Latest news with #SuperBowl.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Analyst Teases All-Pro Fit For Bills and Josh Allen
Analyst Teases All-Pro Fit For Bills and Josh Allen originally appeared on Athlon Sports. All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill has been a thorn in the Buffalo Bills side for close to a decade now. Whether it's his time with the Kansas City Chiefs or recently with the Miami Dolphins, the Bills have had major trouble trying to lock up the deep threat. Advertisement Could that come to an end? Would Buffalo be interested in simply bringing in the player they can't stop to their team? As Hill's off-field problems continue to grow in South Florida, there are analysts who believe the star could be on his last legs with the Dolphins. As Miami transitions to a retooling effort, they may look to get rid of the high-priced talent they have held in recent years. Hill could be one of those names on the move. And the Bills are a team who would be highly interested if they can get Miami to the negotiating table. "The contenders that should at least ponder whether Hill can help get them over the top include the Ravens, Texans, Chargers, and 49ers. (The Bills should think about it, too. However, the Dolphins may not be interested in helping Buffalo get back to a Super Bowl.), PFT's Mike Florio call. Advertisement Our thoughts? Once you include the $25.85 million fully guaranteed contract? This is a Florio Fantasy. Buffalo hasn't had a top receiving target on their team since they traded Stefon Diggs away to the Houston Texans. Hill, like Diggs, is a very outspoken individual, but plays the position in a way that Buffalo hasn't had on their roster. If Miami is willing to part ways, and they don't care about an inter-divisional trade, then Buffalo - even with Tyreek's baggage - should absolutely explore options. … but that would likely mean Miami paying some of the freight while giving away the player.. Related: Can Bills' 'Borderline Elite' Roster Claim Super Bowl Glory? Related: Bills' Elijah Moore Offers 'Pretty' Josh Allen Scouting Report This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Drake Points Finger at Justin Bieber After Maple Leafs' Game 7 Collapse
The Toronto Maple Leafs were unable to snap their Game 7 skid on Sunday evening against the Florida Panthers. After winning the first two games of the series and then losing the next three, the Maple Leafs were able to win Game 6 to force a winner-take-all situation. On Sunday night, Toronto simply didn't have enough. When all was said and done, the final score was 6-1 and the Maple Leafs' season has come to an end. Advertisement With the loss, Toronto has now lost seven straight Game 7's and have tied the Colorado Avalanche for the worst streak in that category. Fans have had a rough time dealing with the playoff Game 7 failures. Following the game, Drake took to social media to place blame for the loss. He blames fellow entertainment star Justin Bieber. Bleacher Report shared Drake's post blaming Bieber on X. "Drake blamed Justin Bieber for the Maple Leafs' brutal game 7 loss to the Panthers," their post read. Drake's exact two-word message was, "Bieber curse..." After finishing the regular season at 52-26-4, the Maple Leafs looked like a top-tier contender. They made a run, but simply didn't have enough to get over the hump. Justin Bieber is pictured while watching the Super Bowl.© Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Toronto star Auston Matthews spoke out after the game and revealed the honest truth about why the game went the way it did. Advertisement 'It felt like we were ready to play, it felt like we were in a good mindset,' Matthews said. 'I thought the first ten minutes they came out strong, and the next ten minutes I thought we controlled play, then I just thought we had too many passengers throughout the rest of the game. We just weren't on the same page.' No matter what happened, the Maple Leafs have now lost their seventh straight Game 7. Their season is over and all eyes will turn to next season and trying to fix the issues that have plagued them for a long time. Related: Mitch Marner's Bench Behavior During Panthers-Maple Leafs Game 7 Turns Heads
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Browns: Twitter reactions to Myles Garrett inking mega-deal
Twitter had a heyday with the new contract extension between the Cleveland Browns and defensive end, All-Pro, and 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. Garrett agreed to a new deal worth $40 million per year with over $88 million in new guaranteed money to stay with the Browns through 2030. He has already stated that he will begin recruiting free agents to play for the Browns as NFL free agency begins on Monday (could a reunion with his buddy Za'Darius Smith be in order?). So how was the new deal between the Browns and their superstar perceived? Some saw it as a money grab, some saw it as the only option the Browns had, and more. So let's take a look at all of the best reactions to be found on social media. Here are some of the best reactions found