Kiké Hernández only has one hit in the 2026 MLB playoffs, but it’s the biggest hit of the year for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

With Game 3 of the National League Division Series scoreless in the top of the fourth inning and a runner on first base with nobody out, Hernández crushed a changeup from Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale over the left field wall for a two-run home run, giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. Ultimately, that long ball would be enough for Los Angeles to get a 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves and take a 2-1 series lead.

“He’s a big-time player,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Hernández in his postgame press conference on Tuesday night. “I said it earlier, we needed a little bit of that Kiké dust, and he’s always prepared, and he loves moments like this. He has a way to lock in. He doubled up on a changeup, and he put a good swing on it and made a couple really nice defensive plays, as well.

“It’s just one of those things where having him in a lineup in the postseason just adds that extra sort of urgency and that kind of grit that you need.”

The aforementioned home run was the 12th postseason long ball for Hernández in a Dodgers uniform; Hernández, who has extensive experience at every position but catcher (he has even made 11 appearances on the mound), is in his second stint and 10th overall season with the Dodgers (2015-20 and 2023-present).

Two batters after Hernández went deep, first baseman Freddie Freeman did the same, launching a solo home run to right. On the hill, Los Angeles got seven potent innings from right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who logged 10 strikeouts and gave up just one run and five baserunners (four hits and one walk). Tanner Scott and Edwin Díaz followed with a scoreless inning of relief apiece.

Kiké Hernández Postseason Heroics

The 35-year-old Hernández, who traditionally gets lauded for his defensive play and versatility, has been a postseason hero for the Dodgers. With Los Angeles trailing the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 in the 2025 World Series and trying to extend the series, Hernández turned a game-ending double-play in left field with the tying run in scoring position to force Game 7, which the Dodgers would win in 11 innings.

In 2020, Hernández hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Braves in Game 7 of the NLCS, which the Dodgers went on to win, and he drove in one of the Dodgers’ two runs against the San Diego Padres in Game 5 of the 2024 NLDS on a solo home run.

Meanwhile, Hernández blasted three home runs for the Dodgers in a closeout Game 5 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the 2017 NLCS and hit five home runs across 11 postseason games for the Boston Red Sox in 2021.

Kiké Hernández 2026 Campaign

Hernández, who started at third base for the Dodgers in Game 3 and later moved to left field, was limited to 41 games in the 2026 regular season due to elbow and oblique injuries, respectively.

In all, the Dodgers have scored just 10 runs in the NLDS, but they’ve held the Braves to seven runs. The Dodgers have the chance to advance to the NL Championship Series in Game 4 on Wednesday afternoon (6 p.m. ET on FS1). Atlanta will send Tyler Mahle to the hill, while Los Angeles counters with Tyler Glasnow.

Should the Dodgers advance, they’d play the winner of the NLDS matchup between the Milwaukee Brewers and Padres, who staved off elimination with a Game 3 win on Tuesday night, in the NLCS.

MLB Related Stories

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Odell Beckham Jr. has found a new home.

The Minnesota Vikings have signed the 33-year-old wide receiver and three-time Pro Bowler to their practice squad, the team announced on Wednesday morning.

Beckham was released by the New York Giants last week. The veteran receiver appeared in each of the Giants’ first three games, but he registered just one target. 

Minnesota signing Beckham comes in the wake of superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson missing the team’s Week 4 win over the Miami Dolphins due to an ankle sprain and potentially missing its Week 5 road tilt against the New Orleans Saints (Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX).

Odell Beckham Jr.’s Career

Should Beckham be elevated to Minnesota’s active roster, the Vikings would mark the sixth team he plays for.

Beckham, a Pro Bowler from 2014-16, had two stints with the Giants (2014-18 and 2026), while spending two-plus years with the Cleveland Browns (2019-21), playing the second half of the 2021 season with the Los Angeles Rams — who won the Super Bowl later that year — and having one-year stints with the Baltimore Ravens (2023) and Miami Dolphins (2024).

He missed the 2022 season due to a torn ACL and wasn’t on an NFL roster in 2025.

Vikings’ Offensive Struggles

The Vikings are 4-0 and one of just three undefeated teams in the NFL. With that said, their offense has been stuck in the mud, as the Vikings are last in the NFL in passing yards (156.0 per game), 31st in total yards (262.8 per game), 18th in points (21.5 per game) and 16th in points (106.8 per game).

Moreover, Minnesota has just four passing touchdowns, three of them coming from backup quarterback Carson Wentz and one from starter Kyler Murray; Wentz started for the Vikings in Week 2 in place of Murray, who suffered a concussion in Week 1, and played the majority of the team’s Week 1 win over the Green Bay Packers.

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Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California) — Kyle Shanahan needed another explosive playmaker with receivers Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk and DeMarcus Robinson all on the injured reserve list.

Deebo Samuel needed a place to show the league he could still play.

In a relationship where both sides needed each other, Samuel signed a one-year, $4.1 million deal in August to reunite with San Francisco’s head coach. And so far, things have worked out in Samuel’s second chapter with the team. 

Samuel finished with 70 scrimmage yards and two scores in a solid victory over the Denver Broncos last week, helping the San Francisco 49ers remain one of three undefeated NFL teams.

“I didn’t draw it up no kind of way,” Samuel responded when asked about the symmetry of being back in San Francisco on a Super Bowl contender. “But I’m going to enjoy 4-0 for sure and get ready for next week.” 

