Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hammered the baseball, then struck a pose for all of Canada.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ franchise player continued his two-game tear in the American League Division Series – and possibly administered a kill shot to the New York Yankees’ hopes of defending their pennant – with a fourth-inning grand slam off reliever Will Warren in Game 2 on Sunday, Oct. 5.

That turned a 5-0 game into 9-0 and by the end of the inning – when Daulton Varsho registered his third hit in four innings with a two-run home run – it was 11-0. George Springer’s homer in the fifth made it an even dozen runs.

Guerrero, who shook off three previous lackluster playoff appearances by hitting a first-inning home run to launch Toronto’s Game 1 win, now has six hits in seven at-bats and six RBIs against Yankee pitching.

And the moment he took Warren’s 2-1 fastball and parked it into the second level at Rogers Centre will likely be replayed for years from Mississauga to Victoria.

It keyed a six-run inning that saw the Blue Jays chase Yankees ace Max Fried, who gave up eight hits, seven runs and the go-ahead two-run homer to Ernie Clement.

Warren, the long man in this series, only poured accelerant on the raging flames. He gave up three homers to the first 11 batters he faced: Guerrero, Varsho and then George Springer in the fifth.

NFL RedZone promises every touchdown from every game.

On Sunday in Week 5, that promise was broken – at least for a little bit. At the end of the early window, the famous whip-around show, which features live look-ins from every game, went out. In the midst of a potential game-winning drive from the Philadelphia Eagles, the feed began to freeze – eventually leaving nothing but silence and a black screen.

The issue sent users on social media into a frenzy while the last-minute drive played out, ending with a prayer that went unanswered from Jalen Hurts.

It appeared to be exclusively an issue for Fubo users, but still left fans angry.

Service for NFL RedZone was restored by the final kickoff of the late window at around 4:30 p.m. ET.

The top five teams, including Oregon and Miami (Fla.), are unchanged from the previous week.
Texas and Penn State dropped significantly in the rankings following unexpected losses.
Virginia and Memphis are new additions to the Top 25 poll this week.

As we’ve said numerous times, there’s no such thing as a slow week in college football. Several unexpected outcomes sent considerable shockwaves through the US LBM Coaches Poll.

The top five remain unchanged, however, led by No. 1 Ohio State. The Buckeyes rolled past Minnesota and received 59 of 66 first-place votes this week. No. 2 Oregon, which had the weekend off, was picked first by three voters. No. 3 Miami (Fla.) also earned three No. 1 nods after staving off archrival Florida State. Mississippi, also coming off an open date, and Texas A&M, a home winner against Mississippi State, continue to round out the top five, with the Aggies claiming the last No. 1 vote.

The changes begin at No. 6, thanks to Penn State and Texas taking major tumbles. Oklahoma inherits the sixth spot on the eve of its Red River showdown with the Longhorns, who fall 12 places to No. 19 after the loss at Florida. Indiana gains a couple of positions to check in at No. 7 with its trip to Oregon on deck. Alabama, after avenging last season’s loss to Vanderbilt, is back in the top 10 at No. 8, followed by Georgia and Texas Tech.

Penn State, stunned by previously winless UCLA, stays ranked for now at No. 22.

Virginia, which posted its second overtime win in as many weeks, joins the poll at No. 24. Memphis, the first team to reach six wins to become bowl eligible, also moves in at No. 25, pushing out Utah, which held the last spot in the rankings in the previous poll. Florida State is the week’s other dropout.

This story has been updated to change a video.

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado appeared to have a 72-yard touchdown in his team’s Week 5 game against the Tennessee Titans.

Instead, the third-year pro made an unfathomable mistake near the goal-line that negated the score.

After breaking free from the defense, Demercado slowed down as he approached the end-zone. He then appeared to reach the ball forward just ahead of the goal-line.

In the process, Demercado lost control of the ball just before it crossed the goal-line. It bounced through the back of the end-zone – as the Titans’ trailing defender, L’Jarius Sneed, was quicky to point out – resulting in a turnover and a touchback.

Below is a look at the play:

The Cardinals would have extended their lead to 27-6, and three possessions, had Demercado scored. Instead, the Titans went on to score a touchdown on the possession following Demercado’s fumble and cut Arizona’s lead to nine. The Titans went on to rally for a 22-21 win.

