New Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons wasted no time to thank fans of his former team.

In the wake of a blockbuster trade that sent the 26-year-old to Green Bay, Parsons took to social media to show his appreciation for the Dallas Cowboys’ fandom and Dallas community that accepted him.

‘Cowboys Nation,’ he wrote in a social media post. ‘Growing up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I was one of the few kids in my neighborhood who cheered for the Dallas Cowboys. Nearly everyone around supported the Eagles, but I always believed in the star. To wear the blue and white at Penn State and then carry those same colors into the NFL as a Cowboys, it was more than a dream, it was destiny.’

He went on to express his gratitude for the warm welcome he received upon arriving in Dallas, as well as his disappointment that things didn’t work out with the Cowboys.

‘This is a sad day, but not a bitter one,’ he wrote.

‘Thank you, Cowboys Nation, for every cheer, every moment, and every ounce of love you showed me. Wearing the star has been the honor of my life.’

Parsons landed in Green Bay via trade after a months-long standoff with Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones over contract extension negotiations.

The breakdown in contract talks and hold-in at Dallas’ training camp eventually led to Parsons requesting a trade on Aug. 1. Four weeks later, he’s making his way to Titletown on a new, four-year contract extension with the Packers.

The Cowboys are set to host the Packers on ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 4 of the 2025 season.

Two-time major champion Coco Gauff is back in action at the 2025 US Open on Thursday, Aug. 28.

Gauff, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, will face off against Donna Vekic of Croatia in the second-round under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center in New York City.

There have been questions surrounding Gauff’s serve heading into the fourth and final major of the year, but Gauff outlasted Australian Ajla Tomljanović in a nearly three-hour first-round match, 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 7-5. Gauff had 10 double-faults during that match, a stat that will be key to watch Thursday against Vekic.

The head-to-head series between Gauff and Vekic is tied 1-1. Vekic defeated Gauff 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but Gauff took their last matchup at the 2025 Australian Open 6-4, 6-2 on a hard court.

Gauff won the entire tournament in 2023 and picked up her second Grand Slam singles trophy at the 2025 French Open.

USA TODAY Sports will have live updates from the Gauff-Vekic match tonight. Follow along for scores and highlights:

Gauff takes first set in tiebreak

After receiving treatment on her arm, Vekic served for the first set but was immediately broken, sending the first set to a tiebreak. Neither player got command during the tiebreak, going back and forth with mostly unforced errors, before Gauff settled the issue with a forehand winner and an error by Vekic to take the set 7-6 (5).

Vekic gets medical treatment

Vekic is receiving treatment on her right arm from the medical staff and is set to serve for the first set, which has been poorly played with dozens of unforced errors and double faults.

Vekic struggling with her serve

Vekic has already double-faulted six times in the first set, including three times in the third game. Gauff failed to take advantage at times and after taking four games in a row after being down 0-2, Vekic has rallied to even up the match.

Gauff down early

Gauff’s serve betrayed her to start the match as she was broken, double-faulting to give Vekic the first game. She was blitzed in the second game and will have to dig out of a hole to get back in the match.

Coco Gauff and Donna Vekic enter stadium court

Expecting a packed house at Arthur Ashe Stadium as Gauff is introduced to loud applause. Gauff’s serve has been the subject of her game lately, so it will be interesting if she can get off to a good start tonight. Vekic, a 29-year-old from Croatia, is ranked No. 49 in the world and is expected to play aggressively from the start.

What time is Coco Gauff vs. Donna Vekic?

Coco Gauff will face off against Donna Vekic in the second-round of the 2025 US Open on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Watch Coco Gauff at the US Open on Fubo

How to watch Coco Gauff vs. Donna Vekic: US Open TV channel, stream

Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (New York)
TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+, Fubo

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

The Dallas Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two future first-round picks and Kenny Clark.
Kenny Clark, a 29-year-old defensive tackle, is a three-time Pro Bowler and former first-round pick.
Clark recently signed a three-year, $64 million contract extension.

The Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers agreed to a blockbuster trade involving Micah Parsons on Thursday.

The Cowboys will be sending Parsons – a star, 26-year-old pass rusher who tallied 52.5 sacks across his four seasons in Dallas – to the Packers, a person familiar with the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon.

Dallas will receive two future draft picks in exchange for Parsons and veteran defensive lineman Kenny Clark.

Here are the full details of the trade and what to know about what the Cowboys are getting in Clark.

Kenny Clark trade details

Cowboys get:

2026 first-round pick
2027 first-round pick
DL Kenny Clark

Packers get:

EDGE Micah Parsons

Who is Kenny Clark?

Clark is a veteran defensive tackle who spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers. The UCLA product was a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and has been selected for the Pro Bowl three times during his career.

Kenny Clark stats

Clark has posted 35 sacks across 140 games with the Packers. Here’s a full look at his stats from his nine seasons in Green Bay:

Games: 140
Starts: 126
Tackles: 417
Sacks: 35
Forced fumbles: 7
Fumble recoveries: 8
Pass defenses: 12

In 2024, Clark played in 17 games and recorded 37 tackles, one sack, two fumble recoveries and three pass defenses. He graded 53rd among 118 qualified interior defenders last season, according to Pro Football Focus, but was a staple of the top 25 at the position from 2016 to 2021.

Kenny Clark contract details

Clark signed a three-year, $64 million contract extension with the Packers in July 2024. The first year of that deal will be in 2025, and the veteran defensive tackle will be tied to Dallas through the 2027 NFL season.

Below are the full details of his contract, per Spotrac.com.

Term: 3
Total value: $64 million
Average annual value (AAV): $21.33 million
Guaranteed money: $17.5 million

Clark will count just $2.3 million against Dallas’ salary cap in 2025. His cap hit will rise to $21.5 million and $20 million in 2026 and 2027 respectively, but the Cowboys will not owe him any guaranteed money during those seasons.

As such, Clark will be playing on a year-to-year basis with the Cowboys, barring a restructured contract.

Kenny Clark age

Clark is currently 29 years old but will turn 30 on Oct. 4, 2025, just six days after the Cowboys face off against the Packers at AT&T Stadium.

The Dallas Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Parsons signed a four-year, $188 million extension with the Packers, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
The trade follows a contentious contract dispute between Parsons and the Cowboys, including a failed negotiation attempt by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones that bypassed Parsons’ agent.

Micah Parsons wanted a new contract from the Dallas Cowboys. On Thursday, the Cowboys decided he would have to settle for a new city.

The Cowboys have traded Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, a source confirmed to USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon. The Cowboys are receiving two first-round picks as part of the return.

Parsons also agreed to a four-year, $188 million extension deal with Green Bay, including $136 million guaranteed, making him the new highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

A relationship that began with such promise ends on a sour note for the Cowboys’ first round pick in 2021. Drafted 12th overall, Parsons became a fixture in the Dallas defense – rising to stardom almost instantly as the Defensive Rookie of the Year and All-Pro.

It all began to fall apart this offseason, however, as Parsons sought a new contract from the Cowboys. Both sides dug their heels in, with more than a few bizarre twists and turns along the way.

The Cowboys are no stranger to contract disputes with their stars, but have traditionally resolved them – as evidenced by the Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb extensions in 2024.

Jerry Jones tried to end the stalemate, negotiating a deal with Parsons by cutting out his agent, David Mulugheta. The deal was never finalized and Jones blasted Mulugheta during an appearance on Michael Irvin’s YouTube channel for holding up the agreement.

Jones previously noted that he had no plans to trade Parsons and pointed out that the Cowboys can retain him for three more seasons – thanks to one year left on his current contract and two franchise tags.

Plans changed quickly and Parsons is set to suit up for a new team in 2025 and beyond. Here’s a look at what it took for the Cowboys to trade their superstar on the edge.

