A historic rival on the heels of a run to the College Football Playoff championship game awaits Mario Cristobal and No. 10 Miami in Week 1 of the 2025 college football season.

The Hurricanes will face Marcus Freeman and the No. 5-ranked Fighting Irish, breaking in new quarterback CJ Carr. The Fighting Irish will travel to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, to take on the Hurricanes.

Notre Dame had a heated quarterback battle in training camp, which resulted in Carr beating out Kenny Minchey and others. Carr, the grandson of former Fighting Irish coach Lloyd Carr, was the No. 6-ranked quarterback of the 2024 recruiting class, per 247Sports’ Composite rankings.

Facing Carr is Beck, who won two national championships as a Georgia backup and is entering his third season as a college starter. One of the most sought-after transfer portal recruits from the offseason, Beck is looking to rebuild his NFL draft stock similar to Cam Ward, who went No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft after a huge year with the Hurricanes under returning offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson.

Follow along here for live updates of Miami and Notre Dame’s top-10 matchup against Miami in Week 1.

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Miami vs Notre Dame score

Miami vs Notre Dame live updates

This section will be updated.

Miami vs Notre Dame uniform matchup

Here’s a look at Miami and Notre Dame’s uniform matchup, as both historic rivals are set for classic looks in Week 1.

What time does Miami vs Notre Dame start?

Date: Sunday, Aug. 31
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)

Notre Dame-Miami is set for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday, Aug. 31, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

What TV channel is Miami vs Notre Dame on today?

TV channel: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app | Fubo (freetrial)

Notre Dame-Miami will air live on ESPN, with streaming options on the ESPN app or Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Miami vs Notre Dame predictions

Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame 24, Miami 17.
Tom Noie, South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame 24, Miami 20.

Jonah Winston, brother of Jameis Winston, committed to Florida State.
The three-star wide receiver announced his decision after FSU upset Alabama.
He chose FSU over offers from Arkansas and Maryland.

There’s another Winston on the way to Tallahassee.

Three-star wide receiver Jonah Winston, brother of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston, has committed to play football for Florida State next fall.

Winston announced his decision moments after FSU upset No. 8 Alabama on Saturday, Aug. 30.

The 5-foot-9 Winston is a senior at Hoover (Alabama) High School. In his first game of the season, Winston caught seven passes for 79 yards and a touchdown against IMG Academy.

He chose Florida State over Arkansas and Maryland, among other schools. He is the 23rd commitment in the Seminoles’ 2026 class, and the sixth receiver to announce his intention to play for FSU.

Alabama lost to Florida State 31-17 in their season opener, their first opening-game loss since 2001.
Tulane emerged as a potential Group of Five playoff contender after defeating Northwestern.
Tennessee showcased a strong offense in their win against Syracuse.

Fifteen years of unparalleled dominance gone and erased – poof! – in the span of a season and one game.

Nick Saban isn’t walking through that door. Heck, AJ McCarron isn’t, either. There is no rationale reason for optimism.

After losing to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma in coach Kalen DeBoer’s debut, the No. 8 Crimson Tide opened 2025 with an embarrassing 31-17 loss at unranked Florida State, which ended last season at or near the very bottom of the Power Four. The loss was Alabama’s first in a season opener since 2001.

There is nothing Alabama does particularly well and some obvious flaws, including the play of an offense that averaged just 4.6 yards per play. From drops to missed blocks to missed assignments, Alabama’s offense managed to combine poor preparation with poor execution. Defensively, the Tide allowed 6.1 yards per play and 10.9 yards per pass attempt.

This is what Alabama resembles a game into DeBoer’s second year: an average program farther away from the national championship than at any single point during the Saban era.

And given what’s unfolded since a win against Georgia last September, it’s become incredibly hard to see how DeBoer’s tenure gets back on track.

That makes the Tide the biggest losers of the first Saturday of the 2025 season. Coming in second is No. 1 Texas, which lost 14-7 at No. 2 Ohio State in one of the most hyped season openers in recent history:

Winners

Ohio State

The win against Texas will reinsert the defending national champions atop the US LBM Coaches Poll as the Longhorns tumble down the rankings. But that’s just the beginning. It’s difficult to overstate the long-term impact the result of Saturday’s season opener will have on both teams along with the Big Ten and SEC, especially in how the selection committee eventually assesses the Buckeyes, Longhorns and these two conferences.

Playing with a reworked roster and coaching staff, the Buckeyes squeezed just enough from an unimposing offense to score the type of victory that will linger deep into the regular season and beyond. While games against Penn State and Michigan will determine the Big Ten, the odds of Ohio State making the playoff in some capacity have increased dramatically.

