Latest MLB winter meetings updates and rumors from Dallas: Yankees land Max Fried for $218 million
The MLB winter meetings began Monday in Dallas and it figures to be an action-packed week of rumors, signings and trades.
We’ve got it all covered right here, from our predictions heading into the meetings to the latest updates, analysis and daily takeaways as the moves go down.
Now that Juan Soto has made his decision, what big free agency moves will follow? Who will be the big names mentioned in trade talks? And what rumors will dominate the week? Check out our predictions now and refresh often for the latest as the week unfolds.
Winter meetings news and rumors
Dec. 10 buzz
How Fried’s record deal helps another free agent ace
With the signing of Max Fried, the path has been cleared for Corbin Burnes to ink the highest offseason contract for a pitcher this winter. The Giants remain the favorites for his services which will likely come at a cost closer to $300 million than $200 million. Fried’s deal for $218 million for eight years sets the bar for Burnes who should blow by that number. — Jesse Rogers
Guardians and Blue Jays complete trade
BREAKING: The Toronto Blue Jays are finalizing a trade to acquire three-time Gold Glove-winning second baseman Andrés Giménez from the Cleveland Guardians, sources tell ESPN. — Jeff Passan
Yankees land Fried on $218 million contract
BREAKING: Left-hander Max Fried and the New York Yankees are in agreement on a eight-year, $218 million contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest guarantee in baseball history for a left-handed pitcher. — Jeff Passan
Rangers, Yankees among teams showing interest in reliever Martin
Veteran right-hander Chris Martin, who is at the winter meetings, has so far met with the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, a source tells ESPN. Martin, 38, recorded a 3.45 ERA in 45 games for the Boston Red Sox last season after posting a 1.05 ERA in 55 appearances for the club in 2023. — Jorge Castillo
Yankees could look to add new closer
Luke Weaver thrived as the New York Yankees‘ closer after replacing Clay Holmes in September, but manager Aaron Boone said that doesn’t mean Weaver will be the team’s closer next season. Boone said Weaver’s role will depend on where the Yankees “go this offseason.” One possibility is they sign free agent left-hander Tanner Scott to be their closer. The Yankees had interest in acquiring him from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline before he was traded to the San Diego Padres. When asked about Scott, Boone complimented his stuff and his command improvement. Scott, 30, has a 2.04 ERA in 146 appearances over the past two seasons. — Jorge Castillo
What does Guerrero’s future in Toronto look like?
The Toronto Blue Jays made an aggressive run at Juan Soto and lost out, just one offseason after losing out on Shohei Ohtani. Now, many in the industry believe the course of their franchise could be directed by one player: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the star first baseman who is only a season away from free agency. The Blue Jays have been in talks with Guerrero about an extension but are not considered to be close to one — a type of uncertainty that could impact their ability to attract free agents, many of whom will wonder about the direction of the franchise if Guerrero leaves in a year.
If the two sides can’t agree to a deal, many in the industry believe the Blue Jays will have little choice but to trade Guerrero and begin a rebuilding process. It doesn’t seem as if that is at the forefront of their minds, however; Toronto can easily play out the 2025 season and hope to bring Guerrero back as a free agent. But he’ll hit the open market at just 26 years old, the same age that catapulted Juan Soto to a $765 million guarantee. And the Blue Jays would obviously risk Guerrero’s price elevating further if he has another MVP-caliber season. — Alden Gonzalez
Latest on Arenado’s trade status with Cardinals
With Nolan Arenado being mentioned in trade talks, his agent, Joel Wolfe, spoke about the Cardinals infielder’s status on Tuesday. Wolfe said Arenado would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to go to a winning team and would be open to moving to first base if it makes sense.
Sasaki’s agent speaks at winter meetings
Now that star Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki has officially been posted as an MLB free agent, his agent, Joel Wolfe, spoke to the media at the winter meetings on Tuesday.
Here are a few of Wolfe’s quotes from the media session.
On what Sasaki values: “He has paid attention to how teams have done as far as overall success, both this year and in the past. He does watch a lot of MLB. He has paid attention to what his [World Baseball Classic] teammates have done. He asks about weather, comfortability, pitching development. He has been watching what other Japanese players in the major leagues are doing and how they are doing.”
On market size: “I think that there’s an argument to be made that a smaller, mid-market team might be more beneficial for him as a soft landing. Might be, I’m not saying it will be — but I really don’t know how he looks at it yet.”
