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Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham did not recruit Bryce Underwood. He wasn’t involved in the massive NIL deal that brought Underwood to Ann Arbor. And he certainly wasn’t the coach who named the former No. 1 overall recruit the starting quarterback as a true freshman.

That could make what happens next between Whittingham and Underwood — who struggled in the Wolverines’ narrow Week 1 win over in-state foe Western Michigan — particularly interesting.

“Kyle Whittingham is not tied to Bryce Underwood,” FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt said Wednesday on “The Herd.” “It was not Kyle’s decision to give Bryce Underwood the NIL deal. He’s not as tied to Underwood as the previous coaching staff.” 

That dynamic could come into focus quickly Saturday, when Michigan hosts No. 11 Oklahoma in one of the most intriguing games of Week 2.

Underwood’s first game under Whittingham didn’t exactly go according to plan. The sophomore quarterback — recruited to Michigan by former head coach Sherrone Moore and his staff — completed just 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and two turnovers in the win.

Earlier this week, Whittingham made it clear that Underwood’s status as Michigan’s starting quarterback isn’t necessarily permanent.

“He’s our QB right now, and it’s not something that’s infinite,” Whittingham said. “At some point, we’ve got to turn a corner.”

Underwood appeared surprised Wednesday when a reporter asked him about his coach’s comments.

“There were comments about that?” Underwood said. “That’s cool. I didn’t see that. It’s cool.”

So, how will this all play out when Underwood and the Wolverines go up against one of the top defenses in the country Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor?

“I think that makes this week interesting,” Klatt said. “How effective is he? How long does he stay in the game if he is ineffective? That’s a question.”

This is new territory for Whittingham, who arrived at Michigan after 20 seasons at Utah, where he became the winningest coach in program history. He inherited Underwood and the rest of the Wolverines’ roster when he took over in Ann Arbor.

Klatt believes that distinction matters, as Whittingham isn’t simply tasked with deciding whether Underwood is talented enough to be Michigan’s starting quarterback. He’s tasked with figuring out how to put him in the best possible position to succeed.

“I’m a firm believer that the best coaches put their players in the best position to be successful,” Klatt said. “So you’ve got to decide: What can our guy do well … and now let’s build a system around what he can do well.”

Bryce Underwood completed 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and added two turnovers in Michigan’s Week 1 win. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

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That is where Michigan appeared to struggle in Week 1.

“What it looked like against Western Michigan was oil and water,” Klatt said. “You have a quarterback running a system that just didn’t look like it was gelling.”

That will need to change on Saturday as Michigan won’t have the luxury of easing its way into its Week 2 matchup against standout quarterback John Mateer and the No. 11-ranked Sooners.

If Underwood struggles again, the question Klatt raised becomes increasingly relevant: 

How much patience does Whittingham have?

Week 2 College Football Picks: Ohio St-Texas, Oklahoma-Michigan & more!

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Source

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs pleaded no contest Thursday to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May altercation with his girlfriend during which she said he threw her to the ground.

Jacobs must pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs for the battery charge. Under an agreement with prosecutors, the criminal damage charge can be dismissed in a year if he fulfills terms that include staying out of trouble, avoiding the victim in this case, submitting to supervision, completing counseling and paying restitution to the victim.

“I fully understand the seriousness of the situation, and I take full responsibility,” Jacobs said during an appearance in a Brown County court.

Jacobs was arrested on May 26, three days after Hobart-Lawrence police officers came to his Wisconsin home to investigate a disturbance. According to police, the woman told them that Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground as she was trying to exit a garage door, causing her to hit her head. Police said Jacobs also took her phone from her while she was on the ground.

Police said they noticed redness on her face and neck and could feel a bump on the back of her head.

According to a criminal complaint, the woman’s statement was corroborated by surveillance footage from the camera system in the garage where the incident occurred.

Jacobs was charged in late August and the NFL subsequently placed him on the commissioner’s exempt list, which prevents the three-time Pro Bowl running back from playing or practicing but allows him to keep receiving a paycheck. Players on the commissioner’s exempt list may be allowed at team facilities for meetings, individual workouts, therapy and rehabilitation and other non-football activities.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Thursday that the league is monitoring the case, which is being reviewed under the league personal conduct policy, and Jacobs remains on the exempt list. The Packers had no immediate comment.

Jacobs could face a league suspension.

David Chesnoff, one of the lawyers representing Jacobs, said the running back already has begun counseling.

“This plea reflects Josh’s acknowledgement of his actions and his acceptance of responsibility for these actions,” Chesnoff said. “There are significant consequences for Josh, and he intends to meet all the requirements the court imposes under these negotiations.”

According to the criminal complaint, Jacobs’ girlfriend told police she had been looking through Jacobs’ phone and saw he was talking to other women, and that she threw his phone in anger without breaking it. She told police that Jacobs had her phone and she told him he could look through it.

Josh Jacobs, a 2022 All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowler, is entering his third season with the Packers. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

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Police said the woman indicated she tried to retrieve her phone from Jacobs, but he grabbed her arm. They left the home in separate vehicles but eventually returned, and the woman later grabbed a second phone from a duffle bag. That led to the events in which she was trying to exit a garage door.

