There’s nothing quite like the energy, emotion, pageantry and good ol’ fashioned fun that takes place every fall weekend at college football games.

There are time-honored traditions that date back many decades. There are century-old marching bands and pulsating techno hits. There are rampaging animals, covered wagons, antique cars and even storied rocks. There are quaint customs and there are controversies — it wouldn’t be college football without controversy, right?

With another season upon us, we’ve gathered a collection of our college football reporters’ favorite game-day traditions. We were looking for moments fans could count on and look forward to experiencing every time they go to the stadium, so we didn’t include celebrations of a win or rivalry moments that may happen only once every other year or so.

And by no means are we ranking these traditions or labeling these “better” than some that we surely left out. Every school has its own quirks and unique features that are near and dear to that team and its fans. But here’s a sampling of the wild, wacky, wonderful ways that college football strikes a special chord in the sports landscape.

Dramatic entrances

Osceola and Renegade planting the spear, Florida State: Since September 1978, Osceola has led his horse, Renegade, onto the field before kickoff of every Florida State home game and planted a spear at midfield in what has become one of the best-known college football entrances. Bill Durham, an FSU graduate, came up with the idea and got approval from the Seminole Tribe of Florida for the practice to begin. The Durham family continues to provide the Appaloosa horse that is used, and Osceola wears regalia that is authentic to the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Watching Osceola rear Renegade up on his hind legs to plant the flaming spear with 80,000 fans chanting is truly a sight to see. — Andrea Adelson

“Enter Sandman,” Virginia Tech: After installing the first videoboard at Lane Stadium in 2000, Virginia Tech decided it needed a new walkout song too. “Enter Sandman” by Metallica won out over “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sirius.” A few years later, the tradition truly took off after a marching band member started jumping up and down during the song as a way to warm up. Now, the entire stadium jumps as the opening bars begin to play, bursting into raucous approval when the team runs out of the tunnel and onto the field. Multiple times over the years, a seismograph detected notable activity during “Enter Sandman.” And in a full circle moment, Metallica was in concert at Lane Stadium in the spring of 2025 and played its iconic song. To no one’s surprise, seismic activity again was detected. — Adelson

The Smoke, Miami: Believe it or not, the Hurricanes have come out of their tunnel onto the field for all their home games through “the smoke” since the 1950s, when the program was struggling to both win games and draw fan support. According to the university, school transportation director Bob Nalette proposed using fire extinguishers to produce smoke for players to run through as a way to drum up fan interest. In his spare time, Nalette welded a pipe together to billow said fire extinguisher smoke. The entrance took on iconic status in the 1980s as the program rose to prominence. — Adelson

Touch the Banner, Michigan: The Wolverines pride themselves on being the winningest program in college football history, but their famous pregame tradition began with the team off to a 1-5 start in 1962. The M Club, run by former letterwinners from all of Michigan’s athletic teams, asked coach Bump Elliott if letterwinners could welcome the football team before home games. They soon displayed a giant banner that reads “GO BLUE M CLUB SUPPORTS YOU,” which Michigan players and coaches leap to touch as they run out of the tunnel while “The Victors” plays. — Adam Rittenberg

Rubbing Howard’s Rock and running down The Hill; Gathering at the Paw, Clemson: Clemson has two of the most well-known pregame and postgame traditions in college football: Rubbing Howard’s Rock before running down The Hill to enter the stadium, and allowing fans onto the field postgame, win or lose, to meet at the midfield paw. Howard’s Rock, originally from Death Valley, California, was placed at the top of The Hill on the east side of the stadium in 1966. But after former coach Frank Howard told the team before a game against Wake Forest in 1967 they could rub the rock if they gave “110-percent effort,” the tradition of rubbing the rock, then running down the hill, before every game began. Gathering at the Paw also began under Howard in 1942 when Memorial Stadium opened, as a way for fans and players to gather together. — Adelson

Touching tributes

Hawkeye Wave, Iowa: Not every cherished college football tradition goes back decades and decades. In 2017, those inside Kinnick Stadium — fans, players, coaches and officials — began “The Wave,” acknowledging the child patients inside University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, which is just across the street. After the first quarter, everyone turns toward the hospital, where the patients and their families wave from the 12th floor windows. The tradition began after Krista Young suggested the idea on a Hawkeye fan Facebook page. A social media surge followed and The Wave began for the start of the 2017 season — Rittenberg

Spirit of Chucky Mullins, Ole Miss: Nearly 36 years after his death, Chucky Mullins remains an endearing figure at Ole Miss. He was paralyzed in a 1989 game against Vanderbilt while making a hit near the goal line on Commodores fullback Brad Gaines and died less than two years later after suffering a pulmonary embolism. As the Ole Miss team takes the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium before games, each player touches a bust of Mullins that sits midway between the tunnel and the field. On the platform where the bust sits is Mullins’ mantra: “Never quit.” — Chris Low

Mr. Two Bits; “Won’t Back Down,” Florida: The Gators have two traditions that are immediately recognizable. Since 1949, every home game has started with the “Two Bits” cheer, started and popularized by George Edmondson. He would wear a yellow shirt, blue-and-orange striped tie and whistle, and exhort the crowd to chant. “Two Bits. Four Bits. Six Bits. A Dollar. All for the Gators, stand up and holler!” Beginning in 2013, with Edmondson in his 90s, a celebrity “Mr. Two Bits” began to lead the pregame cheers. Then in 2017, a new tradition started after Gainesville native Tom Petty died. At the end of the third quarter, the crowd sings Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” in addition to the longstanding “We are the Boys.” — Adelson

