Indiana and Miami have staunchly different histories in college football, but will nonetheless face off for a national championship on Monday, Jan. 19.

The Hoosiers, one of the losingest programs in college football history, have achieved one of the sport’s greatest turnarounds under second-year coach Curt Cignetti. Indiana is ranked No. 1 and has a 15-0 record only two years after finishing 3-9 in 2023, and is looking to cap off a perfect season with its first national title.

No. 10 Miami, meanwhile, hasn’t been back to the national title game in over two decades, but has one of the most impressive group of alumni of any program. The Hurricanes were a dominant force throughout the late 1980s and into the early 2000s, winning five national championships during a 19-year span from 1983 through 2001.

Perhaps nothing explains the school’s differences than their all-time teams: The Hurricanes have numerous NFL standouts and unanimous All-Americans, with many stars left off the list. Indiana, meanwhile, has eight consensus All-Americans all-time — two of whom are from this season.

Order commemorative book about IU’s epic season

Here’s a look at Indiana and Miami’s all-time teams, according to USA TODAY Sports:

Indiana football all-time team

The biggest decision was what to do at quarterback. Trent Green got consideration, as did Antwaan Randle El, who won Big Ten MVP on a 5-6 team. Randle El was electric running the option and had a nine-year career in the NFL as a receiver. We’ll find room for him as an all-purpose selection, but it’s hard to pick against the school’s only Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza. Anthony Thompson was the closest Hoosier to win the trophy prior to this season and gives the Hoosiers some pop in the backfield. Besides QB, the choice between Vaughn Dunbar and Tevin Coleman was probably the toughest left for this roster.

On defense, current Hoosier D’Angelo Ponds (CB) makes the list, joined by NFL vets Adewale Ogunleye, Mike Dumas and Tracy Porter, who broke Indiana hearts with an interception return for a touchdown against Peyton Manning and the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

Offense

QB: Fernando Mendoza, 2025
RB: Anthony Thompson, 1986-89
RB: Vaughn Dunbar, 1990-91
WR: James Hardy, 2005-07
WR: Thomas Lewis, 1991-93
FB: Tom Nowatzke, 1962-65
OL: Rodger Saffold, 2006-09
OL: Dan Feeney (2012-16)
OL: John Tavener, 1941-46
OL: Bob Skoronski, 1953-55
OL: Carter Smith, 2022-25
All-purpose: Antwaan Randle El, 1998-2001

Defense

DL: Adewale Ogunleye, 1996-99
DL: Jerome Johnson (2017-19)
DL: Nathan Davis, 1993-96
DL: Jammie Kirlew, 2006-09
LB: Joe Norman, 1975-78
LB: Micah McFadden, 2018-21
LB: Van Waiters, 1983-87
DB: Tracy Porter, 2004-07
DB: D’Angelo Ponds, 2024-25
DB: Tim Wilbur, 1978-80, 1982
DB: Mike Dumas, 1988-90

Special teams

P: Jim DiGuilio, 1991-94
K: Pete Stoyanovich, 1985-88
KR: Marcus Thigpen, 2005-08
PR: Tim Wilbur, 1978-80, 1982

Miami football all-time team

Miami’s defense, particularly its all-time secondary, is virtually unmatched in the history of college football. Ed Reed, considered by many the greatest safeties ever, headlines the group. There’s also Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle and Bennie Blades, who were top-12 picks to the NFL. Ray Lewis, one of the NFL’s greatest linebackers ever, also patrols the unit.

The offense is no slouch, either. Edgerrin James, Michael Irvin and Jim Otto are all Pro Football Hall of Famers. Fellow Hall of Famers Andre Johnson and Jim Kelly are notable omissions from the list.

Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa was the lone player from the Hurricanes’ current roster to make the list:

Offense

QB: Ken Dorsey, 1999-2002
RB: Edgerrin James, 1996-98
RB: Willis McGahee, 2001-02
WR: Michael Irvin, 1985-87
WR: Reggie Wayne, 1997-2000
TE: Kellen Winslow II, 2001-03
OL: Francis Mauigoa, 2023-25
OL: Bryant McKinnie, 1999-2001
OL: Brett Romberg, 1999-2002
OL: Leon Searcy, 1988-91
OL: Jim Otto, 1957-59
All-purpose: Santana Moss, 1997-2000

Defense

DL: Warren Sapp, 1991-94
DL: Ted Hendricks, 1966-68
DL: Danny Stubbs, 1983-87
DL: Russell Maryland, 1987-90
LB: Ray Lewis, 1993-95
LB: Dan Morgan, 1997-2000
LB: Jonathan Vilma, 2000-03
DB: Bennie Blades, 1984-87
DB: Antrel Rolle, 2001-04
DB: Sean Taylor, 2001-03
DB: Ed Reed, 1997-2001

Special teams

P: Matt Bosher, 2007-10
K: Carlos Huerta, 1988-91
KR: Devin Hester, 2003-04
PR: Santana Moss, 1997-2000

John Harbaugh did not have to wait very long to find a new job.