There’s plenty of improvement needed on the offensive end after the Buckeyes gained just 203 yards on 3.8 yards per play, including only 2.3 yards per carry. Before Saturday, the Buckeyes’ fewest yards in a regular-season game since 2016 was 252 yards in last year’s loss to Michigan. By default, Julian Sayin outplayed Manning by avoiding turnovers and focusing his attention on star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who had a game-high six receptions.

But this was to be expected: OSU was overhauling things on offense behind new personnel and a new offensive coordinator. That there are similar changes underway on defense speaks to the ability of that unit to keep the Buckeyes at or near the top of the FBS while the offense rounds into form. The defending national champions passed a high-profile test to open the year and should only get better from here.

LSU

No. 9 LSU forced Cade Klubnik into a late incompletion on fourth down and with No. 4 Clemson in the red zone to win 17-10 in the other Death Valley and reclaim a huge chunk of the momentum lost during a disappointing 2024 season. Beyond flipping the script given the program’s winless mark in season openers under Brian Kelly, this one puts LSU back on the map as a legitimate contender for the SEC crown and national championship. The defense stepped up: Clemson managed just 261 yards of offense and only 1.6 yards per carry. While that performance will reignite criticism of Clemson’s offense, the story coming out of Saturday is about the growth seen from LSU after multiple years in a row of dismal defensive numbers.

Florida State

We won’t know for a bit whether beating Alabama actually means anything when it comes to the Seminoles’ chances of a worst-to-first climb in the ACC. But from a symbolic perspective, it’s hard to top the deep meaning behind a win against the Crimson Tide. At a minimum, the victory speaks to the way Mike Norvell remade the program in the offseason, especially in hiring new coordinators Gus Malzahn and Tony White. Another big addition was former Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos who was dead-on accurate when he said in June that Alabama didn’t “have Nick Saban to save them” anymore.

Tulane

Tulane is the current favorite for the Group of Five’s bid to the playoff after Boise State’s stunning loss at South Florida on Friday night and the Green Wave’s 23-3 win against Northwestern. Brigham Young quarterback transfer Jake Retzlaff threw for 152 yards and ran for a game-high 113 yards with two touchdowns. The Wildcats are one of three Power Four teams in non-conference play for Tulane, joining Duke and No. 15 Mississippi. Splitting games against the Blue Devils and Rebels while losing just once in American play should leave Tulane atop the Group of Five in December.

Tennessee

The No. 18 Volunteers suffered no post-Nico Iamaleava hangover by beating Syracuse 45-26 in Atlanta behind 281 yards of total offense and three scores from new starting quarterback Joey Aguilar. The Appalachian State and UCLA transfer paced a balanced offense that threw for 247 yards and ran for 246 yards and two touchdowns on 6.2 yards per carry. Based on Saturday, the Volunteers have to be taken seriously as an SEC contender.

John Mateer

Oklahoma’s new quarterback looked the part of an impact transfer by completing 30 of 37 throws for 392 yards with four touchdowns as the Sooners beat Illinois State 35-3. The 392 yards set a new program record for a debut. While beating the Redbirds tells us nothing about the Sooners’ chances in the SEC or against Michigan next week, it’s clear that grabbing Mateer and coordinator Ben Arbuckle away from Washington State is going to have a hugely positive impact on this offense.

Losers

Texas

The Longhorns will spend the rest of the regular season trying to make up ground against a schedule that includes No. 4 Georgia, No. 17 Florida, No. 21 Texas A&M and Oklahoma. While we only have one year of data at our disposal, Texas could conceivably lose twice in the SEC and still be in position for an at-large playoff bid. But the issues run deeper for the Longhorns, and include early questions about Manning, the overall state of the offense and whether there is enough experienced talent to play with and beat the best teams in the FBS. Bellyflopping into the regular season after months of acclaim as the SEC favorite, Texas never resembled the team many expected to go wire to wire atop the Coaches Poll.

Arch Manning

No player reflects this disappointment more than Manning, who went 17 of 30 for 170 yards, averaging an anemic 5.7 yards per throw, with a touchdown and an interception to go with another 38 rushing yards. (There might not have been more commercials featuring Manning during the Fox broadcast than completions against the OSU defense from Manning, but it was close.) His struggles were underscored by the fact 98 of his passing yards came in the final five minutes after Texas trailed by 14. This is essentially a nightmare scenario for the youngest member of the quarterback dynasty: Texas lost while Manning was very unimpressive, and the talking-head coverage of the Longhorns and their quarterback this week will be absolutely brutal.

Kalen DeBoer

He’ll shoulder the blame for Alabama’s latest failure, as he should. The next few months will determine whether DeBoer returns in 2026, though you’d have to think he’d get at least one more year unless the Tide completely disintegrate in SEC play. More than a result of evaluation, development or game-day preparation, DeBoer’s current predicament can be linked to a fateful choice: to replace the greatest coach in program history and inherit Saban-era expectations. It’s always better to replace the guy who replaces the guy, you know.

