August 2025

There were 1,614 posts published in August 2025 (this is page 79 of 162).

Paul Finebaum Names National Championship Coach Who Is Not Elite

Paul Finebaum Names National Championship Coach Who Is Not Elite originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

In college football, only three current head coaches have won a national championship as a head coach. This comes after Mack Brown, the former head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, parted ways with the university after the 2024 season.

The three coaches are: Kirby Smart, head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs; Dabo Swinney, of the Clemson Tigers; and Ryan Day, of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Both Smart and Swinney have each won two national championships, while Day won the most recent championship last season.

Despite his success, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum stated on “The Paul Finebaum Show” that he does not consider Day to be one of the elite coaches in the sport.

Ohio State Buckeyes football head coach Ryan Day© Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I think he’s a very good coach, but I don’t believe he’s among the elite coaches in America,” Finebaum said. “He still does some really stupid things like losing to Michigan every year, which is inexcusable. Last year, he had the best talent. Nobody in college football doubted a year ago that Ohio State had the best team. Everyone said the same thing.”

Finebaum pointed out that Day benefited from having two elite assistant coaches on his staff last year: offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. However, neither is returning this year. Kelly is now the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders and Knowles has taken on the role of defensive coordinator for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Ryan Day Led Ohio State on an All-Time Great College Football Playoff Run

The Buckeyes had an impressive run in the College Football Playoff last season, finishing with a regular-season record of 10-2. However, they suffered two narrow losses: one to the Oregon Ducks, 32-31, and another to the Michigan Wolverines, 13-10, marking their fourth consecutive defeat against Michigan. The loss to Michigan ultimately eliminated them from contention for the Big Ten Championship.

Ohio State would secure the No. 8 seed in the playoffs and face the No. 9 seed Tennessee Volunteers, the No. 1 seed Oregon Ducks, the No. 5 seed Texas Longhorns and the No. 7 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish on its path to winning the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.

The Buckeyes were impressive, winning all four of their games by double digits. Only the 2018 Clemson Tigers, 2019 LSU Tigers, 2020 Alabama Crimson Tide and 2021 Georgia Bulldogs have achieved this feat in the playoff era, but they did so in the four-team playoff format.

Paul Finebaum Doesn’t Think Ohio State Will Win Back-to-Back National Championships

Ohio State aims to win national championships in consecutive seasons. The last team to achieve this was the 2021 and 2022 Georgia Bulldogs. However, Finebaum believes that this will not happen.

“There are so many things to like about Ohio State, but right now, I don’t think they will,” Finebaum previously said. “I think it’s extremely difficult to do that. The weight of the previous season is almost insurmountable… I think they’ll get back to the playoffs, but my sense is they won’t make it to the national championship game.”

Ohio State Loses A Lot From Last Year’s Team But Returns Two Key Players

One reason the Buckeyes may struggle to win the national championship again is the significant challenge posed by the departure of several key players from last season, including quarterback Will Howard. But that’s not all.

Defensive ends Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, defensive tackles Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton, as well as defensive backs Lathan Ransom, Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock are all gone.

However, they return two key players, including sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who topped the Big Ten with 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdown receptions, and senior defensive back Caleb Downs, a consensus All-American. Last season, Downs recorded 82 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and two interceptions. Both players are regarded as some of the best in college football.

Ohio State and Coach Day have a chance for a significant victory when they face the top-ranked Texas Longhorns, whom Finebaum predicts will win the national championship, at noon ET on August 30 in Columbus, Ohio.

Related: Paul Finebaum Names National Championship Contender That’s Overrated

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.

Jackson Herrington advances to 125th U.S. Amateur Championship finals

Tennessee’s Jackson Herrington advanced to the finals of the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship with a victory at Olympic Golf Course in San Francisco, California.

Herrington will play high school junior Mason Howell, a 2016 Georgia commit, in the 36-hole championship match Sunday at 1:15 p.m. EDT.

Herrington and Howell will play 18 holes before breaking for lunch. They will return to the course for 18 holes.

