Florida State had no choice but to break the bank to keep Mike Norvell.

He had just won an ACC championship and narrowly missed out on the College Football Playoff. In addition, Norvell had become one of the top contenders to replace Nick Saban at Alabama following his abrupt retirement in January.

Norvell’s new contract pays him $10 million in total compensation in 2024 and includes one of the largest buyouts among active Football Bowl Subdivision coaches at $70.1 million. But the payoff for this massive deal has been AWOL: Six games in, Norvell and the Seminoles are 1-5 and the biggest disappointment in the country.

Several coaches are set to see similarly significant increases in salary this offseason. Will these raises bear fruit or will programs have buyer’s remorse? Here are five set to see a rise in pay after this season:

Lane Kiffin, Mississippi

At $9 million in total compensation in 2024, Kiffin is already one of the highest-paid head coaches in the Bowl Subdivision. But he’s been mentioned in connection to the likely opening at Florida, which is set to move from third-year coach Billy Napier and aim for some of the biggest names in the industry to reverse a recent slide. That increases the possibility that Kiffin will see a pay raise this offseason, and not only from the Gators. Kiffin could also be contacted by another high-profile program in the market for a new coach or have his contract reworked by the Rebels amid interest inside and out of the SEC.

GJ Kinne, Texas State

The 35-year-old former Tulsa quarterback has quickly made a name for himself by leading Incarnate Word to the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals as a first-time coach in 2022 and then guiding Texas State to a bowl game in his debut. The Bobcats are 4-2 this season and a perfect 2-0 in the Sun Belt with a competitive loss to Arizona State in non-conference play. His up-tempo offensive scheme and immediate success will make him an attractive candidate for upper-tier Group of Five job openings this offseason. Kinne’s salary of just over $1 million in compensation this year ranks 88th among coaches in our survey.

Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State

The youngest coach in the Power Four, Dillingham took over an Arizona State program in major decline and won just three games last season. After beating then-No. 17 Utah last Friday, the Sun Devils are 5-1 and one of the first teams outside the US LBM Coaches Poll. That he’s an ASU graduate who got his start on the local high school scene before entering the college ranks makes Dillingham a contender to see his rebuild through and try to steer the Sun Devils to the top of the Big 12. But his winning ways will force the administration to pony up to move his salary more in line with the league’s top coaches. Dillingham’s $3.95 million in compensation in 2024 ranks third from the bottom among Big 12 coaches at public universities.

Deion Sanders, Colorado

Is Sanders in line for a raise after showing on-field results to join his enormous off-field impact on the program? He’s making $5.7 million in compensation this season, a relative bargain given the eyeballs, hype and attention dedicated to the Buffaloes since he was hired away from Jackson State. And while last year’s team was much more style than substance, CU is 4-2 and in deep competition for a bowl game. Sanders might not be a major target for other Power Four openings – Norvell isn’t in any real danger of losing his job, taking FSU off the table – but he could have his deal reworked and extended after a nice breakthrough in 2024.

Barry Odom, UNLV

Already counted among our most underpaid coaches in the FBS at $1.75 million a year, Odom’s $4 million buyout is also a very manageable total for Power Four schools shopping for a new coach after this season. While UNLV lost to Syracuse earlier this month and dropped out of the Top 25, the Rebels have been one of the top teams in the Mountain West since Odom took over in 2023. That will put him on the radar for some second-tier Power Four openings, though schools would have to look past his four-year stint at Missouri that never saw the Tigers finish higher than third in the SEC East division.

Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on social media @PaulMyerberg

The annual college football coaches compensation package was released Wednesday by USA TODAY Sports, and there’s a lot to talk about.

The first obvious trend uncovered this year is that salaries continue to explode exponentially and show no sign of slowing down. Kirby Smart of Georgia leads the pack at more than $13 million per season but there are many others making eight figures.

With the rise in pay, there are also major buyouts attached to these deals. Georgia would owe Smart more than $100 million if the school fired him at the end of this season. Kalen DeBoer, Dabo Swinney, Steve Sarkisian and Mike Norvell also have among the highest payouts should schools cut ties with them without cause.