Jacobs entered his plea three days before the Packers open the season at Minnesota.

He is coming off a 2025 season during which he rushed for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns. That followed a 2024 season in which he ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns while earning his third Pro Bowl selection.

Green Bay has no other running backs who rushed for more than 106 yards last season.

The only other running backs currently on Green Bay’s 53-man roster are MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks and Kaleb Johnson. The Packers acquired Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers the day that Jacobs was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list.

Lloyd is a 2024 third-round pick who has played just one game over the last two seasons due to a variety of injuries, but he is healthy now.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Source

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — In the hours after he was fired by the Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh knew he’d have options to coach again. He also knew not all of those options would be good. So, he had a shopping list of things he would need from his next NFL organization.

One item was clearly at the top.

Harbaugh would not take any job if the team did not have a franchise quarterback in place — one he believed could help him win another Super Bowl championship. And it didn’t take Harbaugh long to be sold on the promise of Jaxson Dart. 

“I liked the way he played the game, but I feel like we think the same way, generally speaking, about football,” Harbaugh told me on a recent visit to his first training camp with the New York Giants. “I like the way he thinks. I like how competitive he is.

“And probably more than anything, I love how important football is to him. The word I would use is probably ‘obsession.’ I think he’s obsessed with football, and being the best he can be and all the things he wants to accomplish. That’s his obsession.”

That’s good because the Giants are obsessed, too, with fixing a franchise that has been mostly broken for more than a decade. They traded back into the first round to land Dart in the 2025 draft, then spent $100 million and upended their organizational structure to land Harbaugh back in January. They see the Harbaugh-Dart duo as their salvation, the way Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning were 22 years ago.

Jaxson Dart showed enough promise in his rookie season, scoring 24 total TDs in 14 games and providing Giants fans hope. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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They’ve invested everything they could in this pairing they believe is the future of their franchise.

So yes, this better work.

‘That’s Not His Main Thing. Football Is.’

On paper, it’s a mismatch. The 63-year-old coach with a somewhat stoic, all-football demeanor and the flashy 23-year-old who seems to love everything that comes with being a celebrity in New York. Dart is a showman, whether it’s on Instagram, at parties or on celebrity row. Harbaugh, on the other hand, seems more at home in a film room with the lights down low.

But what Harbaugh quickly learned was that Dart’s appearance was deceiving. The old coach spent hours talking with the young quarterback before he took the Giants job. That’s where he first learned of Dart’s “obsession” with the details, with becoming a better quarterback, and with the hard work he knew he had to put in to get there. And just in case he wasn’t convinced, he took calls from former Giants coach Brian Daboll, Eli Manning, and several others raving about Dart’s football acumen and work ethic, too.

And that’s really what Harbaugh cared about most. All the flash and trappings of celebrity are fine with him, as long as the substance is there.

“Right. That’s how I see it with him,” Harbaugh told me. “And he’s great about it. That’s not his main thing. Football is.”

Jaxson Dart attended several events over the offseason, such as World Cup matches and Fanatics Fest. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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Dart’s teammates saw that clearly when they reported for Harbaugh’s first practices in the spring. There was a learning curve for all of them as they got their first real look at Harbaugh’s plan and the offensive system he’d be running with new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. They had to decipher a new language and adopt a new philosophy. 

Of course, there were going to be early mistakes. But the learning curve for Dart seemed smaller. He had spent months preparing, learning, and getting ready to become the leader Harbaugh needed him to be. So he was ready for everything when training camp opened in West Virginia. And when his teammates were still making those mistakes in the first few days, Dart’s tolerance was extremely low.

“I would say he was pretty pissed off with a couple of things at the beginning,” Giants receiver Darnell Mooney said about two weeks into training camp. “A lot of guys were trying to figure out everything. We were trying to learn the playbook. Now that the guys know the playbook, everything’s running a little bit smoother.  He’s calming down more so that he can just play quarterback. He doesn’t have to help out everybody so much.”

‘He Has All Those Kinds of Tools.’

Harbaugh didn’t know a lot about Dart’s leadership when he was still coaching in Baltimore, but he was familiar with his game. He liked his skills, his toughness, and his moxie. He was impressed by what Dart did last season, when he started 12 games in his rookie year.

“I liked his talent,” Harbaugh told me. “I liked the way he played. I thought he had good feel for the game, good pocket presence, could move a little bit. I thought he made throws off-schedule as well. All the things I think most of the great quarterbacks are doing nowadays, he has all those kinds of tools.”

Harbaugh had a quarterback like that in Baltimore, too. He spent eight years with Lamar Jackson and helped him win two NFL MVP awards and finish second in the voting for a third. Together, they went 76-31 and went to the playoffs five times, though they never got past the AFC Championship Game.

They had a good relationship by all accounts, despite reports of a growing rift near the end of last season. Harbaugh built his entire approach around Jackson’s unique, dual-threat skills.

