With the MLB winter meetings just around the corner, Juan Soto‘s free agent decision has the attention of the entire sport.

After helping the New York Yankees reach the World Series, Soto is expected to receive one of the richest contracts in baseball history, if not the richest. As the baseball world converges in Dallas starting Sunday, the 26-year-old’s top suitors include the Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays.

While we wait to find out which team the superstar outfielder chooses, we asked our MLB experts to weigh in on all things Soto: when this year’s No. 1 free agent will sign, whether he will choose to stay in the Bronx or head to a new home, and what will happen next after he makes his decision.

Winter meetings preview: Latest intel from Olney and Passan

When do you think we’ll know Juan Soto’s next team — before, at, or after the winter meetings?

Jorge Castillo: The news will trickle out before, but it’ll become official Monday — the first day of the winter meetings — with a news conference on Tuesday.

Kiley McDaniel: I’ll agree with Jorge that it’ll be right around the opening of the winter meetings.

David Schoenfield: Late on Monday, the first day of the winter meetings — with a splashy news conference to follow on Tuesday so Scott Boras can enjoy the spotlight (and get the dominoes rolling on the rest of the offseason, including his other top clients such as Pete Alonso, Corbin Burnes and Alex Bregman).

Alden Gonzalez: We need to remember that only one person can truly dictate the timing of this development, and that person, of course, is Juan Soto himself. That being said, indications earlier this week were that we were nearing the end of Soto’s free agency, with a decision expected as early as this weekend. Whether that happens Saturday or Sunday, or trickles into Monday or even later, is impossible to know for sure. But we can be almost certain about this: Soto will have picked his new team before the end of the winter meetings on Thursday. This will certainly not be a repeat of the Bryce Harper free agency.

How confident are you that the Yankees will be able to keep the superstar?

Castillo: Not as confident as I was when the offseason started. I expect Soto’s decision to come down to the Yankees and the Mets, but it sounds like Steve Cohen, the wealthiest owner in baseball, is dead set on signing him and will top any offer. That, in my estimation, makes the other team in New York the favorite. That doesn’t mean the Yankees don’t have a shot. But there’s stiff competition down to the wire.

McDaniel: I’ll go with 55% Mets, 35% Yankees and 10% other. The belief around the league is that the Mets won’t let money be the reason for not landing Soto, but the Yankees very well could. The Yankees got Judge to return by basically matching or coming very close to matching other offers, but it’s unclear what the Yankees will do if the Mets blow their offer out of the water.

Schoenfield: One thing that was said repeatedly at the start of free agency is that the Yankees never let their big players leave in free agency, the implication being that Soto will remain in pinstripes. This is mostly accurate — but not completely accurate. They re-signed Aaron Judge a couple years ago, of course, and signed Derek Jeter early on so he never reached free agency until late in his career (the Yankees re-signed him). Mariano Rivera never left. But Robinson Cano did, although that was back in 2014. The point is just because Judge re-signed, it doesn’t mean Soto will. The vast majority of top free agents do not return to the same team, and remember that Judge probably took a slight discount to stay in New York. I don’t think Soto will do that, so my confidence level is low.

Gonzalez: It seems as if any industry person you speak with these days almost expects Soto to be a Met, which, if you take a step back, is pretty wild. The Yankees don’t typically lose players like this. Not 26-year-old superstars they’re trying desperately to bring back. Not coming off a World Series appearance. Not to the Mets. It speaks to the impact of Cohen’s deep wallet, and his ability to overwhelm even the wealthiest owners with massive contract offers. But I’m not ready to count the Yankees out just yet. Soto’s first season in the Bronx could not have gone any better (except for maybe that fifth inning). The Yankees are one of the biggest brands in sports, in an environment he clearly loves playing in, and a team that would make him absurdly wealthy. I’ll believe the Mets are stealing him from the Yankees when I see it.

If Soto doesn’t return to the Yankees, which team seems most likely to land him?

