The Detroit Lions head on the road in Week 12 for a matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Detroit beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 52-6 last week to extend its win streak to eight, the best in the league.

The Lions managed to post a franchise-record 645 total yards against the Jaguars last week despite missing one of their top pass catchers, tight end Sam LaPorta.

LaPorta left the Lions’ Week 10 game with a shoulder injury and wasn’t in the lineup last Sunday. Here’s the latest on his status for Week 12.

Is Sam LaPorta playing this week?

LaPorta was a full participant in practice Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. He was not listed as questionable on the team’s final practice report and looks set to return to the field this week.

All things Lions: Latest Detroit Lions news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

‘I feel like he’s trending the right way,’ Lions coach Dan Campbell said Friday. ‘He looks pretty good, looks like he’s got fresh legs.’

The last time LaPorta was in the lineup, the second-year tight end had three catches for 66 yards and a touchdown against the Texans.

LaPorta finished 2023 with 86 catches for 889 yards, both second-most on the team behind wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. He’s still second on the team in receptions in 2024 but third in yards thanks to Jameson Williams’ emergence.

When was Sam LaPorta injured?

LaPorta was injured in Week 10’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ contest against the Houston Texans.

He appeared to land awkwardly after making a 37-yard catch early in the third quarter. He left the game shortly after and did not return.

Sam LaPorta stats

In nine games this season, LaPorta has 25 catches for 366 yards and three touchdowns on 32 targets.

Detroit Lions TE depth chart

With LaPorta working his way back, here’s how the rest of the depth chart looks at tight end for the Lions:

Brock Wright
Shane Zylstra

The Lions also have tight end James Mitchell signed to the practice squad.

The NHL season is more than a month old, and there have been four trades, plus extensions signed by Jake Oettinger, Alexis Lafreniere, Linus Ullmark and others.

Other top players also remain eligible for extensions, including Igor Shesterkin, Mikko Rantanen, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Brock Boeser.

There will be more trades as teams build toward a Stanley Cup run or make moves for their long-term future. Here are key dates to watch: the holiday roster freeze in December, the league’s break for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and the trade deadline in early March.

Follow along here this season for signings, trades, transactions and other news from the NHL:

Nov. 23: Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov misses game with lower-body injury

Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov, who’s tied for the league lead in points, sat out Saturday’s game against the Calgary Flames because of a lower-body injury. Kaprizov went to the ice after a knee-on-knee hit from the Edmonton Oilers’ Drake Caggiula in Thursday’s game but the Wild star finished the game. The Athletic reported he would be examined by a team doctor on Sunday. Kaprizovo is tied with Nathan MacKinnon with 34 points and has played in one less game than the Colorado Avalanche star.

Nov. 22: Golden Knights sign Brett Howden to five-year extension

Forward Brett Howden will average $2.5 million in the five-year contract extension. He plays in the Vegas Golden Knights’ bottom six and has eight goals this season.

After the Golden Knights lost free agents Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson and others from their 2023 Stanley Cup title team this summer, they’ve been working to get extensions done early. Defensemen Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb signed recently. Goalie Adin Hill and Keegan Kolesar also are pending unrestricted free agents from that championship team.

Also: Forward Alex Nylander is joining All-Star older brother William on the Toronto Maple Leafs after signing a one-year, $775,000 NHL contract and getting recalled. He had been on an American Hockey League contract. The Maple Leafs placed forward Matthew Knies on the injured list after he absorbed a big hit from Vegas’ Zach Whitecloud this week. … Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle had surgery on his pelvis and will be out at last three months.

Nov. 21: Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen to have knee surgery

This marks the fourth season in a row that Andersen has missed extended time. He was limited to 16 games last season with a blood-clotting issue and missed more than two months of 2022-23 with a lower-body injury. An injury kept him out of the 2022 playoffs.

Pyotr Kochetkov is the Hurricanes’ No. 1 goalie in Andersen’s absence. Andersen, 35, is in the final year of his contract.

Nov. 19: Canucks’ J.T. Miller out indefinitely for personal reasons

‘Right now, our sole focus is making sure that J.T. knows the entire organization is here to support him,’ general manager Patrik Allvin said. ‘Out of respect to J.T., we will have no further comment at this time.’

Miller ranks second on the Canucks and is their top-scoring forward with 16 points in 17 games. He scored 103 points last season.

Nov. 19: Boston Bruins fire coach Jim Montgomery

The Boston Bruins made Jim Montgomery the first coaching casualty of the 2024-25 NHL season, firing him less than two seasons after he was named coach of the year.

Associate coach Joe Sacco, a former Colorado Avalanche head coach, will take over behind the bench as the interim head coach.

The move came after a blowout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. Montgomery, who was in the final year of his contract, was let go with the team sitting at 8-9-3 and sporting poor underlying numbers.

BRUINS: More details on coaching change

Nov. 19: Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin out with leg injury

Alex Ovechkin’s chase of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record is temporarily on hold after the Washington Capitals star left Monday night’s game with an injury.

The team announced Tuesday that Ovechkin is week-to-week with an injury to his lower leg after he absorbed a leg-on-leg hit from Utah Hockey Club forward Jack McBain during the third period.

Ovechkin had been on a torrid scoring pace this season. Before Monday’s injury, he had scored twice in the 6-2 win over Utah, giving him five goals in the last two games and a league-leading 15 goals in 18 games.

Also: The Edmonton Oilers claimed forward Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the St. Louis Blues. He provides speed and depth to a team that hasn’t received much scoring from the wings this season.

Nov. 18: Islanders’ Mike Reilly to have procedure on heart

General manager Lou Lamoriello told reporters that the pre-existing heart condition was discovered during routine testing for a concussion that had sidelined the defenseman since Nov. 1.

‘It’s probably a blessing in disguise of what transpired,’ Lamoriello said. ‘They detected this, something that you’re sometimes born with, but never knew.’

He said Reilly has been cleared from the concussion.

Nov. 18: Sabres send down goalie; Sharks call one up

The Buffalo Sabres sent 22-year-old goalie Devon Levi to the American Hockey League to get him some playing time amid his recent struggles. The team will use Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and recently reacquired James Reimer as their tandem. Levi has given up 17 goals in his last four starts.

Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks called up highly touted goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov, 22, after he went 6-3 with a 1.92 goals-against average in the AHL. He was acquired from the Nashville Predators in an offseason trade. Sharks goalie Vitek Vanecek had left Saturday’s game with an injury.