On geography: “He’s never brought that up as an issue. When we supply information to our players, our Japanese players, long before they come over here, one of the things that we provide for them is direct flights from Japan, and the amount of time it takes for your family to come and visit you. And I think about five or 10 years ago, that was something that maybe they weighed a little bit more, but now you can fly direct from Japan to most of the major cities in the U.S. It’s not really that much of an issue anymore.”
Who could land Arenado, Tucker?
With Nolan Arenado and Kyle Tucker being mentioned in winter meetings trade speculation, David Schoenfield identifies potential landing spots for both sluggers — including the New York Yankees. Arenado, Tucker trade fits (ESPN+) »
Why Astros’ Tucker is coming up in trade speculation
Houston Astros owner Jim Crane has not gone beyond six years in his offers to players, and it’s pretty clear that if Kyle Tucker stays healthy, he is going to be offered big money/big years as a free agent next fall. So Houston has a choice similar to Boston’s in the offseason after 2019 with Mookie Betts: trade him for value this winter or next July, or, watch him walk away.
The Astros have indicated to other teams that, as a rule, they’ll listen to offers for anyone on their roster. But rival execs note that while trading Tucker now might help them recoup more value, the Astros — who’ve been in win-now mode since 2015 — have a long history of allowing their impending free agents walk out the door, rather than flipping them in pre-emptive trades. Gerrit Cole, George Springer and Carlos Correa are three of the most prominent examples of this philosophy. “And they’re trying to win (in 2025),” said one rival evaluator. “I have a hard time seeing them trade Tucker or Framber (Valdez).”— Buster Olney
Dec. 9 buzz
White Sox in trade talks on Crochet, Robert
The Chicago White Sox continue to field calls for pitcher Garrett Crochet and OF Luis Robert Jr., though a deal for either doesn’t sound imminent, according to general manager Chris Getz. At least 10 teams have inquired about Crochet as Chicago begins to whittle down potential trade candidates.
“There are some teams that are more sincere than others,” Getz said. “We’re still kind of learning. Those conversations will be ongoing. While we’re here, we’re going to the best we can do for the White Sox, and if that means we make a move, we make a move. But it’s OK if we don’t.”
As for Robert, the front office is hoping prospective trade partners look back to 2023, when he posted a .957 OPS, rather than a 2024 season in which he was hurt and his OPS fell 200 points. When asked if his desired return for Robert is too high based on that recent campaign, Getz said: “It’s an appropriate price tag based on the talent that he brings to the table.” — Jesse Rogers
Padres confident in chances of landing Sasaki
If there’s one team outside of the Los Angeles Dodgers that is widely considered favorites to land Roki Sasaki, it’s the Dodgers’ biggest rivals at the moment, the San Diego Padres. Speaking at the winter meetings on Monday, Padres manager Mike Shildt expressed confidence in his team’s ability to land the 23-year-old Japanese phenom who will be posted Tuesday afternoon and will pick his new team shortly after next year’s international signing period opens on Jan. 15. Shildt brought up the appeal of San Diego, the atmosphere at Petco Park, the opportunity to win the city’s first World Series and A.J. Preller’s prowess in the Japanese market as factors playing in the Padres’ favor.
“I feel like the organization is in a really good place with Sasaki,” Shildt said. “If there’s an open-market competition to be had, I feel like we’re in a good spot for a multitude of reasons.”
Another, perhaps even bigger factor is the presence of fellow Japanese starter Yu Darvish, a close friend and mentor to Sasaki. Asked how much Darvish is willing to help in the recruitment, Shildt said, “Yu will be involved. To what degree, that will be up to Darvish, and of course A.J. will help shepherd that. But I do feel comfortable and confident that Darvish will take his rightful spot in doing what he can.”
Could Soto’s megadeal help Astros’ Tucker?
In the aftermath of Juan Soto’s massive contract, I’m hearing some evaluators talking about the huge payday ahead for Kyle Tucker, who will be a free agent next offseason. Since the start of 2019: an adjusted OPS+ of 142, .882 OPS, 125 homers, 93 steals in 105 attempts, a Gold Glove Award. He’ll be 29 at the outset of the 2026 season. — Buster Olney
Dodgers planning to play Betts at shortstop
Los Angeles Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes confirmed at the winter meetings what has basically been known for a few weeks now: Mookie Betts is preparing to play shortstop next season, and that’s what they’re planning for. — Alden Gonzalez
Giants a team to watch for Fried
As we move forward in free agency, one possible fit worth watching: Max Fried and the San Francisco Giants. He’s being evaluated by contenders in the Northeast, too, but some execs wonder what his preference will be if it comes down to San Francisco vs. the two New York teams and the Red Sox. — Olney
Cardinals manager Marmol on Arenado trade rumors
St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol was asked about handling offseason trade buzz around his star third baseman Nolan Arenado and other veteran Cardinals players.
