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The biggest spectacle of the NASCAR season has arrived — welcome to the Daytona 500! How long is the race? What time does it start? Can William Byron make it three straight victories? We’ve got you covered with a guide of everything to know about the 2026 Daytona 500 (Sunday, 2:30 PT on FOX). I assume this race is in Daytona Beach, Florida? Yes! Daytona International Speedway sits about five miles west of the ocean. It is a 2.5-mile tri-oval — mostly an oval shape but with a couple of doglegs with a slight turn between Turn 4 and Turn 1. The trioval is banked 18 degrees, while the turns are banked 31 degrees and the backstretch is banked 3 degrees. Daytona International Speedway, which opened in 1959 and was last repaved in 2010, seats 101,500. How many cars will compete? The field will be 41 cars. [DAYTONA 500 COUNTDOWN: 20 Most Memorable Moments in Race History] How do drivers get in? There are 37 drivers who are locked in and eight drivers are expected to vie for the final four sports. Two will get in through single-car qualifying Wednesday, which also sets the Daytona 500 front row. Two drivers not locked in also will get in through the duels Thursday, which set the lineup for the Daytona 500. For more detailed description of how a driver gets in, this story has all the info: How The Daytona 500 Lineup Is Set. What time does the Daytona 500 start? The listed start time is 2:30 p.m. ET. Coverage on FOX begins at 12:30 p.m. ET.  The green flag is scheduled to drop at 3:13 p.m. ET. What is the forecast? FOX Weather predicts (as of Tuesday morning) temperatures in the high-70s with a 60 percent chance of rain. How long is the race? The race is 200 laps (500 miles). NASCAR races are split into stages. The first stage will be 65 laps. The second stage will be 65 laps. The final stage will be 70 laps. Which drivers are the favorites? Well, William Byron has won the last two Daytona 500s, so he is a favorite, but the odds of winning three consecutive Daytona 500s are remote — no driver has ever won three in a row. In fact, eight of the last 11 winners won the Daytona 500 for the first time. Typically, you look at drivers who are good at the high-banked drafting tracks — Daytona, Talladega and now Atlanta that provides a shorter version (1.5-mile track) of the style of racing where drivers are packed up because of the need to limit horsepower in order to keep the cars on the ground. The last 11 drafting-track races since Byron’s 2024 Daytona 500 win have had 11 different winners: Daniel Suarez, Tyler Reddick, Harrison Burton (no longer in Cup), Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., William Byron, Christopher Bell, Austin Cindric, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and Chase Briscoe. Most of those would be considered somewhat favorites, in addition to three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin. Who are the dark horses? Chris Buescher, Michael McDowell, Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace all have wins at Daytona or Talladega in the last five years and shouldn’t be counted out. Who are the sentimental favorites? Former Cup champions Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch have never won the Daytona 500. Busch is making his 21st start and has led 342 laps in the race during his career. Keselowski is making his 17th start. Three other active Cup champions don’t have a Daytona 500 win — reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson (13th start), 2023 Cup champion Ryan Blaney (12th) and 2020 Cup champion Chase Elliott (11th). Also, while Denny Hamlin has won three Daytona 500s, after coming up gut-wrenchingly short on another championship run and a tragic offseason with the death of his father, many fans would feel the emotion of his win. Is Jimmie Johnson still racing? Yes. Johnson stopped racing full-time in the Cup Series following the 2020 season but has run the Daytona 500 the last three seasons. The seven-time Cup champion will race again this year and also plans to race the Cup event at Naval Base Coronado, near his hometown of El Cajon near San Diego. Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. still racing? No. But he will own a car attempting to make the Daytona 500. JR Motorsports, an organization that fields several cars in what is now the O’Reilly Series (formerly Xfinity), made the race last year with Justin Allgaier and is attempting to make it again this year. Is there anything new for 2026? There isn’t much new about the Daytona 500. But the big change is how NASCAR determines its champion. Instead of win-and-in eligibility to make the postseason this season, NASCAR will just take the top-16 drivers in the point standings after the 26th race. And then, instead of elimination rounds with four drivers eligible for the title in the final race, the championship round is the full 10-race postseason, and whichever driver finishes with the most points is the champion. Wins are worth 55 points instead of 40 under the new format (second place remains 35). The 16 drivers who make the “Chase” will have their points reset to 2100 for the regular-season champion, 2075 for second, 2065 for third, 2060 for fourth, 2055 for fifth and decreasing in five-point increments through 2000 for 16th. [MORE NASCAR: With Lawsuit in Rearview, What Does it Mean for Drivers?] Who is doing the prerace concert? Country star Miranda Lambert will perform on the stage prior to the race. Who is giving the command to start engines? Comedian Nate Bargatze will give the command to start engines. Who is waving the green flag? The honorary starter of the race is still to be announced. Who is singing the national anthem? The national anthem singer is still to be announced. Who is driving the pace car? The celebrity pace-car driver prior to the race is legendary actor Kurt Russell.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Here’s what’s happening this week Inside The Garage: That 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports will field an extra car to attempt to make the Daytona 500 this week is just a subtle sign of what it meant to get through their lawsuit against NASCAR before the start of the 2026 season. Both organizations had told employees they would have jobs in 2026 even if they lost their lawsuit and didn’t have guaranteed spots for any of their cars in the field. But whether they would field three full-time cars, let alone a fourth car on occasion, appeared optimistic at best. And for them to be around in 2027 was doubtful. Now the drivers and crew members have nothing to worry about. The organizations have their charters and appear on much more solid footing for the future. “I look at it from the people that showed up to work each and every day knowing that there was something of that magnitude looming, and they still gave their effort to build us the fastest race cars to the best of their abilities and they didn’t let that affect them,” 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace told me. “But we’re not naive to the fact that are we shutting doors? Who knows? The big unknown there. And they were able to put that aside. Now, with all that going away, I can only imagine there’s a massive sigh of relief for them, they can continue to do what they do, show up and give their best effort.” [MORE NASCAR: 20 Most Memorable Moments in Daytona 500 History] After eight days of testimony in December in the antitrust case, the sides settled with 23XI and FRM getting most of what they wanted as far as various ancillary revenues and, most importantly, evergreen charters and more collective bargaining for the teams with NASCAR. “I really was never super worried, but when the trial time came, it definitely ramped up the nerves a little bit I’m sure for everybody in the whole company” FRM driver Todd Gilliland told me. “And I think one of the coolest things is you probably had one or two people leave over the offseason. “Just to see how many people stuck as a team with Front Row Motorsports, and then now to be past it and through it to the other side. I think there’s a lot of excitement. Same drivers, a lot of the same team members, and no black cloud kind of lingering over us.” The drivers pretty much were free agents once the teams lost their charters during the summer. Driver contracts typically are written requiring they race a chartered car. None of them bolted. “I haven’t really changed anything,” 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick told reporters in mid-January. “As a driver, I feel like I do my part to be one of the best, and hopefully again, regardless of the outcome, I still get asked [to do that].” Reddick said he felt everyone just focused on their jobs. For team members, it is something they know they can’t control and the racing industry is one of constant change — it’s sports and a performance-based business with decisions not always done with empathy. But especially for employees with families, the uncertainty of a race team can cause a great deal of angst. “It is nice that it’s behind us,” Reddick said last week in a media conference call prior to the Clash. “It’s done, and it’s in the past.” For 23XI Racing, an organization that entered the sport in 2021 with NBA great Michael Jordan as a co-owner with driver Denny Hamlin, their leadership has often portrayed the organization as one seeking to change the way people look at the sport. “What we said from Day 1 about this team is we want to be different,” Wallace said. “We want to push for change in a positive way, and if we have to ruffle some feathers then so be it. But I stand 100 percent behind my team and thankful for the opportunity.” No More Roval NASCAR and Charlotte Motor Speedway decided that they will no longer compete on the Charlotte road course, opting for an oval race in the Chase. The Cup race will be 400 miles, the O’Reilly race will be 300 miles and the truck race will be 201 miles. With the improvement in the racing on the 1.5-mile tracks with the Next Gen car and the return of the Chase (meaning it won’t be an elimination race) made officials feel like this would be a good time to make the change. “As the Chase returns, we are putting a spotlight on performance while honoring the tracks and traditions that have defined championship moments,” NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell said in a news release. “Charlotte Motor Speedway’s historic oval has played a central role in some of the sport’s most memorable races, so bringing the Chase back to the 1.5-mile configuration for our fans simply felt right.” The elimination of the Charlotte road course means there won’t be a road course in the 10-race postseason. News & Notes –Brad Keselowski has been cleared to race after an on-track test today (Feb. 9) at Charlotte Motor Speedway. A Jan. 30 x-ray on his broken right leg showed enough healing that doctors approved him getting back in the car, but he still needed to get in and out of the car and show he could work the pedals before determining whether he could race in the Daytona 500. Keselowski: “Getting cleared was a huge moment for me. You put in the work, you trust the process, but until you hear that final ‘yes,’ nothing is guaranteed.” –Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and four-time INDYCAR champion Dario Franchitti will compete in the NASCAR truck race Feb. 28 at St. Petersburg. Franchitti has returned to racing in the last year for the first time since a crash in 2013 ended his INDYCAR career. Franchitti ran 10 Cup races for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2008 as well as 18 races in O’Reilly in 2007-08 before ending his attempt to transition to NASCAR. He will drive the Tricon No. 1 truck at St. Pete with sponsorship from Dollar Tree through a partnership with Franchitti good friend Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club. [MORE INDYCAR: Mick Schumacher Takes First Oval Test at Homestead] –The truck race at Daytona this weekend will feature several notable drivers who don’t race regularly in the series. Former Cup champion Tony Stewart is driving for Kaulig as part of Ram’s entry into the sport. Travis Pastrana is driving for Niece Motorsports, as is YouTube personality and racer Cleetus McFarland. Also in the field will be current Cup drivers Michael McDowell, Carson Hocevar, John Hunter Nemeche and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as well as Corey LaJoie. –23XI Racing announced that Corey Heim will compete in 12 Cup races this year, starting with the Daytona 500. Bootie Barker will be the crew chief. –Two big INDYCAR tests await in the next couple of weeks. Several teams are taking a driver to Sebring for a test today and Tuesday (Feb. 9-10) to work on road-course setups. The first oval test of the year is Feb. 17-10 at Phoenix, where they will race just a few weeks later. –NASCAR announced that seeding for its in-season tournament will be by point standings following the 14th race of the year at Pocono. That keeps the race at Naval Base Coronado (a first-time event) from having an impact on the seedings. The five races for the challenge are again the TNT races: Sonoma, Chicagoland, Atlanta, North Wilkesboro and Indianapolis. –In other in-season special-event news: The O’Reilly Dash 4 Cash races will be Bristol, Kansas, Talladega and Texas; the triple-truck challenge races will be Darlington, Rockingham and Bristol. Why The Call? Why did NASCAR allow teams to re-fuel in the Clash when they could have started on fuel and been OK? “It’s the first time we’ve run that [750hp] engine at an actual race with a higher horsepower, for one, so was our data totally accurate that we went into? We believe it is,” NASCAR Cup Series Director Brad Moran said during a media briefing the day after the Clash to go over 2026 rules. “What we were managing from our side is that we had way more cautions than we’ve ever had, we don’t really have a pit road that you could just allow fuel anytime, we don’t have our fire protection in every [area]. … With nobody gaining or losing spots on pit road, we felt the best decision at that point was to let them top off and come back out.” Some teams felt those who gambled on fuel — so they could have a weight advantage — should have paid the price. But Moran said with the race already going so long and the potential of more cautions happening because of drivers running out of fuel that “we didn’t want that to be the entire story on how the race ended.” Sweet Rides We will post some of our favorite paint schemes here. How about these liveries introduced by Arrow McLaren for the 2026 INDYCAR season? Stat Of The Week No driver has won his first Daytona 500 after his 20th start (that was Dale Earnhardt in 1998). Kyle Busch will be making his 21st start. They Said It “Yeah, a non-points race, but winning at this level is not freaking easy. So I’m proud.” —Ryan Preece after winning the Clash to open the 2026 NASCAR season. In Inside The Garage, Bob Pockrass takes us behind the scenes of the motorsports world the way only he can.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Super Bowl LX is in the books, so you know what that means: We’re now officially in draft season, and what better way to enter draft season than with a mock draft? That’s right, it’s time for me to unveil my first mock draft ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. We all know some of the stars in this draft class, but this year’s draft seems pretty unpredictable. So, let’s dive right in and start finding some new homes for the top prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. 1. Las Vegas Raiders: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza We all know where they’re going here with this pick. Nothing went right in Pete Carroll’s only year as head coach, and this was one of the worst scoring offenses in a long time. Geno Smith didn’t work out at quarterback, so they need a quarterback. We know this is going to be Fernando Mendoza. He had a remarkable year at Indiana. I was always impressed with him in the few times I got to speak with Mendoza. Everyone loves his postgame interviews, and rightfully so. This guy’s a football nerd in the best possible sense. Mendoza was accurate and Indiana utilized a lot of NFL and college concepts with its offense. What I love the most about Mendoza, though, was that when his best was needed, he was great. Every single time, whether it was on the road or in the national championship, when Indiana needed a play, Mendoza delivered with his arm or legs. If the Raiders want to get to where they want to be, they need a guy like Mendoza at quarterback. 2. New York Jets: Ohio State OLB Arvell Reese The draft suddenly gets interesting at No. 2. The Jets have a big quarterback need, and they could use Ty Simpson. But this roster needs a lot of help after trading away all its stars. So, the Jets take quite possibly the best player in the draft. Reese is a versatile defender. I think he’s best when he’s on the ball — he’s explosive, flexible and can bend. All of those things are going to pay off in a big way for Reese at the next level. He reminds me so much of Micah Parsons, who flashed some of his pass-rushing ability in college before majoring as a pass rusher in the NFL. Reese can blitz up the middle and can tackle, too. 3. Arizona Cardinals: Miami (Fla.) OT Francis Mauigoa New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur needs to figure out what to do at quarterback. But they’ve got to fix the offensive line, too. They were bottom-five in the league in sacks allowed and rushing. So, the Cardinals should take Mauigoa, who is my top offensive lineman in this draft. He didn’t just dominate lesser opponents, but Mauigoa also stood out over the course of the CFP. That offensive line dominated in the CFP against some pretty stout defensive lines, with Mauigoa allowing just one quarterback hit. 4. Tennessee Titans: Miami (Fla.) EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. I’m a big believer that you have to try and give your young quarterback some help. They could certainly use some help upfront. But Robert Saleh comes in and I believe that Bain is the type of player that the Titans’ new head coach can rely on. I loved watching Bain. He has an elite motor and talent. There will be a lot made about his arm length, but I’m not concerned about that. Just watch the tape. Watch the production. He’s an absolute gamewrecker. 