Micah Parsons trade details

Packers receive:

Micah Parsons + four-year, $188 million extension ($136 million guaranteed)

Cowboys receive:

2026 first-round pick
2027 first-round pick
DT Kenny Clark

Micah Parsons stats

Parsons has been a superstar ever since he stepped onto the field for the Cowboys. He’s registered at least 12 sacks in all four seasons, totaling 52.5 in 63 games.

The 12th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, Parsons has been stacking awards and accolades over the years. He’s a four-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro and was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021.

With 256 total tackles and 112 quarterback hits, Parsons has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Dallas defense. Now he’s set to cash in on all that work to this point.

Micah Parsons’s trade to the Green Bay Packers and subsequent extension made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
The top 10 highest-paid defensive players by average annual value and total contract value include Parsons, T.J. Watt, and Myles Garrett.

The commonly held belief is that defense wins championships.

For some of the NFL’s top defenders, they are just now starting to get paid that way.

While quarterbacks broke $50 million in terms of average annual value (AAV) years ago, defensive players are now just getting into the $40 million range and moving up the charts.

This offseason has been particularly lucrative for those eyeing new contracts. Since the end of Super Bowl 59, Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby each broke the record for the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in league history. Danielle Hunter also etched his name onto the list, checking in between those two. Then T.J. Watt managed to pass them all.

Now Micah Parsons is set to join the party amongst the NFL’s highest-paid. The Cowboys traded Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, and the star pass rusher agreed to a historic extension with his new team, a deal that makes him the new highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

It might not come with the flash or notoriety that a quarterback, running back and receiver might get, but playing defense is still honest work. And hard work at that.

In a world where rule changes have made life difficult for the defense, the best have still managed to make their presence felt and the prices will only grow from here.

Highest-paid NFL defensive players

Here’s a look at the top-10 highest-paid defensive players in terms of AAV and total contract value, according to Spotrac.

AAV

Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys: $48 million
T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers: $41 million
Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns: $40 million
Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans: $35.6 million
Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders: $35.5. million
Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers: $34 million
Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs: $31.75 million
Sauce Gardner, New York Jets: $30.1 million
Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans: $30 million
Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars: $28.25 million

Total contract value

Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys: $188 million
Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers: $170 million
Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns: $160 million
Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs: $158.75 million
Joshua Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars: $141.25 million
Brian Burns, New York Giants: $141 million
T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers: $123 million
Sauce Gardner, New York Jets: $120.4 million
Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders: $106.5 million
Milton Williams, New England Patriots: $104 million

ESPN has made a shakeup to its top NBA broadcast team.

Analyst Doris Burke has been demoted from the network’s No. 1 team, the same outfit that covers the NBA Finals, and has been replaced by Tim Legler, the outlet announced on Thursday, Aug. 28.

The Athletic first reported the news.

Legler will join play-by-play veteran Mike Breen and fellow analyst Richard Jefferson, who were Burke’s partners on the broadcast in the previous two NBA Finals. Along with reporter Lisa Salters, Legler will call the NBA Finals on ABC, the Conference Finals, high-profile first- and second-round games during the NBA Playoffs, a Christmas Day game and NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC.

Legler joined ESPN in 2000 and has been a game analyst on the network and on ESPN Radio and a frequent contributor to marquee programming like SportsCenter. Legler, 58, played 10 seasons in the NBA, from 1989-2000.

ESPN also signed Jefferson to a new, multi-year agreement.

What is Doris Burke’s role at ESPN?

ESPN has signed Burke to multi-year extension, and she will continue to call high-profile NBA games on ESPN and ABC, including the NBA Sunday Showcase series. Burke will regularly work alongside play-by-play broadcaster Dave Pasch.

Burke, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, had been ESPN’s lead analyst and had covered two consecutive NBA Finals. In 2024 she became the first woman to be a broadcast analyst for a major U.S. men’s sports championship event. Four years earlier, during the NBA Finals held in Orlando against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, Burke served as an analyst on ESPN radio, becoming the first woman to handle analyst duties during an NBA Finals on any platform.

