Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III noticed a certain demeanor from the San Francisco 49ers amid his stellar performance in the NFL playoffs’ divisional round.

Walker rushed for a playoff-best and season-high 116 yards and three touchdowns against a 49ers team that had little to no answers for the running back during a 41-6 rout.  

“You can see it when they’re breathing, they’re tired. They’re slow to get up. You can see it being demoralizing to them,” Walker explained. “We just got to keep doing that.”

Keep doing that is exactly what Seattle’s offense needs to get through the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 25 and advance to Super Bowl 60. The Seahawks have won eight consecutive games. Seattle’s last loss, coincidentally, came against the Rams in Week 11.

Seattle’s rushing attack has been revitalized during its hot streak. The Seahawks have gained more than 160 rushing yards in four straight games, including 175 yards against San Francisco.

The Seahawks have particularly found success on outside runs of late. They averaged more than six yards on runs toward the left end and on carries directed toward the right tackle against the 49ers.  

“A lot of it is coming on wide zone, you know that’s something that we’ve been having to work all year and that’s where we hang our hat on,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “So, it’s great to see it come to life.”

Kenneth Walker III fuels Seahawks’ resurgent rushing attack

Walker’s been the predominant figure in the resurgence of the Seahawks’ rushing attack. He’s rushed for at least 97 yards in three of the past four contests and compiled no fewer than 133 yards from scrimmage in three of the last four games, including 145 yards from scrimmage against the 49ers.   

“It’s really just details and execution,” Walker said. “We go over it, we watch film, and then we go execute it at practice and it shows in the game.” 

Walker has averaged more than six yards a carry in three of the past four contests – two games against the 49ers and one against the Rams.

“For him to have the success that he’s having, it’s super cool. Nobody is more deserving and excited to continue to block for him for another week. He’s a dynamic back, and it’s one of those deals where you just got to give him a chance and he’s going to make you right,” Seahawks rookie guard Grey Zabel told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s one of those deals where you just got to give him a hole just kind of block your guy, and he’s going to make you right 99% of the time. It’s unbelievable to block for a guy like that, and we have a lot of fun doing it.”

Walker is imperative for Seattle’s offense going forward. Zach Charbonnet suffered a season-ending knee injury in the divisional round and Sam Darnold is playing through an oblique injury in which he admitted he’s going to have to manage throughout the postseason.

Walker’s success on the ground eases the pressure on Darnold, who just recorded his first postseason win, and makes life easier for the entire offense.

“It opens (the offense) up,” Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba said. “You got to respect it, all areas of our offense.”

Aside from the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl, Walker has another looming incentive to keep playing at a high level. The fourth-year running back is an impending free agent. Walker’s performance to close the season could seemingly have a financial impact on the running back.

There’s no better time for Walker to prove his worth than now. His career night in the divisional round showed his importance to Seattle’s offense. Yet he’ll underscore his value with another superb outing in the NFC championship game.

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

Manny Ramirez’s candidacy is over.

Alex Rodriguez’s realistic chance remains on life-support.

Andy Pettitte’s voting uptick remains confusing.

Welcome to the 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame election where there will be precious little suspense when the election results are announced Tuesday at 6 p.m. on the MLB Network.

Beltrán, after being snubbed his first three years on the ballot for being part of the 2017 Houston Astros’ cheating scandal, looks to be a lock. One of the greatest switch-hitters of all time, Beltrán has received 89.2% of nearly half of the ballots already made public according to Ryan Thibodeaux’s Hall of Fame tracker.

Andruw Jones, the 10-time Gold Glove center fielder who hit 434 homers and was one of the greatest defensive outfielders in history – saving 265.9 more runs than the average defender – could also join Beltrán. Jones, whose spectacular career plummeted at the age of 30, has garnering 83% of the early public votes entering Tuesday.

The two should be joining second baseman Jeff Kent, who was elected by the contemporary era committee in December, on center stage July 26 in Cooperstown, N.Y.

The most fascinating aspect of this election is not who’s getting in, but who’s gaining momentum, thanks to advance analytics, a new round of voters, and a heavy dose of sentimentalism.

No one’s candidacy is more baffling than starter Andy Pettitte. His chances for election looked dead two years ago. Suddenly, he’s flourishing. He received just 13.5% of the vote two years ago, but in his eighth year of eligibility this year, he is now receiving 57.4% of the votes, according to Thibodaux’s tracking.