Castillo: The Mets, for the two reasons spelled out above: They really want him, and they have the most money to spend.

McDaniel: I’ll also go with the Mets, based on what I said above. It isn’t even clear yet who the real third-most likely team is, with the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Dodgers all in the mix, presumably in that order of likelihood to land Soto, but I’m not confident in that.

Schoenfield: It’s hard to imagine the Mets being outbid — and, if it matters, Soto will get to be The Man with the Mets (with apologies to Francisco Lindor). And while Mark Vientos and maybe Francisco Alvarez are up-and-coming young players, they’re not franchise-headlining-type players. With Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Alonso (if the Mets re-sign him) in their 30s, the Mets need a superstar player entering his age-26 season to build around.

Gonzalez: I agree with everything that has been written and still believe it will come down to what basically all of us expected when this process began — Yankees or Mets. But the three other known finalists — the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox — all made competitive offers, presumably north of $600 million. And if I’m picking one dark horse here, I’ll go with the Red Sox, another major-market team with a fellow Dominican star in Rafael Devers and cash to burn.

What will be the total value of Soto’s contract?

Castillo: A year ago, when the Yankees acquired Soto, $500 million seemed like the ceiling for him. Then, this summer, while Soto dazzled in the Bronx, whispers of $600 million surfaced. By the end of the season, exceeding $600 million seemed very possible. Now there are rumors of $700 million, if not more. Makes sense. Soto’s combination of age — he’s still just 26 years old — and hitting ability hasn’t been seen in free agency since Alex Rodriguez in 2000. Add big-market bidders and competitive owners, and you have a bidding frenzy. My guess increased from $500 million to a touch over $600 million in recent weeks. It has since increased some more. But I’m going to stop a bit short of $700 million, which would seemingly require deferrals. My guess is 13 years, $650 million without deferrals for an even $50 million per season. That would set the records for AAV and present-day value, eclipsing Shohei Ohtani‘s deal just a year later.

McDaniel: I agree with Jorge that it seems like Soto will easily clear $600 million. My final projection was $611 million, and I would move that up slightly now, maybe $630 million? The real question is whether Boras and Soto want to clear $700 million as a nominal amount and use deferrals to get there. I think there’s a roughly coin-flip chance he will be offered that, but we don’t know the priorities the Soto camp has when it comes down to the final terms of the deal.

Schoenfield: $700 million? I wouldn’t do it at that price, but how often does a 26-year-old hitter of this caliber reach free agency? As Jorge said, the last one was Rodriguez after the 2000 season. Even Bryce Harper wasn’t really on this consistent level.

Gonzalez: My guess is that this deal stretches to 15 years, taking Soto into his age-41 season, as a means to get the guarantee beyond $700 million, somehow topping what Shohei Ohtani got from the Dodgers last offseason. I suspect Soto’s contract will have some deferrals in it, perhaps enough to push the average annual value for tax purposes below Ohtani’s $46 million, given the additional five years. But Boras will be able to gloat about the longest free agent contract for the highest dollar amount in baseball history.

What move do you expect to happen next when Soto signs?

Castillo: Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, the two top starting pitchers remaining in free agency, should quickly come off the board. The Mets, Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays — four of the five teams that we know have made Soto offers — are very interested in top-tier starting pitching. Whichever clubs don’t add Soto will have money to spend in that department.

McDaniel: Boras’ clients have been flying off the board this winter, landing five of the top six guarantees thus far, and all of them have been pitchers. That’s partly because making pitchers wait until late in the winter has a much higher potential cost (Blake Snell‘s and Jordan Montgomery‘s slow starts last spring after late contracts) than it does for hitters, and also because Boras has so many clients that he needs to get the ones with suitable offers off his plate to focus on the ones with tougher markets.