Cade Klubnik

Clemson’s road to the playoff still goes through teams such as Miami, SMU and the rest of the ACC’s upper crust. In the end, the LSU loss does much more to Clemson’s reputation and level of national respect than to the Tigers’ overall playoff odds. (That respect level just took a big hit, by the way.) There’s going to be a more concrete impact on Klubnik, who began the year as one of the co-leaders for the Heisman Trophy but will have a hard time moving past a mediocre game in the loss. The senior hit on 19 of 38 throws for 230 yards and an interception.

Kansas State

After dropping the Week 0 opener to No. 21 Iowa State in Dublin, No. 20 Kansas State struggled to put away North Dakota of the Championship Subdivision before scoring with 42 seconds left to win 38-35. This one featured a better game from quarterback Avery Johnson, who had 318 passing yards and three scores, but narrowly getting past an FCS opponent doesn’t help rebuild the Wildcats’ diminishing credibility with Big 12 play around the corner.

Steve Sarkisian says he learned a strategy tweak that’s needed in how to handle Arch Manning.
After Arch Manning struggles against Ohio State, Texas coach says expectations for quarterback were ‘out of control.’
Are days of undefeated national champs in the past? Texas left to hope so.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Steve Sarkisian admitted to a strategic misstep. He should have run Arch Manning more in the first half. Absorbing a hit or two in the run game could have allowed Texas’ dual-threat quarterback to settle in against Ohio State.

“We’re learning a little better formula for him,” Sarkisian said of Manning after No. 1 Texas lost, 14-7, to No. 2 Ohio State in a game in which the Texas quarterback failed to find a rhythm.

Sarkisian got something else wrong, too, when he said “expectations were out of control, on the outside” for Manning.

Out of control? Really? Fair play to Sarkisian for having Manning’s back, but that quote sounds like just the type of thing a losing coach would say after his quarterback spent the afternoon misfiring.

We’re talking about the grandson of Archie Manning, a Southern icon, and the nephew of fellow greats Peyton and Eli. We’re talking about a former five-star recruit whom Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Lane Kiffin and plenty of coaches in between coveted. We’re talking about a quarterback who enjoys an enviable complement of supporting talent within a program funded by an impressive NIL war chest.

True, a television pundit or two got carried away while pressing the throttle down on the Manning hype train, but I hardly think it’s “out of control” to expect that Manning play up to his surname or his recruiting ranking or his NIL paycheck. He did neither against Ohio State, and Sarkisian’s correct that his game plan should have embraced Manning’s speed and leaned on his legs more when his arm betrayed him.

“I’ve got to let him go play,” Sarkisian said.

There’s plenty of season left to play, too, so although Sarkisian’s off base about the expectations being outsized – they were Manning sized, not inappropriately sized – he’s right about this much: “Let’s finish the book before we judge him,” Sarkisian said. “This is one chapter.”

An inauspicious start, though. No denying that. Manning didn’t try to.

“Ultimately, not good enough,” he said. “It starts with me. … I’ve got to play better for us to win.”

Silver linings for Texas, but not at quarterback

Don’t blame the Texas defense. That unit played well enough that I cannot discount the possibility of Texas, as Sarkisian put it, facing Ohio State again in December or January.

Don’t blame a young offensive line, either, or a run game that supplied Texas with 166 yards. This result falls on Manning being unable to find a groove.

And, still, Texas was driving inside Ohio State territory in the final two minutes with a chance to tie a road game against the defending national champions.

Which is to say, not all hope is lost, for either Texas or its quarterback.

Texas went 1 for 5 on fourth-down opportunities. Manning got stuffed on a fourth-down sneak from the 1-yard line. If a few fourth downs go the other way …

Shoulda, woulda, coulda is a loser’s chorus, but the game also showed Texas isn’t a lost cause. It’s unproven, though, just how great of an asset it possesses at quarterback, even if Manning did have to go against a secondary that Sarkisian aptly described as elite.

Is this as bad as Arch Manning will play? ‘I sure hope so.’

Remember, the defending national champions lost not once but twice last season.

“I think the days of a national champion being undefeated are over, especially when you play in games like this, and you play in the conference we play in,” Sarkisian said.

He’s left to hope he’s right about his theory on undefeated champs going the way of the fullback run game into the history books.

Manning said he didn’t feel rattled in his first career road start, but he fooled me on that. He bounced his first pass a few yards short of his target. He sailed a few other throws high or off the mark. He didn’t seem to totally trust himself on a feeble third-quarter throw that became easy bait for an interception. Manning’s lack of downfield strikes until Ohio State had a two-touchdown lead were concerning.

By the time Manning’s final pass came up short of the first-down marker, those “out of control” expectations had altered course.

He’s no longer oddsmakers’ Heisman Trophy frontrunner. Never mind that Heismans are won in November and December, and not lost in August. Texas’ national championship odds took a hit, too.