Speaking of next week, the 49ers face the defending champions Seattle Seahawks (3-1) on the road on Sunday in a battle for the top spot in the NFC West. The last time these two teams played, Seattle embarrassed San Francisco, 41-6, in the divisional round of the playoffs. Two weeks prior, the 49ers lost to the Seahawks, 13-3, in a battle that determined the NFC West winner.

But Samuel was with the Washington Commanders at that time and didn’t play in either game. Now that he’s back in San Francisco, Samuel could make a major impact in the rivalry matchup. He has 1,092 scrimmage yards and eight total touchdowns in 10 career games against Seattle, including the playoffs. The 49ers are 6-4 against the Seahawks in games Samuel plays. Samuel has also served as San Francisco’s kick returner since coming back to the team, and has a combined 490 yards through four games, No. 10 in the league. 

San Francisco left tackle Trent Williams predicted Samuel would shine before the season started.

“When we signed Deebo, I said we’re probably going to get the best Deebo we’ve seen,” Williams said at his locker. “And he’s been making my words true. I’m really proud of him. We anticipated this. We knew Deebo was coming back with a vengeance. I’m just really happy for him.

And why did Williams believe San Francisco would get the best version of Samuel?

“From me knowing him as well as I do, I think this offseason was probably the first time in his career that he was doubted,” Williams said when I asked him in the locker room. “He’s always been supremely talented. He’s always been a playmaker. But you know, this league turns on you quick. And I think him having to feel that doubt for the first time, it lit a fire under him.” 

Another person who thought Samuel would play well in his return was his private receiver coach, Brandon White, founder of Receiver Factory. Based in Florida, White has helped train Samuel in the offseason during his eight-year NFL career. White has also worked with some of the top receivers in the NFL, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

“He’s passionate and he cares,” White told me when I asked about Samuel’s mindset going into the season, having to wait for the right team. “Deebo wants to ball. He wants to make plays. That’s just fuel for a guy like that. And you can see he was honed in. It’s not like he didn’t think he was going to get a shot again, but the shot he got and the way he got it and the time it took, there had to be something building up the entire time.” 

White told me he trained Samuel in three different stints in Arizona during the offseason, working on his short-area quickness and route running to prepare the South Carolina product for the season. He said that Samuel’s daily regimen in Arizona included strength and agility training, sprint work, boxing workouts and field work with White, followed by a timed mile run.

Samuel, now 30, went through that regimen to show the league he could still play after spending a season with the Commanders and not playing to his full potential. 

“We were on a mission,” White told me. “He was focused. Our whole thing when we get together is we make sure he’s like a Swiss Army knife and everything’s popping. He knows how to run routes. He knows how to get open. He understands how to make plays in space.

“We just wanted to make sure going into the season he’s as quick and as sharp as possible. We were really working on short-area quickness, fast twitch and then a lot of coming out of breaks.” 

Samuel’s work he put in during the offseason has shown. He has 185 receiving yards on 14 catches with three receiving touchdowns through the first four games. And he has another 74 rushing yards on seven carries, averaging 9.4 per carry.

“I know when he’s got the ball in his hand, I do want to make an extra block or run down the field and chase the ball because you never know when he’s going to break a tackle and get free,” 49ers offensive lineman Colton McKivitz told me. “You can have that extra block to keep a guy off him. He just has that ‘It’ factor.” 

During the height of Samuel’s time with San Francisco in 2021, he finished with 1,405 receiving yards and 365 rushing yards, earning the nickname “wide back.” But San Francisco’s offense runs through Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle now, so those days aren’t returning.

Instead, Samuel serves as a key gadget player to jump-start San Francisco’s offense when they need a big play in critical moments of the game.

“Game-time Deebo is something else,” San Francisco quarterback Mac Jones told me. “He brings an extra gear. He came here after training camp, so I didn’t get a lot of reps with him. But I’ve always been a fan. He puts a lot of really good stuff on tape because he plays with a lot of passion. And you can feel him. 

“They used him differently in ’23 and ’24 than they’re doing now. He’s returning kicks, which he didn’t do before. And they’re using him in more gadget stuff. A lot of motion. If you checked his yardage stuff, I bet he ran the most out of anyone today. Kyle does a good job of scheming him up, and that creates good matchups for other people. He’s like that pawn you have on a chess board who’s always available.”

Under Center: West Coast Offense Is Back

Speaking of Shanahan, he passed one of the cornerstones of the West Coast offense, Hall of Famer Bill Walsh, for the most games coached in 49ers’ history (167), an impressive feat for a head coach at 46 years old.

The West Coast offense never really went away, but the emphasis on zone reads and quarterbacks in shotgun had become the dominant way to move the chains in modern football.  But over the past handful of years, with defenses led by gurus like Mike Macdonald and Vic Fangio leaning on two-high shells to keep explosives to a minimum, more teams are using quarterbacks under center to ignite the run and play-action game against lighter boxes.

Per Next Gen Stats, 39.5% of snaps on offense were taken under center so far this season, the highest usage in the last decade. Six teams in the top half of the league operating under center through the first four weeks are out West, including the Raiders (125 snaps), 49ers (124), Seahawks (123), Cardinals (118), Rams (117) and Chiefs (100).

