How will this year’s World Series play out? Using the Dynasty League Baseball online simulation, USA TODAY Sports’ Steve Gardner and DLB designer Mike Cieslinski will pre-play each game to provide some insight into the key matchups and strategy fans can expect to see in the Fall Classic.

The Toronto Blue Jays return home to Rogers Centre needing only one win in two potential games to wrap up the 2025 World Series championship. That’s the same situation in USA TODAY Sports annual Simulated World Series as Jays ace Kevin Gausman takes the mound against Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The two teams are well-rested after a travel day so expect both managers to use every weapon at their disposal.

Dodgers vs Blue Jays Game 6 simulation

All of the excitement from the virtual home crowd got an immediate jolt of reality when the Dodgers wasted no time teeing off against Gausman in the top of the first inning — the same way the Blue Jays did in the actual Game 5 at Dodger Stadium.

Shohei Ohtani led off the game with a booming double to right field and came around to score on a Mookie Betts double to left. And that was only the beginning. Freddie Freeman singled in a run. Will Smith singled. Teoscar Hernandez doubled both of them home. Tommy Edman added another RBI single to give the Dodgers a 5-0 lead after a half inning.

In the top of the second, Ohtani struck again with a 423-foot solo homer to the opposite field and Gausman was out of the game shortly thereafter after recording only five outs.

But these Jays are relentless on offense. And after George Springer led off the third with a home run, they began an improbable comeback against Yamamoto — the winning pitcher in Game 2. In the bottom of the fourth, the Jays scored four times, aided by a Mookie Betts throwing error, to cut the deficit to one.

Springer struck again to tie the game at 7 with another solo homer. And in the bottom of the eighth, Springer doubled in Bo Bichette to give the Jays a one-run lead. Now, all that was left was to close things out in the ninth … against the heart of the Dodger lineup.

After getting Ohtani for the final out of the eighth, lefty Brendon Little remained on the mound for Toronto to start the ninth. Max Muncy roped a left-on-left double the other way and — with closer Jeff Hoffman warm in the bullpen — Little remained in the game to face Teoscar Hernandez, who doubled Muncy home to tie the score.

After the Jays failed to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth, Ohtani came to the plate in the 10th against right-hander Louis Varland and delivered a signature moment in this Sim Series — hitting a mammoth 503-foot moonshot to the second deck in right field to put the Dodgers ahead.

BOX SCORE: Dodgers 9, Blue Jays 8 (10 innings)

FULL PLAY-BY-PLAY: Ohtani’s mammoth blast lifts Dodgers in extras

The Blue Jays still had a chance to come back in the bottom of the 10th, with Dodger lefty Jack Dreyer on the mound. With the Jays down to their final out, Springer came through one more time with a clean single to left. Daulton Varsho followed with a line single to right … but as Springer headed to third, Varsho took too wide a turn at first base and was picked off for the final out of the game. A brutal ending with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left waiting in the on-deck circle.

Blue Jays vs Dodgers Game 6 projections, analysis

So what does our simulation tell us about what we can expect when the real Game 6 takes place?

Sho-time: Ohtani had yet another unbelievable game when it mattered most. He also had a triple in addition to his double and two homers to finish the game 4-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBI. And yes, he capped things off with the 500-foot game-winning blast.
Fresh bullpens: The Jays had to go to their bullpen much earlier than they would have liked in Game 6 when Gausman didn’t have his best stuff. However, they were able to match up against the Dodgers’ left-handed bats by deploying Mason Fluharty and Brendon Little when Ohtani, Freeman and Muncy came up.
Unlikely outcomes: Even when the odds seem to be slightly favorable, the unexpected sometimes happens. Muncy’s double in the ninth came against Little, who had held left-handed batters to a .195/.304/.297 slash line during the regular season. In addition, Muncy hit just .157/.250/.314 against southpaws. But he got the big hit and scored the tying run. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see something totally unexpected play a key role in the real Game 6.

Dodgers vs Blue Jays Game 7 simulation

With the Dodgers pulling out a wild win in extra innings, it sets up a winner-take-all showdown in Game 7 with Tyler Glasnow on the mound for the Dodgers and Shane Bieber (not Max Scherzer) starting for the Jays. However, the starters may not matter with no more games left to play.

Once again, the Dodgers bats came out smoking — though this time it was in the second inning and not the first. Teoscar Hernandez got things going once again with a two-run double off Bieber as L.A. took an early 4-0 lead.

The Jays got two runs back on a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homer, but that was essentially the only mistake Glasnow made.

Toronto had no answer for the lanky right-hander as he kept putting up zeroes on the scoreboard. Into the seventh … eighth … and even the ninth. Glasnow retired 18 of the final 19 Blue Jays hitters in tossing a complete game, 5-2 win.

BOX SCORE: Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 2

FULL PLAY-BY-PLAY: Glasnow overpowers Jays to secure title

Glasnow’s final line: 9 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 8 K.

Blue Jays vs Dodgers Game 7 projections, analysis

So what does our simulation tell us about what we can expect when the real Game 7 takes place?

Here and ‘Now: Glasnow gives the Dodgers a clear advantage in starting pitching in Game 7, whether he faces Bieber or Scherzer. However, if he doesn’t throw a complete game, the Dodgers could bring in Ohtani as a reliever — something he’s never done as a major leaguer, but memorably did in closing out the 2023 World Baseball Classic for Japan when he struck out Team USA’s Mike Trout for the final out.
Ohtani wins MVP: Ohtani earned Sim Series MVP honors by hitting .280 with two homers and an 1.135 OPS over the seven game series. In addition, he pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings during his Game 4 start. And he was warming up in the bottom of the ninth in Game 7, just in case Glasnow got into any trouble.
Springer’s value: George Springer’s health may be the key to the Blue Jays being able to capture the title in real life. He’s been dealing with an injury to his side that kept him from playing in Game 5. However, his totals for the Sim Series underscore his importance to the Jays’ offense. Springer hit .379/.438/.690 with two homers and seven RBI for the simulated Jays.

2025 Sim Series results

Game 1: Blue Jays 9, Dodgers 1
Game 2: Dodgers 12, Blue Jays 3
Game 3: Blue Jays 5, Dodgers 4
Game 4: Blue Jays 3, Dodgers 1
Game 5: Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 4
Game 6: Dodgers 9, Blue Jays 8 (10 innings)
Game 7: Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 2

Auburn is debating whether to fire coach Hugh Freeze after three underperforming seasons.
Florida’s decision to retain its coach, Billy Napier, for an extra year serves as a cautionary tale.
Freeze’s record at Auburn is 15-18, and his offense is among the SEC’s worst.

Florida showed Auburn the price for retaining a lame-duck coach.

The next season becomes a waste. Is that a price Auburn’s willing to pay to avoid this crowded coaching carousel?

Florida contemplated firing Billy Napier a year ago, with the writing on the wall after three seasons of tire spinning and some flat-out bad coaching.

Former Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley used to say what must be done eventually should be done immediately. Florida’s administration didn’t heed that old wisdom. It retained Napier for a fourth season, a year that will be remembered for a spitwad and chants of “Fire Billy!”

Now here’s Auburn, debating whether to retain sunken coach Hugh Freeze for a fourth season. Freeze has given them no reason to keep him.

Does Auburn want to hire in same cycle as LSU, Florida, Penn State?

He came to the Plains with a reputation for being a sharp offensive mind and a capable quarterback developer. In three seasons at Auburn, he has failed to develop a quarterback. His latest offense ranks among the SEC’s worst. He’s not recruiting well.

Even after a comeback win against Arkansas, Freeze’s 15-18 record puts him just a smidge ahead of Bryan Harsin in the quest to avoid being Auburn’s worst coach since it fired Earl Brown after the 1950 season.

“Is the program better than when I got here on the roster? Yes,” Freeze said this week.

Technically, he’s right. The program is a touch better than it was under Harsin, but barely clearing Harsin’s bar of incompetence surely isn’t what Auburn had in mind when it hired Freeze.

“Are we close? Yes,” Freeze continued.

Also true. If they awarded medals for close losses, Auburn would capture the gold. Each of its losses this season came by 10 points or fewer.

“I’ve won everywhere I’ve been,” Freeze said, “and I believe with all my heart we’re going to win big here.”

Correction: He won everywhere, until he got to Auburn. The Tigers’ last winning season occurred under Gus Malzahn.

Freeze’s greatest success came while his Mississippi staff trampled the NCAA rule book. Now that everybody’s paying players, Freeze has lost his fastball. Coincidence?

Unless Freeze goes 4-0 in November and wins the Iron Bowl, his resumé would be wholly undeserving of a fourth season.

But, wait!

Maybe, there’s a reason to retain Freeze. Mind you, it has nothing to do with his performance or his 2026 recruiting class and everything to do with Penn State, Florida and LSU firing their coaches before Auburn made a move.

At least Auburn doesn’t need to stress about Lane Kiffin sweepstakes

The carousel has gotten awfully crowded. If Auburn joins the fray, it could need to wait in line while bigger fish made their moves.

Perhaps a candidate like Tulane’s Jon Sumrall would trickle down to Auburn. If Auburn wants Sumrall, by all means fire Freeze and enter the hiring sweepstakes.

But if it wants a chance at the catbird seat in a hiring cycle, then it must wait.

That’s what made the Gators’ decision to retain Napier especially foolish. Florida would have been the top job available in 2024. Lane Kiffin was free for the taking, unburdened from coaching in the playoff after a 9-3 finish.

By waiting, Florida now encounters competition for Kiffin. Plus, his potential exit from Mississippi could be complicated by the Rebels qualifying for the playoff.

Auburn wouldn’t need to fret about missing the Kiffin sweepstakes. We learned in 2022 AU can’t corral the Lane Train. That year, Auburn had the best job on the market, and it wound up with Freeze.

Does Auburn want to join a carousel in which it would be, by my count, the fourth-best job on the market? That’s the question Auburn must weigh these next few weeks as it considers action on a lame-duck coach.

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

With the NFL’s Nov. 4 trade deadline looming, the outcome of Week 9 games will definitively sort the league’s buyers from its sellers.

Playoff-bound teams looking to shore up roster holes for the season’s stretch run have limited options to upgrade their rosters this late in the season, so at least a few deadline deals with teams falling outside the playoff picture are likely.

Here’s a look at the trades USA TODAY’s NFL insiders want to see. If they’re any indication, expect the Los Angeles Chargers to be trade deadline buyers.

Indianapolis Colts trade for Miami Dolphins OLB Jaelan Phillips

Chris Ballard had to break from his established ways to position the 7-1 Colts to become the NFL’s surprise resurgence story. Why not continue that effort and turn Indianapolis into a legitimate buyer at the trade deadline? No need to go ‘all-in’ here, as there’s no truly transcendent talent for whom it’d be worth forking over a top pick.

But if the Colts hope to stand a chance against the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in the playoffs, they’ll need to ramp up their pass rush. Indianapolis ranks second in the NFL in pressure rate (39.9%) but is merely average in sack rate (6.57%) while it has the fourth-highest time to throw (2.90 seconds) of any defense. Translation: Indianapolis isn’t truly forcing opposing quarterbacks into bad spots, as evidenced by a defensive success rate (46.38%) that ranks just 26th. Two consecutive season-ending injuries have stood in the way of Phillips becoming a true force off the edge, but he’d provide a jolt opposite Laiatu Latu.

Phillips would also give defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo the kind of rush end capable of dropping into coverage and keeping opposing attacks off balance. Miami likely will be reticent to part with a player so critical to its hopes of a second-half surge, but Ballard could still muster an offer worth mulling without completely draining his own draft capital.

–Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

Carolina Panthers trade RB Rico Dowdle to the Los Angeles Chargers

It’s no secret the Chargers need running back depth. Kimani Vidal has filled in admirably with Najee Harris (Achilles) and Omarion Hampton (ankle) out of the lineup, but Los Angeles hasn’t gotten much out of the other backs on its roster.

Hampton’s timeline to return from his ankle injury remains murky, and the Chargers aren’t likely to rush the rookie back into action. As such, coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman could be interested in adding a secure, long-term partner for Vidal ahead of the deadline.

Dowdle, 27, has solid size (5-11, 215 pounds), contact balance skills and power. He would take some pressure off the 5-8 Vidal as an every-down option and would allow the Troy product, who has shown well in pass protection, to take on the bulk of the third-down snaps.

Dowdle has racked up an impressive 605 yards and two touchdowns on 106 carries this season. The Panthers may not be willing to give him up given their 4-4 record and his superior performance compared to Chuba Hubbard’s, but with Dowdle playing on an expiring one-year deal, a trade cannot be ruled out.

–Jacob Camenker

New York Giants trade QB Russell Wilson to the Los Angeles Chargers

Given the costly body blows they’ve already taken this season at offensive tackle and running back, you’d think the Bolts would better position themselves with a Justin Herbert insurance policy – particularly given the barrage of hits he’s already taken this season behind his patchwork blocking. And yet it’s difficult to find a supposed contender with a more uninspiring QB2 plan than the Chargers, who continue to roll with long-on-potential-short-on-proof backups Trey Lance and undrafted rookie DJ Uiagalelei, a former five-star recruit who never panned out at any of his three college stops.

And while “Mr. Unlimited” is clearly limited at this point of his 14-year career, acquiring the remainder of Wilson’s contract is basically a $1 million proposition for 2025 and allows Lance and Uiagalelei, who’s on the practice squad, to continue their development under quarterback guru Jim Harbaugh. As for the Giants? How much more is Jaxson Dart going to glean from Russ at this point? And given veteran Jameis Winston is under contract through the 2026 season, New York is nicely set up as Dart continues to progress – even more so if the G-Men can rake in even a low-level pick swap for their erstwhile starter.

Is Wilson, 36, going to win a Lombardi Trophy at this point? Nah. Could he enable a team like the Chargers to survive a 4-6 week injury to their QB1? Quite probably.

–Nate Davis

New York Jets trade RB Breece Hall to the Kansas City Chiefs

If you look at before and after pictures of every U.S. president, you can see the weight of the job. Turns out, the same is true for players associated with the Jets. Hall entered the league with great promise, but you can see the weight of losing and why a change of scenery seems to be coming sooner than later.

‘Teams shoot themselves in the foot then we come back and shoot ourselves in the head,’ Hall said after a loss to the Dolphins in Week 4. The Jets have the league’s longest playoff drought and are heading for yet another rebuild – with a star running back who doesn’t fit that timeline.

Hall is set to become a free agent after the season and his days with “Gang Green” are likely numbered. He just tossed the game-winning touchdown pass and added two more on the ground against the Bengals. It might’ve been a showcase game and Kansas City would be smart to make the call. The Chiefs need a running back and are right in the middle of an AFC West arms race. Hall’s legs may be able to take Andy Reid’s team to another level.

–Nick Brinkerhoff

TORONTO — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts knows the significance and consequences of Friday’s World Series game.

They win Friday night (8 p.m. ET on FOX) against the Toronto Blue Jays, and they extend their season, forcing a Game 7 at the Rogers Centre.

They lose, and their season is abruptly over.

And, fair or not, it will be considered a failure.

This is the way it works when you have one of the highest payrolls, the most talent in the game, and are heavy favorites to repeat as World Series champions.

Roberts also knows this responsibility runs much deeper for the Dodgers than any other franchise, with their passionate and frenzied fanbase in Japan, having three of the country’s biggest stars wearing Dodger uniforms, including the biggest of all-time in Shohei Ohtani.

Simply, losing is unacceptable.

Roberts sees that passion raging in the faces of Ohtani, Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who will start Game 6.

And he sees in the faces of the devoted group of about full-time Japanese reporters who religiously follow the Dodgers, breathlessly reporting on anything and everything the Dodgers’ Japanese players do on a daily basis, whether it’s a game, bullpen session, batting practice, or even the latest on Ohtani’s dog, Decoy.

Roberts, the son of a Japanese mother and Black father, certainly relates, particularly after the Dodgers signed Ohtani two years ago and become Showtime in spikes.

“I think going my whole life, I was always aware of my Black side of the family with my dad, and the Japanese side of my family with my mom,’’ Roberts, who was born in Okinawa but primarily grew up in San Diego, tells USA TODAY Sports. “But growing up, because of the language and the geography, I haven’t been able to embrace my mom’s side as much as I would have liked.

“But now, having Japanese players, Japanese media, the sponsorships that come through, really allowed me to facilitate trips to Japan and really bring that part of my life to light. I couldn’t be more excited.’’

Roberts took his son, Cole, to Japan last winter after the season and spent a week visiting Okinawa, shooting a commercial, and receiving an award. He plans to return this off-season.

“It’s really been great,’’ Roberts said. “The only problem is my Japanese hasn’t gotten any better. That’s the problem. But I tell you, it’s really been enjoyable with all the Japanese media. I mean, we have more [Japanese] media, obviously, than any place in the country, by far.

“It’s certainly, you know, ramped up the job responsibilities. But you know what, the Japanese media is so respectful. It’s actually refreshing seeing how kind the Japanese people are. Even going back to Tokyo for the Japan Series, it really gives me hope in humanity, just a genuine kindness.

“They love their baseball, and there’s just pure excitement and joy, and not skepticism or cynicism. And for me to kind of pull from that, it’s really been additive for my mental state, it really has. You see their excitement, and it’s like then you get excited. You’re not always having to defend decisions or things that don’t work out.’’

Now, it’s only appropriate, of course, that the biggest pitching star of all, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, will be the one starting Friday to save their season, trying to become only the fourth pitcher in history to throw three complete games in a single postseason.