The New York Giants have offered Harbaugh a five-year deal to become their next head coach, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday morning. Harbaugh has already accepted the offer, which will make him one of the NFL’s highest-paid coaches, Rapoport reports.

The former Baltimore Ravens head coach spent just over a week out of a job before zeroing in on his expected new landing spot after his previous team fired him on Jan. 6.

The 2019 NFL Coach of the Year had his first in-person meeting with the Giants on Jan. 14 after a full week of virtual meetings with New York and other teams.

Once the deal is finalized, the Giants would become the first of nine teams to fill a head-coaching vacancy this offseason.

Harbaugh, 63, immediately became the top head coaching candidate available after he and the Ravens parted ways. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Jan. 6 that seven teams had reached out to the former Ravens coach’s agent about their vacancies within 45 minutes of Harbaugh’s firing.

By the time the Ravens fired Harbaugh, he had been their head coach for 18 full seasons, compiling a 180-113 record and winning a Super Bowl in that span. His 180 wins make him the 14th-most-winningest coach in NFL history and are the fourth-most among all active coaches. Harbaugh’s 13 playoff wins are tied for seventh-most all time and are the second-most among active coaches, trailing only Chiefs head coach Andy Reid (28).

Harbaugh’s tenure with the Ravens ended following Baltimore’s Week 18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers that eliminated it from playoff contention. Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop’s go-ahead, 44-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right as time expired to sink the Ravens’ record to 8-9. This season marked the second time in the last eight years that Baltimore missed the playoffs.

In New York, Harbaugh would succeed Brian Daboll, who was fired on Nov. 10 after a 2-8 start. The Giants opted to keep general manager Joe Schoen to conduct the coaching search.

SACRAMENTO, CA — It’s been over a year since New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown was fired from his role as head coach with the Sacramento Kings. He hadn’t stepped foot in Golden 1 Center since he was let go in December 2024.

On Wednesday, Jan, 14, Brown returned to the place he coached for two seasons – where he became 2023 NBA Coach of the Year with the Kings.

The short reunion ended with Brown’s Knicks suffering a 112-101 loss to the Kings, who now are on a three-game winning streak.

‘I had a great time here (in Sacramento),’ Brown told USA TODAY Sports after the loss. ‘My family had a great time here. … I enjoyed my time here, so it was great to be back.’

For a third consecutive game, Sacramento fans chanted ‘light the beam’ as they were lifted to victory behind a game-high 27 points from DeMar DeRozan.

‘We got our behinds kicked. We talk about the game and we get ready for the next one,’ Brown said to USA TODAY Sports. ‘That’s what this league is about. Got 82 of them, got to take them one at a time. You have to keep trying to coach and get better and then move on to the next one and that’s kind of how it is.’

Zach LaVine added 25 points, while Russell Westbrook had another double-double, 19 points and 11 assists.

The game’s X-factor was Precious Achiuwa, a former Knick, who torched his old team for 20 points, with 14 rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

‘Give Precious Achiuwa a lot of credit,’ Brown told reporters. ‘He was with me during the Nigerian national team. He impacts the game in a lot of ways. He had 20 and 14. He’s a guy when you close out on him, we want to be the second jumper. To start the game we ran him off the line three times, so we didn’t do a good job of following our gameplan tonight.’

Brown was greeted with an ovation by the 15,095 fans at Golden 1 Center during the team introduction. The arena as filled by a number of Knicks fans, but mostly Kings fans regarded as Sacramento’s ‘Sixth Man.’

‘The fans were fantastic,’ Brown said to reporters. ‘We enjoyed living here, so I appreciate it. A lot of love from the fans here. But in the same breathe, we’re happy as hell in New York, we enjoy the organization, we enjoy the fans there and we enjoy where we live.’

During warmups, Brown had a brief interaction with Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, who fired Brown.

