The NFL playoff drive is hitting high gear, Week 15 marking the return to action of all 32 teams – which will continue for the remainder of the regular season now that all bye weeks have been exhausted.

The docket kicks off Thursday, the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers clashing in a longstanding rivalry with major NFC West implications and, perhaps to a lesser extent, the conference picture at large.

Moving into the weekend, four more clubs can gain entry into the postseason field with the Houston Texans potentially locking down the AFC South. The Philadelphia Eagles, who already secured their playoff berth, can wrap up the NFC East. The Eagles will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a compelling interconference, intra-state battle featuring contenders eyeing home-field advantage.

But the game of the weekend is pretty clearly the Buffalo Bills’ visit to the Detroit Lions in another heavyweight bout with significant ramifications for No. 1 seeding in each conference. The Bills can’t afford to lose any more ground to the (currently) top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs, while the Lions are clinging to a one-game lead over both Philadelphia and the Minnesota Vikings.

Here’s how USA TODAY Sports’ panel of NFL experts see things going down:

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(Odds provided by BetMGM)

Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers
Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers
Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns
Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans
New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars
Washington Commanders at New Orleans Saints
Baltimore Ravens at New York Giants
Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans
New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals
Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos
Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Chargers
Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles
Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
Atlanta Falcons at Las Vegas Raiders

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NEW YORK – This was not a pretty sight for Yankees Universe.

On the other side of town, Juan Soto beamed in his brand-new Mets jersey while a parade of Mets’ employees applauded, and a line of Mets’ officials offered their praise.

Those loyal to the Bronx pinstripes won’t care to hear Soto’s high opinion of the Mets’ future, or how much more comfortable Soto and his family feel in Queens.

This was a rare Yankee defeat, and “a huge day for the Mets,’’ said owner Steve Cohen, who thanked Soto and his agent Scott Boras “for believing in what we’re building.’’

Even in losing one of the most elite hitters in generations – someone they only had for a season – the Yanks’ championship goal remains unchanged.

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They’ll just have to find another way, and maybe learn something about themselves from this process.

Was it simply that Soto took the higher offer, $765 million over 15 years with escalators and an opt-out clause vs. $760 million over 16 years?

“I’ll be eager to hear what made this decision for him,’’ said Mets GM David Stearns, who termed it “not just a baseball decision but a family decision’’ for Soto.

During a celebratory Thursday afternoon at Citi Field, the concept of the Mets’ bright future, and Soto’s place in it, became a theme.

According to Boras, the Yankees made no missteps in their negotiations.

“They stepped up,’’ Boras said of owner Hal Steinbrenner and company. “They really made themselves known in this process.’’

So, if it wasn’t completely about the respect shown Soto by having the top dollar offer, what else put the Mets over the top?

At that record-setting MLB salary figure, Boras advised Soto to “spend the time you need to talk about these other considerations’’ beyond the contract amount.

Soto’s large family – what Boras termed “the Supreme Court of Soto’’ – played a major role in his decision, which “came down to the last day,’’ according to Soto.

Several times, Cohen’s wife, Alex, was credited for her important role in this process. A philanthropist, Alex Cohen has a Latin heritage, comes from a working-class family.

But at one point during the negotiations, Stearns felt the Mets had less than a 50% chance of landing Soto.

“We knew he had a good experience (in the Bronx),’’ said Stearns, who “talked a lot about our approach to roster building’’ with Soto, and about the Mets’ system.

The Dodgers, Red Sox and Blue Jays were also in the running, and Soto’s team wouldn’t define a runner-up in this race – just that the Mets had won it, with a convincing pitch about their future together.

Boras laughed a little, recalling how the Mets completed their initial video presentation to Soto last month.

Next to the Tom Seaver statue outside of Citi Field, there was a superimposed statue of Soto.

Maybe the Yankees should’ve superimposed Soto’s plaque in Monument Park. Maybe they did – who knows?

And who knows what, other than the top bid, the Yanks might’ve done to land Soto?

“I feel like they did everything that they had in their power to help me out, to bring me back,’’ said Soto. “I had (another) four teams doing the same thing,’’ but ultimately, “I think we have the best chance here.’’

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel earns first-team honors ahead of Miami’s Cam Ward, and teams in the College Football Playoff are heavily represented on the USA TODAY Sports All-America teams for the 2024 season.

