We get you, college football fans. It’s easy to get emotional after a weekend of highs and lows. Here at Overreaction HQ we try to take a bird’s-eye view of the playoff landscape to determine who has a realistic path to cracking the final top 12. But if it’s your team that just took a disheartening loss, you’re pretty despondent right now – ‘Aspirations in the clouds but your hopes go down the drain,’ as Howard Jones put it. (Google it, kids, it’s great.)

In this edition of the top five overreactions of the week, we’ll assess the damage at a few locales, including campus sites as well as a couple of league offices.

Penn State

The crisis for Nittany Lions’ faithful is essentially twofold. Most have come to terms with the reality that the Big Ten title is off the table, as barring some incredibly strange happenings the championship game will be Oregon against the Ohio State-Indiana winner. Penn State is still very much in the at-large discussion as long as it wins its remaining games to finish 11-1.

But the looming question then becomes, will the Lions actually do any damage once they get there? As has been well documented, the team’s recent seasons have unfolded predictably, winning the games it’s supposed to win but unable to reach the summit. Would a win in the round of 12 against a mid-tier finisher from another power conference even be viewed as a success if it were followed by a quarterfinal loss to one of the sport’s elite?

Internally, of course, the team members can’t afford to ponder such questions, as there’s still work to be done with a couple of squads with winning records left on the schedule. The fans will stay on board the rest of the way, but this week’s disappointment might take some time to dissipate.

TIRESOME ACT: James Franklin, Penn State fall short again

UPS AND DOWNS: Ohio State leads winners and losers from Week 10

Clemson

One could almost feel the panic meter rising around Death Valley as Saturday night’s game against Louisville methodically slipped away from the Tigers. With that result came the realization that Clemson’s six-game winning streak had largely been built on empty calories.

The Tigers will now need help just to reach the ACC title game in the form of a loss by either Miami or SMU. Assuming they don’t get it, they might still be on the periphery of the at-large discussion if they can get to 10-2, which would include a win at Pittsburgh and a home triumph against South Carolina in the regular-season finale. A loss in either – or this week at Virginia Tech – would remove any doubt, and that would not sit well for a fan base accustomed to playing for championships.

Texas A&M

The situation for the two-loss Aggies is a bit different, in the sense that their most realistic playoff scenario still involves winning the SEC title or at least reaching the championship game. A win against Texas at the end of the month would do the trick, as Georgia and Tennessee must still play each other and the Aggies own a head-to-head tiebreaker against LSU.

But a second conference loss, which would be the Aggies’ third overall, would leave their playoff fate in the hands of the committee. Their resume might hold up against other teams in the three-loss pool, but they’d do well not to put themselves in that position. They have a week off and then a game against New Mexico State to get things sorted out before a trip to Auburn and a home date with their biggest rival.

The Big 12

There had to be a wee bit of anxiety around the league office as two of the conference’s top three candidates, Iowa State and Kansas State, went down to defeat within minutes of each other Saturday evening. It’s extremely unlikely the conference will be left out of the field altogether, but those results left open the possibility that the eventual Big 12 champion might not get a first-round bye.

Automatic berths, remember, are guaranteed for the five highest ranked conference champs, with the top four among those assured spots in the quarterfinals. Could the Big 12 winner not be among the top four? It’s not out of the question with Boise State ranked at No. 14 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

There is, of course, one Big 12 squad still unscathed. Should Brigham Young make it to 13-0 claiming the league title in the process, they couldn’t be denied a top-four seed, especially with that early win against possible ACC champ SMU in the bank. But should the Cougars fall in the conference finale or drop any of their remaining games in November, whichever team ends up as league champ will have multiple losses. Iowa State and Kansas State will play each other at the end of the month, and either Colorado or Texas Tech will take another loss when they square off this week. We’ll know a bit more about how the committee views the so-called Group of Five conferences, specifically how Boise State and Army compare to the Big 12 contenders, when the initial rankings come out Tuesday night.

The American

Speaking of Army, the Black Knights did their part for their new league by taking care of academy rival Air Force despite the absence of starting quarterback Bryson Daily. But overall it was a rough weekend for the American Athletic, with Navy losing a long-delayed contest at Rice and Memphis falling to Texas-San Antonio. Mountain West leader Boise State, meanwhile, continued to look the part of the best team from outside the Power Four with a dominant outing against San Diego State on Friday night.

If the Broncos keep winning, there might not be anything the American can do to crack the playoff lineup. There is that opportunity for Army against Notre Dame in three weeks at Yankee Stadium, but the Black Knights will almost certainly need a healthy Daily for that one as well as for this week’s trip to North Texas to keep their hopes of crashing the party alive.

Bo Nix took the fourth-down shotgun snap from the 1-yard line and handed off to Javonte Williams, who flipped the ball to Courtland Sutton. The wide receiver, reversing across the backfield, floated enough air underneath his pass attempt for the ball to reach the end zone. Nix rose up like a receiver and, displaying impressive body control, won the jump ball against Ravens safety Marcus Williams before falling over the goal line for a touchdown. 