This cannot be the best Manning will play.

Was this as bad as he’ll play this season?

“I sure hope so,” Manning said. “I do think so.”

That’s the expectation, anyway.

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.

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs have arrived as 16 drivers begin their chase for the 2025 championship.

The 10-race playoffs kick off Sunday, Aug. 31 at Darlington Raceway, where drivers will seek to conquer the track known as “Too Tough to Tame.” The primetime race will be a test of skill and endurance, and a constant battle between playing it safe and utilizing the high line to go for broke with mere inches separating the car from the outside walls.

A victory today by any of the 16 playoff drivers guarantees automatic advancement into the Round of 12, but points will also be at a premium as the championship contenders strive to remain above the cut line with the first elimination race just two weeks away.

But the playoff drivers won’t be racing alone. They will still have to contend with the rest of the field, and those racers will be just as hungry to take the checkered flag and celebrate in victory lane.

USA TODAY Sports will have full coverage of the Cook Out Southern 500 in Darlington, South Carolina. Follow along for live updates and highlights of the action.

What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Darlington start?

The Cook Out Southern 500 is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 31 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.

How to watch NASCAR race today: Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington

Date: Sunday, Aug. 31
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: USA Network
Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
Location: Darlington Raceway

Stream the NASCAR race at Darlingon on Fubo

What is the weather forecast for the NASCAR playoff race at Darlington?

Drivers, crew members and fans alike couldn’t have asked for better conditions for the Cook Out Southern 500. The Weather Channel is calling for sunny skies and temperatures right around 80 degrees when the green flag drops. After the sun goes down, skies will remain clear, and temperatures will fall into the 70s and perhaps high 60s for the checkered flag. Precipitation will not be a factor at all tonight.

What is the lineup for NASCAR playoff race at Darlington?

Here is the lineup for tonight’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway (car number in parentheses; P=playoff driver):

(11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota
(19) Chase Briscoe (P), Toyota
(21) Josh Berry (P), Ford
(45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
(5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
(1) Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet
(20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
(23) Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota
(3) Austin Dillon (P), Chevrolet
(2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford
(24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
(12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
(7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
(22) Joey Logano (P), Ford
(17) Chris Buescher, Ford
(54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
(99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
(41) Cole Custer, Ford
(43) Erik Jones, Toyota
(88) Shane Van Gisbergen (P), Chevrolet
(9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet
(16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
(8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
(38) Zane Smith, Ford
(71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
(77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
(60) Ryan Preece, Ford
(34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
(48) Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet
(42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
(10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
(6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
(35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
(4) Noah Gragson, Ford
(47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
(51) Cody Ware, Ford
(44) Derek Kraus, Chevrolet
(66) Timmy Hill, Ford

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Darlingon?

The Cook Out Southern 500 is 367 laps around the 1.366-mile track for a total of 501.32 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 70 laps; Stage 2: 160 laps; Stage 3: 170 laps.

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

The Cook Out Southern 500 will be broadcast on USA Network, the channel for most of the Cup Series playoffs. Pre-race coverage will start at 5:30 p.m. ET.

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

Yes, the Cook Out Southern 500 will be streamed on Peacock, HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.

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Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are on paid leave amid a gambling investigation.
The investigation started after unusual betting activity surrounding two of Ortiz’s pitches in June.
Ortiz was initially placed on leave in July, with Clase following a few weeks later.

Major League Baseball has revealed that Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz will remain on nondisciplinary paid leave ‘until further notice’ as part of an ongoing gambling investigation.

MLB said in a statement released on Sunday, Aug. 31, that the league and the players union had agreed to give Clase and Ortiz extended leave while the probe was in progress. Neither player is expected to return to the team this season.

The investigation began when a sportsbook flagged two pitches Ortiz threw during games in June that drew unusual betting interest. In both instances – June 15 against the Seattle Mariners and June 27 against the St. Louis Cardinals – Ortiz’s first-pitch sliders were well out of the strike zone.

After those two incidents were brought to MLB’s attention, Ortiz was placed on leave July 3. In his first season with Cleveland after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Ortiz was was 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts.

Clase, the Guardians’ All-Star closer, was put on leave a few weeks later on July 28 as part of the same investigation.

Clase led the American League with 47 saves in 2024, and had a 5-3 with 24 saves and a 3.23 ERA this season.

The Guardians (68-66) entered play on Sunday three games behind the Mariners for the third and final AL wild card playoff spot.

UCLA lost its season opener at home to Utah, 43-10, with highly touted transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava struggling in his debut.
Iamaleava threw for only 136 yards and was sacked four times.
The Rose Bowl had a disappointing attendance of 35,032, partly due to a large Utah crowd.

PASADENA, CA — Considered the most prestigious venue in college football, the Rose Bowl hasn’t been treated like one in the fall for much of the past decade.

