They say if you have two quarterbacks, you have none. Does the same apply to play-callers? If so, Auburn still might be in good hands because it sounds like they have three.

There has never been a more appropriately used phrase than “only at Auburn.” This situations is so mystifying that I initially thought it was fake. Nope, Hugh Freeze really is letting it fly in his third season on The Plains.

Freeze rose to prominence at Ole Miss because of his ability to recruit top-notch talent (by any means necessary) and call plays. In recent years, he hasn’t always acted as his team’s offensive coordinator. Last year, he described the offensive play-calling as a “collaborative effort.”

What the hell does that mean? Thankfully, the folks at AL.com asked offensive coordinator Derrick Nix how the Auburn offensive braintrust works.

“I try to do a good job on first-and-10, drive-starters. (Quarterbacks coach) Kent Austin does our third downs,” Nix told AL.com. “Head coach has the authority to overrule anything we say or do.”

So Auburn has a first-down play-caller, a third-down play-caller, and a head coach who is “heavily involved” and can veto any decision. That’s the sign of a healthy, streamlined operation. Fortunately, Lane Kiffin was willing to ask the question we all wanted to know.

Hugh Freeze had an opportunity to address the situation following Auburn’s practice on Thursday and he didn’t provide much more clarity.

“Derrick Nix is the offensive coordinator, and he does all of the planning, scripting in charge of the gameplan. There’s no staff that’s not a collaboration on the plan,” said the Auburn head coach. “I offensively or defensively reserve the right to say on the call sheet, ‘I don’t really like that one right here.’ But he does a great job for us. Kent kind of leads the third down plan, but other than that, Nix kinda leads the charge and has the play-calling duties, with me reserving the right to say, ‘Hey.’”

Take all of the humor out of this situation for just a moment. I know that’s hard to do because this is hilarious, but let’s not make jokes for just a second.

At his first SEC Media Days appearance, Freeze acknowledged that Auburn was undergoing a significant rebuild, but after 2-3 high school recruiting classes, they should be able to have it rocking and rolling. That time is now. Over his first two seasons, Auburn is 6-7 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, with losses to Cal, New Mexico State, and Vanderbilt.

Auburn fans were surprisingly willing to give him a little leash in the beginning. That’s no longer the case. He’s built a roster that should be a winner. Keldric Faulk is one of the best EDGE players in all of college football. Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton are arguably the best 1-2 punch at wide receiver in the SEC. The talent is there, but can Freeze successfully create a modern offense on The Plains?

He’s trying to do it with one of the most convoluted play-calling methods in the history of college football. This strategy can take the blame off the head coach’s shoulders, but there’s no way it can operate efficiently. There are too many voices talking into the headset.

This is just another reason why Auburn is the most fascinating team in college football in 2025. If it works, they have enough talent to be in the CFP. If it doesn’t, prepare for a firework show, and not the good kind either, one that looks like this.

Paul Finebaum Names SEC Sleeper With Path to First College Football Playoff originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The 12-team College Football Playoff provides more programs with the opportunity to compete in the postseason tournament for the first time in their history. Last year marked the inaugural season of this expanded format, which allowed six teams to participate in the playoff for the first time.

The Arizona State Sun Devils, Tennessee Volunteers, SMU Mustangs, Boise State Broncos, Indiana Hoosiers and Penn State Nittany Lions all qualified for the first time. This year, more teams hope to join those ranks.

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum believes that the Ole Miss Rebels, coached by Lane Kiffin, could be on track for their first appearance in the playoffs. On his show, “The Paul Finebaum Show,” he expressed that the Rebels’ schedule presents them with a fantastic opportunity.

“Ole Miss has a very good schedule, and if they can pull an upset with that schedule that they have, I think they could be a playoff team,” Finebaum said. “But they have to twist one or two of those games.”