Even with all this money being spent, plenty of coaches are underpaid. A couple include UNLV’s Barry Odom and Indiana’s Curt Cignetti. And there’s also some who are overpaid, starting with Florida’s Billy Napier and Alabama-Birmingham’s Trent Dilfer.

Paul Myerberg and Dan Wolken of USA TODAY Sports discuss these topics and more in a special edition of the College Football Fix.

NEW YORK — They are stackings wins methodically and adding heroes to the mix almost nightly, and as the New York Yankees track toward their first World Series appearance since 2009, it’s growing apparent they will lean on all 26 men on their roster to win their 28th championship.

Tuesday night, in Game 2 of their American League Championship Series, New York nudged a handful of key performers closer to center stage in winning the sort of artless, methodical slog necessary to survive October.

It just happened that the latest one is the expected AL MVP.

Aaron Judge provided the capper to their latest triumph, waiting until this ALCS was nearly 21 innings old before putting his stamp on it: A 414-foot drive, launched at a towering 37 degrees over the wall and above Monument Park in right center field, providing the breathing room the Yankees have lacked in this postseason run.

When the ball finally landed, the Yankees had a four-run, seventh-inning lead on their way to an eventual 6-3 triumph and what looks like a commanding 2-0 lead in this ALCS.  

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Game 3 is Thursday at Cleveland’s Progressive Field, and as the series grows older, the Yankees’ advantages only seem to bloom anew.

Their leadoff hitter, Gleyber Torres, is unstoppable: He had three more hits in Game 2, is reaching base at a .448 clip in this postseason and has scored more than a quarter of the Yankees’ runs this postseason.

Their bullpen, led by lithe but lethal closer Luke Weaver, is indomitable: They’ve pitched to a 0.77 ERA in 23 1/3 innings, and picked up for ace Gerrit Cole to cover the final 4 2/3 innings Tuesday in two-hit, one-run fashion.

Their lineup is now, almost 1 through 9, whole and hearty, what with Anthony Rizzo bouncing off the injured list and rapping three hits in his first seven at-bats, as if he’d never broken two fingers at season’s end.

And now, their captain has checked in.

“You know it’s coming,” says reliever Clay Holmes, the demoted closer who has simply turned into a near-perfect set-up guy – with 6 2/3 scoreless innings in tight spots this postseason.

“If he keeps swinging, it’s going to happen. He’s Aaron Judge. We’ve been watching it for years. There’s zero doubt, as teammates, who Aaron Judge is going to be for us.”

Indeed, the disconnect between public perception and Judge’s actual contribution can become a gulf come October. As others flourish, it’s easy to forget that Judge will always be the one pitched to the toughest, offered the fewest pitches to hit, and the name that will be in the 50-point headlines if he flails and fails.

Shrugging off public perception and turning in quality at-bats is a daunting balancing act, yet Judge manages. Coming into Game 2, he was batting .133 with no homers and one lousy RBI this postseason. Panic numbers!

Yet he’d also drawn a half dozen walks and posted a .364 OBP – healthy contributions to a team that’s now 6-1 this postseason.

“When he’s going well,” says Rizzo after Game 2, “he’s still working on his swing and tweaking things and going about his business the same way when he’s, quote, unquote, not going well. The only place that he’s not doing well is maybe in some of the papers, but I’m pretty confident I know he doesn’t really look at any of that.

“Whatever the narrative outside of this is the narrative, but inside, he does not falter from who he is every day.”

The payoff came in the seventh inning, the Yankees clinging to a 4-2 lead, and Cleveland’s second-best reliever, Hunter Gaddis, on to keep it a series. At that point, it was already a weird yet productive night for Judge: His wind-blown first-inning pop-up, sent a mile high, was butchered upon reentry by Cleveland shortstop Brayan Rocchio, an error that resulted in a run.

An inning later, a strange indignity: Juan Soto was walked intentionally to load the bases for … Judge?

