Author: Eternity Lab

A hurricane is stirring in the gulf right now, and it might impact Saturday’s massive Georgia-Alabama showdown. 

One certainty, though: This contest will draw a flood of action in college football Week 6 odds.

“We expect big money on the Georgia-Alabama game. Both of these teams have attracted public money each week leading up to this matchup,” Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel said. “These 7:30 p.m. ET matchups are always the biggest-bet games of the day, and this one is shaping up to be a top-five game of the season.”

Bookmakers and sharp bettors serve up their insights on that matchup, along with FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff of Indiana vs. Nebraska and more in college football Week 5 betting.

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.

  Flipping Favorites

No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama are both 5-0 straight up (SU) and 4-1 against the spread (ATS). But Bama is coming off the more impressive win, smacking Mississippi State 56-23 as 5.5-point road favorites.

Still, Caesars Sports opened the Bulldogs as 1.5-point road favorites. Within a couple of hours on Sunday, that number flipped to Alabama -1.5, and the Tide moved to -2 on Monday afternoon after taking some early action.

The Tide nudged to -1.5 (-106) on Tuesday afternoon and remained there on Wednesday night.

A key concern beyond the talent of these two teams is whether Hurricane Isaias will impact the Gulf Coast, with landfall expected late Friday/early Saturday. Tuscaloosa is only 200 miles inland, certainly not too far for wind and rain to be an issue.

“There are lot of questions around the weather in this one,” Feazel said. “Our total already dropped from 55 to 51.5, specifically around the weather. Right now, they’re betting Georgia and the Under, with the hurricane driving that action on the Under.

“Both teams are able to put up points and cover. I expect it to be a little more two-way by kickoff, with two powerhouse teams. But so far, one-way traffic on the Under is really the big story.”

Weather could play a role in the passing game for both Keelon Russell and Gunner Stockton (Getty Images).

–>

  College Football Rocks On FOX

The FOX Big Noon Kickoff heads to Lincoln this week, home to perhaps surprisingly unbeaten Nebraska (5-0 SU/4-1 ATS).

But the unranked Huskers face a stern test against defending national champion Indiana (5-0 SU/1-4 ATS). The seventh-ranked Hoosiers haven’t lost since falling to Notre Dame in the first round of the 2024-25 College Football Playoff.

Caesars opened Indiana as a 9.5-point road favorite, then went to -8.5 within an hour and -7.5 within four hours on Sunday. On Tuesday, Indiana briefly dipped to -7 (-117), then rebounded to -7.5 (-107), where the line remained Wednesday night.

“A little bit of love came in on Nebraska +8.5,” Feazel said. “Now, action is kind of both ways. Bettors are either laying the Indiana spread at -7.5 or taking the Nebraska moneyline.

“So our need would be Indiana winning and Nebraska covering. And that’ll probably be the case going into game day, as well.”

The total has seen significant early movement, too. Caesars opened at 51.5 and initially ticked up to 52.5 on Sunday afternoon. But by Tuesday, the total was down to 49.5, and it went to 48.5 on Wednesday afternoon.

“That’s mostly driven by sharp action,” Feazel said, noting professional bettors got in at Under 52.5 and Under 51.5.

  On-Campus Sharp Side

College football betting expert Paul Stone is already involved with a Big 12 matchup in college football Week 6 odds. Stone likes No. 22 Houston (4-1 SU/2-3 ATS) as a 2.5-point road underdog vs. Kansas State (3-1 SU/2-2 ATS).

In Week 3, Houston went toe-to-toe with preseason Big 12 favorite Texas Tech in Lubbock, before falling 28-26. Cougars QB Conner Weigman was stopped inches shy of the goal line on a two-point conversion attempt that would have forced overtime.

Stone views Houston as the superior team.

“Houston battled Texas Tech on even terms for four quarters on the road,” Stone said. “The Cougars have played the more difficult schedule to date, have the more experienced coach in Willie Fritz and are the more complete team, in my opinion.

“I like Houston and the points.”

Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday on FOX.

Can Connor Weigman take Houston on the road and get a win? (Getty Images)

–>

Oh Say Can You SEC

While Georgia-Alabama is the marquee matchup, there are two other noteworthy SEC games on Saturday.

First up is Texas A&M vs. No. 14 Missouri, at noon ET. The Tigers (4-1 SU/2-3 ATS) are coming off a stunning blowout of then-No. 8 Florida, a 45-17 decision as 5.5-point home underdogs.

The Aggies (3-2 SU and ATS) were dealt a stunning home loss vs. Kentucky, followed by a road loss to LSU. A&M, then bounced back to rout Arkansas 34-7 as a 13.5-point home favorite.

Mizzou opened -3.5 at Caesars and quickly went to -4.5 on Sunday afternoon, then returned to -3.5 on Sunday night. On Monday afternoon, the Tigers moved to -4 briefly, then settled in at -3.5, where the number sat Wednesday night.

“Obviously, Missouri is coming off a big win, when everyone was so high on Florida. Missouri is getting that action this week,” Feazel said. “Yes, the line is moving toward A&M, but action is one-way on Missouri.

“I expect people to continue riding what they saw last week. Our need will probably be A&M to win outright.”

At 3:30 p.m. ET, the Red River Rivalry kicks off in Dallas, between No. 1 Texas (4-0 SU/1-3 ATS) and struggling Oklahoma (2-2 SU/1-3 ATS).

Both teams are coming off byes. Caesars opened the Longhorns as 9.5-point neutral-site favorites at the Cotton Bowl, and the line quickly plunged to Texas -7.5 Sunday.

The line rebounded to Texas -8.5 a couple of times since then, but it’s been steady at -7.5 since Tuesday evening.

“We’re seeing a little more Oklahoma action at this point, on the spread and the moneyline,” Feazel said. “There’s also a low total on this one, which speaks to the defense on both sides. There’s more Under money so far.”

Caesars opened the total at 40.5 and initially ticked up to 41/41.5 in the first 30 minutes on Sunday. But shortly thereafter, the number returned to 40.5, then 39.5, and it remained at 39.5 on Wednesday night.

Source

Ohio State coach Ryan Day said the quiet part out loud.

He was detailing how he coaches his queen, quarterback Julian Sayin, on the chessboard to assess coverage against his most valuable rook, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Like most problems in schematic American football, the equation can be solved with simple math.

“If [Smith is] single-covered, he’s open,” Day said. “If he’s double-covered, he’s sort of open. If he’s triple-covered, he’s covered … somebody’s gotta be open somewhere else.”