on Twitter as the Browns and Garrett melted the face off of the entire planet: Myles Garrett: 'Cleveland TRADE ME. I want to win a SuperBowl.'Myles Garrett after $123.5 Million extension: — Hater Report (@HaterReport_) March 9, 2025 Congrats to client, Myles Garrett, on becoming the highest paid non-QB in NFL history!! A decade ago you took a meeting with a young agent just trying to catch a break. Three-years ago it all came back around full circle, when you chose me to be your agent. It is an absolute… — Nicole Lynn (@AgentNicoleLynn) March 9, 2025 Say what you want about #Browns GM Andrew Berry but the way he handled this Myles Garrett situation was his ground to keep a franchise piece. Most GMs are folding under the pressure and taking the best offer available. Instead, he gets Myles to sign an EXTENSION — King♕ (@Browns_Watcher) March 9, 2025 I love the 'uhhhh I got a reality check for Browns fans.'Yeah man, they know. Myles Garrett is also the best defensive player the team has ever had and most have a Garrett jersey somewhere in their closet. Fans can be excited someone great is staying. Pretty normal. — Ken Carman (@KenCarman) March 9, 2025 Not to harp on the Bengals and Cowboys (again) but the Myles Garrett deal really hammers home why their approaches of dragging stuff out is the worst way to do years ago they could have signed or traded Tee for 22M a year.A year ago they could have done Chase for… — Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) March 9, 2025 I'm happy that this Myles Garrett stuff is all over. The best outcome has happened and Myles is in Cleveland for years to come. That being said, I think that Myles has some work to do to repair the damage that he has done with this fanbase. #DawgPound — DynastyCLE (@DynastyCLE) March 9, 2025 Good on Cleveland for showing an ounce of competency and not letting Myles Garrett become a Philadelphia Eagle. — Marcus Whitman (@TFG_Football) March 9, 2025 Myles Garrett never had any leverage!He had two choices:a) Two seasons & two tags, then a FA in 2029b) Sign the biggest non QB deal ever signed Was only ever one outcome 👇 — Jack Duffin (@JackDuffin) March 9, 2025 No one with sense should've believed the Browns were going to eat $40M to get rid of Myles Garrett lol — VivaLasVegan, Baby Deliverer, groupchat villain (@BeLikeMike_06) March 9, 2025 'BAH GAWD IS THAT MYLES GARRETT'S MUSIC??!!' — Stephen (@Scuba_Steve26) March 9, 2025 Myles Garrett just got an extension worth $40 million per year, clearing Crosby's just-set-the-record extension by $5 million per, and I haven't seen one single person wonder if that's too big of a you everything you need to know about how good Garrett is. — Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) March 9, 2025 Me deleting all my Myles Garrett hate tweets. We're friends again — Greg (@erjmanlasvegas) March 9, 2025 Andrew Berry knew he couldn't go down as the GM that signed Deshaun Watson and lost Myles Garrett — John (@JohnHillbery) March 9, 2025 My son's response to the Myles Garrett contract extension: 'It's a miracle!' — Cody Suek (@CodySuek) March 9, 2025 Everyone who tweeted something nasty about Myles Garrett as a defense mechanism to rejection owes him an apology. — Browns Alchemist (@BrownsAlchemy) March 9, 2025 Funny how money changes the perception of a team. See Myles Garrett. It's always about the money. Never forget it. And it should be. — Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) March 9, 2025 This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Twitter reacts to new deal between Browns, Myles Garrett
New York Times
07-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Breaking down the Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl matchup, by the numbers
Fancy seeing you here, indeed. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles meet on the Super Bowl stage again Sunday, two years after the Chiefs won the first of their back-to-back rings against the Eagles in 2023. Both teams have franchise and league records on the line. Here's what to know — culture, coaches, quarterbacks and more — about this year's Super Bowl. Advertisement The Chiefs were always a favorite to be back in the Super Bowl, but the path to their fifth appearance in six years included a ton of close calls. During their 9-0 start to the season, they won by a touchdown or less seven times. After losing to the Bills in Week 11, they scooted by the Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams by a combined seven points. Kansas City has won an NFL record 17 consecutive one-score games, including the 32-29 win over the Bills in the AFC Championship Game to reach this point. Unlike two years ago, when Kansas City led the NFL in points and yards per game, the Chiefs' offense was mortal — averaging 22.6 points per game (15th in the NFL). The Chiefs went 15-2 without ever fully having every dancer in step. If they come to cohesion, there might be no stopping the three-peat. After going one-and-done in the playoffs last year, pressure mounted on the Eagles entering 2024. A 2-2 start didn't help. But the Eagles went on a 