On paper, he could have taken it personally. In reality, Cleveland was going all-in in the second inning, bringing in relief ace Cade Smith to stanch the bleeding in a 2-0 game. Again, Judge connected, sent it high and far enough for a sacrifice fly.

Turns out it was a harbinger for the seventh-inning shot that turned Yankee Stadium into a madhouse, flipped the scoreboard to 6-2 and sent his teammates into a told-you-so stance.

“Always. Always,” says reliever Tim Hill. “Always a matter of time with Aaron.”

That’s the kind of rep one earns after hitting an AL-record 62 homers in 2022, and a 58-homer, 1.152 OPS campaign this year. Yet none of his nine seasons have ended with a championship, let alone in the World Series.

This year is already looking a lot different – especially as the Yankees only get better at winning the ugly ones.

Should the Yankees win six more games and claim their 28th World Series, there will surely be documentaries and Yankeeographies and perhaps a book or two written about the club that broke a 15-year championship drought. Those accounts will likely feature precious little detail from this Game 2, and that’s just as well.

Cole was not great even as he tossed four shutout innings but allowed 10 baserunners to reach; the traffic finally caught up to him in the fifth, which he could not escape without Holmes recording the final two outs.

Rizzo and Jazz Chisholm each were picked off second base after smacking doubles. Two of the Yankees’ runs came thanks to Guardians fielding gaffes.

Leave it to Judge to provide the artistry.

“You never know on these windy, chilly nights what that ball is going to do when you hit the center here,” says Judge, who moved past Stanton with his 14th career playoff home run, “but the ghosts were pulling out there to Monument Park, that’s for sure.”

He’ll never be simply a cog in this operation. Yet the lesson the Yankees are imparting is that it will take all of them to end this title drought, from the superstar who brought the house down to the parade of relievers taking the hill.

Tuesday, it was Hill who received a standing ovation from the crowd after his five-up, five-down performance took down the sixth inning and part of the seventh. Moments later, a more familiar face would take center stage.

“It’s a tough game,” says Judge. “It’s a humbling game.

“It’s going to take everybody if we’re going to get to where we want to go.”

Even the superstars.

Running back Cam Akers is returning to Minnesota.

The Houston Texans have agreed to trade Akers to the Vikings, the Vikings announced Tuesday night. Minnesota will also get a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick in the deal. The Texans will receive a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick in exchange for the running back.

It’s the second time in as many seasons the Vikings have completed a trade for Akers.

Minnesota acquired Akers in a deal with the Los Angeles Rams last year. He appeared in six total games with the Vikings in 2023, rushing for 138 yards on 38 carries.

The Texans signed Akers this past offseason.

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The Florida State product was originally a 2020 second-round pick by the Rams. He played in 30 games in Los Angeles (15 starts). He tore his Achilles prior to the 2021 season but miraculously returned to action in Week 18 that year and contributed to the Rams’ Super Bowl 56 run.

How does Cam Akers fit with Viking?

Akers adds depth to a Minnesota backfield that features Aaron Jones as the starting running back. Jones suffered a hip injury during the team’s Week 5 win, but the injury isn’t considered serious. Akers will probably serve as the No. 2 running back.

Akers knows Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell’s system, which should make for a seamless transition.

The 25-year-old running back has 1,728 rushing yards, 12 rushing TDs, 42 receptions, 336 receiving yards and two touchdown catches in 41 career games.

The 5-0 Vikings are off to their best start since 2016.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

Alabama doesn’t need Nick Saban back as badly as it needs Jalen Milroe to steal Bryce Young’s playbook and become Crimson Tide’s next great Houdini.
Alabama’s cloak of invincibility slipped off its shoulders more than three years ago, but Bryce Young caulked the cracks.

Alabama doesn’t need Nick Saban back as badly as it needs Jalen Milroe to borrow Bryce Young’s playbook and become the Crimson Tide’s next great Houdini.

