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We are two weeks from the end of the regular season, one of the craziest ever ( thanks, Nico Harrison!). Playoff races are tightening, the tanking is reaching new lows, and almost everyone in the league has something to fight for. Today, I wanted to …
We are two weeks from the end of the regular season, one of the craziest ever (thanks, Nico Harrison!).
Playoff races are tightening, the tanking is reaching new lows, and almost everyone in the league has something to fight for. Today, I wanted to discuss a key question for each team as the playoffs, lottery, and offseason loom.
We’re back with another installment of HoopsHype’s Power Rankings! Today, I want to discuss each team’s goal for the rest of the season. Let’s assume that every playoff-bound team wants to get and stay healthy (or not, if they’re tanking); that’s …
We’re back with another installment of HoopsHype’s Power Rankings!
Today, I want to discuss each team’s goal for the rest of the season. Let’s assume that every playoff-bound team wants to get and stay healthy (or not, if they’re tanking); that’s not worth mentioning. I want to focus on real basketball.
The Commanders’ offensive line overachieved in 2024.
When Dan Quinn hired Bobby Johnson as Washington’s offensive line coach last offseason, fans of the Bills and Giants laughed. New York fans blamed Johnson for the Giants’ poor offensive line play in 2023 despite having a group of underachieving players.
Johnson had the last laugh. He led an offensive line with three new starters, including a rookie left tackle, to one of the NFL’s top rushing teams.
Pro Football Focus did power rankings for offensive lines and recently revealed its 2024 season rankings, with the Commanders coming in at No. 10.
Selecting Brandon Coleman out of TCU in the third round of last year’s draft paid dividends in 2024 for the Commanders. Washington initially rotated at left tackle until Coleman steadily improved and eventually won the starting job for the second half of the season.
Washington’s offensive line ranked 25th in PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating in 2023 and finished eighth in 2024 with an 86.8 rating. The unit allowed 155 pressures — including 18 sacks — on 654 snaps.
Best player: Sam Cosmi
Even though Cosmi had a slightly down season following his contract extension, his 74.3 PFF pass-blocking grade still ranked 14th among guards this season.
Washington struggled with some teams, especially Philadelphia’s big, athletic offensive line. The Commanders, outside of quarterback Jayden Daniels, struggled to run in multiple games during the second half of the season. Considering the shape of Washington’s offensive line one year ago, the unit made tremendous progress in 2024.
As it turns out, Johnson can catch after all.
The starting offensive line will look different next season. General manager Adam Peters understands that he must continue to build the trenches after the previous regime ignored it for years. Washington will likely be without Cosmi early in the season after he tore his ACL in the NFC divisional round win over the Lions.
Center Tyler Biadasz, signed as a free agent last March, was Washington’s MVP along the offensive line. He brought stability to a position with multiple starters for the previous three seasons.
Welcome back to another installment of HoopsHype’s power rankings! Last time, we looked at X-Factors . This week, I wanted to do something a little different by examining a major weakness for each team. It’s not always the biggest weak spot because …
Welcome back to another installment of HoopsHype’s power rankings! Last time, we looked at X-Factors. This week, I wanted to do something a little different by examining a major weakness for each team.
It’s not always the biggest weak spot because those become boring: Team X can’t shoot, Team Y can’t defend, rinse, repeat. Sometimes, I can’t escape the low-hanging fruit, but I try to find something worthy of more analysis for most teams.
This column isn’t about hating, although it may come off that way at times. This is a clear-eyed examination of what is dragging a team down.
The NBA trade deadline is just a few days away, so some squads may address their shortcomings soon! Let’s dive in.
The Gators move up a spot in ESPN’s latest men’s basketball power rankings after Wednesday’s road victory vs. South Carolina.
Florida basketball has moved up a spot to No. 5 in ESPN’s latest men’s basketball power rankings after Wednesday’s thrilling one-point road victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Senior guard Will Richard led the charge for the Gators, scoring 22 points that included shooting 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, logged four rebounds and three steals. But most importantly, he hit the game-winning layup to secure Florida’s come-from-behind victory over the Gamecocks.
ESPN writer Jeff Borzello highlighted Richard’s crucial role, saying, “It was only right that Will Richard, who had his best game in SEC play on Wednesday night, hit the winning shot to give Florida a one-point road win at South Carolina.”