Paul Finebaum Thinks Ole Miss Has to Avoid ‘Blowing Games Early’

Last season, many believed the Ole Miss Rebels were poised to be a playoff team. They finished the year with a record of 10-3 but narrowly missed making the postseason tournament. A significant factor in their exclusion was an early-season loss to the Kentucky Wildcats (4-8), which occurred at home with a score of 20-17.

If Ole Miss had won that game, it likely would have secured a spot in the College Football Playoff (CFP). Finebaum believes the Rebels must avoid a loss like that in the future.

“I think Ole Miss has a chance of being undefeated going to Georgia,” Finebaum previously noted. “Now, I say that knowing Lane Kiffin has a propensity of blowing games early. If he can avoid that, I think he’s got a real shot at making the playoffs.”

Finebaum warns that Ole Miss should be careful, as the LSU Tigers will be a challenging opponent early in the season. However, he believes the other early games are winnable.

He also notes that Kiffin’s management of the road games against the Oklahoma Sooners, along with the home games against the South Carolina Gamecocks and Florida Gators at the end of the season, could have a significant impact on the team’s success.

ESPN’s Football Power Index Isn’t Sold on the Rebels

ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) measures a team’s strength and predicts its future performance. This season, the FPI has a somewhat positive outlook on the Rebels, although it remains cautious.

Ole Miss is ranked as the No. 13 team in the country, which places them as the No. 7 team in the SEC. The forecast predicts an 8-4 record for the season. Furthermore, the Rebels have a 30.7% chance of making the playoffs, ranking as the sixth-best odds in the conference.

Ole Miss Replaces Key Players, Including Star QB Jaxson Dart

For Ole Miss to make the playoff, it must replace several key players lost from last year’s roster. The most significant departure is quarterback Jaxson Dart, who had an exceptional season. He threw for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns and only six interceptions, completing 69.3% of his passes. His remarkable performance earned him a first-round selection by the New York Giants in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The defense is facing significant losses, returning only 45% of its production, which ranks 104th in the nation. This follows a strong season where the Rebels were ranked No. 14 in total defense, No. 2 in rush defense and No. 2 in scoring defense. Ole Miss will be without five of its top six sack leaders from last season.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Austin Simmons is anticipated to succeed Dart. Last year, Simmons threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns, completing 59.4% of his passes during limited playing time.

The Rebels will kick off their season against Georgia State on August 30 at 7:45 p.m. ET.

Related: Paul Finebaum Names Prominent SEC Coach Who Was a ‘Bust’ in 2024

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.

They say if you have two quarterbacks, you have none. Does the same apply to play-callers? If so, Auburn still might be in good hands because it sounds like they have three.

There has never been a more appropriately used phrase than “only at Auburn.” This situations is so mystifying that I initially thought it was fake. Nope, Hugh Freeze really is letting it fly in his third season on The Plains.

Freeze rose to prominence at Ole Miss because of his ability to recruit top-notch talent (by any means necessary) and call plays. In recent years, he hasn’t always acted as his team’s offensive coordinator. Last year, he described the offensive play-calling as a “collaborative effort.”

What the hell does that mean? Thankfully, the folks at AL.com asked offensive coordinator Derrick Nix how the Auburn offensive braintrust works.

“I try to do a good job on first-and-10, drive-starters. (Quarterbacks coach) Kent Austin does our third downs,” Nix told AL.com. “Head coach has the authority to overrule anything we say or do.”

So Auburn has a first-down play-caller, a third-down play-caller, and a head coach who is “heavily involved” and can veto any decision. That’s the sign of a healthy, streamlined operation. Fortunately, Lane Kiffin was willing to ask the question we all wanted to know.

Hugh Freeze had an opportunity to address the situation following Auburn’s practice on Thursday and he didn’t provide much more clarity.

“Derrick Nix is the offensive coordinator, and he does all of the planning, scripting in charge of the gameplan. There’s no staff that’s not a collaboration on the plan,” said the Auburn head coach. “I offensively or defensively reserve the right to say on the call sheet, ‘I don’t really like that one right here.’ But he does a great job for us. Kent kind of leads the third down plan, but other than that, Nix kinda leads the charge and has the play-calling duties, with me reserving the right to say, ‘Hey.’”