5. New York Giants: Ohio State WR Carnell Tate John Harbaugh has a really specific blueprint and the Giants have some really pressing needs on their roster. However, I think they’ll make a vanity pick here. They can give Jaxson Dart some help as wide receiver Malik Nabers makes his way back from an ACL tear. I think Dart is at his best when he’s pushing the ball down the field, and no wide receiver in this draft was better at making contested grabs. Tate is so good and was largely overshadowed because of Jeremiah Smith. But he was incredible down the field this past season, constantly getting open and creating space. 6. Cleveland Browns: Utah OT Spencer Fano This offense needs some talent. They struggled to throw and run the ball, ranking second in scoring offense this past season. So, you could probably get better with a good offensive lineman. I think there will be several good offensive linemen picked in the first 15 to 20 selections, and Fano fits that bill. Fano might be the best offensive lineman in the draft after playing left and right tackle at Utah. Cleveland can play him on either side, and maybe Shedeur Sanders, or whoever is at quarterback, can have a respectable 2026 season. 7. Washington Commanders: LSU CB Mansoor Delane The Commanders gave up the most passing yards in the league last season, so they have to address that side of the ball. Delane’s my top corner in this draft. So, a natural fit here. 8. New Orleans Saints: USC WR Makai Lemon This is an interesting pick here. I think the Saints will look to build around Tyler Shough, who I thought showed flashes as a rookie quarterback. Because of that, I think Jeremiyah Love should be an option for the Saints here. But I went with Lemon, who is an outstanding wide receiver. The way he operates in space and over the middle shows how he has such a strong feel for the game. He knows how to attack the grass thanks to the offense he played in at USC. 9. Kansas City Chiefs: Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love This guy’s phenomenal. I actually got to meet him at the Doak Walker Award Show and he told me about his Hall of Fame aspirations. Well, getting paired with Patrick Mahomes would help that. I think about what the Chiefs’ offense could be if they had someone with Love’s ability to run and catch the ball. The Chiefs also need some running back help with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt hitting free agency. But I really love the idea of giving Mahomes his Jahmyr Gibbs or Christian McCaffrey. 10. Cincinnati Bengals: Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey Cincinnati would be ecstatic if the draft played out this way. If the Bengals saw Bailey on the board here, they’d jump right up and make this pick. It sounds like edge rusher Trey Hendrickson might move on in free agency this offseason, but the Bengals had one of the worst defenses in the league again this past season. So, they need defensive help, regardless. 11. Miami Dolphins: Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy I can’t wait to see what first-year head coach Jeff Hafley does with the Dolphins. The former Packers defensive coordinator takes over a Dolphins pass defense that needs help, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72% of their passes last season. McCoy might have been my top corner had he not torn his ACL last January. When he’s on the field, he’s outstanding. And what I know about Hafley is that when he was at Ohio State, he built his defense around having three great cover corners. So, I think he’d appreciate McCoy. 12. Dallas Cowboys: Ohio State S Caleb Downs The Cowboys were a disaster on defense, if only they could’ve had one of the league’s best pass rushers. Oh well, they have to live with that mistake. But they can address their defensive needs by getting the player who I feel is the safest pick waiting to happen. Caleb Downs is an All-Pro waiting in the wings. He’s the smartest defender I’ve ever covered in college football. He can do everything. We called him the Swiss Army Knife because of that. He is incredible over the middle of the field. He can rush the passer. He’s excellent in the run fit. He’s tremendous in the slot. Downs should get picked higher than this, but the positional value might hurt him a bit. 13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons): Penn State OG Vega Ioane The Rams might feel tempted to go after another weapon on offense. If Makai Lemon were still available, he’d be a no-brainer pick for them. So, the next best thing they can do to help Matthew Stafford out would be to get him some protection. I love Ioane. He didn’t allow a sack in the last two years, and he might be the best interior offensive lineman in the draft. 14. Baltimore Ravens: Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell I got to know new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter when he was Michigan’s defensive coordinator for a couple of seasons, and the principles of that defense start with hard edges. The Ravens also have a need for some pass rush help, ranking in the bottom-five in sacks. Howell was one of the better pass rushers in the country this past season, getting 11.5 sacks in 13 games. 15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ohio State LB Sonny Styles Lavonte David is 36 and a free agent. So, the Buccaneers are probably looking at replacing this offseason or sometime soon. Styles is the best inside linebacker in the draft, showing he can do it all at Ohio State this past season. He actually started his college career at safety, but they moved him to linebacker because of his massive 6-foot-5 frame. He’s also got three years of starting experience and he’s still just 21 years old. 16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts): Tennessee CB Colton Hood I don’t think it makes a ton of sense for the Jets to take a swing at wide receiver here, and we still don’t know who their quarterback will be. They’ve got so many holes to address and I think they might be smart to wait until next offseason to be aggressive in getting a quarterback. But this was the first team in NFL history to not get an interception in a season. So, they need someone who can help in the secondary. Hood’s a really good player. 17. Detroit Lions: Miami (Fla.) EDGE Akheem Mesidor Aidan Hutchinson draws too many double teams, so it’d be wise for the Lions to get another edge rusher to pair opposite him. Edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad might also cash in on his 11-sack year in free agency this year. Mesidor is massive, weighing 280 pounds. He is older, though, as he’ll be 25 when he’s drafted in April. 18. Minnesota Vikings: Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren This is a weird spot for the Vikings as they recently fired their general manager. But Harrison Smith seems likely to retire, so the Vikings need some safety help. McNeil-Warren was probably the top non-power conference player this season, logging nine forced fumbles and five interceptions in his career. 19. Carolina Panthers: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor Offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu seems set to miss a lot of time after rupturing his patellar tendon in the Panthers’ playoff to the Rams, so Carolina needs some offensive line help. Proctor would certainly fit the bill. He’s massive and was pretty highly-touted coming out of high school. 20. Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay Packers): Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk The Cowboys could afford to double up on defense with their two first-round picks. The trade of Micah Parsons left a sizable hole in terms of pass rush. Faulk is versatile and explosive, so I think he could get the job done. These two picks might turn Dallas’ defense around. 21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Alabama QB Ty Simpson We wondered if the Steelers would pick a quarterback early on last year. They didn’t do that, opting to sign Aaron Rodgers instead. Well, the Steelers are in need of a quarterback, and I really like Simpson. I know Simpson doesn’t have tremendous size, but he can make all the throws. He can make anticipatory and leverage throws. He’s accurate on the outside. I know Indiana was able to get to Simpson in the Rose Bowl, but he was the reason why Alabama defeated Georgia in Athens this past season. 22. Los Angeles Chargers: Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter As I mentioned with Minter earlier, Jim Harbaugh still believes in that defensive philosophy of being big upfront and creating a run wall. Hunter fits the bill. He’s very good in the interior and was a big winner at the Senior Bowl following his All-American season. 23. Philadelphia Eagles: Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq Jalen Hurts and the Eagles threw for 17 touchdowns in the red zone this past season. Tight end Dallas Goedert had 10 of them, and he’s a free agent this offseason. I’m a huge proponent of getting a great tight end, and Sadiq is the best at his position in this draft class. This would also allow the Eagles to reallocate some resources and get more athletic. Sadiq is outstanding, showing great pass-catching skills for a tight end and is strong as a run blocker. 