Pettitte was never the best pitcher on his own team, but was one of the steadiest in the game. He was a postseason fixture, helping lead the Yankees to five World Series championships and three pennants. He pitched in an MLB-record 44 postseason games, winning 19 of them, including eight series-clinching games. He won 256 regular season games, but also had a 3.85 ERA, which would be the highest of any pitcher elected on a BBWAA ballot.

Pettitte’s candidacy gained momentum when Yankees starter CC Sabathia was elected a year ago with eerily similar numbers, with the exception of Sabathia striking out 3,093 batters compared to Pettitte’s 2,448 total.

Still, the elephant in the room is that Pettitte was an admitted PED user, and the Baseball Writers’ Association of America has made it quite clear how it views steroid users.

Barry Bonds, who hit the most homers in history and was easily the greatest player of his generation with his seven MVPs, never got close to being voted into the Hall of Fame on the BBWAA ballot. Bonds also has since been snubbed twice by his peers and executives on the contemporary era committee. He must wait six years to be included on the next contemporary era ballot, and if he again receives five or fewer votes, he’ll be permanently off the ballot.

Roger Clemens, who won 354 games and was a seven-time Cy Young winner, also is in the same Hall of Fame doghouse for his links to PEDs. He’s also ineligible to be on the ballot again for six years.

So, why in the world would Pettitte, who was outed in the Mitchell report on PEDs in baseball, and confessed to using HGH once his name surfaced, suddenly receive a huge bump of voting support.

No player in baseball history has ever admitted to PED use and been elected to the Hall of Fame.

Not one.

If Pettitte were somehow elected, how hypocritical would it be to keep Clemens, Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and everyone else out who was linked to PEDs?

And if voters are forgiving Pettitte, who has apologized for using HGH, does that mean that Alex Rodriguez should be too? He has been profusely apologizing at every opportunity for using PEDs, receiving the longest drug suspension in baseball history.

Why are we forgiving Pettitte, because he says he used only HGH to recover for injuries? Or is it because he’s a genuinely good guy, model teammate, was popular with the media, and is the pitching coach for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic?

If Pettitte is elected one day, will we suddenly stop caring who cheated, who was clean, and simply elect whoever had the best numbers, no matter how long they played?

Please, make it make sense.

While Pettite’s candidacy has new life, we’re seeing a rise with other players, too, with second baseman Chase Utley picking up 20 new voters, and trending at 67.9%. Utley’s popularity has grow thanks in part to advanced metrics. His career WAR, according to Baseball Reference, is the 15th highest of all second basemen, and 10 of the top 14 have all been enshrined in Cooperstown. Utley was always respected as a tenacious winning player, and was integral part of the Phillies’ glorious postseason run, but he still ended up with just 1,855 hits.

If Utley gets in, how can his double-play partner, Jimmy Rollins, the former MVP and four-time Gold Glove winner be left out? If you vote for one, shouldn’t both be in? Besides, Rollins is the only shortstop in history with more than 2,400 hits, 200 homers, 400 steals and 800 extra-base hits, according to Jayson Stark of The Athletic.

And if Utley is in, shouldn’t former Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia follow? Pedroia looked to be on the way to Cooperstown – winning an MVP award, four Gold Gloves and two World Series rings – but he suffered a left knee injury that all but officially ended his career after 12 full seasons. He wound up with 1,805 hits, but has picked up 19 new votes since a year ago.

If Pedroia gets in with his shortened career, do we look closer at Mets third baseman David Wright, who picked up 14 new votes? He had a sensational 10-year start of his career, but his career prematurely ended after dealing with spinal stenosis, winding up with just 1,777 hits.

There could be a trickle-down effect for the pitchers, too.

If Felix Hernandez – who is receiving 56.6% of the balloting after picking up 43 voters from a year ago – gets into Cooperstown, will pitchers with nothing-burger Hall of Fame candidacies suddenly look as appealing as prime cuts?

Hernandez was dominant from 2009-2015, winning a Cy Young award with four top-four finishes, but his career cratered when he turned 30. He ended up with 169 victories and never pitched in the postseason in his career. And the only starters voted into the Hall of Fame on the BBWAA ballot with fewer than 170 victories and 2,800 innings are Sandy Koufax and Dizzy Dean.

