Much like life, the fantasy football season is short – so let’s make the most of it.

Whether you’re eyeing a playoff run or pressing the panic button, remember that we’re only two weeks in. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t draw some conclusions from what our eyes are telling us so far.

It can be easy to continue rostering your favorite offseason sleeper that hasn’t gotten going yet. It can be easy to keep that breakout star on the bench until they finally start delivering. It can be easy to blame a slow start or matchups.

That’s why we’re here to help you with the hard decisions, because no one deserves to go through this alone.

Winning a fantasy championship is a community effort. Here’s a look at five guys we think you should leave behind as we move through the season.

Waiver wire players to drop: Week 2

Braelon Allen, RB, New York Jets

Depending on your perspective, the Jets looked like a group that was somewhere between the Detroit Lions of the east and store-brand Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. Reality came quickly for Aaron Glenn’s squad, but it came even faster for Allen believers. ‘Gang Green’ looked like the team that everyone thought we’d be getting this season, which means that fantasy relevance is hard to come by for the Jets.

Justin Fields, Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson are the only startable options going forward. Allen remains a solid handcuff in the event of a Hall injury, but we won’t be seeing a ‘Sonic and Knuckles’ duo out of this squad. If you need the roster spot, you can safely send Allen to the waiver wire.

Marvin Mims Jr., WR, Denver Broncos

Similar to the Jets, we want no part of the Broncos offense if it isn’t a few players. Courtland Sutton is the unquestioned No. 1 pass catcher, with Troy Franklin sliding into a stable role behind him. Mims remains a boom-or-bust, but Denver hasn’t proven to be capable of supporting more than that in the passing attack.

Mims only played 21 snaps in Week 2, according to Pro Football Focus. It’s an alarming decrease from the 53 he played in Week 1, especially in what was a much better game for the offense. That is not enough to warrant keeping the receiver on your roster.

Evan Engram, TE, Denver Broncos

Many expected Engram to be a fantasy factor in 2025 and for good reason. Engram was joining a Broncos team that surprised last season and didn’t really feature a tight end. That has remained the case despite the Engram addition. The tight end has just four catches through two weeks and only six targets to go with it.

He seemingly has little touchdown upside and isn’t a factor to accumulate yards either. Much like Mims, we are moving on from pass-catching targets in Denver that aren’t Sutton or Franklin.

Kaleb Johnson, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

The rookie running back is firmly lost in the shuffle of an Arthur Smith offense. Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell are getting all the work, leaving Johnson on the outside looking in. He totaled just two carries through two weeks and has negative one yard to show for it.

After a mistake on special teams that cost Pittsburgh a touchdown on Sunday, he doesn’t project as someone who will be seeing significant playing time anytime soon. Bid farewell to the rookie running back.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

As much as things change, the more they stay the same for Lawrence. At one time, he was the prince who was promised. Now a middle of the road quarterback option in fantasy. Despite Liam Coen’s best efforts, turnovers continue to be a problem for Lawrence, who also isn’t looking to run this season.

He has three interceptions already through two weeks and just 16 rushing yards. The passing touchdowns aren’t offsetting those other mistakes and there are better quarterback options available. Feel free to move on.

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AI-assisted summary
• The New York Giants lost to the Dallas Cowboys 40-37 in overtime, marking their ninth consecutive loss to the rival team.
• Giants quarterback Russell Wilson threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns, a significant improvement from his Week 1 performance.
• Despite Wilson’s strong passing game, a crucial interception in overtime set up the Cowboys’ game-winning field goal.

In what has become a rite of passage in Sundays in the fall, the New York Giants inexplicably lost a game they were winning in the final moments, this time to the Dallas Cowboys, 40-37, in an overtime finish that featured six lead changes from the fourth quarter on.

The difference, however, was the success of the passing attack. Quarterback Russell Wilson put up 450 yards through the air on 30-of-41 passing with three touchdowns, one week after the media – this author squarely included – said he should lose his job.

His patented ‘moon balls’ were as beautiful as a waning crescent that angles the sky perfectly. According to NextGen Stats, Wilson has completed 7 of 9 deep passes for 264 yards, the most deep passing yards in a game in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016). He found receivers Wan’Dale Robinson and Malik Nabers for touchdowns of 32 and 48 yards, respectively, within the final three minutes.