Brown said they just exchanged pleasantries as Ranadive was just saying ‘hello.’ There was the game to be played, but Brown – and his abrupt December 2024 firing – was the talk of the town. Brown had just finished a post-practice media scrum and started heading to the Sacramento international Airport, when he received the call from Ranadive that he was being fired.

Brown used the time away from basketball to spend time with his family. He traveled different parts of the world with his wife, spent time with his grandson at amusement parks. He stayed away from basketball but his phone was nearby.

‘When it happened you process it real quickly,’ Brown said to reporters. ‘My wife and I went to Australia for UFC 312, Brooklyn, Puerto Vallarta, St Barts. … It’s life, you keep moving forward. You can really beat yourself up if you try to guess or figure what should’ve happened, why it happened, what could’ve happened, all that stuff. Life is short, I try to embrace it. Try to be in the moment, like I said, enjoy what I can enjoy, control what I can control. If I can’t control it, try to find something else to do.’

He got a call from the Knicks in the summer of 2025 and accepted a head coaching role of one of the NBA’s most-storied franchises. So far, he’s coached them to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 25-15 and a NBA Cup championship.

That’s not his ultimate goal, nor was beating the Kings.

‘The most positive is being able to hang a banner up in MSG, the most iconic arena in the league,’ Brown said to reporters in December following their NBA Cup championship.

The Knicks sit 3.5 games behind the first-place Detroit Pistons, while the Kings (11-30) are searching for their identity and continue develop a standard of a winning culture.

The South Carolina women’s basketball team (17-1, 4-0) will play Texas (18-1, 3-1) for the second time this season on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN2) in Columbia, South Carolina.

The No. 2 Gamecocks and No. 4 Longhorns know each other well. It will be the sixth time they’ve played since last January. They played twice in the 2024-25 regular season and met in the SEC Championship and Final Four. Then, they faced off at the Player’s Era tournament in Las Vegas in November.

Coach Dawn Staley and South Carolina won three of those five meetings, including the two that mattered the most: for the SEC crown and the national semifinal. Coach Vic Schaefer’s Longhorns were the most recent victors, defeating the Gamecocks behind 19 points from Jordan Lee on Thanksgiving.

USA TODAY Sports staffers Meghan Hall, Cydney Henderson and Mitchell Northam break down the matchup:

South Carolina has won 10 straight since losing to Texas in November. What’s different about the Gamecocks now?

Hall: The Gamecocks have five players averaging double-figure scoring that anchor their fifth-ranked offense (89.7 points per game), including center Madina Okot, who has become a critical glue player. Okot often helps dictate South Carolina’s interior presence and overall rim protection. She’s currently in a three-way tie with Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers and Murray State’s Sharnecce Currie-Jelks for the most double-doubles in the country (13) and has nine games with 10 points or more since the Gamecock’s November matchup with Texas, including 23 points and 13 rebounds vs. then-ranked No. 22 Louisville. If the Gamecocks need a critical basket or timely play, they count on Okot to answer the call. 

Henderson: The seat belt gang lives on at South Carolina. The Gamecocks’ 10-game win streak has been spurred by their defense. South Carolina ranks third in the nation in opponent field goal percentage (31.9%), fourth in blocks per game (6.8) and 13th in points allowed (53.6 per game). The Gamecocks have struggled with injuries and availability early on — they’ve only had their full squad available for six games this season — but should have a full roster against Texas, including senior guard Ta’Niya Latson, who’s missed several games with a sprained ankle. The Florida State transfer is averaging 16.3 points and a career-best 50.9% field-goal percentage. 

Northam: Raven Johnson has always been an incredibly talented guard, but it feels like she’s grown more comfortable this season in asserting herself as a scorer. In previous seasons, Johnson could dictate the flow of the game with her passing and ball handling, allowing South Carolina’s other weapons to score most of the points. But this season, the Gamecocks need her to get buckets too. Since scoring seven points against Texas, Johnson has netted double-figure scoring totals in eight of her last 10 games. She’s averaging a career-best 10.2 points per game. A few crucial baskets from Johnson could be the difference against Texas.

Texas is looking for a bounce-back victory after falling to LSU. Who will be the X-factor for the Longhorns?