If he pitches anything like he did in Game 2, when he threw a four-hit complete game, retiring the final 20 batters of the game for the first time in a World Series game since Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956, you can book a Game 7.

“Man, hopefully he’s a little tired,’’ Blue Jays manager John Schneider said, “throwing that many innings. He’s unique because he’s got what seems like six or seven pitches, and can kind of morph into different pitchers as the game kind of goes on.

“You got to be stubborn, you have to be ready to hit, and you have to be stubborn with what kind of swings you’re taking. That’s what it comes down to. He’s not a guy you can kind of wait out. He’s going to pound the zone, so sometimes you got to force some action on him.’’

The Dodgers aren’t really worried about how Yamamoto responds at all, but whether they can start generating any offense. The Dodgers are hitting .168 in their last 29 innings, scoring just four runs. Roberts shuffled the lineup for Game 4, dropping Mookie Betts to the No. 3 spot for the first time since 2021, and they struck out 15 times and scored just one run.

Roberts hinted Thursday that he might shake things up again, and if they can get to a Game 7, plan to employ Ohtani to be their secret weapon in relief, perhaps even use him as an opener, or even consider him playing the outfield for a few innings if necessary.

“We’ll talk about everything,’’ Roberts said, “so we’ll kind of talk through whatever is the best. If we get to that point, we’ll see. He’s not going to play the outfield [in Game 6], I do know that.

“But if we get to Game 7, we’ll have a good discussion about everything.’’

If the Dodgers are even mildly stressed, they didn’t show it during their workout on Thursday. It was an optional workout, but every player showed up. They were even treated to a challenge by Roberts to race infielder Hyeseong Kim. But even given a big lead Roberts tripped and fell rounding second, with the entire team bursting in laughter.

“I think that I’m in good spirits, our coaches are,’’ Roberts said. “What better way to win the World Series … in Game 7. But we got to win [Friday.]’’

Besides, nothing has come easy for the Dodgers, so why start now? They battled a litany of pitching injuries all year, and at one time had 15 pitchers on the injured list. Yamamoto is their only starter in the playoff rotation who has pitched more than 91 innings all season. Their bullpen has been a mess.

They have dealt with adversity all year, and the way they figure it, if they can come back from two elimination games to defeat the San Diego Padres in last year’s division round, and also win the 2024 World Series with only three healthy starting pitchers, this is nothing more than a speed bump.

“It’s fight or flight, it’s whatever adage or saying you want, to leave it all out there,’’ Roberts said. “It’s certainly not war. I’m not trying to compare that to war. But in our world, in our small world of baseball, it is war.

“So that’s the mindset.’’

Follow Bob Nightengale on X @Bnightengale.

Days after LSU fired football coach Brian Kelly, athletic director Scott Woodward is leaving the university after disparaging comments from the Louisiana governor.

The school announced the departure Thursday in a release. Executive deputy athletics director Verge Ausberry will serve as interim athletics director and lead the search for Kelly’s replacement.

‘We thank Scott for the last six years of service as athletic director,’ said Scott Ballard, LSU’s board of supervisors chair, said in a statement. ‘He had a lot of success at LSU, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future. Our focus now is on moving the athletic department forward and best positioning LSU to achieve its full potential.’

The decision comes following remarks from Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry that criticized Woodward’s decision making. Woodward was the one that hired Kelly in 2021, but after a rather disappointing tenure that resulted in the coach’s dismissal on Oct. 26, LSU owed Kelly approximately $54 million; the two sides are working on what the exact buyout would be.

Because of the large buyout, Landry told reporters Woodward would not be part of the search for LSU’s next coach. He also noted how Woodward hired Jimbo Fisher when he was at Texas A&M, which ended in $77 million buyout when he was fired in 2023 (though Woodward was not responsible for that number, with now-Ohio State AD Ross Bjork penning Fisher’s extension).

‘I can tell you right now, Scott Woodward is not selecting the next head coach. Hell, I’ll let Donald Trump select it before I let him do it,’ Landry said. ‘The board of supervisors is going to come up with a committee and they go find us a coach.’

Landry reportedly had a hand in LSU firing Kelly, and has appointed nine of the 18 board of supervisors members that will apparently lead the search for a new coach.

A Baton Rouge, Louisiana native and an LSU grad, Woodward had been the Tigers’ athletic director since 2019. In his tenure, he hired women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey and baseball coach Jay Johnson, both of which won national championships at LSU.

Prior to his arrival at LSU, Woodward was the athletic director at Texas A&M from 2016-19 and Washington from 2008-16.