Herrington, who reached the Round of 32 of the U.S. Amateur Championship last year at Hazeltine National in Chaska, Minnesota, made a hole-in-one in his first match.

In Saturday’s semifinal, Herrington defeated Niall Shiels Donegan, a junior who will attend North Carolina this year after playing two seasons at Northwestern, one up.

Howell, a junior at Brockwood High School in Snellville, Georgia, defeated Oklahoma State junior Eric Lee 3 and 2 in Saturday’s other semifinal.

By advancing to a championship match, Herrington and Howell have received an exemption to the 2026 US Open. Both may also receive an invitation to the 2026 Masters.

The U.S. Amateur champion will also qualify for the U.S. Walker Cup Team.

This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Jackson Herrington to play for U.S. Amateur Championship

Cowboys Reveal 3-Item Preseason Checklist vs. Ravens

Cowboys Reveal 3-Item Preseason Checklist vs. Ravens originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

To say the Dallas Cowboys’ first preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams wasn’t good would be an understatement, with the 31-21 scoreline making things seem closer than they were.

Self-inflicted wounds were a big storyline, with six pre-snap penalties, coupled with the back-to-back three-and-outs to start the game for the offense, while the Rams scored touchdowns on their first two drives, putting Dallas behind.

Playing a game of catch-up is never a good one to play, and with the Cowboys welcoming the Baltimore Ravens to AT&T Stadium for their second preseason game, there will be a host of things to keep an eye on.

And head coach Brian Schottenheimer has a checklist.

“A couple things I’m looking for in this upcoming game against Baltimore is I’d love us to start faster,” Schottenheimer said. “I’d like us to play with more discipline, in terms of the pre-snap penalties, and I’d love to see us tackle better on defense.”

Self-inflicted wounds have been one of Dallas’ biggest bugaboos for years, with the franchise finishing in the top five for penalties in three of the past four seasons.

Yeah, that needs to stop.

Mike McCarthy couldn’t do it; now it is Schottenheimer’s turn, and after preaching discipline all preseason, the Cowboys failed their first “test,” and Schotty is determined to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Will there be penalties? Of course, but the pre-snap issues simply can’t happen, so let’s see if the playing group can help tick off Schottenheimer’s checklist against the Ravens.

Related: Cowboys Rookie ‘Slasher’ Steps Up As ‘The Pads Come On’

Related: Cowboys Reveal Surprise View With Luke Schoonmaker Prediction

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.

Nolan McLean’s ‘sick’ behind-the-back double play impresses Mets as much as his pitching did

There was a lot to be impressed by Nolan McLean‘s MLB debut on Saturday with the Mets, but one moment stood out for many.

With the game still scoreless in the third inning, McLean pitched into some trouble. He walked the first two batters he faced and Cal Raleigh hit a one-out single to load the bases with Julio Rodriguez up to the plate. The rookie threw a sweeper that got in on Rodriguez’s hands and he chopped the ball up the middle.

McLean, who was a two-way player and a multi-sport athlete in college, swung his glove behind his back and snagged the ball before throwing it to second to start the 1-4-3 double play to end the inning and the threat.

“The ball just kinda found me on that one,” McLean said of the play after the game. “Got a little lucky, hit my glove. Wasn’t really something you draw up but it worked out.”

While the ball may have found McLean, the nerves certainly didn’t. Mets fans packed Citi Field on Saturday afternoon to see their top pitching prospect make his debut and he didn’t disappoint.

McLean tossed 5.1 scoreless innings against a playoff team in the Mariners, and earned his first win after a 3-1 victory. The moment never seemed too big for him and that’s what impressed manager Carlos Mendoza and his new teammates the most about the outing.

“He made an incredible play there, but at the same time, I was confident he was going to attack the zone and do the job that he was able to do in that moment,” Francisco Alvarez, who caught McLean in Syracuse, said. “Maybe he would have given up one run or no runs in that situation, but I knew he was in a good spot and I had all the confidence in the world in him.”

