RJ Young

FOX Sports National College Football Analyst

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Michael Cohen

College Football and College Basketball Writer

Welcome to the College Football Playoff conversation, Indiana.

In his first year as the program’s head coach, Curt Cignetti has helped guide Indiana to a perfect 6-0 record and the No. 16 ranking in the AP Top 25 Poll. Cignetti’s Hoosiers are set to take on Nebraska (5-1) in a Week 8 Big Ten showdown on FOX (Noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App).

Indiana currently sits just outside RJ Young’s latest College Football Playoff predictions, but a victory over Dylan Raiola and the Cornhuskers could push this program one step closer to making its first-ever CFP appearance.

There are several other eye-catching matchups across the country in Week 8, including a massive SEC showdown between No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Georgia in Austin, Texas. No. 7 Alabama visits No. 11 Tennessee in another must-see SEC battle, while No. 22. Illinois welcome No. 24 Michigan in a top 25 Big Ten tilt.

FOX Sports college football writers Michael Cohen and RJ Young are here to preview the biggest storylines heading into Week 7.

Indiana, sitting at 6-0, is set to host Nebraska at Noon ET Saturday on FOX. This season has been filled with plenty of great storylines, but where does Indiana rank among the top storylines in college football seven weeks into the season?

Michael Cohen: Given how precipitously the Hoosiers had fallen during the final three years under former head coach Tom Allen — a 2-10 record in 2021; a 4-8 mark in 2022; a 3-9 finish in 2023 — it’s fair to consider Indiana the best team storyline so far this season, an unexpected challenger to an expanded Big Ten hierarchy that now includes Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon and Michigan as the three-time defending conference champion. 

Not only is head coach Curt Cignetti the only coach in program history to begin his tenure with six straight wins, but it’s also just the second time IU has ever started a season 6-0, joining the 1967 squad that was selected for the Rose Bowl and finished 9-2 overall under John Pont. With six straight wins by double figures, Cignetti’s group has set a new school record for most consecutive victories by 10-plus points, eclipsing the previous mark of five that spanned the 1905-06 campaigns. The Hoosiers are one of only two teams that have yet to trail in a game this season. And quarterback Kurtis Rourke, a transfer from Ohio, is the first IU player to throw at least three touchdown passes in three Big Ten games since Harry Gonso accomplished that feat in ’67. 

So, while it’s true that the caliber of Indiana’s opponents has left plenty to be desired thus far — the Hoosiers’ strength of schedule through Week 7 ranks 108th nationally and second-to-last in the Big Ten, according to Pro Football Focus — the comprehensive nature of Cignetti’s victories shouldn’t be overlooked ahead of Saturday’s date with Nebraska. 

RJ Young: Like Army, Navy, Iowa State and BYU, Indiana has emerged as one of the most surprising and exciting teams in the country with this wildly unexpected hot start to the season. At 6-0, the Hoosiers have matched their best start to any season since 1967, and they’ve done it in style.

Curt Cignetti garnered attention last December when he left no doubt about who he is and what he expected to do as head coach at Indiana.

“I win,” he said. “Google me.”

Google, we did. Cignetti has never coached a losing season as head coach. He is 125-35 all time, and he hasn’t lost more than three games in a season since back in 2018. He has since cooled on the rhetoric, though.

“You know, I made a couple comments when I first got hired,” Cignetti said ahead of IU’s game against Nebraska. “I was out there on a limb a little bit, felt like that’s what I needed to do. I think it’s more of a reflection on how the team has played and the success that they’ve had on the field that’s gotten people excited, and this is just a byproduct of that.”

On the other hand, Dylan Raiola was one of the top stories in college football through the first three weeks of the season before the Cornhuskers fell to Illinois in overtime in a Week 4 thriller. Raiola and the Huskers have quietly won back-to-back games since then and sit at 5-1 heading into this showdown against Indiana. Would a win over the undefeated Hoosiers put Raiola and the Huskers back in the national spotlight?