Also: The NHL announced that last month’s Carolina Hurricanes-Tampa Bay Lightning game, whichas was postponed by Hurricane Milton, has been rescheduled for Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. ET. … Philadelphia Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson (lower body) was placed on injured reserve.

Nov. 15: Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin returns from suspension

Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin returned Friday night from his six-month suspension. He was suspended during the playoffs last May under Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. He also was in the program for about two months earlier in the 2023-24 season and missed part of the 2023 playoffs for personal reasons. Nichushkin is a key offensive contributor with 28 goals in 54 games last season. Injured forwards Jonathan Drouin and Miles Wood also returned Friday.

Also: The Vegas Golden Knights signed defenseman Brayden McNabb, the franchise leader in games played, to a three-year contract extension that averages $3.65 million a year.

OILERS: Connor McDavid is fourth fastest to reach 1,000 points

Nov. 13: Sabres claim goalie James Reimer off waivers

The Buffalo Sabres claimed goaltender James Reimer off waivers, bringing him back to where he signed a free agent contract in the summer. Reimer was claimed by the Anaheim Ducks off waivers earlier this season when the Sabres tried to send him to the American Hockey League. The Ducks put him on waivers after the return of injured goalie John Gibson. Reimer, on a one-year, $1 million contract, played two games in Anaheim with a 4.50 goals-against average. No. 1 Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was hurt in Monday’s loss but hasn’t been ruled out for Thursday’s game.

Also: Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm will be out ‘weeks’ with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot, coach Jim Montgomery said.

Nov. 12: Capitals reacquire Lars Eller in trade with Penguins

Center Lars Eller, 35, is a familiar face for the Washington Capitals after playing in Washington from 2016-23 and winning a Stanley Cup there in 2018. He kills penalties and is strong in the faceoff circle. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ side of the trade might be more interesting. They get a 2027 third-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder, and this also could be an indication that the Penguins are shaking up the roster after a disappointing start. Eller’s trade will allow the team to give more ice time to younger players. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent.

Also: The Winnipeg Jets claimed goalie Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche and loaned him to their American Hockey League affiliate. They had lost him on waivers to the Avalanche last month.

Nov. 11: Flames’ Anthony Mantha to have season-ending surgery

Also: The Colorado Avalanche placed goalie Kaapo Kahkonen on waivers. They had claimed him off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets last month.

Nov. 9: Penguins recall veteran goalie Tristan Jarry from minors

The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled two-time All-Star goalie Tristan Jarry from his conditioning stint in the American Hockey League. Jarry was loaned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Oct. 26 after recording a 5.37 goals-against average and .836 save percentage. His AHL numbers were 2.16, .926.

Also: The Philadelphia Flyers made rookie Matvei Michkov a healthy scratch for a second consecutive game.

Nov. 8: Kraken acquire Daniel Sprong from Canucks

The Seattle Kraken landed Daniel Sprong, one of their former players, in exchange for future considerations. The Kraken have struggled to score this season and Sprong had 21 goals for them two seasons ago. The forward has scored double-digit goals five times. He had one goal with Vancouver this season.

Nov. 7: Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov to be healthy scratch

Coach John Tortorella called the move ‘part of the process.’

‘With young guys, they can watch games, too, as far as development,’ he told reporters. ‘It’s trying to help them.’

Michkov, 19, has 10 points in 13 games and a minus-8 rating and was NHL rookie of the month in October. He had just one point in his last five games and his ice time dropped in the last four.

Nov. 4: Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini ready to return from injury

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, is ready to return to action after aggravating an injury in the season opener, according to NHL.com.

He took part in practice Monday on the top line with Tyler Toffoli and Mikael Granlund and is looking to play his second game season Tuesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Celebrini said he reinjured his hip on his first shift of the opener but played the full game and had a goal and assist. He has missed 12 games. The Sharks opened the season 0-7-2 but are 3-1 in their last four games.

Also: St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg will be out four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. He needed help getting off the ice Saturday after he was checked by the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner. … The Boston Bruins signed forward Tyler Johnson to a one-year, $775,000 contract. He won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning and spent the last three seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Nov. 2: Islanders’ Mathew Barzal, Adam Pelech go on injured list

New York Islanders No. 1 center Mathew Barzal was placed on long-term injured reserve with an unspecified upper-body injury. He’ll be out four to six weeks. He had 80 points in 80 games last season but had been limited to five points in 10 games this season as the Islanders have struggled to score.

Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech also will be out four to six weeks after being hit in the face by a puck. He went on the injured list.

Oct. 30: Sharks acquire Timothy Liljegren from Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs get defenseman Matt Benning, a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-rounder. Liljegren, 25, had been limited to one game in Toronto this season, and the Maple Leafs recently committed to blue-liner Jake McCabe with a five-year extension. But Liljegren should fit in well in San Jose, which is building around younger players. Benning, 30, and Liljegren are signed through 2025-26.

This is the second day with an NHL trade after none previously since the season opened in North America.

Oct. 29: Utah acquires defenseman Olli Maatta from Red Wings

The Utah Hockey Club gives up a third-round pick as it addresses a desperate need for a veteran defenseman. Sean Durzi and John Marino are out long-term after surgery. Utah has been leaking goals during a four-game losing streak, including blowing a 4-1 lead late in the third period against the previously winless San Jose Sharks. Maatta is solid defensively and has nearly 700 games of NHL experience.

Oct. 28: Maple Leafs sign Jake McCabe to five-year extension

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed defenseman Jake McCabe to a five-year extension with an annual average value of $4.51 million. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports there is some deferred money in the deal. McCabe, 31, had been acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in a February 2023 trade and ranks fourth on the team in average ice time this season. He has three assists in nine games and a team-best plus-6 rating.

Also: The New York Rangers recalled rugged forward Matt Rempe from the American Hockey League after he played two games there. The Rangers play the Washington Capitals on Tuesday in what has become a feisty rivalry.

Oct. 26: Penguins send goalie Tristan Jarry to minors

The Pittsburgh Penguins sent two-time All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry to their American Hockey League affiliate on a conditioning loan after his early season struggles. He had been sent home from the Penguins’ road trip to work on his game after recording a 5.47 goals-against average and .836 save percentage in three games. He was pulled from his last start on Oct. 16 and gave up six goals in the opener.

Jarry is in the second season of a five-year contract that carries a $5.375 million cap hit. Rookie Joel Blomqvist has had the most starts in the Penguins net this season and Alex Nedeljkovic recently returned from an injury.