When the network appointed Burke as a national game analyst for the 2017-18 season, she set another milestone, becoming the first woman to hold that role.

Burke, who also covered men’s and women’s college basketball and the WNBA, has covered basketball for the network since 1991.

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

Former New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves, and Texas Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira made a big announcement Thursday. The three-time MLB All-Star revealed that he plans on running for Congress in Texas’ 21st district.

Teixeira enters the race just a week after the district’s sitting congressman, Republican Chip Roy, revealed that he would not be seeking re-election. Instead, Roy will run for Texas Attorney General. Roy had served as the representative for Texas’ 21st district since 2018, winning three separate re-election campaigns since then (2020, 2022, 2024), all by sizable margins.

Teixeira is looking to fill the void left by Roy, despite minimal previous political experience.

Is Teixeira running as a Republican or Democrat?

Teixeira made it clear that he will be campaigning on conservative policies. In the announcement, Teixeira was detailed as a ‘lifelong conservative who loves our country.’ It also said Teixeira’s decision to run for Congress is an effort to pursue ‘his passion for public service and the America First agenda.’

Teixeira will enter the Republican primary, set for March 3, 2026.

Teixeira’s political history

Teixeira has never worked in the public sector but, according to his announcement, he has ‘championed’ many conservative causes since retiring from baseball. He has been a vocal supporter of Texas governor Greg Abbott and has volunteered with the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

When is the election?

The general election is still more than a year away, scheduled for November 3, 2026. The primary will be March 3, 2026, and a primary runoff is set for May 26, 2026. The deadline for filing is December 8, 2025.

As of right now, three Democrats, an Independent, and zero Republicans (excluding Teixeira) have already registered with a federal or state campaign finance agency and already appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies:

Gary Taylor (D)
Regina Vanburg (D)
Daniel Weber (D)
Dan McQueen (Independent)

Mark Teixeira stats

14-year career
1,862 regular-season games
409 career home runs
Five Gold Glove awards
Three-time All-Star

The former Colorado safety, who is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado coach Deion Sanders as well as the brother of Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, was not selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be one of the team’s initial 17 practice-squad players.

News broke Saturday that the Buccaneers planned to waive the undrafted rookie free agent, with the transaction becoming official when the team set its 53-man active roster on Tuesday.

Sanders was ejected from Tampa Bay’s preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills when he punched tight end Zach Davidson.

‘You can’t throw punches in this league. I mean, that’s inexcusable,’ Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said. ‘They’re gonna get you every time. Gotta grow from that.’

Prior to the finale, Bowles had praised Sanders in training camp and preseason for his tenacity, but he noted how vital making a strong final impression would be.

‘Shilo’s very aggressive, very young, very hungry,’ Bowles said last week. ‘He can make plays in the box and we know he can run down and give us 100% on special teams, so this last week is going to be very important for those guys to show up.’

“We’re praying that he gets another opportunity to go with a team, but if he doesn’t, the plans have already been put forward to what he’s going to do next,” Deion Sanders said. “So, Shilo is a man of many talents. I don’t know if you guys know. He’s a man of many talents, and he’s gonna be straight.’

Former Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay suffered three overdoses over the final five years of his life and was prescribed ketamine from a ‘luxury’ doctor, who signed Irsay’s death certificate in California when he died in May at 65, according to a report in The Washington Post.

The Post cited interviews with five people who spoke anonymously because of fear of retribution from the Colts and also obtained prescription records, flight data and law enforcement reports.

Open about his addiction to alcohol and opioids, Irsay maintained he was clean for years. But the Post found evidence he suffered three overdoses from 2020 on. First, he was airlifted from Turks and Caicos in February 2020. The next came in December 2023 at his home in suburban Indianapolis and then again 12 days later at a resort in Florida, according to the Post.

Jim Irsay jersey patch: How Colts will honor late owner during 2025 NFL season

Irsay’s public appearances declined with his health and he noticeably had difficulty walking or standing during the 2024 season.