“Pretty impressive. Unbelievable. Everything we’ve heard from him. Stays on the attack,” Mendoza said of McLean’s performance. “The way he uses all of his pitches. For me, his ability to throw the secondary pitches when he’s behind in counts, to get back in counts, to get swing and misses, to get chases, the sinker, the velo. 

“The way he fields his position. And sure enough, he gets a comebacker, we don’t teach that way, but not only to make the play, but to play catch in that moment. Bases loaded, one out, got Rodriguez at the plate, pretty much how he handled everything. Unbelievable.”

Francisco Lindor was asked if he was more impressed by McLean’s fielding or pitching. The Gold Glove shortstop paused for a second before saying with a smile, “That was kinda sick.”

But like his teammates, McLean’s demeanor was what stood out the most. “His conviction. He went out there, he was poised. Since yesterday, he was at ease and he executed from pitch one.”

After his first successful MLB start, McLean has likely earned himself another start. We’ll see if there are more web gems for the rookie to make.

Mets’ Carlos Mendoza all but confirms Nolan McLean will make another start

After Nolan McLean grabbed the win in his major league debut, manager Carlos Mendoza all but confirmed the right-hander will get another start in the Mets‘ rotation.

Mendoza was a bit noncommittal about the 24-year-old’s chances to stay in the rotation after his debut. The skipper didn’t seem to have any cold feet when asked about it after Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. 

“I think so,” Mendoza said with a laugh when asked if it was safe to say McLean earned another start. “Don’t you think?”

“We needed that. We needed that as a team, the organization, given where we are at and how hard it’s been for us,” the manager continued. “You start thinking about what it’s gonna look like here pretty soon, and I feel good about our chances.”

McLean delivered 5.1 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just two hits and four walks while striking out eight on 91 pitches (55 strikes). 

Mendoza called the start “pretty impressive” and “unbelievable,” adding that all of the best of McLean from mound presence to demeanor to staying on the attack and using all of his pitches was on display in Saturday’s start.

“Just the way he handled pretty much everything… unbelievable,” he said.

As expected, McLean leaned heavily on his off-speed pitches, throwing his sweeper 36 percent of the time and his curveball 21 percent. Overall, he tallied 11 whiffs on 38 swings and added 17 called strikes. The sweeper led the way with a 36 percent called strike-whiff rate. The sinker, which averaged 94.9 mph for the afternoon, was his second most-used pitch at 26 percent.

“For me, his ability to throw his secondary pitches when he’s behind in counts to get back in counts to get swing and misses, to get chases, Mendoza said. 

Francisco Lindor stays hot, Mets support Nolan McLean’s scoreless debut in 3-1 win over Mariners

The Mets defeated the Seattle Mariners 3-1 at Citi Field on Saturday, riding an impressive major league debut by Nolan McLean, to win a game they needed badly after losing 14 of their previous 16.

The Mets scored two runs in the seventh inning and then Carlos Mendoza went to Edwin Diaz for a close it out with a six-out save.

Here are the takeaways…

-After an especially rough week for the Mets, McLean gave fans some hope with an outstanding major league debut, throwing 5 1/3 scoreless innings. The righthander gave up two hits, both singles, and four walks while striking out eight Mariners’ hitters. He threw 91 pitches.

McLean showed an impressive six-pitch arsenal, living up to his reputation for great breaking stuff as he kept the hitters off-balance with a mix of spin and speed. His four-seam fastball was clocked as high as 97 mph while he threw his slow curve, which got some key swings-and-misses, between 78-81 mph.

Along the way, Mclean made a dazzling play to escape a bases-loaded situation in the third inning. With one out, he jammed Julio Rodriguez, inducing a fairly hard comebacker, and from his follow-throw, McLean reached behind his back to stab the ball, then quickly turned and fired to Brett Baty at second to start a 1-4-3 double play as the Citi Field crowd roared.