Music that gets you moving

“Jump Around,” Wisconsin: No team has developed a wilder midgame tradition than Wisconsin’s “Jump Around,” the House of Pain song of the same name, played between the third and fourth quarters at Camp Randall Stadium. The song made its Badgers debut at the 1998 homecoming game against Purdue. Ryan Sondrup, an injured tight end for the Badgers who entered the athletics marketing department, was tasked with finding songs that could spark the crowd during games. He came back with “Jump Around,” which has sent Camp Randall shaking ever since. — Rittenberg

JUMP AROUND‼️ pic.twitter.com/7TqyN3OXyY

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 17, 2024

The Bounce House, UCF. After UCF scored its first touchdown at its new on-campus stadium on Sept. 17, 2007 — against Texas, no less — rollicking club hit “Kernkraft 400” by Zombie Nation blared from the speakers. Spontaneously, the crowd started jumping wildly, causing the stadium to vibrate and “bounce.” Thus, the birth of not only a tradition but a stadium nickname. Now the song is played multiple times during games and serves as a way to get everyone fired up, with the crowd chanting along and cheering “U-C-F!” — Adelson

“Sweet Caroline,” Pitt. Back in 2008, former Pitt football player Justin Acierno was working at the school and tasked with improving the student fan experience during games. What would keep them interested? With the help of student organizations and athletic department employees, they came up with a plan: Play Neil Diamond’s 1969 classic “Sweet Caroline” at the end of the third quarter of football games. The plan worked. Acierno made sure some of the lyrics were more Pitt friendly — subbing in “Let’s Go Pitt” during the chorus. The sing-along first happened against Buffalo in Week 2 of the 2008 season, and the rest is history. — Adelson

“Sandstorm,” South Carolina: It’s certainly not unusual to hear the techno instrumental song “Sandstorm” by Finnish DJ Darude at a sporting event, but South Carolina has staked a special claim to it in the world of college football. The connection can be traced to Sept. 24, 2009, when the Gamecocks were hosting No. 4 Ole Miss. With time winding down and South Carolina leading 16-10, and the Rebels facing a key third down, the pulsating beat blasted throughout Williams-Brice Stadium, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. “A rave breaks out in Columbia,” ESPN announcer Chris Fowler said as fans and players jumped and gyrated. The Gamecocks got that stop, “Sandstorm” roared again, Ole Miss failed on fourth down, and the upset — and new tradition — were sealed. Now anywhere South Carolina folks gather, you can expect to hear the anthem, and Darude himself appeared at Willy B to perform it for a game against Kentucky in 2023. — Steve Richards

“Dixieland Delight,” Alabama: The Crimson Tide mark the beginning of the fourth quarter by playing “Dixieland Delight,” by the band Alabama, even though it’s written about a Saturday night in Tennessee. But that’s neither here nor there. It’s a beloved sing-along, the height of the form, but enterprising Tide fans also managed to insert a few of their own lyrics, including a four-letter greeting to their friends over in Auburn. (And LSU, and Tennessee too.) It became such a source of frustration that the university banned the playing of the song in 2014, then agreed to revisit it in 2018 with the #DixielandDelightDoneRight campaign, encouraging fans to say “BEAT” Auburn instead of the other word, with the stadium speakers attempting to drown out the ne’er-do-wells. Good luck with all that. — Dave Wilson

That’s dedication

Midnight Yell, Texas A&M: The Aggies love their traditions, and the SEC move and social media have exposed them to many new audiences, many of whom seem bewildered. But college football is about local customs, and watching a game at Kyle Field is one of the best environments in the sport because of the devotion of A&M fans. To wit, the Aggies routinely draw more fans the night before a game than many schools do on game day to “practice” the yells they’ll perform on game day, a tradition since 1931. — Wilson

Midnight Drummers’ Circle, Notre Dame: At midnight the night before Notre Dame football home games, fans will flock to the school’s Main Building (better known as the Golden Dome) to witness a performance by the drumline of the Band of the Fighting Irish that kicks off the game-day experience. The drummers’ circle is one of multiple Golden Dome concerts by the band during the lead-up to home games — the trumpet section also holds performances outside the Main Building at 4:10 on Fridays, and the whole band performs two hours before kickoff on game day on the Dome’s steps. — J.J. Post

Early mornings at the Tip Top Lounge, Iowa State: Cyclones fans have always showed up, even in the lean years before Matt Campbell built them into a consistent winner. The parking lots are filled with old school buses and rowdy fans, many of them powered from a pre-sunrise visit to a local watering hole known as the Tip Top Lounge. Originally started as a sandwich shop in 1950, it turned into a bar in 1962, and opens at 6 a.m. on game days, fueling fans with chili and Fireball shots, a breakfast of champions in Ames. — Wilson

