Sports
Our experts’ midseason College Football Playoff, national championship and Heisman picks
How much has the outlook for the college football season changed since the preseason?
It may not feel like a lot, but The Athletic’s consensus midseason national championship pick received zero votes two months ago in the preseason, and the Heisman Trophy favorite is now a running back from a Group of 5 team.
In August, we surveyed 28 of The Athletic’s college football writers and editors for their preseason national title, Playoff and Heisman predictions. After seven eventful weeks of the regular season, we surveyed 30 writers and editors for updated thoughts on how the 2024 college football season will play out. Here are the results — and how opinions have changed.
Who will win the national championship?
|
Team
|
Midseason
|
Preseason
|
|---|---|---|
|
50.0% |
0.0% |
|
|
36.7% |
57.1% |
|
|
6.7% |
10.7% |
|
|
3.3% |
0.0% |
|
|
3.3% |
28.6% |
|
|
0.0% |
3.6% |
Fifteen of our 30 voters predict that Texas, the top-ranked team in the AP poll, will win its first national championship since 2005 — a big change after the Longhorns received zero votes in the preseason. Ohio State, our preseason favorite with more than half of the votes in August, still comes in second with 11 votes despite its loss last week to Oregon, which received just two votes after getting three in the preseason. Clearly, most of our staff believes the Buckeyes are capable of getting revenge in the Big Ten title game and beyond.
Clemson and Georgia rounded out our national championship picks with one vote apiece. We asked one voter for each team to explain their choice:
Why Texas?
The Longhorns have been the most complete team in the country this season, ranking 11th in yards per play on offense and first in yards per play allowed on defense. They dominated Michigan on the road, they dominated rival Oklahoma in Dallas, and they have a chance to earn a statement win back home vs. Georgia this week. They also have depth, with the offense not skipping a beat when Arch Manning had to replace starting quarterback Quinn Ewers for two weeks, and it doesn’t even feel like they’ve hit their ceiling yet. — Matt Brown
GO DEEPER
No. 1 Texas hasn’t peaked yet. What happens when it does?
Why Ohio State?
The Buckeyes were my preseason pick, and it’s hard to move off that after they played what was essentially a draw with another top-five team on the road. I would like to see more from Ohio State’s supposedly vaunted defense, but facing Oregon could be a pivot point where defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and the Buckeyes get a better idea of how they need to play against elite competition. The loss of left tackle Josh Simmons is worrisome. Maybe I’ll feel different if Texas womps Georgia on Saturday. I still think Ryan Day and Ohio State complete the mission. — Ralph Russo
Why Oregon?
We were all curious about how Oregon would handle the moment in a marquee matchup against Ohio State, and boy did the Ducks live up to the hype. Dan Lanning’s team got its signature win and officially has everyone’s attention as a frontrunner to pull this off. Yes, it’s hard to pick against Texas, given how the Longhorns have played thus far. But Dillon Gabriel has the experience Oregon needs down the stretch, and the Ducks’ schedule sets up nicely for them to win the Big Ten and earn a coveted first-round bye. — Grace Raynor
GO DEEPER
Oregon’s epic win a testament to Dan Lanning’s elite talent-stacking
Why Georgia?
Talent and continuity win out. No team is elite this year, but Georgia isn’t far from it. Even with their flaws, the Bulldogs are a great bet. I can’t believe I’m the only one who picked them. Games are won on the line of scrimmage, and Texas may be the only team that can rival the Bulldogs’ fronts on both sides of the ball. Carson Beck still can play his way to QB1 in the NFL draft next year, and if he does, it’ll be because of his ability and not because his receivers made plays for him. Plus, he has a solid run game supporting him. — David Ubben
Why Clemson?
It’s hard to blame anyone who closed the door on taking Clemson seriously after Georgia hit the after-burners in the season opener, but the Tigers have cruised since then thanks to a deep defense, a bruising workhorse back in Phil Mafah and steady play from quarterback Cade Klubnik, who has thrown just one interception since Malaki Starks’ highlight-reel pick in Week 1. With tighter turnarounds and less certain matchups than its four-team predecessor, the 12-team Playoff is going to reward multi-dimensional teams that know how to peak in December. For all the concerns about the ceiling lowering on Dabo Swinney’s program in recent years, those are two areas in which you can still count on Clemson. — Eric Single
What does our projections model say?