It’s a given it will be filled up on New Year’s Day, but it’s far from that four months before. Its tenant UCLA has struggled to draw a crowd just as much as it has struggled to win in it. 

Even when the Bruins got themselves out of the cellar, not many people found it worthwhile to show up. The stadium had become such a sad sight, UCLA put tarps in the endzones just to not make it look as empty as it really was.

Wondering if the illustrious stadium could ever be filled up outside of the annual showdown with Southern California, UCLA felt like it found its answer. A College Football Playoff-experienced quarterback in Nico Iamaleava arrived alongside with offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri. The Bruins believed they had the key to get them back to success – and get the Rose Bowl back to a respected venue outside of the annual bowl game. 

But Iamaleava’s first game in blue and gold, ended in the same fashion that’s become the norm at the foot of the San Gabriel mountains: a lifeless, scattered crowd, with the only noise coming from the thousands of visiting fans cheering toward victory.

UCLA didn’t look like a squad saved by a star quarterback, soundly beaten in the season opener by Utah, 43-10, in what was a major reality check for a team desperate to generate hype.

Nico Iamaleava’s performance in UCLA debut

While the game can’t entirely be blamed on Iamaleava, it wasn’t the star-studded performance expected from the Long Beach native. He went 11-for-22 for 136 yards, the lowest amount he’s thrown for in a regular season game as a starter. The 50% completion percentage was also his worst regular season figure.

The same issues that were present in Tennessee persisted in California: inconsistency. Several passes were overthrown and he couldn’t thread the needle in tight zones.

‘Coach Tino (Sunseri) put me in a lot of great positions to go out there and make plays,’ Iamaleava said. ‘Personally, I didn’t execute at a high level.’

Iamaleava was sacked four times on the night and did plenty of scrambling on broken plays. He had a team-high 47 rushing yards on 13 carries as it only had 84 yards on the ground, not the start UCLA wanted after the Bruins averaged just 86.6 in 2024, third-worst in FBS.

UCLA coach Deshaun Foster said his quarterback showed he had no quit and kept motivating the guys around him, and the team has to do a better job of protecting him.

As tough of a night it was for Iamaleava, his teammates didn’t help much. Dual threat quarterback Devon Dampier put on the first performance of what could be a big year for Utah, its offense looking like it can finally match its vaunted defense. 

The Utes went right down the field on their opening drive for a touchdown, and after the Bruins were stopped on fourth down, marched right back into the endzone. It continued into the second quarter with Utah taking a 20-0 lead just 18 minutes into the game. 

Just like that, all the energy and optimism the Bruins had was sucked out of the air. By the time UCLA’s offense was able to put up points, it was already too late. 

‘Our defense is going out there playing hard, and we went down early,’ Iamaleava said. ‘We got to pick our defense up and respond well as a unit.’

When Utah took nearly 10 minutes and 20 plays to go down the field to score a touchdown on its first drive of the second half, the home crowd was heading to the exits.

Utah finished with 492 yards of total offense – its most since last season’s opener – and a whopping 14-for-16 mark on third downs. It had the ball for more than 37 minutes, never letting the Bruins generate any momentum or energy.

Different outlooks for UCLA, Iamaleava’s former team

It’s only the first week of the season, but it’s safe to say there are plenty of people in The Volunteer State smiling at how Aug. 30 unfolded. 

Joey Aguilar – who was going to be UCLA’s quarterback and ended up swapping places with Iamaleava when he transferred – had himself a day in his first game at Tennessee. He threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-26 win over Syracuse. Two very different outlooks on the rest of the season, and Tennessee fans are feeling like they were the winners in Iamaleava’s departure.

The disastrous outcome wasn’t even the biggest blow of the night. This was the most hype UCLA has had in some time, and with an 8 p.m. local kickoff, it only drew an attendance of 35,032. Even worse, it only was that much because so many Utah fans were there. 

That may be UCLA’s own fault, with the team holding fall camp 41 miles away from L.A. As media and fans were left to question what team they’d see on the field, Foster said it was done so opposing teams wouldn’t get an inside edge, hinting he had something worth hiding. When asked if that would affect the team’s marketing, he responded winning would handle that.

He’s right. In a city where you only matter if you win, the Bruins need to do a lot of it to stop making the Rose Bowl look like visiting team takeovers and put out a product that brings fans in to see its team earn back respect.

With a big name quarterback and a quality opponent, Saturday, Aug. 30 marked the perfect opportunity to kick start the culture change.

Instead, looks like there’s a long way to go.

‘Obviously, we got to do our part and get (the fans) a win, and make them enjoy the game,’ Iamaleava said. ‘That’s all on us, man.’

It’s never too early to start making bets on which team will win the Super Bowl. In fact, now might be the perfect time, with the start of the 2025 NFL regular season still days away.

