TORONTO — Dan Wilson was between the white lines the last two times the Seattle Mariners came this close to the World Series, a catcher on the teams that lost to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. He swung a bat and handled a pitching staff and ostensibly had a chance to affect the outcome.

Yet nothing he did on the field in that situation torched the Mariners’ World Series dreams like his maneuvers as their manager in Game 7 of this ALCS.

Sure, George Springer won this ALCS with a stunning, three-run go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving the Blue Jays a 4-3 victory that sent them to the World Series to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Yet it was Wilson who received an excellent start from George Kirby, who got home runs from Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh to take a 3-1 lead, who had one of the best closers in the game, Andres Muñoz, fully rested and geared up for a multi-inning appearance.

And somehow, he blew it all.

Wilson yanked Kirby after four innings, got a solid two innings from starter-turned-reliever Bryan Woo, and then, when Woo allowed the first two runners in the seventh to reach base, made one of the most questionable pitching changes in recent major league history.

Jogging through the bullpen gate, the season hanging by a thread, the tying runs in scoring position, wasn’t Muñoz. It was Eduard Bazardo, a well-regarded set-up man – yet a guy who’d pitched two innings the night before.

He’d also appeared in eight of the Mariners’ 11 postseason games heading into Game 7.

‘He’s pitched a lot,’ Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman said of Bazardo. ‘I think he pitched in just about every game this postseason for them. He’s had an unbelievable postseason.

Yet on this night, he hung a sinker right in the middle of the plate to the wrong guy. Springer lashed it for a go-ahead three-run homer, the 23rd of his storied postseason career.

Season over. World Series, snatched away. And a winter’s worth of second-guessing for the manager who just completed his first full season.

‘It’s very mixed. Disappointed, obviously. Frustrated,’ Wilson said of the atmosphere in the Seattle clubhouse.

It could have worked out even worse. Due to the three-batter minimum, Bazardo was guaranteed to face Springer, Nathan Lukes and, if a man reached, ALCS MVP Vladimir Guerrero. In short, a pitcher not on full rest asked to take down the heart of the lineup with a World Series trip on the line.

Heck, had he gone to Muñoz, it’s possible Springer and Guerrero and Co. wouldn’t have seen another plate appearance the rest of the night. Blue Jays manager John Schneider says in discussing the situation with bench coach Don Mattingly and hitting coach DeMarlo Hale, he was expecting Wilson to intentionally walk Springer and bring in lefty Gabe Speier.

‘I actually thought he was gonna bring in Speier, walk George and make me pinch-hit for Lukey,’ says Schneider.

‘I loved that he left the bat in his hands.’

And a winter’s worth of regret begins right now for Seattle.

‘I love every guy in this room but ultimately, it’s not what we wanted,’ Raleigh said after Game 7. ‘I hate to use the word failure, but it’s a failure. What we expected was to get to the World Series and win the World Series.’

Four top-10 teams were defeated in Week 8, significantly altering the College Football Playoff forecast.
Texas Tech and Mississippi dropped out of the projected 12-team field after their losses.
Oklahoma and Brigham Young are now forecasted to make the playoff.

Evaluating the College Football Playoff picture is a bit like trying to navigate quicksand. The harder you try to make sense of it, the worse it gets. Such were the results of Week 8 when we saw four teams in the top 10 fall and major changes to which contenders are forecasted to make the 12-team field.

Three of the aforementioned quartet that lost were in the playoff last week. All of them saw their positions diminished with Texas Tech and Mississippi dropping out and Miami losing its first-round bye that seemed like with the Hurricanes appearing to be the class of the ACC.

Moving in this week are Oklahoma and Brigham Young. The Sooners face a rough five-game finish against teams ranked in the top 20 of the US LBM Coaches Poll. But with three of those games at home and losses piling up among contenders, it’s possible 9-3 might be enough given they already have a non-conference win against Michigan.

The Cougars, meanwhile, are projected to win the Big 12 after their defeat of rival Utah. They’re not flashy but they’ve found a winning formula with freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier making plays on the ground and through the air to support a stingy defense.

The weekend ahead again features difficult changes for many of the CFP teams. So check back next week when things should again change.

