houston the next three weeks at home. Other than Texas A&M, Texas’ other two home dates the final month of the season are against Vanderbilt on Nov. 1 and Arkansas on Nov. 22. In an odd twist, Texas doesn’t play a game in Austin in the month of October. Florida, Kentucky and Mississippi State are all on the road, and the Red River Showdown game against Oklahoma, as always, is in Dallas.
Toughest Power 4 schedule away from home: Syracuse
Fran Brown was a first-year head coach last season, but he showed the poise and precision of a 20-year veteran in leading Syracuse to 10 wins, only the third time since 2000 that the Orange had won 10 games. As an encore, he faces an enormous challenge. Syracuse lost most of its key playmakers from a year ago and faces a brutal schedule away from home. The Aug. 30 opener against Tennessee in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be a quasi-home game for the Vols, and that’s just the start. The Orange play at No. 2 Clemson on Sept. 20, at No. 15 SMU on Oct. 4, at No. 21 Miami on Nov. 8 and at No. 7 Notre Dame on Nov. 22.
Easiest Power 4 schedule away from home: Missouri
The Tigers play eight of their 12 games this season at Faurot Field, and only one of their four road games is against a ranked opponent, No. 25 Oklahoma on Nov. 22. The other three are against Auburn (Oct. 18), Vanderbilt (Oct. 25) and Arkansas (Nov. 29). It’s never easy on the road in the SEC, but the Tigers are avoiding some of the most treacherous stops.
Toughest close to the season: Rutgers
Granted, Rutgers’ schedule outside the Big Ten is cushy (home games the first three weeks against Ohio University, Miami (Ohio) and Norfolk State), but the close to the season — ouch! Rutgers’ last six games are No. 8 Oregon at home Oct. 18, at Purdue on Oct. 25, at No. 11 Illinois on Nov. 1, Maryland at home Nov. 8, at No. 5 Ohio State on Nov. 22 and No. 1 Penn State at home Nov. 29. The Scarlet Knights are the only Big Ten team this season that has to play Penn State, Ohio State and Oregon.
Easiest close to the season: Illinois
Illinois is poised for another banner season under Bret Bielema with most of its key players back from the 10-win season a year ago. The Fighting Illini’s schedule is front loaded as they play four of their final six games at home, and three of the last four are home games against Rutgers, Maryland and Northwestern. The only road game in that stretch is at Wisconsin on Nov. 22. Illinois won’t face a preseason Top 25 opponent the last five weeks of the season.
Toughest three-game stretch: Oklahoma
The criteria for this category are three games in three consecutive weeks with no byes. Brent Venables and the Sooners will have a chance to build some momentum, but they face an October grind that could break any team. It starts with No. 3 Texas in Dallas on Oct. 11, followed by a road game at No. 13 South Carolina on Oct. 18 and then a home game against No. 24 Ole Miss on Oct. 25. If you want to stretch it out to four games, things don’t get much better for the Sooners. They go on the road the next week to play Tennessee on Nov. 1 in Neyland Stadium. Three of those four games are away from home.
Basking in Florida’s sunshine
Miami doesn’t play a game outside the state of Florida until traveling to face SMU on Nov. 1. Six of the Hurricanes’ first seven games are at home at Hard Rock Stadium, and a seventh is in Tallahassee against Florida State on Oct. 4. Included are three straight all-Florida affairs against South Florida on Sept. 13, Florida on Sept. 20 and at FSU on Oct. 4
Dabo and the SEC
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney gets another shot at the SEC to open the season in the Battle of Death Valleys on Aug. 30 against LSU. Clemson is 18-12 vs. the SEC since the start of the 2012 season, but the Tigers have lost seven of their past 10 games to SEC opponents, beginning with a 42-25 loss to LSU in the 2019 national championship game.
Mountains are calling
From just east of Marys Peak, Oregon State will travel across the country to the Blue Ridge Mountains to take on Appalachian State in Boone, North Carolina, on Oct. 4. Talk about two places that are hard to get to, but two gorgeous campuses.
Taking Saturdays off
Houston plays three Friday games (Sept. 12 vs. Colorado, Sept. 26 at Oregon State and Nov. 7 at UCF). The Cougars open the season on a Thursday at home, Aug. 28 vs. Stephen F. Austin.