Also: The New York Islanders signed rugged forward Matt Martin for the rest of the season. He had been to camp on a tryout agreement after spending 13 of his 15 seasons with the Islanders.

Oct. 25: Rangers’ Alexis Lafreniere gets seven-year extension

The New York Rangers and Alexis Lafreniere have agreed to a seven-year extension as he builds on last season’s breakthrough. The 2020 No. 1 overall pick will average $7.45 million in the deal, according to lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. That’s up from this year’s $2.325 million cap hit. Lafreniere, 23, broke through with 28 goals and 57 points last season and added eight goals and 14 points in the playoffs. He is averaging a point a game this season through seven games and scored his fourth goal of the season on Thursday. He is signed through 2031-32.

Oct. 24: Golden Knights’ Shea Theodore signs for seven years

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore will average $7.425 million in the extension, which kicks in next season and runs through 2031-32. Getting him signed now is important after the Golden Knights lost Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson and others from their 2023 Stanley Cup team to free agency during the summer.

Theodore, 29, is the franchise’s top-scoring defenseman with 296 points and has opened this season with seven points in six games. Vegas’ top three defensemen (also Alex Pietrangelo and Noah Hanifin) are signed through at least 2026-27.

Oct. 23: Utah’s Sean Durzi, John Marino out long-term after surgery

The Utah Hockey Club, who beefed up their defense in the offseason, will be without two key blueliners long-term after they had surgery.

Sean Durzi, who was injured in an Oct. 15 game, will miss four to six months after shoulder surgery. John Marino, who has yet to play this season, is out three to four months after back surgery.

Utah added defensemen Mikhail Sergachev, Marino and Ian Cole in the offseason. Durzi, acquired last season when the team was in Arizona, signed a four-year, $24 million contract during the summer.

In other injury news, St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas has a fractured ankle and will be evaluated in six weeks.

Oct. 22: Panthers give coach Paul Maurice contract extension

Maurice, who joined the Panthers in 2022-23, went to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season and won it last year. His 29 playoff wins are a franchise record.

He has 98 regular-season wins with Florida and his 873 career wins rank fourth all time in NHL history.

Also: The Blues signed forward Jake Neighbours to a two-year, $7.5 million contract extension.

Oct. 17: Stars’ Jake Oettinger signs eight-year contract extension

The Dallas Stars signed goalie Jake Oettinger to an eight-year, $66 million contract extension that kicks in next season. The $8.25 million cap hit matches the deals recently signed by the Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman and Senators’ Linus Ullmark.

Oettinger has led the Stars to the Western Conference final the past two seasons.

Oct. 12: Aleksander Barkov, Macklin Celebrini are injured

The NHL season is young, but two prominent players are already out with injuries.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov will miss two to three weeks after crashing leg first into the boards while trying to prevent an empty net goal on Thursday. His stick had broken but he couldn’t stop Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle from scoring. The time frame should allow Barkov to participate in the two Global Series games against the Dallas Stars in Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 1-2. Barkov is the first Finnish NHL captain to win the Stanley Cup. He won the Selke Trophy last season for the second time as top defensive forward.

Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks placed No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Coach Ryan Warsofsky said Celebrini is week-to-week. He had been dealing with an injury in training camp but played in this week’s season opener, scoring a goal and an assist.

Oct. 11: Avalanche claim goalie Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers

In a busy day for goalie transactions, the Colorado Avalanche claimed Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets. Colorado lost 8-4 in the opener, with Alexandar Georgiev giving up five goals and backup Justus Annunen giving up two goals on four shots. The Avalanche are Kahkonen’s fourth team in a year. He split time last season between the San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils.

In other moves, the Minnesota Wild called up Jesper Wallstedt, their goalie of future, who will join Game 1 winner Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury. The Nashville Predators sent down Matt Murray, who backed up Scott Wedgewood on Thursday with injured No. 1 goalie Juuse Saros unable to play.

Oct. 10: Hurricanes-Lightning game postponed because of Milton

Saturday’s game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning has been postponed as the Tampa Bay area recovers from Hurricane Milton. The league said a makeup date would be announced as soon as it can be confirmed.

The Lightning are playing their season opener in Carolina on Friday. Saturday’s game was to be the start of a three-game homestand (also Tuesday and Thursday).

Amalie Arena got through the storm fine, though Tropicana Field, home of MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida, suffered major damage to its roof.

Oct. 10: Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner has surgery

Jenner had shoulder surgery to repair an injury he suffered during training camp and could miss up to six months.

‘Our hope is he can return before the end of the season,’ said Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Waddell. ‘His loss will be felt by our club, but we have a strong leadership group in place and players will be given an opportunity to take on greater roles on and off the ice.’

Boone, who finished second on the Blue Jackets last season with 22 goals and is the franchise leader in games played, has been the team’s captain since 2021-22.

Oct. 9: Linus Ullmark, Joey Daccord get contract extensions

Ullmark, who won the Vezina Trophy with the Bruins in 2022-03, was traded to the Ottawa Senators this offseason so Boston had the room to re-sign Swayman. Ullmark will get four years, $33 million from the Senators and have the same $8.25 million cap as Swayman.

Meanwhile, Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord received a five-year, $25 million extension. He filled in for Philipp Grubauer after that goalie’s injury last season and got the NHL’s first shutout in the Winter Classic. Both contracts will take effect next season.

The sad news for Big Apple football fans – that would be followers of the Giants, or the Jets, or those who might happen to root for both of the New York teams – is that it hasn’t hit rock bottom yet.

Not even with the Giants releasing Daniel Jones, a couple days after demoting their starting quarterback. Not with the Jets firing general manager Joe Douglas, a few weeks after dumping coach Robert Saleh.

This could get even worse. I mean, there’s too much more football (or at least the concept of it) to be played this season. After such an eventful week, it can turn even uglier to throw mud on the holiday season. And without refunds for season-ticket holders.

OK, here’s a bright spot: The Jets (3-8) have a bye this weekend. So, with Baker Mayfield and the scrappy Bucs coming to the Meadowlands, that’s only one (likely) L for the NY scene. Then the Giants (2-8) will spend Turkey Day in Dallas. So, that’s winnable.

Yet the real competition is this: Which New York franchise is more pathetic?

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The Jets, with zero winning seasons since 2015, went all-in on Aaron Rodgers in 2023. Soon, with a new GM and coach coming, it will be time to craft a new long-time strategy without him – and that’s even if A-Rod, pushing 41, sticks around for another year because some crazy coach (hello, Rex Ryan) thinks he can squeeze a bit more juice out of the quarterback.