Notes: Legacy Pac-12 teams will fill the Pac-12 spots. Some conferences may not fulfill their bowl allotment. Asterisks

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and the world-record holder in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.
She recently switched to the open 400-meter race, winning a world championship and setting a new American record.
McLaughlin-Levrone is now considering pursuing the 400-meter world record and may compete in both the 400 and 400 hurdles in the future.
She is the new face of Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses, which feature AI-powered tools.

There isn’t much Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone hasn’t achieved. The track and field star is one of the most accomplished active athletes across all sports.

McLaughlin-Levrone is the women’s 400-meter hurdles world-record holder and a four-time Olympic gold medalist. She’s the first woman in history to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles.

McLaughlin-Levrone removed the hurdles this year and decided to run the open 400. The event changed yielded similar results. McLaughlin-Levrone broke a 19-year-old American record en route to winning the world championship gold medal in the 400 with a championship record time of 47.78 seconds.

McLaughlin-Levrone met with USA TODAY Sports on behalf of Oakley Meta. She’s the new face of Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses that feature AI-powered performance tools.

“Whether it’s blocking out the sun or style points. I think these glasses, for me, kind of encompass all of it,” McLaughlin-Levrone said. “Including the ability with even training and performance have that innovative edge.”

Here are the highlights from the interview:

Editor’s note: McLaughlin-Levrone’s answers were slightly edited for clarity.

What made you switch from the 400 hurdles to the open 400 for this season?

McLaughlin-Levrone: “I really think there was just a challenge there to push. Two years ago when I pursued it in 2023, I just wasn’t able to make it to the World Championships due to injury. Circling back this year, I felt this tug on my heart to really pursue it again. The year was up and downs of just trying to figure out this event. Though it’s the same distance, it’s so different from the hurdles. So just wanting to push myself through that challenge, and I’m grateful for how it turned out.”

You’re the world-record holder in the 400 hurdles and the American-record holder in the open 400. The women’s 400 world record is 47.60. Is that what you’re eyeing next?

McLaughlin-Levrone: “I think it’s fair to say that that’s definitely something that’s on my radar. I think coming so close at Worlds.

‘I think we knew that sub-48 was there. I think I was a little surprised to see 47.78. You feel so close yet so far away from that world record. But it’s exciting. I think it’s an exciting time for sports. It’s an exciting time for that event. It definitely is a challenge that I hopefully can push myself in for more races to come.”

Have you thought about competing in both the 400 hurdles and 400 at the world championships or 2028 Olympics?

McLaughlin-Levrone: “There’s been a lot of talk about this double. I can’t rule anything out. I think one of the beauties of just the versatility is that there’s options, and so I think over the next few years, we’ll definitely have to weigh kind of what makes sense for us and what that looks like. I don’t think we’re settled on anything quite yet, so everything’s on the table.”

A track and field woman hasn’t won AP Female Athlete of the Year or Best Female Athlete at the ESPY Awards in over 20 years. Your resume is as good as anyone’s. Do you feel you deserve the award?

McLaughlin-Levrone: “I think it’s tough when there’s so much different criteria that goes into all of these different things and how these awards are kind of scored. I was nominated for an ESPY this year. It was really nice to be able to go to be amongst all the amazing athletes.

“I don’t know what all the criteria is. I’m just going to keep working hard. My husband looked at me and was like, ‘You’re a winner in my eyes.’ And I joked. I was like, ‘Maybe I needed one more world record to set it over the top.’ I think track and field is not at the forefront of American sports because of just our profile is a bit smaller. That’s where my hope for the L.A. (Olympics) is to really boost all of our profiles in that sense.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans suffered a broken collarbone during the Week 7 ‘Monday Night Football’ game.
Evans is expected to miss most of the remainder of the 2025 season, with a potential return in six-to-eight weeks at the earliest.
The injury will likely end Evans’ record-tying streak of 11 consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might need some bubble wrap for their receiver room.

Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan have all dealt with various ailments in the 2025 season – and that doesn’t even include Bucky Irving’s absence at running back. Despite that, the Buccaneers have navigated all of the injuries to a 5-2 record.

That road ahead is set to get a little more difficult, however.