The Gators, now standing at an impressive 17-2 record for the season, are looking more and more like contenders as March approaches. It’s tough to win on the road in the SEC, no matter how talented the opposition is, and the Gators rallied and stayed through the course of the game on Wednesday to capture the victory.
Florida’s climb in the rankings is a testament to their resilience and ability to win close games—a trait that could serve them well in the postseason.
“It was only right that Will Richard, who had his best game in SEC play on Wednesday night, hit the winning shot to give Florida a one-point road win at South Carolina. He finished with 22 points, four rebounds and three steals, going 3-for-5 from 3-point range. Richard has now hit at least three 3s in four of his past nine games and racked up multiple steals in nine of his past 11 games.”
10. Marquette Golden Eagles
9. Kansas Jayhawks
8. Houston Cougars
7. Kentucky Wildcats
6. Tennessee Volunteers
5. Florida Gators
4. Alabama Crimson Tide
3. Iowa State Cyclones
2. Duke Blue Devils
1. Auburn Tigers
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Who were the biggest winners and losers from the 2024 season according to the USA TODAY Sports 1-134 rankings?
Oklahoma’s initial foray into the SEC was a disappointment. There’s no other way to put it. At the same time, the SEC’s initial appearance in the 12-team playoff era was also disappointing.
Oklahoma had a losing record for the second time in three seasons. The SEC failed to put a team in the national championship game for the second season in a row. Just disappointment all around, really.
The conference put three teams into the College Football Playoff: Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee. The Longhorns were the only team to win a game, and they needed overtime to beat the Big 12’s lone representative, the Arizona State Sun Devils and Cam Skattebo.
Relative to preseason expectations, several SEC teams disappointed.
Comparing USA TODAY Sports’ 1-134 rankings from the preseason to their final release on Tuesday, 11 of the SEC’s 16 teams dropped from their original ranking back in August. Only Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt exceeded their preseason ranking.
| Rank | Team | Record | Preseason Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Texas Longhorns | 11-3 | 3 | -2 |
| 6 | Georgia Bulldogs | 11-3 | 1 | -5 |
| 10 | Tennessee Volunteers | 10-3 | 14 | +4 |
| 11 | Ole Miss Rebels | 10-3 | 10 | -1 |
| 21 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 9-4 | 5 | -16 |
| 22 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 9-4 | 69 | +47 |
| 24 | Missouri Tigers | 10-3 | 22 | -2 |
| 27 | LSU Tigers | 9-4 | 6 | -21 |
| 33 | Texas A&M Aggies | 8-5 | 29 | -4 |
| 35 | Florida Gators | 8-5 | 59 | +24 |
| 39 | Arkansas Razorbacks | 7-6 | 68 | +29 |
| 40 | Vanderbilt Commodores | 7-6 | 118 | +78 |
| 64 | Oklahoma Sooners | 6-7 | 12 | -52 |
| 86 | Auburn Tigers | 5-7 | 43 | -43 |
| 89 | Kentucky Wildcats | 4-8 | 39 | -50 |
| 110 | Mississippi State Bulldogs | 2-10 | 73 | -37 |
Georgia was considered the No. 1 team in the nation, and Texas was No. 3 heading into the season. Both teams finished outside of the top three, with the Bulldogs finishing outside the top five.
No team suffered a bigger drop than the Oklahoma Sooners, though. Oklahoma entered the season as the No. 12 team in the 1-134 rankings and finished at No. 64, suffering a 52-spot dropoff. The offense couldn’t overcome its injuries and inexperience during the season, failing to take advantage of an inspired performance from the Sooners’ defense.
Auburn, Kentucky, and Mississippi State also had huge drops relative to the preseason ranking.
If the Oklahoma Sooners were the biggest disappointment, Vanderbilt was the biggest surprise. They were considered the worst team in the SEC entering the season and finished the season 78 spots better than where they were in August. Diego Pavia helped transform the Vanderbilt offense and the Commodores were able to pull off big wins, notably over Alabama.
South Carolina was also a big winner throughout the season. They were the No. 69 team in the nation in the preseason and closed the year inside the top 25 at No. 22. That 47-spot bump was second only to Vanderbilt. LaNorris Sellers was a revelation in year one as a starter, and Shane Beamer built a defense that terrorized quarterbacks in 2024.
For the Sooners to return to expectations, the defense will have to play as well or better than it did last year and the offense will have to return to the productive level we’ve seen at OU over the last 25 years.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
Penn State a top 4 team in USA TODAY’s final 1-134 power rankings.
The college football world saw Ohio State defeat Notre Dame on Monday evening, becoming the national champions in the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff. As we put the finishing touches on the past season of college football, it is never a bad time to take a look at some final power rankings.
USA TODAY’s Paul Myerberg reranks every FBS team each week of the college football season. He released his final rankings Tuesday morning following the Buckeyes’ victory over the Fighting Irish.
No one is surprised that Ohio State takes the top spot, followed by Notre Dame. But where do the semifinalists, the Penn State Nittany Lions, fall?
Despite losing to Notre Dame, Penn State saw no movement after the playoffs concluded and remains No. 4 in the final rankings. The Nittany Lions lost out on the No. 3 position to the Oregon Ducks, which seems fair considering that the Ducks beat Penn State in the Big Ten Championship. Myerberg did give Penn State the edge against Texas, the other semifinalist knocked out.
The Big Ten and the SEC make up 12 of the top 15 spots, highlighting the two conference’s dominance in college football.
Kent State, one of Penn State’s non-conference opponents this season, brings up the rear with an 0-12 record. Purdue is the lowest-ranked Power 4 team at No. 130 after recording only one win in 2024.
With much of its core contingent back next season, Penn State is once more positioned to become a top-four team in the sport.
Where Big Ten teams finished in USA TODAY final 1-134 ranking for 2024 football season
Red and white confetti fell at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday night, signaling an Ohio State national title and the conclusion of the 2024 college football season.
Monday’s result, Ohio State’s 34-23 win over Notre Dame, clinched the Buckeyes’ ninth national championship and their first since 2014.
Related: Early Big Ten football power rankings for 2025 season: Ohio State leads top tier
There is much to take away from that final result. For the second consecutive season, it cemented the Big Ten as the top conference in the sport. 2023-24 (Michigan vs. Washington, Ohio State vs. Notre Dame) marked the first two-year stretch without an SEC team playing in the national title game since 2004-05 (USC vs. Oklahoma, Texas vs. USC). Oklahoma and Texas are now SEC members, but they weren’t at the time of those title runs.
That stretch could indicate a larger power shift away from the SEC and toward the top northern brands — Ohio State, Notre Dame and Michigan headlining that group.
USA TODAY’s Paul Myerberg end-of-season full-sport ranking furthers that takeaway.
Ohio State predictably leads his list at No. 1, followed by No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Penn State and No. 5 Texas. The Big Ten owns four of the top-10 teams, with Indiana also slotting at No. 9. The three SEC teams in the top 10 are No. 5 Texas, No. 6 Georgia and No. 10 Tennessee — all teams that lost to either Notre Dame or Ohio State in the CFP.
The rest of the Big Ten landscape is as follows: No. 20 Illinois, No. 28 Michigan, No. 34 Iowa, No. 37 Minnesota, No. 44 USC, No. 45 Nebraska, No. 53 Rutgers, No. 65 Washington, No. 76 Wisconsin, No. 84 UCLA, No. 87 Michigan State, No. 90 Maryland, No. 98 Northwestern and No. 130 Purdue.
The conference was anchored by several struggling programs, notably Purdue (1-11, 0-9 Big Ten), Maryland (4-8, 1-8 Big Ten) and Northwestern (4-8, 2-7 Big Ten). But it also had several under-the-radar teams emerge. Indiana’s 11-1 season and CFP run defines that reality, as does Illinois’ 10-3 campaign.
Wisconsin (5-7, 3-6 Big Ten) was one of several traditional powers that didn’t factor into the season-long race or any argument about the conference’s quality. The Badgers are still in search of a consistent identity now entering year three of the Luke Fickell era. Michigan State (5-7, 3-6 Big Ten) also fits that category after a disappointing first year under Jonathan Smith.
Still, the Big Ten’s final bowl record, head-to-head wins over the SEC and College Football Playoff success establishes it as the sport’s top conference. It is now worth watching whether it can hold that title.
For more on what the 2025 season could have in store, check out our early Big Ten power rankings.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
Oklahoma Sooners were included in On3’s way-too-early top 25 for the 2025 season.
The Oklahoma Sooners failed to meet expectations for the second time in three seasons, finishing 2024 6-7 with a loss to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Injuries and inconsistent quarterback play were huge factors in the Sooners’ lack of success. Oklahoma is hoping the changes they made on the offensive side of the ball will reignite the OU attack and return them to College Football Playoff contention.
From a national perspective, Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman of On3 are optimistic Brent Venables and his staff can right the ship in 2025. Oklahoma was included in On3’s top 25 for 2025, coming in at No. 18.
The Sooners brought in Ben Arbuckle, who comes from an offensive coaching tree having great success across the college football landscape. He also brought quarterback John Mateer with him. Mateer led the nation in total touchdowns in 2024 and has the experience and leadership capabilities to give the Sooners’ offense a boost.
That’s similar to where the Sooners are in FanDuel’s national championship odds for 2025. Oklahoma has the 19th-best odds of winning the national championship.
While the Sooners have made some strong additions on the offensive side of the ball, they’re a team with a lot to prove next season after the debacle of 2024. Oklahoma can’t afford another losing season or even a year where they fail to make the postseason.
For a program that takes pride in its 50 conference championships and seven national titles, the Sooners haven’t played for a conference title since 2020 and haven’t made the College Football Playoff since 2019.
In the expanded playoff and with the Sooners’ strength of schedule, if they can get to nine or 10 wins, Oklahoma will be in the mix for a playoff spot. But that’s a big if.
The Sooners have a lot to prove. They need their offensive line to take significant strides in 2025. If that can happen and John Mateer is everything he’s expected to be, the Sooners will be in contention when they get to November.
But once again, Oklahoma is tasked with navigating one of the toughest schedules in the nation.
In 2025, the Sooners will face seven teams that are in On3’s top 25. A tall task for any team, but especially one coming off of a losing season.
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One could argue the Oklahoma Sooners are overrated in On3’s top 25. They’re coming off of a 6-7 season for the second time in three years. They have to answer questions along the offensive line, at wide receiver and tight end, and need improved play from the cornerback position on the defense.
The Sooners must also replace key leaders, as Danny Stutsman, Ethan Downs, Billy Bowman, Woodi Washington, and Da’Jon Terry have left for the NFL.
The defense should be all right. Brent Venables has proven Oklahoma can field a defense that can contend in the SEC. But it’s all going to come down to whether or not the offense can pull their own weight.
A defense can’t be expected to hold the opposition under 20 points weekly. You need your offense to score 30 or more regularly and Oklahoma wasn’t capable of that in SEC play in 2024.
Oklahoma may end up one of the 25 best teams in the country in 2025, but they’ll need to prove it on the field for people to buy into this team after their horrendous season in 2024.
But in a year where the field looks wide open, there’s little reason the Sooners shouldn’t be able to find their way into contention next season.
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The Gators stay still in the top 5 of The Athletic’s latest college basketball power rankings.
The Florida men’s basketball team has maintained its position in the latest power rankings by The Athletic, holding steady at No. 5.
On Saturday, the Gators secured a convincing 84-60 victory at home over the Texas Longhorns. Florida excelled on both ends of the court, shooting 49.3% from the field and knocking down eight three-pointers. On defense, they limited Texas to a mere 36.4% shooting and a lackluster 25% from three-point range.
Alijah Martin led the charge with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists while Walter Clayton Jr. added 19 points, four rebounds and three assists. Alex Condon also contributed by putting up an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double.
The Gators did a great job in putting their loss against Missouri behind them, and head coach Todd Golden praised his team for their outstanding play against the Longhorns.
“I thought our players did a great job tonight answering the challenge…I thought for us to win the game the way we did, and to extend it and win by 24 was a great statement coming back off Tuesday night,” Golden said in his postgame press conference.
As the season goes on, all eyes will be on the Gators to see if they can continue their strong play and perhaps climb even higher in the national rankings. Fans and analysts alike are eager to see how this team develops, particularly as they face increasingly stiff competition on the road to March Madness.
10. Purdue Boilermakers
9. Marquette Golden Eagles
7. Houston Cougars
5. Florida Gators
3. Iowa State Cyclones