The Giants, meanwhile, with two winning seasons since 2016, went all-out on Saquon Barkley. They let the star running back walk last spring, after making the huge commitment in 2023 to keep Jones, their first-round pick in 2019 (sixth overall), with a four-year, $160 million extension. Bad moves.

Barkley, who took a free agent trek to the Philadelphia Eagles, might be the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year. Shame on the Giants fans who booed Barkley – who demonstrated much class throughout his New York tenure – during his recent return to MetLife Stadium. It’s funny, though, that Barkley finally beat the Cowboys … and had to join the Eagles to get it done. Jones had one decent season, with one playoff win, and got a $40 million-per-year extension.

For what? Just because the market rate for quarterbacks is so staggering, NFL decision-makers need to know better for spending their cap dollars. This is where Giants GM Joe Schoen, flanked by coach Brian Daboll, failed miserably. And the franchise is paying for it immensely. The philosophy that dictates spending on a quarterback rather than a running back because the position is more valued, is rather flawed.

Game-changing running back vs mediocre quarterback? Sure, the injury risk is greater for a runner. But if the running back is special, I’d invest in winning. You hear a lot about running backs being a dime a dozen. Well, so-so quarterbacks like ‘Danny Dimes’ can be easily found, too, with values are already inflated in the draft process.

It’s like using analytics for game situations. The statistics may suggest going for it on fourth-and-2, but if the third-string left guard is being manhandled by the all-pro defensive tackle, the analytics – with input from ‘ideal’ circumstances weighing into the equation to some or even a great degree – going for it might be a self-inflicted wound.

Sometimes common sense, instincts and football IQ trump the Moneyball formula. Schoen and Daboll inherited Jones. But that doesn’t mean they needed to hitch the franchise to the quarterback for the long haul.

Then again, maybe Jones, without the expectation of becoming the next Eli Manning, will grow from his Big Apple experiences and become another Sam Darnold.

It’s fair to ask whether Schoen will lose his job over the Barkley-Jones miscalculation. And if Giants owner John Mara isn’t asking, then that’s part of the problem – even though the G-men are running laps around the Jets and Woody Johnson in the ownership race.

Ah, the Jets. Last month, during the NFL owners meeting in Atlanta, Johnson insisted that the Jets had assembled the best roster in many years. He had just fired Saleh and traded for Davante Adams, with the holdout of Haason Reddick (obtained in the spring from the Eagles) on its last leg.

Roughly a month later, the man who assembled all that talent – Douglas – was shown the door. And, conveniently, reports surfaced this week that Johnson had suggested benching Rodgers … which is contrary to the thinking that the Jets were bending over backwards to accommodate Rodgers.

The Jets (whose quarterback miscalculation came in drafting Zach Wilson with the second pick overall in 2021) have been such a mess you’d wonder whether any of the hottest candidates on the market for the upcoming coaches hiring cycle will see the franchise as an appealing challenge. Maybe the appeal meter rises if Johnson, who served as Ambassador to Ireland during Donald Trump’s previous administration, takes another post in the looming administration. Or maybe not. During that last four-year term the Jets finished 5-11, 4-12, 7-9 and 2-14.

Who’d be crazy enough to campaign for the job? Ryan, of course, months after he publicly lobbied to become Cowboys defensive coordinator. The former Jets coach (2009-2014) leaves no gray area about the notion that he wants back in.

During an ESPN Radio interview, the ESPN analyst was asked whether he’d blow up the Jets. Typically, he was so Ryan-esque with his reply.

‘Blow it up? We’re going to blow the opponent up,’ he said. ‘There’s way too much talent on this team to play the way we’ve been playing. … Nobody has seen a team that is going to play as hard as this team’s going to play in the future, trust me. If I’m the guy, trust me.’

He’s laying it on thick, which in a Jets kind of way, might make Ryan a ‘fit,’ as they call it. He led the Jets to back-to-back AFC title game appearances during the first two seasons of his six-year New York stint, and he was at the helm in 2010 – the last time the Jets and the Giants both had winning records. Then the results kept getting worse, culminating with a 4-12 mark in 2014. Todd Bowles, Adam Gase and Saleh followed, with Bowles producing the only winning season in the 10 campaigns since.

Earlier in the week, Ryan maintained the Jets would be ‘probably undefeated’ if he coached them this season.

Remember, this is the same man who once introduced Trump at a campaign rally. Now he’ll spew stuff about going undefeated … without evidence.

Ryan would sure fuel the buzz and attention … and fall right in line with the Jets circus.

It could be a while before the Jets and Giants are winners, but one thing seems certain as they try to rebuild for an alternative: There will be no shortage of drama.

Quick slants

Las Vegas Raiders rookie Brock Bowers leads all tight ends with 70 catches and 706 yards, which puts him on pace to break two rookie reception records set last season when Los Angeles Rams wideout Puka Nacua caught 105 passes and Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta snagged 86.
Since Week 5, Denver Broncos rookie Bo Nix has posted a 106.3 passer rating that is fourth-best in the league for quarterbacks with at least 145 attempts. Only Jared Goff, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow have higher ratings during that span. And after not throwing for a touchdown in his first three starts, Nix has a 14-to-2 TD-to-INT ratio since.
With an NFL-high 336 points and +159-point differential, the Lions (9-1) are just the fifth team since the 1970 merger to score at least 325 points with a +150-point differential after 10 games. A good omen? The last team to hit those marks at this point in the season, the Drew Brees-armed New Orleans Saints in 2009, went on to win the Super Bowl. 
When Jim and John Harbaugh face each other on Monday Night Football with their Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens, their parents won’t be in attendance at SoFi Stadium. Jack and Jackie will watch the ‘Harbaugh Bowl’ from their daughter Joani’s house in Florida. And they will have much to celebrate, regardless of which team wins the game. Monday will mark their 63rd wedding anniversary.

The Big Ten showdown between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Ohio State Buckeyes kicked off Week 13 Saturday’s slate with a thrilling action that had fans on the edge of their seats.

The first half between the Big Ten frontrunners was exciting and lived up to the hype. The Hoosiers jumped out to an early lead when quarterback Kurtis Rouke handed the ball off to Ty Son Lawton, who scored the game’s first touchdown. However, this lead was short-lived, as the Buckeyes’ defense quickly took control. The half was marked by a fumble by Indiana, an interception thrown by Ohio State, and a misplayed snap by Indiana’s punter, James Evans. As a result, the Buckeyes gained crucial field position, and ultimately, Ohio State took its first lead heading into halftime.