Tampa Bay was able to look forward to Evans’ return, which finally came on ‘Monday Night Football’ in Week 7. It was far from triumphant though, as the receiver exited before halftime with two new injuries to add to the list.

These issues promise to sideline Evans for much longer and likely took the star’s chance at making history with it. Here’s the latest on the Buccaneers’ receiver.

How long is Mike Evans out?

Evans is set to miss most of the season due to the broken collarbone injury he suffered on Monday night.

‘He’ll be out mostly toward the end of the year,’ head coach Todd Bowles announced after the game. ‘We’ll see what happens.’

While there is no set timeline for his return, the hope is that Evans could miss six-to-eight weeks, according to Fox Sports’ Greg Auman. That would put him on track to return in Week 14 at the earliest.

Evans has been remarkably durable during his career, never missing more than three games in any of his first 11 seasons. He will already hit that mark by Week 8 during his 12th season, having already missed three contests due to a hamstring strain.

If there is some good news in all of this for the Buccaneers, it’s that Evans could return in time for the playoffs. Considering the mileage on the 32-year-old’s legs, he could be fresh for a potential run in the postseason.

Mike Evans injury update

Evans was diagnosed with a broken collarbone.

The receiver was carted off the field after appearing to haul in a catch during the second quarter. Evans dropped the ball after landing hard on the ground, remaining down after the play.

He walked off the field under his own power, but was later carted to the locker room.

Tampa Bay promptly ruled out its star receiver with a concussion and shoulder injury.

Mike Evans 1,000-yard streak

Evans’ streak of 1,000-yard receiving seasons is set to come to an end.

The receiver tied Jerry Rice with 11 consecutive seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards in 2024, the longest streak in NFL history.

Evans has just 140 receiving yards through four games, meaning he will finish with fewer than 1,000 yards for the first time in his 12-year career.

Adding insult to injury, Evans lost a lot more than game reps on Monday night. He also lost his chance at history, barring multiple record-setting performances if he returns late in the season.

Flipper Anderson owns the record for most receiving yards in a game with 336, which he set as a member of the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 26, 1989. Calvin Johnson came the closest in recent history, finishing with 329 yards for the Detroit Lions on Oct. 27, 2013.

Evans is currently 860 yards away from setting the record, meaning he would almost certainly need to top that in order to make history – in more ways than one.

Buccaneers WR depth chart

Chris Godwin (injured)
Emeka Egbuka
Sterling Shepard
Tez Johnson
Kameron Johnson
Ryan Miller

Egbuka’s emergence as a rookie has been a big reason for the team’s success and it’s a mystery where the Buccaneers would be without him. His role will only take on more significance following the injury to Evans and uncertainty of Godwin going forward.

Johnson has also stepped up in recent weeks, giving Tampa another reliable weapon in the passing attack.

While no one wants to lose stars to injury, the Buccaneers are better equipped to handle it than most teams.

Jahmyr Gibbs had a career night, eclipsing 200 yards from scrimmage with a career-long 78-yard touchdown run.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba continued his star turn for the Seahawks, but former Ohio State teammate C.J. Stroud floundered for the Texans.
Baker Mayfield’s MVP campaign took a hit with the Buccaneers’ performance in Detroit.

If you can’t get enough ‘Monday Night Football’ action, then Week 7 was for you – ESPN serving up yet another doubleheader, this one with two games in standalone windows as opposed to a pair with staggered starts.

If you can get enough ‘Monday Night Football’ action, then Week 7 was for you – this being the final time this season, and maybe ever, that the league plays two on the first day of the work week assuming ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Network and other league media properties is eventually finalized.

Either way, the Detroit Lions rebounded from their Week 6 loss at Kansas City to hand the Tampa Bay Buccaneers their second defeat of the season, largely cruising to a 24-9 victory at Ford Field. The Seattle Seahawks didn’t exactly provide an even performance on the West Coast, but it was good enough to vanquish the Houston Texans 27-19 in the second game.

Two games, two sets of winners and losers … one final time:

WINNERS

‘Monday Night Football’

Sure, NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ effectively became the league’s weekly showcase years ago. But “MNF” still retains its own cachet, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the primary call for what’s supposed to be the capstone of the league’s weekly cadence. Tinkering with the format over the years – whether it’s kickoff times, pure doubleheaders or overlapping games − has never seemed to hold much appeal, particularly to viewers conditioned to ingest one game after a laborious day with another on the way soon enough when the alarm clock blares on Tuesday morning. Even in the entertainment juggernaut that is the NFL, less is sometimes more.