So, sorry, Russ. If that feels like a half-hearted apology, well, it sorta is. The statistics looked sexy. Only Eli Manning, Phil Simms and Y.A. Tittle have thrown for more yards in Giants history. But the sustainability of such an attack, one that can’t run the ball, while putting a defense that clearly can’t hold up on the back foot, is dubious. Just look at the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s certainly a step in the right direction. But a celebration? Save the party hats and streamers.

Nonetheless, the accuracy returned after a 17-for-37 end-zone-less showing Week 1 against the Washington Commanders. Making his second Giants’ start, Wilson appeared much more comfortable behind a still-shaky offensive line and picked apart the Cowboys’ secondary until it mattered most.

Wilson was on his way to a career high in passing yards (452), but his last completion went four minus-four yards on first down in overtime. On second down, he and Nabers were not on the same page – Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson could have set up a folding chair as Wilson’s pass hung in the air before he caught it for an interception. Earier in overtime, he nearly fumbled the game away but the ball luckily bounced out of bounds.

Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey nailed a game-winning 46-yard field goal after his 64-yard connection tied the game at 37 to send it to overtime.

Were it not for Aubrey’s clutch kicks, the overall tone of the result – either a victory or tie – is obviously better.

The reality is that Giants have lost nine straight games to the Cowboys and Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott hasn’t lost to the NFC East rival since 2016. They are 0-2 for the seventh time in nine seasons. And the schedule doesn’t get any easier over the first half of the season. The Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers all loom through Week 9.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, avoided the dreaded 0-2 start. The secondary clearly has holes, but owner and general manager Jerry Jones has to be pleased with his defense’s performance against the run over its first two games. And the air-raid attack led by quarterback Dak Prescott (38-for-52, two touchdowns, one interception) has a better shot of being a season-long success compared to the Giants’ attempt to run it.

AI-assisted summary
• Mike Vrabel earned his first win as Patriots coach and 100th of his career in a 33-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
• Rookie quarterback Drake Maye accounted for three touchdowns, including two passing and one rushing.
• Antonio Gibson’s 90-yard kick return touchdown in the fourth quarter was a key turning point for New England.

MIAMI GARDENS, FL — Mike Vrabel ran as fast as he could down the New England Patriots’ sideline.

He was so excited, he could not help himself.

He just couldn’t catch whom he was running after.

Antonio Gibson scored a 90-yard kick return touchdown with Vrabel briefly chugging along beside him, quarterback Drake Maye accounted for three touchdowns, and the Patriots outlasted the Miami Dolphins, 33-27, at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Vrabel – the three-time Super Bowl champion as a Patriots player – secured his first victory as Patriots coach, and the 100^th win of his NFL coaching career.

“I’m proud of our team,” Vrabel said. “It will always be about the players – now and forever.”

Gibson’s touchdown with 7:06 left in the fourth quarter, immediately answered a 74-yard punt return by Dolphins returner Malik Washington on the previous drive.

It was the turning point in the Week 2 matchup to help the Patriots retake the lead, and their fifth victory since Bill Belichick left the franchise two seasons ago.

Patriots defender Milton Williams sacked Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with 53 seconds remaining to help New England bounce back after its 20-13 loss in Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

“I’m just excited for these guys,” Vrabel said. “I’m really excited they could fight, compete, come on the road, be in a game. … There’s a lot to coach from, but it’s going to be easier to coach from a win.”

Maye, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, was 19 of 23 for 230 yards. He threw touchdown passes Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte on his first two drives of the first quarter, and scored a 6-yard rushing touchdown in the second half.

Maye also ensured Vrabel would get the game-ball after he kneeled on the final play of the game.

“It was awesome. Just rallying around coach, how much he cares about us, how much of a player’s coach he is,” Maye said of the Patriots’ locker room after the win. “It took everybody, but obviously he’s leading the charge. That meant something special.”

As the Tennessee Titans coach from 2018-2023, Vrabel had a 99-54 record highlighted by a trip to the 2019 AFC title game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Vrabel was hired to replace Jerod Mayo, who went 4-13 last year with two six-game losing streaks last season.

It may be far-fetched for New England to replicate the glory of being NFL frontrunners with Belichick and former quarterback Tom Brady fueling six Super Bowls and 17 AFC East titles.

