It’s arguably the MVP award that matters most — World Series MVP. 

Let’s see the odds for who is favored to win the award at DraftKings Sportsbook, as of Oct. 21. 

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2026 World Series MVP Odds

What To Know: Chourio has yet to hit his stride this postseason. He is batting .171 with a .211 OBP. However, he does have two home runs and a team-high seven RBIs in 35 at-bats, and is viewed as arguably the Brewers’ most clutch star batter.

What To Know: Contreras was firmly in the running to win NLCS MVP in Milwaukee’s sweep of the Dodgers. He’s batting a stellar .367 this postseason, with 11 hits, three home runs and five RBIs in 30 at-bats. He is also sporting a .457 OBP. He leads the Brewers in each of those categories outside of RBIs (Chourio).

What To Know: Caminero is leading the Rays in OBP this postseason (.351). He has one home run, nine hits and four RBIs in 33 at-bats. His 2-run jack in Game 6 of the NLCS gave the Rays a 5-1 lead, as they cruised in that game, clinching the series.

What To Know: Arguably the best pitcher in baseball and a shoo-in for the National League Cy Young. He’s yet to earn a win in two starts this postseason, however. He’s only lasted a total of 8.1 innings in those two starts, and is sporting 3.24 ERA with 11 strikeouts and four walks. 

What To Know: Turang has had at least one hit in six of the Brewers’ eight playoff games. He’s batting .222 with one home run, two RBIs and seven walks in 27 postseason at-bats.

What To Know: Diaz has starred for the Rays this postseason. He’s batting .308 with 12 hits, four RBIs and two home runs in 39 at-bats. He has at least a hit in eight of Tampa Bay’s nine games.

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Monday night, Oct. 19, would’ve been Game 7 of the National League Championship Series. Instead, it marked the fourth day that the MLB world woke up in the aftermath of the Milwaukee Brewers dropping the hammer on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

On the heels of winning both an MLB and franchise-best 103 games in the regular season and defeating the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series, the Brewers swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, which came after Los Angeles swept Milwaukee in the same spot last season.

And Brewers manager Pat Murphy couldn’t be more proud of his club.

“Their starting staff are all Cy Young Award winners or MVPs, so you’re talking about guys, if they’re on their game, which they were, you really got to scrape and claw to get back in it. I really can’t say that I could predict that [sweeping the Dodgers], but I knew we weren’t going to back down, and that was the most gratifying part is that these guys hung in there and said, ‘We’re not going to be denied,'” Murphy told Colin Cowherd about the Brewers sweeping the Dodgers on Tuesday’s edition of “The Herd.”

“Got behind in every game and still came back and responded, and that’s what this whole thing is about. Competing is about responding. We’re all going to get hit in the face. To see these guys respond, it was priceless.”

The Brewers’ collective pitching staff held the Dodgers to 11 runs in the series.

The aforementioned Los Angeles starting rotation included two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal — whom the Dodgers acquired from the Detroit Tigers before the MLB trade deadline — two-time All-Star and 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and right-hander and 2024 All-Star Tyler Glasnow; two-way superstar and four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani served as the Dodgers’ designated hitter in the playoffs, but he only made 14 outings this season due to knee inflammation, among other injuries. 

As for the regular season, Milwaukee’s offense was first in MLB in hits (1,422) and on-base percentage (.341), tied for first in batting average (.258), second outright in runs (832) and fifth in stolen bases (162). Granted, they were tied for 28th with just 154 home runs.

Brewers second baseman Brice Turang was third among MLB position players with 7.3 wins above replacement, while driving in a team-high 100 runs; William Contreras, who has blasted three home runs this postseason, led MLB catchers with 94 RBIs in the regular season; first baseman/corner outfielder Jake Bauers tallied a career-high 26 home runs and 86 RBIs, while also posting career highs across the board on the slash line front (.266/.389/.484).

Elsewhere, left fielder Jackson Chourio, who hit a walk-off, two-run single with the Brewers losing and down to their last strike against the Padres in Game 2 of the NLDS, logged 25 home runs, 75 RBIs, 4.9 wins above replacement and a .487 slugging percentage across 127 regular-season games.