Sean Manaea and Max Scherzer join Burnes as the notable Boras pitchers left in free agency, so I’d bet one of them signs quickly to continue the trend. I also assume the $50 million-plus position player market gets moving once Soto is off the board, with talks for Christian Walker, Anthony Santander, Teoscar Hernandez, Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman, and Willy Adames heating up; I’ll bet one or two of them sign within a week or so of Soto. Nobody wants to be unsigned in February unless their market truly isn’t coming together as expected, so signing a good deal before Christmas is the goal of most free agents and their representatives.

Schoenfield: Alonso seems like he could go quick, especially since the Yankees also need a first baseman. The Mets might still want him, the Yankees will need a hitter if they don’t get Soto, and if neither team gets Soto, there could be a fun bidding war to land Alonso.

Gonzalez: My expectation is that more pitchers will quickly come off the board — there’s still a lot of them available, but also a lot of need throughout the industry — but one position player I’d be looking at is Adames. If he truly is willing to play third base, Adames stands as an obvious pivot for the Yankees or Mets. And whichever one of those teams misses out on Soto will be scrambling to replace him with other top-tier free agents. Adames stands out above the rest.

Champ week is just around the corner, and the stakes are high as teams look to gain one of the College Football Playoff’s first-round byes.

No. 2 Texas and No. 5 Georgia will meet again for a second time this season in a rematch at the SEC championship game. Georgia handed Texas its only loss of the season, but will the Bulldogs be able to pull off the win again in Atlanta?

No. 15 Arizona State was listed in last place in the Big 12 preseason poll and have proved the conference wrong as it holds the top spot in the league. As the Sun Devils look to gain their first Big 12 title, what do they need to do to beat Iowa State?

Our college football experts preview all of Champ Week’s biggest matchups and players to watch, and share quotes from players and coaches leading up to this week’s games.

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Quotes of the Week

What does Texas need to do to win? It starts with not getting behind early and having to play catchup similar to the last game between the teams. Georgia built a 23-0 lead and took the home crowd out of the game, and keep in mind that this game is being played in Atlanta, meaning Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be painted in red and black. In keeping with that theme, the Longhorns need to be able to run the ball and not put their quarterback(s) in tough situations. After falling behind in the first game, Texas was forced to throw 49 times. Quinn Ewers was sacked five times and Arch Manning two times. Texas’ pass protection could be even dicier in this game if star left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (ankle) can’t play or is limited. Clearly, Texas plans to use Manning situationally in the running game, which could help slow the Georgia pass rush.

On defense, Texas has surely scoured the tape from the Georgia-Ole Miss game. The Bulldogs couldn’t protect quarterback Carson Beck, who was sacked five times and threw an interception. Beck was held to 186 passing yards in that game. Texas has one of the top cornerbacks in the country, Jahdae Barron, and needs to find a way to force some turnovers and put Georgia in obvious passing situations. Beck has been turnover prone at times this season and was intercepted three times in the first game in Austin.

What does Georgia need to do to win? In both of its losses this season, Georgia was in a position where it had to come from behind, including getting down 28-0 at Alabama. The Bulldogs have long been one of the most physical teams in the country under Kirby Smart and need to be the most physical team on the field Saturday in Atlanta. That’s what was so disappointing about the 28-10 loss to Ole Miss. The Bulldogs were bullied physically. So establishing the run game against the Longhorns and not allowing them to run it will be critical. The other obvious factor will be not giving Texas short fields with turnovers. Quarterback Beck had thrown 12 interceptions in the previous six games prior to the 31-17 win over Tennessee. He threw for 347 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against the Vols, and it’s that kind of efficiency the Bulldogs will need Saturday.