Playing at his third school after transferring this offseason from Oklahoma, Gabriel has thrown for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns with another 192 yards and seven scores on the ground to help the Ducks post the only unbeaten regular season in the Bowl Subdivision.

The first and second teams were picked by a panel of voters who cover college football for USA TODAY Sports and the USA TODAY Network.

The only unanimous selection was Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, a Heisman Trophy finalist and the nation’s leading rusher with 2,497 yards. Jeanty also leads all running backs with 29 touchdowns and is only player in the FBS with at least 200 carries to average more than 6.8 yards per run.

Heisman favorite Travis Hunter of Colorado earned accolades across three positions, indicating his historic impact as an every-down player. Hunter was a first-team pick at cornerback and as an all-purpose player and was a second-team pick at wide receiver.

First team

Offense

QB: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (Sr.)

Gabriel heads into the playoff as the FBS all-time leader in total touchdowns (187) and in second place in passing touchdowns (153), passing yards (18,423) and total yards (19,675).

RB: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (Jr.)

RB: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa (Jr.)

Jeanty ran for at least 128 yards in every game against FBS competition and closed with a 209 yards and a score in the Mountain West championship game against UNLV. Johnson led the Big Ten by a wide margin in rushing yards (1,537) and touchdowns (21).

WR: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona (Jr.)

WR: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State (Fr.)

McMillan was the bright spot in an otherwise dismal year for the Wildcats with 84 receptions for 1,319 yards, including a season-high 202 yards against West Virginia. Smith took the Big Ten by storm with 57 grabs for a team-best 934 yards and 10 scores.

TE: Harold Fannin, Bowling Green (Jr.)

In a very tight vote, Fannin earned first-team honors over Penn State’s Tyler Warren after a historic regular season: 100 receptions, second-most in the FBS, for 1,342 yards and nine touchdowns.

OT: Kelvin Banks, Texas (Jr.)

OG: Tyler Booker, Alabama (Jr.)

C: Cooper Mays, Tennessee (Sr.)

OG: Donovan Jackson, Ohio State (Sr.)

OT: Will Campbell, LSU (Jr.)

Banks and Campbell shared the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best offensive linemen in the SEC. Mays is the Volunteers’ first finalist for the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center. Booker was a three-time SEC offensive lineman of the week who helped Alabama run for 41 touchdowns, fourth in the FBS. Jackson also spent time at left tackle in the second half of the year as the Buckeyes tied for fifth in the Power Four in giving up just 13 sacks.

AP: Travis Hunter, Colorado (Jr.)

No one player in modern or not-so-modern college football history has impacted games quite like Hunter in 2024, from his work as a receiver (92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns) to his dominance as a cornerback.

Defense

DE: Abdul Carter, Penn State (Jr.)

DT: Mason Graham, Michigan (Jr.)

DT: Walter Nolen, Mississippi (Jr.)

DE: Kyle Kennard, South Carolina (Sr.)

Carter is third in the FBS in tackles for loss (19½) and ranks second in the Big Ten in sacks (10), with four multiple-sack games. A two-time All-Big Ten pick, Graham was a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defender and the Outland Trophy as the top interior offensive or defensive lineman. Nolen (14 tackles for loss) made a living in SEC backfields as the most disruptive tackle in the country. Kennard led the SEC in tackles for loss (15½) and sacks (11½) and won the Nagurski Trophy after transferring from Georgia Tech.

LB: Chris Paul, Mississippi (Jr.)

LB: Jay Higgins, Iowa (Sr.)

LB: Jalon Walker, Georgia (Jr.)

Paul (88 tackles, 11 for loss) had a terrific second half to the regular season as the Rebels came up just shy of the playoff. One of the most productive linebackers in Iowa history, Higgins (118 tackles) finished second in the Big Ten in stops. Walker stepped into a full-time starting role as a junior and came up big in Georgia’s biggest games, tallying a combined four sacks in two wins against Texas.

CB: Travis Hunter, Colorado (Jr.)

CB: Jahdae Barron, Texas (Sr.)

S: Caleb Downs, Ohio State (So.)

S: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame (Sr.)

In addition to his work at receiver, Hunter added a team-best four interceptions as the Buffaloes’ shutdown cornerback. Barron (five interceptions) is one major reason why the Longhorns’ pass defense has been by far the best in the FBS. Downs shined in his transfer from Alabama to Ohio State with 61 tackles, an interception and a special-teams touchdown. Watts has 49 tackles and five interceptions, one returned for a score, in the final season of his outstanding Notre Dame career.