Dr. Harry Haroutunian, a prominent addiction specialist based in southern California, treated Irsay with ketamine in the final months of his life, according to the Post. There was no toxicology report or autopsy performed, per the Post.

“I dedicated 18 months of my life to try to care for him . . . as a brother,” Haroutunian told the Post. “We did everything we could to make him as comfortable as possible.”

The team is now owned by Irsay’s three daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson. Irsay-Gordon will be the team’s governor at league meetings and is the CEO.

“Our Dad was open about his battles with addiction and mental health. He never claimed to be perfect,” Irsay’s daughters wrote in an email to the Post. “The media is not the place to address inquiries about information which is disputed, lacks essential context, or involves private medical matters.”

Irsay and the Colts launched ‘Kicking The Stigma,’ a charity based on being transparent about addiction and health issues, in 2022.

“We can either be an example through death, or an example through living,” Irsay told the Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, in 2022.

Irsay became the youngest general manager in league history (24) in 1984 when his father Robert, who previously owned the Colts and moved them from Baltimore to Indianapolis, and inherited the Colts after Robert’s death in 1997. Indianapolis won the Super Bowl following the 2006 season.

Several experts predict Clemson or Texas will win the national championship, with Alabama and Penn State also receiving votes.
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik is the popular pick for the Heisman Trophy.
Experts are divided on which team will be the biggest surprise and biggest disappointment.

It’s a glorious time of year for college football fans. The official return of the game we love comes in Week 1 after months of speculation about how the season will play out.

There’s been changes galore with movement in the transfer portal to weigh, plus additions from the high school ranks and potential emergence of players already on the roster. Coaches have been on the move, too, with a new face at North Carolina that made his name in the NFL and a familiar one at West Virginia among the hires.

There’s also the matter of unpredictability that makes the sport so great. Last year, nobody was thinking about Indiana or SMU as serious College Football Playoff contenders. Yet, the Hoosiers and Mustangs were in the field when and Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina were all left out on the final day.

PATH TO PLAYOFF: Sign up for our college football newsletter

Put this all together and trying to forecast in August how the season will play out over the next three months can be quite the challenge. But the college football experts at USA TODAY Sports are here to give it their best shot. Our predictions for the biggest questions ahead of the season.

Who makes the College Football Playoff?

Who will win the national championship?

Matt Hayes: Penn State. We’ve seen coach James Franklin’s infamous troubles against Top 10 opponents (4-20), and that the Lions had the easiest road to the CFP final last season — and couldn’t close out Notre Dame to get there. A motivated quarterback (Drew Allar) with some new weapons, and a nasty defense under new coordinator Jim Knowles, does it this time around.

Jordan Mendoza: Georgia. The Bulldogs won’t be perfect, but much like Ohio State last season, the offense clicks at the right time. The defense remains strong and Kirby Smart cements himself as one of the best coaches this century.

Paul Myerberg: Texas. The Longhorns are one of only a very few teams with the talent and depth to survive the playoff. Even if Texas doesn’t win the SEC, it can follow Ohio States’s path from last season. 

Erick Smith: Alabama. With so many unproven quarterbacks among the other top contenders, it’s been interesting how most people are overlooking the Crimson Tide and new starter Ty Simpson. There’s plenty of skill people and offensive line talent to have a very good offense, and the defense should be one of the country’s best. Sounds like perfect recipe to win a title.

Eddie Timanus: Clemson. A lot has happened since Clemson and Alabama squared off in the championship game – but who wouldn’t sign up for more of that? Well, OK, Ohio State fans wouldn’t to name a few, but we wouldn’t mind seeing another instant classic, even if some of the folks on the sidelines have changed. The Tigers win a close one.

Blake Toppmeyer: Texas. The Longhorns have the quarterback, the roster and the coach to prevail. Their schedule might stand between them and the No. 1 seed, but, as we saw last season, a top seed isn’t essential. Just make the bracket.