Georgia’s offensive line played its best game against Tennessee, which had not given up more than 19 points in a game coming into that contest. Giving Beck time to throw will be vital, especially because Texas has given up very few big plays on defense. The Longhorns rank first nationally in fewest plays from scrimmage allowed of 20 yards or longer (24) and 30 yards or longer (seven). Hitting some explosive plays down the field would help loosen up a Texas defense that has allowed more than 17 points only twice all season, one of those times in the 30-15 loss to Georgia. The Bulldogs have been excellent on special teams. Place-kicker Peyton Woodring has missed only two field goals, both from 50-plus yards, and punter Brett Thorson is a finalist for the Ray Guy Award. — Chris Low

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What does Clemson need to do to win? The Tigers have been here many, many times before, making Charlotte a quasi-home away from home considering its two-hour proximity to campus and the fact they have won seven of the past nine ACC championship games. Their experience in this environment should give them an intangible edge, as SMU is playing in its first ACC title game. The last time the Tigers were here in 2022, Cade Klubnik came off the bench to replace DJ Uiagalelei, picked up championship game MVP honors in a 39-10 win over North Carolina and has firmly entrenched himself as the starter. This has been his best year yet, as he has thrown for 3,041 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions. Clemson has had its most success when it finds the right balance between Klubnik and running back Phil Mafah, who has rushed for 1,078 yards. But more than that, Clemson must find a way to fix its run defense. In losses to Louisville and South Carolina, the Tigers allowed more than 200 yards rushing — uncharacteristic for a defense that prides itself on its strength up front.

What does SMU need to do to win? One ACC coach said Clemson has the better team, but SMU has done a terrific job being opportunistic. That part is undeniable. SMU has forced 21 turnovers and scored four defensive touchdowns, but maybe more impressive, the Mustangs are plus-77 in points scored off turnovers. So yes, they have done a great job at being opportunistic in this category. Coach Rhett Lashlee said the most important thing for his team to do to win is to not deviate from what has gotten it here — play physical, create turnovers and play loose and free on offense behind Kevin Jennings, who is 9-0 since he took over as the starter following Week 3. Brashard Smith has come on strong in the backfield, too, earning All-ACC honors after rushing for 1,157 yards and 14 touchdowns. SMU has not let any moment get too big for it this season, and that is partly because Jennings is as even-keel as they come. He led the team to the American Athletic Conference championship last year as an injury replacement for Preston Stone. The stage won’t be too big, but SMU will have to match Clemson’s physicality and force some turnovers to take home another championship. — Andrea Adelson

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What does Oregon need to do to win? Played indoors at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Big Ten championship game often favors teams with superior speed. Oregon checks those boxes and can also match opponents at the line of scrimmage. The Ducks recorded their biggest win of the season against Ohio State by challenging the Buckeyes’ secondary with receivers Evan Stewart and Tez Johnson, who combined for 14 receptions, 224 yards and two touchdowns. Oregon needs to force Penn State’s defensive backs to stop downfield passes.

The Ducks’ defensive line has held up very well against the run, allowing 81 rushing yards or fewer in five games. Oregon allowed explosive runs to Boise State‘s Ashton Jeanty and Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson and will need to limit Penn State’s talented tandem of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Penn State lacks the wide receiver threats that Ohio State had, but tight end Tyler Warren presents a major matchup problem for most defenses. Coach Dan Lanning and coordinator Tosh Lupoi must craft a plan to limit Warren.

What does Penn State need to do to win? Since the start of the 2023 season, Penn State leads the FBS in yards per rush allowed (2.66). The path to beating Oregon starts with stopping Jordan James, who averages 5.7 yards per carry with 13 touchdowns and, while not a burner, consistently gains yards. Penn State ideally wants to mimic what Wisconsin‘s defense did against the Ducks. The Badgers twice turned away Oregon in their own red zone and allowed only one play longer than 25 yards. Penn State must make Oregon work for its points and ideally play a low-possession game in which field position, takeaways and special teams become the difference.