Super Bowl odds are out ahead of Week 1, and the betting favorites feature two 2024 playoff contenders and the reigning Super Bowl champions in a three-way tie at the top. Behind them are the two teams that earned the No. 1 seed in their respective conferences and a surging young roster that just got much better after a blockbuster trade.

Here’s what to know about Super Bowl odds ahead of the first week of the 2025 regular season:

Super Bowl odds 2025

T-1. Baltimore Ravens: +700

Quarterback Lamar Jackson is coming off another MVP-caliber season in which the Ravens finished 12-5 and were a dropped Mark Andrews catch away from possibly making a second straight AFC championship game. Running back Derrick Henry returns, fresh off a season in which he tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns (16), finished second in rush yards (1,921) and led NFL running backs in yards per attempt (5.9).

Add in cornerback Jaire Alexander and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and contracts for returners Ronnie Stanley at left tackle and Ben Cleveland as veteran depth on the interior, and the Ravens have the makings of a real Super Bowl contender.

T-1. Buffalo Bills: +700

For yet another year, the Bills enter the regular season with high expectations after a heartbreaking playoff loss to the Chiefs.

This time, though, it’s with a reigning MVP quarterback in Josh Allen and a bolstered defensive line with free agent acquisition Joey Bosa and three rookie draft picks, including third-round edge rusher Landon Jackson. Will another excellent season from Allen and extra help in the front seven finally be enough to push the Bills over the Chiefs in a playoff game? Only time will tell.

T-1. Philadelphia Eagles: +700

The reigning Super Bowl champions deserve a spot among betting favorites for the 2025 season’s winner. Philadelphia is bringing back four of its five starters to its gold standard offensive line, is entering a second year with running back Saquon Barkley and will still have one of the league’s best defenses to boot.

That’s all without even mentioning Super Bowl MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts and his cast of supporting characters in the passing game – wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith chief among them.

4. Kansas City Chiefs: +800

The Chiefs finished last season 17th in the league in offensive yards gained and 15th in points scored. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was sacked a career-high 36 times and finished the year with a career-low 3,928 yards and 26 passing touchdowns. Kansas City still went 15-2, with its second loss not coming until a meaningless Week 18 game. And the Chiefs won the AFC title. Again.

This offseason, the Chiefs retooled their offensive line – trading away Joe Thuney, extending Trey Smith and drafting Josh Simmons – and brought back running backs Kareem Hunt and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. This season, they’ll also get lead receiver Rashee Rice back – once he serves his six-week suspension – after he missed most of last year with a knee injury.

T-5. Detroit Lions: +1200

Like the Chiefs, the Lions also finished last season as their conference’s No. 1 seed after winning a franchise-record 15 games. Unlike the Chiefs, the Lions crumbled in their first playoff game, falling to the Commanders in the divisional round as a plethora of injuries to their defense was too much to overcome.

Detroit is already dealing with some poor injury luck in 2025 with defensive end Levi Onwuzurike and cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. hitting season-ending injured reserve in training camp. Star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson is back after a season-ending leg fracture though, marking a big return for the Lions. All that remains to be seen is how Detroit will perform after losing both coordinators to head coaching jobs in the offseason.

T-5. Green Bay Packers: +1200

Green Bay was a top-10 favorite to win the Super Bowl even before making the trade to acquire superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons from the Cowboys. Now, the Packers have cracked the top five.

They’re the youngest roster in the league for a third straight season and are coming off an 11-6 season that ended with a loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions in the wild-card round. They’ve added more young receiver talent by drafting Matthew Golden in the first round – their first, first-round receiver in more than two decades – and now have one of the best defensive players in the league.

7. Washington Commanders: +1800

Quarterback Jayden Daniels helped turn the Commanders from 4-13 bottom-feeders in the NFC East in 2023 to a team that went 12-5 and competed for an NFC title in 2024. By adding wide receiver Deebo Samuel and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil in the offseason, in addition to locking up lead wideout Terry McLaurin on a three-year extension, Washington showed its commitment to building around Daniels for the future.

The Commanders play in a division that features both the reigning Super Bowl champions but also hasn’t had a repeat winner since 2004. Could this be Washington’s year?

T-8. Cincinnati Bengals: +2000

A 1-4 start to 2024 doomed the Bengals’ outlook for the remainder of the season, as Cincinnati was unable to secure a playoff berth despite ripping off five straight wins to close out the regular season.

The blame largely rested with the defense, which finished as one of the bottom-10 units in scoring prevention in 2024. Meanwhile, quarterback Joe Burrow led the league in passing yards (4,918) and touchdowns (43) as wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase won the receiving triple crown.

The Bengals have managed to find solutions at the negotiating table all offseason, extending both Chase and fellow wideout Tee Higgins as well as bringing back defensive end Trey Hendrickson and signing rookie edge rusher Shemar Stewart after each player held out. All that’s left is to see whether those negotiating wins will translate into real ones.