Vrabel is just scratching the surface in his coaching tenure with his former club. He believes they’re, at least, off to an admirable start they can build on.

“We’re not front runners and that’s a big thing in this league,” Vrabel said.

“I appreciate the character. … There’s a lot of things we have to do better, but we didn’t pout. We didn’t drop our heads. We moved onto the next play, and we kept on competing. We have to learn to compete and believe we can win football games.”

• Joe Burrow left the Bengals’ game against the Jaguars on Sunday in the second quarter.
• Burrow remained on the field after taking a sack from Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead.
• Burrow was replaced in the game by backup quarterback Jake Browning.

Joe Burrow exited the Cincinnati Bengals’ 31-27 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday with a toe injury and did not return.

Burrow remained down on the field after being sacked by Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead on a second-and-20 in the second quarter. Trainers attended to him before he went to the sideline and entered the medical tent before heading to the locker room with an apparent limp.

Burrow was initially designated as questionable to return at halftime but was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

Burrow was diagnosed with turf toe, according to Fox-19 in Cincinnati, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer. No timetable for his return has been reported. ESPN’s Adam Schefter, however, reported that images of images of Burrow’s injury are being sent to foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson,

After the game, however, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he did not have an update on Burrow’s status and was not certain what happened on the play in which the quarterback was hurt. Burrow left the locker room on a crutch while wearing a walking boot. If surgery is determined to be necessary, the procedure would be expected to sideline Burrow for three months, Schefter reported.

Backup quarterback Jake Browning entered the game in his place. With the Bengals trailing 27-24 late in the fourth quarter, he capped a 15-play, 92-yard touchdown drive by going over the top on a quarterback sneak to put Cincinnati up for good with 18 seconds remaining. He finished with 241 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions.

“Resilient group. Found a way,’ Taylor said in a postgame news conference. ‘Feels like that’s what this year is turning into already.”

Burrow completed eight of 14 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game.

Injuries have plagued Burrow throughout the early portion of his career, with both his rookie campaign in 2020 (torn anterior cruciate ligament) and his 2023 season (wrist) being cut short. The two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award winner made light of the dynamic in February.

“I wouldn’t say this is necessarily an award you wanna be nominated for two times,” Burrow said during his acceptance speech at NFL Honors. ‘But I’m proud of the work I’ve put in to come back from these injuries I seem to face every year.

This story has been updated with new information.

The 2025 NFL season is underway and opening week provided an abundance of entertainment; however, Week 2 promises to be equally thrilling.

The USA TODAY Sports staff is back to deliver you the best NFL bets for Sunday. The team went 1-4 in Week 1, with the rookie tight end Tyler Warren the lone winning wager. The bad beats are getting out of the way early as Trey McBride’s receiving yardage total was lost by the hook.

The crew is back and ready for redemption and a bounce back this Sunday.

Our experts have provided the best prediction for this weekend’s slate of games, selecting from any betting markets available and supplying an in-depth analysis on spreads, totals, player props and anytime touchdowns. Here are our best NFL bets for Sunday games with odds from BetMGM. Best of luck if you tail.

Best bets NFL Week 2

All odds listed are provided by BetMGM Sportsbook. Access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a complete list.

Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr. OVER 58.5 rushing yards at Cincinnati Bengals (-115)

Ayrton Ostly, NFL writer: Stefon Diggs finished just eight yards shy of my prediction last week and I’ve learned my lesson. On to running backs!

Etienne led the Jacksonville backfield with 16 carries. The next-highest total was Tank Bigsby’s five carries and he’s since been traded to Philadelphia. This looks to be Etienne’s show until Bhayshul Tuten earns a larger share of touches.

Cincinnati allowed just 49 rushing yards in its opener but that was against the Browns led by Jerome Ford and Dylan Sampson. Etienne is more dynamic than Ford and more experienced than Sampson. This Bengals defense is still on watch until proven otherwise.

Etienne may not hit 143 yards as he did in Week 1 but this line needs him to barely clear a third of that. Given the defenses in this game, it could turn into a shootout with Etienne making the most of it in the running game.

Chicago Bears (+6) at Detroit Lions (-110)

Jacob Camenker, NFL writer: OK, so backing Joe Flacco and a notoriously slow-starting Bengals squad in Week 1 blew up in my face. But that’s something the Bears never do… right?