“You just continue to operate honestly as if they’re going to be there until they’re not. Those guys are doing a really nice job of that. Speaking to Nolan, he’s in a good spot, man. He’s doing what he does best because he’s working hard to make sure he has a good season.”
Red Sox manager Cora on Bregman
Red Sox manager Alex Cora was asked about free agent Alex Bregman, whom he coached during his time in Houston, at his winter meetings manager availability:
“Alex is a good player, man. He’s a complete player. He’s a player that’s been on winning teams, right, his whole career. Good defender. Offensively, he’s really good. He’s a guy that a lot of people are talking about, and I do believe he can impact a big league team, a championship-caliber team. He’s that type of player.”
Angels looking to add infield help
Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian — among the busiest executives this offseason, having already added Jorge Soler, Yusei Kikuchi and Travis d’Arnaud, among others — said Monday that he remains open-minded on a multitude of options to make his team significantly better in the wake of a 99-loss season. If there’s one clear target outside of the bullpen, though, it’s probably in the infield, specifically a second or third baseman.
The Angels feel set at shortstop (Zach Neto) and first base (Nolan Schanuel). They also have Luis Rengifo, an option at either second or third base. And then, of course, there’s Anthony Rendon, who’s still owed $76 million over the next two years but missed close to 70% of the Angels’ games from 2021 to 2024. The Angels can’t really count on Rendon at this point. They’ll explore free agency and the trade market for help there — likely on a short-term option, with Christian Moore, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft, not far removed from the big leagues.
“We have to be open to at least looking at that spot and seeing if there are other alternatives that will make us better,” Minasian said of adding a third baseman. “Obviously a healthy Anthony Rendon makes us better, but with the last four years being the last four years, we need to take a look at what else is out there.” — Gonzalez
Cubs in the market for a closer
After an awful year trying to finish off games, the Chicago Cubs have expressed interest in free agent closer Kyle Finnegan. Finnegan was a surprise non-tender after making the All-Star team with the Washington Nationals in 2024. He saved a career-high 38 games with a 3.68 ERA before entering the free agent market. The Cubs have already bolstered their pitching and catching depth, acquiring catchers Matt Thaiss and Carson Kelly while adding pitchers Eli Morgan and Matthew Boyd. — Jesse Rogers
Will Teoscar Hernandez return to the Dodgers?
The Dodgers’ acquisition of Michael Conforto, who agreed to terms on a one-year, $17 million deal on Sunday night, doesn’t take them out of the running for Teoscar Hernandez, sources said. But it could complicate matters. The Dodgers have been in conversations with Hernandez’s reps for weeks but have been unable to bridge the gap on a new deal, at least part of the reason they pivoted to more of a sure thing in Conforto. In some ways, that signing can be viewed in a vacuum; the Dodgers needed a left-handed-hitting outfielder and could still use an everyday, right-handed bat like Hernandez, a clubhouse favorite amid their World Series run. But the Red Sox and Yankees are both expected to be aggressive after Hernandez now that they have missed out on Juan Soto. A Hernandez/Dodgers reunion that not long ago seemed inevitable is no longer as much of a sure thing. — Gonzalez
Who will land Jonathan Loáisiga?
Right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga is drawing heavy interest from several teams, including the New York Mets, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Blue Jays, a source told ESPN. The 30-year-old reliever is expected to land a big league contract after undergoing surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in April. Injuries have held Loáisiga to 20 appearances over the past two seasons, including three in 2024 before undergoing the elbow procedure, but his electric stuff, headlined by a 98 mph sinker, makes him an attractive bullpen weapon for clubs expecting to contend. — Jorge Castillo
Buehler drawing interest
Walker Buehler is drawing varying amounts of interest from about 10 teams. The end to his postseason opened some eyes after he threw 10 scoreless innings split between the NLCS and World Series — including the final inning of the 2024 Fall Classic to close out the New York Yankees in Game 5. A deal for Buehler could look like a shorter-term bet on himself after he returned from his second Tommy John surgery in 2024 though some teams still see him as the guy who finished fourth in Cy Young voting as recently as 2021. That could mean a long-term deal of 3-4 years is still in the cards as he puts his injuries in the rearview mirror. — Rogers
Estevez a name to watch
Closer Carlos Estevez‘s market is heating up as the veteran reliever could come off the board by the end of the meetings. Now that the Yankees have cleared up some money, Estevez is a fit in New York, especially after the team lost Clay Holmes via free agency to the Mets. Toronto and Philadelphia — the latter is where he ended the season — remain possible destinations as well. — Rogers
Winter meetings predictions
Now that Soto is off the board, who will be the biggest name to sign (or get traded) in Dallas?