The Lions also need innovation from offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who has been masterful in using Warren and getting more out of quarterback Drew Allar, despite some limitations at receiver. Penn State will need to generate some chunk plays against an Oregon defense that has been susceptible to them through the air. — Adam Rittenberg

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What does Arizona State need to do to win? Iowa State’s defense allowed just 14.4 points per game in the Cyclones’ 7-0 start but is allowing 26.8 over its 3-2 finish. Jordyn Tyson, who leads the Sun Devils in targets, catches, receiving yards and receiving TDs, is out for the season with an injury, so finding room for running back Cam Skattebo is key. The Sun Devils have a big, experienced offensive line, and Skattebo had five games with more than 150 rushing yards, second only to Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, despite missing a game because of a shoulder injury. Skattebo’s 42.5 receiving yards per game also ranks third among running backs.

Redshirt freshman QB Sam Leavitt has taken care of the ball all season, with 21 touchdowns to five INTs, but Iowa State has seven players who have combined for 14 picks, and without his favorite target, he’ll have to stay disciplined against an opportunistic defense.

What does Iowa State need to do to win? The Cyclones’ defense is second best nationally in pass completion percentage allowed, but it has struggled in key run statistics. They rank 112th in yards per carry allowed at 5.1, 114th in percentage of opponents runs that go five or more yards, and 121st in yards before contact. This is a concern against Skattebo, who is second nationally in forced missed tackles with 93, so they’ll have to get him on the ground.

Offensively, the Cyclones boast the only pair of 1,000-yard receivers in the FBS in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, and quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown a TD in 16 straight games, the longest such streak in school history. The Cyclones’ passing game struggled against Kansas State, with Becht going 13-of-35 for 137 yards, but he still threw two touchdowns in the 29-21 win to help Iowa State to its first 10-win season in school history. — Dave Wilson

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What does Boise State need to do to win? It sounds simple, but the recipe for Boise continues to be the same: Give the ball to Ashton Jeanty and watch him go. Against UNLV, however, exactly how Jeanty fares will be particularly important. The Rebels were one of only a few teams able to somewhat contain the Heisman Trophy contender — he had 128 rushing yards (his second-lowest total on the season) and only one touchdown.

Still, Jeanty and Boise did enough to win their regular-season matchup, and it will be fascinating to watch the Rebels’ defense and Boise’s offensive line battle it out now that they have film on each other. Whoever can either move or halt the game’s biggest chess piece (Jeanty) most effectively will likely emerge with a victory and a conference title.

What does UNLV need to do to win? During that late October matchup, Jeanty’s explosiveness was stifled. His longest run of the night was 16 yards, by far his lowest for any game this season. If the Rebels want any chance to win this game and spoil the Broncos’ season, they’ll need to once again do the same, if not better. The good news is they have the personnel and the scheme to do it.

Defensive coordinator Michael Scherer has UNLV defending the run better than nearly anyone this season. The unit is ranked 10th in the country in run defense, allowing just over 100 rushing yards per game, and it has allowed only nine rushes of 20 yards or more (good for 16th overall). Jeanty met his match in October, yet still got his yards. If Scherer and Co. can replicate their performance, they should be in position to win. — Paolo Uggetti

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Players to watch from each championship team

Clemson: LB Barrett Carter

A week ago, Clemson’s defense was stout — unless it came to stopping QB LaNorris Sellers. South Carolina’s battering ram of a QB is an exception to many rules, but SMU will present some similar problems. Kevin Jennings is a mobile quarterback, but he’s also more than capable of beating teams with his arm. Brashard Smith has made countless defenders look foolish this year. SMU’s slot receiver and tight end play have been strong. All of that is a lot of pressure on a talented linebacking corps for Clemson, led by Carter. SMU wants to stress a defense by forcing linebackers to make choices — knowing the Mustangs’ offense can beat a team multiple ways. But Carter’s a veteran, and he’s not fooled easily. — David Hale