Card stunts, Cal. Here is a bit of college football trivia. Cal students invented card stunts, the practice of handing out cards to a crowd to create a massive design, for The Big Game against Stanford in 1914. The practice continues today, directed by a rally committee that sets up the stunts and sorts cards to give to students for every home game. The cards drew national attention, and the ire of coach Justin Wilcox, last season during the game against San Diego State, when students kept throwing them onto the field. Officials whistled Cal for two 15-yard penalties as a result. Wilcox then took the mic of the referee and scolded fans, telling them to knock it off. — Adelson

Getting revved up

Ramblin’ Wreck, Georgia Tech. Described on the school’s website as a “one-of-a-kind mechanical mascot,” the 1930 Ford Model A Sport Coupe painted gold and white has led the Georgia Tech football team onto the field before every home game since Sept. 30, 1961. But why? In the 1940s and 1950s at Georgia Tech, it became a sort of “rite of passage” to own a shoddy, beat-up car — or “ramblin’ wreck” — kept alive thanks to the engineering ingenuity of its students. As a tribute to that spirit, the school looked for a pre-World War II Ford to serve as its mechanical mascot and found it in 1960. It took a year for the school to convince the owners to sell it, and the Wreck debuted that season against Rice. — Adelson

Sooner Schooner, Oklahoma: Every Oklahoma score at Owen Field is followed by a victory ride from the Sooner Schooner, a scaled-down version of the covered wagons used by pioneers to settle the land known as Oklahoma in 1889. The Schooner debuted in 1964 and became OU’s official mascot in 1980. Spirit squad members from the RUF/NEKS and RUF/NEK Lil’ Sis drive the Schooner, which is led by ponies appropriately named “Boomer” and “Sooner.” While there have been some notable crashes, its voyage around the field remains an integral part of game days in Norman. — Rittenberg

Vol Navy, Tennessee: It’s the most famous navy in college football. Each fall Saturday when Tennessee plays a home football game, boats of all sizes set sail for Neyland Stadium, which is located on the banks of the Tennessee River. As you wind your way down Neyland Drive en route to the games, the orange Tennessee flags waving from the procession of boats flap in the wind, on both the warmest and coldest of days. The boats, many decked out in orange, dock at marinas on the river’s banks, making for an easy walk to the stadium. Sometimes the parties on the boats are as entertaining as the games themselves, certainly the postgame parties when the Vols win. — Chris Low

Strike up the band

Script Ohio, dotting the i, Ohio State: Ohio State fans are very into their state. Chants of O-H! must be followed by I-O! The “I” in Ohio carries extra meaning, as some Buckeyes fans have shown even after death. Ohio State’s band has its own memorable spin on the state name, spelling out Ohio in script form at home games, and then inviting a senior sousaphone player to high-step and dot the i, before bowing to all four sides of Ohio Stadium. The Ohio State Marching Band, or The Best Damn Band in the Land, began doing script Ohio and dotting the i during the 1938 season, and it remains one of the most electric moments during Buckeyes home games. — Rittenberg

Stanford Band halftime show, Stanford: Very few things are off limits for the Stanford Band, known for its irreverent and sometimes controversial halftime performances. The shift away from a traditional band began in 1963, after its longtime director was dismissed. The band went on strike for the first two games of the football season. The new director leaned into the culture of the era, allowing students to play rock ‘n’ roll songs, “scatter” to get into place as opposed to traditional marching, and script humorous formations that often served as punchlines, social commentary or poked fun at opponents. The Stanford Band has drawn ire and/or been disciplined for, among other things, ridiculing UCLA, Catholicism (Notre Dame), Mormonism (BYU) and the spotted owl (Oregon). — Adelson

The MOB, Rice: The Stanford Band has a kindred spirit in Rice’s MOB (the Marching Owl Band), which is a small but mighty and scrappy group that, like Stanford, uses brainpower to take aim at opponents. In 1973, the MOB mocked two Texas A&M institutions: the Aggie Band’s military style (the MOB goose-stepped in imitation) and beloved mascot Reveille (forming a fire hydrant while playing “Oh Where, Oh Where, Has My Little Dog Gone?”). Band members were cornered in a supply closet by angry Aggies and had to be rescued by a box truck backed up to its doors. In 2007, they were reprimanded by Conference USA for a halftime skit called “Todd Graham’s Inferno,” whereupon band members searched through the circles of hell for the coach who had just left Rice for Tulsa after one successful season. Wherever sacred cows are found, the MOB will look to make ground beef. — Wilson

Marching 100, Florida A&M: When you take a trip to the “highest of seven hills” for a football game, you can expect a spectacular performance by the world-renowned Marching 100. Halftime performances start with their signature “Slow One,” as each band member holds one leg up at a 90-degree angle and slowly switches legs. The 100 then quickens the pace, followed by the band filling the field as the show begins. The band was founded in 1892 by Dr. William P. Foster and has grown to be one of the world’s most recognizable marching bands. From Paris Fashion Week to multiple Super Bowls to two presidential inauguration parades, the 100 has been seen far and wide, but the ultimate experience happens at Bragg Stadium in Tallahassee. — Erika Leflouria