T-8. Los Angeles Rams: +2000

Unlike the Bengals, the Rams were able to overcome a 1-4 start to 2024, winning nine of their last 12 games to not only make the playoffs but win a tightly contested NFC West division. Part of that was thanks to the strong performance of 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse, and part of it was thanks to a second straight excellent season from running back Kyren Williams.

They’ve since signed wide receiver Davante Adams, extended Williams and nursed quarterback Matthew Stafford back to health… mostly. Los Angeles will once again be competing for a division title in 2024, so long as Stafford and some of their other stars remain healthy.

T-8. San Francisco 49ers: +2000

The 49ers once again dealt with horrible injury luck in 2024. Running back Christian McCaffrey, lead wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and star left tackle Trent Williams all missed significant time. So did running back Jordan Mason, who had been having something of a breakout season in relief of the injured McCaffrey.

So with all of those players returning – besides Mason, who was traded to the Vikings in the offseason – at some point in 2025, there should be an expectation that the 49ers can once again compete for a divisional crown. So long as their new-look defensive line holds up.

Rest of the field:

Denver Broncos: +2500
Minnesota Vikings: +2500
Los Angeles Chargers: +2800
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: +3000
Houston Texans: +3500
Chicago Bears: +4000
Pittsburgh Steelers: +4000
Arizona Cardinals: +5000
Dallas Cowboys: +6000
Seattle Seahawks: +6000
Atlanta Falcons: +8000
Jacksonville Jaguars: +8000
Miami Dolphins: +8000
New England Patriots: +8000
Indianapolis Colts: +10000
Las Vegas Raiders: +10000
Carolina Panthers: +15000
New York Giants: +20000
New York Jets: +20000
Tennessee Titans: +20000
Cleveland Browns: +30000
New Orleans Saints: +30000

Even though we’d love to leave our fantasy football drafts with a roster we could keep intact all season, it’s highly unlikely to happen.

And that’s actually okay.

Scouring the waiver wire each week to improve your team incrementally is one of the best ways to build a championship-caliber squad.

One of the main areas to improve during the season is with your team defense. Rarely do we know which defense/special teams units will rank among the elite at season’s end. So one popular strategy is simply finding DSTs with the best matchups each week. You can start doing that on draft day.

Best starting schedules for D/STs

By focusing on the short term rather than the full season, fantasy managers open up the possibility of picking up one of the season’s top emerging D/STs or simply streaming the best available unit from week to week.

As the relative strengths of each team get sorted out early in the season, here are some non-elite defenses with the most promising early-season matchups in Weeks 1-4 – before the bye weeks start to kick in.

San Francisco 49ers (at Seahawks, at Saints, vs. Cardinals, vs. Jaguars)

The Niners have reunited with former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and could be much improved from their DST26 ranking last season. They open on the road – but against two teams with new quarterbacks – before coming home to face the Cardinals and Jags.

Minnesota Vikings (at Bears, vs. Falcons, vs. Bengals, vs. Steelers, vs. Browns)

The Vikings led the NFL in interceptions a year ago and finished as the fantasy DST2. Yet they don’t seem to be getting a lot of preseason buzz. Their early schedule should raise their profile. The opener will be the Bears’ first game under new coach Ben Johnson, followed by three consecutive home games (sure, the Bengals will be formidable) and as a bonus, the Browns in Week 5.

Los Angeles Rams (vs. Texans, at Titans, at Eagles, vs. Colts)

The Rams will open at home against a Texans offense that won’t have top running back Joe Mixon, who’ll start the season on IR with a foot injury. Next, they’ll face the Titans and rookie QB Cam Ward. After an NFC divisional playoff rematch with the Eagles, they’ll get the Daniel Jones-led (maybe?) Colts.

New England Patriots (vs. Raiders, at Dolphins, vs. Steelers, vs. Panthers)

The Pats only forced 12 turnovers the entire 2024 season (only the Jaguars had fewer) so relying on them early will be risky. But they face three of last season’s bottom-10 offenses in their first four games – with three of those at home.

The win is significant for the SEC after losses by Alabama and Texas to non-conference opponents.
LSU’s defense, a previous weakness under coach Brian Kelly, appears to be much improved.
The victory establishes LSU as a potential national championship contender.

CLEMSON, SC — Weeks from now, while we’re deep into a crazy ride of a college football season, we’ll look back and marvel at how LSU saved the SEC season out of the gate. 

And set itself up for a national championship run. 

‘These are big wins, there’s no doubt,’ LSU coach Brian Kelly said after a 17-10 victory over No. 6 Clemson.

He had no idea how big before it all unfolded.

Because while LSU was grinding out a top five win on the road, No. 1 Texas and SEC king Alabama were trying to understand how it all went wrong. When told of the Texas loss to Ohio State, and Florida State’s win over Alabama, LSU linebacker Whit Weeks said, ‘Really? Wow.’