One big thing Harbaugh learned during his years with Jackson, though, was this: The franchise quarterback can’t help if he’s hurt. Jackson hurt his hamstring in Week 4 last season, missed three games and clearly wasn’t the same player when he returned. In his first three starts, even though the Ravens were 1-2, Jackson had thrown for 722 yards with nine touchdowns and no interceptions, and ran for 118 yards and a touchdown too. He never played close to that again.

John Harbaugh is taking the lessons he used coaching Lamar Jackson with the Ravens and applying them to how he’ll manage Jaxson Dart. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

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It’s possible that had he stayed healthy and on the field, the Ravens would have won the AFC North, which they ended up losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers on a missed 44-yard field goal by Tyler Loop with no time remaining in the final game of the season. A healthy Jackson could have changed history for Harbaugh, who might be preparing for Year 19 in Baltimore right now instead of taking on a new job.

So yes, Harbaugh and the Giants are well aware that Dart displayed a somewhat reckless style when he scrambled last season, showing in his 86 runs for 487 yards and nine touchdowns that he’s unafraid to put his body in harm’s way. In some ways that’s good. As Giants quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan said, “He proved to all his teammates and everybody in this league that he’s a really tough player.”

But the flip side is Dart was pulled off the field five times for concussion checks during his 14 starts. He actually suffered a diagnosed concussion in an early November game in Chicago and missed the next two weeks. He was even pulled out for a concussion check once during this preseason, even though he only played two drives all summer long.

The result of all that has been an endless, nearly year-long debate in New York about whether the Giants coaches should rein Dart in or ride him like the unbroken thoroughbred he is. It’s been a debate inside the organization and the meeting rooms, too.

“Guys that can use their feet in this league are weapons,” Callahan said. “His running ability is something that makes him unique, makes him hard to prepare for, makes him hard to defend. That’s always going to be a part of his game. I think there’s an awareness of when to put yourself at risk, when to get out of bounds, when to get down on the ground and not take a hit, and when to be smart with the football too.

“But I never want to take away that ability to affect the game with his legs, because it’s something that makes him a really dangerous player in the league.”

The Giants and Harbaugh are counting on that.

‘He Wants To Be Perfect Every Play.’

If Dart can stay on the field, there will be unavoidable comparisons. Harbaugh had Jackson for eight years, and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy put in five years with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City — two of the best mobile quarterbacks in this generation in the league. Dart’s résumé is obviously far shorter than both, but the similarities of style and multi-dimensional skill set are clearly there.

“He’s Jaxson Dart. He’s not Patrick Mahomes,” Nagy said. “But we can use that [comparison] for routines and maybe how we did things. I know how much respect that Jaxson has for Patrick. We’ve talked a little bit about the process and what he’s been through. But we’ve also made it clear: ‘You have to be Jaxson Dart.’”

Which also means he can’t be Eli Manning, who is still the standard by which every quarterback for the Giants is judged. Just ask Daniel Jones, who was Manning’s direct successor and — at least when it came to his stoic, business-like demeanor — something of a Manning clone. It’s not just that Manning won two Super Bowls that made him the franchise’s model quarterback. It’s the way he became the perfect face of the franchise — a true professional who never courted any kind of trouble, an Iron Man who never let injuries stop him, and a polished corporate spokesman who sounded like he was all-football all the time.

It’s an unfair bar for anyone to be measured against. It’s also clearly not Dart’s style. He already feels like more of a disciple of the way Joe Namath once took on New York and became one of the city’s biggest stars, with flash and fashion and a desire to be seen. That’s never been the Giants way.

But it could be, because there is at least one trait that Harbaugh sees that Dart absolutely shares with Manning.

“He wants to be perfect every play,” Harbaugh said.

John Harbaugh compared Jaxson Dart’s strive for perection to Eli Manning, who quarterbacked the Giants to two Super Bowls. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

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Harbaugh needed to see that desire from Dart before he took the Giants job. That’s part of what those get-to-know-you calls were all about. And that’s where Dart learned Harbaugh had the same desire — or obsession — to be perfect, too.

“I love Harbs,” Dart said at the start of camp. “Just his intensity, his love for the game, his leadership. There are a lot of things that stand out as to why he’s been so successful in this league.”

‘He’s Got A Chip On His Shoulder.’

It’s still very early in the Dart-Harbaugh era, of course, and it’s important to remember that. Coughlin went 6-10 in his first season with the Giants, including 1-6 with Manning, then a rookie, at quarterback. In Year 4, Coughlin was about to be fired and fans were burning Manning jerseys in the parking lot in late November, before they turned everything around and went on a Super Bowl run that New York will never forget.

For Harbaugh, that kind of run isn’t just the goal, it’s the expectation. And he’s not the only one who has set his expectations high.

“I don’t hope we win this year,” Giants co-owner Chris Mara said in a recent radio interview. “I expect it. I think everybody else does too.”

The fate of the Giants’ 2026 season largely lies on John Harbaugh and Jaxson Dart’s shoulders. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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That’s because the Giants remember what it’s like to have the right coach and the right quarterback in place, staring at a future that looks and feels like it’ll be so much better than their recent past. It’s a feeling they haven’t had in a very long time.