Castillo: Corbin Burnes will sign with one of the teams that missed out on Soto — but while he’s arguably the best player left in free agency, is he a bigger name than Alex Bregman, who also could sign in a flurry of moves this week? I say no. So, Bregman is my answer.
Gonzalez: Max Fried. The Yankees and Red Sox have been heavy on him for weeks now, and their pursuits aren’t necessarily tied to signing Soto. Now that the Dodgers, fresh off guaranteeing $182 million to Blake Snell, aren’t necessarily a factor, the path is cleared for one of those two teams to close things up with Fried.
Rogers: Soto signing with the Mets will trigger Cody Bellinger getting dealt. Teams that lost out on the best lefty hitter available this offseason will turn their attention to the Cubs, who have signaled they are open to trading the former National League MVP. The Cubs are keeping close track of their spending these days and will want to move some salary in order to fulfill their needs for the rest of the winter.
What is one move fans might not be expecting that you predict will go down this week?
Castillo: Garrett Crochet will get traded to the Yankees or Red Sox.
Gonzalez: My prediction — and that’s all it is at this point — is that Alec Bohm goes to the Mariners. Jerry Dipoto and Dave Dombrowski are two of the industry’s most aggressive executives, and this pairing makes too much sense.
Rogers: Christian Walker will sign with the Yankees after New York missed out on Soto.
What is the one rumor that will dominate the week?
Castillo: It’s not just one rumor, but the musical chairs played between the available front-line starters and the clubs seeking front-line pitching will dominate the week.
Gonzalez: The winter meetings are the perfect environment to stoke intrigue, and one name I expect to be bandied about in Dallas, whether he’s truly available or not, is Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who’s still without an extension that would keep him in Toronto beyond 2025.
Rogers: Corbin Burnes will be linked to a bunch of the big-market teams with San Francisco at the top of the heap. Will the Giants give him a Stephen Strasburg type deal? President of baseball operations Buster Posey has already spent big this offseason. Why stop now?
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David Hale
During the long, dark months between the end of one season and the beginning of another, we tell each other stories, because we need something to fill the void. We dress those stories up, calling them things like “way too early” rankings, preseason predictions or scalding hot takes, and we sustain them with statistics, data and historical perspective. But ultimately, they are at best educated guesses and, at worst, outright lies.
Then Week 1 comes along and college football delivers us a heaping dose of the truth, exposing our deceptions to the world like the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert.
On Saturday, college football’s truth still seemed hard to believe.
We’ve spent months burnishing the image of our next Heisman Trophy winner, Arch Manning. Only, in Week 1, Manning’s offense was overwhelmed by the defending champs, as Ohio State dumped Texas 14-7.
We’ve spent the summer laughing incredulously at Florida State ‘s Tommy Castellanos, seemingly the only player foolish enough to poke the bear by taunting Alabama when, in fact, he was a fortune-teller. Nick Saban couldn’t bail out the Crimson Tide on Saturday, and the Seminoles, buried after a 2-10 season a year ago, toppled Bama in convincing fashion 31-17.
We’ve heard all offseason Clemson was the class of the ACC, a nearly perfect team built around loads of returning talent that, after Dabo Swinney lost a bet with Tom Allen on who’d win the three-legged race at the team’s annual team picnic, even added players from the transfer portal. On Saturday, however, Clemson’s offense looked woefully similar to those stagnant offenses of years past. LSU‘s defensive front steamrollered its way to a 17-10 win in what used to be Clemson’s Death Valley, which must now be referred to as Critical-but-Stable Condition Valley due to the stakes of this matchup between two teams with the same nicknames for their stadiums.
Yes, Saturday’s results revealed that all our offseason narratives were no different than the description on a John Mateer Venmo transaction — dangerous, hilarious and completely made up.
In Columbus, the preseason No. 1 Longhorns couldn’t crack the scoreboard for the first 56 minutes of action. This was to be Manning’s coming-out party after two years in waiting behind Quinn Ewers; instead, the day belonged to new Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, a man hired only so Ryan Day wouldn’t have the weirdest-looking beard on staff. Patricia’s defense had an answer for everything Texas threw at it, holding Manning to just 17-of-30 passing, picking off a critical third-quarter pass to set up the decisive touchdown and stuffing the Horns on fourth down four times — including twice inside the 10-yard line.