With West Coast offense principles being used more through the first four weeks of the season, I decided to hit up former NFL and college offensive guru Norm Chow to try and find out why. Chow said he first learned the West Coast offense as an assistant at BYU from former San Francisco quarterback and coach Doug Scovil. Also serving on BYU’s staff during Chow’s 26 years coaching there were West Coast offense masterminds Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has been one of the biggest proponent’s of using West Coast offense principles so far this season. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

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Chow said he’s not surprised to see a return to more West Coast principles, including under center runs and play-action passes.

“Football is cyclical,” Chow told me. “Everyone thinks this RPO (run-pass option) stuff is new, but all it is the Wishbone triple option stuff dressed up from before. … But I think that’s why the NFL never left (the West Coast offense). If you drop back and throw all the time, they can cover that. And if you run it all the time, they can cover that.

“The deception comes from under center with the run, as opposed to the shotgun.” 

Cardinals offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, whose father Paul Hackett was one of the first offensive coordinators to teach the West Coast offense, said the core philosophies in quarterback footwork have never left the game.

“Whenever we look at the West Coast offense, it’s from how you coach the quarterback — from progressions, to footwork to timing,” Hackett told me. “The actual West Coast, from when Bill Walsh did it and my dad and those guys, has gone the way of the white buffalo. 

“So, we’ve kind of adapted with everything that we’ve done to teach the quarterback the same way we did in the West Coast, but to different kinds of plays and variations of the plays that we have in the West Coast. It’s a collaboration of all those things, while still bringing along those base principles.”

Because of the timing and rhythm of the West Coast offense, teams that can create disruption in the early downs are having the most success. Just look at Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flories. The Vikings lead the league in scoring defense (12.8 per game) and blitz percentage (70.5%).

Hall of Famer Michael Haynes said his Raiders defense, known for playing disruptive, sticky bump-and-run coverage, was effective against the West Coast scheme because of their ability to apply pressure with great pass rushers like fellow Hall of Famer Howie Long and Greg Townsend up front and force the ball out quickly.

“If those quarterbacks have all day to throw it where they want to throw it, it’s going to be a tough day,” Haynes told me. “A great pass rush always helps the DBs. Most teams were playing zone and trying to disguise their man-to-man coverages from off [coverage]. And we didn’t. We didn’t care that you knew we were coming, because we had a great pass rush.” 

Kansas City found the blindside protector for the most accomplished quarterback currently playing at the team’s rookie minicamp a week after the draft.

Khalil Benson, who wasn’t selected in April’s draft after helping the Indiana Hoosiers win the national championship, showed up as one of over 75 invited, undrafted rookies to the camp. He impressed coaches and scouts enough there to earn a spot on the 90-man roster.

From there, Benson worked his way up the depth chart during offseason work, wrestling the starting right tackle job from Jaylon Moore and eventually shifting over to left tackle — which he hadn’t played since high school — to replace an injured Josh Simmons (back) to start the regular season.

Benson hasn’t given up the starting job since, earning Offensive Rookie of the Month for September. Benson has allowed nine quarterback pressures and one sack in 118 pass block snaps, per Next Gen Stat. Among all rookies with at least 15 pass block snaps, Benson has the second-highest percentage of one-on-one matchups (84.9%). He has contributed to a Kansas City offense that has only allowed six sacks in 2026, tied for the fifth-fewest in the league.

“He’s a professional player,” Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy said about Benson. “There’s some things he can do that others cannot do. That’s why he’s here. We feel that we found a unique player that can basically upgrade the depth in our O-line room.”

Chris Brainard of APE Fitness and Performance in Texas helped prepare Benson for his pro day. Because Benson wasn’t invited to the combine, he had extra time to train before the April workout.

At 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds, Brainard said Benson set a personal best in his 40-yard time (5.08) and bench press (23 reps at 225 pounds).

“The guy handled the entire process as a professional,” Brainard told me. “That was cool to see, and we’re seeing those benefits pay off now. Just coming in, he’s got the size and he’s got the motor. He just needed things to kind of fall in place for him.”

Former NFL offensive lineman Chris Chester also worked with Benson on offensive line training in the lead-up to the draft. As Brainard stated, Chester emphasized Benson’s professionalism and ability to quickly pick up concepts.

With the dearth of quality offensive lineman, Chester said he was surprised Benson didn’t get drafted.

“I get it, there’s a lot of voices during the draft process and narratives get made,” Chester told me. “I was surprised he didn’t get drafted, but you’ve got to run your own race.

“He’s strong — that’s one of the things that kind of jumped out — once he got his hands on you, it was kind of wrap. It was a lot of one-on-one with me and him, and I’m doing some of the looks. I’m not as young as I used to be, and he was kind of throwing me around. So, I got to experience it firsthand. He’s heavy-handed, got a good strike and hits you like a hammer. And I can’t say enough about his positive attitude. And he absorbed information well.” 

  Top 5 On The West Side

5. Los Angeles Rams

After a tough stretch to open the season, the Rams get three of the next four games at home. It starts with the Buffalo Bills on Monday night as they look to improve their 2-2 record. 

4. Las Vegas Raiders 

The schedule heats up for the Silver and Black, who face the Patriots, Bills and Rams over the next three. But they might have legitimized their 3-0 record with their showing against the Chiefs, climbing six spots in our Ralph Vacchiano’s power rankings despite the loss. 

3. Seattle Seahawks 

Defense still leads the way in Seattle, with the Seahawks holding teams to a league-best 246.8 yards a game. They also forced Justin Herbert to turn the ball over three times in their win over the Chargers on Sunday. 

2. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are already combing the waiver wire due to the annual rash of injuries at wide receiver. Will Tyreek Hill be back on the roster when they return from their Week 5 bye?

1. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers started 4-0 for the third time since 2019 and the seventh in team history, as quarterback Brock Purdy has emerged as an early MVP frontrunner. 

“Ribs are different. No matter how bad you want to go, it’s usually too painful. The way he was Friday, just being able to go through the walk-through, and I know how much pain he was in, but he never grimaced, never changed his stride or anything, how he’s carrying himself. It was really, really impressive today what he did.”

– San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan on Mike Evans playing through injured ribs but leading the team with five receptions for 76 yards. 

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It’s early, but a few teams’ postseason hopes are already in jeopardy.

Let’s check out the latest “To Miss Playoffs” odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Oct. 7.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

To Miss Playoffs Odds

Dolphins: -50000 (bet $10 to win $10.02 total)
Cardinals: −25000 (bet $10 to win $10.04 total) 
Titans: -25000 (bet $10 to win $10.04 total)
Jets: -1200 (bet $10 to win $10.83 total)
Buccaneers: -1200 (bet $10 to win $10.83 total)
Chargers: -1200 (bet $10 to win $10.83 total)
Commanders: -900 (bet $10 to win $11.11 total)
Giants: -450 (bet $10 to win $12.22 total)
Steelers: -425 (bet $10 to win $12.35 total)
Browns: -400 (bet $10 to win $12.50 total)
Texans: -340 (bet $10 to win $12.94 total)
Packers: -330 (bet $10 to win $13.03 total)
Saints: -270 (bet $10 to win $13.70 total)
Panthers: -230 (bet $10 to win $14.35 total)
Raiders: -210 (bet $10 to win $14.76 total)
Falcons: -210 (bet $10 to win $14.76 total)
Colts: -180 (bet $10 to win $15.56 total)
Eagles: -160 (bet $10 to win $16.25 total)
Cowboys: +100 (bet $10 to win $20 total)
Lions: +105 (bet $10 to win $20.50 total)
Bears: +125 (bet $10 to win $22.50 total)
Broncos: +135 (bet $10 to win $23.50 total)
Bengals: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total)
Patriots: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total)
Vikings: +210 (bet $10 to win $31 total)
Seahawks: +240 (bet $10 to win $34 total)
Rams: +260 (bet $10 to win $36 total) 
Jaguars: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
49ers: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Ravens: +475 (bet $10 to win $57.50 total)
Chiefs: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
Bills: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)

Here’s what to know about the oddsboard:

Off To A Rough Start: Only once in NFL history has a team started the season 0-4 and made the playoffs. That team was the 1992 San Diego Chargers, who flipped that start into an 11-5 regular-season record. Five teams are winless through four weeks this season: Miami, Tennessee, Houston, Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Chargers. Each is heavily favored to miss the postseason but will try to make history in 2026.

Biggest Surprises: The Packers and Chargers opened the year at +122 and +140 to miss the playoffs, respectively. However, Green Bay is 2-2 and now -330 to miss the postseason, and the aforementioned Chargers have yet to earn a win and sit at -1200 to miss the postseason. However, next to the Chargers, arguably the biggest surprise so far this season is the Houston Texans. They opened the year at +150 to miss the playoffs, but now they sit at -340. Last season, the Texans went 12-5 and had the best defense in the NFL. They eventually fell to the Patriots in the AFC divisional round, but were a team that many thought could challenge for the AFC crown in 2026. Shockingly, through four games, they are allowing 27.3 points per game, the sixth-highest mark in the league, alongside 260 passing yards per game, the fifth-most in the NFL. It should be pointed out that Houston’s four losses have come by a combined 25 points, including a 5-point loss to Buffalo, a 2-point loss to Indianapolis and 4-point loss to Dallas. 

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Through five weeks of the 2025 college football season, some first-year head coaches have exceeded their expectations, and others… not so much.

UCLA’s Bob Chesney is in his first year as head coach of a Power Four program, and has brought UCLA into its first 4-0 overall and 2-0 conference play start since the 2022 season. For a coach like Penn State’s Matt Campbell, suffering a loss to Northwestern on the road was not supposed to be in the cards in his first year in the Big Ten. Michigan, Utah, Oklahoma State and more also all have first-year coaches, and have already found success or failure all along that spectrum.

For FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt, here’s a look at how first-year coaches are fulfilling their expectations:

Below Expectations

Kyle Whittingham

(Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

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Klatt’s thoughts: “It’s easy to forget what Kyle Whittingham inherited … they want to contend for a playoff spot. I think that’s a realistic expectation for Michigan and Michigan fans. They want to return to the top tier of the Big Ten. They owned the Big Ten for a few years there … it might be unfair to Kyle Whittingham in year one, but that’s the expectation. Now what have we gotten? Well, all offseason we kind of wondered what this marriage was going to look like. More specifically, the marriage between his new offensive coordinator (Jason Beck) and Bryce Underwood and what that offense is going to look like. 

“I think we have less questions about the defensive side of the ball. Because you just assume like ‘OK, Michigan can play solid defense. They’ve got solid players.’ And the assumption was, because of what Jason Beck was able to do at Utah last year, that he would come in and transform this offense into something more potent … they’re going into this bye week, and they’re trying to figure out what this offense going to look like, and what do they need to do to succeed. 

“I think this is a progress report that even [Whittingham] would admit to, and they are below expectations.”

