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In a week that brought much chaos, with five Top 25 programs losing to unranked teams, it’s time to realize that our College Football Playoff 12-team field will include teams with one, two, maybe even three losses this season. If a team with multiple losses can win its conference, it’s still in the CFP race.

Indiana is having its best start to the season, holding a 6-0 record for the first time in 57 years under first-year coach Curt Cignetti. As it becomes the first team to become bowl-eligible, what are the Hoosiers doing right this season?

The Big 12 has proved to be the conference most up in the air at the moment. With five teams still undefeated in conference play, no program stands out as the favorite to take the Big 12 title and CFP first-round bye.

Our college football experts break down key takeaways from what was an unforgettable Week 6.

Get ready for two-loss CFP contenders

Everyone in and around college football has to retrain their brains to accept losses in the era of the 12-team College Football Playoff. Blueblood programs USC and Michigan already have two losses (including USC’s loss to Michigan), but in the new, expanded format, there are going to be two-loss teams included in the field on Selection Day. Maybe even a three-loss team.

(The selection committee has never ranked a four-loss team in its top 12.)

So while some teams have bad losses (Alabama and Notre Dame), and others have multiple losses (hey, Tulane!) any team that can still win its conference is technically still in the race. What hasn’t changed in the committee meeting room, though, is the standard. Even teams with multiple losses need statement wins and have to look like a team capable of winning the national title. — Heather Dinich


Cignetti, Indiana a model for programs seeking turnarounds

Indiana‘s first 6-0 start since 1967, under a first-year coach in Curt Cignetti, carries a natural element of shock. The Hoosiers simply don’t do this, regardless of who is leading their program. But what stood out to me in watching Indiana become the nation’s first — and, amazingly, only — bowl-eligible team is how unfazed the team looks. Indiana is exceptionally well-coached by Cignetti and his staff. The offense is undeniably legitimate, from quarterback Kurtis Rourke to wide receiver Elijah Sarratt to a barrage of backs to an offensive line that doesn’t get nearly enough credit. Indiana is a machine right now, built by Cignetti, through mostly veteran transfers who understand their roles, the schemes and don’t flinch.

Programs that are trying to flip their fortunes in the transfer portal/NIL era should model themselves after Indiana, which found a veteran, proven coach in Cignetti and armed him with the resources to completely change the roster in one offseason. Indiana might not be a true CFP contender — its second-half schedule includes Ohio State, Nebraska, Washington and Michigan — but the team is not a fluke and is likely the envy of many. — Adam Rittenberg


The O has left Oklahoma State

With 10 returning starters on an offense that produced the Doak Walker Award winner last year, the Cowboys entered this season with hopes of contending for a spot in the playoff.

Instead, Oklahoma State’s offense has inexplicably collapsed during a three-game losing streak.

Ollie Gordon II led the nation with 1,732 rushing yards last year, as the Pokes advanced to the Big 12 title game. This season, he ranks 209th, averaging just 3.8 yards on his 101 carries. The offensive line has been incapable of opening up running lanes for Gordon, while a dreadful passing attack behind seventh-year quarterback Alan Bowman has failed to capitalize on loaded boxes.

Mike Gundy has a bye week to shake things up and try to salvage the season. Otherwise, Oklahoma State could finish with its first losing record since Gundy’s first season as head coach 19 years ago. — Jake Trotter


Good luck making Big 12 predictions

Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham has coached in only two Big 12 games, but he has seen enough to arrive at perhaps the best description yet for his new conference.

“It’s the ultimate league of, ‘Did you see that score?'” Dillingham said recently.

If you want to appreciate the unpredictable nature of this new 16-team edition of the Big 12, just check the conference standings. There are five teams that have yet to lose a conference game. Those teams were picked to finish 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th in the league’s preseason media poll.

Iowa State and BYU are still undefeated and among the biggest beneficiaries of all the Saturday chaos at the top of the polls, rising to No. 11 and No. 14 respectively in the new AP Top 25. Texas Tech is off to a 3-0 start in conference play after a late-night road win at Arizona. West Virginia started the year 1-2, but just dominated Oklahoma State in Stillwater. And Dillingham’s Sun Devils pulled off one of the best wins of his tenure, a last-minute comeback to defeat Kansas.

The struggles of the Jayhawks (1-5) and Cowboys (3-3) have been genuinely surprising given all the talent they returned for 2024, and TCU (3-3) is heading in the wrong direction. But that’s the nature of this conference: Evenly matched teams, close games and upsets aplenty.

As we approach the midpoint of the first Big 12 season without Texas and Oklahoma, you can’t point to one program and confidently say it’s going to run the league going forward. Seven weeks in, it sure seems like anybody can make it to Arlington and grab the CFP bid. — Max Olson


Not too early to start thinking about Aggies-Longhorns

Picture it: One-loss Texas A&M hosting a top-five Texas team at Kyle Field on the final weekend of the regular season, resuming a 130-year-old rivalry on Nov. 30 with College Football Playoff stakes attached.

We’ve still got a long way to go. But there could be a classic brewing when the Aggies and Longhorns meet for the first time since 2011 in Week 14.

Texas A&M pulled itself back into the playoff conversation with its 41-10 beatdown of Missouri on Saturday, the Aggies’ largest margin of victory over a top-10 team in program history. Texas A&M led 17-0 after three possessions and outgained the Tigers 510 to 254. Quarterback Conner Weigman returned from injury to go 18-of-22 for 276 yards. And the Aggies defense, powered by Purdue transfer Nic Scourton, tallied six sacks and eight tackles for loss, looking very much like a CFP-caliber unit in Year 1 under Mike Elko.

Texas, meanwhile, spent its bye week at No. 2 in the AP Top 25. Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers looks set to return in Week 7 against Oklahoma. Texas ranks third in total defense through six weeks with a résumé win over Michigan already under its belt.

Texas A&M has its work cut out for it between now and Nov. 30, hosting LSU on Oct. 26 before trips to South Carolina (Nov. 2) and Auburn (Nov. 23). Texas still has to get through Oklahoma next Saturday and a visit from the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs on the following weekend, too.

But the end-of-season meeting between Texas A&M and Texas that already has plenty of energy behind it could be even juicier by the time Week 14 rolls around. — Eli Lederman

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It’s MLB Home Run Derby Day! Predictions, live updates and takeaways

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It's MLB Home Run Derby Day! Predictions, live updates and takeaways

It’s 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby day in Atlanta!

Some of the most dynamic home run hitters in baseball will be taking aim at the Truist Park stands on Monday (8 p.m. ET on ESPN) in one of the most anticipated events of the summer.

While the prospect of a back-to-back champion is out of the picture — 2024 winner Teoscar Hernandez is not a part of this year’s field — a number of exciting stars will be taking the field, including Atlanta’s own Matt Olson, who replaced Ronald Acuna Jr. just three days before the event. Will Olson make a run in front of his home crowd? Will Cal Raleigh show off the power that led to 38 home runs in the first half? Or will one of the younger participants take the title?

We have your one-stop shop for everything Derby related, from predictions to live updates once we get underway to analysis and takeaways at the night’s end.


MLB Home Run Derby field

Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners (38 home runs in 2025)
James Wood, Washington Nationals (24)
Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays (23)
Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (21)
Brent Rooker, Athletics (20)
Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves (17)
Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York Yankees (17)
Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates (16)


Live updates


Who is going to win the Derby and who will be the runner-up?

Jeff Passan: Raleigh. His swing is perfect for the Derby: He leads MLB this season in both pull percentage and fly ball percentage, so it’s not as if he needs to recalibrate it to succeed. He has also become a prolific hitter from the right side this season — 16 home runs in 102 at-bats — and his ability to switch between right- and left-handed pitching offers a potential advantage. No switch-hitter (or catcher for that matter) has won a Home Run Derby. The Big Dumper is primed to be the first, beating Buxton in the finals.

Alden Gonzalez: Cruz. He might be wildly inconsistent at this point in his career, but he is perfect for the Derby — young enough to possess the stamina required for a taxing event that could become exhausting in the Atlanta heat; left-handed, in a ballpark where the ball carries out better to right field; and, most importantly, capable of hitting balls at incomprehensible velocities. Raleigh will put on a good show from both sides of the plate but will come in second.

Buster Olney: Olson. He is effectively pinch-hitting for Acuna, and because he received word in the past 72 hours of his participation, he hasn’t had the practice rounds that the other competitors have been going through. But he’s the only person in this group who has done the Derby before, which means he has experienced the accelerated pace, adrenaline and push of the crowd.

His pitcher, Eddie Perez, knows something about performing in a full stadium in Atlanta. And, as Olson acknowledged in a conversation Sunday, the park generally favors left-handed hitters because of the larger distances that right-handed hitters must cover in left field.

Jesse Rogers: Olson. Home-field advantage will mean something this year as hitting in 90-plus degree heat and humidity will be an extra challenge in Atlanta. Olson understands that and can pace himself accordingly. Plus, he was a late addition. He has got nothing to lose. He’ll outlast the young bucks in the field. And I’m not putting Raleigh any lower than second — his first half screams that he’ll be in the finals against Olson.

Jorge Castillo: Wood. His mammoth power isn’t disputed — he can jack baseballs to all fields. But the slight defect in his power package is that he doesn’t hit the ball in the air nearly as often as a typical slugger. Wood ranks 126th out of 155 qualified hitters across the majors in fly ball percentage. And he still has swatted 24 home runs this season. So, in an event where he’s going to do everything he can to lift baseballs, hitting fly balls won’t be an issue, and Wood is going to show off that gigantic power en route to a victory over Cruz in the finals.


Who will hit the longest home run of the night — and how far?

Passan: Cruz hits the ball harder than anyone in baseball history. He’s the choice here, at 493 feet.

Gonzalez: If you exclude the Coors Field version, there have been just six Statcast-era Derby home runs that have traveled 497-plus feet. They were compiled by two men: Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. James Wood — all 6-foot-7, 234 pounds of him — will become the third.

Olney: James Wood has the easy Stanton- and Judge-type power, and he will clear the Chophouse with the longest homer. Let’s say 497 feet.

Rogers: Hopefully he doesn’t injure himself doing it, but Buxton will break out his massive strength and crush a ball at least 505 feet. I don’t see him advancing far in the event, but for one swing, he’ll own the night.

Castillo: Cruz hits baseballs hard and far. He’ll crush a few bombs, and one will reach an even 500 feet.


Who is the one slugger fans will know much better after the Derby?

Passan: Buxton capped his first half with a cycle on Saturday, and he’ll carry that into the Derby, where he will remind the world why he was baseball’s No. 1 prospect in 2015. Buxton’s talent has never been in question, just his health. And with his body feeling right, he has the opportunity to put on a show fans won’t soon forget.

Olney: Caminero isn’t a big name and wasn’t a high-end prospect like Wood was earlier in his career. Just 3½ years ago, Caminero was dealt to the Rays by the Cleveland Guardians in a relatively minor November trade for pitcher Tobias Myers. But since then, he has refined his ability to cover inside pitches and is blossoming this year into a player with ridiculous power. He won’t win the Derby, but he’ll open some eyes.


What’s the one moment we’ll all be talking about long after this Derby ends?

Gonzalez: The incredible distances and velocities that will be reached, particularly by Wood, Cruz, Caminero, Raleigh and Buxton. The hot, humid weather at Truist Park will only aid the mind-blowing power that will be on display Monday night.