It’s not that Ohio State’s offense wowed. A unit that proved deadly in last year’s College Football Playoff en route to a national championship mustered just 203 total yards — the Buckeyes’ worst regular-season output since 2015. But new quarterback Julian Sayin avoided any catastrophic mistakes and delivered a 40-yard dagger to Carnell Tate in the fourth quarter despite no one even knowing who his uncles are. If it wasn’t an emphatic endorsement for the 2025 version of Ohio State, it was a reminder the Buckeyes will not be swept aside without a fight.
In Tallahassee, Kalen DeBoer took another huge step toward having the word “tarmac” appear on his Wikipedia page. Since toppling Georgia last September and climbing to No. 1 in the AP poll, the Tide are just 5-5 overall, and Saturday’s loss to Florida State — a team that finished 2-10 a year ago — marks a new nadir.
In the aftermath, DeBoer was left scrambling for answers, saying, “There’s no excuse about what happened. We’ve got to play our style of ball. Last year isn’t this year. You’ve got to focus on the moment …” and there’s a long run past midfield by Castellanos.
Castellanos had promised a win, saying in June he saw no way Alabama could stop him. Lo and behold, he was right. The signal-caller who was benched at Boston College just a year ago ran all over an Alabama defense that seemed utterly flustered at times, despite FSU’s game plan including just nine completions.
Fewest completions in a win over Alabama since 2008:
FSU – 9, today
Okla – 9, Wk13, 2024
LSU – 10, Wk10, 2011
Mich – 11, bowl, 2024
Aub – 11, Wk14, 2013
Aub – 13, Wk14, 2010So, 3 all-time Saban classics (Cam, 9-6, Kick 6) and 3 of DeBoer’s 14 games as Bama HC.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) August 30, 2025
But it was FSU coach Mike Norvell who delivered his own truth in the fourth quarter. After a year in which he aged on the sideline the way a president does over two terms, Norvell promised he wouldn’t let this team roll over in the face of adversity. After Alabama charged back to within one score, FSU faced a fourth-and-1 at its own 36, and Norvell decided to go for it. It was a decision that would have been lambasted if it had failed and the Tide tied the game, but Alabama transfer Roydell Williams plunged ahead for 4 yards, FSU capped the drive with a touchdown, and Norvell’s message to his team couldn’t have been more clear. This year is different.
Things are different at LSU, too. While so much of the college football world had grown to love Brian Kelly’s annual Week 1 postgame press conferences in which he’d raise a podium over his head while decrying his lack of a ground game and yelling “Hunk smash!” this year’s Bayou Bengals actually played hard from start to finish and finally snagged a season-opening win.
In what was billed as a showdown between arguably the two best QBs in college football, it was the LSU defense that stole the show, tormenting Cade Klubnik throughout and holding Clemson to 31 rushing yards. Clemson’s last 19 plays were all passes, and Klubnik was under pressure on nearly all of them. Swinney may insist on bringing his own guts, but he keeps leaving his rushing attack at home.
So here we are, still not quite through with the opening scenes of the 2025 season, and we’ve already upended the Heisman race, slayed a giant and left Kelly with a smile on his face. What were the odds?
Of course, that’s the point, right? After an offseason in which conference commissioners tried to codify their own stories in the form of scheduling metrics, guaranteed playoff bids and TV revenue splits, a real Saturday of games is the respite from the narratives, a reminder that the games remain blissfully unpredictable.
After all, to paraphrase Lester Bangs from “Almost Famous,” the only true currency in this bankrupt world of college sports is the jokes you share with someone else when watching Alabama lose as a 14-point favorite again.
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Trends | Under the radar | Heisman five
Notes from the road | Best of Texas-Ohio State
Week 1 vibe check
Each week, major upsets, emphatic wins and stellar performances grab the headlines around the college football ecosystem, but there are also many smaller storylines that matter just as much. We try to capture those here.
Trending up: Trendy fashion choices
Georgia Tech upended Colorado on Friday 27-20, but the real buzz was all about the attire of return man Eric Rivers, who took the field dressed as though he was the lead singer of Talking Heads during the “Stop Making Sense” tour or had just been selected sixth overall in the 1999 NBA draft.
Pierrot, by Jean-Antoine Watteau, 1718-19 pic.twitter.com/dHRfgGYzPP
— ArtButMakeItSports (@ArtButSports) August 30, 2025
If the Yellow Jackets have any sense of humor at all, Rivers should line up for his first scrimmage play next week rocking a pair of parachute pants.
