Europe holds a commanding 11.5-4.5 lead over the American team heading into the final day of the 2025 Ryder Cup.
The European team is the first visitor to win the first three sessions on foreign soil in Ryder Cup history.
Europe needs to win just three of the 12 singles matches on Sunday to retain the Ryder Cup.

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Uncancel those NFL Sunday plans. Nothing to see here at the 2025 Ryder Cup on the tournament’s final day of 12 singles matches. 

Unless you’re from Europe. Or rooting for Europe. Then, definitely watch and bask in the glory of a trouncing that should leave the American side officially embarrassed by the time the sun sets Sunday at Bethpage Black.

Europe enters the final day leading 11.5-4.5 after another dominant performance in both Saturday sessions. 

The Americans lost both the foursome and fourball sets 3-1; their best player, Scottie Scheffler, is 0-4 through two days. The world’s top-ranked golfer now owns the distinction of being the first American player ever to lose a match in each of the first four sessions of a Ryder Cup. 

Europe is the first Ryder Cup visitor to win the first three sessions on foreign soil. Their lead, besting the Americans’ 11-5 advantage after two days at Whistling Straits four years ago, is the largest in the history of the modern Ryder Cup format (since 1979).

If not for some late-stage heroics by J.J. Spaun, the reigning U.S. Open champion who birdied the final two holes to give he and Xander Schauffele the lone American victory in the late slate, the deficit would be that much worse. Actually, that much more embarrassing – the real word to describe the first two days of play here on Long Island. 

“I know it’s quite lopsided,” said Bryson DeChambeau, who won a morning foursome with Cameron Young – the only American victory of the session. “But it would make for a great comeback story.”

Like one a child would find in the fiction section of the library. 

All Europe has to do to pop champagne is win three matches – technically two and halve another – to remain Ryder Cup champions and become the first team to win on the other side of the Atlantic since 2012. Thus, barring something truly miraculous Sunday, this tournament is over. The largest comebacks ever on Sunday, which features 12 1-on-1 matches, is from teams trailing 10-6, which has happened twice: the U.S. did so in 1999 and Europe accomplished the feat in 2012. The winning team went 8-3-1 on Sunday to pull it off – the U.S. must go 10-2. 

Every birdie from the U.S. on Saturday received a European answer. At least, it certainly felt that way. Until the Spaun-Schauffele victory, the U.S. hadn’t led in any afternoon match for more than 3.5 hours. The Europeans in the crowd chanted, asking where the red on the board was. Rory McIlroy pointed to the various scoreboards throughout the track as a sign he was perfectly aware of his team’s dominance.

Jon Rahm chipped in a birdie on the par-3 8th with his feet in a bunker. Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland matched Scheffler and Russell Henley in the morning session with clutch shot after clutch shot.

Rahm is a machine in any format, and Tommy Fleetwood cemented himself as one of Europe’s greatest Ryder Cup players ever with a 4-0 showing over the first two days. He’s almost outscored the entire U.S. team by himself. Justin Rose, 45, is showing out in the 45th Ryder Cup; he birdied three of the first eight holes to help take down the DeChambeau-Scheffler pairing in the afternoon – and added some spice to the rivalry by reprimanding DeChambeau’s caddie, which led to a spat between the parties. 

“Well, I’m seeing what looks like to be historical putting,” Bradley said after play ended. “They’re making everything.’

According to datagolf, Europe has beaten the U.S. on the green by 20 shots. Maybe leaving the rough long at Bethpage Black wouldn’t have mattered, after all. 

Bradley also complimented the Europeans’ mental toughness.

‘They have come into a hostile environment and played great golf,’ he said. ‘Sometimes as a competitor, as an athlete, you have to take a step back and again sort of tip your cap to something like that.’

Bradley came under fire for throwing Collin Morikawa and Harris English back out against the dynamic duo of Fleetwood and McIlroy. A lamb to a wolf would have been more merciful.

In multiple media appearances Saturday evening, Bradley referenced the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl victories over the Atlanta Falcons, in which they trailed 28-3, and the Seattle Seahawks, in which Malcolm Butler recorded an improbable interception in the last minute at the goal line. Maybe he’ll have time to check out the end of their game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. There shouldn’t be too much going on by the late afternoon.

‘Of course I want to go out there and make history tomorrow. (The players) all do,’ Bradley said. ‘But I think you’ve got to relish in the opportunity to get out on the course tomorrow and play for your country at a course like this, at a venue like this. I think it’s something that you’ve got to look forward to.’  

It’s not as if everything is going perfectly for the Europeans. Tyrrell Hatton had to sub for Hovland in the final match of the day after the latter suffered a neck injury. Hatton’s playing partner, Matthew Fitzpatrick, hit his drive on No. 18 into a bunker. From 110 yards away, he stuck it to three feet. Hatton followed by spinning his approach shot back to gently nestle next to Fitzpatrick’s ball. Match over. 

Ryder Cup over.

This story has been updated with new information.

Ryan Blaney moved one step closer to a potential second NASCAR Cup Series championship last week in New Hampshire.

The Team Penske driver was easily the fastest car in qualifying and race day as he led the final 50 laps to take his third victory of the year. His prize was a secured spot in the Round of 8 – and a local delicacy: a live lobster.

‘I’ve wanted a lobster ever since I was a little kid coming to watch these races. I’ve always wanted one of those things, so I’m looking forward to it,’ Blaney said after his victory.

Blaney won the championship in 2023 and finished runner-up last year to teammate Joey Logano. His win last week ensures he’ll fight on to the next round of the playoffs and he holds a two-point lead over William Byron in the playoff standings.

Sunday marks the Cup Series’ second visit to Kansas Speedway this season. Kyle Larson won the AdventHealth 400 in May in dominant fashion. The Hendrick Motorsports driver took pole position, won every stage, led the most laps and notched the fastest lap of the race.

Larson sits in third in the playoff standings behind Blaney and Byron. He’s one of eight playoff drivers looking for their first win of the postseason to punch their ticket one step further in the playoffs.

Here’s everything you need to know to get ready for the Hollywood Casino 400 presented by ESPN BET at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 28:

What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Kansas start?

The Hollywood Casino 400 is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.

What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Kansas on?

The Hollywood Casino 400 will be broadcast on USA Network, the channel for most of the Cup Series playoffs. Pre-race coverage will start at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Kansas?

Yes, the Hollywood Casino 400 will be streamed on Peacock, HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Stream the NASCAR race at Kansas on Fubo

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Kansas?

The Hollywood Casino 400 is 267 laps around the 1.5-mile track for a total of 400.5 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 80 laps; Stage 2: 85 laps; Stage 3: 102 laps.