Take all of the humor out of this situation for just a moment. I know that’s hard to do because this is hilarious, but let’s not make jokes for just a second.

At his first SEC Media Days appearance, Freeze acknowledged that Auburn was undergoing a significant rebuild, but after 2-3 high school recruiting classes, they should be able to have it rocking and rolling. That time is now. Over his first two seasons, Auburn is 6-7 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, with losses to Cal, New Mexico State, and Vanderbilt.

Auburn fans were surprisingly willing to give him a little leash in the beginning. That’s no longer the case. He’s built a roster that should be a winner. Keldric Faulk is one of the best EDGE players in all of college football. Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton are arguably the best 1-2 punch at wide receiver in the SEC. The talent is there, but can Freeze successfully create a modern offense on The Plains?

He’s trying to do it with one of the most convoluted play-calling methods in the history of college football. This strategy can take the blame off the head coach’s shoulders, but there’s no way it can operate efficiently. There are too many voices talking into the headset.

This is just another reason why Auburn is the most fascinating team in college football in 2025. If it works, they have enough talent to be in the CFP. If it doesn’t, prepare for a firework show, and not the good kind either, one that looks like this.

Fans in Pittsburgh were scheduled to get a treat on Saturday night as the Steelers played host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At least for a portion of the game, Bucs starting quarterback Baker Mayfield was going to play. This is something we have seen around the league recently, letting starters knock some rust off with preseason action.

Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles has had a change of heart, though. Mayfield impressed him enough in a recent workout to make the decision. While Bucs fans may have wanted to see Mayfield play, hearing the news has to be a positive.

“After reviewing the tape of today’s practice, Todd Bowles just told me he believes Baker Mayfield played so well today in the joint workout with the Steelers he will NOT play in Saturday night’s game,” Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times said via X.

Not too long ago, Mayfield missed a practice due to injury. A contusion on his throwing hand kept him on the sideline. Tests were even done to find out the severity and luckily, nothing serious came back in the results. He has been out there ever since.

Mayfield is coming off the best season of his career, in which he passed for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He finished 11th in MVP voting and led the Buccaneers to a fourth consecutive NFC South divisional title. They fell to the eventual NFC Championship runner-up Washington Commanders 23-20 in the Wild Card Round, thanks to a walk-off field goal by Washington kicker Zane Gonzalez.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting 2025 regular season with tough schedule

Looking at the schedule, it’s easy to see why the Bucs feel like they need Mayfield to be sharp from the get-go. A divisional road game takes place Week 1, coming against the Atlanta Falcons. It’s a series the Falcons swept last season, also winning two of three inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Another road game against the Houston Texans will take place the following week on Monday Night Football. Not making their home debut until Week 3, the New York Jets will come to town. But it’s Week 4 where a lot of attention will be placed, as the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles come to Raymond James Stadium.

Making the playoffs would continue the franchise’s greatest-ever run. Early season results could wind up playing a huge role, needing Mayfield out there and healthy.

On3’s Daniel Hager contributed to this report

With the NBA revealing its full 2025-26 regular-season schedule on Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers announced the date when former head coach Pat Riley will be honored with a statue unveiled outside Crypto.com Arena. 

The statue will be presented to the public on Sunday, Feb. 22 on Star Plaza outside the Lakers’ home arena before the team’s game against the Boston Celtics, the team announced on Thursday. 

The Lakers originally announced that a statue honoring Riley would be unveiled at some point in 2026, but didn’t have an exact date at the time. Riley will be the eighth figure to be so honored by the team, joining Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Chick Hearn and Elgin Baylor on the plaza.

During his tenure as Lakers head coach from 1981 to 1990, Riley’s teams won four NBA championships. The Lakers won 50 or more games in each of his nine seasons on the sideline, winning 60-plus games in five of those seasons. He was awarded NBA Coach of the Year honors in 1989-90 when the Lakers finished 63-19. 