SMU: S Isaiah Nwokobia

The first-team All-ACC linebacker has been a tackling machine for the Mustangs, racking up 91 stops to go with three picks, three pass breakups, two QB hurries and three tackles for loss. He’s versatile, consistent and fast — more than capable of helping in the run game but also holding up well in coverage. His ability to do a little of everything opens up options for SMU to get after QB Cade Klubnik, who has struggled against better defenses since taking over as QB1 in 2023. — Hale

Georgia: TB Nate Frazier

One of the best ways for Georgia to take pressure off quarterback Carson Beck is to establish a running game and open up the play-action passing game. In the teams’ first meeting, Georgia ran for 108 yards on 30 carries. That might not seem like much, but Texas was held to just 29 rushing yards after sacks. The Bulldogs might get back senior tailback Trevor Etienne, who has been battling a rib injury. Etienne was upgraded to questionable on Wednesday’s availability report. He ran for 87 yards with three touchdowns in the first meeting.

Freshman Nate Frazier has emerged as Georgia’s No. 1 tailback during his absence. Frazier ran for a career-high 136 yards with three touchdowns against UMass on Nov. 23, then scored the winning touchdown in the Bulldogs’ eight-overtime marathon against Georgia Tech last week. — Mark Schlabach

Texas: QB Quinn Ewers

Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers struggled against Georgia’s tenacious pass rush in the first meeting. Ewers was briefly benched in that game, but backup Arch Manning didn’t have much success, either. Georgia pressured the Texas quarterbacks on 23 of 59 dropbacks, and Ewers and Manning combined to complete 5 of 13 attempts for 46 yards when under duress. They were sacked seven times and lost three fumbles. Ewers has been battling a low-grade high ankle sprain the past few weeks. He was effective in last week’s 17-7 win at Texas A&M Aggies, throwing for 218 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Longhorns leaned heavily on their running game the past few weeks, but they can’t be one-dimensional against Georgia. Ewers is averaging 6.47 yards per attempt this season, which ranks 123rd out of 126 FBS quarterbacks, according to TruMedia. — Schlabach

Oregon: RB Jordan James

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel is Oregon’s Heisman Trophy contender. But James is an underrated, yet critical, piece of the Ducks’ offense. He’s third in the Big Ten with 1,166 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry and 13 touchdowns. In Oregon’s win over Ohio State on Oct. 12, James rushed for a game-high 125 yards, keeping the Buckeyes off balance. The Nittany Lions have a solid run defense, but Ohio State was able to pile up 176 rushing yards in its 20-13 win at Penn State last month. Likewise, Oregon can keep the Nittany Lions’ defense on its heels by remaining two-dimensional. — Jake Trotter

Penn State: DE Abdul Carter

The Ducks have allowed just 12 sacks, the second fewest in the Big Ten. They also have a sack-per-drop-back rate of just 2.9%, sixth lowest of all Power 4 teams. The Nittany Lions can’t allow Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel to sit back and pick them apart. Penn State boasts one of the most talented pass rushers in the country in Carter, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year who’s projected to be a top-10 pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Carter, who has 10 sacks, is fifth nationally with an edge pressure rate of 17.2%. Him getting in the face of Gabriel early and often will be paramount for the Nittany Lions. — Trotter

Arizona State: RB Cam Skattebo

As goes Skattebo, so does Arizona State. In ASU’s two losses — against Texas Tech and Cincinatti — Skattebo was held to 60 and 75 yards rushing, respectively. In the Sun Devils’ other games, he averaged 140.3 yards rushing, including 177 in the regular-season finale against rival Arizona. Six of Skattebo’s 17 rushing touchdowns came in the past two games as the Sun Devils finished strong to reach the title game. If he winds up on the ballots of a few Heisman Trophy voters, it won’t come as a surprise. — Kyle Bonagura

Iowa State: WR Jaylin Noel

Noel will leave Ames as one of the best receivers in school history, having caught a pass in 44 consecutive games. In four years, he has 231 catches for 2,670 yards — which ranks Nos. 2 and 4 on the school’s all-time lists. Noel’s 67 catches for 1,013 yards this season came playing alongside receiver Jayden Higgins (80 catches, 1,068 yards), which makes them one of the best receiving tandems in college football. Noel has made at least five catches in eight straight games and has made at least two catches in every game over the past two seasons. — Bonagura