Trending down: Bad fashion choices
To honor the city of New Orleans on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Tulane had hoped to don its 2005 uniforms for its game against Northwestern on Saturday. The Wildcats denied the request, which led to a 23-3 whooping by the Green Wave and some spicy comments from Tulane coach Jon Sumrall afterward.
“When you disrespect the city of New Orleans, you’re going to run into it,” Sumrall said. “I’m not trying to be a jerk, but don’t disrespect the city of New Orleans.”
In contrast, after Florida State’s QB disrespected the city of Tuscaloosa this offseason, Alabama responded by writing a sternly worded letter to its commissioner insisting that, instead of a nine-game slate, the SEC move to a 12 conference games so this can’t happen in the future.
Trending up: In-game ad revenue
Deion Sanders delivered on his promise to have a portable toilet on the sideline for Colorado’s game against Georgia Tech, and he even got it sponsored by Depend.
Deion Sanders indeed has a portable toilet next to Colorado’s bench, to accommodate him following bladder reconstruction surgery.
And it’s sponsored. pic.twitter.com/GegvViVJQC
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) August 29, 2025
While we’re certainly glad to see Sanders is feeling better, the Buffs’ loss makes this sponsorship feel as though it’s one of the worst on-field marketing disasters since Red Lobster sponsored Les Miles’ ill-fated sideline seafood tower during the 2015 Texas Bowl.
Trending down: The middle seat from ATL to SYR
Tennessee‘s offense certainly didn’t look any worse off after waving goodbye to Nico Iamaleava. Transfer Joey Aguilar threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-26 win over Syracuse.
This, of course, was bad news for whichever member of the Orange had to sit next to Syracuse coach Fran Brown on the flight home, as Brown famously refuses to shower after a loss. Luckily, for just an additional $29.95, Spirit Airlines will furnish the team with one of those “new car smell” air fresheners to hang above Brown’s seat.
Trending up: Short road trips
UConn packed the house at Rentschler Field with its largest crowd since 2013.
A total of 37,594 in attendance today at The Rent!
The largest crowd since 2013 🫡 pic.twitter.com/FTGYFP1Spa
— UConn Huskies (@UConnHuskies) August 30, 2025
This could certainly be in response to fans getting excited after last year’s 9-4 campaign. Or it could be that the opponent, Central Connecticut State, drove up attendance. CCSU is actually closer to Rentschler Field (12 miles) than is UConn (24 miles).
Trending down: The Group of 5
On Thursday, the Group of 5’s playoff picture was upended when No. 25 Boise State — the lone ranked team outside the Power 4 — was stomped by USF Bulls 34-7. Then on Friday, the defending American champion, Army, fell in embarrassing fashion to FCS Tarleton State.
This could leave the door wide open for a surprise team from the Group of 5 to make a playoff run, but unfortunately Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti already called dibs on the spot and invoked the “no take backs” clause of his proposed playoff plan, so … congratulations Maryland. You’re in now.
Trending up: Upstaging celebrities
Much was made of the engagement of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift earlier this week, but the Kansas City Chiefs tight end didn’t manage the most romantic proposal of Week 1. That honor goes to this guy, who popped the question in the only truly romantic way possible: with mayonnaise.
LOVE HAPPENS IN MAYO LAND 💍 pic.twitter.com/WBLqschvhb
— Duke’s Mayo Classic (@DukesMayoBowl) August 30, 2025
We assume the wedding will be officiated by an anthropomorphic Pop-Tart, they’ll exit the reception by riding on the back of the Wake Forest Demon Deacon’s motorcycle, and they’ll honeymoon at the Bahamas Bowl which, this season, is probably being played in Little Rock, Arkansas for some reason.
Trending up: Lincoln Riley’s job security
USC thumped Missouri State 73-13, racking up nearly 600 yards of total offense and rushing for six touchdowns.
Riley would like to remind everyone that even if they get shut out against Georgia Southern next week, he would still be averaging 36.5 points per game, and that’s pretty good.
Trending down: Life expectancy for K-State fans
One week after seeing their team fall to rival Iowa State in the verdant hills of Ireland, Kansas State fans nearly suffered an even bigger indignity at the hands of a school mostly surrounded by cornfields, as North Dakota took a 35-31 lead into the final minute of the game.
Avery Johnson rode to the rescue this time, however, engineering a 10-play touchdown drive capped by a 6-yard completion to Joe Jackson to escape with a 38-35 win. Johnson threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns in the game and is now listed as the emergency contact on 86% of Kansas residents’ medical forms.