Sonic Boom of the South, Jackson State: As soon as you step foot inside Mississippi Veterans Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi, you can’t help but notice the rumbling from the bass drums, followed by the funky rhythm of The Temptations’ “Get Ready” from the Jackson State marching band to get fans’ pom-poms going. Fans arrive at the stadium ahead of time to witness the Sonic Boom take part in a Zero Quarter battle of the bands against the visiting unit, an HBCU pregame staple. Following the presentation of the colors, the band rocks the stadium with its trademark tune “We Came To Play” by Tower of Power. The Sonic Boom’s halftime performances are the main attraction, however, wowing fans with their signature “Tiger Run-On” and “JSU Rocks the House” fanfare. — Kalan Hooks

Animal planet

Ralphie’s Run, Colorado: Live animal mascots aren’t as common as they used to be in college football, but Colorado’s Ralphie remains an iconic presence before games at Folsom Field. Colorado selected Ralphie as its official mascot in 1966 and the next year, she began running around the field to lead the Buffaloes out of their tunnel. A group of Ralphie handlers make the U-shaped run with the bison, who ends up in a trailer near the visitors locker room. There have been six Ralphies, always female bison, which live on a ranch in an undisclosed location. — Rittenberg

Here Comes Bullet, Oklahoma State: Since 1988, Bullet, a black horse, has galloped onto the field following every Cowboys touchdown, carrying a spirit rider waving an Oklahoma State flag. The first of four horses who’ve since served as Bullet got plenty of work. In 1988, Barry Sanders won the Heisman Trophy while scoring an NCAA-record 44 touchdowns. — Jake Trotter

Flight of the Eagle, Auburn: In a tradition that goes back to the start of the 2000 season, an eagle with a 6½-foot wingspan majestically circles Jordan-Hare Stadium as the fans chant “Warrrrrrrrr” until it lands at midfield, then they finish with “Eagle!” There have been several eagles over the years performing the flight, and right now, there are two sharing the duties. And no, War Eagle is not the Auburn mascot. It’s the school’s battle cry that dates back to a Civil War veteran. — Low

Blaster the Burro, Colorado School of Mines: Since the 1990s, the Orediggers have brought out a live donkey to celebrate after every touchdown by the home team at Marv Kay Stadium. A member of the university’s Blue Key Honor Society will run alongside Blaster the Burro to the 50-yard line to celebrate the team’s score. Spoiler: There are two donkeys that carry the duty of Blaster; Winkie is the runner burro that you’ll see on game days, while Pepsi is the burro used for special university events. — Leflouria

Big fun at smaller schools

The Cannon, Toledo. Before each home game, at the end of each half and after every Toledo score, a Civil War-era model cannon is fired off. The tradition began in 1966, when a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity saw a cannon fired at a Texas game and decided to take the idea to Toledo. According to the school, another member of the fraternity “bartered his cannon for fraternity dues.” That cannon was in use until it was replaced in 2010. To this day, members of Pi Kappa Phi are responsible for operating the cannon during games. — Adelson

Purple Haze, East Carolina: It doesn’t get the pub of some of the other grand entrances in college football, but being there live to see East Carolina’s players racing onto the field at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium through a giant pirate skull amid clouds of purple smoke with Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” blaring on the jumbotron and a video of pirate ships waving ECU skull and crossbones flags and shooting off cannons on the high seas is about as cool as it gets. Jimi Hendrix and college football mixed together? That’s pure nirvana. — Low

Gone (sort of) but not forgotten

Red balloons, Nebraska: Since the 1960s, Husker fans would release red balloons after Nebraska’s first touchdown, turning the Lincoln sky into a sea of red. Due to a helium shortage, the school discontinued the tradition in 2022. But last season, Nebraska brought the balloon release back for its game against Colorado. Going forward, amid criticism for the impact the balloons have on the environment, Nebraska plans to hold the balloon release for select games only. — Trotter

Hand signs for Texas schools: At Texas, they Hook ‘Em with the index and pinky fingers. At Texas A&M, they Gig ‘Em with the thumb. SMU has two fingers up, the V for victory, which later became pony ears. Houston adds a middle finger to Texas’ sign to make a cougar paw — “unofficially, it indicates the students’ attitude toward UT,” Texas Monthly once wrote. At Texas Tech, they extend the thumb and index finger for Guns Up. TCU raises the first two fingers then bends the tips down, allegedly to look like the horns of the Horned Frog. Baylor fans make a bear claw to Sic ‘Em. Of the nine former Southwest Conference schools only Rice and Arkansas didn’t have hand signs. But the one they all had in common was turning Texas’ horns upside down. R.I.P. to the SWC. — Wilson

Playing with food

The State Fair of Texas and a Fletcher’s Corny Dog, Texas-Oklahoma: Texas and Oklahoma fans don’t share much affinity for each other, but they both agree that their annual rivalry game boasts the best setting in college football — the center of the State Fair of Texas. There’s a mutual respect for each other on the Midway that isn’t shared inside the stadium — fans in Baker Mayfield jerseys riding the 212-foot-tall Texas Star Ferris wheel with those in Colt McCoy’s threads. And it’s not game day without a Fletcher’s Corny Dog, who originated the battered and fried hot dog on a stick in 1942 and now sell more than half a million of them each year during the fair’s 24-day run. — Wilson

Tortilla toss, Texas Tech: Nobody seems to know for sure how and when it started, but since at least the late 1980s, Texas Tech students have been throwing tortillas onto the field after the opening kickoff. The university doesn’t endorse this tradition. But that hasn’t stopped the Red Raider faithful from slinging tortillas all around Jones Stadium. — Trotter