Boise State: QB Maddux Madsen

Yes, all eyes will be on Jeanty as they should be, but Madsen’s role will only get more important as the stakes get higher. So far, the sophomore quarterback has been a more-than-capable game manager for the Broncos, but if UNLV can limit Jeanty or even simply knock him off his rhythm, then Madsen will need to step up. Against the Rebels in the regular season, Madsen threw the ball 33 times — tied for second most in a game this season. It’s likely he’ll have to do the same this time around, and 18 completions for 209 yards might not cut it. — Uggetti

UNLV: Wide receiver Ricky White

The senior wideout might be the most talented player on the field not named Ashton Jeanty. White has caught 75 passes for 1,000 yards this season and 11 touchdowns despite having a quarterback change from the outgoing Matthew Sluka to Hajj-Malik Williams earlier this season. Though Williams is more of a dual-threat quarterback who has shown his ability on the ground (he has three games of 100 rushing yards or more), White has continued to be the top target, averaging over 13 yards per catch and crossing the 100-yard mark five times. White is a playmaker, and given that he’s facing one of the worst passing defenses in the nation in Boise State, his production will go a long way toward getting UNLV the win. — Uggetti

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Quotes of the Week

“We’re playing for a freaking championship. That’s not good. It’s great. We’re playing one of the best teams in the country, that’s playing with a lot of precision on both sides of the ball, and we’re going to have to play our best football. We’ve not done that yet,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “But you know what? It ain’t too late to play our best football. Hopefully we can find a way to get that done this week and hold that trophy up.”

“We want to be a team that year in, year out, is viewed as a team that has a chance to compete to get to Charlotte. That’s what Clemson is every year. Everybody knows that if you want to win the championship, probably to some degree, you’re going to have to go through them,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “We came into this season knowing that we wanted to just prove we belonged, and I think our guys have done that, and this is just another opportunity to see where we stand, see how we measure up against the team that has set that standard.”

“Absolutely not. Ashton Jeanty is the best football player in the country. For me, if you’re one of the best players in the country, you play in the championship game.” — Boise State coach Spencer Danielson on whether the Heisman race is over after Colorado‘s Deion Sanders declared it over in favor of Travis Hunter.

“Great competitors, they don’t care. We can play in the parking lot. It don’t matter.” — UNLV coach Barry Odom on the potential of his team playing in inclement weather in Boise.

“Obviously, there’s benefit to having more time to prepare for an opponent, and you should have a benefit if you go and win your conference championship game. So there’s definitely a huge advantage there of putting yourself a step closer to the end-all goal.” — Oregon coach Dan Lanning

“Being from PA, Penn State, seeing that game from 2016, them winning a championship, I always imagined being in that moment, trying to win a Big Ten championship. So being in that exact moment right now just feels good. Just got to go out there and win it.” — Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton

“I think he’s one of the most real people in the sport. I mean, you see the passion, emotion on the sideline. … It’s not fake, it’s real,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said of Matt Campbell and Iowa State. “When I was at Auburn, I had the ability to go study at one program in the country. I had two days. At that time, coach [Gus] Malzahn would let you go and study with the team … and I chose to go visit Iowa State. That was the program that I wanted to study from because I thought that they were overachieving at that time early in his career at a high level before he had built it up. Now he’s built it up.”

“It’s not payback. We have it in the back of our minds what they did to us. We have respect for them, but we don’t fear them.” — Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron

The league-worst Chicago Blackhawks fired coach Luke Richardson on Thursday after three seasons.

Anders Sorensen, coach of the AHL Rockford IceHogs, was named interim head coach and will assume duties immediately. The Blackhawks have also made Mark Eaton, their assistant general manager overseeing player development, the interim coach in Rockford.