The Buckeyes, led by quarterback Will Howard, began the second half with strong momentum, quickly gaining an advantage when Caleb Downs returned a punt for an impressive 79-yard touchdown. This marked Ohio State’s first punt return for a touchdown since 2014 (also against Indiana), setting a positive tone for the Buckeyes as they took control of the game. Shortly afterward, the Buckeyes continue to add to the scoreboard, making it increasingly difficult for Indiana to mount a comeback. Despite the Hoosiers’ attempts to fight back, it wasn’t enough to overcome the powerhouse that is Ohio State.

Ohio State’s 38-15 victory over Indiana handed the Hoosiers their first loss of the season and will significantly affect the College Football Playoff rankings as the season approaches its final weeks.

Indiana vs. Ohio State highlights

Hoosiers score first

Buckeyes even the score

Ohio State takes the lead

Ohio State starts the second half hot

Ohio State adds late TD

College football Week 13 results, scores for Top 25

Here are the kickoff times and TV info and updated results for Top 25 teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll. (All times are Eastern): 

No. 23 UNLV Rebels 27, San Jose Spartans 16, FINAL
No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels 17, Florida Gators 24, FINAL
Wake Forest Demon Deacons 14, No. 10 Miami Hurricanes 42, FINAL
No. 12 SMU Mustangs 33, Virgina Cavaliers 7, FINAL
No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers 15, No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 38, FINAL
Massachusetts Minutemen at No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs, SEC Network, 12:45 p.m.
UTEP Miners at No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers, ESPN+, 1:00 P.M.
Kentucky Wildcats at No. 3 Texas Longhorns, ABC, 3:30 p.m.
No. 18 Colorado Buffaloes at Kansas Jayhawks, FOX, 3:30 p.m.
No. 15 BYU Cougars at No. 22 Arizona State Sun Devils, ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
Citadel Bulldogs at No. 16 Clemson Tigers, CW, 3:30 p.m.
No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions at Minnesota Holden Gophers, CBS, 3:30 p.m.
Wofford Terriers at No. 19 South Carolina Gamecocks, ESPN+, 4:00 P.M.
No. 17 Army West Point Black Knights at No. 6 Notre Dame, NBC/Peacock, 7:00 p.m.
No. 13 Boise State Broncos at Wyoming Cowboys, CBS Sports Network, 7:00 p.m.
No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies at Auburn Tigers, ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide at Oklahoma Sooners, ABC, 7:30 p.m.
No. 21 Iowa State Cyclones at Utah Utes, FOX, 7:30 p.m.
Cincinnati Bearcats at No. 25 Kansas State Wildcats, ESPN2, 8:00 p.m.

Ohio State cruises to win

The Buckeyes overwhelmed the Hoosiers, who could not mount a comeback after trailing 38-15. This marks the first loss for Indiana this season.

Ohio State responds with a touchdown

Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard hands the ball off to Trayan Henderson, who sprints for 39 yards and slides down at the Indiana one-yard line. Howard then runs it one yard into the end zone, adding to the scoreboard. With 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Ohio State leads Indiana 38-15.

Indiana scores in the final minutes

The Hoosiers are making a strong push, attempting to narrow the lead with a touchdown in the final minutes of the game. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke connects with Ty Son Lawton, who successfully runs it in for a two-point conversion. With 1:53 left in the fourth quarter, Ohio State leads Indiana 31-15.

Ohio State settles for a field goal

Buckeyes kicker Jayden Fielding successfully makes a 45-yard field goal to extend the lead to 31-7 against Indiana with 8:56 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Ohio State converts 4th down

Ohio State is not shying away from risks as quarterback Will Howard connects with Emeka Egbuka for a 25-yard pass, achieving the first down on Indiana’s 25-yard line. Ohio State leads Indiana 28-7 with 10:35 left in the fourth quarter.

Indiana’s Rourke under fire

Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke faced two tough sacks and struggled against the Buckeyes’ relentless defense. Ohio State is leading Indiana 28-7 as the fourth quarter begins.

Ohio State keeps the momentum going

The Buckeyes continue to apply pressure, seemingly wearing down the Hoosiers as they consistently add to their score. Quarterback Will Howard connects with Jelani Thurman, who is open at the back of the end zone. Ohio State extends its lead to 28-7 against Indiana with 6:02 remaining in the third quarter.

Ohio State delivers first punt return since 2014 against Indiana

Indiana managed to regain possession after forcing a fumble early in the third quarter, which was recovered by Mike Katic, giving his team a lifeline. However, quarterback Kurtis Rourke struggled to get the offense moving. Indiana’s punter, James Evans, punted the ball for 52 yards, and Caleb Downs was there to return it for a remarkable 79-yard punt return, extending Ohio State’s lead to 21-7 over Indiana.

Ohio State takes the lead heading into halftime

After Indiana punter James Evans lost possession of the ball, he jumped on it inside Indiana’s 7-yard line. Ohio State’s offense quickly got into formation, and quarterback Will Howard handed the ball off to TreVeyon Henderson, who ran it in for a four-yard touchdown. This gave the Buckeyes their first lead of the game. With just 21 seconds left in the second quarter, Ohio State led Indiana 14-7.

Will Howard throws interception

Buckeyes’ quarterback Will Howard threw his first interception of the game when he attempted to connect with Jelani Thurman. However, Thurman couldn’t hold onto the ball, and it popped out of his hands, allowing Hoosiers player Jailin Walker to catch it in the air at the Indiana 11-yard line.

Indiana fumbles, Ohio recovers

Cody Simon sacked Indiana’s quarterback for a loss of nine yards. Rourke fumbled, and the ball was recovered by Ohio State’s Ty Hamilton. The Buckeyes will start their drive at the Hoosiers’ 18-yard line.

Ohio State finds the end zone

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard successfully completed all five of his passes during a drive, ultimately connecting with Emeka Egbuka for an 11-yard touchdown. This was the Buckeyes’ first touchdown of the game, tying the score at 7-7 against Indiana with 7:22 remaining in the quarter.

Buckeyes bring the heat on defense

The Buckeyes started the second quarter strong, as JT Tuimoloau and Cody Simon combined to sack Indiana’s quarterback, Kurtis Rourke, for an 11-yard loss, forcing the Hoosiers to punt. Buckeyes Caleb Downs returned the punt for 12 yards, bringing the ball to the Indiana 44-yard line with 9:42 remaining in the second quarter.

Indiana leads at the end of the first

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard helps his team recover as he leads the offense down the field. After being sacked for a 10-yard loss by Indiana’s CJ West, Howard skillfully evades the rush and completes a 25-yard pass to Carnell Tate. On the next play, he connects with Tate again for a 24-yard gain, bringing Ohio State inside Indiana’s 11-yard line and putting the Buckeyes in scoring position. However, they were unable to reach the end zone.

The Hoosiers are leading the Buckeyes 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Indiana scores first at Ohio Stadium

The Hoosiers capitalized on two pass interference penalty calls against Buckeyes’ Davison Igbonosun, which helped Indiana’s offense gain momentum. On the 11th play of the drive, quarterback Kurtis Rourke handed the ball off to Ty Son Lawton, who ran two yards into the end zone. Indiana now leads Ohio State 7-0 with 6:52 left in the first quarter.

Ohio State punts it away

The Buckeyes struggled to generate offense, leading punter Joe McGuire to punt for 49 yards. Hoosiers’ Myles Price returned the punt for 12 yards to the Indiana 30-yard line.

When is Indiana vs. Ohio State game?  

The kickoff for Saturday’s game between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Indiana is 12 p.m. ET from Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

How to watch Indiana vs. Ohio State game

The Week 13 game between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Indiana will be broadcast on FOX.

The game can also be streamed on Fubo – which is offering a free trial – as well as the Fox Sports website and the Fox Sports app (for those who sign in with their cable or satellite provider).

Catch Indiana vs. Ohio State and more college football with Fubo

College football picks Week 13

Here are USA TODAY Sports’ expert picks for all of Saturday’s ranked Week 13 games. 

Indiana vs. Ohio State odds, line

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the favorites to defeat the Indiana Hoosiers in Saturday’s college football matchup, according to the BetMGM college football odds on Nov. 23.

Spread: Ohio State (-10.5) 
Moneyline: Ohio State (-450); Indiana (+333) 
Over/under: 52.5 

Where is College GameDay for Week 13? 

ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ will be broadcasting from Columbus, Ohio for the matchup between Indiana and Ohio State in Week 13.

Indiana vs. Ohio State all-time record 

The Ohio State Buckeyes have played the Indiana Hoosiers 97 times since their first matchup in 1901. Ohio State leads the all-time series with a 80-12 record with five ties.

In their most recent encounter in 2023, the Buckeyes won 23-3 in Bloomington, Indiana.

College Football Fix podcast 

We already have the aforementioned Ohio State-Indiana showdown in the Big Ten that will bring more clarity to the conference race. Notre Dame and Army are playing at Yankee Stadium in a game nobody thought would have playoff implications. The Big 12 also will start to sort itself out after Brigham Young travels to Arizona State.

Who will emerge victorious? 

Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports discuss these topics and more in this week’s version of the College Football Fix.

US LBM Coaches Poll 

The US LBM Coaches Poll for Week 13 is out after some unexpected results last week, and the top five looks slightly different from the preseason version. Here is how the top-25 shapes out ahead of Saturday’s action.

College football bowl projections 

Heading into the final two weeks before championship weekend, there still could be some twists and turns. The Ohio State-Indiana showdown in the Big Ten should bring some clarity to that conference race. The SEC will be muddled until Week 14 results. The ACC and Big 12 also have some sorting out to do. But it feels like several of the at-large spots are set unless there are some major upsets. — Erick Smith 

College football Re-Rank 1-134 

No. 7 Alabama leads the way among two-loss SEC teams in this week’s USA TODAY Sports NCAA Re-Rank 1-134, followed by No. 8 Mississippi, No. 9 Georgia, No. 12 Tennessee and No. 13 Texas A&M. — Paul Myerberg 

College football overreactions from Week 12

As Oscar Wilde famously observed, there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about. So it is that our attention here at Overreaction HQ is largely devoted to the endless debate among fan bases advocating for their teams and/or against others now that most of the college football regular season is in the books. Here are the top five overreactions causing the most noise after Week 12. — Eddie Timanus 

College football 2024 season predictions 

The experts at USA TODAY Sports offer predictions for the season ahead, including which 12 teams will make the College Football Playoff. Who wins the national championship? 

Scooby Axson: Ohio State 
Jordan Mendoza: Oregon 
Paul Myerberg: Georgia 
Erick Smith: Georgia 
Eddie Timanus: Ohio State 
Dan Wolken: Ohio State 

How many teams in College Football Playoff 2024? 

In the 2024-25 season, 12 teams will qualify for the College Football Playoff. The top five conference champions will earn automatic bids, with the top four earning a first-round bye. The remaining seven highest-ranked teams will complete the 12-team field.

How does College Football Playoff format work? 

The 12 participating teams in the College Football Playoff bracket will be the five conference champions ranked highest by the CFP selection committee, and the next seven highest-ranked teams.

The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and receive a first-round bye. The fifth conference champion will be seeded where it was ranked or at No. 12 if it is outside the top 12 in the CFP rankings. Non-conference champions ranked in the top four will be seeded beginning at No. 5.

‘Because of this,’ the CFP warns on its website, ‘the seeding, 1 through 12, could look different than the final rankings.’

When College Football Playoff rankings come out 

The second of six College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 26, after Week 12 games.

How to watch College Football Playoff rankings show 

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 26
Time: 8 p.m. – 9 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo

Watch the CFP Rankings Show on ESPN with a Fubo subscription

2024-25 College Football Playoff rankings schedule

Here is the schedule for the College Football Playoff ranking show. All times Eastern:

Ranking 4: Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Ranking 5: Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Selection Day: Sunday, Dec. 8 at noon-4 p.m.

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They are merely three high-end pitchers in a free agent class that, per usual, will not have a prize for everyone. Yet within the All-Star triumvirate of Corbin Burnes and left-handers Blake Snell and Max Fried, there are plenty of paths to pursue and talent to dream upon.

None will be cheap. Among them, they have three Cy Young Awards – one from each league for Snell – seven All-Star appearances, a World Series title and a couple of pennants. All should command nine-figure contracts.

And with the free agent market slowly easing into focus, USA TODAY Sports examines what each brings to the mound and why certain teams may prefer one over the other:

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Corbin Burnes: Big city

Age: 30

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Career wins, WAR, strikeouts per nine innings: 60, 17.6, 10.5

Odometer: 903 ⅔ IP

Medical chart: 2019 IL appearance with shoulder inflammation. Oblique, September 2020. Missed one start in 2021 due to knee problem. COVID-19 IL stint in 2021.