As for their work on the hill in the regular season, the Brewers’ starting rotation was second in MLB in opponent batting average (.220), tied for third in WHIP (1.14) and fifth outright in ERA (3.61). Meanwhile, their bullpen was third in the sport in both ERA (3.40) and opponent batting average (.223) and tied for fifth in WHIP (1.23). 

Flame-throwing right-hander Jacob Misiorowski led MLB with a 1.80 ERA, an 0.80 WHIP, 252 strikeouts and a 232 ERA+; rookie Logan Henderson posted a 2.47 ERA, an 0.84 WHIP and 110 strikeouts across 18 starts.

The standout pitcher of the 2026 postseason for the Brewers, though, has been left-handed reliever Aaron Ashby, who hasn’t given up a run, has surrendered just five baserunners (four hits and three walks) over 12 ⅓ innings and appeared in six of the team’s eight games. Meanwhile, closer Trevor Megill and left-hander DL Hall have combined to throw 11.0 scoreless innings this postseason.

“I never like to look at it like, ‘We’re the best.’ I always feel like there’s somebody bigger, stronger, faster, more capable, and there probably was. But there were times during the season when I shook my head, and I was like, ‘These guys like winning!’ These guys really like this,” Murphy said of the Brewers.

“But I don’t think we went into the postseason too cocky. We went in there ready. We went in there with a feeling of ‘let’s play pitch-to-pitch in the now, and let’s see who wins.'”

Either way, we’ll have a first-time World Series champion, as both the Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays, who won an American League-best 98 games, have never won the Fall Classic and combine for just three World Series appearances altogether prior to this year; the Rays won the AL pennant in 2008 and 2020, with the Brewers winning the NL pennant in 1982.

Game 1 of the 2026 World Series is on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

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After Saturday, 24 of the teams in my top 25 — your top 25, their top 25 — feel capable of making the College Football Playoff in the current 12-team format. Double the size of the playoff field, and all of them would fit nicely in this hypothetical 24-team CFP projection I’ve put before you here. 

For me, this hypothetical playoff format is as close as we’ve come to something like the appearance of democratically selecting a national champion. And as the sport rapidly races to drop the hypothetical part of a 24-team picture, this format for determining the field is my best approximation of where we as a sport could be this time next year. 

This format works. It resembles many high school football playoffs, is closer to the FCS playoffs and gives many similar feelings to the NCAA basketball tournaments. More teams, more debates, more games with higher stakes.

Could a three-loss squad still make it? Could good losses or bad wins have a greater impact now? Where would strength of schedules and style points fit in? 

The potential field contenders could grow to 30 teams, 40 teams or even 50 teams — meaning three losses won’t necessarily ruin a season, good losses might not hurt as much and strength of schedule could be more relative than ever. For example, instead of Texas, which is No. 25 in my rankings, being one Ole Miss loss away from de facto CFP elimination this week, the Longhorns could possibly take a third loss and still make a 24-team field. 

Under this format, my selection criteria is really quite simple:

• The four Power Four conference champions and the highest-ranked Group of Six team are automatic qualifiers
• The rest of the field is filled with 19 at-large bids for the remaining highest-ranked teams, in this case, in my weekly top-25 rankings.

Yes, the best teams will likely still rise to the top. 

But the fireworks and upsets likely to impact this format give it the same opportunity to fill us with joy, with excitement, with HOLY SMOKES moments — like Auburn knocking off No. 1 Georgia on the road, a top-10 Texas losing to Florida at home and BYU banging on Notre Dame’s golden dome with a Bear (Bachmeier) at quarterback.

As the College Football Playoff barrels toward a future 24-team field, here’s my hypothetical bracket, based on the 2026 season, my weekly top 25 and my criteria outlined above.