Halfway through the second quarter, the Broncos had come within 10-7 of the Ravens, who entered the matchup as a heavy favorite despite the two teams entering with the same record (5-3). The final score – a 41-10 blowout in favor of Baltimore – is evidence of the chasm between the two teams. 

The Philly Special Redux was the closest they came, showing how much further Sean Payton’s team must go before competing with the AFC’s cream of the crop. Unfortunately for the Broncos, Nix’s touchdown catch was a flashy play in an otherwise insubstantial day for the entire team. 

After the game, Payton said the Ravens bested the Broncos in all three phases.

All things Broncos: Latest Denver Broncos news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

“That’s why it’s so important when we’re bringing in the right type of players and the mindset,” said Payton, who went 8-9 in 2023, his first season with the team. “It’s not making any excuses. We got whooped today.”

Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers and the Ravens offense answered the Nix touchdown catch – the first time the rookie quarterback caught a touchdown to complement his eight touchdown throws and four rushing scores –  with a seven-play, 63-yard touchdown drive. They responded again to make it a two-touchdown lead by halftime. 

Nix finished 19-of-33 for 233 yards and an interception, which came on the first pass attempt of the game. Though it wasn’t his best throw, the 12th overall pick in the draft deserved less blame than wideout Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who let the ball hit off his hands and float in the air for Ar’Darius Washington to comfortably corral it. 

The Broncos were 6-for-14 on third downs. But Payton was aggressive in keeping the offense on the field for fourth downs, and Denver finished 1-for-5. On the first attempt, Nix overthrew former Oregon teammate Troy Franklin for what would have been a touchdown with a cleaner ball. 

“We came away with no points on several of those fourth downs, and you just never know,” Nix said. “Obviously, if you hit those, the game I guess could change – a lot of what-ifs in this game, and the fact of the matter is we had our butts kicked.”

While he is content to dink and dunk and go with his first read should it be a favorable matchup, Nix also ripped a few deeper passes Sunday and can make plays with his legs. 

“That quarterback is good,” Ravens linebacker Tavius Robinson said, “and will only get better.” 

Through nine games, that has been the case for Nix. Since he barely attempted a pass beyond the line of scrimmage against the Seattle Seahawks during his NFL debut, Nix has been throwing the ball more downfield (7.06 air yards per attempt from Weeks 4-8). The Broncos had five plays go for 21 yards or more Sunday, while the Ravens had seven. 

Payton and the Broncos had their way with the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. A week later, they were the ones being toyed with, as Jackson found fullback Patrick Ricard on a play-action pass near the goal line to make it 38-10 with 1:25 left in the third quarter. Jackson finished 16-for-19 with 280 passing yards, three touchdowns and a perfect passer rating of 158.3. 

“I think if you’re an older team and you’ve been in this situation, you can flush it. I think as a younger team, with not as much experience, you have to take it like it is and learn from it, grow from it, because you don’t want to be back in this situation,” Nix said. “You kind of accept the pain and the reality that we didn’t get it done today. As a young team, you have to find ways to not let this happen again.”

(This story was updated to add a photo and a gallery.)

The 32 things we learned from Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season:

0. The number of combined receptions by five different Houston Texans players – targeted a total of 11 times – in Thursday night’s 21-13 loss to the New York Jets.

1. Perhaps the all-time ranking – and you’ll certainly have plenty of arguments here – of Jets WR Garrett Wilson’s game-winning 26-yard TD grab against Houston. A little Michael Jordan, a little OBJ, a little luck getting that shin down inbounds on a play that wasn’t initially ruled a catch. “For it to even come up in that convo, I’m blessed,” Wilson said afterwards. “I’m honored.”

1a. The NYJ’s number of wins now under interim HC Jeff Ulbrich.

1b. WR Davante Adams’ number of TDs with the Jets after he, too, caught one against the Texans.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

1c. At least the number of wide receivers Houston should consider acquiring after QB C.J. Stroud – sacked eight times by the Jets – looked helpless trying to pass the ball in an offense missing injured WRs Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs, the latter out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

2. The number of days, as of Sunday afternoon’s games, until the NFL’s 2024 trade deadline expires (at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday). And while it seems like most of the major names who were on the block – Adams among them – have already been moved, the league’s generally more aggressive strain of GMs certainly means more transactions could be forthcoming. And the Texans are one of those promising teams that nevertheless seem flawed by a very specific positional issue.

3. Desmond Ridder became the Las Vegas Raiders’ third quarterback of the season Sunday when Gardner Minshew was benched in a 41-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Recently signed off the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad, Ridder – he passed for 74 yards and a TD in relief in the town where he was the beloved leader of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats – might be the closest thing the Silver and Black get to a replacement QB option given they failed to swing a trade to get into position for Jayden Daniels on draft night.