10-game tear after their bye week, finishing 14-3 and winning the NFC East. Philadelphia's resurgence after the first quarter of the season coincided with — surprise surprise — Saquon Barkley's rise. The running back, who came over from the New York Giants in the offseason, rushed for a league-leading 2,005 yards in the regular season. He put up 176 rushing yards in a revenge game against the Giants on Oct. 20. From then until now, he has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in 12 of 14 games. In Week 12 against the Rams, Barkley set both personal and franchise highs with 255 rushing yards and 302 yards from scrimmage, while both of his rushing touchdowns went for at least 70 yards. With a fast offense and stout defense, the Eagles are peaking at the right time — scoring 55 points in the NFC Championship Game against the Washington Commanders. Mahomes and Jalen Hurts hardly need an introduction, having both been here before. If Mahomes, 29, secures his fourth Super Bowl victory on Sunday, he'll tie Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana for the second-most such wins by a QB. Tom Brady leads with seven, but Mahomes would be pacing ahead of him. (Brady is also the only QB to have beaten Mahomes in the Super Bowl. Oh, and he'll be on the call Sunday for Fox.) Mahomes completed a career-high 67.5 percent of passes for 3,928 yards and 26 TDs against 11 interceptions this regular season. He added 307 rushing yards and two rushing TDs. Hurts, 26, also completed a career-high percentage of throws this season (68.7) for 2,903 yards and 18 TDs against five interceptions. He added 630 rushing yards and 14 rushing scores. Hurts delivered a dazzling performance in his Super Bowl debut in 2023, passing for 304 yards and a TD while rushing for 70 yards and three more TDs. Advertisement In this year's NFC Championship Game, Hurts set the record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in the playoffs with nine. His three-TD performance that day marked the third time a QB ran for three TDs in a playoff game, and the Eagles quarterback has done it twice. Kansas City hired Andy Reid as its head coach in 2013. He spent the first 14 years of his head-coaching career with the Eagles, producing a 130-93 overall record, but was fired after a 4-12 record in 2012, setting him up to take the Chiefs job the following season. On Sunday, he will coach in his sixth Super Bowl. He is already one of the 13 NFL head coaches with multiple rings, but he can join Bill Belichick (six) and Chuck Noll (four) as the only coaches in league history with more than three rings. Reid, 66, was the oldest head coach in the NFL before the Las Vegas Raiders hired 73-year-old Pete Carroll in January. But this doesn't sound like it's a finale. Team owner Clark Hunt said Monday that Reid will be back next season. Nick Sirianni, 43, is in his fourth season leading the Eagles and has made the playoffs every year. After going 9-8 in his first season in 2021, Philadelphia won 14 games in his second year, reaching the Super Bowl. Sirianni joined Hurts in Philadelphia one year after the QB was drafted. Together, they are the first head coach and quarterback duo in Eagles history to reach two Super Bowls. For Philadelphia, it's easy. Barkley is a prime reason why the Eagles led the NFL in rushing attempts (621) and finished second in yards. The RB finished the regular season with a career-high 345 carries, averaging a little more than 125 yards per game. For Kansas City, first-round rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy proved dependable this season to Mahomes after Kansas City lost Rashee Rice to a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. Worthy led the team with 85 receiving yards and a TD in the AFC Championship Game victory over the Buffalo Bills. For the season, he led Kansas City wide receivers with 59 catches, 638 yards and six touchdowns. The last Super Bowl between the Chiefs and Eagles was a back-and-forth affair. The Eagles held a 27-21 lead entering the fourth quarter before the Chiefs scored back-to-back touchdowns to take a 35-27 edge with 9:22 left to play. Hurts and the Eagles responded with another scoring drive to take the lead with 5:15 left, but Mahomes had the last word, marching his team downfield for a 27-yard Harrison Butker field goal with eight seconds left for the 38-35 victory. What's different in 2025? Let's start with the Kelces. Super Bowl LVII pitted brothers Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce against one another. Jason, the longtime Eagles center, retired last offseason and Cam Jurgens was tabbed as his successor. Jason's absence (and Taylor Swift's presence) is a notable difference between then and now, though having only one son playing in the big game might ease the decision-making of Mama Kelce. As for the rest of the family … Kylie Kelce, Jason's wife, said on her podcast, 'Not Gonna Lie,' that she cheers for her brother-in-law's success but was raised to 'bleed green.' It's a sentiment Jason shares, saying on his 'New Heights' podcast: 'I'm rooting for Philadelphia and I'm rooting