Specialists

K: Kenneth Almendares, Louisiana-Lafayette

P: Alex Mastromanno, Florida State

RET: Keelan Marion, Brigham Young (Jr.)

Almendares made 27 of 29 attempts, including 10 of 12 from 40-plus yards, with a long of 53 yards. Mastromanno was the MVP of the Seminoles’ woeful season with an FBS-best 49.3 yards per punt and is a Ray Guy finalist as the nation’s best punter. Marion averaged 26.2 yards per kick return and was one of only three players with multiple return scores.

Second team

Offense

QB: Cam Ward, Miami (Sr.)

RB: Cam Skattebo, Arizona State (Sr.)

RB: Dylan Sampson, Tennessee (Jr.)

WR: Nick Nash, San Jose State (Sr.)

WR: Travis Hunter, Colorado (Jr.)

TE: Tyler Warren, Penn State (Sr.)

OT: Wyatt Milum, West Virginia (Sr.)

OG: Tate Ratledge, Georgia (Sr.)

C: Brady Small, Army (So.)

OG: Willie Lampkin, North Carolina (Sr.)

OT: Spencer Fano, Utah (So.)

AP: Cam Skattebo, Arizona State (Sr.)

Defense

DE: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College (Sr.)

DT: Derrick Harmon, Oregon (Jr.)

DT: Alfred Collins, Texas (Sr.)

DE: Mike Green, Marshall (So.)

LB: Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma (Sr.)

LB: Jihaad Campbell, Alabama (Jr.)

LB: Shaun Dolac, Buffalo (Sr.)

CB: Nohl Williams, California (Sr.)

CB: D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana (So.)

S: Malaki Starks, Georgia (Jr.)

S: Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina (Jr.)

Specialists

K: Dominic Zvada, Michigan (Jr.)

P: Brett Thorson, Georgia (Jr.)

RET: Kaden Wetjen, Iowa (Sr.)

The 2024 NFL regular season is entering the final four weeks of action, and teams are beginning to secure playoff berths and even division titles.

Four teams have secured playoff spots: The Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) and Buffalo Bills (10-3) have clinched their divisions. In the NFC, the Detroit Lions (12-1) and Philadelphia Eagles (11-2) have clinched playoff berths.

The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will kick off the final four weeks of the season with ‘Thursday Night Football,’ the outcome providing more clarity for the playoff picture, particularly in the muddied NFC West.

The NFL playoffs will begin in one month, and while there are still 10 of 14 playoff spots up for grabs for 25 teams entering Week 15, here’s an early look at some predictions and picks to win the AFC, NFC and which team will be the Super Bowl LIX champion.

AFC standings

Kansas City Chiefs – 1st AFC West (12-1)
Buffalo Bills – 1st AFC East (10-3)
Pittsburg Steelers – 1st AFC North (10-3)
Houston Texans – 1st AFC South (8-5)
Baltimore Ravens – 1st wild card (8-5)
Los Angeles Chargers – 2nd wild card (8-5)
Denver Broncos – 3rd wild card (8-5)

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AFC championship predictions

Bills over defending champs

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed and a bye in the wild-card round, but they don’t appear as dangerous as their recent Super Bowl runs. Mahomes and Andy Reid have been terrific in the face of adversity but their offensive struggles in 2024 will come to the surface against the MVP-favorite Josh Allen and Bills offense.

Mahomes is on pace for his fewest passing touchdowns in a single season (26), his most interceptions in a season (14), his lowest passing-yard total since 2019 – a season in which he played just 14 games – and the worst passer rating of his career (92). The Chiefs fell short against Allen and the Bills in Week 11 which has been their only loss at this juncture. Kansas City followed the loss with three consecutive wins against the Panthers, Raiders and Chargers. However, the defending Super Bowl champs narrowly escaped in all three games.

Josh Allen is one of the most creative quarterbacks and finally will claim an MVP and a Super Bowl birth in 2024. He is protecting the ball, throwing just five interceptions compared to 14 through 13 games last season. The Bills’ offensive line is dominant in the trenches. The defense has faced injuries and an overhaul of personnel following cuts last offseason, leading to multiple leaders stepping up. Taylor Rapp, Rasul Douglas and Terrel Bernard have become staples, to name a few.