“Heck yeah. People want to win,” Harbaugh told me. “People want to win everywhere. Every single team, every single city is desperate to win. So I don’t think it’s unusual to feel that way. But I do think these players are determined to do what is required to become good enough, to earn the right to have a chance to win a football game.”

“Ultimately, he just wants to win,” Dart said. “He’s got a chip on his shoulder.”

So does the quarterback. But that isn’t the only weight they’re carrying. Harbaugh and Dart hold the hopes of this once-great franchise sitting square on their shoulders, too.

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MLB might have expanded the postseason in the last few years, but there are still far more teams that don’t make it to meaningful October baseball than do. 

Teams have already been eliminated from postseason contention with baseball left to play in 2026, and we’ll keep track of those clubs as their seasons effectively end.

Here is which teams have already been eliminated from postseason contention through Sept. 9.

Athletics

There was hope for a time, when the Athletics were three games over .500 on May 9, and then again deep into the month: it’s difficult to remember now, but the A’s spent 45 days in first place in the AL West, but last on May 26. Fast-forward to Sept. 9, and the A’s were the fourth team eliminated from postseason contention after going 32-60 since.

The Athletics can hit, but they hit much better when healthy. And this team was not healthy nearly long enough to make a difference in the final outcome. Nick Kurtz, 2025 AL Rookie of the Year and the league-leader in on-base percentage deep into the season, played in 99 games thanks to a thumb strain. Catcher Shea Langeliers needed a meniscus repair in late-July, ending his season. DH Brent Rookier also underwent knee surgery, left fielder Tyler Soderstrom saw his campaign end with hip surgery and shortstop Jacob Wilson dealt with a bad shoulder that eventually ended his 2026, too.

Three of the four players in this image had season-ending injuries that helped to doom the A’s; Luis Severino was above-average, though. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images)

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Throw in all those holes in the lineup and mix them with a rotation that can’t get it done in a ballpark that makes it difficult to succeed, and you get the current, eliminated Athletics.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants had higher hopes for 2026 than this. A new manager, Tony Vitello, was supposed to bring his high-energy collegiate style straight to the majors and find success. At least, that was what San Francisco was expecting. What it got instead was a manager who seemed in over his head regularly, and a team full of average or worse players, with a few exceptions.

One of those exceptions is a major one: first baseman and designated hitter Rafael Devers. He had a terrible April, but from May 3 through Sept. 9, the 29-year-old hit an astounding .273/.365/.585 over 113 games. He’s bashed 35 homers on the season and is also leading the majors in doubles, with 36 – all in a ballpark designed to stop lefties from generating offense. That’s a good sign going forward, with Devers signed through 2033 at over $30 million per year for the rest of his deal.

Rafael Devers crushed it for the Giants this season. Everyone else, well… (Photo by Caean Couto/Getty Images)

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The bad signs are most of the rest of the roster. Rookie DH Bryce Eldridge has been a bright spot, with the 21-year-old batting .268/.362/.459 with 37 extra-base hits in 101 games. The rest of the Giants’ hitters? Average at best, including third baseman Matt Chapman. The pitching staff has the same issue: Robbie Ray was the only one doing better than just average, and he was dealt to the Padres at the deadline. This is a team in need of some major changes to get out of its current funk.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels being eliminated early makes sense – this is a team that was selling what it could at the trade deadline, knowing that the focus should be on the future. It’s a shame, though, that Mike Trout was once again mostly healthy and very productive, even if it wasn’t at superstar levels, and the team went nowhere.

The 2026 games haven’t mattered to L.A. for some time now, though, not since that trade deadline, and not since longtime owner Arte Moreno agreed to sell the team. As FOX Sports’ Rowan Kavner heard from Trout himself, it’s a “fresh start” for the organization under new owner Stan Kroenke.

Arjun Nimmala gives Angels fans a prospect to be excited about. (Photo by Emma Bair/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)

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Also helping with the fresh start? Using the deadline to bring in prospects like shortstop Arjun Nimmala, who the second he joined the organization became its top position player prospect. Some patience is needed, but with a new owner and new purpose, it should be easier to be patient in Los Angeles in 2027.

Colorado Rockies

Here’s the good news: the Rockies were never expected to make the postseason in 2026. After all, this is a team that lost 101, 103 and 119 games in each of the past three seasons: that Colorado might not lose 100 games in 2026 after just missing tying or breaking the new modern loss record a year ago is an achievement unto itself.

That might sound like a backhanded compliment or condescending, but it’s true: the 2025 Rockies were a dismal, historically terrible club. The 2026 edition? Just not a good baseball team. That’s a significant step up for the organization in its first season under new general manager Josh Byrnes and team president Paul Depodesta, even if it doesn’t feel like it to an outsider. Rockies fans who have stuck with the team – and plenty have, as Colorado once again pulled in over two million fans at home this season – can surely tell the difference between these two flavors of failure.