While Chicago looked lost at times outside of its first offensive drive in Week 1, the Bears have been a thorn in the Lions’ side in recent seasons. They have just a 1-3 record over the last two years, but two of their defeats were by less than five points. Chicago shouldn’t have an issue staying close to Detroit as Ben Johnson looks to prove he made the right decision leaving the Lions to take the Bears coaching job.

Add in that Jared Goff has a career, straight-up record of 3-17-1 in games where neither Johnson nor Sean McVay is calling his games and this line seems mispriced. The Bears may have a chance to win this outright.

Browns QB Joe Flacco OVER 244.5 passing yards vs. Ravens (-115)

Jack McKessy, NFL writer: Flacco’s Week 1 start with the Browns this year was his sixth regular-season career start with the team. His initial stint with Cleveland came at the back end of the 2023 season, when he won four straight games to push the Browns into the playoffs.

In each of Flacco’s first six starts with the Browns – all of which have been in head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense – he’s tallied at least 250 passing yards. His 290 yards in Week 1 this year were actually his lowest total in his last five regular-season starts, breaking a streak of four straight games with more than 300 yards passing.

This week, Flacco gets a matchup with a Ravens team that has been diced through the air over the last season plus. Baltimore allowed the second-most passing yards in the league last year and began the 2025 season allowing 394 yards to Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

Flacco’s history of high passing volume with the Browns – which seems likely to continue until rookie running back Quinshon Judkins gets up to speed on the team’s offensive playbook – and the Ravens’ trouble stopping opposing passers sets Flacco up for a solid outing in Week 2.

Jets RB Breece Hall OVER 57.5 rushing yards vs. Buffalo Bills (-115)

Nick Brinkerhoff, NFL writer: After carrying the crew with the only dub of Week 1, we gave plenty of thought to backing the over on Tyler Warren’s receptions again this week – a wager we will also endorse. Instead of getting predictable, we’ll take a trip to the Meadowlands for this AFC East clash. The Jets aren’t shy about their desire to become the Detroit Lions of the East Coast – a run-first squad that plays off the strength of their offensive line.

Luckily for us, the sportsbooks haven’t caught on yet and Hall shined in the opener against what figures to be a solid Steelers defense. After trade rumors and some level of uncertainty regarding his future with Gang Green, the fourth-year back was the unquestioned RB1 in Tanner Engstrand’s offense, finishing with 19 carries for 107 yards. Braelon Allen might get his time to shine, but Hall was explosive and looked like the player the Jets drafted in 2022.

Buffalo’s run defense was already gashed by Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson in Week 1, allowing 238 yards on the ground. Without Ed Oliver, that task becomes even tougher – especially against Hall and the new-look Jets in a game that might be closer than many expect.

Patriots TE Hunter Henry OVER 3.5 Receptions (+100)

Tom Viera, NFL writer/editor: Unfortunately, we watched Drake London reel in eight receptions on a massive 15 targets (second-most in NFL Week 1), but he only managed 55 yards, falling short of our recommended pick. It’s easy to endorse going back to the well with London on Sunday night but we’re going to pivot to another veteran who’s built a strong rapport with his second-year quarterback.

Not paying any juice makes this pick even more enticing. Henry tied for the team lead with eight targets in Week 1 – a trend that rolled over from Drake Maye’s rookie season, during which Henry led New England in targets, receiving yards, receptions and end-zone targets in games alongside Maye.

Colts rookie Tyler Warren posted a respectable seven receptions for 76 yards against the Dolphins’ secondary, and we can expect Henry to produce a similar stat line. The Patriots tight end has finished with at least four receptions in eight of nine healthy games with Maye, including a five-reception outing at Miami in Week 12 a season ago. You can bank on Henry.

Heading into Saturday’s game against No. 8 Notre Dame,Texas A&M football coach Mike Elko said the victor of the top-25 ranked matchup would be the team that made plays late in the fourth quarter.

The 17th-ranked Aggies did just that.

Facing a fourth-and-goal with 19 seconds remaining in the game, Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed fired an 11-yard throw into the left corner of the end zone that was held onto by tight end Nate Boerkircher for the eventual 41-40 game-winning catch at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

But for Notre Dame, the loss represented the second time the Fighting Irish will start 0-2 on the season under Marcus Freeman. The loss also damaged Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff resume, as the Irish are not set to face another ranked opponent for the remainder of the season and have now lost both of their games to ranked opponents in Texas A&M and Miami.