NASCAR playoff standings

Here’s how the field stacks up with the gap to leader in parentheses. Four drivers were eliminated after Bristol: Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Berry.

Ryan Blaney
William Byron (-2)
Kyle Larson (-8)
Christopher Bell (-20)
Denny Hamlin (-22)
Joey Logano (-25)
Chase Elliott (-35)
Chase Briscoe (-37)
Ross Chastain (-49)
Austin Cindric (-56)
Tyler Reddick (-60)
Bubba Wallace (-64)

Who won the NASCAR Cup playoff race at Kansas last year?

Ross Chastain didn’t make the playoffs but ensured he wouldn’t go winless in the 2024 Cup Series season by taking the checkered flag at Kansas Speedway last September. He overtook Martin Truex Jr. for the lead on a restart with less than 20 laps to go and kept William Byron far enough behind to get the win. Byron, Truex, Ryan Blaney and Ty Gibbs rounded out the top five.

What is the lineup for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas?

Here is the lineup for the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Kansas Speedway (car number in parentheses; P=playoff driver):

Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (P)
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (P)
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (P)
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (P)
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (P)
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota (P)
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (P)
Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (P)
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota (P)
Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford 
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford (P)
Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford (P)
JJ Yeley, No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford (P)

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Houston Astros missing the MLB playoffs for the first time since 2016.
The team overcame departures throughout its run, but ran out of gas in 2025.
Astros won World Series titles in 2017 and 2022.

They fired manager A.J. Hinch and dynasty architect Jeff Luhnow after a grim sign-stealing scandal, chased off Luhnow’s successor, James Click, after winning a World Series – and qualified twice more for the playoffs.

But the bill has finally come due for the Astros, whose empire finally crumbled.

The Astros will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016, a fate sealed Sept. 27 when the Cleveland Guardians eliminated them with a walk-off win.

It’s an outcome that won’t produce many teardrops beyond Texas.

Springer and Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve still get booed wherever they go, the shouts of “Cheater!” likely to follow them on the road until their playing days end. Yet put aside the beyond-the-pale cheating scandal, and the Astros still provoked ire in the industry.

Luhnow’s disruption (hey, it was the early 2010s) of the Astros specifically and Major League Baseball in a broader sense went down poorly in the industry, accompanied as it was by a side of smarminess. Exacerbated by the fact the Astros just kept on winning, and winning, and winning.

But owner Jim Crane finally met his match this winter.

The man who nearly tanked the organization after sending Click on his way and then signing veterans like Jose Abreu to disastrous contracts looked like he pulled off yet another corporate downsizing this winter.

The Astros played footsy with Bregman, yet never came forth with an offer commensurate with the two-time champion’s value – particularly in the clubhouse, as the Red Sox have happily discovered this season.

And rather than mess around with a soon-to-be free agent he might not have had any intention of retaining, Crane traded slugging outfielder Kyle Tucker a year early, ostensibly fetching replacements for Tucker in rookie Cam Smith and Bregman in veteran Isaac Paredes.

They were not up to the task.

Smith flashed stretches of brilliance and should have a bright future, but ultimately posted a .668 OPS and nine homers. Fine numbers for a 22-year-old who will get better, but not necessarily if you’re hoping to stretch a playoff streak toward a decade.

Paredes, playing for his fourth team in five seasons, was in fact a fine match with the left field Crawford Boxes, smacking 20 home runs with an .811 OPS. But injuries limited him to 101 games.

Did someone say injuries? For the second consecutive season, Houston’s playoff hopes were jeopardized by odd and poorly explained mishaps. This time, it was All-Star DH Yordan Alvarez, sidelined for four months with a hand injury that was later revealed to be a finger fracture. When he finally returned, a nasty ankle sprain on Sept. 15 ended his season.

In 2024, it was Tucker who was mysteriously sidelined for three months, before it was finally reported that he suffered a shin fracture. The Astros won the AL West but were forced into the wild card series. Hinch regained some measure of redemption in sweeping the Astros out of the playoffs.

While they were eliminated on the penultimate day of this season, it symbolically ended Sept. 2, when ace Framber Valdez threw a pitch that struck catcher Cesar Salazar in the chest.

It immediately smacked of an intentional cross-up, Valdez frustrated immediately after giving up a grand slam. He denied it was intentional.

Regardless, Valdez is a free agent and, after that episode and Crane’s hesitance to pay top dollar to retain his own players, surely looks like a goner.

They’ll still have a 36-year-old Altuve and a legit ace in Hunter Brown and Correa, reacquired in a Minnesota salary dump, and All-Star Jeremy Peña on the left side of the infield.

But they’ll also, for the first time, take the field as just another team hoping to win 84 to 88 games and grab a playoff spot, rather than the swaggering, powerful, deep, sometimes dastardly Astros of the past.

Those guys are almost all gone. And so is that era, probably for good.

ATHENS, GA – They can’t complain now. Can’t get away with politicking and promoting and posturing in five weeks when the College Football Playoff poll begins. 

This is the monster the SEC created. Suck it up, and deal with it.

If it looks like the NFL, and plays out week after week like the NFL, well, as they say in the south, if you burn your ass, you have to sit on the blisters. 

While Alabama’s surprising 24-21 win over No. 3 Georgia on Saturday night was the epicenter of the SEC world, heavyweight, bare knuckle fistfights played out all over the conference footprint.

Wins and losses — and more important, losses — that will significantly impact the always quirky (and unnervingly fair to a fault) CFP selection committee.   

‘We were talking on the sidelines during the game,’ said Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor. ‘Georgia, night game, prime time TV, this is why you play games in this league.’

And this is how it’s playing out in the bloodbath of a conference: there has never been more uncertainty at the top, and more fluidity among the elite on a weekly basis. What professional league does that sound like?

No. 9 Texas A&M took another step toward erasing its Texas 8&5 reputation, outlasting Auburn by trading blows with the most physical team in the SEC.

All that on one pulsating, punishing weekend, with No. 7 Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma — the two blue bloods who kicked off the SEC move to mimicking the NFL by asking pretty please to join the exclusive club — sitting at home on bye weeks.

About 45 minutes after the game, after Alabama – left for dead after a season-opening loss to Florida State – had beaten Georgia and coach Kirby Smart for the seventh time in eight games, Tide athletic director Greg Byrne stood by the locker room congratulating players and tried to explain this constantly evolving beast of a conference.

‘Hopefully the playoff committee will recognize this challenge, week after week, that every team in this league goes through,’ Byrne said. ‘It’s not (comparing) two losses vs. three losses, or one loss vs. three losses. That needs to be recognized.’