Hall: It has to be Texas guard Rori Harmon, who was benched in the fourth quarter during the Longhorns’ loss to LSU. She was 1-of-7 from the field during the game. That cannot happen in back-to-back matchups, let alone during SEC play against No. 2 South Carolina. Harmon didn’t have a great shooting day when these two teams played on Nov. 27, but she did have the game-winning basket and nine assists. If her shot isn’t falling, she’s got to find other ways to contribute.

Henderson: Jordan Lee finished with a team-high 19 points in Texas’ first meeting against South Carolina in November and the Longhorns will need similar production, especially if South Carolina zeros in defensively on Madison Booker and Rori Harmon. Lee has reached double-digit points in 16 of 19 games this season, including a career-high 23 points against Missouri on Jan. 1. She’s averaging a career-best 14.8 points this season, nearly a 10-point jump from her freshman campaign. Lee went 1-of-6 from the 3-point line in Texas’ first matchup against South Carolina, the only person on her team to attempt a shot from beyond the arc. If she can get going from long distance, look out. 

Northam: In the first meeting with South Carolina, Texas center Kyla Oldacre tallied four points and seven rebounds. Recently, she’s played a lot better, notching double-doubles in back-to-back games, including a performance where she scored 23 points in 20 minutes against Auburn. These games between the Gamecocks and the Longhorns are often decided in the paint, and Oldacre having a great outing could be what gets Texas its second straight win in the series.

What else are you watching for in this game? What’s going to be the key to a victory?

Hall: Texas is hard to beat when forward Madison Booker and Rori Harmon get their two-person game going early. Booker also anchors the Longhorns defensively; I’d like to see her cause disruption early and get her teammates involved. For South Carolina, it has to be utilizing defensive pressure to dictate how fast the team wants to play in transition. The Gamecocks excel at forcing turnovers and turning it into quick points on the other end.

Henderson: Texas must limit their turnovers if they want to avoid a second consecutive loss. The Longhorns surrendered a season-high 17 turnovers against LSU — Madison Booker had six — which led to 14 points for the Tigers. The sloppiness was uncharacteristic for Texas, which has the highest turnover margin in the nation (13.79) and records the second-fewest turnovers in the country (10.5 per game). The Longhorns must avoid self-inflicted wounds against South Carolina’s stout defense. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks need to find production from its bench. South Carolina’s bench was limited to two points in their loss to Texas on Nov. 27.

Northam: These two teams combined for 3-of-13 shooting from 3-point land in the first meeting. While strong interior play has led the Gamecocks and Longhorns to a lot of victories, if someone gets hot from behind the arc, it could determine who wins. Jordan Lee of Texas is shooting 38% from deep in her last five games, while Tessa Johnson and Ta’Niya Latson are both making north of 40% of their 3-pointers on the season.

What other clash will you have an eye on Thursday?

Hall: The No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats are currently without starter Teonni Key, due to an elbow injury. The Wildcats dropped a game against unranked Alabama, 64-51, and then won a Jan. 11 matchup to beat No. 12 Oklahoma, 63-57. Kentucky’s up-and-down play bears watching as they host guard Liv McGill, fifth in scoring in the nation (23.4 points a game), and the Florida Gators.

Henderson: I also have my eyes on the SEC matchup between No. 6 LSU and No. 12 Oklahoma. The Sooners are looking to bounce back from back-to-back conference losses to Ole Miss and Kentucky. LSU has been there and done that. The Tigers dropped two consecutive SEC matchups to Kentucky and Vanderbilt, before getting back in the win column with wins against Georgia and an undefeated Texas team. Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk said Sunday’s matchup against LSU will be a “fork in the road”  and called out her team’s “energy, toughness and togetherness.” That approach worked for Kim Mulkey. It remains to be seen if Baranczyk’s rallying cry will work for Oklahoma.

Northam: Louisville is going for its 10th consecutive win when it travels to South Bend to face Notre Dame. Meanwhile, the Irish are coming off an impressive double-digit home victory over North Carolina. A win for Hannah Hidalgo and her squad could signal Notre Dame is indeed a contender for the ACC title. A road victory for Louisville would solidify their place atop the conference standings.

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.

There’s been some good news for the ’49ers Faithful’ regarding the availability of All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner.

He’s back … kind of.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Tuesday that Warner’s practice window has officially opened. Warner dislocated his right ankle in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

‘We’re opening his window so he can do some stuff,’ Shanahan said. ‘But again, we’re not doing much, so he’ll walk-through out there with us today and things like that. But, hoping he can be ready for next week.’

Shanahan is looking at a possible Warner return in the NFC championship game or Super Bowl.

