Author: alaskaadmin

September tells you who’s good. October tells you who’s great. It’s the month when hot starts get tested, soft schedules run out and the sample size gets big enough to matter. Across FOX Sports’ biggest franchises, October is when the season stops being a preview and starts to count. In MLB, the postseason is underway, with the division series set to begin Saturday, October 3. Every pitch matters more now than any other point in the season, and the World Series will be decided before the month ends. In the NFL, October is a month of validation. September success can be misleading, but should a team be able to sustain it, a showdown can feel like a postseason preview. The month brings the first 49ers-Seahawks game and potential Super Bowl glimpses like Bills at Rams and Chiefs at Seahawks. In college football, October is when seasons can be made or ruined, and games include Ohio State-Indiana, Florida-Texas and Alabama-Tennessee. The College Football Playoff picture will begin to take shape in a real way, and the true Heisman Trophy frontrunners start to emerge. Here’s what our writers are watching, and what October will reveal. For six months, Major League Baseball has been building toward October.The standings are wiped clean. Cinderella stories are born. Evil empires are despised. Every pitch is consequential; there are no mulligans. This is when forgotten bench players have the chance to become postseason legends. Only the most ruthless will survive. The 12-team field is set, and the usual suspects are here. The Dodgers are back, looking to become the first team to three-peat since the 1998-2000 Yankees. Two-way icon Shohei Ohtani is once again carrying the weight of enormous expectations into the postseason. The Yankees are back, too, and they’re forced to begin the playoffs without their three-time MVP, Aaron Judge. His multiple injuries limited him to just 66 games this season. The Red Sox managed to turn their disastrous season around in late June and made a surprising push to qualify for a Wild Card Series matchup against their rival Yankees. The Padres, starring a lights-out weapon in elite closer Mason Miller, return for another October run. San Diego is still chasing its first World Series championship in franchise history. The Brewers enter as the National League’s top seed with plenty to prove, particularly if they’re actually capable of defeating the Dodgers this time. Meanwhile, the Phillies and Braves start October off with a win-or-go-home game 3, another dramatic episode of a division rivalry that has become an October staple. Then there are the teams trying to change their place in baseball history. The Guardians are back after another late-season push. The Cubs are hoping their success during the regular season, where Chicago had the highest scoring offense, will translate on the biggest stage. The Rays are all but unbeatable at home. The White Sox, who finished the 2024 season with 121 losses that broke the modern-day single-season record, are a team of misfits showing the world why they believe they can win it all just two years later. Across the bracket, every contender understands one thing. Whatever happened before the playoffs matters only as much as players allow it to. That’s the magic — and cruelty — of this month. A dominant regular season can disappear in as little as three games. A sputtering lineup can catch fire at exactly the right time. Rookies can become heroes. Superstars can spend an entire series searching for one big swing. A single pitch, a special moment, can change an entire franchise. The Wild Card Series starts the chaos before the calendar officially flips to October. Then comes the Division Series, the Championship Series and, finally, the Fall Classic. By the time October ends, baseball will have its answer. One team will have survived all of it. Everyone else will be left wondering what could have been. — Deesha Thosar What does October mean in the NFL? It’s a month of validation. September success can be fleeting, but sustain it into Halloween and it’s not a costume. It’s a month in the middle, not as oppressively hot as September 1 p.m. kickoffs in Florida, not as frigid as December in Buffalo or Green Bay. Baseball is ending, hockey and basketball are just beginning, but football finds itself in October. A huge game in September is a throwback to last year’s playoffs, but a showdown in October can feel like a postseason preview. October brings us the first 49ers-Seahawks game and potential Super Bowl glimpses, like Bills at Rams and Chiefs at Seahawks. A year ago, the Patriots and Broncos were ordinary 2-2 teams when October arrived, but were 6-2 contenders when it ended. Denver coach Sean Payton is an ordinary coach in September, with barely a winning record in his career, but in October, he’s 54-17, winning 76% of his games for the best mark in NFL history. October was Tom Brady’s best month — 28 more career touchdowns, 17 fewer interceptions than he would total in December, and yet