Make no mistake, this is the NFL. Every week is gut-wrenching and gut-pounding. Any team can beat any other team, anywhere at any time.

And speaking of Alabama, what do we make of the team that began the season loafing in a loss at Florida State? Well, it begins with this: if you’re embattled Tide coach Kalen DeBoer and snap Georgia’s 33-game home winning streak, you get to put a period at the end of the Nick Saban is gone conversation. 

And finally, blessedly, move on to the next topic. 

Like this Alabama team may just be good enough to win the whole damn thing. 

Germie Bernard and Isaac Horton made tough, contested catches over the middle. Jam Miller broke tackles with punishing runs, including a couple that sealed the victory. The defense made enough big plays (hello, LT Overton) to contribute to what Alabama always does: find a way to beat Georgia. 

For the love of all things houndstooth, Proctor , 6-7, 366-pound star left tackle, bent down to catch a perimeter screen pass as an eligible receiver and – I swear I’m not making this up – looked like a 30-story building rumbling through the Georgia defense.

Like the old school, black and white film of Godzilla terrorizing the downtown streets. I mean, the humanity of it all. 

So it should come as no surprise that when Alabama returns home next week, it will be greeted by the one player who absolutely, positively, ain’t afraid of Proctzilla. That would be Diego Pavia and — are you ready for this? — big, bad unbeaten No. 20 Vanderbilt. 

The same Vanderbilt that began the Tide dive in 2024, by beating Alabama for the first time since Cornelius Vanderbilt gave two $500,000 gifts to Bishop Holland McTyeire in 1873 to found Vanderbilt. Or something like that.

Then there’s Georgia, which is a missed Tennessee field goal from two losses in September for the first time since 2011. How many teams in the nation can beat this Georgia team? 

Outside the SEC, anyway. 

About 90 minutes before the start of this classic, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey held an impromptu chat with a gaggle of media, patiently dodging and weaving through a maze of issues affecting college football. As the availability was wrapping up, I asked Sankey the most important question of all.

Does he see a future where changes to the CFP could affect the SEC championship game? The one game that, above all else, built this meatgrinder of a conference into something no one could’ve ever imagined. 

“I’ve been on that (championship) stage, and there’s not one person standing there who doesn’t think (an SEC championship) isn’t a big deal,” Sankey said.

If it looks like the NFL, and plays out week after week like the NFL, call it the SEC and go ahead and deal with the blisters.

We’ve got two more months of this wild ride. 

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

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar led a fourth-quarter comeback to force overtime.
The game was decided by an interception in the second overtime period.

STATE COLLEGE, PA — No. 5 Oregon hammered away at No. 2 Penn State and parried the Nittany Lions’ furious charge in the fourth quarter to score a 30-24 overtime win in this high-profile matchup of Big Ten favorites.

‘This is a huge growth moment for our entire team,’ said Oregon coach Dan Lanning. ‘The only time we really struggled was when we beat ourselves. We said it was going to be a battle. We had to figure out what worked, but they handled this environment, and it ended up not being a factor for our team.’

Both teams scored only a field goal in the first half. But the Ducks scored touchdowns on their first two possessions coming out of the break before the Nittany Lions rallied to force overtime behind quarterback Drew Allar, who finished with 179 yards of total offense and had two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

After the Nittany Lions scored a touchdown and converted the extra point on the first possession of overtime to take a 24-17 lead, the Ducks evened the score on a short touchdown pass. Oregon scored again on the first play of the second extra frame and then failed to convert the automatic two-point try before intercepting Allar on the first play of the Nittany Lions’ ensuing possession.

“Obviously, it’s a really good team. And we’re a really good team. And we’ve got to find ways to win those games,’ Penn State coach James Franklin said.

In the first real test of his first season as the starter, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore completed 29 of 39 throws for 248 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Running back Dierre Hill had 82 yards on 10 carries with a receiving touchdown. Wide receiver Dakorien Moore led the Ducks with 89 receiving yards.

While the score was tied at halftime, the Ducks’ aggressive style on offense and often dominant play on defense showed some signs of eventually wearing down the Nittany Lions.

Oregon outgained Penn State by 120 yards, allowed just 2.8 yards per play and dominated the time of possession in the first half. The Nittany Lions’ issues with moving the ball came after the offense struggled at times in wins against Nevada, Villanova and Florida International.

Even still, the Nittany Lions were giving up just 4.7 yards per play, the Ducks’ second-lowest average in the first half under Lanning. The three points were the Ducks’ fewest in the first half since a loss to Georgia to open the 2022 season.

But the Penn State offense continued to sputter coming out of halftime. A promising drive to begin the third quarter reached the Oregon 36-yard line but ended with Allar stuffed at the line of scrimmage on thrd-and-8 and the Nittany Lions trying to get into more manageable range of a field goal. Instead of still trying a 53-yard attempt, Franklin opted to punt, with the kick going into the end zone and resulting in only a 16-yard net gain.

‘We just didn’t execute the way we were supposed to in the beginning of the game,’ said senior offensive lineman Nick Dawkins. ‘We got it going a little bit at the end, but that’s inexcusable. That’s not our standard.’

Starting at their own 20, the Ducks’ first possession of the second half changed the complexion of the game.

Oregon went 80 yards in 10 plays, including a key 23-yard completion by Moore and a 24-yard run by Hill, to take a 10-3 lead on an 8-yard touchdown pass to Hill with 3:16 left in the third quarter. The drive was extended after a crucial replay reversal of a potential Noah Whittington fumble at the Nittany Lions’ 10-yard line.

Playing from behind for the first time, Penn State went three-and-out and gave the ball right back to the Ducks, who marched downfield for a second touchdown in a row to take a 17-3 lead with 12:25 left in the fourth quarter.

Capped by an 8-yard touchdown run on fourth down by running back Jordon Davison, the scoring drive was highlighted by a completion on third down near midfield that saw Moore buy time against the Nittany Lions pass rush by rolling to his right and then find Dakorian Moore for a 29-yard gain.

That sparked a quick, under-two-minute touchdown drive by Penn State ending with a 35-yard pass from Allar to receiver Devonte Ross. After stopping Oregon thanks in part to a costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against offensive lineman Alex Harkey, the Nittany Lions took over at their own 38-yard line with 7:07 to play and the chance to tie the score.

Paced by a 20-yard Allar run and a pair of fourth-and-short conversions, the drive reached the Oregon 10-yard line with 1:15 remaining. After Allen ran for three yards to set up 1st-and-goal, Allar hit Ross on a shovel pass for the game-tying touchdown with 30 seconds left to force overtime.