Who will win the Heisman Trophy?

Hayes: Cade Klubnick, Clemson. He’s a quarterback, he’ll have huge numbers, he’ll be playing for one of the top two teams in college football. That’s about as perfect a Heisman scenario as you can get. 

Mendoza: Behren Morton, Texas Tech. Texas Tech has put all of its chips into a successful 2025. Morton benefits from it as he puts up ridiculous numbers en route to a College Football Playoff appearance.

Myerberg: Cade Klubnik, Clemson. Texas QB Arch Manning has enormous name recognition and an outstanding supporting cast. But Klubnik could steal Manning’s thunder as a highly productive starter for one of the top contenders for the national championship. His growth from 2023 to 2024 paves the way for a terrific senior season.

Smith: Garrett Nussmeier, LSU. He’s got experience and the wide receiver group to put up big numers, and the Tigers are primed to make a College Football Playoff run. A win in the opener at Clemson would move him to the top of the favorites list and an appearance in the SEC title game might be enough to lock up the award.

Timanus: Cade Klubnik, Clemson. One of these years, my pick of a third-year starting quarterback for the Tigers is going to pan out in this spot. Klubnik looks poised for a big season with the requisite weapons on offense. And the Clemson defense should help keep the title in the title hunt throughout the season.

Toppmeyer: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State. There’s no shortage of quality quarterbacks who will contend for the award, but star Buckeyes wide receiver is the nation’s most incomparable player, and the Buckeyes will win enough to keep him on voters’ radar.

What will be the game of the year?

Hayes: Penn State at Ohio State, Nov. 1. Penn State has lost eight consecutive to the Buckeyes, and the one win under Franklin came with a whole lot of funky to it (big special teams plays, turnovers). Penn State hasn’t won at Ohio State since 2011, but this one will leave no doubt. Knowles’ return to Columbus is the hype, Allar’s big game redemption is the story. 

Mendoza: Alabama at Georgia, Sept. 27. Why not deliver an encore? With several explosive playmakers on both sides of the ball, the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs put up another instant classic.

Myerberg: Penn State at Ohio State, Nov. 1. This one should determine the fate of the Big Ten and which team draws an opening-round bye in the playoff. A win in Columbus would also represent one of the biggest moments of the James Franklin era and provide a huge boost heading into the home stretch of the regular season.

Smith: Texas at Georgia, Nov. 15. This should be a decisive game in the SEC race. While Arch Manning will face tough environments at Ohio State and Florida and against Oklahoma in Dallas, this likely will be his toughest assignment. Should he navigate the early schedule, a winning performance here could be the final piece of a Heisman push. However, should the Longhorns arrive with blemishes on their record, it could be a game that knocks them out of the playoff race.

Timanus: LSU at Alabama, Nov. 8. There are a metric ton of games to choose from, but we expect this one will have SEC title and playoff implications by the time Week 11 rolls around. And these two rivals have had some spirited matchups that have been dramatic throughout.

Toppmeyer: Penn State at Ohio State, Nov. 1. Is this the year James Franklin finally beats Ryan Day? He might get multiple chances at achieving that feat, but the game on Nov. 1 in Columbus is the only guaranteed opportunity.

What will be the biggest surprise team?

Hayes: Georgia Tech. Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, the top two quarterbacks selected in the 2023 NFL draft, arrived at college the same time as Georgia Tech’s Haynes King. Young and Stroud will begin their third seasons in the NFL, and King will begin his sixth in college football. He’ll do it after coach Brent Key kept coveted offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner in the fold, and added impact players from the portal (WR Eric Rivers, RB Malachi Hosley, DB Jon Mitchell). But this is all about King: if he stays healthy, the Jackets will be the surprise story of the season.

Mendoza: Louisville. Jeff Brohm has quietly put up solid teams in Louisville, but this feels like his best offense yet. Led by Issac Brown, the Cardinals get themselves in the College Football Playoff.

Myerberg: Utah. The Utes are poised for a big-time rebound after a rare misfire in 2025. While there are a bunch of Big 12 teams in the mix for the conference title, Utah’s offseason upgrades at quarterback and elsewhere make them a contender to double last year’s five-win finish.

Smith: Florida State. The Seminoles probably won’t make it to the ACC title game but they’re poised to make a rebound with quarterback Thomas Castellanos taking the helm of the offense and a host of transfers arriving. Getting to eight wins would quadruple last year’s win total, which would be quite the improvement.

Timanus: Iowa State. The Cyclones played for the Big 12 title last year, so they’ll only be a surprise to people who haven’t been paying attention to what Matt Campbell has been doing in Ames. The win against Kansas State in Dublin could be huge as the league race takes shape.

Toppmeyer: Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are an unranked sleeper team to watch with second-year starting quarterback Dylan Raiola. Matt Rhule’s track record in his third year is also another positive.

Who will be the biggest disappointment?

Hayes: LSU. Brian Kelly has talked all offseason about this being the most talented LSU team he has coached. So a disappointment would be not reaching the CFP. The offensive line that struggled to protect last season has been retooled, and QB Garrett Nussmeier — while uber-talented — must prove he can limit turnovers. Does LB Harold Perkins return to freshman form? Does transfer edge Patrick Payton avoid getting lost in games? 

Mendoza: LSU. Brian Kelly loses another Week 1 game (shocker). The Tigers aren’t able to fully recover, losing another slew of games they should win.

Myerberg: LSU. Given all that’s at stake in 2025, failing to make the playoff would make the Tigers the biggest disappointment in the SEC and the Power Four. There are a bunch of things to like, including a potential first-round quarterback in Garrett Nussmeier, but LSU still has to show growth on defense and manage a schedule that kicks off with a bang with a trip to Clemson in Week 1.

Smith: Miami. The notiion that you can just plug in Carson Beck and all will be well with the Hurricanes seems overly optimistic. The former Georgia quarterback coming off a down year and a serous arm injury. And there’s the matter of Miami struggling when the pressure is the greatest. That’s why the Hurricanes will miss the College Football Playoff.

Timanus: Florida. The Gators’ strong 2024 finish has them ranked higher than they perhaps should be.  There’s no disputing they have talent, but their killer schedule will have them out of the Top 25 by season’s end, especially if DJ Lagway can’t stay healthy.

Toppmeyer: South Carolina. The 13th-ranked Gamecocks will fall victim to last season’s success, plus a schedule that includes six games against preseason ranked opponents.

Who will be coach of year?

Hayes: Brent Venables, Oklahoma: A year after the worst conference record at OU in three decades, Venables made critical offseason moves of adding the hottest young offensive coordinator in the game (Ben Arbuckle), and the best quarterback in the portal (John Mateer). The defense will be as salty as last season, and an efficient, big-play offense will bring it all together. OU, not Texas, will be the first Big 12 transfer to win the SEC.   

Mendoza: James Franklin, Penn State. After years of just falling short, Franklin finally fields a team that has a real good shot at a perfect season and a national championship.

Myerberg: Brent Venables, Oklahoma. This honor typically doesn’t go to the coach of the nation’s best team but a coach who exceeds preseason expectations in the flashiest way. That could be Venables, who is on a bit of a warmer seat after a rough SEC debut for the Sooners but has a team capable of earning an at-large playoff bid.

Smith: Kyle Whittingham, Utah. This might be Whittingham’s last season and to make sure it wasn’t a major disappointment he brought in a new offensive coordinator and quarterback that should address the biggest issues from last season. The defense again will be stout, and the Utes will reach the College Football Playoff by winning the Big 12.

Timanus: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama – Big things are expected when you’re the head coach of the Crimson Tide. But year two in Tuscaloosa will go a lot better for the new staff with deep playoff run.

Toppmeyer: Steve Sarkisian. The Longhorns winning their first national championship in two decades will cement what Sarkisian has building toward the past few seasons: Texas is back.