But Warner didn’t rule out a possible return in the NFC divisional round game against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks.

‘We’re taking it day by day,’ Warner told reporters Wednesday. ‘I think they said last week they weren’t going to open my window, and then my window is now open. So, we’re just taking it day by day.’

Warner said that they’re still deciding if he’ll travel with the team to Seattle.

He was a participant at practice dressed in pads and a helmet and took part in individual drills.

‘I feel amazing,’ Warner told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. ‘Just so grateful, blessed to be back. I think, obviously, when all this happened, I didn’t really think about the possibility of returning in-season. But the way things progressed and being able to have this opportunity to be back with my teammates, have a chance at helping them win this week and so on and so forth, that’s my only goal moving forward.’

Warner made 53 total tackles ― 28 solo, 23 assisted ― in six games before missing the majority of the season with an ankle fracture. He added two forced fumbles and one recovery.

The eight-year, All-Pro linebacker has spent all of his career with San Francisco after the 49ers selected him 70th overall in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Warner is currently third all-time in 49ers history with 597 tackles, behind Ronnie Lott and Patrick Willis. Warner is the 49ers’ all-time leader in assisted tackles with 351, according to Pro Football Reference.

Katie Ledecky continues to prove she’s the greatest female swimmer ever whenever she steps foot into a pool.

She finished in 15 minutes and 23.21 seconds, placing first in the Austin championship. Ledecky holds the record time at 15:20.48, which she set back in 2018, per Olympics.com.

‘I’m really happy with that, it was faster than I was all last year,’ Ledecky said after the race. ‘It was my second-best ever. I had pretty low expectations coming into today, so that definitely blew it out of the water.’

Finishing second and third were Brinkleigh Hansen of St. Petersburg, Florida, who finished in 16:31.31 and Becca Mann of Homer Glen, Illinois, who finished in 16:35.09.

Ledecky praised her training staff for pushing her to her limits and preparing her for the competition.

‘Training has been incredible,’ Ledecky said. ‘I have a really great group of distance swimmers at Florida and it’s been really hard the last month. That hard training gives me a lot of good confidence, which always helps.’

Teenager Macklin Celebrini is doing his utmost to become only the third teenager to win the NHL’s Hart Trophy.

Celebrini broke out in a big way this season, recording 24 goals and 70 points in the first 45 games. He already has more points than the 63 he had in 70 games last season, and he has more than double the number of points as the second-highest scorer on San Jose.

Unfortunately for him, the 19-year-old phenom has Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon standing in his way.

While Celebrini has his work cut out to join the exclusive teenager Hart Trophy club, his quest provides the perfect platform to discuss the NHL’s five youngest-ever MVPs.

Five youngest Hart Trophy winners in NHL history

5. Bobby Orr (22 years old)

Bobby Orr won his first of three straight Hart Trophies in his fourth season after turning 22 late in the season. He finished the 1969-70 campaign with 33 goals, 87 assists and 120 points. That was 21 more points than second-place Phil Esposito. 

Orr had 125 penalty minutes, the second-most in his venerable career. He put up 51 power-play points, one fewer than his career-best 52 in 1974-75. 

4. Eric Lindros (22 years old)

Eric Lindros won his only Hart Trophy in the lockout-shortened 1994-95 campaign. He notched 29 goals and 41 assists for 70 points in 46 games, tying the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Jaromir Jagr for the scoring lead. 

Lindros, who turned 22 in February 1995, scored the most points per game (1.52) en route to winning MVP honors in his third season. Lindros’ storied career was cut short due to repeated concussions, with the star retiring in 2007. He reportedly sustained six concussions from 1998 to 2000. 

3. Connor McDavid (20 years old)

McDavid won his first of three Hart Trophies in 2016-17, his second year in the NHL. McDavid also won the Art Ross Trophy, finishing with 100 points (30 goals and 70 assists) in 82 games, 11 points ahead of Sidney Crosby and Patrick Kane. 

The Oilers captain finished that campaign with a plus-27, the third-best plus-minus rating of his career thus far. He also took MVP plaudits in 2020-21 and 2022-23.

2. Wayne Gretzky (19 years old)

It didn’t take long for people to realize Wayne Gretzky would become the Great One. In fact, Gretzky won his first of a record nine Hart Trophies in his first NHL season in 1979-80. 