‘We started to pick it up,’ said Penn State running back Nick Singleton. ‘At the same time, we have to do that earlier in the game.’

Oregon won the overtime coin toss and opted to start on defense.

The Nittany Lions opened the first extra frame with an Allen touchdown run to take a 24-17 lead, their first since going ahead 3-0 in the second quarter. Another key fourth-down conversion extended the Ducks’ following possession and led to a 2-yard touchdown pass.

Oregon scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass to start the second overtime but was intercepted on the two-point try. On the first play of the Nittany Lions’ possession, Allar was intercepted on the left side by safety Dillon Thieneman to seal the Ducks’ win.

‘We’re focused on the next play the entire time. Those guys handled that moment well. They were so locked in and focused,’ Lanning said.

Oregon finished with 424 yards of offense. Penn State had 276 yards on 60 plays, with 137 yards coming on the two scoring drives in the fourth quarter.

‘I’m always very critical of myself,’ Allar said. ‘Our process is our process, and we won’t change that. We have to learn from a lot of stuff from this game. Obviously, the outcome sucks.’

The loss extends the Nittany Lions’ run of failures against top-ranked competition under Franklin. The program hasn’t beaten an opponent ranked in the top five since topping Ohio State in 2016.

‘At the end of the day, we have to find a way to win those games,’ he said. ‘I take ownership and responsibility.’

It is the endless season, where one game represents the smallest fraction possible of any sports season. Yet somehow, at the end, that one little game means everything.

And so we arrive at Game 162 and several Major League Baseball teams playing for almost everything as the 2025 regular season draws to a close.

“It’s why we all do what we do. This is the exact situation you want to be in,” says Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider, whose club can lock up the American League East with a Game 162 win against the Tampa Bay Rays. “Baseball’s funny, man.

“One sixty-two is a lot and then you look up and, of course, it comes down to 162 to get where you want to, right?”

MLB BRACKET: Where races stand heading into final day of 2025 season.

It’s the same story in the Bronx, where the unstoppable New York Yankees will also aim for the East title – though they don’t entirely control the outcome, needing a Blue Jays loss to win the division and the hall pass out of the wild card series.

As the day of reckoning arrives, a look at the winners and losers from the penultimate day of the season, when two playoff tickets were punched and others stayed alive:

Winners

Detroit Tigers

Collapse? What collapse? Hey, nobody remembers a 2-14 stretch drive and losing five of six against your division rival to blow a 15 ½-game division lead when it all ends in a sensory overload of champagne spray and cigar smoke.

Yep, the Tigers righted the ship just long enough to claim a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox and cement a playoff berth. And maybe even the division title if the Cleveland Guardians cooperate.

Either way, the Tigers enter the playoffs as the team that flatlined but were resuscitated to life. They’re not as potent as the 2023 Texas Rangers, and perhaps not as plucky as an 83-win 2006 St. Louis Cardinals team that beat a heavily favored Tigers team in the World Series.

But they do have Tarik Skubal, an ace in a landscape with few of them. And that can cover up a nearly disastrous tank job and a roster that ultimately won just 87 games.

In fact, the Tigers are dreaming of bigger things than an AL Central title: Skubal will not start the season finale, Detroit hoping Chris Paddack and a Guardians loss can hand them the division crown. The grander point: Skubal will start Game 1, be it in the wild card series or AL Division Series on Oct. 4.

Javy Báez

It’s Detroit’s second consecutive postseason trip, yet Báez was not around for the first one: He opted for season-ending hip surgery, team and player knowing he had to get right, and the club launched a chaotic run to the AL Division Series without him.

This year, he was healthy, and an All-Star, and then befallen by a .221/.229/.300 second half, his demise coinciding with Detroit’s. But in Game 161, he was nails, with a Superman-like diving catch to save one run and then a 29.3 feet per second sprint toward home to score the eventual winning run on Jahmai Jones’ single.

“Obviously last year I couldn’t be here because of the surgery,” Báez said amid the clubhouse revelry. “I told the boys, I know it’s been a crazy season with the ups and downs and injuries, but we deserve it more than anyone.

“Keep playing.”

This year, Báez will do just that.

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton

Uh-oh.

There’s plenty of factors behind the Yankees’ rise but nothing is quite so gloriously unsubtle than when their 6-7 and 6-6 sluggers are pounding baseballs out of sight. Judge and Stanton each homered in their Game 161 triumph over Baltimore, the eighth time this year they’ve gone deep in the same game and the 59th , including postseason, in their eight years together. Only Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth (75) have done that more in Yankee history.

Judge’s MVP-caliber season makes it easy to overlook that Stanton, after missing the start of the season due to pain in both elbows, has a .272/.348/.946 line and 24 homers in 76 games.

They may be the AL’s toughest out – duo and team – and have a shot at five days off if things break right one more time.

Trey Yesavage

From Dunedin to Vancouver (British Columbia) to New Hampshire to Buffalo to Toronto and finally to starting the biggest game of the year, it’s been quite a ride for the 20th overall pick in the 2024 draft.

And Yesavage showed he has the big-game mettle that should make him a huge postseason factor for the Blue Jays.

He tossed five scoreless innings against Tampa Bay for his first major league win, shaking off a booted double-play ball to strike out five and leave with a 4-0 lead.

With his long extension and unique arm angle, Yesavage is an imposing figure for opposing hitters – and none of the Blue Jays’ AL playoff opponents have ever seen Yesavage. He looks like a rotation lock even in a best-of-five series – though it will fall on veteran Kevin Gausman to pitch Toronto past the Rays in Game 162 and out of the wild-card series.

“I got all the confidence in the world in Kev,” says Schneider.

The Mendoza Line

Mario Mendoza never liked the fact his career was associated with hitting worse than .200. Well, thanks to the Cleveland Guardians’ playoff qualification, perhaps that stigma will be lessened.

Four players in the box score from their clinching win over the Texas Rangers are batting between .152 and .188, including cleanup hitter Johnathan Rodriguez (.188), whose two-run homer kept the Guardians level with Texas before they could win it on a walk-off hit-by-pitch. Jhonkensy Noel (.152), Austin Hedges (.161), Bo Naylor (.192)? They’re going to the playoffs and you’re probably not. Life’s never been better on the interstate.

Pete Alonso

Will the Mets ever be able to quit the Polar Bear?

It doesn’t seem like it, not when dude seems to clutch up when they need him the most. A loss to Miami in the opener of their season-ending series put the Mets on the brink, but Alonso roared out of the gate Sept. 27 with an RBI double and home run.

That was enough for starter Clay Holmes, and now the Mets aim for hope from Milwaukee. Alonso has surely played well enough to opt out of the last year of his $54 million contract and hit the market again.

If Alonso bails them out two years in a row, can the Mets afford not to bring him back yet again?

Losers

Houston Astros

If a dynasty topples in a series no one’s watching in Anaheim, does it make a sound?

Lost in all the hysteria over Guardians magic and Tigers suckage is the fact the Astros – playoff participants for eight consecutive seasons – were about to fold the tent on their semi-dynasty.

They’ve kind of been a dead team walking since the Seattle Mariners roared through Daikin Park with a sweep to essentially ice the AL West. Now, Houston’s lost six of seven and saw its postseason hopes officially end when the Tigers and Guardians both won.

Sure, 2017 was a relatively long time ago, but we get the sense there won’t be many tears shed beyond Harris County.

Jacob Misiorowski, reliever

With the Brewers hesitant to put 6-7 All-Star rookie Jacob Misiorowski in their playoff rotation, The Miz got a shot at workshopping a relief role in a most difficult spot: Bases loaded, two outs, third inning of a 1-0 game against Cincinnati.

It did not go well.

Sure, Misiorowski ran into a little bad luck with a swinging bunt off the bat of Ke’Bryan Hayes that registered 57.8 mph on the exit velocity and drove in a run. But then a bases-loaded walk to Matt McLain was followed by a TJ Friedl single to left field, mayhem briefly visiting when an Isaac Collins throwing error allowed another run to score.

The Brewers can certainly analyze the situation and realize this wasn’t all Misiorowski’s fault, but on the other hand they brought him into a 1-0 game and it soon became 6-0.

The overriding lesson once the NLDS arrives: Bring The Miz in at the start of an inning, lest the Brewers’ playoff run go sideways quickly.

Of course, that’s too late to save the Mets, who could only watch as Misiorowski teetered and pushed their postseason hopes to the very edge.

ESPN

They’ve been sitting on a dream Yankees-Red Sox matchup in the wild-card series – in this, the year they opted out of the remainder of their contract to broadcast it – yet the ratings magic carpet might just get pulled out from under them.

A Tigers win over the Red Sox and Guardians win over the Texas Rangers would knock Boston from the No. 2 wild card to No. 3 – and send them packing for the Rust Belt for a wild-card series against the Central champion.

Meanwhile, the Yankees would welcome either the Guardians or Tigers to the Bronx.

In a sense, it might help spreading the Northeast ratings behemoths across two series. But it’s hard to shake the sense the chance at a ratings jackpot would be missed.

Way to put your thumb on the scale of the playoffs, WNBA.

Regardless if you think Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve’s f-bomb-laced tirade about officiating was out of bounds or that she crossed a line by “aggressively pursuing” officials on the court, suspending her for what is an elimination game is a far greater offense. Why not just spot the Phoenix Mercury 25 points for Game 4 on Sunday afternoon while you’re at it? Scrap the last two games of the series and say the series has been reduced to best-of-three?

Penalize Reeve, sure. But don’t punish her team in the process. Because now it just looks like the league is retaliating for Reeve having the guts to speak the truth about the W’s culpability in Napheesa Collier’s injury and its long-standing indifference to the health and safety of its players.

That Reeve continues to point out that a bad call in last year’s Finals might have cost the Lynx a fifth title probably doesn’t help matters. 

Players and coaches have been warning the WNBA for years the physicality of the game has gotten out of hand and the officiating is trash. Someone, they said, is going to get hurt if the WNBA doesn’t get it under control.

Sure enough, someone did! And not just anyone, one of the game’s biggest stars in one of the season’s biggest games.

Collier, a runner-up to A’ja Wilson for MVP each of the last two seasons, will miss Game 4 on Sunday afternoon after being hurt in the closing minutes of Game 3. Collier and Alyssa Thomas collided after Thomas stripped her of the ball. Collier and Thomas’ knees knocked, and Collier appeared to twist her ankle as she fell to the ground.

Collier briefly took a seat on the bench before leaving the floor, limping and in tears. Reeve, livid at Collier being treated like a crash-test dummy all series, had to be held back by her assistants and Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman and then lit into the refs after the game.

“If this is what our league wants, OK. But I want to call for a change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating,” Reeve said, not even trying to contain her fury.

“It’s bad for the game. The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff-worthy is f—ing malpractice.”

Now, Thomas’ steal was clean. But there is a case to be made that she should have been whistled for running through Collier afterward, initiating contact as she tried to make a play. Or, to quote the W’s own rule book, “A player shall not hold, push, charge into, impede the progress of an opponent by extending an arm, leg or knee or by bending the body into a position that is not normal.”

The larger case to be made is that if refs hadn’t let this game — hell, the whole series — go off the rails in terms of physicality, Thomas might have been playing with more restraint and might not have barreled into Collier. But when the refs, and by extension the league, give their blessing to a roller derby, players are going to play accordingly.

And an injury like Collier’s is inevitable.

“She got her shoulder pulled out and finished the game with her leg being taken out. And probably has a fracture,” Reeve said Friday night.

Officiating, in any sport and at any level, is a tough job. You are asked to make split-second decisions on a fast-moving game, and you get harangued by players, coaches and fans alike.

But the level of complaints for officiating in the WNBA compared with the NBA, and even the college game, are not remotely close. In part because the NBA has recognized that poor officiating is bad for the league’s business and taken steps to clean it up.

NBA referees are full-time employees, sparing them from having to pick up games in other leagues and spread themselves thin. Reviews are done at the league’s Replay Center, where additional personnel and the latest technology help ensure the right decisions are made and it doesn’t take an hour to do it.

There’s also a two-minute report, a review and assessment of all officiated events in the last two minutes of a game where the score is at or within three points. The report is then made public.

The W doesn’t have any of that. What’s that old saying about getting what you pay for? Except, in this case, it’s the players who pay the price, in bumps and bruises and broken bones.

Suspending Reeve for the start of next season and giving her a hefty fine would have served the same purpose, sent the same message. But Reeve’s criticisms hit a little too close to home, and that’s what the WNBA can’t tolerate.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

BOULDER, CO – Colorado football coach Deion Sanders preached all week about how his team just needed more “consistency” this season after going back and forth from good to bad.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, he got the opposite once again – a team that started strong but ended in disaster and a 24-21 loss at home against No. 24 BYU.

The loss drops Colorado to 2-3 this season, including 0-2 in Big 12 Conference play. No. 24 BYU improves to 4-0 and 1-0 in the Big 12 after getting a big night from freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier.

The Buffaloes scored touchdowns on their first two possessions of the game to stake a 14-0 lead. But then the bottom dropped out again, sort of like it did in 2023, when they lost in overtime against Stanford after taking a 29-0 halftime lead.

This time, their lead shrunk to 14-10 at halftime before the Cougars closed the game with big plays, including a 32-yard touchdown run by receiver Cody Hagen to help take a 24-21 lead and then an interception on Colorado’s final drive by BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker.

Bachmeier finished 19-for-27 for 179 yards and two touchdowns and added 98 more yards on the ground on 15 attempts. The Cougars rushed 36 times for 208 yards.

Colorado QB Kaidon Salter was 11-for-16 passing for 119 yards with a touchdown and the late interception. He added 49 yards on 17 attempts on the ground and a TD. Colorado rushed for 172 yards.

The Buffaloes now face a tough stretch of Big 12 games, starting at No. 25 TCU next week, followed by a home game against No. 13 Iowa State. 

BYU vs. Colorado highlights

Final: BYU 24, Colorado 21

Kaidon Salter is intercepted with less than a minute to go and BYU runs out the clock.

BYU misses 55-yard field goal

BYU kicker Will Ferrin missed wide left on a 55-yard field-goal attempt with 8:07 remaining. Now the Buffs get the ball at their own 37-yard line to try to retake the lead. Ferrin had made 25 consecutive field goals before that.

Big play lifts BYU to 24-21 lead

BYU receiver Cody Hagen took the ball around the left side on a trick play that ended with a 32-yard touchdown and a 24-21 lead with 14:02 left.

This answers Colorado’s only touchdown since the first quarter. The drive went 77 yards in eight plays.

End of third quarter: Colorado 21, BYU 17

BYU has the ball and is driving into Colorado territory to start the fourth quarter. 

Colorado strikes back for 21-17 lead

The Buffs struck back with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Kaidon Salter to receiver Dre’Lon Miller, helping them take a 21-17 lead with 2:42 left in the third quarter.

The drive went 75 yards in six plays, highlighted by a 26-yard pass from Salter on first down and a 19-yard run from Salter one play after that. 

Miller now has a touchdown run and touchdown catch in this game.

BYU takes its first lead, 17-14

BYU has come back to take a 17-14 lead against Colorado after scoring on fourth-and-2 with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Bear Bachmeier to receiver Chase Roberts. The drive went 74 yards in nine plays, culminating with Roberts’ second touchdown catch of the game with 5:26 left in the third quarter.

The touchdown evaporates Colorado’s 14-0 start and gives the Buffs a sense of dread. It’s not as bad yet as when they took a 29-0 halftime lead in 2023 against Stanford but lost in overtime. But after taking that early lead, they look helpless to the momentum BYU is building. 

Colorado punts again after hot start

Colorado has punted three times now after scoring two touchdowns on its first two possessions of the game, including another punt to end their first possession of the second half. The Buffs still lead 14-10 with 10:17 left in the third quarter. 

Halftime: Colorado 14, BYU 10

BYU has battled back, cutting Colorado’s lead to 14-10 in the final minute of the half with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Bear Bachmeier to receiver Chase Roberts on the right side of the end zone.

The drive went 94 yards in 10 plays and was aided by two Colorado penalties committed by CU defensive backs DJ McKinney and Preston Hodge. The latter of the two penalties brought BYU to the CU 17-yard line before the Cougars scored four plays later.

After scoring on their first two series of the game, the Buffs have lost momentum. BYU now gets the ball to start the second half.

Bachmeier is 10-of-14 passing for 109 yards and a touchdown. He also has seven runs for 48 yards. 

BYU going all in with freshman QB

With two minutes left in the first half, Colorado still leads 14-3. BYU has gone all in with freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier, who has passed or run on 18 of BYU’s 23 plays so far. Running back LJ Martin entered the game as the ninth-leading rusher in the nation with 114 yards per game but only has four carries for 11 yards. 

Colorado’s offense slows down

After scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions, the Buffs have punted on their next two. They still lead 14-3 with 4:10 left in the first half. Quarterback Kaidon Salter has passed for 60 yards and rushed for 33. He’s also been sacked twice in the second quarter.

End of first quarter: Colorado 14, BYU 3

BYU kicker Will Ferrin drilled a 28-yard field goal to end his team’s second possession of the game, cutting Colorado’s lead to 14-3 in the final minute of the quarter. Colorado stopped the Cougars on third-and-3 on the CU 5-yard line after a 65-yard drive by BYU.

Colorado has eight first downs, compared to five for BYU. The Buffs also have outgained BYU, 138-84, in total yards.

Colorado now up 14-0

OK everybody, the Buffs are clicking tonight under the direction of quarterback Kaidon Salter. He just led the team on another touchdown drive, this time ending on a 5-yard run from Dre’Lon Miller with 5:08 left in the first quarter. Colorado is up 14-0 after the four-play, 62-yard drive, which started with a 27-yard run from running back Micah Welch.

BYU’s first possession ended on fourth-and-2 when quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw an incomplete pass with 6:31 left in the first quarter. The Cougars ran eight plays for 38 yards, but the Colorado defense held and gave the ball back to Salter to work his magic.

Colorado takes 7-0 lead

Quarterback Kaidon Salter showed his two strengths in the game’s opening drive, running and passing his way to a 7-0 lead for Colorado. He scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to cap an 11-play, 75-yard drive that lasted 5:16. He is 3-for-3 passing for 39 yards and has five rushes for 31 yards. 

Watch Ralphie VII run

This is Ralphie VII’s second game-opening run. She made her debut last week against Wyoming, running before the game and before the second half. 

When is BYU vs Colorado?

Kickoff is at 10:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 27 from Folsom Field in Boulder, CO.

How to watch BYU vs. Colorado

The game will be televised on ESPN and also is available on Fubo. It began showing on ESPNews but will move to ESPN upon conclusion of the Arizona-Iowa State game.

Bad timing on CU’s official gameday program

The official gameday program distributed at Folsom Field Saturday features three Colorado players on the magazine cover, all running backs: Simeon Price, DeKalon Taylor and Micah Welch.

But two of them are out with injuries for this game: Price and Taylor.

It’s a reminder that old print media takes time to produce in advance and isn’t always current by the time it lands in the hands of readers. It’s also another reminder of the team’s chronic struggles in the running game over the past three seasons. 

Big quarterback recruit at the game for Colorado

Kavian Bryant, a five-star quarterback recruit for 2027, is in town for an unofficial recruiting visit with the Buffaloes. He ranks as the No. 2 quarterback for the 2027 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

“I will be at Colorado today and tomorrow for an unofficial visit!!!! #GoBuffs,” Bryant wrote on social media site X.

If the Buffs can get him, he would be the second big quarterback to commit to the Buffs under Sanders since last year. Current freshman Julian Lewis is the other and would be in his third year at Colorado by the time Byrant arrived in 2027.

Why is BYU vs Colorado an Alamo Bowl rematch?

BYU and Colorado both are now members of the Big 12 but still faced each other in the Alamo Bowl last December because of a quirk in the bowl selection process. After the College Football Playoff field was finalized, the Alamo Bowl had the first pick among remaining bowl-eligible teams from the Big 12 (BYU)  and former Pac-12 Conference (Colorado), according to agreements that predated the breakup of the Pac-12 in 2024.

It worked out because the two had not played each other in the 2024 season and had not played each other at all since 1988. Tonight’s game will be their first conference matchup since 1947.

What is Deion Sanders’ record in night games?

It’s 6-9 after a 37-20 victory last week against Wyoming. In games that start before 7:30 p.m. ET, his record in three seasons is 9-5. After that time, it’s 6-9. Sanders generally dislikes night games because he’s an early riser and his team usually practices in the morning. But before the Wyoming night game, the Buffs had two evening practices to better prepare for the late kickoff. He indicated the team would do something similar before tonight’s game.

Quarterback issues at BYU and Colorado

Quarterback Jake Retzlaff led BYU to victory over Colorado in the Alamo Bowl last December but he left the team before the season after he allegedly violated the school’s honor code for having premarital sex. Retzlaff is now playing at Tulane. In his place, freshman Bear Bachmeier has emerged to lead the Cougars to a 3-0 start after spending the spring at Stanford.

Deion Sanders’ son Shedeur played his last college game in the Alamo Bowl before getting drafted in the fifth round by the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. He has been replaced by two different starting quarterbacks this year before the Buffaloes finally settled on one – Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter, who is playing out his final year of college eligibility.

Key matchup: LJ Martin vs Colorado defense

BYU’s LJ Martin, a junior from El Paso, Texas, ran for 93 yards and two touchdowns against Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. Now here he comes again possibly better than last year while Colorado’s defense might be worse. Martin ranks ninth nationally in rushing yards per game with 114. Colorado ranks 121st in rushing yards allowed per game with 194.5, according to NCAA statistics.

Deion Sanders wants his team to be more physical in this regard.

“Physicality is an attitude,” he said this week.

Colorado has two running backs out

Two of Colorado’s top three running backs were injured in last week’s 37-20 win against Wyoming and will not play: Simeon Price and DeKalon Taylor.

Colorado still has options at that position, especially after Ohio State transfer Dallan Hayden recently returned from a hand injury.

“We’ve made adjustments in the running back room” Sanders said Tuesday.

Quarterback Kaidon Salter leads the team in rushing with 153 yards. Price and sophomore Micah Welch both have 143.

Before Saturday, Colorado ranked 88th nationally in rushing yards per game with 141.3. The Buffaloes ranked last nationally in that category the past two seasons.

Who is Colorado’s backup QB now?

After some shuffling among three quarterbacks in the first three games, Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter is the undisputed starter at quarterback for Colorado. But what happens if Salter falters or gets injured? The backup spot is not exactly settled, according to the team depth chart for the BYU game. It lists the No. 2 QB as Ryan Staub “OR” Julian Lewis.

Staub, a redshirt sophomore, has started two games since 2023, including the 36-20 loss at Houston Sept. 12. Lewis, a celebrated freshman, only saw action off the bench in a 31-7 win against Delaware on Sept. 6. He was 2-for-4 passing for 8 yards.

Announcers for BYU vs Colorado game

ESPN announcer Mark Jones will handle the play by play and will be joined by color analyst Roddy Jones. Sideline reporter Quint Kessenich will provide updates from the field.

BYU vs Colorado odds

College football odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook; Odds updated Sept. 26. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Spread: BYU (-6.5)
Moneyline: BYU (-250), Colorado (+)200
Total: 49.5 points

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

No. 11 Ole Miss defeated No. 4 LSU 24-19, establishing itself as a College Football Playoff contender.
LSU’s offense continued to struggle, raising questions about its status as a national championship contender.
Ole Miss backup quarterback Trinidad Chambliss outplayed LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, throwing for 314 yards.

OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi was in the end zone, and Lane Kiffin was pumping his fist, and next thing you knew, red, white and blue confetti shot into the air.

Party on, inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

What do you at a party? You pump the dance music, of course.

The stadium DJ blasted a beat filled with bass, and the red-clad fans inside the packed stadium started shaking their pompoms.

Eleven minutes remained on the stadium clock, but the Rebels fans were in full celebration.

And, why not? No. 4 LSU was on the ropes.

Kiffin and his No. 11 Rebels hard-launched their College Football Playoff candidacy by taming the Tigers, 24-19.

Hey, Brian Kelly, ya think maybe there’s a problem with this LSU offense?

The Tigers’ month-long scoring slump continued, weeks after Kelly blew a fuse at a reporter who dared ask him about the team’s offensive funk in a postgame news conference.

“What do you want?” Kelly said then.

Some touchdowns, would be nice, from LSU’s $18 million roster.

LSU woes on offense continue in loss to Ole Miss

This rivalry renewal frothed with juicy on-field narratives. It told us whether LSU is a national championship contender or pretender (Verdict: Pretender, it appears) and whether Ole Miss is a playoff contender or pretender (Verdict: Contender).

This matchup gained an extra dash of spice, though, after Kiffin’s daughter, Landry, announced days before kickoff that she’s dating Whit Weeks, LSU’s star linebacker.

Weeks got the girl, but her old man got the victory.

An awfully important one, too.

In the wake of Landry’s relationship announcement, Kiffin joked gamblers should bet the over, a playful hint he planned to run up the score on his daughter’s beau.

‘I’m looking for Whit right now to see if we covered the over,’ Kiffin quipped during his on-field interview afterward.

The over didn’t hit. LSU’s meager offense made sure of that. Landry’s boyfriend had a hand in that, too. Weeks recovered an Ole Miss fumble in the end zone to negate a Rebels scoring opportunity.

Pair two turnovers with 14 Ole Miss penalties, and the Rebels struggled to get out of their own way. When they weren’t attracting flags, they were gashing LSU’s supposedly fierce defense.

LSU, a national championship contender? That’s hard to believe after this.

Trinidad Chambliss stands tall for Lane Kiffin

Kiffin has said if injured quarterback Austin Simmons was healthy, he’d be the team’s starter. It’s time to rethink that logic, after backup Trinidad Chambliss spurred Ole Miss to another victory.