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First baseman TJ Rumfield has been one of the National League’s top rookies, with nearly four wins above replacement and a .297/.389/.457 slash line through Sept. 9. Another rookie, outfielder Cole Carrigg, has been better than league-average offensively since his call-up in June. Catcher Hunter Goodman has bashed 37 home runs, and the 26-year-old won’t be a free agent until 2030. There are some fascinating young players on this roster, and the next step will be trying to build around them to get out of this hole for good.

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The massive showdowns between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 4 Texas and Michigan and No. 11 Oklahoma take center stage in Week 2. 

But beyond the marquee matchups, there are plenty of games flying under the radar on this week’s slate that could offer some intriguing betting opportunities.

With that, here are five of the best sleeper games to watch and wager on in Week 2 of the college football season.

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Spread: Missouri -5.5
Moneyline: Missouri -205, Kansas +170

The Outlook: A prime-time rivalry game on FOX. Last season, the Border War returned for the first time since 2011, and Missouri picked up where it left off, defeating Kansas 42-31.

Both teams opened the 2026 season with dominant wins, scoring 50-plus points and racking up more than 500 yards of total offense. Those numbers might be difficult to replicate in a rivalry game, but Missouri had no problem moving the ball against Kansas last season, finishing with more than 500 total yards.

The Tigers rushed for 261 yards, led by Jamal Roberts, who had 143 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries. Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons impressed in his Tigers debut last week, throwing more touchdowns (four) than incompletions (two), while finishing with 252 passing yards.

If the Jayhawks want to pull off the upset, they’ll have to find a way to slow down Roberts on the ground and keep Simmons in check through the air. The 122nd edition of the Border War kicks off in Lawrence, Kansas on Friday night.

Expert Picks: FOX Sports experts are picking Missouri to extend its winning streak in the Border War to five games.

Spread: BYU -7.5
Moneyline: BYU -305, Arizona +245

The Outlook: BYU returned the third-most starters in the country this season, including eight on defense, Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year Bear Bachmeier and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin.

After a dominant Week 1 win, the Cougars return home for an early-season rivalry game against one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country in Noah Fifita. The Arizona quarterback has made 22 career starts but is 0-2 against BYU, throwing more interceptions (four) than touchdowns (three) in those two games.

BYU escaped Tucson with a 33-27 double-overtime victory last season. This time, the matchup shifts to Provo, where Fifita and the Wildcats will have to deal with a hostile road environment and an experienced Cougars defense.

Expert Picks: The FOX Sports experts are riding with the Cougars to keep rolling against the Wildcats in Provo.

Spread: Alabama -10.5
Moneyline: Alabama -395, Kentucky +310

The Outlook: Alabama hasn’t lost to Kentucky since 1997 and has only lost to the Wildcats one other time, back in 1922. The Crimson Tide opened Year 3 of the Kalen DeBoer era with a dominant 48-10 win over ECU in Week 1. Now, Bama hits the road to open SEC play against a Kentucky team entering a new era under Will Stein.

It will be a day of firsts for Alabama starting quarterback Keelon Russell. The former five-star recruit will make his first career road start and face an SEC opponent for the first time. Russell accounted for more than 300 total yards and a rushing touchdown in his debut.

On the other side, Kentucky got a breath of fresh air in Stein’s debut, beating Youngstown State 45-17. The Wildcats scored their most points in a season opener and recorded their most total yards (506) since 2021. Notre Dame transfer quarterback Kenny Minchey completed 18 of 27 passes for 301 yards and four touchdowns.

Player To Watch: Ryan Coleman-Williams is Alabama’s biggest playmaker at wide receiver, but drops have been an issue going back to last season. Still, Coleman-Williams finished with 130 receiving yards in the Week 1 win and should once again be a top target for Russell as the sophomore quarterback makes his first career road start.

Spread: Minnesota -1.5
Moneyline: Minnesota -112, Mississippi State -108

The Outlook: An early Big Ten vs. SEC showdown with conference bragging rights on the line. Mississippi State racked up a program-record 762 yards of offense in its 62-13 blowout win over ULM in Week 1, with quarterback Kamario Taylor accounting for more than 400 total yards and five touchdowns.

The Golden Gophers are also coming off an impressive season-opening win. Running back Darius Taylor found the end zone three times in Minnesota’s 59-7 victory over Eastern Illinois. The Gophers have faced an SEC opponent just once under P.J. Fleck, beating Auburn 31-24 in the 2020 Outback Bowl.

If Minnesota wants to protect its home turf and earn some early-season bragging rights for the Big Ten, it will have to find a way to slow down the nation’s top offense.

Player To Watch: Kamario Taylor passed for a career-high 354 yards in Mississippi State’s historic win last week. The four-star quarterback’s performance quickly earned him national attention, and for good reason. Taylor has a chance to emerge as one of the SEC’s breakout players this season.

Spread: Boise State -8.5
Moneyline: Boise State -355, Memphis +280

The Outlook: Memphis and Boise State have been two of the top Group of 6 programs in recent years, and now they’ll meet for the first time since 2023.

Boise State nearly pulled off a massive upset against No. 2 Oregon last week, staying within striking distance until a fourth-quarter touchdown finally put the Broncos away. Despite the loss, a performance like that should give Boise State plenty of confidence heading into another tough matchup.