If Hernandez (169-136, 3.42 ERA) finds his way in, how can you keep out Cole Hamels (163-122, 3.43 ERA, along with eight postseasons)? How about Mark Buehrle (214-160, 3.81, three postseasons)?

How are we going to view Jon Lester and Adam Wainwright in the future? They each had 200 victories, and unlike Hernandez, actually led their teams to World Series championships and pennants.

So, where does it end?

Look, everyone who appears on the Hall of Fame ballot had an outstanding career, but entrance into Cooperstown is supposed to be reserved for the elite of the elite.

It shouldn’t be a popularity contest.

It shouldn’t be sympathy votes because of shortened careers.

We shouldn’t lower our standards.

Come on, if former outfielder Bobby Abreu received only 5.5% of the vote in his first year on the ballot in 2020, there’s no reason to suddenly believe he’s a Hall of Famer because his .395 career on-base percentage is illuminated by analytics. He made only two All-Star teams and never once finished in the top 10 of the MVP voting in any of his 18 years.

It’s perfectly fine to maintain lofty standards and help assure that only the best of the best receive the game’s ultimate honor.

It doesn’t mean that a player must produce 3,000 hits, a slugger has to hit 500 homers, a starter has to win 300 games or a closer obtain 600 saves. The Hall of Fame will have cobwebs waiting for new inductees if we don’t recognize that the traditional benchmarks  have changed.

But we don’t have to squeeze in as many players as possible through the Hall of Fame doors while waiting for Albert Pujols, Clayton Kershaw and Miguel Cabrera to arrive.

The Hall of Fame deserves to maintain a membership confined to the greatest who ever played the game.

If it’s no trouble, let’s keep it that way.

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As Indiana celebrated winning a national championship at Hard Rock Stadium, an incident unfolded on the field.

ESPN cameras caught Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. throwing a punch at Indiana defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker postgame. Fletcher can be seen taking a swipe at Tucker as and appearing to try and grab him while yelling at him before a Miami staff member intervened. The staff member prevented the incident from escalating further as he guided Fletcher away from the field.

It is unknown what started the scuffle. During the postgame aftermath, ESPN reporter Holly Rowe posted a picture of Fletcher embracing with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, adding he ‘waited a long time’ to meet with the Heisman Trophy winner.

Fletcher had a big game in his hometown for the Hurricanes, as they fell just short of winning their first national championship since 2001. He had 17 carriers for a game-high 112 yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort, including a 57-yard touchdown run that got Miami on the board.

Indiana football beat Miami 27-21 on Monday night to become the fourth Big Ten team overall and the third in a row to win the national championship during the College Football Playoff era, joining 2014 Ohio State, 2023 Michigan and 2024 Ohio State.

The Big Ten’s run comes after the SEC dominated the first decade of the playoff, winning titles in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. But this year’s title game was the third in a row to not include at least one SEC team.

In becoming the first national champion since Yale in 1894 to go 16-0, the Hoosiers have a very strong case for being counted among the most successful teams in modern college football history.

When evaluating champs of the playoff era, though, IU faces stiff competition for the top spot from 2020 Alabama, 2022 Georgia and 2019 LSU.

1. 2020 Alabama (13-0)

In dominating the FBS with an unstoppable offense led by Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith and quarterback Mac Jones, the 2020 Tide have a strong argument for counting among the top teams in modern history. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alabama beat 11 SEC teams, Notre Dame and Ohio State, scoring at least 31 points in every game, at least 41 points in every game but two and winning every game by at least 15 points. This was a dominant group and coach Nick Saban’s best team, which says it all.

2. 2022 Georgia (15-0)

Close behind the Tide are the 2022 Bulldogs, the second of Kirby Smart’s back-to-back champs and the program’s first since 1980 to run the table. A suffocating defense was joined by an offense that ranked fourth nationally in yards per play. Georgia had five wins against opponents ranked in the top 15 and ended things with a 58-point destruction of TCU to become the first and only repeat champs of the playoff era.

3. 2019 LSU (15-0)

The offense will live forever in FBS history. Heisman winner Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and others formed an intimidating and explosive group that set a slew of school and conference records. LSU beat seven ranked teams, including Alabama and Georgia, but the Tigers didn’t really take off until beating Auburn on Oct. 26. From there, though, this team was an all-timer.