Allen will ultimately be the best player on the field and the difference between Buffalo and Kansas City in 2024.

NFC standings

Detroit Lions – 1st NFC North (12-1)
Philadelphia Eagles – 1st NFC East (11-2)
Seattle Seahawks – 1st NFC West (8-5)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 1st NFC South (7-6)
Minnesota Vikings – 1st wild card (11-2)
Green Bay Packers – 2nd wild card (9-4)
Washington Commanders – 3rd wild card (8-5)

NFC championship predictions

Eagles represent the NFC in the Super Bowl over Detroit

Some NFL fans were quick to forget Philadelphia entered last December with the best record in the NFL at 10-1 but finished the season at 11-6 after dropping five of its last six games. The Eagles have replicated their early season success in 2024 and are top contenders with one of the NFL’s deepest and most talented rosters. It’s easy to envision Philadelphia playing in Super Bowl LIX at the Superdome in February.

The NFC East has not had a repeat division champion for 19 consecutive seasons, and Philadelphia is one win away from making it 20. Despite continuing to win games, Detroit has a growing list of injuries across its defense.

Aidan Hutchinson, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Ennis Rakestraw, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Malcolm Rodriguez, Marcus Davenport, Mekhi Wingo, are all on injured reserve. Levi Onwuzurike, DJ Reader, Josh Pascal and Alim McNeill are all banged up. The Eagles’ strength is running the ball, and Detroit will fail to stop Philadelphia if these injuries continue to pile up.

The “Super Bowl runner-up” theory is relevant here as well. The Eagles lost Super Bowl 57 and failed to return the following season (50 of the 57 Super Bowl losers — 87% — failed to return the following season), and just one of the previous 29 losers have returned to the big game. In other words, history suggests the NFC will have a new team representing this season and history wasn’t on their side last season.

The Eagles will soar their way to Super Bowl 59 behind a prolific offense and defense that’s ranked fourth in defensive DVOA, according to FTN.

Super Bowl LIX predictions

Eagles 31, Bills 27

The Eagles re-tooled the defense and tinkered with some other positions, but no move this offseason was bigger than bringing in superstar Saquon Barkley. The former No. 2 overall pick is as explosive and electric as it comes in the backfield and gets to run behind an offensive line that has managed the most rushing yards before contact (3.9).

With a star-studded offensive lineup including Jalen Hurts, surrounded by talents like A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and the explosive Barkley, the Eagles have the firepower to keep pace with the league’s best. The Bills defense allows too many big plays (third-most plays of 10 yards or more) in the NFL allowed. Barkley leads the NFL with 37 runs of at least 10 yards entering the season’s final month.

The last time a non-quarterback earned NFL MVP honors was in 2012, and Barkley has made a strong case to shake up the status quo in 2024. The Eagles failed to lift the Lombardi Trophy two seasons ago against the Chiefs, but their dynamic weapon out of the backfield will be the difference in 2024.

The Eagles will control the tempo just long enough to outlast Allen and the Bills, who lack a true difference-maker outside of Allen.

SUPER BOWL WINNERS: All-time scores, results for NFL title game

Super Bowl LIX odds breakdown

According to the current betting odds at BetMGM, the Detroit Lions are +260 favorites to win this season’s Super Bowl.

NFL playoff schedule

Wild card round: Saturday, Jan. 11 to Monday, Jan. 13, 2025
Divisional round: Saturday, Jan. 18 to Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025
Conference championship: Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025
Super Bowl: Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025

Bill Belichick has officially made the shocking move to college football by becoming the North Carolina head coach. But why?

The six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach was formally introduced as the new coach of the Tar Heels on Thursday, officially starting the Belichick era in Chapel Hill. The decision sent shockwaves not just in the college football world but also in the NFL. It’s common to see college football coaches make the jump to the NFL, but it’s not often you see an NFL coach, especially someone of Belichick’s caliber, go to the college ranks when it appeared he was waiting to get another professional coaching job.

So why did the man that was part one of the greatest dynasties in the NFL and 14 wins away from breaking Don Shula’s NFL record for all-time wins decide to leave the pro game to make the jump to the ACC? Thursday was the first opportunity for Belichick to say why he took the job.

