Ohio State began last season with 12 consecutive victories and ended it with two losses that changed the way the year will be remembered.

Ryan Day is not interested in overreacting to either stretch.

The Buckeyes followed a national championship with a trip to the Big Ten title game last season, where they lost to eventual national champion Indiana. A second defeat against Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals left Ohio State searching for ways to finish better without tearing what worked apart.

“When you’re chasing small margins like you are, you have to identify the things that need to get fixed and fix them,” Day said Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. “The easy thing is to do nothing or overreact, where the real work is identifying what needs to get fixed and then make that change.”

One advantage is unusual continuity at quarterback.

Julian Sayin returns for his second season as the starter, making this only the third time during Day’s tenure that Ohio State has brought back its No. 1 quarterback. Sayin won his first 12 starts before the two season-ending losses and will again be paired with star receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Day said Sayin is stronger, more vocal and carrying himself differently after experiencing both ends of a championship chase.

“When you look in his eye now, you see a different person, a different body,” Day said. “He’s worked hard, gotten stronger. He’s found his voice even more.”

The lessons will be tested quickly during what Day called a “monster” schedule which includes a Week 2 road game at Texas.

–Moore passes on NFL to chase history at Oregon

Dante Moore could have been preparing for his first NFL training camp.

Instead, the Oregon quarterback returned to Eugene after being widely projected as the No. 2 selection in the 2026 draft, passing up a lucrative contract.

Moore said his decision was based on development and the opportunity to help Oregon win its first national championship, not concern over which NFL team might select him.

“It was a great decision,” Moore said. “When I first did it, I was a little bit hesitant, but at this point where I’m at right now in the offseason, it’s all full force. There’s no looking back from here. These guys I’m on stage with are for sure people that could’ve went to the NFL last year. For us to come back, we all want to chase history and help us reach our goals.”

Moore completed 71.8% of his passes for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns with 10 interceptions last season while leading the Ducks to a 13-2 record and the CFP semifinals.

Dan Lanning said Moore had unfinished business and described this year’s roster as potentially the most player-led team of his five seasons at Oregon.

“Obviously we have some great returning players that have been big contributors to our program,” Lanning said. “One thing I recognize is last year I felt like we had a team that had a ton of talent. This year, I feel like we have a team with a lot of returning experience. A lot of those young players that played are now guys that have also had great experience, and I’m excited to see what that looks like.”

–Fitzgerald returns to Big Ten with familiar blueprint

Pat Fitzgerald isn’t viewing his first season at Michigan State as a chance to bring over everything that worked during his 17 years at Northwestern.

Instead, the Spartans’ new coach is looking backward for the identity he wants to restore.

Fitzgerald said the traits he has emphasized since taking over have long been part of Michigan State’s most successful teams. His task is turning those familiar ideals into daily habits for a roster still learning what will be demanded of it.

“I said it in my press conference when I got introduced, that this was born at Michigan State, and that’s how we’re going to play,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re going to play smart. We’re going to play tough. We’re going to play with discipline.”

Fitzgerald has spent the offseason increasing competition throughout the roster and establishing a standard he hopes will eventually move the Spartans back into Big Ten contention after four straight losing seasons.

That process will require more than leaning on the program’s history, but Fitzgerald made clear where he expects it to lead.

“We’re looking forward to taking this program back to where it belongs at the highest level,” Fitzgerald said.

–Field Level Media

Two teams licking their wounds will get together Thursday night in Winnipeg when the Blue Bombers host the reeling BC Lions.

Winnipeg enters with a 4-3 record after taking an unexpected 52-30 home spanking last Friday against Calgary. BC is 1-5 and at the bottom of the West division following a 26-12 home loss Saturday to Toronto that saw its offense do next to nothing with star quarterback Nathan Rourke on the shelf with a left shoulder injury.

The Blue Bombers have issues to iron out on offense as well, despite tallying at least 30 points in each of the last three games that veteran quarterback Zach Collaros has missed with a neck injury. Dru Brown has struggled to find an early rhythm in both games and hindered the team by tossing four interceptions last week.

Running back Brady Oliviera, who rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries, questioned the offense’s identity after the loss.

With Collaros still sidelined, Winnipeg needs to figure things out quickly.

“We’ve been doing some good things,” said receiver Nic Demski, “but I don’t think we’ve been a great offense of where we want to be or where our standards are at. I believe that we’ve been leaving some stuff out on the field.”

While the Blue Bombers look to find their top form, the Lions shoot to find any level of consistency. Chase Brice replaced Rourke but tossed four interceptions in a 19-17 loss at Edmonton July 17, then was hooked after completing 14 of 25 passes for 163 yards against Toronto.

Rookie Kaidon Salter, who starred at Liberty from 2021-24 and played last year for Deion Sanders at Colorado, will get his first start. Salter fared decently in garbage time last week, going 9 of 15 for 121 yards.

Salter has a connection to the CFL and BC. He’s a cousin of Casey Printers, who threw for 5,088 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2004 for the Lions en route to being named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.

“I’m just very privileged to be up here and do some of the things he did,” Salter said. “He talked to me over the weekend to be prepared.”

–Field Level Media

Yandy Diaz homered on the first pitch Tampa Bay saw in a three-run first inning, and the Rays squared their three-game series with the Texas Rangers by winning 3-0 on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Ryan Vilade slugged a mammoth two-run homer three batters after Diaz went deep. The blasts gave Tampa Bay all the offense it would need to prevail for the seventh time in nine games.

Rays left-hander Ian Seymour (7-3) entered after opener Casey Legumina retired five batters and allowed just one hit. Seymour tossed 4 2/3 innings and yielded only two hits and a walk. He struck out four.

Five pitchers combined to record Tampa Bay’s ninth shutout of the year.

Texas starter MacKenzie Gore (6-9) permitted three runs on three hits in seven innings. He struck out nine, hit a batter and issued no walks. The left-hander regrouped to retire 20 of the last 21 batters he faced.

The two first-place clubs combined for seven hits, all for extra bases.

After a sluggish offensive showing by the Rays in a 4-1 loss on Tuesday, Diaz belted the opening pitch in the first inning to right, slicing his 15th home run 372 feet.

Jonathan Aranda lined a double to center before Junior Caminero struck out. Vilade then smashed a 420-foot clout off the C-ring walkway high above left-center field for his ninth shot and a 3-0 lead.

As expected, Seymour replaced Legumina early to take the bulk innings. Seymour promptly set down 14 of the first 15 batters he faced, striking out four and allowing only a one-out double to Elias Diaz in the third.

Following his rocky first inning, Gore rebounded and kept the Rays at bay. He fired six hitless innings and yielded just one baserunner, when he plunked Ben Williamson with a pitch in the fifth.

The Rangers finally built a threat with one out in the seventh when Jake Burger doubled and Nicky Lopez walked, chasing Seymour. Garrett Cleavinger entered and escaped the jam by fanning Cam Cauley and retiring Alejandro Osuna on a weak grounder in front of home plate.

Sidewinding Rays reliever Kevin Kelly struck out the side in the eighth before closer Bryan Baker posted his 29th save with a scoreless ninth.

–Field Level Media