No matter what Kiffin says about his depth chart, he’s obviously got faith in Chambliss, who was playing Division II ball just nine months ago. Chambliss took to the air to move the chains on 4th-and-1 shortly before halftime. Three plays later, he fired a touchdown pass.

Chambliss salted away the victory with a fourth-down completion with less than two minutes remaining.

The Ferris State transfer outdueled Garrett Nussmeier, LSU’s ballyhooed quarterback who was supposed to have NFL scouts salivating. Scouts on hand saw Nussmeier throw an interception into triple coverage and Chambliss throw for 314 yards.

Kiffin kept thrusting his arms into the air triumphantly with every Chambliss completion.

Spare some praise for Chambliss’ companions on defense. Chambliss threw a third-quarter interception, giving LSU a chance to tie the score with a touchdown. Ole Miss limited the Tigers to a field goal, maintaining the lead.

LSU failed to solve a defense that allowed a total of 58 points to Kentucky and Arkansas, two of the SEC’s worst teams. Yeah, so it’s like that for LSU’s offense.

LSU played without top running back Caden Durham. In his absence, Kelly didn’t even try to mount a ground game in the first half. Shouldn’t a program with LSU’s roster payroll have more than one running back it trusts? Or, maybe the problem is just LSU’s penetrable offensive line.

The fourth-largest crowd in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium history started pregaming in the morning with cigars and liquids suited to plastic cups. They stood elbow to elbow in the Grove, and even before noon it was smoldering enough to sweat through your shirt, but none of the Rebels revelers seemed to mind.

And when it was finished, this third win against LSU of Kiffin’s tenure, the fans stayed in the stands and cheered, because playoff contenders shouldn’t storm the field after games they expect to win.

Pair Ole Miss’ 5-0 September record with the remaining schedule, and the Rebels are bid hunting, one year after they blew their playoff chance with losses to doormat Kentucky and downtrodden Florida.

None of the Ole Miss fans could be mourning last season as the final seconds ticked off this victory. They were too busy celebrating.

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.

No. 11 Ole Miss defeated No. 4 LSU 24-19, establishing itself as a College Football Playoff contender.
LSU’s offense continued to struggle, raising questions about its status as a national championship contender.
Ole Miss backup quarterback Trinidad Chambliss outplayed LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, throwing for 314 yards.

OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi was in the end zone, and Lane Kiffin was pumping his fist, and next thing you knew, red, white and blue confetti shot into the air.

Party on, inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

What do you at a party? You pump the dance music, of course.

The stadium DJ blasted a beat filled with bass, and the red-clad fans inside the packed stadium started shaking their pompoms.

Eleven minutes remained on the stadium clock, but the Rebels fans were in full celebration.

And, why not? No. 4 LSU was on the ropes.

Kiffin and his No. 11 Rebels hard-launched their College Football Playoff candidacy by taming the Tigers, 24-19.

Hey, Brian Kelly, ya think maybe there’s a problem with this LSU offense?

The Tigers’ month-long scoring slump continued, weeks after Kelly blew a fuse at a reporter who dared ask him about the team’s offensive funk in a postgame news conference.

“What do you want?” Kelly said then.

Some touchdowns, would be nice, from LSU’s $18 million roster.

LSU woes on offense continue in loss to Ole Miss

This rivalry renewal frothed with juicy on-field narratives. It told us whether LSU is a national championship contender or pretender (Verdict: Pretender, it appears) and whether Ole Miss is a playoff contender or pretender (Verdict: Contender).

This matchup gained an extra dash of spice, though, after Kiffin’s daughter, Landry, announced days before kickoff that she’s dating Whit Weeks, LSU’s star linebacker.

Weeks got the girl, but her old man got the victory.

An awfully important one, too.

In the wake of Landry’s relationship announcement, Kiffin joked gamblers should bet the over, a playful hint he planned to run up the score on his daughter’s beau.

The over didn’t hit. LSU’s meager offense made sure of that. Landry’s boyfriend had a hand in that, too. Weeks recovered an Ole Miss fumble in the end zone to negate a Rebels scoring opportunity.

Pair two turnovers with 14 Ole Miss penalties, and the Rebels struggled to get out of their own way. When they weren’t attracting flags, they were gashing LSU’s supposedly fierce defense.

LSU, a national championship contender? That’s hard to believe after this.

Trinidad Chambliss stands tall for Lane Kiffin

Kiffin has said if injured quarterback Austin Simmons was healthy, he’d be the team’s starter. It’s time to rethink that logic, after backup Trinidad Chambliss spurred Ole Miss to another victory.

No matter what Kiffin says about his depth chart, he’s obviously got faith in Chambliss, who was playing Division II ball just nine months ago. Chambliss took to the air to move the chains on 4th-and-1 shortly before halftime. Three plays later, he fired a touchdown pass.

Chambliss salted away the victory with a fourth-down completion with less than two minutes remaining.

The Ferris State transfer outdueled Garrett Nussmeier, LSU’s ballyhooed quarterback who was supposed to have NFL scouts salivating. Scouts on hand saw Nussmeier throw an interception into triple coverage and Chambliss throw for 314 yards.

Kiffin kept thrusting his arms into the air triumphantly with every Chambliss completion.

Spare some praise for Chambliss’ companions on defense. Chambliss threw a third-quarter interception, giving LSU a chance to tie the score with a touchdown. Ole Miss limited the Tigers to a field goal, maintaining the lead.

LSU failed to solve a defense that allowed a total of 58 points to Kentucky and Arkansas, two of the SEC’s worst teams. Yeah, so it’s like that for LSU’s offense.

LSU played without top running back Caden Durham. In his absence, Kelly didn’t even try to mount a ground game in the first half. Shouldn’t a program with LSU’s roster payroll have more than one running back it trusts? Or, maybe the problem is just LSU’s penetrable offensive line.

The fourth-largest crowd in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium history started pregaming in the morning with cigars and liquids suited to plastic cups. They stood elbow to elbow in the Grove, and even before noon it was smoldering enough to sweat through your shirt, but none of the Rebels revelers seemed to mind.

And when it was finished, this third win against LSU of Kiffin’s tenure, the fans stayed in the stands and cheered, because playoff contenders shouldn’t storm the field after games they expect to win.

Pair Ole Miss’ 5-0 September record with the remaining schedule, and the Rebels are bid hunting, one year after they blew their playoff chance with losses to doormat Kentucky and downtrodden Florida.

None of the Ole Miss fans could be mourning last season as the final seconds ticked off this victory. They were too busy celebrating.

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.