Bill Belichick says why he decided to go to North Carolina

Belichick said he always wanted to coach college football, especially since his father, Steve Belichick, was a college coach for more than 40 years, which included a stint at North Carolina. He called it a ‘full circle moment’ to be at North Carolina and he is excited about the opportunity to develop college football players.

‘This is really kind of a dream come true,’ he said. ‘As a kid, all I knew was college football.’

The past ties to North Carolina is what drew Belichick to becoming the team’s head coach, as well as ‘all the things that the University of North Carolina stands for.’

‘It’s been really kind of a connection to this school,’ he said. ‘But everything that it stands for, on the field, off the field, and really the destination that Carolina is for really so many student athletes, there’s so much opportunity here.’

There are plenty of questions as to why Belichick decided to continue his coaching career at the age of 72 and not just step away from the sideline completely. Belichick joked the job ‘beats working.’ He added that he loves coaching and he remembers his dad telling him that if you love what you do, it’s not work. He also said he won’t be using the North Carolina job to try and get a job back in the NFL.

‘I didn’t come here to leave,’ Belichick said.

Having spent this year away from coaching, Belichick noted the extra time off has allowed him to watch college football much more than he did while he was in charge of the Patriots. He said it’s been an awesome experience to be involved in and he has a better perspective of the interest in the game.

History strongly suggested that Curt Cignetti wouldn’t succeed at Indiana, mostly because no coach succeeds at Indiana. Entering the 2024 season, the Hoosiers had spent over a century on the bottom rung of the Big Ten ladder, never winning more then even nine games in a season.

The ninth win of 2024 came on Nov. 2, with 47-10 rout of Michigan State. Indiana would add two more wins to earn an at-large berth to the College Football Playoff and complete the greatest regular season in program history.

Maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised. Asked last December about how he planned to sell his program to prospective recruits, Cignetti replied, “It’s pretty simple. I win. Google me.” Cignetti had never posted a losing season in his 13 seasons as a college head coach across three different stops, most recently orchestrating James Madison’s record-setting transition from the Championship Subdivision to the Bowl Subdivision.

Whether or not we saw this coming, what Cignetti achieved this season will go down as perhaps the greatest first-year coaching job in college football history.

That’s why Cignetti leads the way in the USA TODAY Sports grading of every first-year FBS coach from the 2024 season — and not just with an A+, but with an extra-special A++ to recognize the uniqueness of his debut.

A++: Curt Cignetti, Indiana (11-1)

The program’s previous single-season wins record was set in 1945 and tied in 1967. Six other teams had won eight games in a year, including in 2019. Cignetti lifted Indiana into a different stratosphere and deserves every piece of postseason hardware as the unquestioned coach of the year in the FBS.

WHO WINS IT ALL?: Our College Football Playoff bracket prediction

A+: Spencer Danielson, Boise State (12-1)

Danielson took over as the interim coach for Andy Avalos late last season and led Boise State to the Mountain West championship. In his first full year, the former defensive coordinator piloted the Broncos to another conference crown and the No. 3 seed in the playoff. This has been a remarkable start for him and the program.

A: Fran Brown, Syracuse (9-3)

Brown has the Orange at No. 25 in the US LBM Coaches Poll after upsetting Miami to end the regular season. After inheriting a program with just two winning seasons in the previous decade, Brown’s nine wins are the second-most by a first-year coach in program history. The success was spearheaded by the addition of Ohio State transfer quarterback Kyle McCord.

A: Manny Diaz, Duke (9-3)

Diaz also posted nine wins in his debut, tying his predecessor, Mike Elko, for the most wins by a first-year hire in Duke’s history. That included four wins against eventual bowl teams. The Blue Devils also came within a whisper of knocking off SMU in late October but still managed defeats of rivals North Carolina, North Carolina State and Wake Forest.

A: Pete Lembo, Buffalo (8-4)

Back in the MAC for the first time leaving Ball State in 2015, Lembo led Buffalo to eight wins for the fifth time since the Bulls transitioned to the FBS. A win against Northern Illinois in September was just the second ranked victory in school history.

A-: Mike Elko, Texas A&M (8-4)

Elko’s debut lost some steam down the stretch with losses to Auburn and Texas. But to take over the messy wreckage of the Jimbo Fisher era and have the Aggies in the mix for the SEC championship game in the season finale makes this an outstanding start.