4. 2018 Clemson (15-0)

The 2018 Tigers put together what was then the most dominant two-game run in playoff history, beating Notre Dame 30-3 and Alabama 44-16. Freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence put himself on the map with an epic game against the Tide, throwing for 347 yards and three scores. The Christian Wilkins-led defensive line is one of the most memorable in history. Overall, Clemson beat 12 bowl teams but didn’t face the same strength of schedule as the other undefeated teams on this list.

5. 2025 Indiana (16-0)

The Hoosiers’ résumé is built on an incredible close to the year, which featured a win against then-unbeaten Ohio State in the Big Ten title game and playoff wins against Alabama, Oregon and Miami. Indiana was also led by the best player in school history in quarterback and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. But while the Hoosiers beat some good-to-very-good teams before that point, including Iowa and Oregon, the difficulty of the IU’s regular-season schedules pales in comparison to what the four teams higher on this list had to face.

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6. 2021 Georgia (14-1)

The Bulldogs did drop the SEC championship game to Alabama but avenged that loss by topping the Tide 33-18 in the national championship game. Moreso than the 2022 squad, the Bulldogs were defined by their incredible defense. Georgia allowed 10.2 points per game to lead the Bowl Subdivision and gave up just 16 touchdowns all season. But the offense didn’t have the explosiveness it did with Stetson Bennett’s improvement heading into the following season.

7. 2023 Michigan (15-0)

A flimsier regular-season schedule that featured only two legitimate contenders (Penn State and Ohio State) and many of the worst offenses in college football docks Michigan a bit, though there’s no doubt the Wolverines were a deserving national champion and one of the best teams in program history. The offense never received too much credit but married physicality with solid play from quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Defensively, Michigan took care of business in Big Ten play and proved itself by shutting down Washington in the title game.

8. 2016 Clemson (14-1)

Clemson played almost exclusively strong teams, with 13 of 15 opponents advancing to the postseason. But the Tigers played single-possession games against Auburn, Troy, Louisville, NC State, Florida State and Virginia Tech while losing to Pittsburgh, so it wasn’t always pretty. The Tigers are boosted by winning a classic against Alabama in the playoff championship game with Deshaun Watson’s memorable last-second touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow.

9. 2015 Alabama (14-1)

The 2015 Tide closed out the year by beating teams then-ranked No. 1 (Clemson), No. 2 (LSU) and No. 3 (Michigan State), and there’s something to be said for that. But Alabama also lost to Mississippi in September and was not the most consistent bunch on offense, finishing the year ranked 49th nationally in yards per play and 46th in yards per carry. But this group stepped up when it mattered to win a 45-40 shootout against Clemson in the title game.

10. 2024 Ohio State (14-2)

The Buckeyes lose points for failing to play for the Big Ten title after losing (again) to Michigan. Ohio State also lost to Oregon earlier in the year, though it avenged that loss by blowing out the Ducks in the playoff quarterfinals. As the first champ of the 12-team era, the Buckeyes had to beat Tennessee, the Ducks, Texas and Notre Dame to finish atop the FBS.

11. 2014 Ohio State (14-1)

The first champs of the playoff era sneaked into the top four by demolishing Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship and then beat Alabama and Oregon. Ohio State deserves credit for getting it done after losing two starting quarterbacks (Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett) and winning the final three games behind third-stringer Cardale Jones. But the Buckeyes were stunned by Virginia Tech in nonconference play, needed two overtimes to top Penn State and weren’t always reliable on defense.

12. 2017 Alabama (13-1)

The 2017 team comes in last as the first champion of the playoff era to not even win its own division. Despite dropping the Iron Bowl and the SEC West to Auburn, the Tide made the playoff as the No. 4 seed, beat Clemson in the semifinals and then topped Georgia 26-23 after making a halftime quarterback change from Jalen Hurts to Tua Tagovailoa, who tossed the game winner in overtime.

MIAMI GARDENS, FL — Fernando Mendoza delivered some late magic and No. 1 seed Indiana held on to beat No. 10 Miami, 27-21, in the College Football Playoff championship game to claim the first title in program history.

The win completes a stunning turnaround orchestrated by second-year coach Curt Cignetti, who inherited what is historically one of the weakest programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision but quickly transformed the Hoosiers into the best team the sport has to offer.