Texas A&M’s win, however, didn’t come without some help from Notre Dame, either. Here’s a look at how the Aggies were able to pull the win and how Notre Dame squandered a chance at its first win of the season in chronological order:

Notre Dame missed extra point attempt

A Jeremiyah Love touchdown with 2:53 left in the game appeared to give Notre Dame a 41-34 lead — until holder Tyler Buchner bobbled the snap on the extra point attempt, resulting in a failed conversion. That meant Texas A&M could take a one-point lead with a touchdown and extra-point conversion.

Marcel Reed third-down conversion

Facing third-and-8 at the Notre Dame 23-yard line, Texas A&M was in desperate need of a conversion to continue their drive. They got it from Reed, who scrambled for a 9-yard gain to the Fighting Irish 14-yard line with less than a minute remaining to extend the drive.

Christian Gray called for defensive holding penalty

Speaking of Notre Dame’s struggles to get a stop on third downs, the Irish gave the Aggies an extra fresh set of downs a few plays later. Facing third-and-16, Reed overthrew KC Concepcion in the middle of the field to get near the first down.

However, a holding penalty was called against Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray, resulting in the Aggies drive resetting with a first down at the 10-yard line.

Karson Hobbs missed interception in end zone

Notre Dame had a key opportunity at a potential game-winning play in the winding seconds of the game, when Reed’s throw into the end zone sailed toward Notre Dame’s Karson Hobbs. The Irish sophomore safety, however, couldn’t hold onto the ball, keeping the Aggies alive yet again.

Texas A&M converts fourth-and-goal for game-winner

The Irish got stops on second and third down, leaving them one play away from picking up a signature win vs. Texas A&M. Reed had other plans, however, throwing a laser of a pass into the hands of Boerkircher for the eventual game-winner.

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AI-assisted summary
• Tennessee missed a 43-yard field goal at the end of regulation that would have secured the victory.
• Both quarterbacks delivered standout performances, with Tennessee’s Joey Aguilar throwing for 371 yards and Georgia’s Gunner Stockton passing for 304 yards.
• The game featured nearly a thousand yards of total offense as both defenses struggled to contain the opposing attacks.

KNOXVILLE, TN – Josh McCray’s legs kept churning. In a game that saw nearly a thousand yards of offense, the final 3 feet would meet the most resistance.

And the fellas wearing zebra stripes weren’t convinced. They thought the Georgia tailback got stopped inches short of the goal line.

It’s a strange sport, this thing called college football, that a game so thrilling could end in replay review. And the review showed what the officials had missed live: McCray’s second-down run in overtime penetrated the goal line.

Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs celebrated joyously on the Neyland Stadium turf that, minutes earlier, had braced for a possible field-storming by the home fans.

No. 15 Tennessee had multiple opportunities to finish off No. 3 Georgia, but the Bulldogs kept dodging knockout blows.

“I feel almost like we have to apologize,’ Smart said after Georgia’s ninth consecutive win against Tennessee, ‘because I don’t think we should have won that game. They outplayed us in a lot of ways, but that’s the way it goes.”

It’s dangerous business to let Smart’s team hang around, as shown here again.

Georgia survived, 44-41, in a game in which each quarterback played their guts out, and each defense spent too much time looking infirm.

‘It’s going to hurt,’ Tennessee defensive lineman Caleb Herring said of the result.

Because, it so easily could have finished differently.

The Vols’ usually reliable Max Gilbert missed a 43-yard field goal at the end of regulation that would have won the game. Tennessee had a false start penalty just before the field goal, pushing it back 5 yards.

Oh, the stories the south end zone here could tell.

The night you knew – I mean, really, really knew – Tennessee coach Josh Heupel was for real, a field goal fluttered over the south goal posts. Later, those goal posts succumbed to an exuberant fan base that smoked cigars by the thousands. Alabama and Nick Saban went home a loser.

Three years later, Gilbert’s kick sailed wide, wide, wide right, and the fans in that south end zone went silent.

Overtime awaited, and there would be no fairytale ending for Joey Aguilar, Tennessee’s transfer quarterback whom UCLA decided it didn’t want as its starter less than five months ago.