Platform season: 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA in 32 starts for Orioles. Finished fifth in AL Cy Young voting.

Market watch: The youngest of this trio (Fried is 10 months older), Burnes’ combination of age, health and dominance may land him the longest and possibly most lucrative deal of this group. Burnes has made 32 or 33 starts in four of the last five full seasons, and his 28-start 2021 effort earned him the NL Cy Young Award after he led the majors in ERA (2.43), fielding independent pitching (1.63) and strikeouts per nine (12.6).

His FIP hasn’t gone below 3.14 since and last year he gave up 22 home runs – one per nine innings – compared to seven in ’21 (a majors-best 0.4 per nine). Still, his 97-mph cutter – he throws it nearly half the time, often for putaway purposes – remains an elite pitch and Burnes ranked in the 95th percentile for hard-hit percentage (31.6%), making the modestly diminished strikeout numbers more palatable.

Outlook: He’s the meat and potatoes of this group – ace-caliber, reliable and has lifted mid-market teams to the postseason three of the past four seasons. The Mets and Dodgers figure to lead a charge of clubs that will include a few big plays from the middle class.

Blake Snell: One more time around

Age: 32 on Dec. 4

Career wins, WAR, strikeouts per nine: 76, 23.4, 11.2

Odometer: 1,096 ⅔ IP

Medical chart: Adductor strains in September 2021, April 2022 and April 2024. Groin strain in June 2024. July 2019 surgery to remove loose bodies from elbow.

Platform season: 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 104 innings in 20 starts for Giants, including a no-hitter.

Market watch: Snell will not have to wait until March 19 to sign with a team, as he did last season while the upper-mid free agent market tanked. While a pair of injured list stints stunted the lefty’s overall numbers this year, he’s coming off one of the greatest second-half stretches in major league history: A 1.31 ERA and 1.64 FIP over 13 starts, with 111 strikeouts in 75 ⅓ innings, including that no-hitter in Cincinnati. The Giants went 11-2 in those starts.

Snell now ranks first in baseball history with 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings, and that number takes on greater potency when you consider Snell is growing more adept at pitching deeper into games. He’d never recorded an out in the eighth inning in his nine-year big league career until that no-hitter, and proceeded to reach or complete the seventh inning in three of his next five starts.

Why? The man simply blows away hitters when he feels the need, a trait he flashed in striking out 234 in 180 innings of his 2023 Cy Young season with the San Diego Padres. In 2024, he jacked his average fastball velocity up to a career-high 95.9 mph, boosted his whiff rate to 37.7%, best since 2019, and cut his walk rate from while cutting his walk rate from 13.3% to 10.5%.

See where this is going?

Outlook: Snell’s major league-high 99 walks in 2023 might have given big-money suitors pause in his long off-season quest for a nine-figure deal; Snell opted out of the second year of a Giants contract that paid him $32 million a year. That’s not even an accurate floor this time around.

Given his age and dominance, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Snell land a deal similar in length but more lucrative annually to the five-year, $185 million deal Jacob deGrom received from the Texas Rangers. On an annual basis, he just might land between deGrom’s $37 million and the two- to three-year deals for $42-43.3 million per year signed by Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Zack Wheeler in recent years.

Max Fried: Money trees

Age: 31 on Jan. 18

Career wins, WAR, strikeouts per nine innings: 73, 24.1, 8.6

Odometer: 884 ⅓ IP

Medical chart: Tommy John surgery in August 2014.

Left forearm neuritis, July 2024. Blister, September 2023. Forearm strain, May 2023. Hamstring, April 2023. Blister, June 2021. Back spams, September 2020. Blister, July 2019. Groin, August 2018. Blister, July 2018.

Platform season: 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP over 29 starts and 174 ⅓ innings

Market watch: While his last two seasons have taken injury detours, there’s simply not many better pitchers than Fried since 2020. His 2.81 ERA leads pitchers with at least 600 innings pitched in that time – Burnes is second at 2.88 – and he’s seventh in WHIP (1.09) and second in home runs per nine innings (0.7). All this while pitching for a club that won the NL East every year from 2018-2023 and the World Series in 2021 – including a clinching Game 6 in which Fried pitched six shutout innings.

Yet in this bat-missing, power-pitching obsessed era, Fried cannot boast double-digit strikeouts per nine innings – he’s never topped the 200-strikeout mark – and slots a notch below Burnes and Snell for that reason. While he’s a decade removed from Tommy John surgery, consecutive years with IL stints related to forearm issues are a moderate concern.

What he does boast is a legitimate seven-pitch mix, a loose and athletic delivery that should age well and a knack for inducing weak contact: Fried has ranked between the 90th and 98th percentile for average exit velocity five consecutive years.

Outlook: Fried and the Braves never reached contract extension nirvana that Atlanta finds with so many of its young players, and thus he will soon be an ex-Brave. The patience will serve Fried well, though, as his new club will get an ace still maturing as a pitcher even as he’s closing in on a decade of big-game experience.

No surprise AL East clubs like Baltimore, Boston and Toronto have reportedly checked in early on Fried; all are unlikely to win a bidding war for Burnes or Snell, yet are committed to improving in 2025. Even if Fried finishes third in this dash for dollars, he’ll still have plenty of zeroes on his contract, like so many goose eggs hanging on a scoreboard.

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American League MVP Aaron Judge has not spoken to Juan Soto since the end of the World Series, wanting to give him time and the privacy to make his own free agent decision, but it’s hardly as if he’s just sitting back and crossing his fingers that Soto returns to the New York Yankees.

Judge divulged Friday during his MVP conference call that he spoke a few weeks ago to Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner on the importance of retaining Soto if they are to make their first back-to-back World Series appearances since 1998-2001.

“We discussed a lot of things from Juan to other guys that are kind of out there than can definitely help this team,’ Judge said. “I kind of was giving my input on a couple of things. And honestly, it ain’t my money, I really don’t care as long as we get the best players, get the most of what we can, I’m happy with whatever.’

Judge received the largest contract in Yankee history as a free agent two years ago when he signed a nine-year, $360 million deal. Soto is seeking a deal worth at least $600 million as one of the most coveted free agents in baseball history.

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Yet no matter how much more Soto receives, there will be no jealousy.

“That’s never been somethings on my mind who gets paid the most,’ Judge said. “Whatever we can do to get the best players, I’ll take it. That’s what it kind of comes down. All of the guys we have in the clubhouse, Giancarlo Stanton kind of set that example.