‘Greatest show in college sports’

White Out, Penn State: One of the best scenes in college football, for the biggest home night game of the season, is a White Out at Happy Valley. For the past two decades, Penn State fans dress in all white, creating a sea of white — and bedlam — throughout 106,572-seat Beaver Stadium. It’s an intimidating environment for the opposition and one of those experiences in college football that nobody can duplicate. Penn State has dubbed its White Out as the “greatest show in college sports.” This season’s is Sept. 27 against Oregon. — Low

The total package

Saturday night at Tiger Stadium, LSU: Where do you start when it comes to taking in an LSU football game? The tailgating, in particular the scrumptious food (jambalaya, gumbo and shrimp po’boys, all out of this world). And, yes, there are always beverage options available. The wardrobes and Mardi Gras beads are unlike anything else you’ll find in college football, and no trip to LSU is complete without visiting Mike the Tiger in his sprawling digs. And then there’s the Golden Band From Tigerland and those first four notes before breaking full bore into “Hold That Tiger.” It all adds up to college football pageantry at its finest. — Low

A few days ago, we checked in on what to believe and what not to in the National League. Well, the American League is perhaps even more chaotic.

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are in the midst of a crucial four-game series at Yankee Stadium — with the final game on “Sunday Night Baseball” at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Both teams will try to make a statement and inch closer to the Toronto Blue Jays at the top of the division while staying ahead in the wild-card race.

The Blue Jays had been hot — except they just lost a series to the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates. The Houston Astros were recently shut out three games in a row (and four out of five) but kept their slim hold on first place in the AL West because the Seattle Mariners went 2-7 on a recent road trip, including a brutal three-game wipeout in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers might be back on track, and the Kansas City Royals are suddenly surging.

Let’s check on the current states of overreaction in the AL and make some verdicts.

Overreaction: Judge! Bellinger! Stanton! The Yankees are back, baby!

Calm down there, tiger. The Yankees took two of three from Minnesota. They scored 24 runs in sweeping St. Louis, and then they bashed nine home runs in a win over Tampa Bay.

The middle of the order is leading the way. Aaron Judge is back off the injured list. Cody Bellinger has proven to be one of the most unheralded pickups of last offseason, on his way to his most home runs since his MVP season of 2019. The big shocker has been Giancarlo Stanton, though. He missed the first two-plus months of the season because of what was described as a double tennis elbow, as if he had spent the offseason working on his backhand slice, preparing for the French Open. In 46 games since returning in mid-June, he’s hitting .311/.389/..642, producing what is easily his highest OPS since his MVP season of 2017, and has been so hot that the Yankees played him a few games in right field to keep his bat in the lineup (allowing Judge to DH while working on returning to the field) even though Stanton is less mobile than the monuments in center field.

So, it has been a nice stretch after losing records in June and July. But there are still issues. Max Fried, who starts Friday night, is scuffling, with a 6.80 ERA over his past eight starts. He hasn’t had a quality start since June. The back of the bullpen is still sorting out things, as David Bednar has replaced Devin Williams as the closer (and blew the save Wednesday, although the Yankees won in extra innings), but Camilo Doval and Jake Bird, two other trade deadline acquisitions, haven’t made an impact. There could still be a terrific bullpen here, especially if Williams gets straightened out, but let’s hold off on declaring that.

And Judge still hasn’t played the outfield. Though manager Aaron Boone played Stanton in right field at Yankee Stadium, where there is less ground to cover, he hasn’t played Stanton in the field on the road, leaving him as a part-time player for now. Ryan McMahon, the team’s other big deadline move, has been getting on base but has one home run in 22 games with the Yankees.

VERDICT: OVERREACTION. You can make the argument that if everything was clicking for the Yankees, they have the most upside and deepest roster in the AL: a potential ace in Fried, a potential No. 2 in Carlos Rodon, a potential wipeout bullpen, the best hitter in the sport in Judge and power up and down the lineup. They haven’t played that well against the top teams in the AL, however, including a combined 4-13 record against the Red Sox and Blue Jays, and Fried’s current struggles are a big concern. Let’s not put the Yankees in the playoffs yet.

Overreaction: The Red Sox have to win this series against the Yankees

The likeliest scenario in a four-game series between two evenly matched teams is, of course, a split. That would leave the Red Sox where they started the series, one game behind the Yankees and in third place in the AL East, but potentially in a much tighter wild-card picture. Still, after winning their first five games in August, the Red Sox went 3-7 in their past 10 games entering the Yankees series, so that makes this series a little more pressure-packed even for a late-August Red Sox-Yankees showdown.

Most frustrating, the Red Sox lost two games in extra innings in that 3-7 stretch and also lost both games that Garrett Crochet started. He had one bad start against the Houston Astros, lasting four innings in his worst start of the season, and then the bullpen blew a 3-1 lead to the Miami Marlins as Greg Weissert and Steven Matz allowed ninth-inning home runs when Aroldis Chapman was unavailable to close. Chapman had pitched the previous games and had thrown only 14 pitches over the two outings, so it was a dubious decision by manager Alex Cora (Chapman had appeared in three consecutive games earlier in the season).