That part Day said with the slightest hint of annoyance. I can understand why. If three of the 11 defenders are allotted to one man, someone else is likely running more wide open than F1’s Kimi Antonelli on a push lap for pole. And we all know it’s a sin not to hit the open man — lest the wrath of Coach find you on film and smite thee with punishment for not taking care of the football.

But this is Jeremiah Smith we’re talking about.

Jeremiah Smith enters Ohio State’s Week 6 game against Maryland leading FBS receivers with 823 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

–>

While Smith technically might be covered if there are three men on him mid-route, we’ve seen Sayin throw him the ball anyway, and we’ve seen Smith come down with the rock. It’s as absurd to witness as it is for me to write, and yet it’s the truth. Some of the most outrageous things are.

Most outrageous: Through five games, Smith has put up better receiving numbers than perhaps the best pure wide receiver to ever win the Heisman Trophy.

Jeremiah Smith — the comfortable Heisman frontrunner in Week 6 — already has more receiving yards (823) and receiving touchdowns (nine) on fewer catches (44) than DeVonta Smith had (556 yards, four touchdowns, 45 catches) during his prolific 2020 Heisman campaign. 

DeVonta ended 2020 with 117 catches for 1,856 yards with 23 receiving touchdowns in 13 games. Jeremiah is on pace to shatter the numbers DeVonta put up with a 13-0 national championship Alabama team.

Maybe the only caveat I’ll add is DeVonta played the four games of the season with former Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle as the most productive wide out on that team. Before his injury on Oct. 24, 2020, Waddle had produced more yardage (557) on fewer catches (25) than DeVonta did and was my runaway favorite to win the Heisman.

But after Waddle’s injury, DeVonta went from WR1 to WR1-and-only. His production followed suit.

At Ohio State, everyone in Columbus — hell, across the country — knows Jeremiah Smith is the driving force of the receiving game for the Buckeyes. He’s unchallenged as the program’s most prolific and important wide receiver. 

Indeed, his arrival to the team dramatically enabled the Buckeyes to win the 2024 national title, and he made the game-clinching catch in the national championship game against Notre Dame to solidify that spot.

He did that again last weekend against a then-No. 14 Iowa program that had one of the best scoring defenses in the entire country when he put up 11 catches for 206 receiving yards with two touchdowns. It was the kind of performance that might bring Heisman voters to the notion that they no longer need to worry about who they’re siding with as the best, most outstanding player in the sport. 

I know I’ve seen enough already this season: Smith has been the best player in the sport for two years, and he comfortably still is.

That he did not win the Biletnikoff Award last year — robbing him of the chance to become the trophy’s only two-time winner — is a political travesty. If he does not win the Heisman this year, it won’t be because he doesn’t deserve it. It will be because the folks who quite literally write the history of the sport with their votes are too difficult and obtuse to acknowledge he’s already one of the legends of a sport that dates back to 1869. 

That trophy only makes us right when someone reads the history. Lord help us if he doesn’t.

MORE CFB

Source

The World Series drought is now at 17 seasons.

On the heels of sweeping the American League East-rival Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series, the New York Yankees were swept by the fellow division rival Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Divisional Series.

Now what? FOX Sports MLB Studio Analyst and former Yankees superstar third baseman Alex Rodriguez has some blunt advice.

A-Rod On Yankees’ “Philosophy” Issue

“They [the Rays] beat them [the Yankees] like a drum. They beat them during the season, and they swept them in October. Something has to change. I’m not talking about personnel. I’m talking about a philosophy. There has to be a philosophy change,” Rodriguez said about the Yankees following their season-ending loss to the Rays on Wednesday night.

“You’ve won 27 titles one way. I’m not saying anyone should lose their job. Let me make that clear. But [Yankees general manager] Brian Cashman has to surround himself with people who know baseball, who understand baseball and can value both sides of the ball. It’s unthinkable in a game where your season is on the line and of the nine positions, you don’t know who’s going to play five positions: first base, second base, third base, center field and right field because Aaron Judge is out.

“If something doesn’t change, you’re going to have the same results, and we’ve been watching the same movie for over a decade, and nothing changes. They’ll use the excuse that Judge wasn’t there, but Judge had nothing to do with that first inning in Game 2, which is one of the craziest innings I’ve ever seen. It’s getting late.”

Prior to a four-game series in the last week of the regular season, the Rays, who won an AL-best 98 games, went 6-3 against the Yankees in the regular season.

As for the first inning of Game 2, Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon committed an error at third base, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. made a throwing error that brought home a run for the Rays and Austin Wells was called for catcher’s interference. The Yankees, who were held to one hit by Rays ace Drew Rasmussen in Game 1 and lost 1-0, would finish Game 2 with four errors.

In all, the Yankees totaled just six runs and 12 hits in the series. They were without superstar right fielder Aaron Judge, who missed three-plus months due to a right rib injury and then suffered a calf strain roughly one week after returning.

Jeter’s Yankees’ Perspective

“They didn’t play well, and sometimes when you don’t play well in the postseason, everything is magnified, and they start dissecting things that have happened. In the regular season, you can’t get away with it. Over 162 games, you can have periods where you play poorly and periods when you play well. People tend to focus more on the times you play well, but when you get into the postseason, and you’re playing teams like the Rays, you cannot make mistakes because they’re going to capitalize on them,” Jeter said of the Yankees.

“You can make mistakes against the Boston Red Sox and still overcome those mistakes, but you can’t do it against Tampa. They got exposed a little bit, and that’s the reason why they’re going home.”

Jeter added that his dynasty Yankees teams (late 1990s-early 2000s) “focused on all the little things,” could win without hitting the long ball and never “beat themselves,” whereas the Hall of Famer stated the “Yankees beat themselves” against the Rays. For David Ortiz, the Yankees’ “culture” is off, and “they need to start paying attention to those little things.”

“Yeah, the game has changed a lot, and there are a lot of different things going on in the game, but the culture is always going to be the culture. They are far away from being where they used to be culture-wise,” Ortiz said of the Yankees.

Yankees’ 2026 Mixed Bag

New York won 93 games in the regular season behind arguably the best starting rotation in the sport, a unit highlighted by potential 2026 AL Cy Young Award winner Cam Schlittler (he led the AL with a 1.95 ERA, a 215 ERA+ and seven wins above replacement). The Yankees’ starting staff was first in MLB in ERA (3.30), second in strikeouts (908), third outright in opponent batting average (.223) and tied for third in WHIP (1.14). Meanwhile, their bullpen was second in ERA (3.13) and fourth in WHIP (1.22).

Regarding the Yankees’ work with the bats, they were second in the sport with 223 home runs. First baseman/designated hitter Ben Rice had a breakout year, launching 41 home runs, driving in 97 runs and finishing with a .534 slugging percentage, which was second in the AL. The issue? They were feast or famine with the long ball.