“Pat is a Lakers icon,” Lakers team owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement released in November. “His professionalism, commitment to his craft and game preparation paved the way for the coaching we see across the league today.

“My dad recognized Pat’s obsession and ability to take talented players and coalesce them into a championship team. The style of basketball Pat and the Lakers created in the 80s is still the blueprint for the organization today: an entertaining and winning team.”

Riley also became an iconic face of the “Showtime” era that was arguably the most successful in Lakers history. The origins of that era were chronicled in 2022-23 for a new generation of NBA fans in the HBO dramatic series, “Winning Time,” based on Jeff Pearlman’s 2014 book “Showtime.”

The Lakers had a bitter rivalry for NBA supremacy with the Celtics during the 1980s, which is surely why the ceremony will take place before hosting Boston on their home court.

Riley’s 533 regular-season wins are the second-most among the franchise’s head coaches, behind Phil Jackson’s 610 victories. Altogether, including playoff wins, Riley won 635 games with the Lakers.

As “Winning Time” also reminded fans, Riley’s history with the Lakers goes back further than his tenure as head coach. He played for the team from 1970-75, averaging 7.8 points per game as a shooting guard, and was a member of the 1971-72 Lakers squad that won 33 consecutive games and an NBA title.

Riley was also an assistant coach for three seasons under head coach Paul Westhead, a span during which the Lakers won two NBA championships. 

Currently, Riley is the team president and a minority owner of the Miami Heat. After leaving the Lakers following the 1989-90 season, he coached the New York Knicks for four seasons and another 11 seasons with the Heat. He won an NBA title with Miami in 2006. With 1,210 wins as an NBA head coach, Riley ranks fifth all-time in league history.

With the NBA revealing its full 2025-26 regular-season schedule on Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers announced the date when former head coach Pat Riley will be honored with a statue unveiled outside Crypto.com Arena. 

The statue will be presented to the public on Sunday, Feb. 22 on Star Plaza outside the Lakers’ home arena before the team’s game against the Boston Celtics, the team announced on Thursday. 

The Lakers originally announced that a statue honoring Riley would be unveiled at some point in 2026, but didn’t have an exact date at the time. Riley will be the eighth figure to be so honored by the team, joining Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Chick Hearn and Elgin Baylor on the plaza.

During his tenure as Lakers head coach from 1981 to 1990, Riley’s teams won four NBA championships. The Lakers won 50 or more games in each of his nine seasons on the sideline, winning 60-plus games in five of those seasons. He was awarded NBA Coach of the Year honors in 1989-90 when the Lakers finished 63-19. 

“Pat is a Lakers icon,” Lakers team owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement released in November. “His professionalism, commitment to his craft and game preparation paved the way for the coaching we see across the league today.

“My dad recognized Pat’s obsession and ability to take talented players and coalesce them into a championship team. The style of basketball Pat and the Lakers created in the 80s is still the blueprint for the organization today: an entertaining and winning team.”

Riley also became an iconic face of the “Showtime” era that was arguably the most successful in Lakers history. The origins of that era were chronicled in 2022-23 for a new generation of NBA fans in the HBO dramatic series, “Winning Time,” based on Jeff Pearlman’s 2014 book “Showtime.”

The Lakers had a bitter rivalry for NBA supremacy with the Celtics during the 1980s, which is surely why the ceremony will take place before hosting Boston on their home court.

Riley’s 533 regular-season wins are the second-most among the franchise’s head coaches, behind Phil Jackson’s 610 victories. Altogether, including playoff wins, Riley won 635 games with the Lakers.

As “Winning Time” also reminded fans, Riley’s history with the Lakers goes back further than his tenure as head coach. He played for the team from 1970-75, averaging 7.8 points per game as a shooting guard, and was a member of the 1971-72 Lakers squad that won 33 consecutive games and an NBA title.