his teams somehow had a better record in December. That might go back to frigid and handling cold from experience. What will we learn in October? How many undefeated teams will survive the month, and how many winless teams will still be that way? Which struggling teams, already written off, will get up off the mat? November opens with the Chargers at the Rams at the site of this year’s Super Bowl — a month ago, you could have seen that as a postseason preview, but that seems farfetched already. Will Bears-Seahawks on Monday, November 2, end up being the massive prime-time bout it looks to be right now? October will let us know. — Greg Auman For college football, October has become a tree-shaking month in a sport that counts going undefeated as a mere metric for consideration. With more than a third of the season gone and every single team worthy of inclusion in the College Football Playoff conversation beginning to play conference games — many against ranked opponents who have managed to remain undefeated or suffer just one loss. October 17 might be the most pivotal Saturday in the sport, with Associated Press poll-ranked No. 5 Ohio State and No. 6 Indiana playing to prove who the best team in the Big Ten is this season. In the SEC, No. 8 Florida takes on No. 1 Texas for a resurgence for the former and conference domination for the latter, and both No. 7 Alabama and No. 17 Tennessee face off for what could prove to be a CFP de facto elimination game. And to think of all of this comes before Ohio State travels to No. 18 USC and Florida plays No. 2 Georgia on October 31 for what will surely be games that influence not just the CFP but coaching legacies, notably Lincoln Riley’s. Yes, October is tree-shaking time in college football. Let’s see who drops off, and who stays put. As much as this month is important for establishing something like a decent pencil sketch for the 12-team CFP picture, it’s also the first month when Heisman Trophy frontrunners in September begin to fade, and late-breakers make a move to the front of the race. In the Big Ten, all eyes are on Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith — a sure top contender for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top wide receiver, and a Heisman Trophy away from immortality in the sport. For two years, I’ve written and said Smith is the best player in the sport. With three of Ohio State’s four games in October coming against top-25 programs, he’ll once again have a chance to prove it. — RJ Young​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The Atlanta Falcons go as Bijan Robinson goes. Robinson rumbled for 194 rushing yards in Atlanta’s first win of the season, a 35-14 triumph over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in a primetime showing in Week 3. Robinson was buoyed by the return of Michael Penix Jr., who posted 256 passing yards and a touchdown, creating balance in Atlanta’s offense. But it’s Robinson who is the straw that stirs the drink and is the engine of Atlanta’s offense. Since 2023, Robinson tops the league with 6,115 scrimmage yards. He also leads the league this season with 467 scrimmage yards, showing out when the rest of the Falcons’ offense looked lackluster in the first two weeks of the year. Robinson’s explosiveness and ability to run through trash stand out. He’s averaging 5.3 yards per carry and, according to Next Gen Stats, 4.9 yards after contact per carry — second among running backs with at least 25 carries this season. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski should know how to take advantage of Robinson’s unique skill set. The Cleveland Browns’ offense Stefanski oversaw as head coach finished in the top 12 in rushing in four of his six years at the helm, with Nick Chubb shining out of the backfield. But Robinson could reach heights that Chubb didn’t, if he hasn’t already. Currently, Robinson is fourth in Offensive Player of the Year odds at DraftKings Sportsbook (+1200) behind Kenneth Walker III, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jahmyr Gibbs. Robinson will need more performances like the one against the Packers to stay in the running with some of the top playmakers in the league. Let’s take a closer look at my picks for the top three of all the major awards heading into Week 4. Offensive Player Of The Year The skinny: The Kansas City Chiefs are getting the best version of Kenneth Walker through three games, who has 442 scrimmage yards and four scores. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, meanwhile, has started that year by recording at least 120 receiving yards in each of the Seattle Seahawks’ first three games as he looks to become the first player to win the award in back-to-back seasons in over two decades. Jahmyr Gibbs also deserves a mention here, as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has done a nice job of creating innovative ways to get the dynamic runner in space. Gibbs has forced 29 missed tackles this season. Defensive Player Of The Year The skinny: Greg Rousseau leads the NFL in sacks (6) and tackles for loss (8). He also has three forced fumbles, which is tied with Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Nakobe Dean for the league lead. Will Anderson and T.J. Watt are among the league’s top pass rushers again, at least to start the season. Anderson has four sacks (2.5 came in the Houston Texans’ Week 3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts) and T.J. Watt has 3.5 sacks. Dallas Turner also deserves a mention. He leads the league in quarterback pressures (25) and has 3.5 sacks on the year, greatly benefiting from defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ blitz-happy scheme. Coach Of The Year The skinny: Few NFL observers expected first-year head coaches in Klint Kubiak and Todd Monken to have their teams atop the division at this point of the season, and both have done it with veteran quarterbacks considered past their prime. Kirk Cousins is tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns with nine, and Deshaun Watson has stayed healthy and is playing efficient football in Cleveland for the first time since the trade. Kevin O’Connell, meanwhile, has yet to get Kyler Murray on track. But the Minnesota Vikings are the only undefeated team in the NFC North, and their start is too strong to ignore. Offensive Rookie Of The Year The skinny: Kenyon Sadiq has been a revelation for the Jets. The athletic tight end out of Oregon had his first 100-yard receiving effort as a pro, posting seven catches for 105 receiving yards and a score in a close loss to Detroit. Denzel Boston continues to show explosive playmaking ability. The Cleveland Browns’ wide receiver leads all rookies in receiving yards (195), logging long touchdown grabs in each of the first two weeks of the season. But Jeremiyah Love leads all rookies in scrimmage yards (204) after a solid performance against San Francisco in Week 3, putting up 109 total yards. Defensive Rookie Of The Year The skinny: Hezekiah Moses leads all rookies in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (4). And he has been one of the reasons the Raiders’ ball-hawking defense is tops in the NFL in takeaways (9). Genesis Smith moved into the top three on the strength of a two-interception effort against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Miami Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez also deserves some credit, totaling six combined tackles — including three tackles for loss — and an interception in a tough loss to Kansas City. David Bailey should get a mention as well, leading all rookies in sacks with two, giving the New York Jets some solid pass-rushing ability. MVP The skinny: Patrick Mahomes continues to impress less than a year after tearing his ACL. He helped the Chiefs improve to 3-0 with a 246-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 24-10 win over the Dolphins, and he’s now top five in passing yards (812) and passing touchdowns (7). All Jared Goff does is put up impressive numbers. The Lions’ quarterback is second in the league in passer rating (116.1), with eight touchdown passes and no interceptions. But Brock Purdy’s numbers largely stand alone to start the season. He hasn’t been sacked in three games and is the only quarterback with multiple touchdown passes and a passer rating of at least 100 in each of the first three weeks of the season. Purdy also leads the league in passer rating (133.1) and is tied with Cousins for the league lead in touchdown passes with nine.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Dylan Raiola was texting Dan Lanning all week. He heard one thing about USC in a press conference and spotted something else while watching film, and wanted his head coach to know. Raiola, Oregon’s backup quarterback, was unlikely to take a snap against the Trojans last Saturday. But he wanted to be helpful and proactive, just in case. The best backups, whether they’re quarterbacks or play another position, often say they prepare as if they’re going to start. They study and stay ready even without first-team reps. We don’t always see that effort pay off. But in Raiola’s case, it did. The Nebraska transfer was thrust into Saturday’s game against USC early in the second quarter after Oregon starter Dante Moore took a frightening hit to the head. Moore, a Heisman Trophy candidate and projected first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, had led the Ducks to the College Football Playoff semifinal last season. After receiving medical attention for several minutes, Moore was taken off the field on a stretcher before leaving in an ambulance. It was later announced that he had suffered a concussion, but did not have any additional injuries. On Wednesday, Lanning said that Moore is “healthy and doing well.” Moore and Raiola are close friends and have developed something of a mentor-mentee relationship. So while Raiola was shaken up after seeing his teammate go down, there wasn’t much time to dwell on it. He had to lock in and take over. “Every