New York was 29th in hits (1,250), 26th in batting average (.235), 24th in on-base percentage (.311) and sixth among the 12 teams that reached the postseason with 739 runs scored.

As for future expenditures, the Yankees’ currently have a $276.4 million payroll for 2027, which is fourth in the sport, per Spotrac. Chisholm, center fielder Trent Grisham, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and closer David Bednar are among their pending free agents.

Under manager Aaron Boone, the Yankees have made the playoffs in eight of nine seasons but won the AL pennant just once, doing so in 2024. They’re 790-565 in the regular season and 27-30 in the postseason from 2018-26. Meanwhile, Cashman just wrapped up his 29th season as New York’s general manager.

Source

After just four weeks, has Kenneth Walker III established himself as the NFL’s RB1? Was the Panthers’ electric performance on Sunday night just an appetizer for what they have in store this season? Is C.J. Stroud blameless in the Texans’ 0-4 start? And the Browns … are a playoff threat?!?

Fans brought their hot takes to our @NFLonFOX Instagram. Now it’s my turn to offer my take, provide some analysis, and render a verdict on whether you’re on the mark this week. 

Alright, let’s do it: 

C.J. Stroud Is Not The Problem With The Texans
– @pleonard_3

Fact or Fiction: Fact

You’re spot on!

Stroud has actually been one of the league’s better quarterbacks to start this season, offering reminders of what he was as a rookie in 2023. Through four games, he’s sixth in passing yards (1,141), third in yards per attempt (7.6), sixth in completion rate over expected (plus-5.3%), 11th in expected points added per dropback (plus 0.06) and 14th in passer rating (95.9), according to Next Gen Stats. He’s one of just three quarterbacks who hasn’t thrown an interception this season, and he hasn’t turned the ball over since Week 1. 

In Week 4 against the Cowboys, Stroud delivered a season-best performance: a 67.7% completion rate for 347 yards and two touchdowns with a 126.7 passer rating, the latter of which is the sixth-highest mark of his career. 

The Texans are 0-4 largely because Stroud hasn’t been getting any help from the run game — Houston is averaging just 79.0 rushing yards per game, 30th in the league — and the team’s talented defense has regressed. 

Houston allowed the fewest yards and second-fewest points in the NFL last season but has dropped to 20th and 26th in those categories, respectively, through four games. The Texans have already given up 30-plus points twice this season, after allowing 30 just once all of 2025, including playoffs (19 games). They have been particularly bad against the pass, sitting 28th in that department (260.0 passing yards allowed per game). 

Stroud and the offense have put up 20 or fewer points twice this season, but they’ve recorded at least 30 points in the two games that star wide receiver Nico Collins has played. The Texans have lost four games by a total of 25 points, and in three of the four, they had a go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter. 

C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins have been a potent pair this season, but the star receiver missed Weeks 2 and 3 with a hamstring injury. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

–>

Stroud has done his part and is setting himself up nicely for the big-money extension that didn’t come this past offseason. But the Texans have a big problem on defense right now. 

Kenneth Walker III Is The Best RB In The League
– @nargis17x

Fact or Fiction: Fiction

Before you Chiefs and Walker fans grab the pitchforks, let me explain!

Yes, Walker has been incredible through the first quarter of the season. He leads the NFL in rushing yards (53), yards per carry (6.2), rushing yards over expected (plus-212) and rush EPA (plus-10.9), according to Next Gen Stats. He’s also second in rushing yards after contact (395) and tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns (4). 

Even more impressive, Walker is just the third player in league history with multiple 170-plus rushing yards in a team’s first four games of a season. He’s looking like the best addition the Chiefs have made in the Patrick Mahomes era.

Kenneth Walker III (No. 9) celebrates with Patrick Mahomes after scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Oct. 4. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)

–>

But I’m definitely taking Bijan Robinson over Walker as the league’s top back. I know you all saw Robinson’s 59-yard touchdown run last week, when it looked like he was jogging to outrace Saints defenders. The Falcons star is a bit more dynamic as a ball carrier — though Walker leads the league in missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus — and adds much more value in the pass game than Walker, who’s never reached 300 yards receiving for a season. Robinson had 820 last year. 

Robinson is also losing carries to Brian Robinson Jr., a strong RB2 who had a career-high three rushing touchdowns last week. Walker, meanwhile, is the Chiefs’ entire rushing offense. Kansas City’s second leading rusher is backup running back Emmett Johnson, who has just 56 rushing yards. Without Brian Robinson Jr., Bijan Robinson’s numbers would likely match or exceed Kenneth Walker’s output. 

The Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs is in the conversation for best back in the league as well. Maybe his rushing production hasn’t been there — he’s tied for fifth with 353 rushing yards — but he leads the league in touches (101) and is tied for first in combined rushing and receiving touchdowns (7). 

I will say this, though: No running back in the league has been as impactful or a better fit for what his offense is trying to do than Walker. 

The Browns Are A Playoff-Caliber Team
– @althechosenone

Fact or Fiction: Fact

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but … yes, I see the Browns returning to the playoffs this season. 

And it’s not because I think they’re a top AFC contender. Teams like the Bills, Ravens, Bengals, Jaguars, Broncos, Chiefs and even Raiders all look more formidable for the long term. But Cleveland has given itself a great cushion with a 3-1 start, and veteran NFL offensive coordinator Todd Monken is apparently the kind of head coach the franchise needed. 

Great quarterback play gives you a chance in this league. And regardless of how you feel about Deshaun Watson, on the field he has been one of the better QBs to start this season. He ranks in the top 10 with a 69.6% completion rate (sixth) and a 101.2 passer rating (eighth). The former Pro Bowler has registered three consecutive game-winning drives, the longest streak of his career. 

It certainly helps that Cleveland has put a good, young nucleus of pass-catchers around Watson in Denzel Boston (284 receiving yards), Harold Fannin (153) and 2026 first-round pick KC Concepcion (144). 

Rookie receiver KC Concepcion is helping the Browns be one of the NFL’s biggest surprises early in the 2026 season. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

–>

Defensively, the Browns have settled into life post-Myles Garrett. They’ve allowed 24 or fewer points in three of their first four games. That includes holding the Panthers, who are fourth in the NFL averaging 30.3 points per game, to 18 points. 

Cleveland doesn’t have the most intimidating schedule over the next month-plus, either: at the Jets, vs. Ravens, at the Titans, at the Steelers, at the Saints and then back home against the Texans before its bye week. Four of those six opponents have one victory or none through four games, and the Browns already won their first matchup with the Steelers. Winning just half of those games would keep Cleveland above .500 heading into Thanksgiving. 