One key for the Red Sox down the stretch: How much will Cora push his top pitchers? Crochet is already past his innings total of 2024 and hasn’t pitched on four days’ rest since June 18, with rest periods of seven and nine days during that span. Chapman has had a dominant season but has pitched just 48 innings in 53 appearances and has rarely made even back-to-back outings. The Yankees series begins a stretch for Boston of 13 games in 13 days and 19 in 20, so Cora will have to make some decisions with his rotation.

VERDICT: OVERREACTION. Is there urgency to turn things around? Of course. Is this a do-or-die series? No, it’s still too early to make that claim, especially with the Red Sox still in a solid wild-card position (granted, chasing down the Blue Jays remains the ultimate goal). On the other hand, this eight-game road trip to New York and Baltimore looms large, given the Red Sox are just 28-34 on the road– and the Orioles have been playing better of late. A bad road trip could be disastrous. Check back next week.

Overreaction: The Blue Jays — not the Tigers — are now the best team in the AL

The Blue Jays have gone 48-26 since May 28 — the second-best record in the majors behind Milwaukee since that date. They have the highest OPS in the majors since then and only the Brewers are close to them in runs scored (Boston has scored the third-most runs and is 50 runs behind the Blue Jays since May 28). It hasn’t been just Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette either. George Springer and Addison Barger have mashed, Daulton Varsho has had a big August and role players such as Davis Schneider, Joey Loperfido, Ernie Clement and Tyler Heineman have been excellent. Toronto has a sneaky deep lineup.

Oh, and Max Scherzer has suddenly reeled off five straight quality starts.

On the other hand, the Tigers seem back on track after that stretch in July when they lost 11 of 12. They’ve won four series in a row, granted, three of those were against the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox and diminished Minnesota Twins, but they also just swept the Astros, knocking around Framber Valdez in the series finale Wednesday and tossing shutouts in the other two wins. Charlie Morton has helped stabilize the rotation with three excellent starts in his four turns with the Tigers, and the bullpen — with added reinforcements from the trade deadline — has been much better in August after struggling in July. Kerry Carpenter has also been mashing since his return in late July.

VERDICT: OVERREACTION. If you’re buying Scherzer and Eric Lauer as frontline starters and all the surprising offensive performances, then it’s not unreasonable to suggest the Blue Jays are the team to beat. Some of those offensive numbers are skewed by that crazy series at Coors Field when they scored 45 runs in three games, however, and when considering the entire season, the Tigers still have the better run differential (as do the Yankees and Red Sox). The Jays’ bandwagon is gaining momentum, but the AL still feels like one big group of teams that will all finish 92-70.

Overreaction: The Astros can’t hit, and the Mariners can’t pitch

Does anyone want to win the AL West? It doesn’t seem like it (you can even throw in the Texas Rangers, who were tied with the Mariners on July 30 but have gone 6-13 since then in playing a difficult August schedule). The Astros are hitting just .226 in August with a .649 OPS. Carlos Correa has been their best hitter, so it’s hard to criticize that trade, but Jesus Sanchez has hit .150 with one RBI for Houston while rookie Cam Smith has fallen into a slump. Getting back Yordan Alvarez, who just began a rehab assignment, will be a big lift if he’s healthy.

As for the Mariners, they have their top five starters healthy for the first time, but this road trip exposed their secret: Their rotation is vastly overrated. The Mariners are 26th in rotation ERA on the road. Bryan Woo is the only starter of those five with an ERA under 5.00 on the road. Logan Gilbert has a 2.22 ERA at home and 6.00 on the road. Luis Castillo‘s road OPS is nearly 300 points higher than it is at home. They pitch well at home because T-Mobile Park is such a pitcher-friendly park. The Mariners still have two road trips remaining: a nine-game trip to Cleveland, Tampa and Atlanta, and then a six-game trip to Kansas City and Houston.

VERDICT: NOT AN OVERREACTION. Both concerns are legitimate. The Astros’ offense hasn’t been terrible this season, but it rates as middle of the pack, and Correa is replacing the injured Isaac Paredes, so he’s not an upgrade. Seattle’s rotation struggles on the road — and lack of bullpen depth — are perhaps an even bigger concern. The season series is tied 5-5. FanGraphs projects a dead heat for the division title. The teams will meet once more in Houston during the second-to-last weekend of the regular season — and that series might decide the AL West.

Overreaction: The Royals will make the playoffs

As the Red Sox, Astros and Mariners have stumbled over the past 10 games, it opened the door for the Royals, who won five in a row and seven of eight to inch closer in the wild-card race (with Cleveland right there, as well). Bobby Witt Jr. is raking in August, Vinnie Pasquantino has been crushing home runs and, further proof of the unpredictability of the trade deadline, Mike Yastrzemski and Adam Frazier, two seemingly minor pickups, have been outstanding.

The Royals are doing this without Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic, but Noah Cameron continues to pitch well and fellow rookie Ryan Bergert, who came over in the Freddy Fermin trade, has delivered three good starts. Just like last year’s team, the Royals have that spark of optimism rising at the right time.

VERDICT: NOT AN OVERREACTION. We’ll learn more about the Royals with this weekend’s series in Detroit and then the rematch next weekend in Kansas City. Otherwise, however, their schedule is pretty soft the rest of the way, including a season-ending road trip to Anaheim and Sacramento against two teams that will be playing out the string. The vibes are good. The Royals will sneak in as a wild-card team.