24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars): Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson Just like the Cowboys, the Browns need to double-dip on one side of the ball in the first round of the draft. Tyson would not only provide much-needed wide receiver help. It would also create an interesting fit with Sheduer Sanders. Tyson spent his freshman season at Colorado, but transferred when Deion Sanders became the head coach. Tyson actually apologized to Deion for the way things went when he left Colorado. That shows maturity. But Tyson would give Sanders a strong option on the outside. 25. Chicago Bears: Ohio State DT Kayden McDonald The Bears went heavy on drafting skill players over the last couple of drafts, which paid off. Now, they need to address their defensive interior, especially as they can’t rely on turnover luck to carry over from last year. McDonald was terrific in the interior for Ohio State, and it allowed the Buckeyes to play that odd defense. He plays with great effort and force. 26. Buffalo Bills: Washington WR Denzel Boston The Bills need to improve their run defense, but they also need more playmakers on the outside offensively. We all saw what owner Terry Pegula said about the team’s decision to draft wide receiver Keion Coleman, which was pretty wild. Boston is a tremendous player and I was impressed with him when I watched him on tape. He’s got solid body control and athleticism, giving Josh Allen a potential strong target on the outside. 27. San Francisco 49ers: Utah OT Caleb Lomu Life after Trent Williams is coming sooner rather than later. We know he’s coming back for 2026, but he’ll be 38. And you always need some depth along the offensive line. Lomu could be a potential successor to Williams. He played a lot of left tackle at Utah, making him a solid fit for the 49ers. 28. Houston Texans: Clemson OT Blake Miller Houston’s defense is elite, so it needs to keep building on the offensive side of the ball. The Texans’ offensive line was better this past season, but it can still improve. Miller started all 54 games in his career and is reliable. 29. Los Angeles Rams: Clemson CB Avieon Terrell The Rams have a few corners that are set to be free agents this offseason. So, why not bring in an All-American corner? Yes, I know it’s another Clemson player going in the first round after its underwhelming season. That doesn’t mean some of the Tigers’ top players aren’t NFL-caliber, though. Terrell is one of those guys and can play on the outside. 30. Denver Broncos: Georgia LB CJ Allen As we get later into the first round, teams will seemingly prioritize need. For the Broncos, that’s linebacker. Allen is another experienced guy, starting 29 games. He’s also a talented player, earning an All-American nod and being named a finalist for the Butkus Award this past season. What we know about Georgia defensive players is that they’re going to be ready to succeed in the NFL. 31. New England Patriots: Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker The Patriots could use some more firepower at wide receiver, but they need some pass-rushing help, too. Parker was considered to be a candidate to be a top-10 pick at the start of the season. He disappointed a bit, although the upside with Parker is still strong. 32. Seattle Seahawks: South Carolina CB Brandon Cisse The Seahawks’ secondary seems set to lose multiple players in free agency. So, addressing the secondary would be smart. Cisse is a really good player and is explosive. Mike Macdonald can refine him a bit and make him a contributor to that already strong defense.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

After about 40 minutes of Super Bowl LX, it was fair to begin thinking about the NFL offseason. The Seattle Seahawks had total control of the game, beating the New England Patriots 29-13 in Santa Clara on Sunday. It wasn’t competitive, not even when Drake Maye racked up garbage-time yards in the fourth quarter. As much of a slog as the Super Bowl was, the offseason should be exciting. So let’s start thinking about what comes next. We may have to wait until September for another game, but the NFL never sleeps. Here are 10 burning questions that will define the 2026 offseason. 1. Given they’re both almost definitely going to land with the Raiders, how will Fernando Mendoza click with Klint Kubiak? Let’s not stray too far from the Super Bowl to start. Kubiak, Seattle’s offensive coordinator, is leaving to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, he confirmed on the field postgame. And it’s awfully likely that Mendoza, the Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, is as well, as the No. 1 pick in the draft. Mendoza is a pro-style pocket passer whose upside might be Joe Burrow or Jared Goff, depending upon whom you ask. And that’s fine. Mobility isn’t a necessity for Kubiak’s system. The question is how Kubiak will handle Mendoza’s development. As we noticed with Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, there’s a difference between maximizing a veteran QB (like Sam Darnold) and developing a young QB (like J.J. McCarthy). Throughout his career, Kubiak’s developmental QB projects included Paxton Lynch (2016-17), Brock Purdy (2023) and Spencer Rattler (2024). 2. Where can a needy team find a quality QB? For the teams desperately looking for a signal-caller, it’s a bad offseason. Mendoza will be a good solution for the Raiders, even if he’s not the elite prospect we’re accustomed to seeing at No. 1. But it gets bleak after him in the draft. In free agency, there’s Daniel Jones, who is coming off an Achilles injury and a broken fibula. There’s also Malik Willis, who looked great for a two-game span with the Packers — but so did Matt Flynn. (And if you can’t remember him, that’s the point.) There’s Mac Jones, who could cost a second-round pick to pry him from the 49ers. And maybe the Falcons will finally trade Kirk Cousins — maybe. That’s about it. 3. Will the Patriots stock up on pass-catchers? The Patriots should have their entire core returning on offense, which is great for continuity. But it should not stop them from finding a truly dominant force in the passing game for Maye. George Pickens would be pricey (in trade assets and dollars), but he’d be perfect for Maye, who excels throwing the deep ball. I totally understand this could be fool’s gold given his uneven pro performance, but Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts would be a compelling player in McDaniels’ system. “The show goes on. We gotta get back to work,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel told reporters after the Super Bowl. 4. Can the Seahawks put themselves into position to repeat? Leading into the Super Bowl, Seattle was the odds-on favorite to win the title next season. But like any good team, opponents will come for their talent. Kubiak’s departure will hurt. The Seahawks have pending free agents: CB Tariq Woolen, RB Kenneth Walker, safety Coby Bryant, WR Rashid Shaheed and DE Boye Mafe, among others. But they also have an impressive $75 million in cap space. GM John Schneider will have his work cut out for him, because as we saw, this team will have to make up for Darnold. 5. Can Patrick Mahomes get healthy from his ACL tear by Week 1? The Chiefs QB wants to be on the field for the season-opener, but it’s hard to imagine he’ll be 100 percent. And he’ll have to be, if he and OC Eric Bieniemy want to have a more competent passing attack in 2026. 6. How different will the Eagles’ offense look? The Eagles won a Super Bowl a year ago, and I’m here wondering just how much they’ll blow up their offensive core. What a difference a year makes, huh? It feels just about inevitable that the Eagles will trade receiver A.J. Brown, who spoke openly about his discontent with his offensive usage. That would leave them with a gaping hole at receiver, which I’m not sure DeVonta Smith can fill alone. But receiver might not be GM Howie Roseman’s top priority, given how much the offensive line regressed this season. Can Roseman fix that, too? Just to add to the uncertainty, the Eagles hired OC Sean Mannion, who has just two years of coaching experience (and was a backup QB as recently as 2023). So, yeah, it’s a little chaotic in Philly right now. 7. What will Jerry Jones do next? Among other considerations, the Cowboys owner/GM will have to figure out 1) how to re-sign Pickens, the consensus top free agent who the team reportedly plans to franchise tag and 2) what to do with the draft haul that Dallas got from the Micah Parsons trade. Dallas picks at Nos. 12 and 20 in Round 1. If talks with Pickens don’t come together and he lands elsewhere, there’s a very strong draft class of wide receivers. 8. Who will rule the NFC North? The Bears famously promised to never give the division back. But the Green Bay Packers should only get better around maturing quarterback Jordan Love. The Detroit Lions did what they could to fight regression, bringing in new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. The Vikings are likely to bring in a veteran QB who will probably be able to steer Kevin O’Connell’s system in a competent way. The division will be extremely competitive in 2026. Look out, Chicago. 