A surprisingly low-scoring game through the first half began to open up in the third quarter and then took on a frenzied pace in a final quarter that saw Mendoza put the finishing touches on the most memorable individual season in program history by providing clutch plays on two Indiana scoring drives.

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Mendoza finished 16 of 27 for 186 yards and ran for a touchdown. Kaelon Black ran for 79 yards on 17 carries and Roman Hemby added 60 yards on 19 carries. Omar Cooper led IU with 71 yards on five receptions and Charlie Becker added 65 yards, including multiple driving-extending catches in the fourth quarter.

Miami quarterback Carson Beck threw for 232 yards on 19 of 32 passing with a touchdown and an interception. Mark Fletcher Jr. had 112 yards on 17 carries and freshman receiver Malachi Toney had a game-high 10 catches for 122 yards and a score.

The teams exchanged punts on the game’s first three possessions. Indiana opened scoring on a 34-yard field goal by Nicolas Radicic with 2:42 left in the first quarter. That capped an 11-play, roughly six-minute drive featuring a key 25-yard completion to Cooper after a holding penalty left IU facing first-and-20 inside its own red zone.

After the teams combined for three consecutive three-and-out drives, the Hoosiers stirred to life and took a 10-0 lead with 6:13 remaining in the half on a 1-yard plunge by tight end Riley Nowakowski. Capping an 85-yard march, the score was set up by a 15-yard completion to Becker that was originally called a touchdown but brought back to the 5-yard line on an official review.

At this point, Miami’s offense had gained only 26 yards, 9 coming on Fletcher’s carry on the first play from scrimmage, and just a single first down.

Combined with the Hoosiers’ growing lead, this rough start led Miami to attempt and convert a fourth-and-1 play at its 34-yard line on a short Fletcher run. But after a 25-yard grab by receiver CJ Daniels pushed the Hurricanes into IU territory, coach Mario Cristobal opted for a long field goal attempt on fourth-and-2 from the 32.

Kicker Carter Davis’s 49-yard attempt with 33 seconds left in the half had the distance but drifted right and clanged off the goalpost to send the Hoosiers into the break ahead 10-0. IU went into the locker room with a 100-yard edge in total offense (169-69) and 11 first downs to Miami’s three. The Hurricanes were 0 of 6 on third down.

But the momentum built during that drive carried over into the third quarter. After sacking Mendoza twice and forcing an IU punt, Miami scored on its second play of the half via a 57-yard run by Fletcher, who waited patiently for a seam to open on the right side before going untouched into the end zone to make it 10-7 less than four minutes into the half.

That was the sixth run of at least 50 yards given up by the Hoosiers’ defense this season, more than all but five teams in the FBS.

Two drives later, following another IU punt, Miami was stopped short on a third-and-8 completion to Toney and lined up to punt back to the Hoosiers at its 16-yard line with 5:04 left in the third quarter.

Miami’s special teams were again an issue: IU’s Mikail Kamara blocked Dylan Joyce’s punt, which bounced into the end zone and was recovered by Isaiah Jones to put the Hoosiers back up by double digits at 17-7.

That was the first blocked punt for a score in College Football Playoff history.

The Hurricanes remained composed and provided a response. Starting at its 19 with five minutes to go in the third quarter, Miami went 81 yards in 10 plays, ending with Fletcher’s second touchdown run from 3 yards out, and drew within a field goal at 17-14 with 14:57 to play.

Miami had dominated the third quarter and put the Hoosiers on their heels. After that score, the Hurricanes were ahead in total offense with 222 yards to IU’s 180; the defense held Mendoza without a completion in the quarter.

But the fourth quarter would belong to the Hoosiers.

IU would have a major answer behind a rejuvenated Mendoza. He threw for 37 yards on the next drive, including a key 19-yard completion to Becker on fourth-and-5 from the Miami 37, and then ran it in from 12 yards out on fourth-and-4 from the 12 to put Indiana ahead 24-14 with 9:18 left.

Yet Miami would not go away thanks to more open-field brilliance from Toney. The Hurricanes needed just 2:34 to go 91 yards and make it 24-21 via Toney’s weaving 22-yard touchdown on a short completion from Beck. The former Georgia transfer found Toney for a 41-yard two plays earlier to drive deep into IU territory.