for Travis Kelce.' Advertisement Travis Kelce had 81 receiving yards and a score in the Chiefs' narrow victory in 2023. The rest of Mahomes' receiving corps looks different; Worthy and DeAndre Hopkins — acquired via trade midseason — rank second and third after Kelce in receptions and yards. Kansas City's defense contains several mainstays from the last two Super Bowl teams, including All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones. The Eagles, meanwhile, have loaded up through the NFL Draft to get back to the Super Bowl. Notable additions from the 2022 team include defensive tackle Jalen Carter, linebacker Nolan Smith and defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell, Kelee Ringo and Cooper DeJean. The team also added linebacker Zack Baun, a first-team All-Pro who recorded 151 tackles. But the most explosive addition has been Barkley. In three playoff games, Barkley tallied 442 rushing yards and five scores. He is 30 yards away from breaking Terrell Davis' record for most rushing yards in the regular season and postseason combined. The Chiefs have the slim edge in all head-to-head matchups against the Eagles, leading 6-5 in the series. Their last Super Bowl matchup was the first time the two met in the postseason. The Chiefs are already a dynasty, but they're out to redefine what that means in the NFL. Another ring would make the Chiefs the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls. They're already the first team to even get to attempt it. A victory Sunday would also group Kansas City with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers as teams with five Lombardi Trophies, trailing only the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers with six. Validation, mainly, for Barkley, Sirianni and Hurts. Barkley has the chance to be the star of a Super Bowl champion, demanding respect as a veteran running back in a market that hasn't been kind in recent years. But there's plenty of pressure to share. Despite the 48-20 record Sirianni and Hurts have amassed during their four regular seasons together, fans have found their faults. Sirianni has been criticized for displaying emotion, the inconsistencies of the Eagles offense and some choice calls during games. And Hurts, while applauded for his legs, has been questioned for his passing performances. Hurts threw for nearly 1,000 fewer yards this regular season than last (3,858). Advertisement A Super Bowl victory would make the case they're the greatest coach-QB tandem in franchise history. It's not a Super Bowl if it's quiet. American rapper Kendrick Lamar headlines the halftime show and will bring out American R&B singer SZA, who Lamar starts traveling with in April for their 'Grand National Tour.' Lamar's hit song 'Not Like Us' won five Grammy Awards on Sunday, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Lamar has 22 Grammys total — as many as U2 and Vince Gill. Who wasn't at the Grammys was Travis Kelce, who is in a relationship with pop sensation Taylor Swift. But Swift's Super Bowl attendance is highly anticipated yet again after she hustled to get across the Pacific Ocean and back to the United States in time for last year's kickoff. Swift flew from her 'The Eras Tour' stop in Tokyo to Las Vegas to catch the Chiefs' 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, watching from a box alongside Jason, Kylie and Donna Kelce as well as Swift's mom and friends Blake Lively, Ice Spice and Ashley Avignone. Swift and Kelce began dating in 2023 after Kelce said on his 'New Heights' podcast he wished to meet Swift and give her a friendship bracelet with his number on it at her tour stop in Kansas City that summer. Insert corny ring joke here. — Eamonn Dalton contributed to this story. (Top illustration: Perry Knotts, Ric Tapia, Cooper Neill, Terence Lewis / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images; Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic)
New York Times
05-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Mandel's Mailbag: Michigan not backing down in sign-stealing saga, nothing new for NCAA
There are certain topics that I know people are going to read about no matter the time of year. Like realignment. Or Connor Stalions. Thankfully this week's Mailbag has both. (Note: Submitted questions have been lightly edited for length and clarity.) Why is Michigan fighting the NCAA so hard regarding the ongoing investigations? Does this mean significant sanctions are coming to the Michigan football program and their current head coach? — Terry G. Everyone fights the NCAA now. Everyone thinks they're being unfairly persecuted. But Michigan has been particularly defiant about the Connor Stalions stuff from the time it broke, so I'm not surprised it's maintaining that approach. The strategy all along has seemingly been: this guy was acting on his own, we knew nothing about it, it didn't help us anyway. Advertisement But as of now, we're lacking specifics on what exactly Michigan is charged with. The school has not released the Notice of Allegations, which is frustrating because it should at least be subject to