McLean was pulled in the sixth after giving up a leadoff walk to the M’s slugging catcher Cal Raleigh, and then striking out Rodriguez. Mendoza wanted lefty Gregory Soto for the lefty-hitting Josh Naylor, and though the manager was booed by the crowd for taking out McLean, Soto got out of the inning.

The switch-hitting Raleigh was the only Mariner that McLean didn’t get out, walking him twice and giving up a rocket of a single in the third inning.

-Hot-hitting Francisco Lindor got the Mets on the board, delivering a line double into the right-field corner in the third inning, scoring Brett Baty from first base to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. Baty had singled to lead off the inning.

Lindor went 2-for-4 on the day and is now 11-for-20 (.550)  in his last five games, with three home runs, two doubles, six RBI, and seven runs scored.

-The Mets pulled away with a two-run rally in the seventh. Baty and Lindor each singled and stole a base, and Juan Soto, who has struggled badly with runners in scoring position, delivered a run with a sacrifice fly to fairly deep left-center.

After Lindor was thrown out at the plate on Brandon Nimmo’s single to left (a bad decision to send Lindor, after he had hesitated to make sure the ball fell for a hit), Pete Alonso doubled down the third-base line to score Nimmo and make it 3-0.

-With all of the problems the Mets’ bullpen has had this week, Mendoza wasn’t messing around with a 3-0 lead, going to a well-rested Diaz to start the eighth.

Diaz pitched a scoreless eighth, getting two strikeouts, while allowing a single to Raleigh. In the ninth, he gave up a one-out home run to Eugenio Suarez but closed out the win without any drama.

-Baty and Lindor each stole second base during the seventh inning, as the Mets extended their streak without being caught to 39 straight steals.

It ties the longest such single-season streak in MLB history since caught stealings were first tracked in 1951. The Red Sox had 39 straight in 2013. They have the all-time record of 40 straight, including one in the 2014 season.

Game MVP: Nolan McLean

The Mets desperately needed a boost and McLean delivered, living up to his status as a high-ceiling prospect in Triple-A.

McLean has dominated in the minors since being drafted out of Oklahoma State in 2023, rising to No. 37 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects list.

Highlights

What’s next

The Mets and Mariners wrap up their three-game set on Sunday night. First pitch for the Little League Classic in Williamsport, PA, is set for 7:10 p.m.

Clay Holmes (9-6, 3.71 ERA) will take the mound for New York, while George Kirby (8-5, 3.71 ERA) will be on the bump for Seattle.

Phillies placing ace Zack Wheeler on IL with blood clot near right shoulder

The Philadelphia Phillies are placing ace Zack Wheeler in the injured list with a blood clot near his right shoulder, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters Saturday.

Wheeler will undergo further testing in Philadelphia and has no timetable to return. Aaron Nola will be activated from the injured list to replace him on the Phillies’ active roster.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]

The exact nature of the blood clot is unclear beyond its rough location, but it is disquieting news for the first-place Phillies nonetheless with only a month and a half until the playoffs begin. 

“There’s not a lot we can say about it at this time, but I commend [head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit] and the doctors here for finding this because it could have been a much more trying situation than what it is,” Dombrowski said.

Buchheit emphasized the team needed more information before figuring out when Wheeler will be pitching again.

“Zack had been feeling better after his right shoulder soreness, but yesterday some symptoms had changed. He felt a little heaviness,” Buchheit said. “It’s still early on in the diagnosis, so I think we should gather more information before we put a prognosis and treatment plan together.”

At age 35, Wheeler is enjoying one of the best seasons of an already standout career, leading the NL in strikeouts with 195 and in WHIP at 0.935. Before Saturday, he sat behind only Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes on the odds board for the NL Cy Young Award, for which he finished as runner-up last season.

With Wheeler atop the rotation and flanked by the likes of Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez, the Phillies have arguably the top rotation in baseball, leading MLB in innings pitched (705) and ranking second in ERA (3.42). Without Wheeler, things get much more dicey.