Whew. That was some weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers kept winning — until they finally lost. The New York Mets kept losing — until they finally won. The Los Angeles Dodgers made a big statement, the Philadelphia Phillies suffered a crushing injury, and the Chicago Cubs managed to win a series even though their bats remain cold.

What’s going on with these National League contenders? With fan bases in euphoria or despair, let’s make some verdicts on those current states of overreaction.

Overreaction: The Brewers are unquestionably MLB’s best team

“Unquestionably” is a loaded word, especially since we’re writing this right after the Brewers reeled off 14 consecutive victories and won a remarkable 29 of 33 games. They became just the 11th team this century to win at least 14 in a row, and you don’t fluke your way to a 14-game winning streak: Each of the previous 10 teams to win that many in a row made the playoffs, and four won 100 games. Baseball being baseball, however, none won the World Series.

The Brewers were just the sixth team this century to win 29 of 33. Cleveland won 30 of 33 in 2017, riding a 22-game winning streak that began in late August. That team, which finished with 102 wins but lost the wild-card series to the New York Yankees, resembled these Brewers as a small-market, scrappy underdog. The Dodgers in 2017 and 2022 and the A’s in 2001 and 2002 also won 29 of 33. None of these teams won the World Series, either.

For the season, the Brewers have five more wins than the Detroit Tigers while easily leading the majors in run differential at plus-168, with the Cubs a distant second at plus-110. Those figures seem to suggest the Brewers are clearly the best team, with a nice balance of starting pitching (No. 1 in ERA), relief pitching (No. 10 in ERA and No. 8 in win probability added), offense (No. 1 in runs scored), defense (No. 7 in defensive runs saved) and baserunning (No. 2 in stolen bases). None of their position players were All-Stars, but other than shortstop Joey Ortiz the Brewers roll out a lineup that usually features eight average-or-better hitters, with Christian Yelich heating up and Andrew Vaughn on a tear since he joined the club.

On the other hand, via Clay Davenport’s third-order wins and losses, which project a team’s winning percentage based on underlying statistics adjusted for quality of opponents, the Brewers are neck-and-neck with the Cubs, with both teams a few projected wins behind the Yankees. Essentially, the Brewers have scored more runs and allowed fewer than might otherwise be expected based on statistics. Indeed, the Brewers lead the majors with a .288 average with runners in scoring position while holding their opponents to the third-lowest average with runners in scoring position.

Those underlying stats, though, include the first four games of the season, when the Brewers went 0-4 and allowed 47 runs. Several of those relievers who got pounded early on are no longer in the bullpen, and ever since the Brewers sorted out their relief arms, the pen has been outstanding: It’s sixth in ERA and third in lowest OPS allowed since May 1.

Then factor in that the Brewers now have Brandon Woodruff and Jacob Misiorowski in the rotation (although Misiorowski struggled in his last start following a two-week stint on the injured list). The Brewers are also the best baserunning team in the majors, which leads to a few extra runs above expectation.

VERDICT: NOT AN OVERREACTION. The Brewers look like the most well-rounded team in the majors, particularly if Yelich and Vaughn keep providing power in the middle of the order. They have played well against good teams: 6-0 against the Dodgers, 3-0 against the Phillies and Boston Red Sox, 4-2 against the New York Mets and 7-3 against the Cincinnati Reds. They’re 5-4 against the Cubs with four games left in the five-game series. None of this guarantees a World Series, but they’re on pace to win 100 games because they are the best team going right now.

Overreaction: Pete Crow-Armstrong‘s struggles are a big concern

On July 30, PCA went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs in a 10-3 victory for the Cubs over the Brewers. He was hitting .272/.309/.559, playing electrifying defense in center field, and was the leader in the NL MVP race with 5.7 fWAR, more than a win higher than Fernando Tatis Jr. and Shohei Ohtani. The Brewers had started to get hot, but the Cubs, after leading the NL Central most of the season, were just a game behind in the standings.

July 31 was an off day. Then the calendar flipped to August and Crow-Armstrong entered a slump that has featured no dying quails, no gorks, no ground balls with eyes. He’s 8-for-52 in August with no home runs, one RBI and two runs scored. The Cubs, averaging 5.3 runs per game through the end of July, are at just 2.75 runs per game in August and have seen the Brewers build a big lead in the division.

Crow-Armstrong’s slump isn’t necessarily a surprise. Analysts have been predicting regression for some time due to one obvious flaw in PCA’s game: He swings at everything. He has the fifth-highest chase rate among qualified batters, swinging at over 42% of pitches out of the strike zone. It seemed likely that it was only a matter of time before pitchers figured out how to exploit Crow-Armstrong’s aggressiveness.

Doubling down on the regression predictions, PCA has produced strong power numbers despite a below-average hard-hit rate (44th percentile) and average exit velocity (47th percentile). Although raw power isn’t always necessary to produce extra-base power — see Jose Altuve — those metrics were a red flag that PCA might have been overachieving.

VERDICT: NOT AN OVERREACTION. OK, here’s the odd thing: PCA’s chase rate has improved in August to just 28%, but that hasn’t translated to success. His hard-hit rate isn’t much lower than it was the rest of the season (although his average fly ball distance has dropped about 20 feet). His struggles against left-handers are real: After slugging .600 against them in April, he has hit .186 and slugged .390 against them since May 1. He’ll start hitting again at some point, but it’s reasonable to assume he’s not going to hit like he did from April through July.