a public records request. Nor has it leaked. But Yahoo last week reported some of the contents of Michigan's response to the NOA, including a mention that six of the alleged violations are considered the most serious type, Level I. If so, they could definitely lead to major sanctions, whatever that consists of these days. Mind you, the enforcement staff, which issues the NOA, is essentially the prosecutor. The Committee on Infractions is essentially the judge who hears the case. It's highly unlikely it would throw out the case entirely, but it could downgrade some of those charges, which, the report says, Michigan is claiming are 'without merit or credible evidence.' It's an interesting argument, given the evidence reportedly includes a spreadsheet that documents everything Stalions did. As confirmed in the Netflix doc. Also, they have the deleted text messages between Stalions and Sherrone Moore, which Moore says are completely innocent To me, the most interesting reveal from that report was the anonymous tipster who touched off the whole scandal was not Ryan Day, or Day's private investigator brother or any other nefarious figure out to get Michigan, but, in fact, a mole on Michigan's campus. Who saw that plot twist coming? I understand success creates new opportunities for assistant coaches, but do you find anything unusual about Ohio State's losses of both OC Chip Kelly and DC Jim Knowles? — Craig S., Columbus, Ohio Nothing unusual about Kelly, who came on 'The Audible' this week to discuss his move to the Raiders. He's coached in the NFL before, so it was always a possibility he'd go back at some point. He clearly has a lot of respect for Pete Carroll, but also for minority owner Tom Brady, who seems to be taking a bigger role in the franchise than some anticipated. (While also calling the Super Bowl. Nothing weird about that.) Advertisement Knowles is a different situation entirely. CBS Sports had an interesting report earlier this week indicating friction between Knowles and Ryan Day, who became more involved in the defense after the Oct. 12 Oregon loss, and a difference in philosophies between Knowles, who loves three-man fronts, and longtime D-line coach Larry Johnson, who's always had four D-linemen. It sounds like if it hadn't been Penn State, it would have been Oklahoma that gave Knowles his very lucrative exit plan. GO DEEPER After full circle move, can DC Jim Knowles unlock Penn State's championship potential? You don't often see a national championship team lose both coordinators immediately afterward. I'm mostly surprised those opportunities were still waiting when Ohio State's season didn't end until Jan. 20. And now the Buckeyes have openings to fill. This coordinator coaching carousel is proving to be more eventful than the head-coaching cycle. Case in point … GO DEEPER The 10 most shocking college sports transactions — no Luka for AD, but lots of fleeing coaches How much different do you think Alabama's offense will be with Ryan Grubb as OC/play caller as he reunites with Kalen DeBoer? — Drake C., Columbia, Tenn. It's a positive development for Alabama fans. Grubb played an instrumental role in those prolific Michael Penix Jr. Washington offenses, but perhaps more importantly, Grubb and DeBoer have worked together for a dozen seasons, spanning four schools (Sioux Falls, Eastern Michigan, Fresno State and Washington). They should be highly compatible when it comes to scheme and play calling. I believed going into last season Jalen Milroe, whose biggest strength as a passer was his deep balls, would thrive in DeBoer's offense. Whoops. But, that was the Nick Sheridan version of DeBoer's offense. It could be that the version we saw at Washington was a product of Grubb as much as it was DeBoer himself. It's difficult to guess what specific changes we'll see, though, without knowing who will be Alabama's quarterback and what his strengths are. Former five-star Ty Simpson, an Alabama backup for three seasons, is the leading contender. He's not as fast as Milroe, but he can move. I could see him excelling at RPOs, like this nifty keeper during mop-up duty against Western Kentucky. Whoever gets that job will have the opportunity to throw to freshman sensation Ryan Williams, established No. 2 guy Germie Bernard, who played for Grubb at Washington, and Miami transfer Isaiah Horton (56 catches for 616 yards last season). If nothing else, I can't wait to see what the OC who helped develop Rome Odunze/Ja'Lynn Polk/Jalen McMillan can do with this group. Advertisement Both Oregon's Dante Moore and Texas's Arch Manning were five-star QB recruits in 2023. Moore was thrown into the fire too early at UCLA, but since then both have been backups with very little playing time. So why in most of the Way Too Early rankings is Texas ranked high in no small part to their QB position assumed to be set, while Oregon is dropped in part due to 'questions' at that position? — Don D., Eugene, Ore. I'm not someone who just assumes Arch is going to come out and torch all comers this season, but it's not like he hasn't played at all. He made two starts last