Sources told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan that Sorensen will coach the rest of the season and will be given an opportunity to get the full-time job, as the Blackhawks think very highly of him. The Blackhawks plan on conducting a full coaching search after the season.

Players in Rockford have praised Sorensen as a coach, with one player telling ESPN that he’s a “great communicator and teacher.”

Richardson, 55, had a 57-118-15 record after being hired to coach Chicago in 2022, while the Blackhawks were in a prolonged rebuild. He was in the last year of a three-year contract, with Chicago holding an option for a fourth season.

After 26 games this season, Chicago had a record of 8-16-2, the worst in the NHL. The Blackhawks were tied for 21st in team defense (3.15 goals against per game) and the second-worst offensive team in the league at 2.42 goals per game. Those offensive struggles impacted Connor Bedard, last season’s Rookie of the Year, who has just five goals in 26 games this season.

“As we have begun to take steps forward in our rebuilding process, we felt that the results did not match our expectations for a higher level of execution this season and ultimately came to the decision that a change was necessary,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said. “We wish Luke and his family all the best moving forward.”

Blackhawks chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz said he fully supports Davidson’s decision and endorsed the management team’s search for the team’s next head coach.

The frustration this season has been notable within the Blackhawks, in particular with the 19-year-old Bedard. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL draft — and marketed as a franchise savior in Chicago — Bedard had grown tired of finding silver linings in losses for a last-place club.

“We’re not just going to be happy that we stayed in a game. We’re all NHL players. That’s not the goal, you know? It’s frustrating,” he said in November. “Losing is not fun, so we’ve obviously got to figure it out.”

Two weeks ago, Bedard said there were “100 things” he felt he could change about his game as he was mired in a 12-game streak without a goal.

Richardson was criticized for scrambling his lines too often in search of the right mix. He raised some eyebrows around the NHL when he shifted Bedard, a natural center, to the wing and played him in more of a defensive role with forwards Jason Dickinson and Joey Anderson.

“We didn’t bring him here to be a checker,” Richardson said. “But just the way our team has a lack of scoring, we’re hunkering down on the defensive side until we get a little more confidence offensively back.”

Bedard, who was left off of Team Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster this week, has four points in his past seven games.

Richardson also took criticism for the way he handled the benching of veteran Taylor Hall, a former league MVP now in his 15th NHL season. Hall was surprised by becoming a healthy scratch because the possibility of it hadn’t been communicated to him.

Richardson later admitted that Hall should have been given a heads-up.

“That could be part of my problem, too. Sometimes you give veterans a little bit more of a grace period,” Richardson said.

Richardson was hired in June 2022, replacing interim coach Derek King. He had been an assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens and spent four seasons as head coach of the Ottawa Senators‘ AHL affiliate.

Sorensen is the fourth head coach under Davidson, two of them serving on an interim basis. He has amassed a 117-89-16-7 record in 229 career AHL games serving as head coach. The IceHogs have reached the playoffs in each of his three seasons serving as bench boss.

Previously, Sorensen was a development coach in Chicago and a bench coach for Södertälje SK of HockeyAllsvenskan in Sweden.

The Blackhawks have several of their top prospects, including Frank Nazar, Kevin Korchinski and Artem Levshyunov, playing in Rockford this season. They have been hesitant to call them up, preferring them to be better prepared in the AHL. However Nazar, who is second in AHL scoring with 24 points in 18 games, is expected to get a call up this season. The Blackhawks would prefer to keep Nazar in the NHL instead of shuttling him back and forth.

This is the third coaching change of the 2024-25 NHL season.

The Boston Bruins fired Jim Montgomery on Nov. 19, replacing him with interim coach Joe Sacco. When Montgomery became available, the St. Louis Blues fired Drew Bannister and hired Montgomery five days after his dismissal in Boston.