Demercado’s gaffe came just a week after Indianapolis Colts receiver Adonai Mitchell made a similar mistake against the Los Angeles Rams. Mitchell nearly logged a 76-yard touchdown before dropping the ball at the 1-yard line.

Mitchell’s miscue was rewarded by receiving a reduced role in the Colts’ Week 5 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

As for Demercado, the Cardinals gave him just one more touch during the remainder of their game against the Titans. The 26-year-old was already operating as the team’s third-string running back behind Michael Carter and Zonovan ‘Bam’ Knight, and his 71-yard carry was just his second carry of the game.

How Emari Demercado, teammates reacted to fumble

Meanwhile, Demercado acknowledged after the game he thought often about his fumble during the remainder of the contest despite his best efforts to flush it.

‘You just have to,’ Demercado said of moving on from the mistake, per Cardinals team reporter Zach Gershman. ‘Can’t get it back. Nothing I can do about it, so why keep holding on to it?’

Meanwhile, quarterback Kyler Murray offered support for Demercado, praising the running back’s football IQ and calling him a close friend.

‘Never in a million years – I wouldn’t think that Emari would do that,’ Murray told reporters during his postgame news conference. ‘But obviously, we all make mistakes. He’s gonna take that on the chin. He understands that.’

‘At the end of the day, we all gotta be better,’ Murray added. ‘He owns up to that, and we talk about that all the time. But yeah, I’m sure he’s frustrated.’

Deandre Ayton and the Los Angeles Lakers will look to bounce back from losing their preseason opener when they take on the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center on Sunday, Oct. 5. 

With LeBron James and Luka Doncic not expected to play, Reaves is expected to serve as a featured player in the lineup. Neither James nor Doncic played in the Lakers’ preseason opener on Friday.

Austin Reaves had a 20-point performance in the 103-81 loss to the Phoenix Suns. Reaves also had three rebounds and two assists in his 21 minutes of play. Dalton Knecht had six points and six rebounds in 26 minutes of play.

It will be the preseason opener for the Warriors.

Warriors take lead in first quarter

Jimmy Butler makes the free-throw to even the game at 11 with 8:33 left in the first quarter.

Draymond misses a layup attempt on the Warriors’ next possession but manages to tip the ball in immediately for the second chance points. The Warriors lead 13-11 in the middle of the first quarter.

Al Horford checks in for Warriors

Al Horford checked in for the Warriors with 8:38 left in the first quarter.

Lakers, Warriors keep it close early

The Lakers start fast and build an early 7-2 lead with several of Golden State’s star players in the lineup. The Warriors respond well to close the game with Moses Moody hitting a three-point shot to make it a one-point game.

What time is Lakers vs. Warriors?

The Los Angeles Lakers will travel to play the Golden State Warriors in a preseason game at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. The game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.

How to watch Warriors vs. Lakers

Time:  8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT
Location: Chase Center(San Francisco, California)
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo, WatchESPN

Lakers starting lineup vs. Warriors

The Lakers’ starting lineup will feature Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and Gabe Vincent.

Warriors starting lineup vs. Lakers

The Warriors will have a star-studded lineup to start the preseason with Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green expected to play. Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski will round out the starting lineup for Golden State.

Lakers star players ruled out

Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart are among the players ruled out for tonight’s game. While LeBron did not play, he was at the game and on the bench.

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Aces’ bench won Game 1 of the WNBA Finals over the Phoenix Mercury, but a big performance from the Aces’ Big 3 secured a Game 2 win. 

The No. 2 seed Aces routed the No. 4 seed Mercury 91-78 on Sunday, Oct. 5, to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series as the WNBA Finals now shifts to Phoenix for Game 3 on Wednesday. 

The Aces are now two wins away from their third WNBA title in four years. 

Las Vegas’ superstar trio of A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray were borderline unstoppable on Sunday. Wilson (28 points, 14 rebounds), Young (32 points, eight rebounds) and Gray (10 points and 10 assists) combined for 70 of the Aces’ 91 points. Gray is the fifth player in WNBA Finals history to record back-to-back games with 10 or more assists.