However, he wasn’t eligible to win the Calder Trophy due to spending a season in the World Hockey Association beforehand. That technicality doesn’t take away from Gretzky’s wondrous first NHL season, where he scored 51 goals and added 86 assists, tying Marcel Dionne for the most points. 

It was the first of eight successive Hart Trophies for Gretzky, a record that probably won’t be broken. 

1. Sidney Crosby (19 years old)

When he could still be referred to as ‘Sid the Kid,’ Crosby became the second teenager to take home the Hart Trophy, following in Gretzky’s footsteps. The then-19-year-old scored 36 goals and 84 assists for 120 points in 79 games during the 2006-07 campaign, the most of his illustrious career thus far.

Over 50 percent of Crosby’s overall point production came on the power play, with his 61 power-play points being a career high. His first of two Hart Trophies came a year after losing out on the Calder Trophy to Alex Ovechkin. 

Crosby also won the Hart Trophy in 2013-14.

Wednesday, Moore announced he’ll forego the 2026 NFL Draft in order to play another season for the Ducks – in what’s very likely the best decision for him … and the New York Jets.

Moore, who’s started just 20 games in college – 15 in Oregon’s just completed season and five for UCLA in 2023 – was widely projected to be a top-five pick in this year’s draft, quite possibly second overall to the quarterback-starved Jets. (The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to take Indiana star and recently crowned Heisman Trophy-winning QB Fernando Mendoza in the top spot.)

Still, some NFL scouts believe Moore could have more professional upside than Mendoza.

“Around the league, there’s a debate on who’s one or who’s two,” ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller recently told USA TODAY Sports. “Some people love Mendoza – pocket passer, super accurate, poised, never seems to get rattled. He’s more of a distributor – he allows his guys to go make plays. I think there’s a lot of people that see that and like it. He’s kind of Jared Goff-esque … or Kirk Cousins-plus.

“Dante, I think he’s a little more explosive, he’s a little more dynamic. … He’s really not quite as experienced. And so it’s more of an upside bet.”

Mendoza thoroughly outplayed Moore in last Friday’s Peach Bowl, the Hoosiers scalding the Ducks 56-22. Mendoza’s performance, which included five touchdown passes and three incompletions, aligned with Miller’s description of him. However Moore threw an ugly pick-six on the first play from scrimmage, didn’t deal with Indiana’s defensive pressure effectively and – despite a promising second drive capped by a 19-yard TD pass to Jamari Johnson – wasn’t able to keep Oregon competitive in the CFP semifinal round, his 285 passing yards largely cosmetic.

The game was but a snapshot of Moore, who was third-team All-Big Ten 2025 and typically has a strong and accurate arm, and hardly a microcosm of his breakout season. Yet it was also more indicative of what he’ll see on an Sundays than a Saturday in Eugene or Corvallis.

Moore’s decision likely spares the perpetually rebuilding Jets – and a roster that began getting stripped of talent at November’s trade deadline – from a mistake. Though the NYJ touted the consistency of their offensive line at the end of the season, which they ended by losing a record five consecutive games by at least 23 points apiece, they hardly have the look of a team that’s one young quarterback away from competing. And for a franchise that’s failed to support and/or develop Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson and Justin Fields – and that’s just over the past 15 years – asking Moore to deliver in the pressure cooker that is the New York market without a reputable QB sensei would have been a highly suspect decision.

Also, the NFL has done no favors to inexperienced passers taken as top-five picks in recent years – think Mitch Trubisky, Trey Lance or Anthony Richardson.

So while Moore returns to school in hopes of further polishing his game – and, make no mistake, it’s a decision quite likely to cost him significant draft position (and money) in the 2027 draft, though could ultimately render him a better football player – where do the Jets go from here?

Here are four suggestions for Gang Green:

Bring in a veteran QB with upside

Hard to imagine Fields is sticking around for the second year of the deal he signed last year – especially given his ongoing inability to develop as a passer, and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand’s inability to consistently deploy the dual threat in a way that leverages Fields’ talents as a runner.

As is typically the case, the crop of free agent quarterbacks is going to be thin. Kenny Pickett, Sam Howell and Malik Willis – and he might actually have a fairly robust market – seem like the best options (and, no, we’re not advocating for Daniel Jones to return to New York).

Even though he’ll be 38 next season, maybe Cousins could be a temporary option – given the relative strength of the Jets’ line and his desire to remain a starter in the league, even if only in a bridge capacity. He’s certainly closer to Jared Goff, whom Engstrand worked with in Detroit, than anyone else on this list. And the rebooting Falcons could more easily trade Cousins now from a salary cap perspective – though they might be compelled to retain him as Michael Penix Jr. recovers from his most recent knee injury.