NFC playoff picture

Tampa Bay was the projected No. 1 seed at the start of the night. Now? Chaos. The Green Bay Packers, with their 4-1-1 mark, now move to the head of the class while the Bucs drop back to fourth overall in the conference.

Jahmyr Gibbs

Detroit’s two-time Pro Bowl back had a career night, eclipsing 200 yards from scrimmage (218 overall) for the first time in his career, thanks in large part to a career-long 78-yard TD run that staked the Lions to a 14-0 second-quarter lead that never seemed under much threat.

Tez Johnson’s MVP campaign

The Buccaneers receiver didn’t provide another viral moment like he did in Week 6, when he interpreted MVP chants aimed at QB Baker Mayfield instead being rained on himself after a TD catch. But the seventh-rounder out of Oregon had another productive night − and when Mike Evans was hurt and Chris Godwin was out − matching fellow rookie Emeka Egbuka with four catches and 58 yards.

Former Ohio State wideout

Seattle WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba added eight more catches, 123 yards and a TD to what’s shaping up as his first All-Pro effort. His 819 receiving yards lead the league and have him close to a 2,000-yard pace. JSN even had a guardian angel, field judge Nate Jones shielding him on Houston’s bench after a melee nearly broke out after CB Derek Stingley ripped Smith-Njigba’s helmet off after picking off a pass. His eventful night also included an illegal dunk over the crossbar following his TD … though former Seattle TE Jimmy Graham surely approves.

LOSERS

Former Ohio State quarterback

Texans QB C.J. Stroud, not two years removed from being the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year – and three from being Smith-Njigba’s Buckeyes teammate – can’t seem to catch a break these days. From a lack of protection, a DOA run game and injuries to his favorite targets, WR Nico Collins and TE Dalton Schultz, Stroud had to endure another rough night while hoisting 49 mostly inconsequential passes for one of the league’s least-imposing offenses.

Baker Mayfield’s MVP campaign

His season-long magic act just didn’t materialize on this night, when Tampa Bay’s continuously depleted offense finally seemed to catch up with the Bucs, who managed just one touchdown to go along with their lowest point and yardage total (251) of 2025. But that’s good news for fellow QBs Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes and other aspirants to the end-of-year hardware.

David Montgomery

Gibbs’ big night seemed to come at his wingman’s expense, Montgomery getting five fewer touches in much less critical spots while producing just 39 total yards.

Seattle sports

Did the Seahawks ever really think a 10 p.m. ET kickoff on a Monday would coincide with the Mariners playing in Game 7 of the ALCS before coming up just short of their long-awaited World Series debut? The ‘Hawks’ sloppy win won’t overshadow the M’s’ unfortunate collapse … but at least the rest of the country was reminded that the Pacific Northwest remains an underrated sports hotbed.

Brian Branch

The Lions’ Pro Bowl, do-it-all defensive back sat out Monday, suspended for throwing hands after the loss to the Chiefs. While the timing was unideal for a battered Detroit secondary, Branch’s buddies rose to the occasion and picked him up.

Mike Evans

Playing for the first time in a month after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 3, the Bucs’ six-time Pro Bowl receiver didn’t make it to halftime, suffering a concussion and broken collarbone after hitting the turf as he tried to track down a deep pass from Mayfield. And while Evans’ health is the primary concern, on a secondary level, his record streak of 11 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons – it began in 2014, his rookie year – will almost certainly end given the fractured clavicle. ‘He’s going to be gone until toward the last of the season,’ said Bucs coach Todd Bowles.

Arizona Cardinals

Losers of five in a row, they continue to lose touch with the rest of the NFC West − Seattle’s win ensuring the rest of the division picked up another game on the Cards in Week 7.

Slick uniforms

On a two-fer prime-time night, all we got is the Lions in their black alternates with Honolulu Blue helmets? No classic Seahawks unis? No Bucco Bruce? None of the crazy stuff in the Texans’ closet? Boo …