Adding injury to insult, Mercury forward Satou Sabally went down with 3:57 remaining in the fourth quarter after apparently tweaking her right ankle when she was fouled by Wilson.

Here are highlights and a full recap from Game 2 on Sunday:

End of Q3: Aces 76, Mercury 61

While the second quarter belonged to Aces center A’ja Wilson, the third quarter belonged to guard Jackie Young, who scored 21 of her 30 points in the period to extend the Aces’ lead to 15 points. 

Wilson already has a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Chelsea Gray is on double-double watch with 10 points and nine assists. 

Kahleah Cooper has a team-high 21 points for the Mercury, while Alyssa Thomas has added 10 points, six points and four assists. It’s worth noting that Thomas picked up her fourth foul with 7:19 remaining in the third quarter. Satou Sabally has 12 points and five rebounds. 

Halftime: Aces 46, Mercury 37

Back and forth we go. The first half of Game 2 of the WNBA Finals featured five lead changes and four ties, but the Aces outscored the Mercury 22-10 in the second quarter to create some separation and take a nine-point lead into halftime, the largest by either team so far.

The second quarter belonged to Aces center A’ja Wilson, who scored 13 of her 20 points in the frame, adding eight rebounds (three offensive) and one assist to her stat line. Chelsea Young contributed nine points, seven assists and three steals, while Jackie Young is up to nine points and four rebounds. 

Each of the Mercury’s starters has scored so far, led by 15 points from Kahleah Copper. Alyssa Thomas has eight points and five rebounds, but found herself in foul trouble with three. The Mercury were outrebounded 14-6 in the second quarter and are shooting a dismal 3-of-15 from beyond the 3-point line.

End of Q1: Mercury 27, Aces 24

The Mercury led by as many as eight points in the first quarter, but the Aces went on a 10-0 run to take their first lead of the game with 3:17 remaining in the quarter. There were four ties and four lead changes in the first quarter alone.

Phoenix has a three-point advantage heading into the second quarter.

Kahleah Copper leads the Mercury with 11 points and two rebounds. Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally and Monique Akoa Makani each added four points. 

A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young each have seven points for the Aces. 

The Mercury are controlling the boards early on, with 11 rebounds (five offensive), compared to eight (2 offensive) for the Aces. The Mercury also have a slight edge over the Aces in the paint, 12-8.

What time is Mercury vs. Aces Game 2?

Game 2 of the WNBA Finals between the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces and No. 4 seed Phoenix Mercury is scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 5 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

How to watch Mercury vs. Aces in WNBA Finals: TV, streaming for Game 2

Date: Sunday, Oct. 5
Time: 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT)
Location: Michelob Ultra Arena (Las Vegas)
TV: ABC
Stream: Fubo, ESPN Unlimited

Stream Aces-Mercury series on Fubo (free trial)

Game 2 tips off; Mercury take early lead

Game 2 of the WNBA Finals is underway at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Mercury guard Kahleah Copper opened Game 2 of the WNBA Finals with a 3-pointer to get the Mercury on the board first and Phoenix quickly jumped to a 12-5 lead, but the Aces went on a 7-4 run to come within four points with 4:45 remaining in the first quarter. 

Copper dropped 19 points in the first half of Game 1 and is already up to six points for the Mercury. Chelsea Gray has five points for the Aces, while A’ja Wilson has four points.

WNBA starting lineups

Las Vegas Aces starting lineup

Head coach: Becky Hammon

0 Jackie Young | G 6′ 0′ – Notre Dame
1 Kierstan Bell | F 6′ 1′ – Florida Gulf Coast
3 NaLyssa Smith | F 6′ 4′ – Baylor
12 Chelsea Gray | G 5′ 11′ – Duke
22 A’ja Wilson | C 6′ 5′ – South Carolina

Phoenix Mercury starting lineup

Head coach: Nate Tibbetts

0 Satou Sabally | F 6′ 4′ – Oregon
2 Kahleah Copper | G 6′ 1′ – Rutgers
4 Natasha Mack | C 6′ 4′ – Oklahoma State
8 Monique Akoa Makani | G 5′ 11′ – Cameroon
25 Alyssa Thomas | F 6′ 2′ – Maryland

2025 WNBA Finals schedule

How many games in the WNBA Finals?