A-: Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State (7-5)

SJSU exceeded expectations and then some under the former Navy coach. After being picked 10th in the preseason Mountain West poll, the Spartans clinched bowl eligibility in early November. Four of those five losses came to teams with at least eight wins, including Boise State and UNLV.

A-: Jon Sumrall, Tulane (9-4)

Like Elko, Sumrall’s debut tailed off late in the year with losses to Memphis and Army, the latter in the American Athletic championship game. The former Troy coach still put together the sort of season that supports his case for being seen as one the up-and-coming stars in college coaching.

B+: Major Applewhite, South Alabama (6-6)

South Alabama matched last year’s regular-season win total but were much better than that, with four losses by a single possession and a marquee win in November against Louisiana-Lafayette.

B+: Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico (5-7)

Mendenhall is already on the move, signing a new deal with Utah State not long after the Lobos’ loss to Hawaii left them one win short of bowl eligibility. The program hadn’t won more than four games in a season since 2016. Losing one of the most consistently successful coaches of this generation is incredibly painful for UNM.

B: Bob Chesney, James Madison (8-4)

JMU did smoke North Carolina in non-conference play for one of the biggest wins in the program’s FBS existence. But amid a pretty large exodus of talent after Cignetti’s move to Indiana, the Dukes lost four times in the Sun Belt and were never a player in the Group of Five’s playoff chase.

B: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama (9-3)

There were good moments, including wins against Georgia, South Carolina, LSU and Missouri. There were also some pretty sour moments, most recently in the 24-3 loss to Oklahoma that held Alabama out of the playoff. DeBoer’s first year reinforced how hard life will be for Alabama in the post-Nick Saban era.

B: Sherrone Moore, Michigan (7-5)

Moore’s grade would’ve been much lower had he not led Michigan to yet another win against Ohio State. That changes the complexion of a season that had to that point been defined by missed opportunities and one of the worst offenses in recent program history.

B: Bryant Vincent, Louisiana-Monroe (5-7)

Winning five games at ULM is cause for some celebration. The Warhawks were picked dead last in the preseason Sun Belt poll. But the disappointment comes from the fact they were 5-1 at the midseason point before swooning down the stretch.

B-: Jedd Fisch, Washington (6-6)

The Huskies also petered out as the schedule grew tougher in October and November, capped by a blowout loss to rival Oregon to end the regular season. Given what the team lost from last year’s national runner-up, though, this was an acceptable debut for the former Arizona coach.

B-: Willie Fritz, Houston (4-8)

This was only Fritz’s second losing season since 2017 and just his sixth overall since starting as a college head coach at Central Missouri in 1997. A weak offense was a season-long concern, but the Cougars showed enough fight to suggest another Fritz-led turnaround is coming fast.

C+: Scotty Walden, Texas-El Paso (3-9)

UTEP went 3-3 in the second half and made some noticeable strides on offense in wins against Kennesaw State and New Mexico State. The Miners lost twice to Power Four competition and another four times to teams that finished with eight or more wins.

C-: Trent Bray, Oregon State (5-7)

This was a definitely a step-back season given the Beavers’ easier schedule as the one of two remaining members of the disbanded Pac-12. Oregon State lost to Nevada and was blown out by California and Air Force.

C-: Jeff Choate, Nevada (3-10)

Nevada added only one win from 2023 and still finished last in the Mountain West. But the Wolf Pack were much, much more competitive, losing by a possession to SMU, Georgia Southern, San Jose State, Fresno State, Boise State and Air Force.

C-: Jonathan Smith, Michigan State (5-7)

Michigan State had a very nice win against Iowa in October. But the remaining four wins were Florida Atlantic, Maryland, Prairie View and Purdue. Smith’s grade is docked for the Spartans’ 41-14 loss at home to Rutgers in the season finale to fall one win short of the postseason.

D+: Sean Lewis, San Diego State (3-9)

SDSU failed to score more than 27 points in a game against FBS competition, a surprising development given Lewis’ background as an offensive coach. The three wins were the Aztecs’ fewest in a season since 2008 and tied for the fewest by a first-year coach since 1945.

D+: Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee State (3-9)

Picked fourth in the preseason Conference USA poll, MTSU beat only Kennesaw State and UTEP to finish in a three-way tie for last place. Mason’s first year was defined by a series of blowouts; all nine losses were decided by double digits, and all but one of those nine by at least 17 points.