Memphis presents a much different challenge. The Charles Huff era is off to a 2-0 start, including a big win over UNLV in Week 0. Last week, the Tigers rushed for 335 yards, led by Jaylin Carter’s 183 yards and four touchdowns.

If Boise State wants to make its way back to the CFP, it can’t afford another loss this early in the season. And if Memphis wants to establish itself as the top Group of 6 contender, a road win over the Broncos would make quite the statement.

Expert Picks: The FOX Sports experts are backing the Broncos to bounce back with a big win against another Group of 6 contender.

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It’s time for this week’s Sportsbook Whispers.

As indicated in last week’s story, the whole world was indeed on SMU -3/-3.5 against Florida State in the Week 1 finale and any contrarian Seminoles bets pushed at +3 and cashed at +3.5. 

All early movers on SMU at smaller numbers got to the window, as this number hovered between PK and -1.5 all summer.

Numbers matter!

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“We got crushed on SMU moneyline,” South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews told me from Las Vegas. “So many people that placed a moneyline parlay over the weekend needed SMU to take care of business and they did.”

The Mustangs turned the ball over four times, but their offense truly did whatever it wanted to the tune of 585 total yards. Wise guys who make power ratings were impressed with SMU but much more unimpressed with FSU.

“I’ve downgraded Florida State six points in two weeks,” one former bookmaker-turned-bettor we’ll call Slice told me over the phone.

“That program continues to head in the wrong direction.”

Speaking of heading in the wrong direction, holy Clemson. 

The Tigers got annihilated 51-10 by LSU in Baton Rouge. Lane Kiffin’s Tigers outgained Dabo Swinney’s Tigers by 499 yards and won the first down battle 38 to eight.

It was an a– kicking, plain and simple.

Dabo Swinney are off to a not-so-great start in the 2026 season (Getty Images).

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“I took Clemson from the level of Florida and dropped them to the level of Pittsburgh and Illinois,” Slice said. “That was alarming.”

“It’s difficult to determine after just one game whether a team is as good or as bad as they looked,” Caesars Sportsbook head of football Joey Feazel told me. “Clemson certainly didn’t show any positives in this matchup, but we’ve seen past examples where the first game can be misleading.

“Last year, Florida State’s performance against Alabama made Alabama look much worse than they were, while Florida State proved to be nowhere near as good as that result suggested. That’s why we try not to overreact too much to a single game. We’ll take the result into consideration, but it’s important to let more information develop before making drastic adjustments.”

One drastic adjustment came in the Heisman market, with Miami star receiver Malachi Toney. He was as high as 40/1 coming into the Canes’ cross-country clash with Stanford. 

You can kiss that price goodbye.

“Toney was our biggest mover in the Heisman market,” Feazel reported. “He had an incredible performance to start his second season at Miami, which immediately caught the attention of bettors.

“We shortened him significantly from 35/1 to 10/1.”

Miami’s Malachi Toney received major love from “The Playmaker” after Week 1 (Getty Images).

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Toney’s teammate, Darian Mensah, is now the Heisman favorite at +550, followed by Texas’ Arch Manning, Toney, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss.

I had an interesting conversation with retired Vegas bookmaker Ed Salmons about the nuances of tinkering with power ratings after the first week. As you can imagine, not every hike or dip is created equal.  

“I try not to go overboard on smaller teams that get drilled by much better teams,” Salmons said. “Take Florida Atlantic for instance. They played Florida and got drilled, but you can find good stuff in the middle of that game. I don’t lower them a ton because they got blasted by a much superior team.”

Then there’s a team like Michigan, who needed an extra play at the end of regulation to beat Western Michigan 13-12 as a 28-point home favorite.

Now the Wolverines host Oklahoma on FOX’s Big Noon Saturday. The look-ahead number hovered around Oklahoma -1 all summer and now almost every shop is out to Oklahoma -5.5. 

Seems high, no?

“It’s either bet Michigan at a good number if it ticks up some or pass,” Salmons said. “There’s no way I would play Oklahoma here.”

Anything else?

“I think Ohio State and Texas should be a pick ‘em this Saturday,” Salmons admitted. “And I despise betting this Texas program as a favorite.

“I’ll be on the Buckeyes.”  

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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. 

The NFL heads to Australia for the first regular-season game in the country, and DraftKings is giving new users a chance to get in on this historic game down below. New users can bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets when placing their first bet on the Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers.

All eyes will be on this star-studded Los Angeles roster as Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie make their debut. Reigning MVP, Matthew Stafford returns to lead an offense featuring Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. 

San Francisco has its own collection of stars, with Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey leading the offense alongside new addition Mike Evans. Fred Warner and Nick Bosa return from injury as San Francisco looks to start the season with a statement win over its NFC West rival.

With Stafford throwing to Nacua and Adams, McCaffrey and Evans joining Purdy, and Garrett making his highly anticipated debut, there are plenty of stars to watch when these teams meet in Australia. New users can bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets with DraftKings and get ready for NFC West rivalry. 