Ryan Silverfield has guided Memphis to 10 or more wins in each of the past two seasons, a first in program history, and enters his sixth season amid big expectations in the American Conference with a roster full of new faces via the transfer portal. The Tigers are 11-2 at home the past two years, which bodes well for 2025. Just about all of Memphis’ toughest games are at home, including Arkansas’ visit on Sept. 20. In conference play, top contenders South Florida (Oct. 25), Tulane (Nov. 7) and Navy (Nov. 27) all come to Memphis’ Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
Avoiding campuses
Tennessee, for the 11th straight year, will not play a nonconference regular-season game on an opposing team’s campus. The last time the Vols played a nonconference road game (not counting the playoff game last season at Ohio State) on the opposing school’s campus was Sept. 13, 2014, when they lost 34-10 to No. 4 Oklahoma in Norman. The Vols did win at Pittsburgh in 2022, a 34-27 overtime victory, but the Panthers play their home games at the Steelers’ stadium, Acrisure Stadium, formerly known as Heinz Field, which stands along the Ohio River on the north side of Pittsburgh. The opener against Syracuse in Atlanta will be Tennessee’s sixth neutral-site game in the past 10 years.
Power outages
Houston, Indiana, Maryland, Northwestern, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rutgers, Texas Tech, Wake Forest and Washington don’t play any nonconference games against Power 4 opponents in 2025. Every school in the ACC except Wake Forest plays at least one Power 4 nonconference team, and nine schools (Boston College, Miami, NC State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, SMU, Syracuse, Stanford and Virginia Tech) play two nonconference games against Power 4 foes. As ACC commissioner Jim Phillips likes to say, “Go ACC!” There are a few caveats. Some of the teams not playing Power 4 opponents are playing Oregon State or Washington State, and that includes Ole Miss. Wake Forest pulled out of the back half of its home-and-away series with Ole Miss last season, and the Rebels had to scramble, adding Washington State at the last minute.
Jet-lagged Huskies
The only time all season Washington plays back-to-back home games is against Colorado State and UC Davis to open the season. From there, it’s back and forth and all over the map for the Huskies. Consider: After playing at Washington State in Pullman on Sept. 20 (not an easy trip), Washington comes back home on Sept. 27 to face Ohio State, then hits the road the following week to play Maryland on Oct. 4, then back home against Rutgers on Oct. 10 (a Friday), back on the road against Michigan on Oct. 18, back home against Illinois on Oct. 25, and then after a bye, back on the road against Wisconsin on Nov. 8. Thank goodness for charter flights.
Vols flopping Dawgs and Gators
Georgia and Tennessee meet Sept. 13 in Knoxville, the earliest the teams have met in a season since 1995 (Sept. 9) when Kirby Smart was a freshman defensive back for the Bulldogs. The Vols won 30-27 in the final seconds on a field goal. Smart never beat Tennessee as a player, but he has won eight straight in the series as a coach. Tennessee, meanwhile, doesn’t face Florida until Nov. 22 at the Swamp, the latest those teams have played (not counting the 2020 COVID season) since 2001 (Dec. 1) when Tennessee won 34-32 in the Swamp in a game that was postponed because of the Sept. 11 attacks. Tennessee is a combined 12-38 against Georgia and Florida since 2000, 2-6 under Josh Heupel.
Hogs debuting on the SEC road … again
For the third straight season, Arkansas opens its SEC season on the road, the only school in the league having to play three straight openers away from home. The Hogs won 24-14 last season at Auburn and lost 34-31 at LSU in 2023. Arkansas opens SEC play this season at Ole Miss on Sept. 13. In fact, Arkansas plays its first two SEC games on the road, traveling to Tennessee on Oct. 11. Arkansas, Auburn and Vanderbilt are the only three SEC teams that have to play their first two league games on the road. All five of Arkansas’ road opponents this season won at least nine games a year ago, and four (Memphis, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas) won 10 or more games.
Border War returns
Kansas and Missouri will renew their series Sept. 6 in Columbia, the first time they’ve played since 2011. It’s the first of a four-game agreement to bring back the series, which dates to 1891, and will be Kansas’ first visit to Faurot Field since 2006, when Missouri won 42-17. Their 2011 meeting was at Arrowhead Stadium, with Missouri winning 24-10. The teams had met 93 years in a row before the series was not renewed following the 2011 game; at the time, it was the second-most-played rivalry in Division I-A football history.
Catching up with old teammates
With full-scale free agency alive and well in college football, more and more players from the transfer portal are going up against their former schools and teammates. Some notable examples this season:
• Duke quarterback Darian Mensah at Tulane on Sept. 13
• Ole Miss offensive guard Patrick Kutas vs. Arkansas on Sept. 13
• Oregon cornerback Theran Johnson at Northwestern on Sept. 13
• Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold at Oklahoma on Sept. 20
• Texas A&M receiver Mario Craver vs. Mississippi State on Oct. 4
• Ohio State tight end Max Klare at Purdue on Nov. 8
• Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter vs. UCF on Nov. 15
• Missouri receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. vs. Mississippi State on Nov. 15
• Oregon offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon vs. USC on Nov. 22
• Oregon defensive tackle Bear Alexander vs. USC on Nov. 22
• LSU receiver Nic Anderson at Oklahoma on Nov. 29
Homecoming for Helton
Clay Helton gets a homecoming, sort of anyway. Helton, with a new five-year contract after winning eight games last season at Georgia Southern, returns to Los Angeles when the Eagles face USC on Sept. 6 in the Coliseum. With one game as interim head coach in 2013, Helton was USC’s official head coach for seven seasons before being fired early in the 2021 campaign. He was 46-24 overall and won the Rose Bowl following the 2016 season (52-49 over Penn State), which is the Trojans’ last appearance in the Rose Bowl. The next season, Helton guided the Trojans to the 2017 Pac-12 championship, which is their last conference championship.