HYPOTHETICAL 24-TEAM FIELD IN 2026

Teams in the hunt:

• Texas
• Wake Forest
• Arizona
• Boise State

AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS: POWER FOUR CHAMPS

Miami quarterback Darian Mensah (Photo by Michael Pimentel/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

1. Miami, ACC champion
2. Ohio State, Big Ten champion
3. Georgia, SEC champion
4. BYU, Big 12 champion
24. James Madison, highest-ranked G6 team

Among the Power Four automatic qualifiers, Ohio State, remarkably, is the program I think is least likely to win the national championship because it’s the only one with its starting quarterback, Julian Sayin, rocking a sling on his throwing arm before Halloween. 

What we know about Luke Fahey, the Buckeyes’ backup quarterback, and his ability to lead the team could fit neatly into a Wordle puzzle: He won. Against Indiana, in relief, Fahey looked shaky, but the defense played outstandingly. Yes, Sayin could be back in time for the postseason, and the Buckeyes would be the team that most benefited from the bye week before hosting their next opponent at the Shoe.

Georgia didn’t lose to Auburn on Saturday so much as it beat itself. Quarterback Gunner Stockton fumbled away the opportunity for the Bulldogs to methodically play for a field goal and win the game with no time remaining — just as Auburn did. It’s the first time all year Georgia beat itself, and a loss was only appropriate. The Bulldogs played down to their competition. I don’t expect them to keep doing that.

As for the other power conferences, Miami — despite needing two overtimes to beat Florida State in Week 7 — is comfortably separated from its ACC competition in SMU and Wake Forest. And among a defense-scarce Big 12, BYU currently owns the best win of the season compared with Texas Tech, Utah and Houston. But more on the Cougars in a moment.

FIRST HYPOTHETICAL AT-LARGE BID 

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

5. Notre Dame, independent

Knowing that Notre Dame hadn’t played an opponent many of us think is worth a damn until Saturday, I can’t say that the loss the Fighting Irish took to BYU makes me feel good about their chance to win the national title. I am feeling just a little bit better about their chance to make the CFP, even in a 24-team format. But not that much. 

Notre Dame is penciled in here at No. 5 and easily will be erased from the 24-team CFP if it drops its all-important game against Miami in the weeks to come. 

And then it really needs to beat SMU on Nov. 21. Why? Because, as selection committee chair, I’d find it hard to include a program with three losses to top-25 teams. Call it the James Franklin Axiom: No team that can’t beat a top-25 squad should be included in the CFP.

We already believe the ACC is weak, and we know that its membership makes up half of Notre Dame’s schedule. To wit, just two ACC teams are represented here in the seeding, and one of them is an SMU program without a top-25 win itself. I realize there are those who want that BYU loss to mean something because it essentially vaulted the Cougars into the spot Notre Dame held before Saturday. But the only way that one holds up is if BYU can continue to run the table. 

It’s not as if the Big 12 is as good as the Big Ten or SEC. In fact, the last time the Big 12 featured a team in the national title game, TCU got tossed in the blender as Georgia hit the purée button. Notre Dame needs BYU to carry its water like its name is Beatrice Kiddo, and Pai Mei is waiting at the top of those steps to turn it into the world’s greatest living assassin.

AT-LARGE BIDS: THREE ADDITIONAL TEAMS WITH FIRST-ROUND BYES 

Ohio State star receiver Jeremiah Smith (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

6. Indiana
7. Tennessee
8. Kentucky

Indiana is good. It’s just not great. Good will get the Hoosiers back to the national championship game — just as it did for Miami last year. The difference this year isn’t that Indiana could get beaten by a team that’s great; it’s that we haven’t really seen one better than good. 

Perhaps that team is Miami this year. After all, 2025 Indiana survived a scare against a Penn State team that fired its head coach weeks before their game. And that might be what Miami did against Florida State. 

But what I know about Indiana is it had Ohio State on the run. The Hoosiers are a footstep out of bounds from winning 23 straight, doubling up the 2024 national champs and staring down Miami with that same “we own you” expression Hoosiers fans had enjoyed on Curt Cignetti’s face for 22 games. Give Cignetti a week to prepare for an opponent and watch him identify the weakness and exploit it again and again.

AT-LARGE BIDS: NOs. 9-16 SEEDS WITH FIRST-ROUND HOME GAMES

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin (Photo by Gus Stark/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)

9. Ole Miss
10. Texas Tech
11. UCLA
12. Alabama
13. Utah
14. Florida
15. Houston
16. Iowa

Everybody but Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Alabama is happy to be here. And Alabama is furious about it. And if you read either of the aforementioned sentences as insults, then you get the point. 

The rest of the field is made of teams who were never good enough to earn selection into the CFP in the four-team iteration or the previous 12-team ones. Other than Alabama and Ole Miss, I simply have not seen the kind of talent necessary to plow through three rounds of the CFP and win the national title.

The way forward for these teams is the most difficult: Play their best and cleanest football while their opponents, particularly in the second round, blunder and beat themselves with unforced errors and catastrophic mistakes. None of these programs is without flaws, but four of them — Alabama, Ole Miss, Houston and Utah — feature a playmaker at quarterback who can bail them out of subpar defensive play. 

The best part of being seeded between No. 9 and No. 16 is the home-field advantage you’ll open the tournament with. That was enough for 2024 Ohio State to go on a run and win the national title. Perhaps that’s enough for these teams too.

AT-LARGE BIDS: NOs. 17-24 WITH FIRST-ROUND ROAD GAMES

Coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)

17. Missouri
18. Oklahoma State
19. USC
20. Oregon
21. LSU
22. SMU
23. Northwestern
24. James Madison (automatic qualifier)

Good Lord. How the mighty have fallen. Look at this group. We’ve got USC and LSU slumming with SMU, Oklahoma State and the Group of Six designated survivor — I mean automatic qualifier — James Madison. 

We have Oregon forced to make polite conversation with Missouri and Northwestern at the open bar, as the Tigers and Wildcats are openly marveling at the fast WiFi, lunch buffet and CFP credentials around their necks. Again, they’re just happy to be here, while LSU is seething that no one here remembers it won this damn thing seven years ago. 

Internally, the Ducks have to be wondering whether their first national title is getting further out of reach rather than closer.

If the 24-team CFP came online this year and not next, and USC is seeded where I ranked them on Sunday, Trojans fans would know they are stuck with Lincoln Riley for at least one more year because, after all, he would’ve finally got them to the CFP — despite fans quietly realizing their defense isn’t good enough to win it.

Of course, only one of these teams could raise their hand and make a run for the national title — not you, though, JMU. Put your hand down — and has the talent to do so. That team is Lane Kiffin’s LSU. 

And that’s the real conundrum here: Can the third-highest paid head coach in history, with perhaps the most expensive roster in history, really go on the road twice and then win twice more to collect the 2026 national title? I think not. 

But that’s why this 24-team CFP exists. What you or I or anyone thinks doesn’t ultimately pick the national champion. Every team that should get in does.

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The Philadelphia Eagles are not being disciplined for how they handled quarterback Jalen Hurts’ blood clots, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because conversations between the league and team were to remain private.

In a statement released Tuesday, the NFL said officials had been in contact with Eagles medical personnel and the Cleveland Clinic in London throughout the process of Hurts being treated.

“The league’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Allen Sills, arranges for medical resources with leading providers in every international market with approval from the NFL Players Association,” the league said. “Medical care for players is provided by club medical staff in coordination with independent doctors.”

Sills and other officials are expected to address reporters at the league’s annual fall meeting later Tuesday in New York.

Jalen Hurts, a three-time Pro Bowler, is expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 season. (Photo by Vince Mignott/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)

Hurts is on injured reserve and expected to miss the rest of the season after a blood clot in his left calf traveled to his lungs. The Eagles and agent Nicole Lynn said Monday that Hurts has deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli.

His treatment involves blood thinners, and Hurts will not be allowed to participate in any football activities until he is off them.

Hurts played in London against Jacksonville on Oct. 11, three days after informing medical staff of the injury after practice. He was initially diagnosed by specialists in London with a left calf superficial vein thrombosis.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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West Virginia’s offense has been lights out, but their defense has ultimately held them back over the last month.

The Mountaineers have seen at least 1,000 combined yards of offense in four straight games. They’ve gone 1-3 in that stretch, and the only win came on a last-second field goal against Cincinnati on Saturday. It’s one of the most absurd statistical runs in college football this season.

Here’s a look at the numbers behind it.

4,395: Combined Yards In Last Four Games

West Virginia and Cincinnati combined for 1,220 yards of total offense, the most in any FBS game this season. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

West Virginia has been in four-straight shootouts that have combined for over 1,000 yards.

• Oklahoma State 41, West Virginia 24: 1,076 combined yards
• Iowa State 45, West Virginia 42: 1,095 combined yards
• Arizona 52, West Virginia 31: 1,004 combined yards
• West Virginia 45, Cincinnati 42: 1,220 combined yards

The 1,220 yards of total offense against Cincinnati is the most in any FBS game this season; this is also the longest single-season streak of 1,000-yard games since Ole Miss had four in a row in 2020.

The Mountaineers’ shootouts are a throwback to the Big 12’s wild west days. West Virginia’s first game in the league in 2012 was a 70-63 win over Baylor with 1,507 combined yards – still the highest-scoring game in Big 12 history.

The FBS record belongs to Texas Tech and Oklahoma, who combined for 1,708 yards in 2016. That day, Patrick Mahomes racked up an FBS-record 819 yards of total offense. A year earlier, Mahomes and the Red Raiders played in six straight 1,000-yard games and 11 overall.

138: Ranks In Total Defense, Passing Defense

West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez said his defense has “no identity,” on his radio show ahead of the catchup vs. TCU. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Mountaineers are allowing 484 yards and 310 passing yards per game. Opponents are averaging 7.2 yards per play and 10.2 yards per pass attempt. Defensive coordinator Zac Alley has called it the worst defense in college football.

Alley has tried just about everything. He moved to the coaching booth, cut his call sheet to 12 plays and even turned to prayer.

“We have no identity,” Rodriguez said on his radio show Monday. “There’s nothing that we’re hanging our hat on, and so we’ve got to find that as best as we can.”

+93: West Virginia’s Yardage Advantage

Here’s where it gets weird. 

Despite the faults on defense, West Virginia has outgained its opponents this season, 3,480 yards to 3,387, and outscored them 263-238. 

The Mountaineers lead the nation with 391 rushing attempts but rank 128th with just 149 pass attempts. 

Opponents have gone the other way, throwing for 598 more yards against West Virginia than the Mountaineers have thrown for themselves.

180: Points West Virginia Has Allowed During The Streak

West Virginia’s defense has given up over 45 points per game over the last four weeks. (Photo by Eston Parker/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

The Mountaineers have allowed 310 passing yards per game, the most in the country. West Virginia also ranks second-to-last nationally in total defense, giving up 484 yards per game. Defensive coordinator Zac Alley didn’t sugarcoat it, calling his group “the worst defense in college football.”

West Virginia’s defense has turned role players into stars. Iowa State’s Aiden Flora, a former walk-on, ran for 212 yards on 22 carries and threw two touchdown passes on halfback passes.

Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker threw for 389 yards and three TDs. Caleb Hawkins ran for 180 yards, and Wyatt Young caught eight passes for 192 yards.

Arizona’s Noah Fifita threw for 341 yards and three TDs. Isaiah Mizell had six catches for 183 yards, more than he’d posted all season before that game.

Cincinnati’s JC French IV threw for 389 yards and three TDs and ran for another score.

West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. leads the nation with 14 rushing touchdowns and 749 rushing yards among quarterbacks, and he ranks third nationally in total offense at 324 yards per game. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The other side of the story is an offense that might be among the best in the country. Mike Hawkins Jr., an Oklahoma transfer, threw for a career-high 464 yards and ran for 77 more in Saturday’s win.

He leads the nation with 14 rushing touchdowns and 749 rushing yards among quarterbacks, and he ranks third nationally in total offense at 324 yards per game.

Running back Cam Cook is just as productive. The Jacksonville State transfer, who led the country with 1,659 rushing yards last season, ranks fifth nationally with 833 rushing yards and leads all running backs with 168 carries.

The offense ranks fourth nationally in total yards. Hawkins threw for a career-high 464 yards and ran for 77 more Saturday. He leads the nation with 14 rushing touchdowns, and running back Cam Cook ranks fifth nationally with 833 rushing yards.

12.2: Points Per Game Allowed By TCU

West Virginia’s offense will be tested against TCU, who boasts the Big 12’s best defense.(Photo by Zach Del Bello/Getty Images)

The streak could end Saturday. West Virginia (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) visits TCU, which has the Big 12’s best defense. 

The Horned Frogs allow 12.2 points and 264 yards per game and haven’t scored more than 17 points against a Power Four opponent this season.

Either something has to give, or Saturday will be the weirdest game of the year.

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Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé went off injured in the first half against Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Ballon d’Or winner pulled up clutching the back of his left thigh following a run down the left in the 19th minute.

He signalled to the bench and asked to come off. Spain’s World Cup-winning forward Ferran Torres replaced him.

PSG coach Luis Enrique used Dembélé sparingly in the French league last season and has already rested him twice in Ligue 1 during this campaign.

The 29-year-old Dembélé has struggled with injury setbacks during his career.

PSG was also missing star left back Nuno Mendes against Barca due to a thigh injury.

Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo went off injured moments after Dembélé and was replaced by Fermin Lopez.

PSG defender Willian Pacho received treatment near the end of the first half. He hurt his head when López accidentally kicked him after running through on goal and followed up his initial shot that was saved by goalkeeper Matvei Safonov.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Arch Manning remains the starting quarterback for No. 19 Texas despite the Longhorns’ offensive struggles in consecutive losses, coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday.

“There’s no doubt about it, Arch can play better for us, but he’s our starter,” Sarkisian said in his weekly news conference. “We need to see a better version of him this week.”

The Longhorns were No. 1 two weeks ago before suffering consecutive losses in the regular season for the first time since 2021. Texas (4-2, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) plays No. 7 Mississippi (5-1, 3-1) at home on Saturday.

Manning, a fourth-year player, has struggled in his second season as the full-time starter and has been the target of criticism in a Texas offense that has misfired all season. His three fourth-quarter turnovers were critical in losses to Oklahoma and Florida.

The nephew of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning was the top recruit in the country coming out of high school. He was projected as a potential Heisman Trophy winner from the day he arrived on campus.

Sarkisian said Manning can still be coached into a better player than he’s shown this season.

“Sometimes that’s patting him on the back. Sometimes that’s tough love, and we’ve got to be honest with him on where he needs to improve,” Sarkisian said. “The player is in there, and it’s our job to get it out of him.”

Sarkisian said he liked Manning’s attitude when they spoke after the Florida loss.

“He’s got a chip on his shoulder,” Sarkisian said. “I like it.”

Manning promised he will play better.

“This team is built for adversity. I’m built for adversity,” Manning said. “It’s hard not to have a chip on my shoulder … I think I play better with it.”

Texas went 10-3 in Manning’s first season as a starter in 2025 and barely missed the College Football Playoff. After early struggles last season, Manning was among the SEC’s best quarterbacks as Texas won seven of its last eight games.

This season, Manning ranks 11th among SEC quarterbacks with 1,295 yards passing, a 64% completion rate, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. His decision-making as plays develop has been notably hesitant and he has been sacked 17 times.

Until the Florida loss, there had been suggestions that Sarkisian could bench Manning for backup KJ Lacey, a sophomore who was a top-rated recruit but has little game experience.

The 6-foot, 188-pound Lacey has played in two games this season and completed 7 of 8 passes for 63 yards. He hasn’t played since Texas beat UTSA 30-6 on Sept. 19.

Lacey normally gets snaps with the first-team offense in practice and that won’t change this week, Sarkisian said.

Manning’s struggles aren’t the only problem with the Texas offense.