4. The number of sacks collected Sunday by Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson – a career high – allowing him to take over the league lead with 11.

5. The number of touchdown passes thrown Sunday by Bengals QB Joe Burrow, the first time in his career he’d done that in a victorious effort.

6. Cincinnati’s Mike Gesicki caught two of those scoring strikes from Burrow, the first time in his career he had a 100-yard receiving day and multiple scores … though, sadly, the effort came a week late to be recognized on National Tight Ends Day.

6a. At least that meant less publicity for the league’s worst Griddy …

7. The number of wins for the NFC East-leading Washington Commanders, their best nine-game start since 1996. Now if they can only bolster that problematic secondary by Tuesday afternoon …

8. WR Darius Slayton had 60 yards on four touches Sunday, again displaying how effective he might be in another uniform given the numbers he’s posted – on pace for 900 yards from scrimmage – for the Giants’ largely inept offense. Unfortunately, his chances to be liberated by a trade likely dropped given he was evaluated for a concussion before the loss to Washington concluded.

9. Could the Philadelphia Eagles be the latest team with a receiver need? The only team that poses a threat to Washington in the NFC East after outlasting the Jacksonville Jaguars 28-23, Philly nevertheless saw Pro Bowler A.J. Brown leave the game early with a knee injury – a concerning development for a team with negligible wideout depth behind Brown and DeVonta Smith.

10. But at least Iggles RB Saquon Barkley continues to be one of this year’s best free agent signings. He went over 1,000 yards from scrimmage Sunday – adding another 199 to his tally, plus two TDs. But nothing beats his reverse hurdle Sunday, which he executed on the heels of a Barry Sanders-esque spin move. Just. Sick.

11. As for available wideouts? You can pretty much forget about the Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp after he hauled in 11 more balls for 104 yards in a 26-20 overtime win at Seattle that leveled LA at 4-4 and slotted them into an eighth-place tie overall in the NFC – meaning just outside wild-card position.

12. But give the next man up award to Kupp’s counterpart, veteran Demarcus Robinson, who caught a pair of TDs from QB Matthew Stafford – including the 39-yard game-winner in OT – while playing heavy snaps following the ejection of Puka Nacua, who was tossed for throwing a punch.

13. Further props to the Rams’ rookie-laden defense. Jared Verse and Braden Fiske combined for three sacks of Seahawks QB Geno Smith, while S Kamren Kinchens swiped two interceptions, taking one back 103 yards to pay dirt.

14. The San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers were the only teams on bye in Week 9, yet those playoff hopefuls also seem to have serious depth issues at wideout. However the Niners will get a lift if Jauan Jennings’ hip injury recovers sufficiently to allow him to play in Week 10.

15. Number of wins by the Buffalo Bills’ Sean McDermott in 17 career meetings with the Miami Dolphins since he became the head coach in 2017. But close shave Sunday, Bills K Tyler Bass hitting a 61-yard field goal in the final seconds of a 30-27 victory.

16. The New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans both showed admirable resilience Sunday given neither team is going anywhere in 2024 – Pats rookie QB Drake Maye with a remarkable game-tying TD pass at the end of regulation before the Titans fought back to win in overtime. What neither team did particularly well was showcase any of the receivers that might fetch some return on the trade market: Tennessee’s Tyler Boyd and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and/or New England’s Kendrick Bourne and Kayshon Boutte all held to 50 or fewer yards.

17. With QB Dak Prescott (hamstring) and WR CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) banged up in Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, you wonder if Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will be “all out” at some point as his underwhelming squad continues to sink toward the bottom of the NFC. A conditional seventh-rounder for recalcitrant Ezekiel Elliott might be welcome as Rico Dowdle continues to cement himself as the best back on the roster.

18. Congratulations to the Carolina Panthers, who notched their first home win of the season Sunday by beating the New Orleans Saints 23-22 while avenging a 47-10 Week 1 embarrassment at the Superdome.

19. But if Panthers RB Miles Sanders was hoping to show something to a potential suitor … welp. He amazingly managed to lose 5 yards on two carries while also losing 5 yards on two receptions. Carolina’s backfield could get crowded with rookie Jonathon Brooks’ debut seemingly imminent, but it makes a lot of sense to keep productive starter Chuba Hubbard (2 TDs on Sunday) if the team wants to build any kind of momentum and confidence for second-year QB Bryce Young now that he’s notched his first win of the season.

20. Still the most points allowed in a game this year by the Los Angeles Chargers’ No. 1 scoring defense, which also generated six sacks and three takeaways in 27-10 defeat of the Browns in Cleveland.

21. The Chargers became the sixth team since 1990 to surrender 20 or fewer points in their first eight games of a season.

22. Bolts QB Justin Herbert also passed for at least 275 yards for the third straight week – greenhorn WRs Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey continuing to establish themselves and giving GM Joe Hortiz little reason to aggressively pursue another pass catcher before Tuesday.

23. Though the Browns didn’t win, DE Myles Garrett, the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, registered a season-best three sacks – which was either a plea for Cleveland to trade him … but more likely a reminder of how ludicrous former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum’s trade proposal of Garrett to the Lions rendered last week.

24. Per Next Gen Stats, Bo Nix’s TD catch for the Denver Broncos on Sunday was the most improbable by a quarterback in six years.

25. However Denver HC Sean Payton probably would have preferred some more likely TDs rather than being victimized by one of the Baltimore Ravens’ best defensive performances of the season in a 41-10 blowout.

26. Offensively? Another humdrum day in Charm City, QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry combining to generate five Ravens TDs. Henry, who scored twice, became the fifth player ever with 100 rushing touchdowns in his first nine NFL seasons. Henry is also the fourth guy since 1990 to find the end zone in nine straight games to start a season.

27. But it was Jackson who had another near-flawless performance – and perfect 158.3 passer rating (16-for-19, 280 yards, 3 TDs) – as he continues to track toward a third league MVP award.

27a. It was the fourth time in Jackson’s career that he aced the QB rating with a 158.3 score – a new NFL record after he broke a tie with Hall of Famers Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner and future HOFers Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger.

28. Unless the Detroit Lions’ Jared Goff beats Jackson to the hardware. The NFC leaders are now 7-1, in part because Goff was once again uber-efficient, even in Green Bay’s rainy weather. Goff’s 82.8% completion rate and 140.1 passer rating are both NFL records over a six-game span within a season.

28a. Over that same stretch, Detroit has 28 touchdowns and 24 incompletions – two of those missed connections from QB2 Hendon Hooker. Wow.

29. But while you can argue whether the Ravens or Lions owns the league’s best offense, both Super Bowl hopefuls could use some help on defense – specifically at pass rusher. If Cleveland DE Za’Darius Smith is the biggest realistic prize still out there, advantage Aidan Hutchinson-less Detroit in this scenario as it’s highly unlikely the Browns are sending the three-time Pro Bowler back to his original AFC North home.

30. It might not be the most storied rivalry in the NFL or have the most chapters, but Bears-Cardinals is definitely the oldest. The teams, which used to share Chicago as a home, first met in 1920 – the NFL’s inaugural season – when the Bears were known as the Decatur Staleys. Sunday was the 96th installment, the Cardinals notching just the 30th win in a century-plus by beating the Bears 29-9.

31. However it took more than 100 years for these teams to be pelted by hail, while playing in a stadium with a retractable roof … that was inexplicably open Sunday.

32. Uniform note of the week: The Jets apparently listened to QB Aaron Rodgers’ advice to “make peace” with the darkness … by debuting their new black alternate uniforms on Thursday night. A Sith vibe apparently suits Rodgers and Co. well.

32a. Second uniform note of the week: Never hated the Eagles’ “Midnight Green” look, which will forever be associated with their first (and still only) Super Bowl triumph. But it should be the alternate look while the Kelly Greens ought to be restored as the primary kit.

32b. Third uniform note of the week: Not as strong a feeling on the Giants’ legacy uniform, though it was part of the league’s 1980s uniform heyday …

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

LOS ANGELES — When the clock hit zero at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, last March, Southern California head coach Lindsay Gottlieb knew things weren’t going to be the same.

Yes, the Trojans fell to Connecticut, the season was finished and they fell one step short of their first trip to the Final Four since 1986. But the moment her team walked toward the locker room, Gottlieb knew the bar had officially been raised.

USC women’s basketball was back, and ready to become one of the powerhouse schools in the sport once again.

“The bar is now high, and we want to be one of the best teams in the country,” Gottlieb said.

It’s been quite the rise for USC as Gottlieb enters her fourth season at the helm. The team showed progress in her first two seasons, going from 12-16 in Year 1 to 21-10 and earning its first NCAA berth in nine years in 2023. 

Yet few saw how far the Trojans would go last season. Gottlieb signed the best high school prospect in the country – local prodigy JuJu Watkins –but USC was picked to finish sixth in a loaded Pac-12. Instead, they won 29 games – the most since 1985-86 – won the Pac-12 Conference tournament for the first time in 10 years and were a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. 

None of it would have been possible without Watkins. She scored 32 points in her first game – a school record for a freshman’s debut – in an upset win over Ohio State. She scored a school-record 51 points against Stanford, had 14 games scoring at least 30 points, set the national record for scoring by a freshman with 920 points and her 27.1 points per game was second in the country behind Caitlin Clark.

JuJu Watkins meeting her high expectations

It may have just been one season, but the high expectations Watkins started her career with are already coming into fruition. 

“When I decided to commit, it was to kind of bring that winning legacy back and that excitement around USC women’s basketball and LA basketball in general,” Watkins said. “It’s just been really, really exciting to see it all come together.”

After the stellar season, it’s easy to see why Watkins is a preseason All-American, the 2024-25 Big Ten coaches preseason player of the year and a favorite to win the national player of the year award. 

Gottlieb joked the biggest challenge she has when it comes to Watkins is figuring out what she wants her star to get her for Christmas, considering she’s also dominated the name, image and likeness game. Watkins has deals with companies like Gatorade, AT&T and reportedly signed a multiyear contract extension with Nike that is one of the richest shoe deals in women’s basketball.

With so much attention and the game to back it up, Watkins certainly is a contender to be the biggest star in the sport now that Clark has moved on to the WNBA.

“She’s certainly going to be one of the prominent faces of the women’s college game this year,” ESPN analyst and Basketball Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo said. “There’s a lot to be excited about in women’s college basketball, and I think certainly JuJu is one of the players that people are really eager to see.”

Watkins said she spent much of the offseason working on her left hand, and Gottlieb added she’s become more of a vocal leader for the team while continuing to manipulate defenses.

And yes, she’s still working on her scoring. Whenever the team gets a break during practice, you’ll often see Watkins still on the court getting shots up. 

“Nothing she does surprises me anymore,” Gottlieb said of Watkins. “JuJu makes it easy because she puts this team, she puts basketball, she puts me, she puts USC above anything individual for her, she really does.

“She’s a 19-year-old who’s just focused on winning and focused on helping me and this team build towards excellence.”

USC expects to benefit from influx of talent

Outside of Watkins, only one starter returns in Rayah Marshall, but Gottlieb did load up the roster. She brought in Kiki Iriafen, the Pac-12 most improved player last season with Stanford, and two-time all-Pac-12 team member Talia von Oelhoffen from Oregon State as part of one of the country’s best transfer portal hauls. Gottlieb said they were critical additions because not only do they bring in a veteran ability to lead alongside Watkins, but they come from successful teams.

On the high school recruiting side, Gottlieb added six players in ESPN’s top 100 recruits, highlighted by five-star recruits Kennedy Smith, Kayleigh Heckel and Avery Howell. A blend of new and experienced is what Gottlieb hopes is the perfect recipe for success.

“We have a number of pieces. I think versatility will be a thing for us,” Gottlieb said. “We’re younger than people think. I’m playing a couple of freshmen in significant roles, and at the same time, we have some really good veterans.”

Iriafen and von Oelhoffen have meshed well with Watkins. Iriafen said Watkins “brings in excellence around her” and they’re always looking for each other on the court.

“There’s so many great players around me, so I’m kind of playing off of them as well,” she said. “You can expect anybody to go out there and get a bucket. You’re not just relying on two people or three people.”

A potential new star could be Smith. She played at Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga and played against Watkins in high school, and now she enters in a role similar to her now-teammate. Gottlieb and Watkins spoke highly of Smith with the expectation for her to get significant playing time. The word that comes up when talking about her? 

“Dawg,” Watkins said.

USC embracing the ‘target on our back’

All the great teams in every sport set the expectation to be champions by the end of the season. However, it’s rare for them to speak about it publicly, usually opting to go with the “take it one game at a time” approach.

But that’s not the case with these Trojans.

From the coaching staff to the players, they know the expectation is to win the school’s first national championship since 1984, and they aren’t shy about their chase toward glory.

“There’s just a sense of urgency to go further than where we went last year,” Watkins said.

USC starts the season at No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, the favorite to win the Big Ten in its first season in the league, earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA women’s tournament and reach the Final Four. 

Plenty of eyes will get to see USC’s march. Not only do the Trojans open the college basketball season in Paris against Mississippi in an ESPN televised game Monday, more than half of the schedule will be aired nationwide. That’s in addition to the several NIL deals players have secured.

So with the spotlight shining brightly in Los Angeles, the Trojans welcome the challenge.

“Our stage has been elevated for all of us. We haven’t shied away from any expectations. We understand that comes with a lot of responsibility,” Gottlieb said. “Everything’s a big stage, and we got to be ready. There’s definitely a target on our back.”

The most important day of 2024 in the United States is almost here – NFL trade deadline day.

After spending months on building their 2024 rosters, teams across the league are getting an early look at whether their projects will pass or fail by season’s end. That is where the deadline comes in: A last ditch effort to put a contending team over the top, helping a tanking team race to the bottom or determine how a club is going to move forward.

In many ways, the deadline is where teams figure out who they’ll be for the rest of this season and beyond. While the NFL trade deadline doesn’t typically live up to the hype it has in some other leagues, there is always a chance for fireworks before the dust settles.

Here’s when you can expect to see the trades stop in 2024 and who could be sitting in a different team’s chair when the music stops.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

When is the NFL trade deadline?

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 5
Time: 4 p.m. ET

The phone lines close to any and all potential trades at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 5. From that point on, teams will be stuck with the roster they’ve constructed as of that moment.

While signings can still take place, no players will be changing jerseys via trade until March at the earliest. The new league year is slated to begin on March 12 at 4 p.m. ET, which is when the trade winds can start blowing again.

NFL trade deadline candidates

The top names on the market have already found new homes, but there are still plenty of players that could be booking flights and hotel rooms by Tuesday afternoon. Most of the remaining names are closer to depth pieces than true stars. However, a blockbuster trade can’t be ruled out. Sometimes trade deadlines can bring surprises. While we wait to see which reinforcements are on the way, here’s some of the notable players that could be available.

Mike Williams, Jets WR
Za’Darius Smith, Browns DE
Darius Slayton, Giants WR
Adam Thielen, Panthers WR
Azeez Ojulari, Giants LB
Tre’Davious White, Rams CB

NFL trades so far

Houston Texans trade RB Cam Akers to Minnesota Vikings
Las Vegas Raiders trade WR Davante Adams to New York Jets
Cleveland Browns trade WR Amari Cooper to Buffalo Bills
Tennessee Titans trade WR DeAndre Hopkins to Kansas City Chiefs
Seattle Seahawks trade LB Jerome Baker to Tennessee Titans for LB Ernest Jones IV
New England Patriots trade LB Josh Uche to Kansas City Chiefs
Carolina Panthers trade WR Diontae Johnson to Baltimore Ravens

The Las Vegas Raiders reached their breaking point with Luke Getsy after just nine games.

The team announced Sunday night it had fired its offensive coordinator, ending Getsy’s run with the team after a 2-7 start. Offensive line coach James Cregg and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello were also dismissed.

The moves come just hours after the Raiders generated just 217 yards of total offense in a 41-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Desmond Ridder, who was signed less than two weeks ago, took over after starting quarterback Gardner Minshew was benched late in the third quarter. Minshew was benched for Aidan O’Connell in early October, but the second-year passer landed on injured reserve after hurting his thumb.

The Raiders rank 29th in total offense (280.2 yards per game) and 26th in scoring (18.7 points per game). After top wide receiver Davante Adams was traded to the New York Jets, the unit has few remaining bright spots outside of rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who ranks second in the NFL with 57 receptions this season.

Asked last week if there was any part of the offense he could rely on to execute, Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said ‘no.’

All things Raiders: Latest Las Vegas Raiders news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

“Today wasn’t a good day at the office,” Pierce said after Sunday’s loss. “We’ve got the bye week to reset, and when I say everything, it’s everything.”

Getsy was hired in February after Pierce’s interim designation was removed and he became the franchise’s full-time coach. The 40-year-old was fired by the Chicago Bears in January after a two-year stint as the team’s offensive coordinator.

The Raiders have a bye this week before facing the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 17.

This story has been updated with new information.

LOS ANGELES — When the clock hit zero at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon last March, Southern California head coach Lindsay Gottlieb knew things weren’t going to be the same.

Yes, the Trojans fell to Connecticut, the season was finished and they fell one step short of their first trip to the Final Four since 1986. But the moment her team walked toward the locker room, Gottlieb knew the bar had officially been raised.

USC women’s basketball was back, and ready to become one of the powerhouse schools in the sport once again.

“The bar is now high, and we want to be one of the best teams in the country,” Gottlieb said.

It’s been quite the rise for USC as Gottlieb enters her fourth season at the helm. The team showed progress in her first two seasons, going from 12-16 in year one to 21-10 and earning its NCAA berth in nine years in 2023. 

Yet few saw how far the Trojans would go last season. Gottlieb signed the high school prospect in the country – local prodigy JuJu Watkins, but USC was picked to finish sixth in a loaded Pac-12. Instead, they won 29 games – the most since 1985-86 – won the Pac-12 conference tournament for the first time in 10 years and were a No. 1 seed in the tournament. 

None of it would have been possible without Watkins. She scored 32 points in her first game – a school record for a freshman’s debut – in an upset win over Ohio State. She scored a school-record 51 points against Stanford, had 14 games scoring at least 30 points, set the national record for scoring by a freshman with 920 points and her 27.1 points per game was second in the country behind Caitlin Clark.

Juju Watkins meeting her high expectations

It may have just been one season, but the high expectations Watkins started her career with are already coming into fruition. 

“When I decided to commit, it was to kind of bring that winning legacy back and that excitement around USC women’s basketball and L.A. basketball in general,” Watkins said. “It’s just been really, really exciting to see it all come together.”

After the stellar season, it’s easy to see why Watkins is a preseason All-American, the 2024-25 Big Ten coaches preseason player of the year and a favorite to win the national player of the year award. 

Gottlieb joked the biggest challenge she has when it comes to Watkins is figuring out what she wants her star to get her for Christmas, considering she’s also dominated the name, image and likeness game. Watkins has deals with companies like Gatorade, AT&T and reportedly signed a multiyear contract extension with Nike that is one of the richest shoe deals in women’s basketball.

With so much attention and the game to back it up, Watkins certainly is a contender to be the biggest star in the sport now that Clark has moved on to the WNBA.

“She’s certainly going to be one of the prominent faces of the women’s college game this year,” ESPN analyst and Basketball Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo said. “There’s a lot to be excited about in women’s college basketball, and I think certainly JuJu is one of the players that people are really eager to see.”

Watkins said she spent much of the offseason working on her left hand, and Gottlieb added she’s become more of a vocal leader for the team while continuing to manipulate defenses.

And yes, she’s still working on her scoring. Whenever the team gets a break during practice, you’ll often see Watkins still on the court getting shots up. 

“Nothing she does surprises me anymore,” Gottlieb said of Watkins. “JuJu makes it easy because she puts this team, she puts basketball, she puts me, she puts USC above anything individual for her, she really does.

“She’s a 19-year-old who’s just focused on winning and focused on helping me and this team build towards excellence.”

USC expects to benefit from influx of talent

Outside of Watkins, only one starter returns in Rayah Marshall, but Gottlieb did load up the roster. She brought in Kiki Iriafen, the Pac-12 most improved player last season with Stanford, and two-time all-Pac-12 team member Talia von Oelhoffen from Oregon State as part of one of the country’s best transfer portal haul. Gottlieb said they were critical additions because not only do they bring in a veteran ability to lead alongside Watkins, but they come from successful teams.

On the high school recruiting side, Gottlieb added six players in ESPN’s top 100 recruits, highlighted by five-star recruits Kennedy Smith, Kayleigh Heckel and Avery Howell. A blend of new and experienced is what Gottlieb hopes is the perfect recipe for success.

“We have a number of pieces. I think versatility will be a thing for us,” Gottlieb said. “We’re younger than people think. I’m playing a couple of freshmen in significant roles, and at the same time, we have some really good veterans.”

Iriafen and von Oelhoffen have meshed well with Watkins. Iriafen said Watkins “brings in excellence around her” and they’re always looking for each other on the court.

“There’s so many great players around me, so I’m kind of playing off of them as well,” she said. “You can expect anybody to go out there and get a bucket. You’re not just relying on two people or three people.”

A potential new star could be Smith. She played at Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga and played against Watkins in high school, and now she enters in a role similar to her now-teammate. Gottlieb and Watkins spoke highly of Smith with the expectation for her to get significant playing time. The word that comes up when talking about her? 

“Dawg,” Watkins said.

USC embracing the ‘target on our back’

All the great teams in every sport set the expectation to be champions by the end of the season. However, it’s rare for them to speak about it publicly, usually opting to go with the “take it one game at a time” approach.

But that’s not the case with these Trojans.

From the coaching staff to the players, they know the expectation is to win the school’s first national championship since 1984, and they aren’t shy about their chase toward glory.

“There’s just a sense of urgency to go further than where we went last year,” Watkins said.

USC starts the season at No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, the favorite to win the Big Ten in its first season in the league, earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA women’s tournament and reach the Final Four. 

Plenty of eyes will get to see USC’s march. Not only do they open the college basketball season in Paris against Mississippi in an ESPN televised game Monday, more than half of the schedule will be aired nationwide. That’s in addition to the several NIL deals players have secured.

So with the spotlight shining brightly in Los Angeles, the Trojans welcome the challenge.

“Our stage has been elevated for all of us. We haven’t shied away from any expectations. We understand that comes with a lot of responsibility,” Gottlieb said. “Everything’s a big stage, and we got to be ready. There’s definitely a target on our back.”

The former New Orleans Saints receiver is currently a free agent, but it’s safe to say he won’t be using his old colleague Derek Carr as a reference anytime soon.

Thomas’ rant on X, formerly Twitter, came after Chris Olave suffered a second concussion in less than a month. Olave was on the receiving end of a brutal hit from Panthers safety Xavier Woods, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness. Olave was carted off the field on a stretcher while wearing a neck brace. He was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation

After seeing the scene evolving in Carolina, Thomas took to social media to voice his displeasure with his former teammate.

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Michael Thomas rips Derek Carr on X

Thomas, who only experienced life with Carr for 10 games during the 2023 season, clearly isn’t a fan of the quarterback.

‘Derek Carr for you I been told yall (expletive) sad,’ the initial post read. ‘Dude scary and panic and just throw the ball. Get him the f out of here he so (expletive),’ Thomas continued.

Thomas also took aim at Carr’s 2022 season when the quarterback was still with the Raiders. Carr’s buddy, as Thomas said, is Davante Adams, who made first team All-Pro in his first season out of Green Bay.

‘That year his buddy went 1st team all pro in 2022 he needed 180 targets just to catch 100 passes,’ another post read. ‘He is (expletive) on my granny.’

This isn’t the first time that Thomas has voiced his displeasure with Carr, however. After suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2023, Thomas criticized Carr on social media for throwing a bad ball.

‘Dude tried to lie and say I was jealous of them making Chris WR1 whole time he can’t even get him a decent ball,’ Thomas said. He need his (expletive) whooped. They fired all them coaches trying to cover his flaws up he still doing the same (expletive).’

After the game, Carr was given the chance to respond to Thomas’ rant.

‘I have love for Mike,’ Carr said. ‘And when he does that, I don’t really care for it, obviously. I’ve had so many teammates over the years, and he’s like the one dude that didn’t get along with me. I don’t know what I did to him. I don’t know why he feels that way. I’m sorry for whatever he’s dealing with.’

Carr said he’s never received a call from Thomas and added that he wishes the best for his former teammate.

What team does Michael Thomas play for?

Thomas is currently a free agent. He was released by the Saints with a failed physical designation. The move was announced in March 2024 that New Orleans would designate Thomas as a post-June 1 cut.

Michael Thomas stats

At his peak, Thomas was considered one of the best receivers in the sport. After being drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Thomas began his career with four straight seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards. The former Ohio State Buckeye became the go-to target for then-quarterback Drew Brees.

His connection with Brees helped deliver one of the best seasons for a receiver in NFL history in 2019. Thomas was named offensive player of the year after hauling in 149 catches for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns. A three-time pro bowler and two-time first team All-Pro, Thomas was never the same player after that season. The previously durable player suddenly became hampered with injuries. From 2020 to 2023, Thomas would appear in just 20 games and missed the entire 2021 season.

The page has been turned to November, marking the final full month of the fantasy football regular season. Many league standings will be determined by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, meaning the time is now to start making some tough decisions. Some players haven’t given fantasy mangers a lot to be thankful for and find themselves squarely on the chopping block.

With trade deadlines looming across many leagues this week, it’ll be your last chance to make sweeping changes in the hopes of securing a playoff spot. In what’s become a disappointing season for some familiar faces, don’t let past performances dictate your future moves. Nine weeks into the season is plenty of time to see a big enough sample size, so don’t be afraid to cut bait on some more well-known names. To help make those decisions easier, here are five players we’re willing to show the door before Week 10.

Waiver wire players to cut after Week 9

QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

The 2024 season has been nothing short of a disaster for the Cowboys. Dallas has taken a significant step back thanks in part to injuries on defense and a poor running game. However, some of that blame also has to fall on the quarterback, who inked a new contract before the season began. Prescott has to be feeling good that he locked in the lucrative long-term deal, which will pay him $240 million over four years. Fantasy has met reality for the star quarterback, who has eclipsed the 20-point mark in just one of eight games. He exited Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury and was ruled out quickly.

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Jerry Jones expressed concern about Prescott’s hamstring after the game. Those ailments can be pesky, meaning there is a chance he misses time. The signal caller hasn’t run much this year either, meaning his upside is fairly one dimensional. While Dallas’ game scripts typically lend themselves to better fantasy point totals, that hasn’t been the case for Prescott. These Cowboys shouldn’t be trusted. Drop Prescott with confidence and look elsewhere.

WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins

Maybe this is a shocking pick, but fantasy managers should have run out of patience with Waddle by now. The Dolphins’ speedy receiver certainly comes with plenty of upside, but high ceilings are worthless if you never reach them. Waddle certainly falls into that category of players. If it weren’t for the name, he’d still be on waivers as an afterthought. Fantasy managers can cling to hope that this Dolphins’ offense turns it around, but the sample size is big enough to make them hard to trust.

The receiver scored his first touchdown of the season on Sunday, but finished with negative four receiving yards. He’s posted double digit fantasy points just once and that was back in Week 1. Waddle should be warming your bench at best, but if you need the roster spot, don’t be afraid to shock your league by cutting bait.

RB Alexander Mattison, Las Vegas Raiders

Fantasy pickings might be slim, but there’s no reason to trust anyone not named Brock Bowers on the Raiders if you can avoid it. Mattison finds himself safely in that category. His rushing upside is limited, especially on a team that feels like they’re trailing right after the opening kickoff every week. Mattison’s ability as a pass-catcher helps keep him somewhat fantasy relevant, but the Raiders are far too inconsistent to worry about which version of the silver-and-black you’re getting each week.

WR Keenan Allen, Chicago Bears

Allen has been a consistent fantasy weapon for years, but his move to the Windy City has blown him right out of consideration going forward. While he was targeted 10 times in Week 9, the Bears’ veteran was held to just four catches for 36 yards. On paper, that is just a bad day at the office, but Allen has posted an entire season like that. In terms of PPR leagues, Sunday was Allen’s second best game of the season. The Bears’ passing attack should be avoided like the plague.

WR Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers

The Packers have a lot of options in the passing game, which is a blessing for them and a curse for fantasy managers. Two weeks ago, we recommended saying ‘sayonara’ to Christian Watson. This week, it’s Doubs’ turn. It’s been a tough season for Jordan Love, who just can’t seem to catch a break. That reality has hampered the Green Bay passing attack, which cannot support multiple receivers in addition to a tight end and running back. Doubs is the victim of a numbers game.