season, albeit against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State, and looked pretty good. Against the Bulldogs, in particular, he went 26 of 31 for 325 yards, two TDs and no INTs while also running for a TD. Texas used him situationally as a runner, including in the semifinal against Ohio State, and we saw glimpses of how he'll impact games with his legs. Mind you, that's considerably fewer reps than Moore saw at UCLA in 2023 when he made five starts. Unfortunately, though, he really struggled. He completed just 53.5 percent of his throws that season, had an 11-to-9 TD-to-INT ratio and got sacked at least four times in four different games (25 total). He may be much improved after a year developing behind Dillon Gabriel at Oregon, but still, I have more questions about him than I do Arch. But that's not the main reason I had Texas and Oregon six spots apart in my rankings. It's the defenses. Steve Sarkisian and DC Pete Kwiatkowski have formed an elite unit in Austin that figures to reload this fall. Dan Lanning and DC Tosh Lupoi have been attempting the same in Eugene, but it's just not there yet. The Big Ten title game (against Penn State) and Rose Bowl (against Ohio State) exposed that. They are bringing in another impressive portal class that could plug some of the holes. But again — more questions. It seems writers have decided the Michigan sign-stealing thing was no biggie. Regardless of where you are in the issue, if pressed, how would you make the argument that it was actually one of the biggest scandals of the past 20 years? — Josh I. This is at least the fourth time I've led the Mailbag with a Connor Stalions-related question, so clearly, I think it's a big deal. But I cannot in good conscience make an argument it's one of the biggest college sports scandals of the last 20 years. I'd say it's more so one of the most amusing. Rewind everything to 2010 before Colorado and Nebraska left the Big 12 and assume the most important factors for potential realignment are brand, TV ratings and streaming (like now) instead of cable households, conference networks and market size (like then). How does power conference realignment unfold differently (if at all)? — Reggie C., San Diego Great question. Advertisement That particular round of realignment coincided almost exactly with the beginning of cable's decline. The number of U.S. cable households peaked around the start of the decade at about 100 million. The Pac-10 got a then-monstrous deal in 2010 in large part because ESPN and Fox teamed up to head off Comcast, which was looking to beef up NBC Sports Network. ESPN would launch Longhorn Network in 2011, Fox used Big 12 and Pac-12 rights to help launch FS1 in 2013 and SEC Network debuted in 2014. I doubt any of that would happen today, with the number of cable subscribers continually falling by around 4-5 percent a year. Some moves would still be no-brainers. The Big Ten would have still grabbed Nebraska, which was still a massive brand then. Texas A&M still would have been ticked at Texas, and the SEC would have gladly added the state of Texas for recruiting purposes. The Pac-10 still needed two more teams to get to 12 and start a championship game, and those are still likely Colorado and Utah. A key question is whether the ACC would have still taken Syracuse and Pittsburgh. Those were not cable plays as much as John Swofford's longstanding attempt to take over the East Coast. That decision would have affected several subsequent dominos — most notably Notre Dame joining the ACC but also whether the Big East stays together. Either way, Rutgers and Maryland to the Big Ten likely never happens. But if the emphasis on broadcast and streaming had kicked in a decade earlier, we may have just seen the same consolidation of brands take place sooner. Maybe Oklahoma and Texas join the Big Ten or SEC from the jump. Maybe the Big Ten and USC don't wait until 2021 to take the plunge. And ultimately, the forces that led to the Pac-12's demise would have been the same. That conference was always going to fall further behind the Big Ten and SEC. It would still lack the number of rabid fan bases as the Big 12. Though maybe in this alternate timeline, the league's presidents don't hire a commissioner capable of conducting a competent media rights negotiation. Help us see the forest through the trees. What is the anticipated timeline over the next few years regarding the $20.5 million per school revenue sharing, collective bargaining, CFP contract/format, etc.? — Noah B. Yes, I can see why that would be helpful. Advertisement The first key date is April 7. That's the day Judge Claudia Wilken will hold a hearing to decide whether to give final approval to the House v. NCAA settlement, which would kick into motion the new revenue-sharing model and that $20.5 million per school cap. Schools have been signing deals with athletes on the assumption this will go into effect next school year. However, numerous affected parties have been filing objections to various elements of the settlement, and the Department of Justice filed a statement to the judge last month urging her to remove the salary cap aspect. GO DEEPER NCAA's $2.8 billion settlement faces objections before final approval So, the proceeding is not exactly a formality. And even if it does get approved, the NCAA is not remotely out of the woods on compensation matters. A separate lawsuit in Colorado, Fontenot v. NCAA, remains ongoing. Front Office Sports reported this week that more than 150 athletes have opted out of the House settlement to join the plaintiffs in Fontenot. The CFP contract/format is an entirely separate matter. The commissioners and presidents who oversee the CFP will meet again in the spring to discuss potential changes to the format. The vibe I got coming out of their meeting in Atlanta the day before the national championship game was likely nothing will change this coming season, the last one under the CFP's original 12-year contract. But almost everything is on the table for 2026, including expanding the field beyond 12, and I'm bracing for the Big Ten/SEC — which no longer require approval from the other conferences — to propose something ridiculous, like eight auto-bids each. The two leagues are holding their own joint meeting in New Orleans on Feb. 19 and this figures to be one of the primary subjects. As for collective bargaining, I'd point you to last week's Mailbag, where I wrote about the momentum for that movement stalling due to political reasons. That doesn't mean it won't happen one day, but nothing is imminent. As we anticipate the 2025 season, how have uneven schedules been adjusted, if at all? We know Texas flipped its SEC schedule from home to away (and vice versa). What about Indiana? — Mark T. Charlotte, N.C. It's hard to do much about it because no one knows for certain which teams will be good or bad the next year. Remember, Indiana last year played both teams from the previous season's national championship game, Michigan and Washington. But they weren't nearly the same caliber and did not do much for the Hoosiers' schedule strength. (In hindsight, the Wolverines stifling Indiana's offense in the second half of their 10th game was a harbinger of things to come against Ohio State and Notre Dame.) Advertisement Also, every conference does schedules differently. The SEC announced a year ago the teams would play the same opponents in 2025 as they would in 2024, but with the sites flipped. Hence, Texas. The Big Ten went even further and announced its 2024-28 schedules all at once. You do see some differences this season, including Indiana picking up Oregon and Penn State, both on the road. The Big 12 just announced its 2025 schedule this week, and it appears the conference took an NFL approach in giving harder schedules to the best teams and vice versa. Colorado, which finished in a four-way tie for first, got all three of the other teams, Arizona State, BYU and Iowa State, plus 9-4 teams TCU and Kansas State. Defending champ ASU drew ISU, CU, TCU and Baylor, which went 6-3 in the conference. Conversely, last-place Oklahoma State drew just one of the four first-place teams, Iowa State. The thing is, I expect the Big 12 to swing wildly from year to year anyway, and who the heck knows which schedules will prove to be the toughest? You could probably draw names out of a hat and get the same result. End-of-day, conferences are too big to have any sort of scheduling balance. The committee needs to consider that when evaluating teams. I didn't feel they did that for most of last season. You have to plant your flag in one camp or the other: Will Jaxson Dart be a successful starting NFL QB or not? — Jessica S., Los Angeles I am quite possibly the last person on Earth whose opinion you should trust on NFL quarterback prospects. I'm the same person who wrote an opus during the 2018 draft season about why Josh Allen was going to be a colossal bust. I also would have bet you $1 million during the 2015 draft cycle that Marcus Mariota would become an All-Pro, and I would have taken Tua Tagovailoa over Joe Burrow in 2020. So, I mostly stay in my lane now. Dart was very impressive for most of his three seasons at Ole Miss, particularly this past one, when he threw for 4,279 yards and finished as the nation's top-rated passer (180.7). But if you look closer, most of his gaudy stats came against the lesser opponents on the Rebels' schedule — a combined nine TDs against Furman and Georgia Southern, 515 yards and six TDs against a .500 Arkansas team, 404 yards and four TDs against a hollowed-out Duke team in the bowl game. Advertisement Whereas he had miserable days in losses to Alabama and Georgia in 2023 and to LSU and Florida in 2024. Even in Ole Miss's big win against the Bulldogs last year, he went a modest 13 of 22 for 199 yards, one TD and one INT. Having said all that, history says there will be multiple NFL starting QBs from this draft. And beyond Sheduer Sanders and Cam Ward, neither of whom are sure things themselves (though I do really like Sanders), there's no one else in the class who I'd definitely put ahead of Dart. And that's as close to a hot take you're going ever get from me on draft prospects ever again.