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LA Rams	-3.5 (−115)	O 48.5 (−102)	-205
SF 49ers	+3.53 (−105)	U 48.5 (−118)	+170

How to Watch 49ers vs. Rams

• When: Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 8:35 p.m. ET
• Where: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia
• TV/Streaming: Netflix

Players to Watch

For Los Angeles, the clearest skill position name to watch is Puka Nacua because his availability changed the shape of this matchup. He was not listed on the Rams injury report released Tuesday after dealing with a core issue, and that points to him being expected to handle his usual role against San Francisco.

That matters in a game where both teams enter 0-0 and there is no 2026 production yet to lean on. With the Rams still waiting for regular season statistical leaders to emerge, Nacua stands out as a proven focal point whose health is one of the most relevant developments going into this opener. If he is moving freely, Los Angeles gets a major piece of its passing game back at full strength.

On the San Francisco side, Christian McCaffrey is central because the 49ers expect him to step right back into his regular role. He was not listed on Tuesday’s injury report after his status had been watched through camp, and the latest update points to him being back at 100 percent for this opener.

In a Week 1 game with no 2026 team production on the board yet, that kind of clarity matters. San Francisco does not have official statistical leaders established for the regular season, so McCaffrey’s role becomes one of the strongest grounded indicators of where the offense can flow early. His involvement would give the 49ers their most dependable all purpose threat and a steady way to test the Rams from the opening series.

]–>

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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. 

The first NFL game ever played in Australia is set for a NFC West showdown and bet365 is giving new users another reason to get in on the second game of the NFL season.

bet365 guarantees new users $365 in bonuses when they use promo code FOX365.

This star-studded matchup features multiple DPOYs, an OPOY and the reigning MVP. Matthew Stafford leads a Rams attack featuring Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, while Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie are set to make his highly anticipated debut with Los Angeles. 

Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy along with new addition Mike Evans give this Niners offense the weapons to keep up with the Rams. Fred Warner and Nick Bosa will anchor the 49ers’ defense looking to stop this high-powered Rams offense.

Enter promo code FOX365 at bet365 to get $365 in bonuses and get ready for the first NFL regular-season game in Australia between the 49ers and Rams.

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*Odds are subject to change*

LA Rams	-3.5 (−110)	O 47.5 (−110)	-205
SF 49ers	+3.53 (−110)	U 47.5 (−110)	+170

How to Watch 49ers vs. Rams

• When: Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 8:35 p.m. ET
• Where: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia
• TV/Streaming: Netflix

Players to Watch

For Los Angeles, the clearest skill position name to watch is Puka Nacua because his availability changed the shape of this matchup. He was not listed on the Rams injury report released Tuesday after dealing with a core issue, and that points to him being expected to handle his usual role against San Francisco.

That matters in a game where both teams enter 0-0 and there is no 2026 production yet to lean on. With the Rams still waiting for regular season statistical leaders to emerge, Nacua stands out as a proven focal point whose health is one of the most relevant developments going into this opener. If he is moving freely, Los Angeles gets a major piece of its passing game back at full strength.

On the San Francisco side, Christian McCaffrey is central because the 49ers expect him to step right back into his regular role. He was not listed on Tuesday’s injury report after his status had been watched through camp, and the latest update points to him being back at 100 percent for this opener.

In a Week 1 game with no 2026 team production on the board yet, that kind of clarity matters. San Francisco does not have official statistical leaders established for the regular season, so McCaffrey’s role becomes one of the strongest grounded indicators of where the offense can flow early. His involvement would give the 49ers their most dependable all purpose threat and a steady way to test the Rams from the opening series.

]–>

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Baker Mayfield’s new three-year, $165 million extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a healthy reminder that being an NFL quarterback is still good work if you can get it.

There are 13 quarterbacks now making $50 million or more, and if you wonder why the Bucs felt any urgency to get a deal done rather than wait for next spring ahead of free agency, we’re here to help. There’ll likely be a massive wave of new contract extensions for quarterbacks in the next year, easily normalizing $60 million per year as a new plateau and pushing the $50 million gang to more than half the league. 

We’ll put them in three groups, generally descending, but most of them are capable of $50 million a year or much more. We also added a fourth group of quarterbacks set to become free agents who could strike it big next offseason if things fall into place, even if the actual group isn’t particularly tantalizing. 

The Precious 2024 Draft Picks

The top three picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, plus Nix at 12th overall, were all just about immediate NFL starters. They’ve all been to the playoffs and won at least one postseason game — Daniels has won two, and Maye won three and made the Super Bowl as an MVP runner-up last season. Williams and Maye are still only 24, Daniels is 25, Nix is 26, and they’ve already combined for 180 touchdown passes in their first two years in the league.

Jayden Daniels led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie in 2024. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

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NFL draft picks are eligible for extensions after their third season, which means they could be signing huge contracts in just four or five months. As first-round picks, their teams hold fifth-year options for 2028, so a new deal could start with the 2029 season, after a cost-controlled first five years in the league. These quarterbacks could push to get a new deal before the fifth-year options are in place.