But maybe the sweet spot solution is Mac Jones. A failed 2021 first-rounder alongside Wilson, Lance and Fields, Jones – like Darnold before him – has seemingly benefited from a year in Kyle Shanahan’s quarterback halfway house with the San Francisco 49ers, winning five of eight starts this season while crafting a career-best 97.4 passer rating. Jones is a fiery competitor and has a demeanor teammates tend to gravitate toward. And as flush with draft capital as the Jets are after offloading Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner in November, sending, say, a third-rounder to the Niners for Jones, who’s already under contract for 2026, could be a worthwhile gambit.

Draft a quarterback … but not early

The Jets have two first-round picks this year. They should use both with the always prudent “best player available” approach in mind to build out this roster. And unless the Raiders pass on Mendoza for some hard-to-fathom reason, that means the NYJ should be steering clear of QBs on Day 1 of the draft. The Jets also possess two second-round picks. But even then, using one on Alabama’s Ty Simpson, for example, seems misguided given his own limitations. But if Simpson or LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier or Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, for example, are available in the middle rounds, any might be worth a flier given their upside and the general lack of expectations they’d carry forward from college at this point.

Draft a playmaker … early

Even if the Jets have no business taking a QB with the second pick, laying the groundwork for the eventual face of the franchise makes sense. WR Garrett Wilson and TE Mason Taylor, a second-round pick by this regime last year, could be the start of a nice suite of weapons.

But the Jets have probably over-targeted and overburdened the wispy Wilson in recent years – and he only played in seven games in 2025. Taking another Ohio State receiver, Carnell Tate – perhaps a similar, if slightly bigger (6-3, 195) version of Wilson – could be the right play. Buckeyes pass catchers translate very well to the NFL, and creating a tandem that could be a nice 1/1A combo would be sensible.

And though it’s quite lofty for his position, perhaps lengthy consideration should be given to Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love. The caveat is having a plan here – not tossing him into an unfortunate situation like the one Las Vegas’ Ashton Jeanty found himself in as a rookie. But remember, this offense – at least based on how it operates in Detroit – heavily relies on two backs, and the Jets may not have one frontliner if Breece Hall jets in free agency. Regardless, the dynamic Love might be perfectly utilized in some kind of time-share here, especially since his skills as a receiver would absolutely benefit any kind of quarterback − but especially a young one.

Keep the phone lines open

Are the Jets likely to field an offer at No. 2 the way the Cleveland Browns did last year, when they traded down so the Jacksonville Jaguars could reel in Heisman Trophy winning WR/CB Travis Hunter? Seems rather unlikely – especially in a draft so seemingly devoid of quarterback talent. But if the Jets can move out of the second spot – even if it means taking a bit less than a premium package – to slide back a handful of spots, they should. They have too many needs, especially defensively, to stick and pick in this draft unless they’re absolutely convicted about someone like Love or a defender such as Buckeyes pass rusher Arvell Reese. But given the obvious signal the team sent that it’s embarking on a lengthy rebuild, stockpiling assets – especially if that means extra ammo in what’s expected to be a loaded 2027 draft – seems like the chess move for GM Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn.

Three weeks after Greg Biffle, his wife and their two young children died in a plane crash, sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the estate where the retired NASCAR driver and his family lived in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Thus began an investigation into an alleged break-in and theft reported Jan. 8, and Iredell County Sheriff Dan Campbell told the Associated Press $30,000 in cash was stolen.

The investigation continues at the same time “A Gathering in Remembrance” is scheduled to be held Friday, Jan. 16, to honor the lives lost in the Dec. 18 plane crash.

In addition to the death of Biffle, his wife Cristina and his two children — daughter Emma and son Ryder — three other people died in the crash of the Cessna Citation. According to WTVD in Durham, North Carolina, the plane hit the ground short of the runway at Statesville Regional Airport and then burst into flames.

As the grieving continues, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office now is tasked to determine what happened during the apparent burglary of the Biffles’ home.

Campbell told the Associated Press that no arrests have been made and that investigators think someone entered a safe in the home. In addition to $30,000 missing, some guns and memorabilia also are gone, according to the Associated Press report.

Biffle, who won 19 races on the Cup Series, retired from full-time competition in 2016.