Aguilar cooked Smart’s defense to the tune of 371 passing yards, four touchdowns and another score on the ground.

Gunner Stockton did some James Beard chef work of his own. In his first career road start, playing in one of the nation’s most raucous stadiums, which shook on its foundation in the second half, Stockton showed a cool hand.

Last team with the ball wins? You bet.

Gunner Stockton, Joey Aguilar supply thrills

Who needs Carson Beck?

The Miami Hurricanes do, but not Georgia.

Stockton kept Georgia’s offense counterpunching in a game when the Bulldogs’ defense looked out of its depth. He threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns.

“He made some big-time throws,’ Smart said.

Both quarterbacks did.

Less than five months ago, Tennessee had no starting quarterback. Nico Iamaleava packed his pajama pants and vamoosed to UCLA, where he took a pay cut to play for a bad team close to home and left the Vols in a lurch. UCLA left Aguilar in a pickle. In the winter, Aguilar had transferred from Appalachian State to finish his career playing for the Bruins in his home state.

UCLA coach DeShaun Foster later decided he wanted Iamaleava, not Aguilar, as his starter. How fortunate for Aguilar. Foster pushed Aguilar right into the arms of an offensive mastermind and a proven quarterback developer.

Aguilar proved a quick study of Heupel’s up-tempo offense. In a blur, he had 21 points on the board against a Georgia defense helpless to stop Tennessee in the first quarter.

Fourteen passes, Aguilar threw, in the game’s first 15 minutes. Fourteen passes, he completed, looking like Peyton Manning against Kentucky.

Nine months ago, Stockton served as Georgia’s backup until Beck’s injury in the SEC championship game thrust him into duty. He looked OK then. He didn’t look great against Notre Dame in the playoff. He looked sensational in this one, while carving up a vulnerable Tennessee defense.

Georgia wins on ground in overtime

Mike Bobo’s developed several good quarterbacks while spending the better part of the past two decades as Georgia’s offensive coordinator, across two different stints. Bobo’s latest quarterback looks awfully promising and the picture of steadiness, but there’s nothing that delights Georgia fans like a tailback chewing up yardage between the tackles.

A certain five-word phrase can be heard so frequently in Georgia, you’d think it must be the state motto.

Run the damn ball, Bobo.

The pockets of Georgia fans tucked into the stands here could have been only too delighted to see Bobo’s game plan to open the second half. Georgia handed the ball off 13 times in 14 plays while marching 75 yards for a touchdown on a drive suited for Herschel Walker.

Great though Stockton was, he never needed to sling a pass in overtime. His third and final handoff of overtime went to McCray, and Tennessee’s defense finally showed some pushback. Not enough.

McCray finished the run with just enough surge, and Georgia showed just enough wriggle to slip out of here battered, but with its undefeated record intact.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

Following Oregon football’s Week 3 win over Northwestern, Ducks coach Dan Lanning spoke to a much larger story than his team’s win in their Big Ten opener.

In his postgame news conference at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, Lanning addressed the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on Wednesday, Sept. 10 during a visit to Utah Valley University.

Lanning, in his fourth season at Oregon, spoke at length about Kirk and how he hopes the country can learn from his team’s locker room in how they handled this most recent event.

‘I think the U.S. could learn a lot from our locker room. I think the people of this world could learn a lot from our locker room,’ Lanning said after Oregon’s win at Northwestern on Sept. 13. ‘You walk into that locker room and you’ve got guys of different races, guys of different backgrounds, different religions, and you’ve got a team that loves each other. Like tons of differences. Where they come from, what they deal with and ultimately you have a team that loves each other.

‘I think we’re missing some of that in our country.’

Lanning also mentioned to reporters in Evanston, Illinois that he recently learned Kirk was a Ducks fan, which his widow, Erika Kirk, mentioned in her first address to the country on Sept. 12. As noted by The Register-Guard, part of the USA TODAY Network, the Kirks were at Oregon’s win over Ohio State in Eugene last year.

‘I didn’t know that. I hurt for his wife Erika and their kids. That sort of evil should never exist in our country,’ Lanning said.

‘That’s what it is, evil. I remember having to explain that to my family. I remember sitting down with my kids and explaining what happened. They’re talking about people talking about it at school, and it’s just sad. Every day it seems like we deal with some sort of violence in our country, whether it’s school kids in Colorado, or kids in Minnesota churches.