Remember how Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs waited each other out for market-resetting extensions this summer? The same could happen next spring with these four quarterbacks, both in the value of the contract and the structure. Do they take a five-year contract like many top young quarterbacks, especially if only the first two or three years are guaranteed? Could one of them try to leverage a fully guaranteed contract like Deshaun Watson got (surprisingly) from the Cleveland Browns?

If their success continues this season, all four would be in line for $55 million a year or more. Maye has new offensive weapons to improve on what was very close to an MVP season last year. Williams can validate his 2025 breakout with more late-game comeback wins, Nix can show what he can do in a deep playoff run if he can stay healthy, and Daniels can get back to the excitement of his rookie season when Washington made an unexpected run to the NFC Championship Game. The best of the lot, potentially a league MVP, should break the bank on a new deal that could surpass $70 million a year in new money, especially if it goes five years.

Drake Maye emerged as an MVP candidate in Year 2, potentially putting him in line to receive one of the richest contracts in NFL history. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

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Who knows what an NFL salary cap might look like in 2033 when such a deal is wrapping up. If you just presume a conservative 8% growth each year, that gets you to a $515 million cap per team in 2033. The current $60 million QB salary on a $301 million cap for 2026 would translate to $100 million seven years later, and that doesn’t even factor in the spike from new broadcast deals long before then.

The Veterans Who Deserve New Deals

This could be a much longer list, but we’ll start with two quarterbacks who each have two years remaining on their current deals. Jackson has two left on a five-year deal paying him $52 million a year, and Darnold has two left on a three-year deal paying him $34 million a year. Both would command much more than what they’re making on the open market.

Darnold was on the Mayfield track — he got a three-year, $100 million deal after Mayfield got the same. And with Mayfield getting his deal, that sets the easy minimum for a new Darnold deal if his 2026 is anything close to 2025, helping the Seahawks to a championship. Darnold doesn’t turn 30 until next June, and if you add a year of a rising market, he could easily be at $60 million on a new deal next spring.

Jackson, who turns 30 in January, is a two-time MVP with a chance to upgrade his postseason résumé this season, so if the Ravens make the conference championship game or anything further, he’ll be able to reset the market in a huge way. Baltimore made him the NFL’s highest-paid player in 2023 with a five-year, $260 million deal. If the Ravens give Jackson the same treatment next spring, his next deal might top $350 million.

Lamar Jackson broke the record for the largest contract in NFL history at the time with his last extension. Could his next contract break the new record? (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

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The 2023 Top Picks Who Might Be On The Cusp

Both of these quarterbacks will play on fifth-year options in 2027, which will pay out $25.9 million, and both are capable of joining either end of the contract spectrum in the upcoming season. If Stroud can get back to his rookie-year stardom — Pro Bowl, Offensive Rookie of the Year, leading Houston to a playoff win — he would quickly elevate to the $50 million status and higher. His touchdown totals have dropped in each of his last two seasons, so if that continues, Houston would logically wait another year before deciding to commit to middling success.

Young is more of a question mark. He’s gone from 11 to 15 to 23 touchdown passes in three seasons and led the Carolina Panthers to an unexpected division title last year. But they did so with an 8-9 record, so for him to justify a major extension, his progress has to continue enough that the Panthers are again a playoff team with him leading the way. Do that, and he’ll be in line for double what he’s due to make in 2027, but if he stumbles this season, anything is possible for Carolina’s future.

Bryce Young suddenly emerged as an extension candidate in 2025 after an underwhelming first two years to his career. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images)

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The 2027 Free Agents To Know

While the first eight quarterbacks are likely to receive a new, rich deal via extension, these seven could get a rich contract in free agency if the stars align. 

And there’s quite a wild assortment of quarterback talent here. Murray and Tagovailoa have already had $200 million deals and are playing on league-minimum contracts with a chance to reset themselves as NFL starters. Murray is in a much better position to do so, with Justin Jefferson to throw to and a playoff-caliber team for a potential Darnold-level resurrection. Tagovailoa got Atlanta’s starting job almost by default but still has a chance to show what he can do as well. Even with success, those two might be closer to the Darnold/Mayfield three-year, $100 million bounce-back deals, but with limited options for actual free agents, the market could be higher.

Jones just turned 28 and played well filling in for Brock Purdy last year, so if he gets another window to prove himself this season, he could be coveted ahead of older, on-the-way-out options like Brissett or Smith. We included Watson here as a Week 1 starter, but given how his time in Cleveland has gone, it’s hard to see him finding success or finding a team willing to invest heavily in his future.

Mac Jones impressed when he filled in for Brock Purdy last season. If he does the same in 2026, could he receive a Malik Willis-type contract? (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)

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The best of this last group will be competing directly with a deep and talented rookie class in the 2027 draft, but teams picking in the back half of the first round might not like the best of what’s left in the draft at that point.

Because the supply can be sparse, you really can’t write any quarterback off after seeing Malik Willis get $67 million for three years this past spring with six career starts. So if McKee can get on the field for the Eagles — that likely would require an injury to Jalen Hurts and maybe Andy Dalton — and play well, he could be this year’s small-sample jackpot, with just two starts at age 26 in three years in Philadelphia.

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