Ohio State is still on top of the national championship race in Austin Mock’s College Football Playoff projections model, winning the national title in 21 percent of our simulations. The Buckeyes are followed by Georgia (16 percent), Texas (15 percent), Oregon (11 percent), Penn State (10 percent), Alabama (8 percent), Miami (5 percent) and Clemson (5 percent).
GO DEEPER
College Football Playoff 2024 projections: Texas, Oregon at top; Indiana moves into bracket
Who will lose in the national title game?
Not only is Texas our most popular national championship pick, but it’s also our most popular runner-up. Twenty-six of 30 voters picked the Longhorns to get to the national title game in Atlanta, with 11 of those voters calling for a Texas loss.
Including the one championship vote for Clemson above, our staff voted for only five teams to appear in the national title game. Texas vs. Ohio State (16) is the most common matchup with more than half the votes, while Oregon vs. Texas (six) is the only other pairing to receive more than two votes.
National title game matchups
| Matchup | Votes |
|---|---|
|
Ohio State vs. Texas |
18 |
|
Oregon vs. Texas |
6 |
|
Georgia vs. Ohio State |
2 |
|
Georgia vs. Texas |
2 |
|
Clemson vs. Oregon |
1 |
|
Georgia vs. Oregon |
1 |
Who we’re picking to make the Playoff
Even with half the season remaining, there’s not a lot of variety in our predictions. Only 18 teams received at least one vote to make the 12-team Playoff, with Texas, Ohio State, Boise State, Penn State and Miami going 30-for-30. Oregon surprisingly was left off one ballot but is still viewed as almost a lock, along with Georgia (29 votes) and Clemson (28). Three people picked Boise State to earn a first-round bye — remember, there are five automatic bids and the byes go to the four highest-ranked conference champions, not necessarily all four Power 4 conference champions.
Alabama (24), Iowa State (22) and Notre Dame (20) appeared on at least two-thirds of ballots. And shout out to Indiana, which appeared on three ballots in Curt Cignetti’s first season — after surely not being considered on any in the preseason.
The two teams that have plummeted from the Playoff race are Utah (71.4 percent of ballots in the preseason) and Florida State (67.9 percent), which are nowhere to be found on ballots now.
GO DEEPER
Which college football teams’ Playoff odds have changed the most at midseason?
Who will earn automatic Playoff bids?
All percentages are the share of our staff’s votes, not odds of winning. Find full Playoff projection and conference title odds based on our model here.
ACC
|
Team
|
Midseason
|
Preseason
|
|---|---|---|
|
63.3% |
7.1% |
|
|
36.7% |
35.7% |
|
|
0.0% |
46.4% |
|
|
0.0% |
7.1% |
|
|
0.0% |
3.6% |
After five ACC teams received conference championship votes in the preseason, only two did at midseason: Miami (19 of 30) and Clemson (11). Nobody opted for a sleeper pick like Pitt (6-0 overall) or SMU (5-1).
Big 12
|
Team
|
Midseason
|
Preseason
|
|---|---|---|
|
46.7% |
10.7% |
|
|
30.0% |
0.0% |
|
|
23.3% |
25.0% |
|
|
0.0% |
57.1% |
|
|
0.0% |
7.1% |
Utah was the pick of more than half of our staff in the preseason but has fallen off to zero with two losses and quarterback Cam Rising out for the season. At the top now are the two surprise undefeated teams, Iowa State and BYU. But Kansas State is still lurking right behind them.
Big Ten
|
Team
|
Midseason
|
Preseason
|
|---|---|---|
|
66.7% |
85.7% |
|
|
33.3% |
14.3% |
Ohio State and Oregon were the only teams to receive votes in the preseason, and they’re still the only teams to receive votes now, even though Penn State and Indiana are undefeated.
And even though Oregon beat Ohio State last week, two-thirds of our staff likes the Buckeyes’ chances if they get to Indianapolis.
SEC
|
Team
|
Midseason
|
Preseason
|
|---|---|---|
|
96.7% |
14.3% |
|
|
3.3% |
82.1% |
|
|
0.0% |
3.6% |
Texas has become the runaway favorite, receiving all but one vote to win the SEC championship at midseason. The other went to Georgia, which visits the Longhorns on Saturday. Alabama beat Georgia, but it didn’t garner a single SEC championship vote after its loss to Vanderbilt and a close call against South Carolina.
Group of 5
|
Team
|
Midseason
|
Preseason
|
Conf
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
100.0% |
17.9% |
MWC |
|
|
0.0% |
39.3% |
AAC |
|
|
0.0% |
21.4% |
CUSA |
|
|
0.0% |
10.7% |
SBC |
|
|
0.0% |
7.1% |
SBC |
|
|
0.0% |
3.6% |
MWC |
All 30 voters picked Boise State to be the highest-ranked Group of 5 conference champion. The Broncos have a Heisman Trophy candidate in tailback Ashton Jeanty and lost only by three points at Oregon. They have a pivotal game next week at UNLV, which is also in the mix from the Mountain West.
Army, Navy and Liberty are the three other undefeated teams. Army and Navy both have a game against Notre Dame to impress the selection committee, while Liberty continues to have a quiet season against one of the nation’s weakest schedules, which makes it a long shot despite continuing to win.
Who will win the Heisman Trophy?
| Player | Team | Pos | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ashton Jeanty |
RB |
40.0% |
|
|
Cam Ward |
QB |
30.0% |
|
|
Travis Hunter |
WR/CB |
16.7% |
|
|
Dillon Gabriel |
QB |
13.3% |
Eight players received votes in the preseason, and that number is down to just four. The favorite to win the award in December, at 12 votes out of 30, is Jeanty, who also topped our midseason straw poll showing how our staff would vote right now. Jeanty has 1,248 yards and 17 touchdowns through six games. If he keeps up that pace, it may be hard to deny him.
A pair of quarterbacks for undefeated teams in Cam Ward (nine votes) and Gabriel (four votes) make the list, in addition to a handful of votes going to Hunter (five votes), Colorado’s two-way star.
(Top photos: Gregory Shamus and Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
Sports
Former Cowboys player Trysten Hill appears to grin after arrest tied to alleged assault of pregnant woman
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Former NFL defensive tackle Trysten Hill was booked into a Texas jail last week on multiple charges relating to an alleged assault of a pregnant woman.
Ellis County Sheriff’s Office jail records list “assault of a pregnant person” and “interfering with an emergency request for assistance.”
FOX 4 in Dallas obtained the records, which also showed Hill was arrested March 26.
Hill was booked and held on a $3,500 bond connected to two bond-forfeiture warrants from a 2025 criminal investigation, the sheriff’s office said.
Trysten Hill of the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium Oct. 20, 2019, in Arlington, Texas. (Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Hill appeared to grin in his booking photo.
The identity of the alleged victim and any relationship to Hill were not disclosed. Fox News Digital contacted the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, but a request for comment was not immediately returned.
WNBA PLAYER ‘WILLING TO TESTIFY’ AGAINST EX-BOYFRIEND JAMES PEARCE JR AFTER ALLEGED DOMESTIC DISPUTE
After his three-year career at Central Florida, the Cowboys selected Hill in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He appeared in 25 regular-season games with the Cowboys, recording 39 combined tackles over four seasons.
Trysten Hill of the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium Oct. 9, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Hill joined the Arizona Cardinals midway through the 2022 season, recording five solo tackles and one sack in six games. He signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2023 but was released before the regular season kicked off.
New England Patriots defensive tackle Trysten Hill reacts against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at Gillette Stadium Aug. 8, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (Eric Canha/USA Today Sports)
The New England Patriots signed Hill to their practice squad later in 2023.
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Sports
Prep sports roundup: No. 2 St. John Bosco beats No. 1 Orange Lutheran in pitchers’ duel
The much anticipated pitching duel between Gary Morse of Orange Lutheran and Julian Garcia of St. John Bosco on Wednesday under the lights at Hart Park exceeded expectations.
With both hitting 95 mph, Morse gave up two hits in six innings with eight strikeouts. Garcia struck out 10 and also gave up two hits, but one was a leadoff home run by Ricardo Hurtado.
St. John Bosco (11-2, 5-0) broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the seventh to defeat Orange Lutheran 4-1. It was the second consecutive Braves win. Orange Lutheran, which came into the week ranked No. 1 by The Times after winning the National High School Invitational, dropped to 7-3 overall and 0-2 in the Trinity League.
Closer Jack Champlin came in after a leadoff single in the seventh to pick up the save.
The Braves loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, then scored two runs on a wild pitch and added a third on James Clark’s single. The teams close out their three-game series in a 1:30 p.m. game Thursday at St. John Bosco.
Gary Morse of Orange Lutheran struck out eight against St. John Bosco in six innings Wednesday.
(Nick Koza)
Concord De La Salle 1, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 0: Sam Lakey hit a two-out solo home run in the top of the seventh inning to break up a pitching duel and send De La Salle into Thursday’s championship game of the National Classic. It was the third consecutive shutout by De La Salle pitchers. Notre Dame’s Lachlan Clark made no mistakes other than giving up the home run. He struck out 10 in 6⅔ innings. Notre Dame twice had bases-loaded situations but failed to take advantage, including hitting into a double play in the bottom of the sixth.
Corona Centennial 5, Cypress 1: Jacob Torres threw a complete game with nine strikeouts and Aiden Simpson homered to lead the Huskies in a semifinal game of the National Classic. They will face De La Salle on Thursday at 4 p.m. at El Dorado in the tourney final.
Vancouver (Wash.) Union 1, El Dorado 0: The Golden Hawks gave up a run in the bottom of the seventh. Julian Rodriguez gave up three hits in 6⅔ innings.
Fountain Valley 5, Edison 0: Four pitchers combined for the shutout. Ethan Cortez had two doubles.
Harvard-Westlake 7, Loyola 1: James Tronstein homered, Jake Kim had two RBIs and Evan Alexander struck out 10 in 5⅓ innings.
Bell 7, Chula Vista Olympian 3: The Eagles (15-1) received four RBIs from Eric Medina, including a two-run single in the seventh to break a 3-3 tie.
Sylmar 5, San Francisco Lincoln 2: Tim Sepulveda had two hits and three RBIs while Rickee Luevano went three for three to lead Sylmar.
El Camino Real 6, La Costa Canyon 4: Michael Spancer and Shane Bogacz each had three hits while Blake Dubin had a two-run single for the Royals.
Cleveland 9, Marshall 3: The Cavaliers won their eighth consecutive game. Shiloh Wickliffe had two hits and three RBIs.
Quartz Hill 13, Palmdale 0: Parker White had three hits and threw a no-hitter in the Golden League win over Palmdale.
Ayala 4, Bonita 2: Easton Sarmiento struck out seven in 5⅓ innings for Ayala (11-1).
Bishop Alemany 10, Chatsworth 0: Mikey Martinez, a transfer from Crespi, had three hits in his Alemany debut.
Carson 9, Classical 7: Nate Ruan had three hits, including a two-run home run. Skylar Vinson also had a two-run home run.
Foothill 6, Irvine 0: Jackson Phillips threw the shutout, striking out nine and giving up two hits.
Villa Park 5, Arcadia 2: Aidan Young had two hits for Villa Park. Logan Hoppie threw a complete game with six strikeouts.
Mira Costa 13, Torrance 4: Connor Collins drove in four runs for the Mustangs.
Oaks Christian 5, Westlake 1: Dane Disney and Carson Sheffer each had two hits in the Marmonte League win.
Thousand Oaks 3, Newbury Park 1: Jake Ange continued his hot hitting with a home run, single and two RBIs.
Palos Verdes 7, Redondo Union 2: Franco Correa and Jackson Alba each finished with three hits for Palos Verdes.
Huntington Beach 8, Corona del Mar 2: Jared Grindlinger had four hits and four RBIs and Owen Bone homered for the Oilers.
Newport Harbor 7, Los Alamitos 3: Henry Mann was three for three with two RBIs for Newport Harbor.
Norco 17, King 2: The Cougars (12-1) received four hits from Zion Martinez and three hits and three RBIs from Jacob Melendez to stay unbeaten in the Big VIII League. Jordan Ayala struck out seven and gave up one hit in four innings, setting him up to pitch against St. John Bosco on Tuesday in the Boras Classic.
Santa Margarita 6, Mater Dei 0: Tyler Unter struck out nine in six scoreless innings and Andre Owens had two doubles for the Eagles.
Servite 6, JSerra 4: Jaden Liu had two RBIs in Servite’s Trinity League win.
South Hills 5, McClatchy 2: Christian Santoyo threw a complete game for South Hills.
Mission Viejo 1, Tesoro 0: Jackson Krause, Caleb Tucker and Jackson Stonebarger combined for the shutout. Aiden Chapuis had three hits.
Chaminade 4, Granada Hills 3: Nicholas Penaranda had three hits for the Highlanders in the loss. Isaac Hearn had two hits and two RBIs for Chaminade.
Corona Santiago 9, Las Vegas Basic 2: Jonathan Thornton had three hits and Striker Pence struck out six in five innings.
Softball
Orange Lutheran 2, King 1: The Lancers won their first-round game of the Michelle Carew tournament. Rylee Silva struck out seven. Carlie Snyder had two hits.
Garden Grove Pacifica 13, Long Beach Poly 6: Matte Stern had a triple, single and four RBIs for Pacifica.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 7, Camarillo 2: Jackie Morales hit a two-run home run for the Knights.
Fullerton 7, Chino Hills 5: Hayley Brock had a home run, double, two singles and four RBIs for 13-1 Fullerton. Malaya Majam-Finch struck out nine. Milena Medyn led Chino Hills with three hits.
Norco 4, Long Beach Millikan 0: Coral Williams struck out nine in the shutout. Angelina Gonzales hit a home run.
Marina 8, Rio Mesa 0: Mia Valbuena threw two no-hitters, first against Rio Mesa, then in a 1-0 win over Los Altos. She had 18 strikeouts against Los Altos.
Sports
Golf influencer Paige Spiranac shares words of encouragement for Tiger Woods after DUI arrest
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Golf influencer Paige Spiranac shared some encouraging words for Tiger Woods, who announced this week he would be stepping away from golf to “seek treatment” after his DUI arrest in Jupiter Island, Florida Friday.
Spiranac reacted on social media after seeing Woods’ statement and the whole situation unfold after his rollover car crash.
“I think we are all rooting for Tiger,” she posted on X. “Not as a golfer but more importantly as a person. None of us can fathom what he’s been through both emotionally and physically.
“Not excusing any behavior, but I hope he’s able to get the help he needs in peace without the whole world dog piling on him in a very difficult situation.”
Paige Spiranac hits a tee shot during The Creator Classic prior to the Truist Championship at The Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissahickon Course) May 7, 2025, in Flourtown, Philadelphia. (Tracy Wilcox/PGA Tour via Getty Images)
Woods entered a not guilty plea in court Tuesday, waiving his right to an arraignment and demanding a trial with a jury. He later released the statement, saying he would seek treatment and focus on his health.
“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods said in the statement posted on social media. “I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.
AUGUSTA NATIONAL CHAIRMAN REVEALS TIGER WOODS’ MASTERS STATUS AFTER DUI ARREST
“I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally. I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time.”
Woods’ attorney, Douglas N. Duncan, did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Tiger Woods was arrested on a DUI charge after a crash in Florida March 27, 2006. (AP/Martin County Sheriff’s Office)
Woods was arrested in Florida, and prescription opioids were found in his pocket after he was involved in a rollover crash Friday, according to court documents.
The 15-time major winner was arrested on charges of driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a blood alcohol level (BAL) test after law enforcement said his vehicle collided with another while driving impaired.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital, deputies with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office reported observing several signs of impairment after the crash. They noted Woods was “sweating profusely,” his movements appeared “lethargic and slow” and his eyes were “bloodshot and glassy” as well as “extremely dilated” after removing his sunglasses. Woods admitted to being distracted before the crash.
“Woods stated he was looking down at his cell phone and changing the radio station and did not notice the vehicle in front of him slowing down,” deputies wrote in the affidavit.
Golfer Tiger Woods stands by his overturned vehicle in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Jason Oteri/AP)
After Woods was placed under arrest, authorities found “two white pills inside Woods’ left side pant pocket,” which were later identified as hydrocodone, a prescription pain relief opioid.
This marks the second DUI arrest for Woods in the last decade. He was also taken into custody on Jupiter Island in 2017 after being asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle at 3 a.m. after taking prescription drugs.
Woods was also involved in a 2021 rollover crash that resulted in serious leg injuries and emergency surgeries, which is what he was alluding to during the field sobriety tests.
Woods just returned to The Golf League earlier this month for his first round of competition since undergoing more surgeries on his back while also needing to repair a torn Achilles.
Paige Spiranac plays the 17th green during the Creator Classic at Philly Cricket Club prior to the Truist Championship at The Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissahickon Course) May 7, 2025, in Flourtown Philadelphia. (Ben Jared/PGA Tour via Getty Images)
While Woods was reportedly trying to get in shape to play in the Masters Tournament, his statement confirmed he won’t be participating in this year’s field. Woods also signed up for the U.S. Senior Open, according to TGL teammate Kevin Kisner, which is scheduled for early July.
Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley also confirmed Woods will not be at The Masters next week.
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