D+: Jay Sawvel, Wyoming (3-9)

Sawvel’s debut seemed to turn a corner in November with wins against New Mexico and Washington State. But the season was littered with close losses, including a near miss against Boise State in November. Sawvel will have to put some tough lessons to use this offseason in order to get Wyoming back into the top half of the MWC.

D: Brent Brennan, Arizona (4-8)

Arizona was ranked No. 21 in the preseason Coaches Poll and fifth in the preseason Big 12 poll, as one of five teams to earn at least one first-place vote. The Wildcats ended up one spot from the bottom in the conference standings and were embarrassed in November with blowout losses to Central Florida, TCU and rival Arizona State. While not a Florida State-level disappointment, Arizona was one of the biggest letdowns in the FBS.

D: Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State (2-10)

The former Mississippi and Oklahoma offensive coordinator and first-time head coach led the Bulldogs to wins against Eastern Kentucky and Massachusetts — and that’s it. MSU was blown out by an average Toledo team in non-conference play and lost all eight SEC games by double digits.

Dwayne Haskins’ widow has voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit that she filed against more than a dozen people or business entities following her husband’s death in 2022, according to court records filed Wednesday.

Kalabrya Haskins’ lawyer, Rick Ellsley, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Thursday morning that his client is dropping the lawsuit after reaching a series of settlements with parties involved, including a previously announced settlement with the driver and owners of the dump truck that struck and killed Haskins in April 2022.

‘All of the settlements that were obtained have now been paid and so now the wrongful death case has been closed,’ Ellsley wrote in a text message.

He described the financial terms of the settlements as ‘substantial’ but did not disclose specific amounts.

Wednesday’s resolution comes 20 months after Kalabrya Haskins filed the wide-ranging lawsuit in Broward County, Florida − and more than 2 1/2 years after the death of her husband, a former first-round NFL draft pick. Dwayne Haskins, who played quarterback for two NFL teams, died on April 9, 2022 after being struck and killed by a dump truck that morning while attempting to cross a highway near Fort Lauderdale. He was 24 years old.

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

Dwayne Haskins had exited his vehicle in an apparent attempt to reach a gas station after his rental car ran out of gas, and the local medical examiner’s office later ruled the NFL quarterback’s death an accident. It also found that he had ketamine, which the Drug Enforcement Administration describes as a ‘club drug,’ in his system as well as a blood-alcohol concentration of at least 0.20%, which is more than double the legal limit in Florida.

Kalabrya Haskins filed the lawsuit in Broward County on behalf of her late husband’s estate around the one-year anniversary of his death. The lawsuit alleged negligence by a wide range of parties and companies including the driver of the dump truck that struck Dwayne Haskins, the state government entity tasked with maintaining the roadway, the company that provided his rental car, and the nightclub he attended hours before the crash.

In August 2023, Kalabrya Haskins reached a settlement with three of the initial 14 defendants, including the owners and driver of the dump truck. A series of settlements with other individual defendants followed, according to court records, leaving only three active defendants at the time of Wednesday’s filing, which served as a final resolution to the lawsuit.

Kalabrya Haskins is also involved in a separate lawsuit, filed against her in federal court earlier this year by the NFL quarterback’s parents and sister. Dwayne Haskins Sr., his wife Tamara and their daughter Tamia allege that Kalabrya Haskins has harrassed them when they’ve used their son’s name, image and likeness on social media and challenged their creation of a non-profit foundation in his name. Kalabrya Haskins’ attorneys disputed those claims in a filing earlier this week, writing among other things that ‘there are no facts that Defendant harassed the Plaintiffs.’

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Bluesky @TomSchad.bsky.social.

While Belichick’s move was heavily documented, one anecdote became a large talking point regarding his hiring after The Read-Optional’s Ollie Connolly reported Belichick handed the school a ‘400-page organizational bible’ during his interview process that detailed how he would run the Tar Heels’ program.

Belichick was asked to confirm that report on Thursday and shot down the report in typical Belichick fashion.

‘Don’t believe everything you read in the papers, alright?’ Belichick told reporters Thursday. ‘I have no idea where that came from. I don’t have a 400-page document. I mean, and to think I would just hand it, I mean, come on.’

The 8-time Super Bowl-winning coach spent 49 years in the NFL but now is heading to North Carolina where he’ll be the oldest head coach in college football at 72 years old. It was a surprising move, especially as Belichick appeared to nearly be hired for multiple NFL head coaching jobs last offseason after mutually departing from the New England Patriots, where he coached from 2000-23 and won six Super Bowls.