‘Life matters. I think we’ve lost sight of that, but I wish the world could learn a little bit of something from our locker room because we’ve got a bunch of people with differences and what you’ve got is a bunch of people with love there.’

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AI-assisted summary
• South Florida’s undefeated start to the 2025 season ended with a loss to Miami.
• Despite the defeat, South Florida’s playoff hopes are still alive.
• Its chances are alive, but South Florida still faces a challenging conference schedule.

The magic carpet South Florida rode for the first two weeks of the 2025 season entered the turbulent winds of a hurricane and did not make it out.

In an in-state matchup of ranked opponents, it was all Miami as it overwhelmed the Bulls in a convincing 49-12 victory to reign supreme in the Sunshine State.

After beating Boise State and Florida, a win over the No. 6 team in the country would’ve solidified the Bulls as a team of destiny. At 3-0, not only would they be a College Football Playoff favorite, but it wouldn’t be ridiculous to say they could make some noise in the postseason.

Instead, the Hurricanes marched into the end zone on their opening drive and never looked back, while the defense made life miserable for Byrum Brown and company.

It’s a deflating defeat. But did it ruin South Florida’s season? 

Not even close. 

What’s great about a 12-team playoff is the pressure is taken off the Group of Five teams to stay perfect in order to sit at the table. While the overall competition isn’t as tough as the Big Ten or SEC, it wasn’t fair the underdogs had no wiggle room to prove they deserve a shot.

In this era as a Group of Five team, South Florida has to do two things to ensure itself a spot in the playoff field.

1. Be the highest-ranked Group of Five team
2. Win its conference championship

The Bulls have arguably one of the best resumes of the early season. Two ranked victories and a loss to a Top 10 team, which shouldn’t be penalized as much as it used to be. The College Football Playoff selection committee changed how it views strength of schedule – teams won’t be severely punished for losing to high-quality opponents.

South Florida already positioned itself as the top-ranked Group of Five team in the US LBM Coaches Poll coming into Week 3. Even with the blowout loss, it can assume it will still be in that category when the new poll is released on Sept. 14.

Step one is already in motion. The Bulls have positioned themselves well for when the first College Football Playoff rankings drop on Nov. 14.

It’ll be easy to compare USF’s path to a playoff spot to Boise State last season. The Broncos lost on the road by three points to eventual No. 1 seed Oregon in Week 2 before they ran the Mountain West by winning 10 games in a row. 

The Bulls could do the same in the American and win the conference at 12-1 to undoubtedly secure their spot. The chances of making the College Football Playoff are still well within their grasp – it’s just not an easy road there.

Boise State was clearly the top dog in the conference in 2024. South Florida can’t say the same, because it isn’t the only team in the American capable of making the playoffs.

And it’s not hard to tell who the favorites are in what suddenly has become an intriguing league in the College Football Playoff race.

Last year’s runner-up, Tulane, remains loaded, with former Brigham Young quarterback Jake Retzlaff picking up his momentum from last season. The Green Wave opened the season with a convincing win over Northwestern and headed into another showdown with a Power 4 team in Duke.

There’s also Navy, coming off its first 10-win season since 2019 and with Blake Horvath back under center. You also can’t forget Memphis, winners of 11 games in 2024; Ryan Silverfield has reloaded for 2025.

South Florida will have to play at Memphis on Oct. 25 and at Navy on Nov. 15. Both teams it lost to last season, and ones it could play again in the American championship game.

Can South Florida afford to lose another game? Hard to say, but with a conference championship in hand, it should get in the playoff.

The Bulls may be the best story in college football and the people’s vote to make the 12-team playoff. They’ve proven through marquee wins they can qualify for it, bringing hope not seen since 2007, when Matt Grothe and Mike Ford propelled USF to No. 2 in the initial reveal of the BCS rankings.

But in that remembrance comes a lesson. That team started 6-0 before it lost its next three games and took itself not just out of the national title picture, but the BCS as well.

The season is far from over. The Bulls have nine games left, but in the American, there are teams ready to end the dream in Tampa and thrust themselves into the CFP conversation. 

If South Florida wants to reach unprecedented heights and honor that team of destiny from 18 years ago, it can’t let the loss to Miami derail its season; it’s got to finish the job, and prove this isn’t the same old South Florida.