The league expanded the 2025 WNBA Finals from a best-of-five series to best-of-seven as the popularity and appetite for women’s basketball continues to skyrocket. ‘The incredible demand for WNBA basketball makes this the ideal time,’ WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said at the announcement in 2024.

‘It’s exciting to be part of the first one,’ Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said on Thursday. ‘We talk about how a best-of-five is a tough series. … We don’t know what a best-of-seven brings, but nothing changes. We still approach it the same way.’

Las Vegas Aces roster

WNBA MVP: A’ja Wilson wins for record fourth time

A’ja Wilson was named the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2025 season. She is the first four-time MVP, besting three-time winners Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson. 

Wilson received 51 of 72 first-place votes and 21 second-place votes (657 points) from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The Las Vegas Aces center won the award over finalists Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (534),  Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (391), Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (180) and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (93).

Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson stats

Wilson averaged a league-leading 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists (ties her career-high), a league-leading 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals in 40 games this season. Wilson averaged 29.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the Aces’ first-round playoff series against the Seattle Storm, including a 38-point performance in Game 3, tying her playoff career high. Wilson averaged 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.8 steals in the Aces’ five-game semifinal series against the Indiana Fever, including a 35-point performance in the Aces’ decisive Game 5 overtime win.

Phoenix Mercury roster

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally stats

Sabally averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 39 games this season, shooting 40.5% from the field and 32.1% from the 3-point line.

WNBA Finals Game 1:  Winners, losers include Aces bench and Mercury meltdown

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Aces rallied in the fourth quarter to pull off an 89-86 victory over the Phoenix Mercury in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Friday at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Dana Evans scored 21 points including five 3-pointers and Jewell Loyd 18 points off the bench to spark the Aces. MVP A’ja Wilson added 21 points and 10 rebounds.

‘It was just a really great time for our bench to come up and have a big game,’ Aces coach Becky Hammon said. ‘I think you saw a little fatigue. That’s what makes us a difficult team because we do have potential for someone else to come up and get 20. Read USA TODAY Sports’ full list of winners and losers here.

WNBA champions by year

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Following a thrilling extra-innings victory in the series opener, the Detroit Tigers  look to continue their postseason magic tonight when they face the Seattle Mariners in Game 2 of their American League Division Series.

The Tigers took the opener 3-2 in 11 innings on Saturday night on Zach McKinstry’s RBI single off reliever Carlos Vargas. They’ll have an opportunity to take command of the best-of-five series with ace left-hander Tarik Skubal (13-6, 2.21 ERA) on the mound against the Mariners’ Luis Castillo (11-8, 3.54).

Skubal, an alumnus of Seattle University, came through in the clutch in Game 1 of the wild-card series with a career-high 14 strikeouts in helping Detroit upend the Cleveland Guardians and advance to the ALDS.

Follow along for live updates:

What time is Tigers vs. Mariners game today?

First pitch is scheduled for 8:03 p.m. ET (5:03 p.m. PT) in Seattle.

How to watch Tigers vs Mariners: TV channel, streaming

Game 2 of the American League Division Series is being televised on FS1. Adam Amin will handle play-by-play duties with A.J. Pierzynski and Adam Wainwright as analysts and Tom Verducci reporting from the field.

TV: Fox Sports 1
Streaming: Fox Sports app, Fubo (free trial)

Watch Tigers vs Mariners on Fubo

Tigers lineup for Game 2

Gleyber Torres (R) 2B
Kerry Carpenter (L) RF
Riley Greene (L) LF
Spencer Torkelson (R) 1B
Colt Keith (L) DH
Dillon Dingler (R) C
Zach McKinstry (L) 3B
Javier Báez (R) SS
Parker Meadows (L) CF

Mariners lineup for Game 2

Randy Arozarena (R) LF
Cal Raleigh (S) C
Julio Rodríguez (R) CF
Jorge Polanco (S) 2B
Eugenio Suárez (R) 3B
Josh Naylor (L) 1B
Mitch Garver (R) DH
Victor Robles (R) RF
J.P. Crawford (L) SS