After a 2-0 loss to the Washington Nationals on Saturday, the Phillies’ record sits at 70-53, 5.5 games ahead of the New York Mets for first place in the NL East. Not having Wheeler for the playoffs would be especially bad considering he owns a 2.18 ERA in the postseason and hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in seven straight appearances.

Phillies placing ace Zack Wheeler on IL with blood clot near right shoulder

The Philadelphia Phillies are placing ace Zack Wheeler in the injured list with a blood clot near his right shoulder, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters Saturday.

Wheeler will undergo further testing in Philadelphia and has no timetable to return. Aaron Nola will be activated from the injured list to replace him on the Phillies’ active roster.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]

The exact nature of the blood clot is unclear beyond its rough location, but it is disquieting news for the first-place Phillies nonetheless with only a month and a half until the playoffs begin. 

“There’s not a lot we can say about it at this time, but I commend [head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit] and the doctors here for finding this because it could have been a much more trying situation than what it is,” Dombrowski said.

Buchheit emphasized the team needed more information before figuring out when Wheeler will be pitching again.

“Zack had been feeling better after his right shoulder soreness, but yesterday some symptoms had changed. He felt a little heaviness,” Buchheit said. “It’s still early on in the diagnosis, so I think we should gather more information before we put a prognosis and treatment plan together.”

At age 35, Wheeler is enjoying one of the best seasons of an already standout career, leading the NL in strikeouts with 195 and in WHIP at 0.935. Before Saturday, he sat behind only Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes on the odds board for the NL Cy Young Award, for which he finished as runner-up last season.

With Wheeler atop the rotation and flanked by the likes of Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez, the Phillies have arguably the top rotation in baseball, leading MLB in innings pitched (705) and ranking second in ERA (3.42). Without Wheeler, things get much more dicey.

After a 2-0 loss to the Washington Nationals on Saturday, the Phillies’ record sits at 70-53, 5.5 games ahead of the New York Mets for first place in the NL East. Not having Wheeler for the playoffs would be especially bad considering he owns a 2.18 ERA in the postseason and hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in seven straight appearances.

Astros’ All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña out of lineup for 2nd straight game due to illness

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Astros All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña is out of the lineup for the second straight game against the Baltimore Orioles due to illness.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Saturday that Peña was feeling better and at the ballpark.

“He’s here. He’s going to do some baseball activities and sweat some of that stuff off,” Espada said.

Peña was sent to the doctor on Friday after reporting to Daikin Park feeling ill. He was not seen in the Astros dugout during their 7-0 loss to the Orioles.

In 93 games, Peña is batting a team-leading .318 with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs. Mauricio Dubón has started at shortstop for the Astros in his absence.

Astros’ Hader hopes to pitch in 2025, likely in postseason, after going on IL with shoulder issue

HOUSTON (AP) Houston Astros All-Star closer Josh Hader said he hopes to pitch again in 2025, even if it means in the postseason, after being shut down because of a left shoulder issue.

Hader will not throw for three weeks after being diagnosed with a left capsule shoulder strain on Friday. He will fill that time with rest and strengthening exercises and be re-evaluated to see if he can resume a throwing program.

“We’ll see how my body recovers and how it’s taking on rehab,” Hader said. “Right now for me, I’m trying to get as strong as I can for these next three weeks and see where I go from there.”

Hader said he would need a ramp-up period of about three weeks in order to pitch in games, which would likely rule him out the remainder of the regular. But, the six-time All-Star hopes to return in the postseason for the Astros, who entered Saturday leading the American League West by a half-game over Seattle.

“Obviously, I would love to be part of a playoff push, but realistically, I’m thinking about longevity,” Hader said. “If I can get these three weeks, get healthy and start moving into a direction where I can start throwing, yeah I would be definitely optimistic.”

Hader was placed on the injured list for the first time in his nine-year career on Monday after he felt something in his shoulder he hadn’t felt before while throwing in training.

“That’s when I kind of threw up the caution signs and wanted to kind of look in deeper and kind of see what was really going on,” Hader said.

In his second year with the Astros, Hader is 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA and is fifth with 28 saves in 48 appearances this season.