Rogers: The exhaustion on the hitter’s faces, swinging for home run after home run in the heat and humidity of Hot-lanta!

Castillo: Cruz’s 500-foot blast and a bunch of other lasers he hits in the first two rounds before running out of gas in the finals.

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Report: Sternberg to sell Rays for $1.7 billion

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Report: Sternberg to sell Rays for .7 billion

Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg has agreed in principle to a $1.7 billion deal to sell the franchise to a group led by a Florida-based developer Patrick Zalupski, according to a report from The Athletic.

The deal is reportedly expected to be closed as early as September and will keep the franchise in the area, with Zalupski, a homebuilder in Jacksonville, having a strong preference to land in Tampa rather than St. Petersburg.

Sternberg bought the Rays in 2004 for $200 million.

According to Zalupski’s online bio, he is the founder, president and CEO of Dream Finders Homes. The company was founded in December 2008 and closed on 27 homes in Jacksonville the following year. Now, with an expanded footprint to many parts of the United States, Dream Finders has closed on more than 31,100 homes since its founding.

He also is a member of the board of trustees at the University of Florida.

The new ownership group also reportedly includes Bill Cosgrove, the CEO of Union Home Mortgage, and Ken Babby, owner of the Akron RubberDucks and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, both minor-league teams.

A year ago, Sternberg had a deal in place to build a new stadium in the Historic Gas Plant District, a reimagined recreational, retail and residential district in St. Petersburg to replace Tropicana Field.

However, after Hurricane Milton shredded the roof of the stadium last October, forcing the Rays into temporary quarters, Sternberg changed his tune, saying the team would have to bear excess costs that were not in the budget.

“After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” Sternberg said in a statement in March. “A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision.”

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and some other owners began in March to privately push Sternberg to sell the franchise, The Athletic reported.

It is unclear what Zalupski’s group, if it ultimately goes through with the purchase and is approved by MLB owners, will do for a permanent stadium.

The Rays are playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, located at the site of the New York Yankees‘ spring training facility and home of their Single-A Tampa Tarpons.

Field Level Media contributed to this report.

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Ohtani hits leadoff for NL; Raleigh cleanup for AL

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Ohtani hits leadoff for NL; Raleigh cleanup for AL

ATLANTA — Shohei Ohtani will bat leadoff as the designated hitter for the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Truist Park, and the Los Angeles Dodgers star will be followed in the batting order by left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. of the host Atlanta Braves.

Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte will hit third in the batting order announced Monday by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, followed by Los Angeles first baseman Freddie Freeman, San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado, Dodgers catcher Will Smith, Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes will start his second straight All-Star Game, Major League Baseball announced last week. Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal will make his first All-Star start for the American League.

“I think when you’re talking about the game, where it’s at, these two guys … are guys that you can root for, are super talented, are going to be faces of this game for years to come,” Roberts said.

Detroit second baseman Gleyber Torres will lead off for the AL, followed by Tigers left fielder Riley Greene, New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, Tigers center fielder Javy Báez and Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson.

Ohtani led off for the AL in the 2021 All-Star Game, when the two-way sensation also was the AL’s starting pitcher. He hit leadoff in 2022, then was the No. 2 hitter for the AL in 2023 and for the NL last year after leaving the Los Angeles Angels for the Dodgers.

Skenes and Skubal are Nos. 1-2 in average four-seam fastball velocity among those with 1,500 or more pitches this season, Skenes at 98.2 mph and Skubal at 97.6 mph, according to MLB Statcast.

A 23-year-old right-hander, Skenes is 4-8 despite a major league-best 2.01 ERA for the Pirates, who are last in the NL Central. The 2024 NL Rookie of the Year has 131 strikeouts and 30 walks in 131 innings.

Skubal, a 28-year-old left-hander, is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. He is 10-3 with a 2.23 ERA, striking out 153 and walking 16 in 121 innings.

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