RJ: Almost certainly. Nebraska played in prime time before earning a top 25 ranking, and, prior to its loss to a top 25-ranked Illinois team, the Cornhuskers were enjoying even more attention than Indiana is now. With Raiola at QB, the Huskers have a player under center who gives them a chance to win nearly every game they play. He’s helped by a defense that has shown itself to be more than capable of playing winning football.

Nebraska ranks 13th among FBS teams in total defense, 18th in TFLs and 26th in takeaways. The Huskers have recorded seven interceptions in six games and give up just 11 points per game. They’ll need to play great football against any team coached by Cignetti, who is 4-1 after bye weeks, excluding the 2020 season.

Michael: Without question. The Cornhuskers climbed into the AP Top 25 after their resounding 28-10 win over Colorado in Week 2 to avenge a nationally televised loss from the 2023 season. By then, head coach Matt Rhule’s team was 3-0 overall with an average margin of victory north of 27 points per game. Nebraska checked in at No. 22 ahead of its high-profile Friday night game against then-No. 24 Illinois, a matchup the Cornhuskers ultimately lost in overtime. Their stay in the national rankings proved to be little more than a one-week cameo. 

But back-to-back wins over Purdue (away) and Rutgers (home) gave way to a bye on Oct. 12 that extended Nebraska’s unbeaten streak to three calendar weeks at a time when ranked teams were losing at a torrid pace, including four last Saturday alone. All of which meant that the Cornhuskers kept climbing behind the scenes, and they’ll enter this weekend’s game against Indiana having received the second-most votes of anyone outside the Top 25, which effectively ranks them No. 27 overall. If Rhule & Co. can become the first team to corral an explosive Indiana offense and topple the 16th-ranked Hoosiers away from home, there’s little question that Nebraska will be back in the national rankings next week ahead of a mammoth showdown with No. 4 Ohio State on Oct. 26. 

Georgia travels to Austin to battle No. 1-ranked Texas this weekend in one of the most anticipated matchups of the season. Georgia has been up and down this year, while Texas has been steadily dominant through the first seven weeks of the season. What do you expect to see in this top-five SEC showdown?

Michael: Coming into the season, one of the biggest questions surrounding Texas was how well the offense could replace a handful of playmakers who departed for the NFL. The Longhorns bid farewell to their top running back (Jonathan Brooks: 1,139 yards and 10 TDs) and their five leading receivers (Xavier Worthy: 1,014 yards and 5 TDs; Adonai Mitchell: 845 yards and 11 TDs; Ja’Tavion Sanders: 682 yards and 2 TDs; Jordan Whittington: 505 yards and 1 TD; Brooks: 286 yards and 1 TD) from a 2023 squad that fell a play or two short of reaching the national championship. And while it’s true that head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff did an excellent job replacing them in the transfer portal and through the high school ranks — with players like former Alabama wideout Isaiah Bond, former Houston wideout Matthew Golden and five-star freshman receiver Ryan Wingo — it was unclear how much time the new pieces would need to jell. 

But after six games and six blowout victories, it’s quite clear that the Longhorns, who rank seventh nationally in scoring offense (43.2 points per game) and seventh nationally in total offense (495.7 yards per game), don’t have much to worry about on that side of the ball, even though they missed starting quarterback Quinn Ewers for multiple games. 

This week’s matchup with Georgia offers the first real test for Texas’ defense, which is among the more interesting storylines to watch. A closer look at the numbers confirms the Longhorns have hardly been tested in that regard at the midway point of the season. Consider the offensive rankings of Texas’ six opponents thus far: 

Colorado State — 86th in total offense; 107th in scoring offense

Michigan — 119th in total offense; 102nd in scoring offense

UTSA — 67th in total offense; t-105th in scoring offense

UL Monroe — 128th in total offense; t-105th in scoring offense

Mississippi State — 78th in total offense; t-71st in scoring offense

Oklahoma — 126th in total offense; t-96th in scoring offense

The Bulldogs will present a much more thorough challenge this weekend on the shoulders of quarterback Carson Beck, a likely first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and a player who ranks ninth nationally in passing yards with 1,818. Georgia ranks among the top 30 in total offense (452 yards per game) and the top 35 in scoring offense (33.5 points per game), despite facing a schedule that is No. 24th in difficulty, according to Pro Football Focus. This game will offer plenty of insight about whether Texas’ defense is for real. 

RJ: I expect to see Georgia play a complete game of football for the first time all year. In every game it has played against FBS opponents so far, either the offense or the defense has underwhelmed us. And that underwhelming performance by the defense against Alabama cost them dearly. They didn’t look much better against Mississippi State last weekend, which is worrisome. Kirby Smart knows better than most that Georgia doesn’t need to play its best game on Saturday, but it does need to show itself to be one of the 12 best teams in the sport.

Meanwhile, Texas hasn’t faced an elite offensive opponent all year. Michigan ranks 110th in the country in yards per play, and Oklahoma ranks 127th. And those are the Longhorns‘ two best wins. Couple that with the knowledge that Georgia ranks No. 17 in the country in yards per play.

The Bulldogs have scored at least 31 points in each of their last three games. If Georgia’s defense can stand up against a still maturing Texas offense, there’s no reason to believe the Dawgs can’t leave Austin with the best win in college football this season — a defeat of a No. 1-ranked opponent on the road.

“I want to see them play their best game against Texas,” Smart said. “I mean, simply stated, we have not played our best game. We have not put a complete game together, and that’s what every coach’s goal is, right? To play your best game moving forward. That’s what’s going to be needed to go on the road at Texas. We got to play better and that’s the only goal I’m thinking about right now.”

There are 11 remaining undefeated teams in the FBS right now, including Indiana and Texas. Make your case for which team has the best chance to finish the season with an undefeated record?

RJ: Army. The Black Knights haven’t just been winning games. They’ve been hurting people. They’re mauling opponents for a nation-leading 369 rushing yards per game, while also possessing the nation’s fifth-best scoring offense. They are whooping their competition by an average of 30 points per game. There are only two teams left who might be favored against Army this season: undefeated Navy and a Notre Dame team that already showed itself capable of losing to a directional Illinois program.

Michael:  Liberty. This selection is neither an endorsement of the Flames as an elite team nor a knock to any of the other 10 undefeated programs, all of whom would likely be favored in a head-to-head matchup with Liberty. Rather, it’s a reflection of just how weak the teams in Conference USA really are this season, which means head coach Jamey Chadwell and his players might have the cleanest path toward an unblemished record. Thus far, Liberty’s strength of schedule ranks 129th, according to Pro Football Focus. And Liberty’s remaining schedule, which includes games against Kennesaw State, Jacksonville State, Middle Tennessee State, UMass, Western Kentucky and Sam Houston, ranks 128th in difficulty. The only teams in the country with easier run-ins are Western Kentucky, Louisiana Tech and Florida International. 

So, even if Liberty finishes undefeated for a second consecutive season, it still might not be viewed as an impressive accomplishment by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. Especially after the Flames were pummeled, 45-6, by Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl last year. 

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him at @RJ_Young.

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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“We tried to appoint Anthony as our manager,” says Fleetwood Town’s chief executive Steve Curwood about Anthony Barry, England’s new assistant boss.

“He was keen to engage with us. This was when Frank Lampard left Chelsea [January 2021] and I think Anthony thought he was going to be out of the door.”

In fact, Barry was kept on at Stamford Bridge and went on to forge such a strong relationship with Thomas Tuchel, Lampard’s replacement, that the German took him to Bayern Munich before the new England boss named him as his assistant on Wednesday.

Liverpool-born Barry, 38, spent 13 years as a midfielder in England’s lower tiers, playing for Yeovil Town, Fleetwood Town, Accrington Stanley and Wrexham among others.

After serious injury at the age of 24, he decided to concentrate on his coaching badges and five years later took charge of Accrington Stanley Under-16s in 2015.

“I remember my first session so clearly,” Barry told the Euros Essential Football Podcast, external in June.

“It was a Tuesday night, there were around 10 players, I had a third of a pitch, and not enough balls and not enough bibs!

“But I simply fell in love with coaching, and on that night I knew it was absolutely everything I wanted to do.”

Nine years on from Accrington Stanley Under-16s, Barry’s thoughts are turning towards the 2026 World Cup as he gets ready to begin his new role on 1 January 2025 alongside Tuchel.

Rangers interim chairman John Gilligan says the “use of pyrotechnics must stop” after the club were fined twice by Uefa.

A fine of approximately £11,500 for flares at the recent Europa League defeat at home by Lyon followed a penalty approaching £15,900 for a similar incident in the earlier fixture away to Malmo, which Rangers won.

Gilligan said, external of the 4-1 loss to Lyon: “The biggest disappointment of that evening, however, was the actions of a small minority of supporters, whose use of pyrotechnics at the match has seen the club fined €13,750 by Uefa. This is in addition to a €19,000 fine for a similar incident in the match with Malmo.

“My message is the use of pyrotechnics must stop and stop now at all of our matches home and away.

“Not only could the repercussions become ever-larger for the club, many supporters have difficulty coping with the effects of pyrotechnics, whether that be the smoke or loud bangs they produce. It is desperately unfair for any Rangers supporter to come to a match and be affected in such a manner.”

NEW YORK — Typically, when Aaron Judge connects on a high fastball, there is little doubt about how far it will go, and where it will land. But lately, the results of his at-bats haven’t been as much of a foregone conclusion. 

Not only was the Bronx crowd unsure whether Judge’s fly ball would go out as it traveled toward the deepest part of Yankee Stadium in the seventh inning Tuesday night, even his own teammate of seven years wasn’t convinced. Gleyber Torres, who was on base with a single, tagged up at first as the entire stadium held its breath. By the time the ball landed beyond the wall, Judge had already caught up to Torres at first base, barely a step or two behind him. He let Torres start jogging before beginning his home run trot.

“He did that this year earlier, too, so I was pretty pissed then,” Judge quipped of Torres tagging up. “I was pretty pissed again. … You never know, when it’s windy like this, what the ball is going to do in center field. He’s trying to get into scoring position. So I let this one slide.”

First baseman Anthony Rizzo joked that he expected better from Torres.

“I’m a little disappointed in Gleyber for not knowing Judge’s pop there,” Rizzo said while smirking. “We were ribbing him a lot about that. It’s a big swing for Judgey. He’s had really good at-bats and come up in big situations. To get the home run, it was a really easy swing, and he’s the best in the business at that.”

Judge’s two-run shot in the seventh inning of the Yankees‘ 6-3 win over the Guardians marked his first home run of this postseason. Before Tuesday night, his last playoff home run was in Game 5 of the 2022 ALDS — also against Cleveland. He had gone 35 postseason at-bats without a homer, and boy would the Yankees be thrilled if the worst is finally behind him. 

The Yankees captain entered Game 2 of the American League Championship Series batting .133 (2-for-15) with a .564 OPS and just one RBI across five playoff games this fall. This wasn’t the first time in his career he went from being a nuisance in the regular season to a lesser concern in the playoffs. After crushing 62 home runs in an MVP season in 2022, Judge went 5-for-36 with three RBIs and two walks over nine games that October. Until he got the monkey off his back Tuesday night, Judge’s playoff slide had reached the point where even the opposing team wasn’t so afraid of the mighty slugger.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt went so far as to pull the ultimate insult in the second inning when he opted to intentionally walk Juan Soto to load the bases for Judge. The decision seemed to bewilder Judge’s teammates in the Yankees dugout. Anthony Volpe waved his arms in front of him and declared, “No way! No way!” Jazz Chisholm stared into Cleveland’s dugout with wide eyes, in apparent disbelief. 

“That’s super disrespectful,” Chisholm told FOX Sports of intentionally walking Soto ahead of Judge. “It’s Soto, we understand he’s playing great and everything. I mean, I would walk Soto in any other situation. But it’s an insult there.”

Left-hander Nestor Cortes added: “That’s crazy. You’re intentionally walking Soto to pitch to the MVP.”

Judge, who responded by hitting a sacrifice fly to center field and padded New York’s lead to 3-0 in the process, downplayed Cleveland’s decision. He said he didn’t take it personally and joked that he “would probably walk Soto, too, at this point.” But Judge’s teammate Oswaldo Cabrera told FOX Sports he thought the intentional walk to Soto might have woken Judge up. Cabrera believes Judge wants those types of moments to remind himself he’s the captain of the Yankees and provide another edge to his at-bats.

Judge being woken up out of his postseason slumber should petrify opposing teams, particularly because the Yankees were managing just fine without him hitting the cover off of the ball. The Bronx Bombers comfortably dismissed the Royals in the ALDS, and they had a 4-2 lead against Cleveland on Tuesday before Judge raised the decibel level in the seventh inning. Though he has helped out and has had better swings and productive at-bats, New York has now cruised to a 2-0 lead in the ALCS against the Guardians without Judge’s heroics. 

That is to say, Judge is warming up at exactly the right time. If the Yankees take care of business the rest of this series — and all signs are flashing that they will — then they will need the monster, MVP version of Judge to win against more potent offenses in the World Series. The National League Championship Series features two more formidable lineups than Cleveland’s, and whichever team comes out of that alive knows it will need to mash against the Juan Soto and Judge-powered Yankees. 

“Always a matter of time with Aaron,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Definitely good to see him put one in the seats and really give us a cushion there.”

The Guardians — not to mention the Dodgers and the Mets — can only hope Judge is not just getting started.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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With so much coverage of this year’s promising class of rookie quarterbacks, it’s easy to overlook the historical aspect of this past weekend. Five rookie starters — Chicago’s Caleb Williams, Washington’s Jayden Daniels, New England’s Drake Maye, Denver’s Bo Nix and New Orleans’ Spencer Rattler — combined for 12 touchdown passes.

That’s as many as they’d thrown in the first five weeks of this season combined, and it’s also the most touchdown passes ever thrown by rookie quarterbacks in one NFL weekend. The old record was 11, set in Week 16 of 2019 when Daniel Jones had five for the Giants, Dwayne Haskins had two for Washington, and four others — Arizona’s Kyler Murray, Detroit’s David Blough, Denver’s Drew Lock and Jacksonville’s Gardner Minshew — added one each.

This past weekend, Williams had four, Maye had three, Daniels and Nix threw two each and Rattler had one. It’s only the second time four rookies have thrown multiple touchdown passes in the same weekend. The other time came in 2011 when Carolina’s Cam Newton, Jacksonville’s Blaine Gabbert, Minnesota’s Christian Ponder and Houston’s T.J. Yates accomplished the feat.

The individual success of this year’s rookie QBs is magnified by their team success. Daniels’ Commanders are 4-2 and surprise leaders atop the NFC East, and Williams’ Bears have the same 4-2 mark to much the same shock. Nix’s Broncos are 3-3, and the rest of the class is still searching for consistent wins.

Will this be a historic class of rookie quarterbacks? They’re on course for 68 touchdown passes, which would be one fewer than last year’s rookies, led by Houston’s C.J. Stroud (23 TD passes). The record for one rookie class of quarterbacks is 101 touchdowns, set in 2012 by a group led by Seattle’s Russell Wilson, Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck and Washington’s Robert Griffin III. And success as rookies doesn’t mean they’ll end up legends: The 2019 class had 90 touchdowns as rookies, with Jones and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence potentially as the only NFL starters left from that group by Sunday.

It used to be a generational class of quarterbacks might not show up much at all as rookies. The 2004 draft yielded three of the top 11 quarterbacks ever in career passing yardage in the Giants’ Eli Manning, the Chargers‘ Philip Rivers and the Steelers‘ Ben Roethlisberger, but that rookie class had only 36 touchdowns total. Manning had six as a rookie, Rivers only one.

Chargers rookies step up vs. Broncos

What NFL team had the most offensive/defensive snaps by rookies in Week 6? It was the Chargers, who got 283 from six rookies in their win over the Broncos. First-round tackle Joe Alt is a mainstay, second-round receiver Ladd McConkey is top-six in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns, and even third-round linebacker Junior Colson (who followed Jim Harbaugh from Michigan) has eight tackles in three games.

The surprise impact Sunday came from three late-round picks. Fifth-round corners Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart both started and played 105 of 110 defensive snaps, and sixth-round running back Kimani Vidal, making his NFL debut, caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert.

Fourth-round backs shine as injury replacements

Last week, it was the Giants’ Tyrone Tracy Jr. and the Dolphins‘ Jaylen Wright who stepped in as injury replacements and helped their teams to victory. In Week 6, there were three more such spot-start rookie stars.

— Buffalo’s Ray Davis, a fourth-round pick from Kentucky, stepped in for the injured James Cook on Monday, rushed 20 times for 97 yards and caught three passes for 55 yards in a close win over the Jets. Davis had six carries for 48 yards on the opening drive and added a 42-yard catch to set up another touchdown.

— San Francisco’s Isaac Guerendo, a fourth-round pick from Louisville, shined with Christian McCaffrey still sidelined and fill-in Jordan Mason in and out during Thursday’s win against Seattle. Guerendo broke out for a 76-yard run — the second-longest run in the NFL this season — in the final two minutes after the Seahawks had rallied back within five points. He finished with 99 yards on 10 carries, missing the century mark when he lost a yard on his final carry of the night.

— Tampa Bay’s Bucky Irving, a fourth-round pick from Oregon, got his first NFL start with Rachaad White sidelined and was part of the Bucs’ 277-yard day, rushing 14 times for 81 yards and a touchdown in a 51-27 rout of the Saints. Irving also moved ahead of Washington’s Daniels to take over the NFL rookie rushing lead with 328 yards.

Cooper DeJean finally gets to make an impact

Eagles second-round corner Cooper DeJean logged only eight defensive snaps before making his first start Sunday, taking over as Philadelphia’s slot corner. He played well against the Browns, logging six tackles and even sharing in a sack of Deshaun Watson. DeJean made an impact on special teams as well, handling punt returns and getting 51 yards on his four returns.

Tykee Smith keys Bucs’ defense vs. Saints

Only two rookies have both an interception and a forced fumble this season, and Bucs’ third-round nickel Tykee Smith had both on Sunday in Tampa Bay’s win over the Saints. His forced fumble was scooped up by safety Antoine Winfield for a touchdown, and his interception was part of a dominant fourth quarter as the Bucs pulled away. Smith picked off Rattler for the second year in a row, having gotten an interception last year when he was at Georgia and Rattler was at South Carolina.

The other rookie with an interception and a forced fumble this season is Packers safety Evan Williams, a fourth-rounder from Oregon.

NFC North: Division of first-year kickers

The entire NFC North is off to a dominant start, all 4-2 or better, but the unsung common thread in the division: first-year kickers.

Minnesota’s rookie kicker, Will Reichard, a sixth-round pick from Alabama, is 25-for-25 this year, hitting all nine field goals and 16 extra points. Green Bay’s Brayden Narveson, undrafted out of NC State, already has 12 field goals, and Detroit has a first-year kicker in Jake Bates, who is 25-for-26 to open his NFL career. The NFC North has three first-year kickers, while the rest of the NFL has a total of two.

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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