Matt Campbell

(Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Klatt’s thoughts: “The expectation (for Matt Campbell) is to go further than what James Franklin had given him. James Franklin had given him a program that had an insanely high floor, but unfortunately a low ceiling. James Franklin beat everybody that he should beat. And they could not beat the teams they desperately wanted him to beat … For Matt Campbell, it’s win the big games in the Big Ten. We expected Matt Campbell’s floor to be high as well, coming from Iowa State and the program he had built at Iowa State … that floor is way lower. And the last two weeks, it has gotten bad … this is not what they signed up for. 

“I love Matt Campbell. I think he’s a great coach. But he clearly has taken a step back. The last six quarters of football have not been good. I think this is more of a rebuild than we realize. That roster is an Iowa State roster. And at times, they’re not even playing to that level. They’ve got some work cut out for them. Progress report is below expectations for Matt Campbell.”

Meeting Expectations

Jon Sumrall

(Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Klatt’s thoughts: “Jon Sumrall at Florida year-one goals: return to the top half of the SEC. I thought that this was even a low, low bar for Florida. This is a proud program. Now they have struggled, and they have been underachieving for a number of years, it feels like. But [Sumrall] is a coach that seems like he’s going to get the most out of them. I know that was a disappointing performance against Missouri last week. But the game against Ole Miss, you’re like, ‘All right, you know, I’m into that.’ 

“Now they’ve done that before. And so Sumrall, what he has to do, is he has to make sure that he’s not getting the [Billy] Napier big win over Ole Miss and then fall by the wayside, because that’s kind of where we’re at right now. So, I don’t think he’s below expectations, and I don’t think that he is exceeding expectations. I think right now if I’m a Gator fan, that Ole Miss win showed me that I can play at the high end. Last week showed me like, all right, we’ve got work to do, but I’m meeting expectations.”

James Franklin

(Photo by Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)

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Klatt’s thoughts: “Year-one goals: compete for an ACC championship. That might be too high – if I’m giving a pass to Jon Sumrall, this might be too high. But I put it up there because it’s the ACC, right? It’s Virginia Tech. I think that’s what they want eventually. I thought that was really tough for him to lose his first kind of big game against Pitt, and I think there’s going to be some people who are like, ‘Well this is James Franklin, this is what he does. This is what he did back at Penn State.’

“I think that’s unfair … I think he’s got people thinking about Virginia Tech again, which they weren’t for a number of years. This is a program that’s got a great fan base. They got Metallica playing as they’re coming in. They’ve got ‘Enter Sandman,’ all of that going on. And he needs to produce at a level that’s got them competing toward a potential ACC championship game. I think there are some huge games coming later.”

Lane Kiffin

(Photo by Gus Stark/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)

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Klatt’s thoughts: “What are his expectations, and what are his goals? For LSU fans, it’s to be in the top tier of the SEC and make the playoff. Not just contend for the playoff, make the playoff. This is what you expect when you pull this guy out of a playoff race at Ole Miss, when you deal with all the crap that comes with Lane Kiffn and the attention that he gets … He’s got a ton of resources down there … I do know one thing, this LSU defense can play. They were almost going to come back and win that game against Ole Miss in the middle of that environment. They’re kind of where they need to be at this point. They have, what I think, is one of the most important things to have in the SEC, a pass rush. They have things on the defensive side that will cause problems for their direct schedule and competitors. 

“I think Lane is meeting expectations. I don’t think he can exceed yet. The only way for Lane to exceed is for Lane to go all the way to the playoff and go all the way to the national semifinals and maybe even the national championship.”

Morgan Scalley

(Photo by Bryan Byerly/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

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Klatt’s thoughts: “Now he’s been at Utah for a long time, so it’s not his first year at Utah, but it is his first year as the head coach. The goal for Morgan Scally is to keep their kind of tier-one position in the Big 12. And he has absolutely done that. Utah has gone out and taken care of business. Quarterback Devon Dampier has played very well. Their offense is playing well. It does not hurt that they’re sitting there, and they’re ranked No. 12 in the country, and Michigan is unranked with Kyle Whittingham having left Salt Lake.

“They’re on track to play BYU in the Holy War later in the year. I think the winner of that game is going to go to Dallas and play for the Big 12 title. And if you’re playing for the Big 12 title, you are 60 minutes away from a spot in the College Football Playoff. There’s only two ranked games left on their schedule. Both are at home. I think it’s one of the tougher places to play in the Big 12. Houston and BYU both go to Utah. … Utah is right where they expect to be, want to be, and as a first-year head coach he’s doing a really nice job meeting those expectations.”

Exceeding Expectations

Eric Morris

(Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

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Klatt’s thoughts: “I think Oklahoma State fans were used to Mike Gundy playing at a very high level. Mike Gundy had a bunch of 10-win years. He was excellent at Oklahoma State. It did not end well. And granted, we know that. One win, Mike Gundy fired. I think they want Oklahoma State to be back as a Big 12 title contender because that’s what they were for a long time under Mike Gundy. They were a top-tier, tier-one, Big 12 title contender, and that’s what they want from Eric Morris.

“This program was in rough shape, and then they went out Week 1 and lost to Tulsa. … Don’t worry, they just turned around and beat Oregon, and they put up all those rushing yards – 270-plus rushing yards in that one. So they immediately come back and, by the way, they beat Oregon, and they’re averaging over 600 yards per game over the last three games. It’s like the traditional, old-school, Big 12 offense which Oklahoma State fans love. … This, to me, is a team that is absolutely going to contend for a Big 12 title this year. I think they’re that good, in particular on the offensive side.”