Tigers vs. Mariners schedule for ALDS

Tigers lead series 1-0

Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4 – Tigers 3, Mariners 2 (11 inn.)
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 5 – Tigers at Mariners, 8:03 p.m. ET
Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 7 – Mariners at Tigers, Time TBA
Game 4: Wednesday, Oct. 8 (if necessary) – Mariners at Tigers, Time TBA
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 10 (if necessary) – Tigers at Mariners, Time TBA

Rookie Dillon Gabriel made his first NFL start in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota.
The third-rounder with the impressive college football résumé kept Cleveland alive until the final seconds in London.
Time will tell if Gabriel or fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders makes a strong claim to a job the franchise could quickly address again in the 2026 offseason.

If the Cleveland Browns eventually look back at the 2025 NFL season as the jumping-off point to the relevance that’s evaded this franchise for decades, then they will likely pinpoint their rookie class − if not first-year quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders − as the reason.

Gabriel, the third-round pick with the standout college football résumé, made his first professional start Sunday in London – the first passer to ever make his QB1 debut overseas. He was solid, if unspectacular, in a 21-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, completing 19 of 33 pass attempts for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Whether that’s sufficient to install him as the starter for the long run will likely remain an open question. And Gabriel knows it.

‘There’s always something to build on, no moral victories whatsoever,’ he said following the defeat.

In the near term, Gabriel was made to order for a squad that entered Sunday with one win, the second-fewest points (56) and most turnovers (8) in the league. And while the Browns continued to manufacture points as if there would be a reciprocal tariff applied for exporting them to the United Kingdom, Gabriel did just about everything else his team needed – and against a nasty, multi-dimensional Minnesota defense – in order to grind out a win.

The Browns didn’t turn the ball over once. They were balanced offensively after passing more than 65% of the time in September with former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco at the helm. Sunday brought sustained drives that not only mixed up the team’s formula but kept its top-ranked defense off the field – and fresh – for half the game.

‘Composed, making the plays that we know he can make,’ All-Pro Browns defensive end Myles Garrett said of Gabriel.

‘He put us in position to win. We’ve gotta help ourselves out.’

Now let’s pause to talk about the Cleveland rookies who aren’t taking snaps from center.

Defensive tackle Mason Graham, the fifth overall pick of this year’s draft, and second-round linebacker Carson Schwesinger – at his current pace, he’ll be a strong contender to be Defensive Rookie of the Year – appear as if they’ll be mainstays well beyond Garrett’s tenure.

Offensively, second-round tailback Quinshon Judkins came into the game averaging 79 rushing yards per game – most among the league’s rookies – then broke off a career-high 110 against the Vikings. Third-round tight end Harold Fannin Jr. leads the team with 21 catches and caught a TD pass from Gabriel on Sunday. Fourth-rounder Dylan Sampson has been an effective receiving threat coming out of the backfield. Undrafted wideout Isaiah Bond, a quicksilver receiver who almost surely would have been a Day 2 draft pick if not for legal issues, is earning an increasingly larger role in the offense.

Sanders, the highly scrutinized son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders who infamously fell into the draft’s fifth round for seemingly myriad reasons, hasn’t played a snap this season … nor uttered a word since Gabriel’s promotion.

It remains to be seen when − or if − that changes. Gabriel, who established FBS records for touchdowns generated (190) and starts (63) at his three college stops, protected the ball Sunday. He appeared poised. Unlike Flacco, he was able to make plays on the move. He typically got rid of the rock quickly and chucked it out of bounds on plays that had little chance of success – all likely on the wise advice and/or game plan provided by two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski.

‘I’m pretty sure they told him, ‘Listen, just take what they give you, don’t create negative plays, don’t try to do too much. Don’t be a hero,” Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard said of Gabriel. ‘I think he did just that.

‘The kid has a pretty good arm. He’s going to be good.’

Yet Stefanski was mum on Gabriel’s impact.

‘Probably premature to grade,’ he said. ‘There were some good things, some rookie things to certainly clean up.’