Trending up: The First State
Delaware toppled Delaware State 35-17 on Thursday, the Blue Hens’ first game as an FBS member.
With fellow newcomer Missouri State getting blown out by USC, that means that Delaware alone has the best winning percentage in FBS history (minimum one game). It’s the most exciting thing to happen in to the state since the new Hot Topic opened at the Concord Mall.
Under-the-radar game of the week
Entering Saturday’s action, Kent State had lost 21 straight games. The program was in shambles, and its last head coach, Kenni Burns, had been fired and (possibly) replaced by an AI program developed by some MIT dropouts who thought they were playing Minesweeper and accidentally coded a football algorithm.
And yet, the football gods smiled upon the Golden Flashes in Week 1, delivering a win in truly epic style.
Trailing 17-14 to Merrimack, a school that exists only in a child’s imagination, a player named — this is true — Da’Realyst Clark ran back a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, putting Kent State up 21-17 with 5:28 to play.
1:17
Merrimack Warriors vs. Kent State Golden Flashes: Full Highlights
Merrimack Warriors vs. Kent State Golden Flashes: Full Highlights
Sure, Kent State has Texas Tech, Florida State and Oklahoma — all on the road — in its next four games, but that’s of little importance today because, for the first time in nearly two full calendar years, the Golden Flashes are victorious. Turns out, that AI that thinks the Greek god of wisdom is Toyotathon knows a little something about football after all.
Under-the-radar play of the week
During pregame celebrations in Eugene on Saturday, the famed Oregon Duck took a nasty spill and lost his duck head, exposing the human underneath. While that was good for a laugh, the mascot’s reaction was truly impressive, as he sprinted a solid 25 yards at full speed wearing feet made out of felt, all while (we assume) screaming, “Look away! Look away! I’m hideous!” before returning to his secluded lair beneath an opera house.
0:16
Oregon Duck loses his head and scampers off
Oregon Duck loses his head and scampers off
Heisman five
On one hand, Arch Manning saw his Heisman odds tumble after struggling in a 14-7 loss to Ohio State. On the other hand, at least he’s unlikely to have the Heisman stolen from him by Charles Woodson now, so he has got that going for him. Which is nice.
1. Oklahoma QB John Mateer
The Washington State transfer completed 30 of 37 passes for 392 yards and accounted for four touchdowns in a 35-3 win over Illinois State, a performance so impressive his friend sent him $50 bucks with the note: “Definitely not because of sports gambling.”
2. Florida State QB Tommy Castellanos
Some would call it ego. Some would call it cockiness. Castellanos would call his offseason commentary facts. After talking smack on Alabama in June, Castellanos backed it up with 230 total yards and a touchdown to take down the Tide 34-17. Given that head coach Mike Norvell is superstitious, we recommend Castellanos keep this up by insisting the Noles will hang 300 on East Texas A&M next week.
3. Georgia QB Gunner Stockton
Stockton threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more in a 45-7 win over Marshall on Saturday, then we assume he drove his F-150 over to the Burger King parking lot, sat in the back and listened to John Mellencamp cassettes while wearing a denim jacket and promising he’ll never waste his life working in the factory like his old man.
4. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier
After throwing for 230 yards and a touchdown in a win over Clemson, Nussmeier now looks like the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL draft. His dad, Doug Nussmeier, just so happens to be the offensive coordinator of the Saints, and he was in attendance for Saturday’s win. After the game, the younger Nussmeier responded to his dad’s enthusiasm that he could be drafted by the Saints by saying, “Oh, wow, yeah. That sounds great, but really, it’s OK. You don’t need to go to all that trouble. Really. I’m sure there are lots of other quarterbacks who need a good home and, honestly, just focus on them. I’ll go to the Rams. It’s fine. That’ll be fine.”
5. Iowa State QB Rocco Becht
One week after upending Kansas State in Ireland, Becht delivered the Cyclones a dominant victory over FCS power South Dakota, throwing for 278 yards and three touchdowns in a 55-7 win. By federal law, South Dakota now needs to add Becht’s image to Mt. Rushmore in place of Thomas Jefferson.
Notes from the road
How FSU pulled the upset
Florida State coach Mike Norvell talked for months about wanting his team to play with an edge, with desperation, with heart — three key intangibles missing last year during a miserable 2-10 season.
The college football world saw all of that on display in a 31-17 win over Alabama. But perhaps most jaw-dropping was the physical way in which the Seminoles dominated the Crimson Tide up front. After allowing an opening 75-yard drive, the Florida State defense clamped down from there — and allowed just 3 yards per rush for the game.