Bob Chesney

(Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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Klatt’s thoughts: “If you’re UCLA, and you’re a fan of UCLA, and you’re really honest with yourselves, you want two things: you want relevancy and some competitiveness. They weren’t relevant, and they weren’t competitive before Bob Chesney … this is a much lower bar than Kyle Whittingham has at Michigan, and that’s OK. Here’s the deal. I think there are times when it’s easier to go into a tear down rather than go into a remodel … He can have his fingerprints on that program right away.  He has full autonomy to go in there and do what he wishes and do what he pleases, and everyone’s going to follow him … this is a (Curt) Cignetti model. You bring your coaching staff, you bring your players, it’s all yours. 

“They’re off to an incredible start. They’re 4-0. They’re running the ball like crazy, they’re one of the best teams running the football in the country … Here’s the thing, there’s buzz about UCLA … The last five years that was not the case. Bob Chesney is exceeding expectations right now at UCLA.”

Will Stein

(Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Klatt’s thoughts: “If you’re Kentucky coming off the Stoops era, I think for Will Stein it’s like, ‘Can you establish us as a true middle SEC team?’ Can we just be middle to top half? Because I think Kentucky fans would be like, ‘You know, I would take that right now.’ And Will’s got Kentucky just outside of the top 25. I think that has been a great start.

“Now granted, they didn’t play great in the second half against Alabama, but man, how about a couple of their road wins in SEC play? They go to A&M and get a win, they go to South Carolina and get a win. That was an emotional win, obviously, with the 2-point conversion. … Will’s a really good coach … Now he’s got his own program. Played his college ball at Louisville, he’s been around that area. I think he can succeed there. I don’t know what level Kentucky can ever get to in the SEC, but if you’re asking him to establish a top-half SEC program, you’re kind of seeing it.”

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The Milwaukee Brewers visit the San Diego Padres on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at 10:00 p.m. ET from Petco Park in San Diego, CA, with Milwaukee leading the NLDS 2-1.

The Brewers won Game 1 by a score of 3-2 and Game 2 by 4-3, both at American Family Field, before San Diego took Game 3 by 4-3 on Tuesday. Jackson Chourio has driven in 5 runs in the series, and William Contreras homered in both Game 1 and Game 3, going 3 for 5 in the Game 3 loss.

For San Diego, Jake Cronenworth homered and had two hits in Game 3, and Michael King has struck out 14 this postseason, including 6 over five innings in Game 2. Walker Buehler gets the ball for the Padres, and Milwaukee has not yet announced its Game 4 starter.

Below, we’ll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game.

How to Watch Brewers vs. Padres

• When: Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at 10:00 p.m. ET
• Where: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
• TV: FS1
• Stream: Watch 3 days free on FOX One

Players To Watch

Manny Machado has six hits and five walks in 21 postseason plate appearances, with two doubles and a home run. He went 2 for 4 with a double in Game 1 of this series, drew two walks in Game 2 and went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a walk in Game 3.

Milwaukee pitchers allowed their first home run of the series in Game 3, a 4-3 San Diego win that cut the Brewers’ series lead to 2-1. Machado went 5 for 24 without an extra-base hit in six regular-season games against the Brewers, and 12 of his 30 home runs came at Petco Park.

San Diego’s first run of Game 2 came on a Ty France RBI single in the first inning, and he added another RBI single in the seventh. He is 7 for 19 in the postseason, a .368 average, including 0 for 4 in Game 3, after hitting .295 with 21 home runs and 72 RBI in the regular season.

Milwaukee held right-handed hitters to a .230 average and a .683 OPS in the regular season. France went 7 for 18 with a home run in six games against the Brewers, and he hit .303 with a .385 on-base percentage at Petco Park.

Milwaukee’s walk-off in Game 2 came on a Jackson Chourio two-run single in the bottom of the ninth, one game after his two-run home run in the third inning of Game 1. He has five RBI in the series and went 0 for 4 with an RBI in Game 3. In the regular season, he hit .291 with 25 home runs and 23 stolen bases.

Game 4 is at Petco Park, where San Diego’s staff posted a 3.48 ERA and held opponents to a .223 average in the regular season. Chourio hit .272 with a .749 OPS on the road, compared with a .933 OPS at home.

Christian Yelich scored twice in Game 2. He doubled in the fifth inning and came home on a Sal Frelick single, then walked in the ninth, stole second and scored on the walk-off. He is 4 for 10 with a double and two walks in the series, including 2 for 4 with a walk in Game 3, and he drove in 49 of his 59 regular-season RBI with runners in scoring position.

The Padres also allowed 106 stolen bases in the regular season, when Milwaukee stole 162 as a team and Yelich added 11.

Brewers vs. Padres Odds

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Preposterous, I thought. 

The sheer incredulity! 

In an empty room, I was positively vituperative in discussion with absolutely no one when I saw Nebraska coach Matt Rhule appear on my television Sunday in the season finale of HBO’s “Lanterns.” As himself! Fictionally, recruiting and winning a five-star commitment from a character who is a member of cyborgs known as Manhunters.

Then it dawned on me. Nebraska has a chance to do something even more outrageous than see its head coach in a TV show about intergalactic space cops in the same universe as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman: It could beat No. 7 Indiana on Saturday (noon ET, FOX).