guy had faith in him,” Lanning told reporters after the Ducks’ 41-27 win at the LA Coliseum. “He was ready for his moment.” Raiola’s story is well-known by now. Originally from Buford, Georgia, he was a five-star prospect in the 2024 class who initially committed to play for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs before flipping to play for Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers. Raiola started 22 games at Nebraska until he broke his leg last November, ironically against USC. He transferred to Oregon in the offseason, and shortly after, Moore announced he would be returning for his senior year. This kind of situation is unusual in the transfer portal and NIL era, when players often change schools in search of more playing time or better monetary opportunities. Coming off a major injury, Raiola knew he could learn from Moore, who had gone through a similar transition after transferring from UCLA to Oregon ahead of the 2024 season and sitting behind Dillon Gabriel. “They want each other to be the best QB they can both possibly be,” said former Oregon Hall of Fame running back Kenjon Barner, who remains closely connected to the program. “I don’t think there’s another QB room in the country that has what this room has in two starters. When you go back to Dillon Gabriel and Dante, it was the same type of situation. The way their relationship is, [Gabriel] laid the foundation; Dante stood on that foundation.” Raiola had barely seen the field this season, earning his first meaningful snaps when he completed 11-of-11 passing attempts in garbage time of Oregon’s 84-0 rout of Portland State in Week 3. He certainly wasn’t expecting his next opportunity to come against USC. “It’s complicated,” Raiola said following the win over the Trojans. “You don’t ever want to see someone be hurt, especially how much [Moore] means to me, how much he teaches me, how much he means to the team.” It was an emotional few moments after Moore was carted off the field. Lanning said everybody wanted to “go get in a street fight,” but the Ducks remained composed and chose to honor their teammate by winning the game. Raiola leaned on the preparation he’d done earlier in the week, while offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer adjusted the game plan to better suit his backup’s skill set. On Raiola’s second play of the game, he found wide receiver Evan Stewart for a 3-yard touchdown pass to give Oregon a 10-7 lead. There were only a few times Saturday night when Raiola made a decision and Lanning thought, “OK, that’s not where we wanted the ball to go.” For the most part, Lanning was impressed by Raiola’s ability to execute the offense, get rid of the ball when necessary and avoid taking sacks. He finished the night 19-of-25 passing for 289 yards and two touchdowns. “Dylan has never stopped seeing himself as the guy,” Barner said. “To step into that spot with so much pressure speaks volumes about the professional that Dylan Raiola is. When you watch that kid play, he doesn’t allow anything to affect him. He remains the same player every week – calm, cool, collected, completely in control of the offense.” That kind of poise and confidence is a reflection of the growth Raiola has made since first arriving in Eugene. “I’m very proud of Dylan,” Lanning said. “That moment happens in sports a lot of times when guys aren’t ready and that becomes the story. And regardless of how Dylan would have performed, like, I love that guy. He works so hard – so incredibly hard – to put himself in that position to be successful. He came in and he operated, man, and we’ve seen that go other ways before. “To know he put in the work, the prep, was ready in his moment, and then didn’t come in and try to force it, he just played the game, man,” Lanning added. “I can’t say enough great things about Dylan and how he operates. That’s why he came here.” On Monday, Matt Rhule, who coached Raiola for two seasons at Nebraska, was asked about his former quarterback during his weekly press conference. “There’s no doubt that Dylan is an elite quarterback,” Rhule told reporters. After rallying to beat Boise State in its season opener and falling to Oklahoma State the following week, Oregon has rebounded to put itself in position to make another CFP run. The Ducks are now 4-1 and ranked No. 15 in the country. They’re idle this week before diving into the heart of their conference schedule – Oregon hosts No. 23 UCLA on Oct. 10 and visits No. 5 Ohio State on Nov. 7. There’s no timetable yet for Moore’s return. But if Raiola is needed again, he’s shown he’s ready. “I never knew when my moment was going to happen or what to expect,” Raiola said. “The ultimate goal is to win, no matter how it happens, no matter, sadly, whoever goes down. The game of football doesn’t feel sorry for us. We’ve got to step up and keep fighting and those guys in that locker room did just that. Coming in on the road and doing what we did is not normal.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports