Sports
Does a rough second half matter in October? Some World Series hopefuls might want to look away
Who doesn’t love a good what-if question, so let’s ask this one:
What if this baseball season had started in the middle of July instead of the last week of March? Have you thought much about how differently we’d be viewing nearly every contender in the sport?
Of course you haven’t. But that’s what we’re here for. So take a look at the second-half records of all the teams that would make the postseason if the tournament started today, with the Braves and Mets both included since they’re tied for the final NL wild-card spot. First, let’s look at …
The Good
Padres: 30-13
Diamondbacks: 30-14
Dodgers: 28-15
Brewers: 26-17
Mets: 27-18
Astros: 25-19
Royals: 24-20
We can talk about those teams some other time. But now let’s hone in on the rest of this group. See what jumps out at you as you peruse …
The Not So Good
Twins: 22-23
Guardians: 22-23
Phillies: 22-22
Orioles: 23-22
Yankees: 22-20
Braves: 23-22
You know which two teams jumped out at me? The Phillies and Guardians. Aren’t they the ultimate reminder that a baseball season can feel as long and winding as the Appalachian Trail?
For more than three months this season, the Phillies and Guardians owned the two best records in the sport. Then baseball happened.
On July 1, they were both on 100-win paces. Now, as that standings chart illustrates so vividly, they’ve spent the past two months playing more like an 80-win team than a 100-win team. Funny how that happens. The question is, what does it mean for their win-the-World-Series aspirations?
They’re not the first teams in history to discover how long a baseball season really is. But that isn’t the story here.
The story is: A rough second half, for teams like this, often means more than you’d probably guess it means. I’ve done the math so you don’t have to.
The wild-card era is 30 seasons old now. You’d think the wild-card safety net would have given many teams the rope to slog through a .500-ish second half — or worse — and still be ready to rock in October. But if that’s what you’d think, think again. Check out what’s actually happened, just in the theoretically more forgiving wild-card era (1995-present).
Losing second-half records, still made it to the World Series
2023 Diamondbacks: 32-39
2006 Cardinals: 35-39
2006 Tigers: 36-38
Worst second-half records, won the World Series
2006 Cardinals: 35-39
1996 Yankees: 40-37
2014 Giants: 35-31
(Source: Baseball Reference / Stathead)
Adam Wainwright celebrates after the Cardinals defeated the Tigers in Game 5 to win the 2006 World Series. (David E. Klutho / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Yes, you read that right. In the wild-card era, only one team has survived a losing record after the All-Star break and still won the World Series. …
And only three teams have played .500 or worse and even lived to play in a World Series — where two of them (the 2006 Cardinals and Tigers) actually matched up with each other. …
But even if we raise the bar slightly, every World Series winner in these last three decades has been at least five games over .500 in the second half — except for the three teams above.
So what does that tell us about baseball? Let’s ask the manager of the club that had the worst second half of any of the teams on those lists — Torey Lovullo of the 2023 Diamondbacks.
“It’s an emotional roller coaster,” Lovullo told me and Doug Glanville on the latest episode of The Windup’s Starkville podcast. “This game is crazy. And it will wear you down.”
So how does any team spin through that roller coaster and survive with enough equilibrium to hit the reset button in October?
“We talk about consistency,” Lovullo said. “We just want to have guys that understand where they’re at and not get too high or not get too low. But eventually, we’re going to find our way. It’s the madness of a baseball season, and it does happen. And if you let it spiral, it will take you into a place that’s very dark. But if you believe that you’re going to find a way out of it, (you can).”
More on the Diamondbacks momentarily. But first, let’s look more closely at the Phillies and Guardians — and how worried they should be about their own second-half issues.
The Phillies
The Phillies were riding high when they swept the Dodgers in July. Then things went sideways. (Bill Streicher / USA Today)
THEIR GREATEST HITS — On July 9-10-11, the Phillies bulldozed Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers in a three-game series in Philadelphia. So 93 games into their season, the Phillies were 61-32. They were on a 106-win pace. They were 6 1/2 games up on L.A. in the race for the National League’s No. 1 seed. They had the best pitching staff in the league and the deepest offense in the league. What could possibly go wrong? Ha.
HOW WRONG COULD IT GO? So naturally, over the Phillies’ next 35 games, they went 13-22. Only one team had a worse record over that six-week stretch. And it was — who else? — the White Sox. Just three teams had a worse ERA in that span. And the Phillies’ once-rampaging offense scored nearly 80 fewer runs in that stretch than Torey Lovullo’s Diamondbacks. So …
HOW’D THAT HAPPEN? There was one thing Dave Dombrowski knew: Whatever the heck was going on with his team, those 35 games were not telling him this group wasn’t talented enough.
“We had eight All-Stars, right?” the Phillies’ president of baseball operations said. “So that tells you you’re a very talented team. So you don’t go from a team that has a lot of talent to not having any talent.”
But Dombrowski did see several things that concerned him. One was the pitching — starting with a banged-up rotation whose issues wound up overtaxing the Phillies’ previously dominant bullpen.
Phillies pitching meltdown
| March 28 – July 11 | July 12 – Aug. 23 | |
|---|---|---|
|
Starters’ ERA |
3.17 |
4.58 |
|
Bullpen ERA |
3.32 |
5.89 |
|
Overall ERA |
3.22 |
5.10 |
But Dombrowski also was puzzled by the shocking decline of the offense after a consistently relentless first half. Next thing he knew, that same lineup spent a month re-enacting NLCS Games 6 and 7 against the Diamondbacks.
Phillies lineup meltdown
| March 28 – July 11 | July 12 – Aug. 23 |
|---|---|
|
.260/.331/.424/.755 |
.245/.309/.401/.710 |
|
3rd/3rd/4th/4th in MLB |
18th/19th/22nd/22nd in MLB |
Most of all, though, Dombrowski wondered if maybe they’d all gotten too comfortable after such a dominant first half. The Phillies had such a big lead by the middle of June, they seemed to start prioritizing what they could do to keep their core healthy for October. So Dombrowski admits he has asked himself if that possibly sent the wrong message.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe we set the tempo somewhere. Maybe we started looking at the long term rather than the short term. But I’m not sure about that.”
He just knew there was time to fix what felt broken. And over the last couple of weeks, the Phillies seem to have done that, roaring through a 9-2 streak against the Royals, Astros, Braves, Blue Jays and Marlins. So what changed? We’ll get back to that momentarily. But first …
The Guardians
After a win over the White Sox on July 4, the high-flying Guardians were one of the worst teams in the AL over the next 48 games. (David Richard / USA Today)
THEIR GREATEST HITS — On the Fourth of July, the Guardians dusted off the White Sox to raise their record to 54-31. They led the AL Central by six games (after once leading by as many as nine in late June). They had the best record in the American League, the fewest runs allowed in the league and 80 more runs scored than they had at the same stage last season. So they were all set for a run at 100 wins, right? Oops.
HOW WRONG COULD IT GO? The marathon is always longer than it seems. Over the next 48 games, the Guardians went 21-27. Only two teams in the AL — the Angels and White Sox — had worse records in that stretch. The Guardians’ starting pitching imploded (10-24, 4.87 ERA). And going by their 83 wRC+, only two lineups in baseball were less productive.
By the end of play on Aug. 27, after a third straight loss at home to Kansas City, the Guardians’ nine-game pad had, shockingly, disappeared. The Royals had tied them in the standings. And a beautiful Cleveland baseball summer didn’t seem so balmy anymore. So …
HOW’D THAT HAPPEN? Was it really as bleak as all those messy factoids above made it seem? Not in the eyes of the Guardians’ unflappable president of baseball ops, Chris Antonetti.
“We had a really tough stretch of games after the All-Star break,” Antonetti said, “with seven of our nine opponents in playoff position at the time we played them.
“Last I looked,” he went on, “I think we have the second-most wins in the AL against teams with better than a .500 record. So we’ve held our own there.”
But does that record alone tell the full story of the Guardians? I’m not so sure it does.
Early in the season, balls were sailing over the fence. Steven Kwan seemed like he might make a charge at .400. And this looked like a completely different offense than the group that finished 27th in MLB in runs scored last year — and dead last in homers.
But what did the next seven weeks look like, after the White Sox left town on July 4? Not quite so picturesque!
Guardians lineup meltdown
| March 28 – July 4 | July 5 – Aug. 27 |
|---|---|
|
.245/.318/.410/.728 |
.220/.289/.360/.648 |
|
13th/11th/9th/12th in MLB |
27th/29th/28th/28th in MLB |
But also, there were …
Steven Kwan’s splits
| First half | Second half |
|---|---|
|
.352/.407/.513/.920* |
.194/.277/.286/.563** |
(*11th-best in MLB; **9th-lowest in MLB)
Like the Phillies, the Guardians seem to have rebounded in the last week or so. They’ve won five of their last seven. They’ve stretched their lead in the Central back to four games. And they averaged nearly seven runs per game in the five wins. So when Antonetti looks at these last two months, he sees just the normal “ebbs and flows to the regular season.”
He sees a rotation that looks much improved after the addition of Alex Cobb and Matthew Boyd. He sees an offense whose downturn stemmed mostly from matchups with a bunch of excellent staffs. So here was his big-picture read:
“Maybe I’m not thinking about it deeply enough,” he said. “But I’m not sure there’s too much I’d make of it. There’s not a lot of predictability to which teams win and advance once the postseason starts.”
Then he asked: “Didn’t Texas and Arizona (the two World Series teams in 2023) struggle in August last year before surging in September?”
Excellent question! The Rangers lost 16 of 20 in August and September, but then won 17 of their next 21 games. And the Diamondbacks rocked through a wilder ride to the World Series than any team ever.
On July 1, they were 16 games over .500 (50-34). But then … repeat after me … baseball happened. The Diamondbacks won only seven of their next 32, propelling them from 16 games over .500 to two games under, with 46 left to play. Whereupon they boomeranged again, going 27-15 before getting swept in their final series of the season in Houston.
It added up to a sub-.500 second half — but with a season-saving rebound in September. And if that feels like a blueprint for all the teams on our Not So Good list, it’s because it is.
For every one of those teams, September offers the opportunity to rediscover their first-half mojo. And the Diamondbacks leaned into that opportunity, then used the memory of that rebound again this season to fuel their torrid recovery from a 25-32 start.
“I think our guys have a very high baseball IQ … and this innate belief,” Lovullo said. “We used to hope we were going to win games. We were so concerned about what’s happening across the field, in the other dugout. (But now) we believe in so much of what’s going on in our space that we know we’re going to find a way to get something done every single night.”
“If you let it spiral, it will take you into a place that’s very dark. But if you believe that you’re going to find a way out of it, (you can),” said Torey Lovullo, who guided the 2023 D-Backs to an unlikely World Series appearance. (Joe Camporeale / USA Today)
So what have we learned from these rides on the baseball roller coaster? It’s as basic as a 3-and-2 fastball:
Wake me up before September ends
If all of this feels familiar to Dave Dombrowski, it’s because he has seen this movie before. Heck, he lived this movie — with the 2006 Tigers.
“It’s funny. I was talking to Jim Leyland (the manager of that Tigers team) about 2006 just recently,” Dombrowski said. “And we agreed that one of the common denominators was: You must have had a really good first half … to qualify for the postseason and still be below .500 in the second half. So basically, it usually means the talent is there. And for some reason, you’ve fallen off. So why?”
Why? Dombrowski believes there’s no more important question for any team to contemplate. When a team begins to slide, there is almost always more than one reason. But the danger sign he’s always on the lookout for is when a team with a big lead takes its foot off the accelerator.
“Sometimes,” he said, “some people will become somewhat, I don’t know if this is the right word, but content. They’ll lose a little bit of that extra fire. And even though that’s not good, what you need to do is rekindle that fire — to find it again in order to be successful in the postseason.”
That’s exactly what happened to that 2006 Tigers team, he believes. So “the key to getting back on track,” he said, “is the ‘why’ — and how do you fix it?”
In 2006, Leyland delivered a message to his troops that September: Let’s get focused. And over the past couple of weeks, Dombrowski said, his manager in Philly, Rob Thomson, has empowered the leaders in his clubhouse to sing that same tune.
“It’s something they’ve talked about,” Dombrowski said, “something they’ve worked on. And I think they’ve already gotten that message across. I think we’ve played much better (recently). And we really needed to get that back in gear.”
Is the baseball marathon a series of ebbs and flows? It always is. And sometimes those ebbs and flows even strike in September. But as October nears, Dombrowski has long understood, the best teams know it’s the ability to play with focus and energy every day that often separates the champs from everyone else.
So in baseball, September isn’t foliage time. It’s focus time.
“It’s just one of those things,” he said, “where you just need to kind of get it back. When you win a lot of games early, you put yourself in a position where you can withstand that little lull.
“But you’re not going to win a championship,” Dombrowski said, “if you continue to have that lull going into the postseason.”
(Top photo of Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh: Matt Krohn / Getty Images)
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The Atlanta Falcons have added one of the team’s greatest players to its front office.
The Falcons announced on Saturday that former quarterback Matt Ryan, who spent the first 14 years of his 15-year NFL career with the team after being drafted third overall in 2008, will be president of football on Saturday. The 40-year-old Ryan, who holds team records for passing yards, touchdowns and wins, will assume the new role immediately.
Ryan will report directly to owner Arthur Blank and collaborate with president and CEO Greg Beadles to ensure the alignment of the business and football areas of the organization.
Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) on the sideline before he is inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor at halftime of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 3, 2024. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
“Throughout his remarkable 14-year career in Atlanta, Matt’s leadership, attention to detail, knowledge of the game and unrelenting drive to win made him the most successful player in our franchise’s history,” Blank said in a statement.
“I am confident those same qualities will be a tremendous benefit to our organization as he steps into this new role. From his playing days to his time as an analyst at CBS, Matt has always been a student of the game, and he brings an astute understanding of today’s NFL, as well as unique knowledge of our organization and this market. I have full confidence and trust in Matt as we strive to deliver a championship caliber team for Atlanta and Falcons fans everywhere.”
The Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris on Sunday after back-to-back 8-9 seasons. The Falcons had won their last four games, leading some to believe Morris might be afforded a third season, but Blank had other plans.
AARON RODGERS TAKES THINLY-VEILED SHOT AT JETS AHEAD OF STEELERS’ PLAYOFF GAME
CBS Sports broadcaster Matt Ryan before a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
The Falcons also fired general manager Terry Fontenot after five seasons on Sunday. Ryan will be fully involved in the team’s search for the Falcons’ next head coach and general manager.
“Arthur gave me the chance of a lifetime almost twenty years ago, and he’s done it again today,” Ryan said in a statement.
“While I appreciate the time I had with the Colts and with CBS, I’ve always been a Falcon. It feels great to be home. I could not be more excited, grateful, or humbled by this new opportunity. I began my career with a singular goal: to do right by the Blank family, the Falcons organization, the City of Atlanta, and especially our fans. My commitment to the success of this franchise has not changed. I’m beyond ready to help write a new chapter of excellence.”
Ryan has spent the last three seasons as a member of the CBS Sports team as an analyst.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Jan. 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)
“I want to thank the incredible team at CBS Sports. I loved my three years there and I am truly grateful for their support in pursuing this opportunity. The CBS Sports culture is amazing, and I have made teammates and friends for life,” Ryan said in a statement.
Ryan, who was drafted out of Boston College, played with the Falcons for 14 seasons and holds many franchise records, including passing yards (59,735), attempts (8,003), completions (5,242), passing touchdowns (367), passer rating (94.6), completion percentage (65.5) and 300-yard games (73).
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HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
BOYS
CITY SECTION
Dorsey 75, Northridge Academy 67
El Camino Real 60, Carson 40
Fairfax 80, North Hollywood 43
Harbor Teacher 43, Torres 33
LA Hamilton 47, Marquez 40
LA University 74, Franklin 52
Santee 71, Rise Kohyang 39
SOCES 74, Lincoln 73
South East 59, Locke 45
View Park 44, Orthopaedic 40
Westbrook 57, Maywood CES 56
Wilmington Banning 50, Verdugo Hills 37
WISH Academy 50, University Prep Value 47
SOUTHERN SECTION
ACE 57, Victor Valley Christian 45
Agoura 52, Newbury Park 48
Alhambra 57, Montebello 43
Aliso Niguel 39, Beckman 37
Anaheim 57, Garden Grove Santiago 42
Anaheim Canyon 75, Santa Ana Foothill 52
Animo Leadership 61, Ambassador 58
Arcadia 69, Muir 45
Arlington 73, Hemet 66
Arrowhead Christian 68, Linfield Christian 53
Arroyo 79, Pasadena Marshall 57
Ayala 67, Diamond Bar 63
Azusa 77, Duarte 76
Banning 77, Desert Mirage 30
Bassett 51, Pomona 18
Bell Gardens 69, San Gabriel 49
Beverly Hills 57, Culver City 48
Big Bear 98, AAE 49
Bishop Amat 91, Gardena Serra 49
Blair 95, South Pasadena 78
Bonita 68, Walnut 51
Brea Olinda 67, Garden Grove Pacifica 53
Burbank Burroughs 72, Glendale 64
Calabasas 81, Westlake 70
California 84, El Rancho 39
California Lutheran 66, Desert Christian Academy 65
Calvin Christian 63, Cornerstone Christian 28
Cathedral 73, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 69
Cerritos 60, Whitney 32
Chaminade 55, Loyola 48
Citrus Hill 80, Canyon Springs 55
Corona Centennial 89, Norco 21
Corona Santiago 70, Eastvale Roosevelt 63
Crescenta Valley 77, Burbank 64
Desert Hot Springs 69, Cathedral City 46
Downey 78, Firebuagh 38
Dunn 60, Grace 53
Edgewood 67, Workman 34
Edison 75, Newport Harbor 70
El Dorado 69, Sonora 60
El Toro 53, Mission Viejo 48
Excelsior Charter 79, Lucerne Valley 34
Foothill Tech 66, Cate 39
Fountain Valley 56, Huntington Beach 49
Gahr 54, Dominguez 52
Glendora 54, Claremont 33
Hacienda Heights Wilson 62, Charter Oak 52
Harvard-Westlake 78, Crespi 53
Indian Springs 64, Pacific 32
JSerra 80, Orange Lutheran 66
Keppel 79, Schurr 50
Laguna Beach 69, Irvine University 48
La Habra 69, Crean Lutheran 56
Lakeside 72, Heritage 53
Lakeview Leadership 69, PAL Academy 22
La Salle 63, Mary Star of the Sea 38
La Sierra 52, Jurupa Valley 51
La Serna 49, Santa Fe 47
Long Beach Cabrillo 59, Long Beach Jordan 53
Long Beach Poly 78, Compton 50
Long Beach Wilson 65, Lakewood 52
Los Alamitos 80, Marina 60
Maranatha 45, Heritage Christian 44
Mater Dei 95, Servite 76
Mira Costa 69, Peninsula 28
Moorpark 58, Camarillo 54
Murrieta Valley 70, Great Oak 67
North Torrance 47, West Torrance 42
Northview 45, West Covina 37
Oaks Christian 72, Thousand Oaks 65
Ontario Christian 79, Woodcrest Christian 58
Orange 60, Estancia 59
Oxford Academy 64, Artesia 62
Oxnard 60, Rio Mesa 50
Oxnard Pacifica 73, Dos Pueblos 70
Paloma Valley 65, Vista del Lago 42
Palos Verdes 53, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 51
Pasadena 86, Hoover 20
Perris 52, Valley View 51
Pilibos 69, Mesrobian 35
Pioneer 79, Glenn 41
Portola 69, Irvine 44
Ramona 87, Norte Vista 77
Rancho Christian 78, Liberty 39
Rancho Verde 76, ORange Vista 46
Rio Hondo Prep 51, Chadwick 50
Riverside King 62, Corona 53
Riverside North 44, Moreno Valley 41
Riverside Prep 65, CIMSA 52
Rosemead 38, South El Monte 33
Rowland 41, Covina 40
Rubidoux 56, Patriot 43
San Bernardino 94, Miller 45
San Marcos 73, Buena 35
San Marino 60, La Canada 53
Santa Ana Valley 40, Magnolia 33
Santa Barbara 64, Ventura 37
Santa Clara 48, St. Bonaventure 45
Santa Rosa Academy 81, United Christian Academy 40
Sequoyah 51, Hillcrest Christian 47
Sierra Canyon 78, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74
Sierra Vista 69, Garey 35
Silver Valley 53, Hesperia Christian 46
Simi Valley 93, Del Sol 42
Southlands Christian 50, Avalon 49
South Torrance 50, Torrance 46
St. Anthony 79, St. Bernard 71
St. Genevieve 67, Paraclete 41
St. John Bosco 74, Santa Margarita 73
St. Monica 78, St. Paul 60
Temecula Valley 79, Vista Murrieta 73
Temple City 66, Monrovia 49
Twentynine Palms 59, Yucca Valley 33
University Prep 59, Desert Christian 45
Valencia 84, Canyon Country Canyon 58
Vasquez 97, PACS 52
Village Christian 90, Cerritos Valley Christian 34
Warren 86, Paramount 57
Webb 75, Newport Christian 48
Western 68, Savanna 54
Westminster La Quinta 60. Rancho Alamitos 48
Woodbridge 66, St. Margaret’s 50
Yorba Linda 49, Sunny Hills 48
INTERSECTIONAL
Buckley 64, Taft 61
Rolling Hills Prep 72, Narbonne 42
GIRLS
CITY SECTION
Marquez 36, MSCP 31
Panorama 38, Fulton 7
South East 61, Huntington Park 36
SOUTHERN SECTION
AAE 46, Big Bear 31
Arcadia 69, Muir 31
Arroyo 26, Pasadena Marshall 19
Ayala 41, Diamond Bar 32
Banning 66, Desert Mirage 14
Bonita 41, Walnut 24
Brentwood 61, Crossroads 32
Buena Park 72, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 20
Burbank Burroughs 58, Glendale 42
Camarillo 59, Moorpark 31
Capistrano Valley Christian 49, Samueli Academy 35
Cerritos 72, Whitney 58
Chaparral 61, Murrieta Mesa 60
CIMSA 42, Riverside Prep 24
Corona Centennial 96, Norco 8
Costa Mesa 60, Westminster 36
Crescenta Valley 77, Burbank 39
Desert Chapel 45, Joshua Springs Christian 15
Desert Christian 37, University Prep 26
Downey 53, Gahr 16
Duarte 61, Azusa 23
Edgewood 44, Workman 25
El Dorado 48, Crean Lutheran 30
El Modena 61, Santa Ana Foothill 27
El Rancho 38, California 31
Esperanza 47, Anaheim Canyon 34
Etiwanda 69, Villa Park 49
Fillmore 44, Santa Clara 19
Flintridge Prep 73, Pasadena Poly 37
Fullerton 51, Laguna Hills 35
Garden Grove 47, Ocean View 23
Glendora 61, Claremont 32
Godinez 43, Placentia Valencia 23
Hacienda Heights Wilson 75, Charter Oak 20
Hemet 33, Canyon Springs 20
Hesperia 54, Apple Valley 38
Hesperia Christian 56, Silver Valley 54
Holy Martyrs Armenian 49, AGBU 23
Indian Springs 62, Pacific 28
Irvine 45, Northwood 34
Keppel 53, Schurr 34
La Canada 54, San Marino 22
La Puente 32, Ganesha 22
La Serna 51, Santa Fe 40
La Sierra 30, Jurupa Valley 29
Lawndale 55, Hawthorne 9
Leuzinger 77, Compton Centennial 28
Liberty 46, Vista del Lago 27
Loara 44, Anaheim 39
Long Beach Jordan 72, Long Beach Cabrillo 5
Lucerne Valley 42, Excelsior Charter 38
Murrieta Valley 61, Great Oak 19
Newbury Park 55, Agoura 33
Nogales 63, Baldwin Park 42
North Torrance 47, West Torrance 35
Norwalk 49, Bellflower 40
Oak Hills 78, Burbank Burroughs 33
Oak Park 91, Royal 10
Oakwood 61, Burbank Providence 15
Ontario Christian 86, Lakewood St. Joseph 51
Palos Verdes 55, Wiseburn-Da Vnci 50
Pasadena 53, Hoover 43
Patriot 62, Rubidoux 9
Pioneer 55, Glenn 30
Ramona 62, Norte Vista 18
Riverside King 60, Corona 47
Riverside Poly 52, Hillcrest 51
Rowland 58, Covina 30
Sage Hill 73, Portola 45
San Bernardino 61, Miller 19
Santa Ana Valley 45, Western 38
Santa Clarita Christian 45, Faith Baptist 37
Santa Paula 73, Carpinteria 43
Saugus 79, Golden Valley 39
Savanna 44, Westminster La Quinta 21
Sierra Vista 60, Garey 38
St. Margaret’s 64, Laguna Beach 41
Southlands Christian 22, St. Lucy’s 19
South Torrance 49, Torrance 41
Temple City 53, Monrovia 34
Thousand Oaks 67, Oaks Christian 32
Twentynine Palms 62, Yucca Valley 20
Valencia 82, Canyon Country Canyon 55
Village Christian 68, Cerritos Valley Christian 56
Vista Murrieta 51, Temecula Valley 48
Warren 57, Mayfair 32
West Covina 32, Northview 25
Westlake 61, Calabasas 57
Woodbridge 50, Irvine University 16
Yorba Linda 42, Sunny Hills 32
INTERSECTIONAL
Archbishop Mitty 80, Fairmont Prep 45
Chatsworth 49, Northridge Academy 40
Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 67, North County San Marcos 53
Rosary Academy 53, King/Drew 44
West Ranch 82, Vaughn 11
Sports
Indiana crushes Oregon to advance to first championship game in program history, stunning sports world
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The 2025 Indiana Hoosiers became the fifth team in modern college football history to go 15-0. Now they can become the first team of the modern era to ever go 16-0, and only the second of all-time, joining an 1894 Yale team that played with leather helmets.
With a merciless 56-22 thumping of Oregon in the Peach Bowl, the Hoosiers punched their ticket to their first national championship game appearance in program history.
Head coach Curt Cignetti has left the college football world breathless with a dramatic turnaround of the Hoosiers program, going from one of the losingest teams in the Big 10 to potentially the most dominant single-season of all time.
Elijah Sarratt #13 of the Indiana Hoosiers is tackled by Ify Obidegwu #7 of the Oregon Ducks during the first quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Many prominent sports figures took to social media to express their amazement of Indiana’s unprecedented dominance during and after their win over Oregon. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun also chimed in.
Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw five touchdown passes, improving his case to be the top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Kaelon Black ran for two touchdowns to lead the Indiana running game.
INDIANA WINS FIRST OUTRIGHT BIG 10 FOOTBALL TITLE SINCE 1945 AFTER OHIO STATE FLUBS SHORT FIELD GOAL TRY
Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers is tackled by Aaron Flowers #21 of the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Oregon (13-2, No. 5 CFP) was doomed by the three first-half turnovers while also being short-handed by the absence of two of their top running backs.
Indiana’s defense didn’t wait long to make an impact. On Oregon’s first snap, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds intercepted Moore’s pass intended for Malik Benson and returned the pick 25 yards for a touchdown. Only 11 seconds into the game, the Hoosiers and their defense already had made a statement this would be a long night for Moore and the Oregon offense.
Moore’s 19-yard scoring pass to tight end Jamari Johnson tied the game. The remainder of the half belonged to Indiana and its big-play defense.
After Mendoza’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. gave the Hoosiers the lead for good at 14-7, Indiana’s defense forced a turnover when Moore fumbled and Indiana recovered at the Oregon 3, setting up Black’s scoring run.
Moore lost a second fumble later in the second quarter when hit by Daniel Ndukwe and Mario Landino recovered at the Oregon 21. Mendoza’s first scoring pass to Sarratt gave the Hoosiers’ the 35-7 lead.
Indiana extended its lead to 42-7 on Mendoza’s 13-yard scoring pass to E.J. Williams Jr.
Oregon finally answered. A 70-yard run by Hill set up a 2-yard scoring run by Harris.
The Hoosiers led 35-7 at halftime as the Ducks were held to nine rushing yards on 17 carries. Noah Whittington, who leads Oregon with 829 rushing yards, was held out with an undisclosed injury after Jordon Davison, who had rushed for 667 yards and 15 touchdowns, already was listed as out with a collarbone injury.
Backup running backs, including Jay Harris and Dierre Hill Jr, provided too little help for quarterback Dante Moore. Moore’s task against Indiana’s stifling defense would have been daunting even with all his weapons.
Following their undefeated regular season, the Hoosiers have only gained momentum in the CFP. Indiana overwhelmed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal as Mendoza passed for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Now, the Hoosiers will prepare to face Miami on Jan. 19 in the national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Miami beat Mississippi 31-27 in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal on Thursday night.
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Roman Hemby #1 of the Indiana Hoosiers runs out of bounds before the endzone against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Indiana will try to give the Big Ten its third straight national title, following Ohio State and Michigan the last two seasons. Few teams from any conference can compare with the Hoosiers’ season-long demonstration of balanced strong play.
The country will be watching to see if this unprecedented team can finish the job and really punch their ticket into the history books.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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