We’ve got to stop with this false narrative that Alabama lost its superpower the day Saban retired. That’s revisionist history. Alabama surrendered its crimson cloak of invincibility years before the GOAT called it quits in January.

NCAA rules shifted before the 2021 season to allow athletes to transfer freely and begin receiving payments from third-party boosters. Say goodbye to the Alabama Death Star. Say hello to Texas A&M, Tennessee and, gulp, Vanderbilt beating Alabama, and a slew of other teams giving the Tide all it can handle.

Bryce Young’s Houdini act led to Alabama’s last title game appearance

Let me take you back to a sweaty afternoon at The Swamp more than three years ago, when a not-very-good Florida team quarterbacked by Emory Jones pushed Alabama to the brink. The Tide survived in a 31-29 victory after stopping a 2-point conversion a yard shy of the goal line.

How did Alabama manage to reach the national championship game? Because Young provided persistent brilliance. He caulked the cracks. He won the Heisman Trophy. He kept pulling the elephant out of the vise. 

This Alabama squad needs similar sorcery, because like the 2021 Tide, Kalen DeBoer’s first team didn’t come armed with the impenetrable defense of Saban’s glory days.

As for discipline? Pfft, disciplined play left this program years ago. It’s been a flag-fest for the past few years.

Long-term, DeBoer must reignite the defensive ferocity Alabama lost during Saban’s last few seasons, while re-establishing Tuscaloosa as a home for disciplined football.

But, that rebirth won’t happen overnight, and whatever progress might occur in those areas this fall won’t be enough to save this season.

Saban left DeBoer with a thinner-than-usual defense, particularly in the secondary. One by one, Georgia, Vanderbilt and South Carolina exploited that deficiency. Alabama’s pass defense rates in the middle of the SEC, and its pass rush amounts to nothing special, either.

Saban saw this coming, too. Saban, in July, predicted Alabama would miss the playoff. Why? Because of deficiencies in the defense’s back-end.

Saban, though, also handed DeBoer the ultimate leg-up in Milroe, a quarterback talented enough to win his own Heisman.

No. 7 Alabama reaching the playoff will require Milroe to put this team on his broad shoulders and carry it to the finish line, just like Houdini – or Young, excuse me – did three years ago.

Milroe played brilliantly in Alabama’s 41-34 win against Georgia. He displayed pinpoint accuracy, made smart decisions, tore asunder Georgia’s defense and supplied nearly 500 yards of offense.

Once home to great defense, Alabama now ‘starts with their quarterback,’ Jalen Milroe

Against Vanderbilt and South Carolina, Milroe played well, but he stopped well short of any Houdini magic. He totaled four turnovers in those two games and committed a grounding penalty for a safety against the Gamecocks.

Alabama might require the quarterbacking magic Milroe showed against Georgia on Saturday, when the Tide will play at No. 10 Tennessee in a rivalry game steeped in playoff implications.

The loser will be shoved into a corner, unable to afford another defeat, while the winner will be included in any fair-minded playoff projection come Sunday.

In a striking twist, Tennessee now plays tougher defense than Alabama, but the Tide enjoys a slight game advantage because of its edge at the most important position.

Saban built his dynasty as Toughness U., but by the time he retired, Alabama quarterbacks had become the main course, complemented by a side dish of sloppy.

“Starts with their quarterback,” Josh Heupel said of Alabama. The Tennessee coach, while assessing the Tide, couldn’t stop complimenting Milroe.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava might one day live up to his five-star recruiting billing. That day hasn’t arrived. He’s not as dynamic or as polished as Milroe.

Like Young at Alabama, Iamaleava arrived at Tennessee as the nation’s most ballyhooed recruit, with an entire state’s worth of expectations on his shoulders. In Iamaleava’s first season as Tennessee’s starter, he’s not blossoming as quickly as Young did in 2021, his first year as Alabama’s starter.

“He’s talented. You can see it’s there,” DeBoer said of Tennessee’s redshirt freshman quarterback. “He’s still, I think, growing and developing. We just have to make sure we disrupt him.”