They’re playing where?
It’s always interesting (and entertaining) to see Power 4 teams playing on the road at Group of 5 teams, especially when it’s on campus. Case in point: Bill Belichick’s second game as North Carolina’s coach will come Sept. 6 against in-state foe Charlotte in 15,300-seat Jerry Richardson Stadium. Some of the others this season: West Virginia at Ohio University on Sept. 6 and Oklahoma at Temple (Lincoln Financial Field), Iowa State at Arkansas State, SMU at Missouri State and Utah at Wyoming, all Sept. 13.
Not very Belichickian
Speaking of Belichick, he didn’t get a bad draw in his first season at North Carolina. And, yes, we know he’s not one to look ahead until it’s “on to whomever.” But the Tar Heels face TCU at home in the Sept. 1 Monday night opener, and if they win that one, it’s conceivable they could be 5-0 going into their home game against Clemson on Oct. 4. The Tar Heels get a bye week prior to the Clemson game after playing at UCF on Sept. 20.
Fear the Terps
Maryland dipped to 4-8 a year ago after three straight winning seasons under Mike Locksley. The Terps’ schedule in 2025 is manageable enough that they should have a chance to return to their winning ways. Their nonconference schedule consists of Florida Atlantic, Northern Illinois and Towson, all at home, and Maryland is the only Big Ten team that avoids Penn State, Ohio State and Oregon. The Terps have three ranked teams on their schedule, and two of those games (Indiana and Michigan) are at home.
Run-down Red Raiders
Texas Tech, ranked No. 15 in the preseason, is pushing all its chips in on this season and reportedly spent more than $28 million on its roster. Led by coach Joey McGuire, the Red Raiders are looking to reach double-digit wins for the first time since the late Mike Leach led Tech to 11 wins in 2008. But to do it, they’re going to have to push through a seven-week gauntlet of Big 12 games. That’s right, seven straight Big 12 games without a bye from Oct. 4 to Nov. 15 — at Houston, vs. Kansas, at Arizona State, vs. Oklahoma State, at Kansas State, vs. BYU and vs. UCF.
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David Schoenfield
It’s MLB trade deadline day!
General managers haven’t slept in days, and they’ve probably developed carpal tunnel from texting so much. Every player traded is guaranteed to make a major impact and every prospect looks like a future star … right?
OK, maybe not. But a couple of the trades that happen Thursday might decide a division race or clinch a playoff berth or maybe even key a World Series run. One of the no-name prospects might, indeed, turn into an All-Star.
As always, there are some intriguing names being floated in trade rumors. But this is a list of the biggest names most likely to be traded Thursday, so it won’t include the following players (who could still move):
Hopefully, we will get a surprise trade — or three — involving some of the above players. But as the 6 p.m. ET deadline approaches, here are the top 10 names to watch.
(Note: Unless mentioned, all players will be free agents at season’s end.)
Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers
Kelly might be viewed as more of a grind-it-out innings eater, but that feels like a bit of a disservice to his ability, especially since he’s pitching well with a 2.56 ERA over his past 10 starts, lowering his season ERA to 3.22. After getting knocked out early in his second start of the season, he has gone at least five innings in every start since then, usually going six or seven.
His superlative work in the 2023 postseason (2.25 ERA across four starts) is another reason he’s a fit with any contender. The Cubs could certainly use a starter to go with Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga, the Astros likewise could use a third strong starter to follow their two aces in Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown. And while the Tigers already acquired Chris Paddack, they might need another starter with Reese Olson out for the season.
Best fits: Texas Rangers, Astros, San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers, Red Sox
O’Hearn’s versatility to play first base or a corner outfield slot is a big plus, although the Orioles have largely used him in a platoon role, which is a negative. He was hitting .333 with a .961 OPS through the end of May but hasn’t done much since then (.224 with four home runs). The Rangers have the worst OPS from their DHs in the majors, so O’Hearn fits there, and the Astros have been vocal about wanting a left-handed batter. The Brewers have popped up late in the game as a possible destination, although first baseman Andrew Vaughn has been red-hot filling in for the injured Rhys Hoskins.
Best fits: Tigers, Rangers, Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Cubs
Bednar is interesting for a couple of reasons: He’s having an excellent bounce-back season after a rough 2024, posting career bests in strikeout and walk rate, and he’s under team control through 2026. Santana is likewise under control through 2026 and has a minuscule 1.36 ERA, although he has a below-average strikeout rate and has relied on a low BABIP that could regress at any time.
As you can see from the list above, there are no shortages of teams in need of high-leverage relief, with some of those clubs viewing Bednar as a closer and others as a setup guy. The Tigers’ bullpen has struggled for a couple of months as has the Mets’ aside from closer Edwin Diaz. The Rangers have surged of late but have had few save opportunities, with the past couple having gone to journeyman Robert Garcia. The Blue Jays acquired Seranthony Dominguez but want another reliever, and the Dodgers might want an upgrade on Tanner Scott as their closer.
Best fits: Dodgers, Yankees, Rangers, Tigers, Blue Jays
The Twins already traded Jhoan Duran, so they might be understandably reluctant to trade another high-leverage reliever, especially one with the fifth-highest strikeout rate in the majors among pitchers with at least 40 innings. But the trade returns for relievers have been high so far and Jax, like Duran, is controllable for an additional two seasons, adding to his value. If the Twins can get a package similar to what they received for Duran, it might be difficult to say no — and there are several contenders still in need of bullpen help.
Best fits: Rangers, San Diego Padres, Giants, Reds
Ozuna’s trade value is diminished since he’s strictly a DH and has struggled for two months after posting a .426 OBP and .883 OPS through the end of May. Since then, he has hit .176 with a .600 OPS and has lost some of his DH at-bats to rookie catcher Drake Baldwin. But there’s no reason for the Braves to keep him, and the Rangers and Padres happen to have the worst DH production in the majors and could take a chance on an Ozuna hot streak. He did indeed homer Monday and Tuesday, so maybe one is coming.
Best fits: Blue Jays, Cubs, Astros, Tigers, Red Sox, Padres, New York Mets
Morton, 41, was arguably the worst starter in the majors the first month of the season, when he had a 10.36 ERA through his first six outings, losing all six. He rediscovered the feel for his curveball during a stint in the bullpen, and since rejoining the rotation in late May, he is 7-1 with a 3.66 ERA. His peripheral stats aren’t quite as impressive as the ERA suggests but he has given up three or fewer runs in 10 of 12 starts. His playoff experience doesn’t hurt either. How about a return to Houston, where he was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series?
Best fits: Philadelphia Phillies, Mets, Astros, Padres
Mullins is another from the long list of Orioles free agents. The question for teams that might need a center fielder, such as the Phillies and Mets: How good is he on defense? Statcast metrics say he has been pretty good, with a 77th percentile in outs above average (although with one of the worst arms in the majors, which does hurt his overall defensive value); but in terms of defensive runs saved, he is the worst center fielder in the majors at minus-17 DRS. Which metric to believe? Given the Orioles have the second-worst BABIP allowed in the majors, he might be a better fit in left field or off the bench (or as a potential DH option for the Padres).
Best fits: Pretty much any contender
One of the more intriguing pitcher popups of 2025, Houser began the season in Triple-A with the Rangers, where he had a 5.03 ERA, but then landed with the White Sox, where he has a 2.10 ERA in 11 starts, nine of those ranking as quality starts. That’s out of character with the rest of his career, but he is throwing harder. Plus, his curveball has been more effective than in the past — thus, he has using it more often. He could obviously be a candidate for a playoff rotation, if he keeps pitching this way, or a valuable multi-inning reliever.
Best fits: Phillies, Astros, Reds, Padres, Rangers, Blue Jays
Luis Robert Jr. is the bigger name the White Sox might trade, and maybe the Phillies or Mets take a chance on him to play center field, but Tauchman has hit much better than Robert — his OPS is nearly 200 points higher — and would demand a lesser return to acquire, thus making Tauchman more likely to be traded. He’s not an option for center field, although the Phillies could play him in left over the struggling Max Kepler, but he would be a nice DH option for the Padres or Rangers.
Best fits: Phillies, Padres, Mariners, Dodgers, Padres, Rangers
Laureano does have a reasonable $6.5 million club option for 2026 and given the excellent numbers he’s put up — .290/.355/.529 — he’ll be in demand, but could also return to the Orioles. He’s a right-handed alternative to the left-handed outfielders, so could work for a team that needs a righty bat like the Mariners or take over in left field for the likes of the Phillies (Max Kepler hasn’t been good) or Dodgers (Michael Conforto has been even worse). The Rangers could use him as a DH.
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