Sarkisian’s play-calling has been heavily criticized. Texas has scored more than three touchdowns just once this season, and the Longhorns average just 135 yards per game rushing, which ranks among the worst in the SEC.

Sarkisian noted that every team in the SEC now has a loss and Texas is still in the mix for a conference championship.

“It’s easy to listen to the outside noise, the ‘sky is falling and the season’s over,’” Sarkisian said. “We’ve got to get back on the horse. We’ve got to ride.”

Reporting by the Associated Press.

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Deion Sanders takes pride in one thing the Colorado Buffaloes aren’t playing in the midst of a skid — the blame game.

That sort of toxicity, the coach pointed out, has been cleaned out of the locker room. Sanders maintained Tuesday the team hasn’t fractured during a four-game losing streak but remains fixated on changing their course of direction.

“I’m trying to say this carefully. I got rid of that,” Sanders said of finger-pointing as the Buffaloes (2-4, 0-3 Big 12) prepare to play at Oklahoma State on Saturday. “That’s why you don’t see that, you don’t hear that. They don’t think like that. They don’t operate like that. These guys are united in there together.

“Nobody’s sitting up there anymore going off on the sideline like, ‘The offense ain’t doing this’ or ‘The defense didn’t get a stop.’ That’s not in this locker room. This is not that kind of party, and I’m proud of that.”

The Buffaloes rank last in the league on offense with 19.5 points a game. They fell behind 13-0 at halftime to now-No. 10 Utah last weekend before rallying in a 27-24 loss.

To illustrate his team’s tight-knit nature, Sanders pointed to a play that ignited the offense early in the third quarter as Isaac Wilson completed a screen pass that JaQuail Smith broke for a 68-yard touchdown.

“The sideline went crazy because they’re fighting for one another,” Sanders recounted. “It’s all love, it’s all support, and I love those type of moments because that shows how unified we are.”

Sanders also wasn’t fond of saying his team needed to “regroup” in order to get back on track. He countered with “pivot.”

“You’ve got to understand these are still young men that are very moved by social (media), by things that people in this room say, by negativity. You’ve got to have some positive thinking, some positive thoughts,” he said. “We’re preaching positivity, not negativity.”

Sanders had the team watch a video from Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis discussing what it takes to get to the next level. It was for encouragement.

“We’re always looking for some wrong. We’re attracted to that on social, right?” said Sanders, whose team started 2-0 before their slide. “You harbor on that one bad tweet — or whatever they call it — but you don’t focus on all the good ones. It’s much more good ones than bad ones. So I think that’s what our young men, as well as the staff, should focus on.”

Negativity, the coach said, has never affected him.

“I don’t give a darn. I’m way down the street,” Sanders said. “I’ve been hated on when I came out the womb. I think the doctor said something wrong about me. But we’re good.”

Another topic that Sanders sidestepped dealt with what he’s learned about coaching the QB spot in the absence of Shedeur Sanders running the show. Last season was his first at Colorado without his son and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. The Buffaloes have gone 5-13 since they moved on to the NFL.

“That’s yesterday, man. I can’t sit up here and comment about the Shedeur, Travis and that phenomenal era that we have,” Deion Sanders said. “It’s time to move on and move on up, and let’s move it forward. We’ve got some guys that I feel can do the job.”

Sanders supports Wilson, who’s thrown for 546 yards and three TD passes over the past two games against ranked teams. Wilson also has five interceptions.

“He just … resets everybody, gets their mind refocused, and he goes. That’s just who he is,” Sanders said. “You’ve just got to give us credit as coaches that a lot of things you guys don’t know, you don’t see, you’re not there, you’re not privy to, that (there’s) a multitude of reasons of why we’ve got love for this guy.”

The Buffaloes are 13 1/2-point underdogs Saturday against quarterback Drew Mestemaker and the Cowboys.

“These young men are not to be counted out. The staff is not to be counted out,” Sanders said. “I really hope you don’t count me out because I’m going to fight, regardless of whatever’s in front of me. That’s just who we are and how we’re built. I don’t think you see quit in 99% of the team.”

Reporting by the Associated Press.

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