He picked up his bag to headed for the bus after a critical win, and turned and said, ‘Wait, how bad did Alabama lose again?’

Bad, really bad.

That’s what makes this LSU win so important to a conference desperate to regain its footing in a quickly shifting environment on the field. The Big Ten has won the last two national championships, and each time the SEC hasn’t even made the final.

Then there’s LSU, which hadn’t won a season opener in Kelly’s first three seasons, and hadn’t won on the opening week of the season overall since 2019 ― when a guy named Burrow was throwing darts all over the place. So yeah, this was big.

Kelly told anyone who would listen this offseason that this was his best LSU team. What he didn’t say was this team had characteristics unlike any he has had in Baton Rouge. 

Tough. Smart. Resilient.

In one gut-check of a game, LSU distanced itself from Kelly’s three previous teams with undeniable grit and fortitude. And the Tigers did it with defense.

That’s right, defense. 

The one thing that has kept LSU from reaching its potential under Kelly now looks like the one thing that could make this team so dangerous this fall. 

‘We want the game in our hands,’ said LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker.

This from a defense that two years ago wasted a Heisman Trophy season from quarterback Jayden Daniels, and last year had one of the worst statistical defenses in program history. It took all of 60 minutes on the field to change that tune.

Clemson and its high-powered offense had 261 total yards, including a lousy 31 rushing yards on 20 carries. By the time it was over, by the time a fourth-down throw was deflected by blitzing linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. (remember him?), LSU had held Clemson to just nine minutes of clock time in the second half.

No matter the circumstances, the LSU defense kept coming. The offense fumbled at the negative 24 on the second drive of the game, and the defense forced a field goal. The offense then fumbled again at the end of the half, this time on a fourth and two from the Clemson 12.

All Kelly did was look up at the scoreboard as the teams ran off the field, glaring at the reality staring back at him from the scoreboard: Clemson coach Dabo Swinney’s teams were 115-11 when leading at halftime.

‘I told our guys, well, it’s going to have to be 115-12,’ Kelly said. ‘Because there was no other choice.’

Just like there was no other choice for the defense with Clemson driving late in the game. Kelly put the defense through the identical two-minute situation numerous times during fall camp, forcing them to figure ways of making stops.

This defense – rebuilt through critical additions from the transfer portal – then went out and saved a critical season opener. And maybe the SEC’s reputation. For a day, at least.

Because after Florida State humiliated Alabama, and Ohio State exposed Texas and hyped quarterback Arch Manning, there wasn’t much left for the big, bad SEC on opening weekend.

The conference that holds itself above all others was in danger of three losses in marquee non-conference games, and a bunch of wins against nobodies. By nobodies, I mean one opponent’s mascot was actually “Sharks.”

And no, Adam Sandler was nowhere to produce the carnage.

But LSU did show up in a big game, a line in the sand game where it had to clearly declare where it was headed under Kelly. A team that reaches almost there with a useless bowl win, or a program that rolls into big games and squeezes the life out of them. 

So it should come as no surprise that the unit Kelly worked on more than any this offseason, was the group that saved the day. 

By the time Clemson’s high-powered offense took the field with 1:46 to play, it had barely reached 200 yards of offense. The final drive ended when Perkins Jr. forced an errant throw at the LSU 15.

It was one of many forced errors by the defense, and specifically, the pass rush. That, everyone, is what big boy football is at its core.

It’s a game of will and want.

Football is finding your inner fortitude, and backing up words with action. It’s not running your mouth for social media likes or viral moments ― and then folding in crunch time. 

Earlier this summer, Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos did just that when he said Nick Saban wasn’t around anymore at Alabama. So Tide star linebacker Deonte Lawson responded at SEC Media Days, on the biggest stage of the offseason, by declaring, “all disrespect will be addressed accordingly.”

The only “addressing” in the SEC came from LSU in front of a raucous and wild stadium in the Lowcountry, one that was juiced for this thing for months. LSU took big blows from Clemson on both sides of the ball early on, but kept grinding, kept figuring ways to stay close until it figured out the Clemson defense in the second half.

Because the one thing that Kelly made sure wouldn’t let him down again kept punching back. 

Impact players from the transfer portal (including edges Jack Pyburn and Patrick Payton, and defensive backs Mansoor Delane and Tamarcus Cooley) have changed the way LSU plays defense. So has the return of Perkins Jr., to his freshman form. 

All it took was the LSU offense, the one staple under Kelly that hasn’t wavered in three seasons, to figure out Clemson’s defense. Once quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who finished with 230 yards passing, started making big throws, even an obviously blown call that negated a touchdown pass wasn’t enough to stop this train. 

‘This was a momentum builder, a confidence booster,’ Nussmeier said.

For LSU, and the suddenly shaky SEC.

For a week, at least.

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