It’s not all on PCA, however. Kyle Tucker has been just as bad in August (.148, no home runs, one RBI). Michael Busch is hitting .151. Seiya Suzuki has only one home run. Those four had carried the offense, and all are scuffling at once. For the Cubs to rebound, they need this entire group to get back on track. Put it this way: The Cubs have won just three of their past eight series — and those were against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox.

Overreaction: The Mets are doomed and will miss the playoffs

On July 27, the Mets completed a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants to improve to 62-44, holding a 1½-game lead over the Phillies in the NL East. According to FanGraphs, New York’s odds of winning the division stood at 55% and its chances of making the playoffs were nearly 97%. A few days later, the Mets reinforced the bullpen — the club’s biggest weakness — with Ryan Helsley and Tyler Rogers at the trade deadline (after already acquiring Gregory Soto).

It’s never that easy with the Mets though, is it? The San Diego Padres swept them. The Cleveland Guardians swept them. The Brewers swept them. Helsley lost three games and blew a lead in another outing. The rotation has a 6.22 ERA in August. The Mets lost 14 of 16 before finally taking the final two games against the Seattle Mariners this past weekend to temporarily ease the panic level from DEFCON 1 to DEFCON 2. The Phillies have a comfortable lead in the division and the Mets have dropped to the third wild-card position, just one game ahead of the Reds. The team with the highest payroll in the sport is in very real danger of missing the playoffs.

VERDICT: OVERREACTION. The bullpen issues are still a concern given Helsley’s struggles, and Rogers has fanned just one of the 42 batters he has faced since joining the Mets. Still, this team is loaded with talent, as reflected in FanGraphs’ playoffs odds, which gave the Mets an 86% chance of making the postseason entering Monday (with the Reds at 14%). One note, however: The Reds lead the season series 2 games to 1, which gives them the tiebreaker edge if the teams finish with the same record. A three-game set in Cincinnati in early September looms as one of the biggest series the rest of the season. Mets fans have certainly earned the right to brood over the team’s current state of play, but the team remains favored to at least squeak out a wild card.

Overreaction: Zack Wheeler’s absence is a big problem for the Phillies

The Phillies’ ace just went on the IL because of a blood clot near his right shoulder, with no timetable on a potential return. The injury is serious enough that his availability for the rest of the season is in jeopardy. Manager Rob Thomson said the team has enough rotation depth to battle on without Wheeler, but there are some other issues there as well:

• Ranger Suarez has a 5.86 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break.

• Aaron Nola was activated from the IL on Sunday to replace Wheeler for his first MLB start in three months and gave up six runs in 2⅓ innings, raising his season ERA to 6.92.

• Taijuan Walker has a 3.34 ERA but also a 4.73 FIP and probably isn’t someone you would feel comfortable starting in a playoff series.

• Even Jesus Luzardo has been inconsistent all season, with a 4.21 ERA.

Minus Wheeler, that arguably leaves Cristopher Sanchez as the team’s only sure-thing reliable starter at the moment. Though a trip to the playoffs certainly looks secure, all this opens the door for the Mets to make it a race for the division title.

VERDICT: NOT AN OVERREACTION. Making the playoffs is one thing, but it’s also about peaking at the right time, and given the scary nature of Wheeler’s injury, the Phillies might not end up peaking when they need to. Nola certainly can’t be counted on right now and Suarez has suddenly struggled a bit to miss bats. There’s time here for Nola and Suarez to fix things, and the bullpen has been strengthened with the additions of Jhoan Duran and David Robertson, but even with Wheeler, the Phillies are just 22-18 since the beginning of July. Indeed, their ultimate hopes might rest on an offense that has let them down the past two postseasons and hasn’t been great this season aside from Kyle Schwarber. If they don’t score runs, it won’t matter who is on the mound.

Overreaction: The Dodgers just buried the Padres with their three-game sweep

It was a statement series: The Dodgers, battled, bruised and slumping, had fallen a game behind the Padres in the NL West. But they swept the Padres at Dodger Stadium behind stellar outings from Clayton Kershaw and Blake Snell, and a clutch Mookie Betts home run to cap a rally from a 4-0 deficit. Still the kings of the NL West, right?

After all, the Dodgers are finally rolling out that dream rotation: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Snell and Kershaw are all healthy and at full strength for the first time this season. Only Roki Sasaki is missing. Yamamoto has been solid all season, Ohtani ramped up to 80 pitches in his last start, Glasnow has a 2.50 ERA since returning from the IL in July, Snell has reeled off back-to-back scoreless starts, and even Kershaw, while not racking up many strikeouts, has lowered his season ERA to 3.01. That group should carry the Dodgers to their 12th division title in the past 13 seasons.

VERDICT: OVERREACTION. Calm down. One great series does not mean the Dodgers are suddenly fixed or that the Padres will fade away. The Dodgers’ bullpen is still battling injuries, Betts still has a sub-.700 OPS and injuries have forced them to play Alex Freeland, Miguel Rojas and Buddy Kennedy in the infield. Check back after next weekend, when the Padres host the Dodgers for their final regular-season series of 2025.