In the show, which is set in Rushville, Nebraska, Rhule earned the commitment from a 5-foot-5 five-star quarterback — yes, really — named Noah Macon, an actual cyborg, and he sees the game like you’d expect a calculating, world-crushing alien to see it. Like Tom Brady.

I’m sure I was not the only person who found himself (delightfully?) surprised to see Rhule sitting in the stands while Macon quarterbacked his team to a state championship and then, after winning state, saw Rhule hand Macon a Nebraska flat bill and commit on the field. 

Matt Rhule holds a 24-19 record midway through his fourth season as Nebraska’s head coach. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

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“I filmed that not this past summer but the summer before,” Rhule recalled Monday at his local media availability. “Chris Mundy is the executive producer. He’s a Nebraska native and huge Husker fan. So I got to know him at one point through somebody else, and we’d become friends.

“As they were doing the show, as it was obviously based in Nebraska, he asked me if I would want to go out and film that role, and so I did. … I’ve enjoyed trying to catch it here and there. I don’t know that I’ll be taking my talents to Broadway any time soon, but it was really cool to see Nebraska on HBO.”

Not just on HBO but in prime time. At 9 p.m. ET. In the “House of the Dragon” timeslot, “The Wire” timeslot. That timeslot is coveted and warrants only big-time players fit for big audiences. 

“Lanterns” is based on the popular DC Comics comic book character John Stewart and his journey to becoming Earth’s Green Lantern. Stewart’s job is simple: protect Earth from various forces of evil that might try to annihilate the inhabitants of this planet. Macon probably turns out to be a supervillain, and there’s a chance we get to find out as this TV show has become a hit.

How serendipitous the timing is for Rhule and Nebraska that this Saturday his 5-0 Cornhuskers have a chance to face not only another undefeated foe to prove their mettle at home, but also the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers, who are riding a 21-game winning streak.

Curt Cignetti and Indiana haven’t lost since Notre Dame defeated them in the 2024 College Football Playoff. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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The stakes for Nebraska are as high as they’ve ever been and higher still when we focus on what a win could mean. Nebraska vs. No. 7 Indiana will be the first matchup at Memorial Stadium featuring two teams that are 5-0 or better in nearly 25 years (No. 3 Nebraska beat No. 2 Oklahoma on Oct. 27, 2001).

Without a question, a victory ignites the Lantern light in the middle of Rushville’s town square, announcing the Huskers as bona fide Big Ten title contenders and a College Football Playoff team. We’d have no choice but to rank Nebraska, and call it the biggest win for Nebraskans since Stewart and late Green Lantern Hal Jordan took down a mess of Manhunters outside a motel.

And this Nebraska team is surging. 

The 2026 season is the first that the Huskers have opened at 5-0 since 2016 — and the first season under Rhule with such a record. However, the Huskers remain unranked because we — I — have really had no reason to trust them to purport themselves like a ranked team. 

Consider that Nebraska hasn’t defeated a ranked team this season. Consider that Rhule and the Cornhuskers are 0-9 against top-25 teams. Now consider that Nebraska has not beaten a ranked opponent in its last 31 attempts dating back to Sept. 17, 2016, when Mike Riley’s Huskers knocked off No. 22 Oregon. 

A win against Indiana is a lot to ask for Rhule’s Huskers. 

It requires a certain suspense of imagination to even visualize such a thing — not unlike a 5-foot-5 quarterback reaching five-star status in a town with a population of 877, according to U.S. Census data. Or a Black Green Lantern who made his own way, picked his own path, created his own Green Lantern’s oath and powers his ring with traces of yellow fear. Or that one grossly arrogant ghost of Hal Jordan might help present a notion that serves Stewart as much as it can serve Nebraska when it kicks off against Indiana this Saturday. 

“Don’t be afraid to be afraid,” Jordan tells Stewart in the Season 1 finale.

For the Huskers, the fear of losing to a 32nd-straight top-25 opponent, of squandering another fast start to the season, of being ridiculed for coming up short in a big game once again, is all too real. And, yes, it could happen — it’s likely to happen — that they lose. 

Now, though, revel in knowing you’ve got a chance to be heroic when everyone is watching.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers visit the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. ET from Truist Park in Atlanta, GA, with Los Angeles leading the NLDS 2-1.

The Dodgers took Game 1 by a score of 5-3, and the Braves answered with a 3-2 win in Game 2, both at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles then won Game 3 by 3-1 in Atlanta behind seven innings and 10 strikeouts from Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Freddie Freeman has homered in both Game 2 and Game 3, and Enrique Hernández hit a two-run home run on Tuesday.

Atlanta’s Michael Harris II went 3 for 5 in Game 2, and Chris Sale struck out 7 over five innings in Game 3. Tyler Mahle starts Game 4 for the Braves, and Tyler Glasnow gets the ball for the Dodgers.

Below, we’ll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game.

How to Watch Dodgers vs. Braves

• When: Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. ET
• Where: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
• TV: FS1
• Stream: Watch 3 days free on FOX One

Players To Watch

Michael Harris II is 9 for 24 with a home run and four RBI in six postseason games. He went 3 for 5 with a double, a triple, an RBI and a run in Atlanta’s 3-2 win in Game 2 and 1 for 4 in Game 3. In the regular season, he hit .294 with 26 home runs and 87 RBI.

Harris is 4 for 13 with a double and a triple in the NLDS, and Los Angeles won Game 3 by a 3-1 score to take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 is at Truist Park, where he hit .293 with 12 home runs in the regular season.

Los Angeles got its first run of Game 2 from Freddie Freeman, a solo home run in the fourth inning that tied the score 1-1. He is 4 for 11 with two home runs and two walks in the series, a .364 average and a .909 slugging percentage. He posted a .909 OPS on the road in the regular season, with 26 of his 32 doubles away from Dodger Stadium.

Freeman homered again in Game 3, a 3-1 Los Angeles win, and both of his home runs in the series have come in the last two games. Freeman went 4 for 23 with one home run in six regular-season games against the Braves.

Two of Ozzie Albies’ five postseason hits are home runs, including a ninth-inning shot in Game 1 of this series. He has five RBI and five walks in six games. He posted a .728 OPS at Truist Park in the regular season, compared with .644 on the road.

Albies drew a walk in each of his first five postseason games, then went 1 for 4 with a double and two strikeouts in Game 3. He went 6 for 24 with four RBI against Los Angeles in the regular season.

Max Muncy has two home runs in three games of this series, and both of his hits in eight at-bats have left the park. He went 0 for 1 with a strikeout in Game 3. He entered Game 2 off the bench in the fourth inning after Atlanta opened with left-hander Ray Kerr, then homered off right-hander Didier Fuentes in the ninth. He hit 29 home runs with an .838 OPS in the regular season, including 14 on the road.

Muncy drew 65 walks in the regular season, and he went 2 for 17 with a home run in five games against the Braves.

Dodgers vs. Braves Odds

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It’s Walker Buehler’s turn to keep the San Diego Padres’ season alive.

Following its Game 3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series on Tuesday night, San Diego announced that Buehler will start Game 4 on Wednesday night (10 p.m. ET on FS1).

Buehler missed Games 1 and 2 of the series, as he was placed on the paternity list. He was activated Monday, taking the place of fellow right-hander Randy Vásquez on San Diego’s roster.

Buehler made 32 starts for the Padres in the regular season, his most in a single season since 2021 — a year that saw the right-hander earn his second All-Star nod with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2019 was his other All-Star campaign). Over said outings, Buehler recorded a 4.63 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP and an 88 ERA+, while totaling 131 strikeouts and 0.9 strikeouts over 153 ⅔ innings pitched.

The 32-year-old Buehler has made 18 starts and 19 appearances altogether in the postseason, all of them coming with the Dodgers, with whom he spent the first seven seasons of his big-league career (2017-22 and 2024). Buehler boasts a career 3.04 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in the playoffs, while totaling 114 strikeouts over 94 ⅔ innings pitched.

The Padres went 4-2 against the Brewers in the 2026 regular season and are now a combined 4-0 at home against Milwaukee, which hasn’t yet named a starter for Game 4. Prior to the divisional round, San Diego swept the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card Series, out-scoring Chicago 12-1.

Regarding Game 3, Padres ace Michael King pitched the final two innings, getting a game-ending double play after putting two runners on the basepath in the top of the ninth. King pitching the ninth inning was partially a result of superstar closer Mason Miller, ironically, being placed on the paternity list before Game 3 and, therefore, unable to pitch.

The Padres, who trail the Brewers in the series 2-1, are seeking their first trip to the NL Championship Series since 2022. Should San Diego pull off the series comeback, it would face the winner of the NLDS matchup between the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves in the NLCS.

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Justin Verlander officially retired from MLB after spending 21 seasons in the league. Now that his Hall of Fame playing career is behind him, it didn’t take long before he made his return to the sport.

Verlander joined the “MLB on FOX Pregame” crew on Tuesday night alongside Kevin Burkhardt, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz. Making his TV studio debut, he opened up about his decision to retire and reflected on what went into finally calling it a career.

“It was pretty easy,” Verlander said. “I made my first start of the season and my leg started hurting. I’ve said my entire career, man, I love this game. I love giving it everything I got. I’m going to play until the wheels fall off. The arm held out great, but the leg gave out on me.”

Justin Verlander Explains When He Knew It Was Time To Retire

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It’s hard to imagine a more fitting farewell to Verlander’s legendary career. As he prepared to walk off the mound for the last time after allowing two runs over 5 ⅓ innings with six strikeouts, the 43-year-old was greeted by his daughter on the field. The two hugged, causing Verlander to start visibly crying with his teammates surrounding him on the mound – making for an unforgettable, emotional moment between father and daughter.

If Verlander was going to say goodbye to the game for good, it’s the kind of fairytale ending almost every pitcher dreams of.

“It still hits me,” Verlander said. “There’s so many thoughts going through your head, obviously just leading up to such an emotional weekend. Then to just be completely blindsided and look over and see my daughter running at me. It obviously hit me and it was pretty special.”

Verlander leaves behind an exceptional legacy. 

Over his 21 seasons in the league, he built a Hall of Fame résumé highlighted by two World Series titles, three Cy Young Awards and an American League MVP. However, what Verlander reflected on most was his durability and ability to maintain an elite workload year after year.

“I’m most proud of the volume,” explained Verlander, who threw 3,802 ⅔ innings between the regular season and postseason in his career. “I really pride myself on taking the ball and just being out there for as many pitches as the game would allow. When I look back, I always said that if I’m out there for every start the numbers fall where they may, but [at least] I’m doing my job.”

Verlander has given more to the game than most, becoming one of just 19 pitchers in MLB history to play 21 seasons or more. As he steps off the mound for good, fans can look forward to seeing him share his insights from behind the analyst desk.

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