9. What’s next for QB Jayden Daniels? No team disappointed quite like the Washington Commanders this season. They missed the playoffs after making the NFC Championship Game last season. That’s in large part due to Daniels’ injuries. With a new offensive coordinator in David Blough, it would be a delight to see Daniels get right — and not go the way of Robert Griffin III. 10. Which team will surprise like the Patriots and Seahawks? These two Super Bowl teams have three things in common: 1) A new and talented coach, 2) A new and talented quarterback and 3) An organization with a history of success. So who’s next? How about: the New York Giants.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The men’s college basketball season keeps on delivering. A thriller between Duke and North Carolina, a Gonzaga loss to a WCC team not named Saint Mary’s, and Arizona continues to demolish everything in its path: It’s been a wild week in men’s college hoops. February is the month when players and coaches realize they are running out of time to pick up those signature wins needed to boost their résumé. Some teams are rising to the occasion, while others are struggling. Without further ado, here’s the latest edition of my men’s college basketball rankings, as of Feb. 8. *Note: Miami (Ohio) is 24-0, but its strength of schedule is 332nd in the country. The RedHawks are a great story, but I’m not sure that I’ll rank them at all this year. Being undefeated is cool and all, but you have to put it into context. If you thought I was going to rank Miami (Ohio) for the first time, I want you to imagine the RedHawks playing Alabama on a neutral floor. Who do you think wins that game? The Vols had their four-game winning streak snapped against Kentucky despite freshman forward Nate Ament’s 29 points and eight rebounds. Tennessee shot just 37% from inside the arc in the game. The Hogs only had one game this week, a dominant 20-point road win against Mississippi State. Freshman point guard Darius Acuff Jr. put up 24 points, eight assists and five rebounds, which is just another example of why he is a top-10 player in college basketball. Four straight losses for the Cougars isn’t great, but take a closer look, and you’ll see that their schedule has been rough. I’m confident BYU is still a top-25 team, but it’s also clear that the Cougars’ defense isn’t good enough to put them among the elite. Clemson swept Stanford and Cal this past week in California. The Tigers own the 13th-ranked defense in the country and that travels. However, this team’s offense is hit or miss. Saint Louis keeps winning, but it’s hard to move this team up because of the quality of its opponents in the A-10. The Billikens are 23-1 with their lone loss coming at the buzzer to Stanford. It has been a wild ride for this Kentucky team, but get ready for the dark-horse conversation. The Wildcats have won eight of their last nine games, including a three-point win over Tennessee on Saturday. What a fun Friday night at the Garden! St. John’s finally secured its signature win of the year, beating UConn convincingly. Senior forward Zuby Ejifor locked down the Big East Player of the Year award a month early, and senior forward Dillon Mitchell looked like the best athlete in the sport. The Commodores haven’t looked great (6-4) in a very balanced SEC, and they were controlled for most of the game in a home loss to Oklahoma. Their résumé is still excellent, though, and they rank in the top 20 on offense and defense. Since their loss to North Carolina, the Cavaliers have won four straight against ACC opponents that they should beat. Head Coach Ryan Odum has a true nine-man rotation, and Virginia’s offense is very balanced. Wins against Maryland and Oregon barely move the needle, especially when the Boilermakers struggled for 37 minutes against the Ducks. However, Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer broke out of a slump and has hit 10 triples in his last two games. [MEN’S HOOPS SPOTLIGHT: The 5-Team Big Ten Title Race] Texas Tech couldn’t close out a game against Kansas at home, but it was without guard Christian Anderson due to illness. He returned on Sunday, and the Red Raiders beat a pesky West Virginia squad in Morgantown. North Carolina guard Seth Trimble made “the perfect shot by the perfect player,” according to Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis, to beat Duke. A four-year senior helped Carolina get another massive win that has me forgetting its California road trip last month. I did feel that the absence of second leading scorer forward Braden Huff (knee injury) would bite the Bulldogs at some point, but not against a Portland team that ranks 183 in KenPom. The Zags are 23-2 with losses to Michigan and Portland. Strange résumé. If you are still concerned about the Gators’ six total losses (against good teams), I don’t know what to tell you. This team looks like the 11th-best team in the land and absolutely destroyed Texas A&M on the road on Saturday. They have a top-three front line in the nation, along with Arizona and Michigan. What a wild week for point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. He was criticized (justifiably) for his “immature” antics against Michigan and Minnesota, but he responded with 26 points and 15 assists in an overtime win against Illinois on Saturday. Big Time. The Jayhawks are not a deep team, but their starting five is getting better every week. Freshman guard Darryn Peterson’s dunk against Utah was great, but center Flory Bidunga’s defense (seven blocks) is the reason they are top 10 in the nation on that end. Nebraska only played one game this past week and beat a struggling Rutgers team on the road by 12 points. The most important thing is the Cornhuskers’ senior leader, forward Rienk Mast, has finally shaken off an illness and had 26 points. Next up: Purdue at home on Tuesday. The Illini are staying put this week at No. 7 after losing in overtime at Michigan State. Guard Keaton Wagler looked pedestrian (2-of-16 from the field), but Illinois hung in there with toughness and timely shot-making. The Blue Devils lost an epic battle against their rivals, the North Carolina Tar Heels, on Saturday, but we all benefited from watching one of the best games of the season. The Blue Devils are still a top-five team by nearly every metric. [NCAA BRACKET PROJECTIONS: Can the Big Ten Get 10 Teams In?] After 18 straight wins, UConn fell to St. John’s in an entertaining battle Friday night at MSG. The Huskies shot 55% from the field, but 15 turnovers and just 5-for-12 from the free-throw line weren’t enough. The rematch with the Red Storm on February 25 will decide the Big East regular-season title. I will be courtside for the Iowa State’s game at TCU on Tuesday. I’m excited to see the Cyclones in person. Forward Milan Momcilovic is the best shooter in the land, making 90 triples on a 53% clip. The Cougars have what it takes to win it all, even if they are the second-best team in the Big 12. They picked up a massive road win at BYU this weekend, and their only losses are to Tennessee on a neutral court and Texas Tech on the road. The Wolverines’ performance on Sunday at Ohio State was a great example of what this team can do. Their big trio of center Aday Mara, forward Yaxel Lendeborg and forward Morez Johnson Jr. combined for 49 points and 30 rebounds. This is the best front line in the nation. This is the most fascinating team in the country. On Saturday, Arizona went 2-of-14 from the 3-point line, and BLEW OUT a good Oklahoma State team by 37 points. The Wildcats are the most physical team in the nation.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

For the Seattle Seahawks, the party is just getting started. For everyone else, there is no party at all. There is only misery and the bitter memory of a disappointing 2025 season. So, to borrow a phrase from a should-be-Hall-of-Fame coach, “We’re on to 2026.” And who will be the best and worst teams next season? No need to wait for the draft, free agency or training camp to find out. Our (Way-Too-Early) Power Rankings are already here. They still have no quarterback, no path to getting one, and Aaron Glenn is on the hottest of hot seats after firing most of his staff. Jets fans are already hoping Woody Johnson can lure Mike Tomlin out of retirement and land Arch Manning with the top pick of the 2027 draft. Dare to dream. They are in Quarterback Hell for the foreseeable future, unless new coach Mike LaFleur can magically revive Kyler Murray. And if not, who replaces him? The search for a successor might have to wait another year, at least. They are a mess from top to bottom, but at least the No. 1 pick in the draft gives them hope. Even if QB Fernando Mendoza is a star, though, the rebuilding here will take a couple of years. If anybody can fix their quarterback mess, it’s probably new coach Todd Monken. But with Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson as the options, there may be no winner in this game of quarterback roulette. Jeff Hafley might be the strong, disciplined leader the Dolphins need, but QB Tua Tagovailoa isn’t. They’re either stuck with him or his massive cap hit if they cut him. Either way, it’s not good. Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll, his new offensive coordinator, are terrific guys. But is it really a wise strategy to put the franchise quarterback and the franchise’s future in the hands of two failed New York head coaches? Kellen Moore and QB Tyler Shough generated a lot of excitement about their future with a four-game winning streak in December. One look at who they played in that stretch, though, shows they’ve still got a long way to go. If you believe Daniel Jones will be back in Indy, healthy, and the same player in 2026, then the Colts should be higher. But that takes a big leap of faith. Also, Indy has defensive issues to fix. There’s no doubt QB Bryce Young made progress last year, but it wasn’t a lot and not nearly enough to get the Panthers above mediocrity. The odds seem to be against a necessary big leap in Year 4. Mike McCarthy is a good coach, but the quarterback situation will be their downfall. Do they really want to bet on squeezing more out of Aaron Rodgers at age 42? It’s time to rebuild around someone younger. But whom? Don’t be fooled by their season-ending, five-game winning streak. J.J. McCarthy still has to prove he’s a winning quarterback. The good news is while he may be in Year 3, he’s still only 10 starts into his career. Their offense is so good, but their defense is so, so bad. And it’s not like they’re going to have the cap space to fix it this offseason. What you saw might be what you’ll get next season, too. Better health would mean a lot to this team, but only if new OC Zac Robinson can do better with the Bucs than he did with the Falcons last year. Otherwise, expect more Todd Bowles-inspired mediocrity. If they’re right about QB Jaxson Dart, then it’s a short leap for them to at least respectability. Because they have talent that has underachieved. And now, with John Harbaugh, they finally have a capable head coach. Kevin Stefanski is going to have a huge impact on the Falcons and their offense. But unless QB Michael Penix Jr. is fully recovered by September and an improved player, the impact might not happen right away. A healthy Jayden Daniels will be a big boost for this team, but now he’ll have to succeed without OC Kliff Kingsbury. Also, his injuries weren’t the only problem in D.C. The defense needs a big offseason overhaul, too. A healthy Joe Burrow would make them instantly dangerous, but they still have so much work to do on defense. That’s especially true if they lose Trey Hendrickson, which they likely will. They found success in the middle of what sure looks like a rebuilding effort, which is impressive. But they have a lot of holes to fill, especially on defense, and losing DC Robert Saleh won’t help. A healthy Micah Parsons and some new cornerbacks will help the defense, but it’s really their offense that failed them at key times. They need to get better at receiver and especially along the offensive line to help QB Jordan Love become a star. They have enough offensive talent to survive their post-Ben Johnson era, but the defense has never been good under Dan Campbell. They need help at edge rusher and cornerback. If they can find that with limited cap space, they’ll vault back into the top 10. They have the defense to be ranked a lot higher than this, but do they have the quarterback? If C.J. Stroud can be what he’s supposed to be, consider them a legitimate Super Bowl contender. What, you thought they were dead? Underestimate Andy Reid and a healthy Patrick Mahomes at your own peril. But remember, they were 1-7 in one-score games last year, including 0-6 against playoff teams. They’re the object in your rearview mirror that is closer than it appears. The strain on Caleb Williams and that dangerous offense is going to be too much if the Bears trot out the same bad defense. They’re still a playoff threat, but if they develop a pass rush and fix their secondary, they could be a Super Bowl contender. They have all the pieces in place to be a contender except one: the offensive line. If they can fix that, and stay healthy, and keep QB Justin Herbert in one piece, there’s no reason they won’t be a top team in the AFC. Jesse Minter inherited a gold mine from John Harbaugh. If Lamar Jackson can stay healthy, this team is still good enough to immediately become a Super Bowl contender again. They’ve been a sleeping and underachieving giant for years, and Liam Coen’s rookie year is only the beginning. Even if they don’t get 13 wins again, they’re not going to fade away anytime soon. As long as they have Josh Allen, they should be considered a top-10 team, no matter how inexperienced and young their head coach is. Get Allen a true No. 1 WR in the offseason, though, and look out above! Well, they are on an every-other-year plan with the Super Bowl. They’re also still talented enough to be the class of their division. Beyond that, it depends on whether someone can fix Saquon Barkley and their dysfunctional offense in time for the playoffs. They have an MVP-caliber QB, a great coach, and a strong defense. But it’s hard to ignore their pillow-soft schedule and the breaks they got in the playoffs. They’re not going away, but odds are their road next season will be much tougher. Is Sam Darnold elite enough for the Seahawks to repeat their title season? It’s hard to doubt him at this point. They do have some key free agents to deal with (RB Kenneth Walker, CB Riq Woolen, WR Rashid Shaheed), but they’ve got the cap space to keep the band together. They are loaded for one final run at a ring with QB Matthew Stafford, if they can convince him to return. They were the NFC’s second-best team this year, but stuck in the wrong division. With two first-round picks and plenty of cap space, they have the ammunition to close any gap. Let’s be honest: The Patriots don’t get to the Super Bowl if QB Bo Nix doesn’t fracture his ankle one week earlier. He’ll be back with the NFL’s best coach (Sean Payton), a punishing defense, hopefully another receiver, and a battle-tested team that should be hard to beat.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The Seattle Seahawks were able to take a 3-0 lead on the opening drive of Super Bowl LX, but their biggest play of the drive might have been one that shouldn’t have counted. On the fourth play of the opening drive, Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold completed a pass to wide receiver Cooper Kupp along the sideline for a 23-yard gain over New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones. However, on a second look, it appeared that Kupp might have bobbled the ball and didn’t have full possession as he went out of bounds. The Patriots didn’t challenge the play, though, and the replay assist didn’t buzz in. So, the catch stood, and the Seahawks were able to set themselves up at the Patriots’ 17-yard line. Seattle’s opening drive didn’t progress much after that. Darnold threw an errant pass on first down. Following a three-yard carry by Kenneth Walker III on second down, the Patriots were able to force the Seahawks off the field as Darnold’s third-down pass to wide receiver Rashid Shaheed fell incomplete. The Seahawks settled for a 33-yard field goal, with kicker Jason Myers’ kick giving them a 3-0 lead just over three minutes in.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

It’s Super Bowl Sunday! It’s set to be a star-studded full house at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and we’re keeping track of the biggest and most notable names in attendance. We already know a few big-name celebrities that will make an appearance. Fresh off his three-win night at the 68th Grammy Awards last weekend, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny is headlining this year’s halftime performance. [SUPER BOWL ODDS: Bad Bunny Props for Super Bowl Halftime Show: What to Know] What’s more, American rock band Green Day, R&B singer-songwriter Coco Jones, 11-time Grammy winner Brandi Carlile and Billboard chart-topper Charlie Puth all performed at the Super Bowl LX pregame show. Follow along to see the other celebrities in attendance at Super Bowl LX:​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Second-and-26. Santonio Holmes’ toe tap. Blowing a 3-1 series lead. 28-3. Sometimes, you don’t need more than a score or a couple of words to conjure memories of stunning championship-winning games. The pressure, stakes, legacies and dreams of winning it all elevate incredible performances to unforgettable moments etched in sports lore. Going back to the beginning of the 21st century, we’re breaking down the top-10 championship games across the NFL, the World Cup, college football and basketball, MLB and NBA, and reexamining what made them so special and memorable. Here are our 10 best title games since 2000. Honorable mention: 10. 2013 NBA Finals: Ray Allen’s Shot for Heat vs. Spurs in Game 6 Rowan Kavner: The San Antonio Spurs led by five points with less than 30 seconds on the clock and were seven seconds away from celebrating an NBA championship. The trophy presentation was already getting prepared when history was rewritten with one of the most iconic shots in playoff history. After a LeBron James 3-pointer brought the Miami Heat within two with 20 seconds to go, Kawhi Leonard made one of two free throws on the other end. A three would tie it. James came off a screen from Chris Bosh and had a good look but couldn’t connect. Bosh crashed to the rim. No one boxed him out. He secured the offensive board as Ray Allen backpedaled toward the corner. Allen barely got his feet behind the 3-point line when he launched the game-tying shot that would send the contest to overtime, where the Heat prevailed before winning their second straight NBA title in Game 7. The Spurs would get their revenge on the Heat a year later, needing only five games in the 2014 NBA Finals to end Miami’s run. 9. 2009 Super Bowl: Santonio Holmes’ Toe-Tap TD Gives Steelers the Win Ralph Vacchiano: Kurt Warner was supposed to be the star of this show, in a Super Bowl that would be the perfect capper to his Hall of Fame career. But two players on the Pittsburgh Steelers stole his spotlight and the game. The first highlight-reel moment came just before halftime with Warner and the Arizona Cardinals at the Steelers’ 1-yard line. That’s when Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison picked Warner’s pass off at the goal line and rumbled 100 yards the other way for a touchdown — the longest interception in Super Bowl history — giving the Steelers a 10-point halftime lead. Warner led the Cards back and even got them the lead with 2:37 to go, when he hit Larry Fitzgerald with a 64-yard touchdown. But Ben Roethlisberger and receiver Santonio Holmes had one last surprise left in them. They quickly drove back down the field, and, with 35 seconds to go, Roethlisberger hit Holmes in the back of the end zone where he made arguably the greatest catch in Super Bowl history — reaching for the ball way out of bounds while his toes miraculously stayed just inside the white lines. It was enough to deny Warner his second championship and give the Steelers ring No. 6. 8. 2016 NBA Finals: LeBron’s Iconic Chase-Down Block vs. the Warriors in Game 7 Rowan Kavner: With three NBA championships in four years, the one title that slipped away from the Golden State Warriors was the year in which they won a record 73 games. They were unstoppable during the 2015-16 season and looked on their way to cementing one of the league’s all-time great seasons… until LeBron James and Kyrie Irving authored a different ending. James returned to Cleveland to bring a championship to the city, and he did so by reviving the Cavaliers from the brink in the NBA Finals. James scored 41 points in Game 5, another 41 in Game 6 and then produced a triple-double in Game 7 along with an iconic chase-down block on Andre Iguodala that will live on highlight reels in Cleveland forever. In the waning minutes of a tie game, James came out of nowhere to swat the shot. One minute later, Irving buried a step-back three, and the Cavs became the first team ever to rally back from a 3-1 NBA Finals deficit to win a championship. 7. 2016 NCAA Championship: Villanova’s Kris Jenkins Hits Buzzer-Beater to Beat North Carolina Michael Cohen: How often does the biggest moment of the biggest game on a sport’s grandest stage really and truly come down to a buzzer beater, the outcome only decided when the clock shows all zeroes? It’s exceedingly rare — something fans will remember forever — and that’s why the 2016 national championship game between North Carolina and Villanova claims its rightful place on this list. It wasn’t enough for Tar Heels guard Marcus Paige to make a leaning, double-clutch 3-pointer of his own with 4.7 seconds remaining, tying the game at 74-74. No, that incredible bucket would be swiftly upstaged by arguably the greatest shot in NCAA tournament history. Wildcats point guard Ryan Arcidiacono flipped an underhand pass to forward Kris Jenkins for a championship-winning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer as time expired. It’s a moment that has been replayed millions of times since then as the ultimate One Shining Moment in a sport that glorifies such things, and it won’t be forgotten any time soon. 6. 2018 CFP Title: Tua Tagovailoa Leads Alabama to Overtime Win Over Georgia RJ Young: What I remember — what some Georgia fans loathe — is the play before The Play, resulting in Bulldogs defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter and linebacker Davin Bellamy absolutely planting Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for a sack and a 16-yard loss. The game was in overtime, and Georgia had a three-point lead. The Bulldogs were just two downs from glory — two downs from the program’s first national championship in 38 years. But on second-and-26 from Georgia’s 31, Tagovailoa reared back, planted his left foot and uncorked a shot gorgeous in its arc and spiraling as if it would explode like a Roman candle. A beautiful pass that became a title-winning shot when wideout DeVonta Smith caught it in stride as two Georgia players watched him float into the end zone, run along the back of the white line with his right fist high and into a crush of hugs from his Bama teammates. That DeVonta Smith turned out to be the Heisman Trophy winner two years later on an undefeated national title team only adds to the mystique. 5. 2008 Super Bowl: Giants Beat Undefeated Patriots Ralph Vacchiano: The New England Patriots were 18-0 and everyone thought they were unbeatable, especially by a New York Giants team that barely made the playoffs and entered with few expectations. The Pats were already a dynasty, led by the consensus greatest coach (Bill Belichick) and quarterback (Tom Brady) in NFL history. But Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning got in the way. And they did it in style, sealing the deal with a brilliant, dramatic game-winning drive in the final minutes, which included one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history. Manning saved the drive by pulling himself away from two Patriots defenders and heaving the ball 32 yards downfield to fourth receiver David Tyree, who made a leaping, one-handed catch by pinning the ball against his helmet. And that wasn’t all. Manning finished the drive by hitting Plaxico Burress for a game-winning touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining. And when the Giants defense, which had battered Brady all game long, stopped the Patriots’ final, desperation drive, the Giants had capped the most unexpected, improbable and perfect Super Bowl upset of all time. 4. 2006 Rose Bowl: Vince Young and Texas Beat Undefeated USC RJ Young: The Vince Young Game — that’s how I and many others remember it. That’s because, with 19 seconds left to play, on fourth-and-5, Young took off for the pylon from the 8-yard line to score the touchdown that would earn Texas a 41-38 win against the No. 1 USC Trojans and the 2005 BCS championship. It capped off an improbable win against a seemingly unbeatable opponent. When the game ended, Young clutched a rose stem in his teeth. The box score reflected he’d accounted for 467 total yards — including 200 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns — in a win against a program that had not lost a single game in 831 days (Sept. 27, 2003) and had been ranked No. 1 in the country for 735 consecutive days. 3. 2025 World Series: Dodgers Beat the Blue Jays in Game 7 Rowan Kavner: The Blue Jays returned home with two chances to knock out the reigning champs. Instead, the city of Toronto was left heartbroken. After getting doubled off on a line drive to end Game 6, the Blue Jays responded by striking first on a three-run homer by Bo Bichette in Game 7. They were two outs away from celebrating their first championship since 1993 when Miguel Rojas, whose nifty pick at second base ended Game 6, became the Los Angeles Dodgers’ unlikely Game 7 hero. The light-hitting infielder lifted the first-ever game-tying home run in the ninth inning of a winner-take-all World Series finale. The Blue Jays still had multiple chances to walk it off in the bottom of the frame, but Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s slide home was just late on a bases-loaded grounder and a deep drive in the gap by Ernie Clement was tracked down by center fielder Andy Pages, who bulldozed teammate Kiké Hernandez to make the play. Two innings later, a home run from Will Smith put the Dodgers ahead for the first time, and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto — one night after throwing 96 pitches in a Game 6 win — recorded the final eight outs of Game 7 to cement a dynasty. The Dodgers became the first repeat champions since the New York Yankees won three straight titles from 1998-2000. 2. 2022 World Cup Final: Argentina Beat France in Penalties Doug McIntyre: At halftime at jam-packed Lusail Stadium, most of the almost 90,000 souls in attendance were already in a celebratory mood. With Argentina comfortably ahead 2-0, everyone but the relatively small minority of Les Bleus backers in attendance was convinced that Lionel Messi was less than an hour away from lifting his first World Cup and cementing his legacy as the greatest soccer player of all time. Then all hell broke loose with 10 minutes left. France got a penalty that Kylian Mbappe converted. Seconds later, in front of a global television audience of 1.5 billion, Mbappe capitalized on a Messi turnover in midfield and evened the score with a ruthless volley. Messi scored his second of the match deep into extra time — the storybook ending every neutral wanted. Yet another French penalty somehow sent Mbappe to the spot again. Of course, he completed his hat trick. France then had a golden chance to win, but Albiceleste keeper Emiliano Martínez’s spectacular kick save on Randal Kolo Muani ensured that the contest would be decided via a tiebreaker. Club teammates in Paris turned hated rivals on this night in Qatar. Messi and Mbappe both scored from 12 yards again, but another Martinez stop, combined with a French effort that sailed wide, left Argentina one shot from glory. Gonzalo Montiel stepped up and calmly stroked the ball past Hugo Lloris, giving Messi his moment and ending the greatest World Cup final ever played. 1. 2017 Super Bowl: Patriots Overcome 28-3 Deficit to Beat Falcons Henry McKenna: This was a game for the record books with Tom Brady and the Patriots overcoming the — now meme-ified — 28-3 deficit, the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. Sorry, Falcons fans. The comeback started almost as a joke on the sideline, with Julian Edelman saying to Brady: “Going to be a hell of a story.” Edelman delivered in the fourth quarter with what must be the most improbable catch in Super Bowl history — with the Patriots receiver famously bobbling the ball off a defender’s shoe. That helped send the game into the first-ever overtime period in a Super Bowl, where New England finished it off with a touchdown from James White. The Patriots and Falcons scored 62 total points. Brady threw for 466 yards and two touchdowns. To this day, Matt Ryan has to deal with people reminding him of “28-3.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

San Francisco – Walking briskly as he made his way to another appearance on Radio Row, Hall of Famer Rod Woodson was not pleased by Bill Belichick not earning a gold jacket in his first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “I just want to make sure that we’re looking at greatness – excellence,” Woodson told me. “When you look at your time in the National Football League, as a player, you have to have multiple All-Pros. You can’t say I was never the best at my position, but now I’m one of the best to ever play. That’s not a true statement.” Woodson’s comments follow a similar thought process to that of fellow Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who believed the Hall had become watered down and not exclusive enough. However, Sanders was also upset about Belichick being left out and suggested that only Hall of Famers should be the ones voting on what players, coaches and contributors should be joining them. “I wouldn’t want the Grinch who stole Christmas voting on a beauty pageant,” Sanders said. Change is coming to the Hall of Fame voting process, but what should it look like? I spoke with Hall of Fame president Jim Porter at the Hall’s announcement for the five players who earned their gold jackets this week: Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri. Porter confirmed what has been reported: The 50 voters on the Hall of Fame selection committee will meet in person and closer to the announcement of the 2027 Hall of Fame class in January of next year. And as they have done every year, Porter said the Hall will reexamine the voting process, along with the people doing the voting, to make sure everything is being executed so the most deserving candidates advance. The selection committee last met in person in 2019, a year before COVID. The committee was scheduled to meet in person in 2023, but inclement weather affected voters’ travel and forced the Hall to cancel, reverting to a virtual meeting. “We’ll do some tweaks, and we’ll take a look,” Porter said. “We’re going to do what’s best for the Hall of Fame. My job is to protect the integrity of the Hall, protect the integrity of the process.” As one of the 50 voters on the selection committee, I wrote about some of the perceived flaws in the process that potentially led to, in my opinion, deserving candidates not making it because of the limited spots available, like Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft, both of whom were on my ballot, along with Craig. Belichick and Kraft not getting in has led to an onslaught of people around the league clamoring for a change in the process. And I spoke to a few of those people at different events throughout the week. As expected, they provided differing perspectives. Ravens edge rusher Kyle Van Noy said he would like more diversity on the voter selection committee in terms of their involvement around the league. “More players should be involved for sure, especially to give their perspective,” Van Noy told me. “I don’t think it should be so heavily media-driven. I really think they need a process where there’s more players. “You definitely need to have media involved. You should have upper management involved. I really believe in being able to have three different levels – players, media and front office. It’s just like politics; there should be another party in there. It shouldn’t be one way where you have just media, because things could get skewed.” Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz said candidates potentially having to wait their turn to get in is part of the process. Along with Belichick and Kraft, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning also did not make the cut for the second time as a finalist. “I know the whole Bill Belichick, Kraft thing has been blowing up,” Munoz told me. “But one of the things we learn is you’re not a given first-ballot anything. It was brought to my attention that guys like Bill Walsh and all the top coaches were not first-time ballot guys. So, they’ll get in. “It’s a shame that it happened that way. I know if I was one of the voters it might be a little (different), but I had nothing to do with it.” Former NFL linebacker and head coach Ron Rivera would like to see the Hall go back to voting for separate categories for coaches, contributors and players, not lumping them together for the selection committee to vote on. “Those should all be separate,” Rivera told me. “You’re talking about completely different groups. If you’re going to talk about coaches, then let’s do coaches. People that contribute, whether it be broadcasters or owners, these are special people based on what they have accomplished, and we should treat them like that as we go through it. “For everything that Coach (Belichick) accomplished, and then not to get in on the first ballot, everyone is going to sit back and go, ‘Huh?” Bottom line for Woodson: The Hall of Fame is reserved for the best of the best. “It’s OK to be in the second tier,” Woodson told me. “It’s OK to be there. But I think we just need to have a better understanding of what greatness is, and excellence.” NFL to revisit tush push this offseason Troy Vincent, executive vice president of football operations for the NFL, said the league will once again take a closer look at the tush push play made popular by the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. The soonest the NFL’s competition committee might address the issue would be at the NFL owners meetings in March at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Ariz. A proposal to ban the play garnered 22 votes last year, falling two votes shy of the required 75 percent majority for a rule change. NFL referees have struggled to accurately officiate the play, failing to see offsides in the close quarters of a scrum. “It will be discussed,” Vincent said during a press conference this week. “No. 1 we want to be accurate, recognizing when someone is offsides or moving early. But also, the difficulty of when you see forward progress and blow the whistle, you blow it too early. Now, you have back or tight ends back there running and progress is still moving forward. We’ve got some work to do. We will revisit that particular play and see how membership feels about it, and if they want to do anything about it.” Van Noy is not a fan of the tush push. “I think it’s a dumb play,” he told me. “But I’ve heard why they don’t want to, because if it gets taken out, then you’re taking out all the pushes. So, I don’t agree with that. I think they’re just going to have to find a way to make the language right, so it doesn’t take away from being able to push a guy into the end zone. “I don’t think it’s a play that you can referee properly, unless they get closer. So, if they are going to do that play, then they should bring the referees closer so they can see if there’s a false start or someone is lining up offside. But unfortunately, lawyers make up all the language, not actual football people.” Like Van Noy, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner said the league needs to bring more clarity to how the play can be run. “If we don’t ban it, we just need to be able to officiate it better,” Turner told me. “Or to be able to have more clarity on what’s required.” An offensive tackle in the league for 13 years, Munoz believes the tush push is just football. “You’ve got 11 guys on offense and 11 guys on defense – stop it,” Munoz told me. “Back when I played the game was a little different; we had the wedge (play). But it’s not like the offense brings in two or three extra guys. It’s still 11-on-11. “There are some things I think have to stay. It’s tackle football. It’s a rough sport.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports