Sports
CFP Title Game: Ohio State-Notre Dame Preview, Props & Prediction
Ohio State freshman Jeremiah Smith has 63 receptions for 1,037 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. The first 12-team College Football Playoff comes to a conclusion when Ohio State and Notre Dame meet on Monday night.
In the previous four-team format, neither the No. 7 seed Fighting Irish (14-1) nor the eighth-seeded Buckeyes (13-2) would have made the CFP. Now, two of the most storied programs in college football history will battle it out for the title in Atlanta.
ODDS AND TRENDS
The Buckeyes are consensus 9.0-point favorites across regulated sportsbooks. The line on Monday was sitting at 9.5 at BetRivers, where the public has been split — backing Ohio State with 51 percent of the total spread-line bets but Notre Dame with 53 percent of the money.
However, it’s clear the public is expecting the Buckeyes to win the game outright, with their -455 moneyline drawing 65 percent of the bets and 53 percent of the money.
Meanwhile, BetMGM has seen the line shift from 9.5 to 8.5, leading to Ohio State commanding 55 percent of the spread-line bets and 64 percent of their money. The public has been split equally in the moneyline, backing the Buckeyes (-400) and Fighting Irish (+310) equally in terms of money wagered.
“If you include the futures market, we’ll be fine with either team taking home the trophy but Notre Dame moneyline betting will surely become an overall negative result by kickoff,” BetMGM senior sportsbook trader Michael Ranftle said.
One thing that has not been split is the total points line market.
Sitting at 45.0 at BetRivers, the Over has been backed by 76 percent of the money. The market has held steady at 45.5 at BetMGM, where the Over has drawn 74 percent of the money.
PROP PICKS
–Buckeyes QB Will Howard Over 225.0 Passing Yards (-205 at DraftKings): The speed of Notre Dame’s defense has been one of the storylines throughout this year’s CFP. So, too, has been the growth of Howard in Ohio State’s offense. He has averaged 306.3 passing yards through three CFP games, leading to this being the most popular player prop at the book.
–Fighting Irish RB Jeremiyah Love Under 42.5 Rushing Yards (-115 at BetMGM): Love leads Notre Dame with 1,122 rushing yards this season, but Notre Dame’s offense has fallen largely on the hands and legs of quarterback Riley Leonard of late. Love rushed for a combined 65 yards on just 17 carries in the past two games while dealing with a knee injury.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Texas limited explosive Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith to one catch for 3 yards in the semifinals after he racked up 13 receptions for 290 yards and four touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ first two playoff wins over Tennessee and Oregon.
Texas put as many as three defenders around Smith to keep him in check, but Ohio State prevailed 28-14 at the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 at Arlington, Texas.
Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly gave no indication that Smith was rattled by his unusually quiet game. Instead, it seems like he is focused on helping Ohio State win its first national title in 10 years.
“He’s always a forward-looking guy; what’s next, what’s the next challenge and what do we get to do?” Kelly said.
Smith’s 1,227 receiving yards are the seventh-most in the nation, but Notre Dame has a star freshman of its own that could help make life difficult again for the touted receiver on Monday night.
Cornerback Leonard Moore, who was named the Freshman Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday by the Football Writers Association of America, has tallied 10 pass breakups and two interceptions for the Fighting Irish.
Moore logged only one tackle in Notre Dame’s 27-24 semifinal win over Penn State on Jan. 9 but had two passes defended in a 23-10 quarterfinal victory over Georgia one week earlier.
The Fighting Irish pride themselves on playing man coverage, and Moore made it clear that will remain the case on Monday.
“A lot of teams have gone to a zone mindset when playing them,” he said. “I think Penn State played a decent amount of man because that’s their identity. Going into this game, we’re not going to change who we are. We’re going to play man coverage like we do every week.”
Smith’s slow night against Texas allowed Ohio State’s other weapons to contribute. Carnell Tate had seven catches for 87 yards and running back TreVeyon Henderson took a screen pass 75 yards for a score.
“They came out and bracketed (Smith) and everyone else had to win and do their job. That’s exactly what we did,” Tate said. “When (Smith) does his job, it opens it up for us. When we do our job, it opens it up for (Smith).”
Tate is regarded as the Buckeyes’ third-best receiver behind Smith (14 touchdowns on 71 receptions) and Emeka Egbuka (75 receptions, 947 yards, 10 touchdowns).
“You’re not going to be able to stop their receivers totally,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “They’re a talented bunch. So, we’ll come up with a plan and be able to adapt and adjust based off what’s going on in the game.”
THE NEWS
Freeman’s squad will also have to deal with Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, who has completed 73.9 percent of his passes (65 of 88) for 919 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions in the Buckeyes’ three playoff games.
The Fighting Irish secured their three-point win at the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Mitch Jeter’s 41-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining. That the field goal came after a Notre Dame interception was not surprising.
The Fighting Irish have plucked 19 picks this season, the fifth-most in FBS. They also rank second in pass defense (165.3 yards per game) and scoring defense (14.3 points allowed per game).
The team above them in the latter two categories? Ohio State.
The Buckeyes allow just 251.1 total yards and 12.2 points per game and present the ultimate test to a Notre Dame offense led by quarterback Riley Leonard.
The Duke transfer hasn’t had an explosive playoff like Howard, completing 67.1 percent of his throws (53 of 79) for 514 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions, but Leonard can extend plays with his legs. He has added 145 rushing yards and two scores on 43 carries during the playoffs.
Leonard has 866 rushing yards on the season.
INJURY REPORT
The Fighting Irish’s line may be a bit more fragile without left tackle Anthonie Knapp, who will miss the championship due to a high-ankle sprain sustained during the Penn State game. Tosh Baker is expected to replace Knapp and make his first start of the season.
Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke, who did not play in the second half against Texas because of an upper-body injury, should be good for Monday, according to defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
PREDICTION
The Buckeyes boast arguably the nation’s most dominating defensive line. Notre Dame will struggle in the trenches offensively, especially minus Knapp. That will make for tough sledding for four quarters, with the Buckeyes steadily pulling away in the second half while controlling time of possession and field position.
–Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 19
–Field Level Media
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
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