The Browns are in the always-tough AFC North, but don’t be surprised to see them in position to control their destiny down the stretch. 

The Panthers Will Take The NFC South
– @foxyboy769

Fact or Fiction: Fact

This is an extremely tough call, just because of how dominant the Falcons have been with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. back from ACL surgery. Atlanta has won back-to-back games, both on the road in prime time, by 20-plus points. But I just have more trust at this point in the Panthers, who’ve been more consistent through the first quarter of the season. 

Quarterback Bryce Young looks like a legitimate MVP candidate. Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, coming off a career-high 192 receiving yards against the Lions, is emerging as a top 10-caliber receiver. And since giving up 59 points to Chicago in its season opener, Carolina has allowed just 16.7 points per game over the past three weeks. 

The Panthers are starting to look like a complete team. 

Penix has been great for the Falcons, but it’s been just two games and he has a lengthy injury history. And we’ve seen how atrocious Atlanta’s offense is when he hasn’t played. 

I’m also concerned about the Falcons’ pass rush long term. The pressure rate numbers have actually been great — first in the NFL with 82 pressures and third with a 43.6% pressure rate through four weeks, per NGS — but I don’t see that being sustainable. Jalon Walker (ACL) was lost for the season in training camp, and it could take fellow edge rusher James Pearce Jr. a while to find his groove after finishing his eight-game suspension. The Falcons have just seven sacks this year (tied for 22nd). 

And then the Bucs and Saints just don’t appear to be in the competition with the Panthers right now. Tampa is one of the NFL’s five teams that are 0-4, while New Orleans has lost three of its first four games. 

So though it’s a tough call, yes, the Panthers can take the NFC South.

NFL Related Stories

Source

Headlining Week 6 of the college football season is a top-10 matchup in Georgia vs. Alabama, and the annual Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma.  

The Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs split last year when Alabama took down Georgia in the regular season, but the Bulldogs answered right back with an SEC title win over Bama. Texas remains atop the 2026 rankings with a comfortable 5-0 record that includes top-15 victories over Ohio State and Tennessee, and the Sooners look to hold off the Longhorns with a rebound win after a big loss to Georgia.

Notably, UCLA and Bob Chesney will travel north to Eugene to face Oregon, where Chesney fell to the Ducks as JMU’s head coach in the College Football Playoff last season. With a dominant run game and a shaky Oregon defense, the Bruins have a chance to hand the Ducks their second loss of the season. 

Here are FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt’s Week 6 picks and previews:

  Georgia 27, Alabama 24

Spread: Alabama 1.5
Moneyline: Alabama -122, Georgia +102

Klatt’s thoughts: “This one is going to be an amazing game. Kirby Smart always has a great defense. They are great, once again. They have the No. 1 defense in the country as it relates to yards per play. They can get after it. They’re going to have to get after it because Alabama’s offense is explosive. Alabama can play offense, and Keelon Russell can throw the ball down the field. I think NFL evaluators should be salivating when he becomes available in the NFL Draft. He reminds me a lot of the way Michael Penix Jr. played at Washington for Kalen DeBoer, and yet he’s more explosive and more mobile as a runner. So it’s a deadly combination. 

“I think that Georgia has to put pressure on them. If they don’t put pressure on Keelon Russell, I think Georgia loses the game. They’ve got to impact him somehow … it will be about the Georgia defense. I know the offense will be methodical. They will try to stay on schedule, they’ve got a quarterback who plays great in the fourth quarter … I think the worse the weather, the better for Kirby and Georgia. I don’t know if Alabama can run the football without the impact of a great passing game.

“I’m going to take Georgia … who I think is the best team in the country.”

Klatt’s straight-up pick: Georgia
Klatt’s pick against the spread: Georgia +1.5

  Texas 20, Oklahoma 10

Will Arch Manning succeed against Oklahoma’s defense? (Photo by The University of Texas Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)

–>

Spread: Texas -7.5
Moneyline: Texas -325, Oklahoma +260

Klatt’s thoughts: “Texas and Oklahoma. Texas has won three of the last four meetings with Oklahoma. Texas is No. 1 in the country right now. They should be ranked No. 1. They are better on paper than they are on film. They’ve been wildly inconsistent as a team and specifically on the offensive side. I don’t have a lot of worries about the Texas defense. The offense has not been very good … Penalties, not throwing the ball well, Arch has not played very well … they’ve got the best résumé, two top-15 wins. They’ve earned this position where they’re at. Now they play a top-five defense in OU. 

“OU can play defense now. Their issue is definitely not their defense. In a lot of ways, these teams mirror each other. What if I told you Oklahoma is 112th in yards per play offense? They turned the ball over, they couldn’t do anything against Michigan. What if I told you that Texas is 108th in yards per play offense? They’re basically the same team … they’ve got great defenses and great offenses that are woefully underperforming. So what do I see in this game? I think it’s low scoring. Just to give you some context, by the way … Texas is behind Colorado and Michigan in yards per play offense. When I tell you that they’re better on paper than on film, it is the truth. 

“I think Texas wins, and covers, in a low-scoring affair 20-10, Texas and Arch Manning get the win at Red River.”

Klatt’s straight-up pick: Texas
Klatt’s pick against the spread: Texas -7.5

  Oregon 45, UCLA 32

The last time Bob Chesney was in Oregon, he was coaching JMU in the College Football Playoff. (Photo by CFP/Getty Images)

–>

Spread: Oregon -11.5
Moneyline: Oregon -455, UCLA +35

Klatt’s thoughts: “Bob Chesney has UCLA undefeated right now. They’re looking to pull off a huge upset in Eugene. Oregon is going to have to do a lot better at stopping the run than they have done during the course of the season. UCLA can absolutely run the football. They have one of the best run games in the country, averaging seven yards per rush. And they feature a guy in Wayne Knight that is explosive. Now here’s the thing with UCLA: their quarterback can also run. He might not be the most dynamic runner, but Nico Iamaleava can absolutely threaten you in the run game. If I’m an Oregon fan, that makes me very nervous because of what Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker did, running that game in Stillwater. Wayne Knight is outstanding. 

“By the way, Bob Chesney took his JMU team to Eugene for the College Football Playoff, and yes, Oregon won handily, but guess what? JMU scored over 30 points … I think that [UCLA is] going to score some points here. Now the question will become, can Oregon match them and exceed them on the opposite side? I expect to see [Dylan] Raiola, he has bit of a penalty for turnovers, even though we didn’t see that at USC when he came off the bench, but if you look back at his time with Nebraska, there are some turnovers there … I don’t quite trust the UCLA defense. This is a defense that allowed 38 points to Purdue. 

“Oregon gets it done. I think Oregon wins 45-32, and they cover the 11.5.”

Klatt’s straight-up pick: Oregon
Klatt’s pick against the spread: Oregon -11.5

  USC 32, Penn State 14

The Matt Campbell era is not off to a great start, and Joel Klatt doesn’t think it’s going to get better this week. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

–>

Spread: Penn State -1.5
Moneyline: Penn State -122, USC +105

Klatt’s thoughts: “USC on the road, going east. USC, now 5-1, is at Penn State, who’s now 3-2 and is unranked, and the bottom has kind of fallen out for Matt Campbell … What is going on? Penn State is favored by 1.5. [USC] just played awful football for six quarters. … The big question for me is, is USC going to beat themselves, or will they play a cleaner game? … When you just evaluate the teams and the product on the field, by 1.5 seems wild. USC is facing their old defensive coordinator, with a familiar piece there in D’Anton Lynn. I think the familiarity favors Lincoln Riley … USC should be able to run the ball. Penn State can’t tackle anybody. The only one that gets in the way for USC, in my estimation, are the costly mistakes. Those might show up. I don’t think USC’s defense is great, but I think they’re better than people give them credit for. 

“Penn State can’t do anything on offense. They really miss their wide receiver, Koby Howard. He was averaging 100 yards per game on nearly 30 per catch. Since he went down, they’ve really struggled on offense. Rocco Becht has struggled on offense. They couldn’t do anything against Northwestern. Couldn’t do anything in the second half against Wisconsin. USC is better than Wisconsin and Northwestern talent wise.

“USC 32-14.”

Klatt’s straight-up pick: USC
Klatt’s pick against the spread: USC +1.5

  LSU 28, Kentucky 10

Will Stein has Kentucky exceeding expectations in his first year at the helm, but LSU’s defense looms. (Photo by Zach Del Bello/Getty Images)

–>

Spread: LSU -9.5
Moneyline: LSU -345, Kentucky +275

Klatt’s thoughts: “LSU at Kentucky. LSU is favored by 9.5. Kentucky beat a very average Texas A&M and a very average-to-bad South Carolina team. They hung with Alabama for a half and then kind of got ran out of that building. I still am a bit concerned for LSU about the health of their quarterback. Sam Leavitt can’t play the way that he normally plays … his health is paramount for this team. Their defense is outstanding. This is where I think it really makes a huge difference in this game. Their defense is better than Alabama’s defense. Kenny Minchey is going to see guys who can get after the passer. Princewill Umanmielen has eight sacks … Will Stein is doing awesome … he’s exceeding expectations for Kentucky. But LSU is a different animal. This defense is a different animal. They can rush the passer and run everywhere. They’re one of the best defenses in America.

“I think Kentucky has to play their best. Do I anticipate them playing their best after the emotional win a week ago? No. History suggests that over the course of the season that very rarely can teams do something on the positive side, in an emotional fashion, and back it up with consistency the next week. So, I don’t see Kentucky playing at the level they need to stay within the 9.5. 

“I got LSU winning this game 28-10. LSU covers the 9.5.”

Klatt’s straight-up pick: LSU
Klatt’s pick against the spread: LSU -9.5

more cfb Stories

Source

New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. has no qualms about where he wants to be next season.

“I love it as a Yankee,” Chisholm, who’s set to be a free agent this coming offseason, said in a postgame press conference on Wednesday night following the Yankees’ season-ending Game 3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series. “I grew up as a Yankee fan. Being from the Bahamas, watching Derek Jeter and those guys every day, it was a great time being a Yankee. I loved my time with the Yankees. I had great years with the Yankees, had an All-Star year, had a Silver Slugger year. Yeah, it was great.

“I mean, who doesn’t want to stay with a team that you’ve had such great times with and great years with? To see it maybe end here sucks, but it’s part of the business.”

Chisholm had a bumpy 2026 season.

In the regular season, Chisholm totaled 19 home runs, 55 RBIs, 41 stolen bases, a 97 OPS+ and 1.7 wins above replacement over 137 games, while finishing with a .231/.312/.399 slash line. He posted -6 defensive runs saved at second base.

Then, Chisholm committed a throwing error in the first inning of Game 2 of the ALDS that allowed the Rays to score a run and had only two hits in the postseason altogether; he started just three of the Yankees’ five playoff games. On a bizarre note, Chisholm has hit .182 in the postseason in each of his three years with the Yankees (2024-26).

The year prior (2025), Chisholm had arguably the best season of his MLB career, totaling 31 home runs, 80 RBIs, 31 stolen bases and 4.1 wins above replacement over 130 games, while posting a .242/.332/.481 slash line. Chisholm, who posted two defensive runs saved at second base, earned both an All-Star nod and a Silver Slugger honor.

New York acquired Chisholm from the Miami Marlins before the 2024 MLB trade deadline. After extensive time at second base, shortstop and center field with the Marlins, the Yankees initially played Chisholm at third base throughout their run to the 2024 World Series before moving him back to second base on a full-time basis with occasional cameos at the hot corner in 2025.

While Chisholm, who will be 29 at the start of the 2027 MLB season, could ultimately be back in the Bronx next season, the Yankees could also find his replacement in-house; shortstop Anthony Volpe got playing time at second base for New York down the stretch, including in the postseason, with touted rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. now playing every day at shortstop.

Source

With UCLA coming off a national title and Southern Cal going for one of its own with star Juju Watkins returning from injury, there may never have been more attention on women’s basketball in Los Angeles.

“If you intend to come,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said Wednesday at Big Ten media days, “you should probably get your tickets early.”

The success of the two West Coast schools has been a bigger problem for the rest of the Big Ten than Los Angeles basketball fans. In the two years since USC and UCLA left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, each school has topped the standings once and the Bruins have won the conference tournament twice, going on to the Final Four two years ago and winning the championship last April.

UCLA has some holes to fill this season but is still expected to be top-25 caliber. Watkins returns after missing last season with a torn ACL and will join the country’s top recruiting class to try to help USC return to the nation’s elite and extend the rivals’ dominance over its new league.

Phoenix, AZ – April 05: UCLA Bruins pose with the Wade Trophy to celebrate after defeating South Carolina Gamecocks 79-51 in the NCAA Women’s Championship game at Mortgage Matchup Center on Saturday, April 5, 2026 in Phoenix, AZ. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

–>

“Honestly, for me, I’m just excited to be back and whatever comes with that will come,” Watkins said. “I know the team is excited. We’re preparing for a great season ahead. I’m ecstatic.”

The question that poses for the rest of the conference is whether any of the legacy Big Ten teams can mount a challenge to this newfound tilt from Midwest to West. Iowa and Michigan look like the strongest contenders to break the California grip on the league, but there could be as many as eight other Big Ten teams in the preseason Top 25 poll.

“Our league is stronger and tougher than it has ever been,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “Every night, you’re going to face a top-25 opponent in our league. It’s incredibly, incredibly challenging.”

The Big Ten has been through this before. When Maryland jumped from the ACC in the fall of 2014, the Terrapins claimed at least a share of first place in six of the next seven seasons. Either Ohio State or Indiana topped the standings in the three years prior to the latest expansion, but since then it’s been all UCLA and USC at the top.

The Bruins have work to do after accounting for six of the first 18 picks in the WNBA Draft, but have five returnees assuming larger roles, including sophomore Sienna Betts and junior Timea Gardiner.

“I think we’re not trying to repeat an outcome, we’re really just trying to repeat a process,” Gardiner said. “Really just giving everything we can to each and every day. We have such an amazing group that is committed to doing that, so we will let the cards fall where they may.”

Southern Cal, meanwhile, added the No. 1 and No. 5 recruits in the country and a pair of impact transfers to a Watkins-Jazzy Davidson backcourt after going 18-14 without the preseason Big Ten player of the year. The Trojans have loaded up the roster to make a run at its first Final Four in 40 years. Gottlieb resisted when asked if she had built a super team, but didn’t exactly deflect the notion, either.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 03: USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb and guard Jazzy Davidson (9) looks on during a women’s college basketball game between the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins on January 3, 2026, at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

–>

“I’ve never called it that,” Gottlieb said. “We’ve just tried to assemble a team that we think can have championship aspirations. We’ve got a lot of excellent players that are all going to play whatever role they’re asked to the best of their ability. If you do that at the highest level, it becomes a super team.”

Super team or not, the challenge the rest of the Big Ten continues to face has not changed.

“It’s great for our league,” Purdue coach Katie Gearlds said. “Obviously, UCLA winning the championship last year, USC as good as they’re going to be this year having Juju back healthy and the star power that they have, it just elevates and lifts our games and gets more eyeballs on us. I think if you talk to anybody that’s here, we all want to find a way to beat them, but it’s cool that we have them in our league and they are as good as they are.”

Reporting by the Associated Press.

Source

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Matt Arnold is a stress eater. On Wednesday night at Petco Park, tortilla chips were the guilty pleasure for the Brewers’ president of baseball operations. 

But by the eighth inning of the game that would send his team through to the National League Championship Series for the second straight season, the architect of an overlooked and undervalued Milwaukee roster was also overachieving in his own way. He had mustered the willpower to switch to a healthier option when Padres third baseman Manny Machado launched a baseball 406 feet into the night sky and sent 47,712 fans into an anticipatory uproar. 

“I was chewing on ice,” Arnold told me. “I was trying to reduce calories.”

The frozen substitute did not, however, reduce Arnold’s stress levels, which were creeping up jointly with the decibels inside the stadium on a deep drive that could have tied the game and changed the series: “You see that ball, and you see enough of these balls hit where you’re like, ‘That’s trouble.’”

That much was clear from Machado’s reaction, one that went immediately from expectant to incredulous. 

After launching the ball 106.7 mph off the bat, the Padres slugger took a couple small side steps in the batter’s box and admired the moonshot. He clearly thought he got it, up until the point that Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell fought through a sea of Padres fans in the first row to emerge with the baseball. Machado put his hands on his head and removed his helmet in disgusted disbelief. 

For the second time in a four-game, heavyweight, back-and-forth bout, a potential Padres home run stayed in the field of play. In Game 1, it was a deep drive from Ty France that ricocheted off a roof cable at American Family Field. In the deciding Game 4, it was Mitchell bringing Machado’s blast back at Petco Park, thwarting the Padres’ last-ditch effort to save their season in a 3-1 Brewers win. 

“I think we have a different type of confidence and belief in ourselves, together as a team,” Mitchell said. “It’s just a quiet, subtle confidence. It’s not showboaty. … Just, everyone who’s in this clubhouse, front office to the staff, everyone believes.” 

With that snag, and a perfect ninth inning to follow from closer Trevor Megill, the best team in baseball extinguished the hottest team in the sport and removed a burden that had weighed on Milwaukee’s shoulders for nearly a decade.

In the ninth, closer Trevor Megill made sure there was no need for further outfield heroics. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

–>

Entering Wednesday, the Brewers had lost 12 straight road playoff games. Their all-time postseason road record of 6-24 was the worst mark in MLB. They heard about it over and over.

But even inside one of the most difficult road environments in the sport, at a field in which the Padres produced a 51-30 record during the regular season and had smothered the Cubs during a two-game wild-card sweep, there was a novel sense of composure and poise. Like they knew they would find a way. 

“It’s not outwardly showing something, it’s just that belief,” Mitchell said. “We’ve been here before.” 

“There’s just a different feeling, man,” added reliever Aaron Ashby, who fired three scoreless frames to earn the Game 4 win. “I don’t know that I can explain it. … You can just feel that it’s different, like there’s a calm confidence around the team.” 

Entering Wednesday, the Brewers hadn’t won a playoff game away from home since the 2018 NLCS at Dodger Stadium, a game that was started by Walker Buehler. As it turned out, their next road win would also come in a game started by Buehler. The October standout gave the Padres a chance Wednesday night, allowing just one run over three innings before Fernando Tatis Jr. sent the home crowd into a frenzy with a third-inning solo shot. 

All series, though, the Milwaukee offense countered. 

“It never feels like we’re out of it,” Ashby said, “because we aren’t.”

On Wednesday, the Brewers didn’t record their first strikeout until their 29th batter of the game, with one out in the seventh inning. They looked like the same relentless lineup that led MLB in batting average and on-base percentage, the one that everyone claimed would not translate to October. 

After one series, they lead all playoff teams in both categories as well. 

“I think we’re proving that, no, we still can win in the postseason,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy. “Good baseball is good baseball.”

Jake Bauers struggled in Game 3, but in Game 4, Milwaukee’s first baseman reached base four times and drove in a run. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

–>

For many of the lefties in the lineup, though, it hadn’t looked so crisp for much of the series. Through the first three games against the Padres, Mitchell, Brice Turang and Jake Bauers were hitting a combined .152 with no extra-base hits. 

So before Game 4, Murphy met with each of them individually. 

And on Wednesday, Mitchell started the scoring with an RBI single and later added the deciding run after a leadoff triple in the fifth. 

“Through mistakes, through the ups and downs, he has always said that he believed in me,” Mitchell said. “And he has given me every opportunity to continue to go out there and be myself.”

Bauers, meanwhile, was coming off a Game 3 in which he struck out in four of his five plate appearances. That made for a tough night of sleep. 

But a day later, he responded by reaching base all four times up and adding an insurance run after a leadoff single in the sixth. The discussion with Murphy helped. 

“He didn’t say anything that I didn’t already know, but it was good to have the conversation, have someone else tell me too that it was time to refocus a little bit,” Bauers said. “Last night, obviously, I struck out four times, hit a ball out of the stadium 300 feet foul. That’s not who I’ve been this entire season. Just was trying to do way too much. To hear him say ‘just be you’ was a good reminder.”

The deep drive from Machado, however, threatened to erase all of their work.

“Obviously, he’s got some juice,” said Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich. “You don’t feel too good about it when he puts a swing on it like that. You see him stand up at home plate, you’re like, ‘Man, he got it.’” 

Yelich had seen that swing before. 

Nine years ago, he was playing left field for Team USA when Machado sent a deep drive to an identical location at the exact same field. That hit was robbed by Adam Jones.

On Thursday, it felt like déjà vu when Mitchell tracked it down, setting the stage for a celebration in the road clubhouse at Petco Park. The Brewers popped bottles of Budweiser and Prosecco and puffed on Padrón cigars until 10:40 p.m., when they suddenly cleared out of the clubhouse and back onto the field. 

They wanted a team picture to commemorate the occasion and a group they feel is more together than past iterations. 

The Brewers celebrating their NLDS victory in San Diego. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

–>

“I do notice it,” Arnold told me from next to the pitcher’s mound, where players and staff lined up for photos with their families. “I don’t know how to talk about it. You can’t measure it, but you can feel it. I think it’s kind of cliché to say it, but it’s a real thing.” 

“We’ve been through this a few times,” Brewers pitching coach Chris Hook told me, trying to explain what others could not. “The more you do something, the more you’re under this kind of stress, I think you get a little bit more comfortable in the environment.”

MLB Related Stories

It’s that confidence that has the Brewers believing that they’re better equipped this year to handle their next opponent in an NLCS rematch against a Dodgers team that swept them last October. 

“As a team, we noticed that maybe [the belief] was lacking a little bit last year, like we were just happy to be there,” Bauers told me. “This year, it’s a little bit more of a choice.”

“Why wouldn’t you want another chance to go at it?” Mitchell added. “I don’t think that’s any more pressure on us. It’s just, let’s see what we can do.”

And have some snacks handy for the front office. 

“I’ll just kill chips,” Arnold said. “Chips and dip.”

Brewers Knock Out Padres! Jeter, A-Rod & Big Papi React to Game 4 NLDS Win, NLCS Rematch vs Dodgers

–>

Source

Justin Jefferson and Odell Beckham Jr. have a few things in common.

First, they each played their collegiate ball with the LSU Tigers. Second, they’ve each been superstar wide receivers in the NFL. And now, they’re teammates on the Minnesota Vikings, and the 27-year-old Jefferson is thrilled to be teammates with the veteran Beckham.

“It’s definitely cool,” Jefferson said in a press conference on Wednesday afternoon about the Vikings signing Beckham. “All of the years I’ve watched him play and looked up to his game and his play style, both on and off the field, how he carries himself as a superstar in the league and just managing it. We’ve been brothers for a very, very long time. The connection has always been there. We’ve always kind of talked about this moment and one day being able to play with each other, but for it to actually be here is definitely crazy.

“He called me last night to tell me that he was coming down and just the excitement on his face and just the excitement that we both share together, it was definitely a cool moment.”

Minnesota signed Beckham to its practice squad Wednesday, which comes in the wake of Jefferson missing the team’s Week 4 win over the Miami Dolphins with an ankle injury. Beckham, who was a Pro Bowler with the New York Giants from 2014-16 and spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Giants (2014-18), was released by New York last week after logging just one target in the team’s first three games.

Beckham didn’t play in 2025. Prior to the aforementioned gap year, he had one-year stints with the Miami Dolphins (2024) and Baltimore Ravens (2023), preceded by missing the 2022 season due to a torn ACL and helping the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl in 2021; the Giants traded Beckham to the Browns in 2019, with the receiver playing two-plus years in Cleveland before being waived during the 2021 season and joining the Rams.

Over the three games he has played this season, Jefferson, a two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, has totaled 13 receptions for 179 yards and two touchdowns. While Minnesota is 4-0, its offense has struggled, 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 rushing yards (106.8 per game).

NFL Related Stories

As for their collegiate careers, Jefferson, who played for the Tigers from 2017-19 and was part of their 2019 National Championship team, is tied for third in LSU history with 24 receiving touchdowns, is sixth outright with 165 receptions and seventh with 2,415 receiving yards. Beckham, who played in Baton Rouge from 2011-13, is ninth in LSU history with 2,340 receiving yards and was selected by the Giants with the No. 12 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft after a standout junior season that saw him average 19.5 yards per reception. 

Jefferson, Beckham and the Vikings have a road matchup against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5 (Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX).

Source

When Ohio State’s wide receivers head to special teams meetings during the week, Jeremiah Smith goes in a different direction.

He walks into the quarterbacks room.

The unanimous All-American and current Heisman Trophy favorite studies film with the quarterbacks, breaks down concepts and goes over game plans. The setup gives Smith an opportunity to “see the game through a different lens,” an Ohio State spokesperson told me, while also strengthening the chemistry between Smith and starting quarterback Julian Sayin.

Five games into the season, that partnership is becoming a nightmare for opposing defenses. Sayin has found Smith 44 times for 823 yards and nine touchdowns.

Their connection was on full display during the Buckeyes’ 31-14 win over Iowa last weekend. On the first play of the second quarter, Sayin lofted a pass into triple coverage. Smith, surrounded by defenders closing in, rose up and snatched the ball away before turning upfield and racing 54 yards toward the end zone.

“At times, you’re thinking, Julian is kind of forcing the ball, but the two of them are on the exact same page,” former Ohio State coach and “Big Noon Kickoff” analyst Urban Meyer told me. “I mean, you can verify that these two have worked together, they’re in meetings together. Because a lot of times you’re like, why did he throw it there?”

Sayin joked after the game that “we probably shouldn’t have gone there.” Ohio State coach Ryan Day agreed: “That was not a great read, but a ridiculous throw and a ridiculous catch.” 

Regardless, the moment was a testament to the trust the two players have built over the last several years — and now, with the added wrinkle that they’re spending even more time together.

Could that familiarity ultimately give the 4-1 Buckeyes, who are pushing to win their second national championship in three years, an edge when they face opponents determined to do everything possible to stop Smith?

‘A Generational Athlete’

Wide receivers taking part in quarterback meetings is unusual — and not the norm at programs around the country. Meyer never did it himself, not even with stars such as Michael Thomas, Parris Campbell or Terry McLaurin on his teams, though he has heard of it happening before. Smith isn’t the first wideout to do this under Day, but he is the only one participating in quarterback meetings this year.

Meyer isn’t surprised to hear that Smith has taken on this extra work.

“His whole lifestyle is nothing other than being the greatest football player he can be,” Meyer said. “I mean, he doesn’t go out. It’s shocking to me when I hear about how committed he is to being the greatest of all time, and that includes going to quarterback meetings.

“This is a generational athlete we are watching.”

Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith is now the sole program record holder for career receiving yards (3,363), catches (206) and touchdowns (36). (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

–>

Former Ohio State QB Justin Zwick remembers a very different setup early in his career, as quarterbacks and receivers met together only because they had the same position coach. Once Jim Tressel eventually hired Darrell Hazell as the dedicated receivers coach, Zwick doesn’t recall anyone outside the quarterback room attending their position meetings.

But he thinks what Day is doing with Smith is notable.

“It’s beneficial because the receivers are seeing and hearing what the quarterbacks are looking for, what the play is intended to be, and how it all works together, so I think it’s important,” Zwick told me. “I think it’s really cool Jeremiah is doing that.”

Zwick said that for Smith, this layer of preparation is like “giving him a PhD in offense” and allows him to “get the bones of the plays and the thought process behind it.” 

FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt agrees, and told me that being in these meetings is “powerful” for Smith. 

“He will now understand not only what to do, but also how to do it,” Klatt said. “And most importantly, why it is done this way.”

In the win over Iowa, Smith caught 11 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, including 77 yards after the catch. He’s now the sole program record holder for career receiving yards (3,363), catches (206) and touchdowns (36) — all in less than two-and-a-half seasons.

Next, he’ll be zeroing in on Big Ten history. Smith is just 238 yards shy of surpassing Purdue’s John Standeford for the conference career receiving yards record (3,618) and four touchdowns away from eclipsing Michigan’s Braylon Edwards for the career receiving touchdowns mark (39). He might not catch Purdue’s Taylor Stubblefield for the all-time receptions record (316), but he’ll come close.

“It’s absolutely absurd,” Zwick said. “Coming into the year, we all were excited and knew he was probably going to break all those records at some point. It’s just been a show.”

‘One Of The Most Refreshing Stories’

Only five wide receivers have ever won the Heisman Trophy. Entering this season, much of the conversation surrounding college football’s most prestigious individual award centered around quarterbacks such as Miami’s Darian Mensah, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Texas’ Arch Manning.

We’re not even halfway through the season, but Smith has already emerged as the favorite. He currently has the highest odds to win the award, and he’s outpacing former Alabama and current Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith, who won the Heisman in 2020. Through five games, Jeremiah has 267 more yards and five more touchdowns than DeVonta did at the same point in his Heisman-winning season.

“We have seen great production before, but what I think is remarkable is that every defense is trying actively to take him away from the Ohio State offense, and he still produces at this level,” Klatt said. “It is crazy. He can defeat double and triple coverage, and he can do it in several ways: pure physicality and size, speed through the top of the defense, elite technique and route running ability. He obviously has an amazing catch radius. 

“And all of this makes him nearly impossible to defend.”

Smith hit the Heisman pose after hauling in a 57-yard touchdown against Iowa. After the game, he told reporters to let the Heisman voters “know that I’m the best player in the country.” And while those who know him best describe him as a man of few words who doesn’t care much about personal accolades, Smith made his ambitions clear when he added, “I’ve got to be there,” referring to the ceremony in New York City.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

–>

Maybe Smith was partly joking. But he wants to win the Heisman. He wants to win everything.

“He’s as serious as it gets, he’s as competitive as it gets, and he practices so freaking hard every day,” Day said this week on the “Triple Option” podcast. “Like, you got to pull him back, and it almost becomes an argument sometimes. He’s like, ‘I need this rep. We got to have this rep.’ He’s a perfectionist. 

“You just can’t imagine how hard he works every day in practice,” Day repeated. “It’s like a coach’s dream, quite honestly.”

And while Smith plays a position often associated with big egos and prima donna behavior, he’s the total opposite.

“He’s down to earth,” Zwick said. “We’ve seen him improve each and every year. And a lot of times with receivers, you can get some ‘look-at-me’ guys and maybe guys who are like, ‘Yeah, I know I’m better than everybody, and I’m not going to work as hard as I should.’ 

“That’s just not what he is about. It’s really special.”

Day has spoken many times about Smith’s leadership and his willingness to lead by example. But to Meyer, that’s the most impressive thing the Buckeyes’ superstar wideout has done.

“In this day and age of NIL and transferring and all the stuff that’s out there, all this kid does is perform every weekend, and you never hear a thing other than how great he is,” Meyer said. “You never hear, ‘Well, he’s kind of a pain in the ass, his parents are too involved, he’s threatening to transfer because he’s not getting more balls.’ All this stuff that sometimes you hear [about players].

“This is one of the most refreshing stories in college football history when you take a look at the whole body of work.”

‘Greatest Wide Receiver In College Football History?’

Smith won a national championship as a freshman. He was a unanimous first-team All-American selection as a sophomore. Now a junior, he’s leading the country in virtually every major receiving category and has posted back-to-back games with at least 10 catches, 200 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

The conversation in and around Columbus these days has shifted to whether Smith is the best Buckeye ever — and if he belongs alongside, or even above players such as two-time Heisman winner Archie Griffin, two-time Lombardi Trophy winner Orlando Pace and Heisman winner Eddie George.

“He is the best player in college football, and it is not very close,” Klatt said. “I think a great question to be asked is if he is the greatest wide receiver in college football history already? I think it is a conversation between [Randy] Moss, Julio Jones, [Larry] Fitzgerald and Smith.”

Smith will have more chances to make his case as Ohio State’s upcoming schedule features matchups against No. 7 Indiana, No. 19 USC, No. 13 Oregon and rival Michigan.

“Everybody’s seen him and everybody wants to try and stop him,” Zwick said. “And it just doesn’t seem like anybody’s going to.”

CFB Related Stories

Source