Riley was also an assistant coach for three seasons under head coach Paul Westhead, a span during which the Lakers won two NBA championships. 

Currently, Riley is the team president and a minority owner of the Miami Heat. After leaving the Lakers following the 1989-90 season, he coached the New York Knicks for four seasons and another 11 seasons with the Heat. He won an NBA title with Miami in 2006. With 1,210 wins as an NBA head coach, Riley ranks fifth all-time in league history.

Metsprospect Brandon Sproat made his 23rd start of the season for Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday, but it became a night to forget.

The right-hander allowed five earned runs on three hits over 3.1 innings, striking out six Rochester Red Wings and walking three.

Sproat tossed a 1-2-3 first inning with two strikeouts before allowing two runs in the second inning. He bounced back for another 1-2-3 frame in the third inning, but things fell apart in the fourth inning. 

The 24-year-old walked the first two batters he faced and allowed a two-run double as Rochester took a 4-2 lead. Sproat then got a ground out before another run crossed the plate due to Luisangel Acuña‘s fielding error. Richard Lovelady replaced Sproat and ended up allowing a two-run homer, tacking another run onto Sproat’s scorecard.

Sproat’s season ERA now sits at 4.40 after the rough outing. The five earned runs are the most he’s allowed in a game since he gave up six earned runs in back-to-back starts on May 14 and May 20.

He was named International League Pitcher of the Month for July after pitching to a 0.67 ERA with a 0.81 WHIP and 33 strikeouts over 27.0 innings.

Despite Thursday’s game, the righty may not make many more starts at Triple-A. Mets top pitching prospect Nolan McLeanis being called up to make his debut Saturday against the Seattle Mariners with Frankie Montas moving to the bullpen. Sproat could possibly join McLean in the bigs before the season and help New York during their postseason push.

Yankees pitchers Ryan Yarbrough and Fernando Cruz began rehab assignments with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday night, and it was a mixed bag for the two.

Yarbrough started the RailRiders’ game against Indianapolis and got off to a good start. After stranding a runner in the first inning, Yarbrough made his one mistake in the second. He got the first two batters out — one on a pop out and the other called out on strikes — before Alika Williams smashed a 1-1 fastball over the plate for a solo shot. Williams’ blast went 419 feet with an exit velocity of 101.6 mph.

That would be the only run Yarbrough would give up, and he finished his night with a 1-2-3 third inning, all on ground outs.

Yarbrough allowed one run on three hits and no walks across three innings (37 pitches/25 strikes) while striking out three batters.

When Yarbrough went down with an oblique strain in mid-June, the southpaw was a part of the team’s rotation, but his spot may not be there when he returns. The Yankees’ rotation is currently comprised of Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Will Warren, the recently-returned Luis Gil and promising rookie Cam Schlittler. The team could conceivably option Schlittler back to the minors to limit his innings down the stretch to get Yarbrough back in the rotation, or use him in the bullpen like they did the first month of the season.

In 16 games (eight starts), Yarbrough has pitched to a 3.90 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP.

Cruz relieved Yarbrough to start the fourth inning and was in immediate trouble. After giving up a leadoff single, Cruz got a fly out before walking the third batter he faced. A stolen base followed by a single from Williams gave Indianapolis its second run of the game. 

After just four batters, Cruz’s night was over. Sean Boyle allowed a single in relief of Cruz as the second run charged to the Yankees reliever crossed home plate.

Cruz tossed just 21 pitches (10 strikes) in his 0.1 inning of work, allowing two runs on two hits and one walk.

The Yanks placed Cruz on the IL back in late-June with an oblique strain, and the right-hander was finally in game action for the first time in over a month. Despite his bad outing, the Yankees need Cruz back in the bullpen as he was one of their best before the injury.

In 32 appearances, Cruz pitched to a 3.00 ERA with 54 strikeouts across 33 innings pitched in his first season in pinstripes. He also closed two games.