Belichick, who agreed to a five-year deal with the Tar Heels, said Thursday was a full-circle moment, as his dad, Steve Belichick, was an assistant coach at North Carolina from 1953-55.

While Belichick hopes to navigate the modern college football landscape for the first time, he won’t do so with a 400-page manifesto, which apparently does not exist.

Does Mark Gastineau belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? It’s a question being posed anew this week as the 1981 New York Jets are proving more newsworthy than the 2024 New York Jets.

A clip of ESPN’s upcoming “30 for 30” installment profiling the Jets’ famed “New York Sack Exchange,” which debuts Friday night, showed Gastineau, the most prolific pass rusher in franchise history, confronting Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre at a card show in Chicago last year. The reason? Gastineau remains upset that Favre essentially gave himself up on what was largely a meaningless play at the end of a 2001 game against the New York Giants – but one that resulted in future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan breaking Gastineau’s 17-year-old (at the time) single-season NFL sack record.

“I know that Mark was upset with Brett Favre,” Gastineau’s longtime Jets linemate, Marty Lyons, told USA TODAY Sports this week.

“I was there, and I told him, ‘Mark, you’ve got to let it go.’ And he wasn’t gonna let it go. … It’s just a number, and it’s already been tied anyway with (Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker) T.J. Watt.

“But for Mark to carry that burden so many years after the fact, it’s sad. It really is. … (I)t’s been eating at Mark all these years – he wasn’t able to let go and to move on. Did it mean that much to him? Apparently, it did.”

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A three-time All-Pro, Gastineau led the NFL in sacks both in 1983 (with 19) and 1984, when racked up 22 to set the record. Strahan finished with 22½ after his dubious takedown of Favre, a figure Watt matched in 2021.

“You really hurt me. You hurt me, Brett,” Gastineau could be heard saying in the video clip of the brief encounter, Favre appearing slightly stunned before being escorted away.

Favre explained his side of the story in a lengthy social media post Tuesday but also seemed to endorse Gastineau as HOF-worthy.

“I have a great deal of respect for Mark. I hope one day he joins me in the Hall of Fame,” Favre wrote on X.

“He earned it. Look at his numbers.”

While Watt seems a shoo-in to eventually join Favre and Strahan in Canton one day, Gastineau – a five-time Pro Bowler with 107½ career sacks (74 occurring after they became an official statistic in 1982) – has no bronze bust.

Should he?

“Listen, it’s a valid question. I’ve always believed that if you’re that good, you don’t have to be out there promoting yourself, you know?” said Lyons, Gastineau’s teammate from 1979 to ’88.

“Does Mark deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? You know, the numbers will say yes – but to be honest with you, I don’t know.

“Did he play for the (sacks)? Or did he play for the game, did he play for his teammates?”

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It’s just one issue at the center of Gastineau’s candidacy. At 6-5 and a sculpted 265 pounds – and Gastineau was an admitted user of steroids, as were many NFL players of his era – he was ultra athletic and the kind of explosive talent who helped shape what the modern edge rusher has become. But he was also often accused of ignoring his gap responsibilities or failing to focus on defending the run as he pursued quarterbacks.

That distinguished Gastineau from another “Sack Exchange” member, Joe Klecko. A Pro Bowler at defensive end, defensive tackle and nose tackle, Klecko had 31 sacks (unofficially) spread between the 1980 and ’81 seasons but also spent much of his career leveraging his signature strength and doing the dirty work inside.

Klecko was enshrined into the Hall last year after a 35-year wait. Whether Gastineau joins him seems likely to remain an open question.

“I think Mark was an outstanding defensive end, he could get to the quarterback,” said Lyons.

“Was he one-dimensional? Maybe. Did he think that every play was a pass? Maybe – but he could get to the quarterback.”

Lyons, a close friend of Klecko’s for decades, has admittedly had a complicated relationship with Gastineau, frequently offering him support – including when Gastineau was diagnosed with colon cancer – but just as often clashing with a man who’s had his share of challenges on and off the field.

“I don’t live in the past,” said Lyons. “I told Mark, ‘There’s an old saying: Your future happiness may very well depend on your ability to leave the past behind.’

“I’ve always wished Mark the best.”

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