Missing Sunday? Explosive plays. Gabriel hit Bond downfield for a 22-yard completion, otherwise everything in the passing game was of the short variety – though that makes sense against a Vikings defense known to generate pressure and take the ball away from the league’s most-experienced QBs. However a 3-for-15 conversion rate on third down won’t cut it.

Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said in the days leading up to the game that he and Stefanski pivoted to Gabriel as ‘a way to spark the offense and get things going.’

Maybe Gabriel didn’t set the world on fire, but he also didn’t torch the chances of the Browns, who led the game until their vaunted defense allowed the go-ahead touchdown with 25 seconds to play.

It’s a good first step, if not one that will keep Sanders in mothballs indefinitely. The former Colorado star showed flashes of his estimable ability to throw the ball in preseason but also called his own maturity into question (again) Wednesday while miming answers to reporters seeking insight into Gabriel’s opportunity.

Regardless, the Browns, one of four teams to never reach the Super Bowl, move forward with what seems like a strong foundation. It just remains to be seen if it will be further fortified by more position players when next year’s pair of first-round picks are spent … or yet another would-be face of the franchise quarterback.

So Ohio State went out Saturday and did what it was supposed to do by routing Minnesota, and suddenly, the Buckeyes are Indiana. 

All hat, no cattle. Thanks to our good friends at Texas.

A year after Indiana reached the College Football Playoff without a win of significance, Ohio State now finds itself in that same backwash.

Because if we’re being intellectually honest, what exactly has Ohio State done to deserve the No. 1 ranking? More important, what will Ohio State have done by the time the first College Football Playoff poll is released Nov. 4?

Struggled to beat a Texas team at home, the same Texas team that played at three-loss Florida and got drilled. And after that? Bupkis.

The next three games for the Buckeyes before the release of the poll: at Illinois (did you not see the Indiana game?), at Wisconsin (it’s only a matter of time before Luke Fickell is fired) and a home game against Penn State. 

Let’s not even talk Penn State, OK?

The rest of the schedule: at Purdue, UCLA, Rutgers and finally, fittingly, the death march to Ann Arbor. Michigan doesn’t count in this assessment, because Michigan could be 6-5 and still beat Ohio State. 

Like, you know, last season.

The only difference between Ohio State and Indiana, circa 2024: if the Buckeyes reach the Big Ten championship game, Oregon will be waiting.

A look at this week’s CFP projection:

1. Miami: The most complete team in the nation, with an easier road to the CFP than Ohio State. Next: bye week. 

2. Oregon: Still deserves plenty of credit for not blowing the Penn State game, which it dominated before having to save it in overtime. Next: Indiana.

3. Oklahoma: Injured QB John Mateer won’t play this week against Texas, and that should eliminate another SEC unbeaten. Next: Texas (in Dallas).

4. Ohio State: Quietly and confidently, QB Julian Sayin is becoming an efficient and dangerous thrower. Next: at Illinois.

5. Alabama: The offense is getting better with every series, and that’s not good for everyone in the SEC — even with a schedule that looks more difficult with each evolving week of the season. Next: at Missouri. 

6. Texas Tech: This program in years past would’ve lost the past two road games. Not because they were difficult, but because Texas Tech didn’t have the defense and moxie. Now it does. Next: Kansas.

8. Indiana: Best thing that could’ve happened to IU: a grinder of a win at Iowa last week, before two weeks to prepare for a statement moment. Next: at Oregon.

9. Georgia: It just looks clunky. All of it. The offense sputters, the defense isn’t the same dominating unit. With a dangerous game ahead. Next: at Auburn.

10. Texas A&M: I’m going to reserve on the Aggies because we’ve seen this show before. Next: vs. Florida. 

11. Michigan: If you think Ohio State has an easy path to the first CFP poll, check out the Wolverines’ dance card. Next: at USC.

12. South Florida: While we focus on the Power conferences, a significant game in the race for the Group of Five CFP bid is here. Next: at North Texas.

First round games

No.12 South Florida at No.5 Alabama

No.11 Michigan at No.6 Texas Tech

No.10 Texas A&M at No.7 Ole Miss

No.9 Georgia at No.8 Indiana

First round byes: Miami, Oregon, Oklahoma, Ohio State. 

This story was updated to change a video.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.