Plus, make sure Tennessee’s run game doesn’t carry the day. The Vols look best with the ball in tailback Dylan Sampson’s hands.

Florida wanted to put the onus on Iamaleava last Saturday. The strategy paid off when Iamaleava coughed up two turnovers. Don’t blame the Gators’ defense for their 23-17 overtime loss.

And don’t blame DeBoer for the end of Alabama’s brute dominance. Alabama’s aura of superiority ended years ago, during that paradigm-shifting offseason in 2021.

Alabama still boasts more talent than most, but the advantage isn’t nearly as great as it was in 2020, when the Tide won its last national championship, or throughout most of Saban’s tenure.

With the scales more balanced, a handcuff-escaping quarterback would come in handy. Milroe’s talented enough to take up the Houdini act.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

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Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills must be fans of the game “Counter-Strike.”

Mere hours after they defeated the New York Jets on “Monday Night Football” and subsequently watched their division rivals acquire three-time All-Pro WR Davante Adams, the Bills yet again successfully returned fire – and will maybe get the last laugh – after obtaining five-time Pro Bowl WR Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns.

Does everybody pass this latest pre-trade deadline test? We’re not exactly grading on a curve, but not everyone’s going to ace a move that could change the power dynamic in the AFC and, perhaps, the league at large …

AMARI COOPER TRADE GRADES

Buffalo Bills: A-

They’re off to a 4-2 start, good for first place in the AFC East, in the aftermath of trading WR1 Stefon Diggs (and his baggage) in the offseason. Adding the speedy Cooper and his silky route running to the lineup should elevate a 25th-ranked passing game while allowing young WRs Khalil Shakir and rookie Keon Coleman to slide into less prominent roles where they can perhaps grow and thrive more appropriately as they continue to develop into bigger components of this offense. It should also open up space for TEs Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox to operate. And, at the cost of 2025 third-rounder and pick swap of Day 3 selections, GM Brandon Beane is paying less than the Jets did for Adams or the Houston Texans did for Diggs, who brought a 2025 second-rounder back to Buffalo in April’s transaction. The Bills will pick up the remainder of Cooper’s $1.2 million salary but – unlike the Adams scenario for the Jets – would have to re-sign him to retain his rights beyond this season.

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Amari Cooper: B+

He’s in a decidedly better situation than he was after catching 24 passes for 250 yards and two scores for the cratered Browns. And it appeared the environment was affecting Cooper, who had some concentration drops – notably in a loss at Las Vegas – and hadn’t been able to return much production despite being targeted 53 times by highly ineffective Cleveland QB Deshaun Watson. (And, heck, maybe this goes back to the Browns’ pursuit of 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk during the summer – in a deal that allegedly would have involved Cooper.)

“It’s always frustrating to lose,’ Cooper said earlier this month in Washington, while admitting he hadn’t been playing his best football. ‘To lose in the fashion we did is even more frustrating. 

The Bills have become a more run-centric team since promoting Joe Brady into the offensive coordinator’s chair midway through last season and have kept it on the ground 51% of the time in 2024. Still, there’s a golden opportunity for Cooper, 30, to amplify this offense – and he’s certainly grown used to playing in Great Lakes weather conditions – and set himself up for one more significant payday in free agency, it not prior if he falls in love with Bills Mafia.

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Cleveland Browns: C

It seems like they’re getting dimes on the dollar for one of their best players – especially after the 2023 season clearly illustrated what this team and Cooper were capable of with competent quarterback play. Given he was running out of contract and unable to excel anymore in these circumstances, GM Andrew Berry did the right thing by pulling the trigger now. What he really should have done was re-sign QB Joe Flacco in the offseason and lead the charge – when it became apparent weeks ago that it was needed – to sit Watson and his albatross contract on the bench. As things stand now? Sure, another Day 2 draft pick is nice. But barring a change under center, this franchise is basically dead in the water for another 2½ years.

Deshaun Watson: F

His 2024 season has gone from horrible to worse after he failed, unlike Flacco, to maintain the team’s best target as an integral part of the offense. Now Watson will be throwing primarily to Jerry Jeudy, who couldn’t establish himself as a WR1 before being traded by Denver, WRs Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman and TE David Njoku, another player who looked far superior with passers other than Watson feeding him. The franchise’s trade for the controversial quarterback in 2022 has arguably already unfolded as the worst in league history and apparently will only continue to grow worse given the organization’s current inability – and unwillingness – to move on from the player Browns fans actually wish could have been the one sent to Buffalo … or anywhere.

***

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

The WNBA Finals between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx is all even at 1-1 as the series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Wednesday.

The Lynx were able to overcome an 18-point deficit — tying the largest comeback in WNBA Finals history — to steal Game 1 and home-court advantage from the Liberty. Minnesota found itself down big again in Game 2, trailing New York by as many as 17 points. Despite coming within two points of the Liberty with 3:40 remaining, New York closed the contest on a 12-0 run to avoid a repeat of Game 2 and secure the win to tie the series.

Although Minnesota stole home-court advantage, the Lynx know they need to play much better at home.

‘I’m disappointed that we let it get to 17 (points). … I’m more than disappointed, I’m pissed that that happened again,’ Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said after Sunday’s loss.

Napheesa Collier added the Lynx were ‘really disappointed, I think, in how we played today but excited to go home and play in front of our crowd, and we have to respond. We have to come out playing better than we did in these two games.’

Here’s everything you need to know about Game 3 of the WNBA Finals:

WNBA FINALS GAME 1 RECAP: Lynx pull off 18-point comeback, down Liberty in OT

GAME 2: New York Liberty stars put on a show for college coaches

When is Game 3 of the WNBA Finals?

Game 3 of the WNBA championship series between the Liberty and Lynx will begin at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

How to watch Game 3 of the WNBA Finals

Game 3 will be broadcast on ESPN with Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst) and Holly Rowe (sideline reporter) on the call. The matchup can also be streamed on ESPN+ or the ESPN app, in addition to Fubo.

X-factors for Game 3

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton

Liberty forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton underwent knee surgery in July and hasn’t been 100% as she attempts to reestablish herself, but she returned to form on Sunday and impacted the game in a major way. After being held to five points in Game 1, Laney-Hamilton went off for 20 points in the Liberty’s Game 2 victory, tying her season high shooting 8-of-14 from the field and 4-of-6 from three. The Liberty’s big three — Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones — have scored double digits in both games, but the Liberty will need both the scoring and defense of Laney-Hamilton to withstand the Lynx’s runs.

Alanna Smith

Lynx forward Alanna Smith (6-foot-3) may be smaller than Jones (6-foot-6), but she did a better job of containing Jones in Game 2. After Jones exploded for a double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds) in Game 1, Smith held Jones to 14 points, nine rebounds and four turnovers in Game 2. Through two games, Smith has three blocks and two steals. The Lynx will need her defense to limit the Liberty’s scoring.

How many titles does the New York Liberty have?

The Liberty are in pursuit of their first championship. New York got close last year — the Liberty made it all the way to the 2023 WNBA Finals before losing to the Las Vegas Aces in four games. The Liberty have made WNBA Finals appearances five prior seasons (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2023) but have come up empty-handed each time.

How many titles does the Minnesota Lynx have?

The Lynx have four titles. In a span of seven years, the Lynx won four WNBA championships (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) and made six Finals appearances, led by the group of Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen, Maya Moore, Rebekkah Brunson and Sylvia Fowles. The 2024 WNBA Finals marks the Lynx’s first championship appearance since their 2017 title.

2024 WNBA Finals schedule

Game 1: Lynx 95, Liberty 93
Game 2: Liberty 80, Lynx 66
Game 3, Wednesday, Oct. 16: Liberty at Lynx; 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 4, Friday, Oct. 18: Liberty at Lynx; 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 5*, Sunday, Oct. 20: Lynx at Liberty; 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)