‘He signed the first big mega-contract in Miami (13 years, $325 million), but once he came here, he never cared about being the highest-paid guy. He just wanted good players around him. You can ask anyone in the room, they kind of feel the same way.’

Judge has no inside information about negotiations, just as Steinbrenner said this week that he has no idea where Soto is headed, but appreciates that Steinbrenner will meet at least once a homestand with himself and veteran starter Gerrit Cole to talk about the state of the team.

“I feel like it’s really all on Hal,’ Judge said. “When I was a free agent at the end of ’22, that’s one of the first things he said was, ‘Hey, I really want to build a relationship with you and have you being a part of this. …You’re going to be a Yankee for life.’ So he really opened it up to me whether I had any input, if I had any feelings about things, because he’s not down in the clubhouse, he’s not on the field every single day, so just having that relationship where I can really communicate with him what I’m seeing, what I’m feeling, what I see with the guys, and other guys we play against, I love it.

“It’s a cool part to where the more communication you have from top to bottom, it makes everybody better,  being honest with each other, and talk about how we all feel, what we’re seeing. I enjoy it. It kind of comes with being in the position I am, and being the captain as well.

“The fact they’re listening, and want to know what we have to say is a pretty cool part of it.’’

Even though it was Judge who protected Soto in the lineup, Judge believed Soto’s presence helped make him a better player, driving in a career-high 144 runs this year compared to 131 during his first MVP season in 2022.

“You look at that Dodgers lineup where those first three guys are MVPs,’ Judge said of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. “You’re going through three tough at-bats back-to-back-to-back there. I think having a chance having Juan hit in front of me, I get to see a lot of pitches. He’s going to be a tough at-bat in front of me. He’s going to wear down the pitcher right there in the first inning, within the first 15 pitches or so.

“That was a big impact having a guy like that in front of me.

“If I could have eight Juan Sotos in the lineup with me, I’d love that.’

Soto, 26, is well aware how valuable he was to the Yankees’ lineup. Judge made sure to remind him all season how much he means to the entire franchise, feeling no need to bother him with phone calls now.

“I haven’t talked to him at all,’ Judge said. “I think the best thing is to give those guys space. I talked to him all season. He knows how we feel about him. I think the most important thing is to let him do his thing with his family. Pray about it. Talk to people.  And come to the right decision for him and his family. …

“We’ll see him down the road.’

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Michigan football was able to land its quarterback of the future with a little bit of help from a quarterback from the Wolverines’ past — and not just any quarterback.

Bryce Underwood, the Belleville star and the No. 1 player in the 2025 recruiting class, was the dominant story in the college football world Friday when he flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan, giving coach Sherrone Moore perhaps the first major victory of his tenure as the Wolverines’ full-time head coach.

Underwood was the subject of intense interest from Michigan and its fans during what has been an underwhelming 2024 season for the Wolverines. That impassioned push reportedly got a crucial late assist from none other than Tom Brady.

The former Michigan quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion, widely regarded as the greatest quarterback in NFL history, struck up a relationship with Underwood over the past several weeks, beginning with a FaceTime call, according to a report from CBS Sports.

Over multiple conversations, Brady stressed to Underwood that he’d be a resource for the young quarterback, a potential mentorship arrangement that “became one of many factors” in Underwood’s decision to commit to the Wolverines, according to CBS.

The full-court recruiting press is certainly worth it.

Underwood is not only the No. 1 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class, but the No. 1 overall player, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound dual-threat quarterback is Michigan’s highest-rated quarterback commitment in the modern recruiting era, going back to 2002. He’s the second No. 1 overall consensus recruit to end up with the Wolverines, joining Rashan Gary in 2016.

Underwood not only gives Michigan hope at the game’s most important position as Moore’s program has cycled through three different quarterbacks during a disappointing 5-5 season, but his pledge reverses a recent trend of top-ranked in-state quarterbacks spurning the Wolverines. Dante Moore from Detroit King, the No. 5 player nationally in the 2022 class, committed to UCLA while CJ Carr from Saline, a top-100 player in the 2023 class, opted for Notre Dame.

It was more than just a bond with Brady that drew Underwood to Ann Arbor, as he’s reportedly set to earn a name, image and likeness deal worth $10 million over four years.

Beyond the action on the field, a college football weekend is compelling in many ways, especially in this era of a new playoff system, name, image, and likeness.

But many stories would not otherwise be told if it weren’t for behind-the-scenes crews who put together video packages that not only pull in the audience but could have long-lasting effects long after the fans file out of the stadium.

That’s where ‘What Would You Fight For?’ comes in, a series produced by NBC Sports for Notre Dame football. The series is in its 18th year, and NBC Sports senior producer Lindsay Schanzer says it highlights Notre Dame’s commitment to finding solutions to the many challenges facing the world.

‘Sometimes – as is the case with the story airing this weekend for the Army game – there is a natural tie-in for that game’s audience,’ Schanzer, a six-time Emmy winner, who also produces the College Countdown college football studio show on NBC, told USA TODAY Sports.

The Fighting Irish play host to Army on Saturday night in one of the biggest games in the series’ history, and this week’s ‘What Would You Fight For?’ will feature walk-on kicker Eric Goins and head coach Marcus Freeman.

The latest installment will air before the third quarter of Saturday night’s game, airing on NBC and Peacock at 7 p.m. ET.

‘We knew that coach Freeman has his own ties to the military, and having his voice speak to Eric’s story and the impact he would have as a member of Notre Dame’s football team and student body at-large would be even more powerful,’ Schanzer said. ‘As for the magnitude of the game from a rankings perspective, we had no idea when we finished the story that it would be between two top-20 teams, so that’s an added bonus.’

Goins served seven years in the U.S. Army and at 30 years old is one of the older players in college football. Freeman’s military ties are due to his father serving in the Air Force, and he says he was happy when Goins joined the team and thought Goins’ experience would be a ‘huge addition’ to the football team.

‘There is no substitute for experience,’ Freeman said in the two-minute video. ‘And that experience Eric has, he can share with the younger players on our team.’

‘When you think of a college football player, a 30-year-old former Army infantry and communications officer typically doesn’t come to mind,’ Goins, who is pursuing his master of global affairs/master of business administration degree at Notre Dame, said in the video.

So what is Goins fighting for as he pursues his next step in life?

‘Fighting to serve others above self,’ he says.

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