With 6:37 left, the Hoosiers took over at their 25 with a chance to put Miami in a serious bind with another score. Again, Mendoza stepped up to deliver one final blockbuster sequence.

He hit Cooper for 14 yards on a third-and-5 from IU’s 31. He then found Becker for 19 yards on third-and-7 from the 48 to get the Hoosiers across midfield. After Hemby went around the right end for 10 yards on the following play, the Hoosiers were set up at the Miami 23 at the two-minute timeout.

Hemby then ran for 9 yards and Miami called its first timeout. IU followed that with a key false start to make it second-and-6 from the 19 with 1:56 to play. The Hoosiers gained a yard on the next runs, both of which were followed by Miami timeouts, to make it fourth-and-4 from the 18.

Radicic made the 35-yard field goal to grow the lead to 27-21 with 1:42 left, but Miami was left in position to win the game with a touchdown.

The Hurricanes committed a false start on the first play. Beck was hit and threw incomplete on first-and-15. Next, Beck again missed his target but the Hoosiers were flagged for a late hit, giving Miami a first down at its 35-yard line.

A 7-yard gain from Beck to Toney with 51 seconds left moved the Hurricanes into IU territory at the 47. On the next snap, Beck arced a throw down the left sideline toward Keelan Marion. But Marion wasn’t looking for the ball; defensive back Jamari Sharpe undercut Marion and intercepted at the Hoosiers’ 7-yard line to seal the win.

Before going 11-2 and losing in the opening round of last year’s playoff, IU had never won more than nine games in a season. The 2025 team is the first national champion since Yale in 1894 to finish 16-0. In their final four games, the Hoosiers beat teams then ranked No. 1, No. 5, No. 10 and No. 11 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

If Indiana football can pull out the win in the College Football Playoff national championship game, it will be because of the aggression from Curt Cignetti to go for it on fourth down in the fourth quarter… twice.

Following a timeout to mull over the decision with a three-point lead, Cignetti sent the offense back out on the field, and did it ever work out in the Hoosiers’ favor. Their Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, bulldozed his way to the end zone for a 12-yard rushing touchdown.

The gusty touchdown call pushed the Hoosiers’ lead back up to a 10-point game with just over nine minutes remaining at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

‘That’s why he won the Heisman Trophy,’ ESPN’s Chris Fowler said on the broadcast at the end of the touchdown call.

Added Kirk Herbstreit: ‘What a call from Curt Cignetti and the offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan.’

It was the second fourth-down conversion that the Hoosiers were able to convert on their first scoring drive since the second quarter, as Mendoza connected with Charlie Becker for a ridiculous catch as he fell backwards on the field along the sidelines.

Mendoza’s rushing score was just his seventh on the ground this season for the Miami native. It also got a heartwarming reaction from his mom, Elsa — who is battling multiple sclerosis — from the stands with the rest of the Mendoza family.

The Hurricanes responded to Mendoza’s touchdown with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Carson Beck to Malachi Toney, bringing the score back to a one-possession game at 24-21 with 6:37 remaining in the fourth quarter.

If Mendoza and Indiana can pull out the win over Miami, the Hoosiers will win their first-ever national championship in program history. It would also give the Big Ten their third consecutive CFP championship, with the last two coming from Michigan and Ohio State.

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Robert Saleh is back among the head coaching ranks of the NFL.

The Tennessee Titans are hiring Saleh, the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator, to be their next head coach, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet finalized.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported on Jan. 18 that the Titans had scheduled Saleh for an in-person interview on Jan. 19, right after their interview with Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. Saleh had a second interview scheduled with the Arizona Cardinals on Jan. 20, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, but Tennessee did not let him leave its building without a deal.

Saleh, 46, spent three and a half years as head coach of the New York Jets between 2021 and 2024. He joined the Green Bay Packers staff in the middle of the 2024 season as an offensive consultant. Before the 2025 season, Saleh returned to San Francisco for a second stint as the team’s defensive coordinator, a role he originally served under head coach Kyle Shanahan from 2017 to 2020.

Tennessee’s head coach vacancy has been open since Week 6, when the Titans fired former head coach Brian Callahan amid his second season in charge after the team got off to a 1-5 start. Callahan finished his tenure with a 4-19 record as Tennessee’s head coach.

Saleh takes over a Titans team that just drafted quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in 2025 and owns the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.