The revamped offensive line, with four veteran transfers, dominated in its own right — not only opening up holes, but pushing defenders backward at nearly every turn. Florida State rushed for 230 yards, a year after averaging 89.9 yards per game — ranking No. 128 in the country.
“We wanted to be the aggressor, and we were,” Norvell said. “Our players, they rose to the challenge. We talked all year, and I’ve used the buzzwords of edge and desperation. That goes to the heart, and you saw heart tonight. We saw a team that absolutely loves playing this game together and were physically dominant, emotionally together, and they responded. This is a first step, but it’s a big step.”
0:35
Florida State fans storm field after Noles upset Alabama
Florida State fans storm the field after opening the season with a 31-17 win over No. 8 Alabama.
It is a big step because of what happened a year ago. Florida State came off a 13-1 ACC championship season with one of the worst performances in school history. Those outside the program questioned Norvell, questioned the program’s direction. He needed a win like this to remind the general public the Florida State is not what it showed a year ago.
On the flip side is Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, who already went into the season with Crimson Tide fans skeptical about him and the direction of the program after a 9-4 debut that ended with a bowl loss to Michigan.
You will remember DeBoer got the Alabama job over Norvell, and now the pressure is rising as the successor to Saban. Alabama lost a season opener by two touchdowns for the first time since 1970.
“There’s no excuses about what happened,” DeBoer said. “Last year isn’t this year, and it’s going to be an uphill climb for us, but you can’t think of it in the big scope of things. You’ve got to focus on the moment. And the next moment is, ‘What happens tomorrow?’ And we’ll find out. We’ll find out.” — Andrea Adelson
Ohio State’s defense came ready
Ohio State opened its national championship defense with a dominating defensive effort. And for the second straight season against Texas, the Buckeyes produced a game-clinching stop.
Despite eight new defensive starters, the Buckeyes flew around all afternoon and flustered hyped Texas quarterback Arch Manning into a stunningly erratic performance.
The Buckeyes did not surrender a play longer than 15 yards until late in the fourth quarter. They also came up huge in the red zone.
In the first half, the Buckeyes stuffed a Manning quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Then in the fourth quarter, cornerback Davison Igbinosun swatted away a Manning fourth-down pass to the corner of the end zone.
“Every time you get a fourth-down stop, it’s like a turnover,” Day said after the game.
After a Texas touchdown with 3:28 to play, the Longhorns got the ball back again with a chance to tie.
But just like last season — when Jack Sawyer’s strip sack and score propelled Ohio State to victory over Texas in the CFP semifinals and to the national championship game — the Buckeyes got the key final stop — as Caleb Downs tackled Jack Endries short of the marker on fourth down.
The Buckeyes’ defensive performance allowed them to ease quarterback Julian Sayin into his first start. Sayin was 13-for-20 for 126 yards and a score in his first start. Unlike Manning, however, Sayin avoided turnovers.
“We were fairly conservative [offensively] because we felt like our defense was playing well,” Day said. — Jake Trotter
Best moments from Texas-Ohio State
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — New quarterback Tommy Castellanos led a punishing rushing attack for Florida State with 78 yards and a touchdown as the Seminoles stunned No. 8 Alabama 31-17 on Saturday, ending the Crimson Tide’s streak of 23 straight wins in season openers.
Coming off a 2-10 season, Florida State handed a crushing setback to Alabama, which was viewed as a College Football Playoff contender under second-year coach Kalen DeBoer.
Castellanos, a transfer from Boston College, made headlines over the summer after saying legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban wasn’t there to “save” the Tide vs. Florida State in their Week 1 matchup and that he doesn’t “see them stopping me.” He backed up that jab by spearheading FSU’s dominant ground attack while staying efficient through the air, finishing 9 of 14 passing for 152 yards.
Students and fans swarmed the field at Doak Campbell Stadium to celebrate the upset by the Seminoles, who closed as 13 1/2-point underdogs at ESPN BET.
Under new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn — who spent eight seasons as Auburn’s head coach — Florida State was physical from the start, finishing with 230 rushing yards and averaging 4.7 yards per carry. The Seminoles averaged just 89.9 yards during their disastrous 2024 season.
The Crimson Tide had not dropped a season opener since losing 20-17 to UCLA in 2001 under Dennis Franchione, and this defeat will ratchet up the pressure on DeBoer from the demanding Tuscaloosa faithful. His predecessor, Nick Saban, led Alabama to six national titles.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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