NCAAF

• Buffalo 23, Akron 22
  • Akron shot out to a 16-0 lead in this contest, which was obviously surprising. In the end, though, this marks another disappointing season for the Zips. Despite this, Joe Moorhead needs more time to turn things around. The program is in bad shape at the moment.
• UTSA 48, North Texas 27
  • UTSA has become a high-level Group of Five program — at least in the Sun Belt. 11-2 is nothing to turn one’s head at, and Frank Harris is a big reason why. The Roadrunners’ signal-caller went 32-37 for 341 yards and four touchdowns in this contest. At some point, one of the underachieving Power Five programs in the state of Texas should consider going after Jeff Traylor.
• Utah 47, USC 24
  • Physicality. That’s one thing the Utes have over the Trojans, and it finally bit USC in the butt last night. Cam Rising, who threw for three touchdowns in this tilt, is such an underrated player, but he also got plenty of help from his defense last night, which registered seven sacks on a gimpy Caleb Williams.
  • USC blew it. Now, Ohio State is in position to back its way into the playoff. Lincoln Riley did an excellent job of patching together a competitive roster for this year, but more work needs to be done. Luckily, he’ll have Caleb Williams back for another go around in 2023.

MLB

• Rangers sign SP Jacob deGrom to five-year, $185M contract
  • It’s a bit surprising that Texas took this deal all the way to five years, but deGrom is still one of the game’s best pitchers, so I can’t fault the club too much for it. After splurging on Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Jon Gray last winter, and now deGrom, the Rangers have shown a strong commitment to winning. The team now boasts a starting rotation consisting of deGrom, Gray, and Martin Perez, which should be at least somewhat scary for the rest of the American League. Texas feels like an 83 win team, at a minimum, for 2023.
    Grade: B+
• Brewers receive: Jesse Winker and Abraham Toro
• Mariners receive: Kolten Wong
  • A case can be made that all three players involved in this deal needed a change of scenery, but Milwaukee is really banking on Winker performing closer to his 2021 level, as opposed to how he did last year. Toro is basically a throw in, as he’s never hit even at a league average level.
    Brewers Grade: C+
  • Seattle had a breakthrough season in 2022, and that was without Winker performing up to expectations. Wong’s defense slipped last season, but if water even comes close to finding its level in that respect, the Mariners will win this trade.
    Mariners Grade: B+
• Red Sox sign RP Chris Martin to two-year, $17.5M contract
  • At 36-years-old, Martin isn’t exactly a spring chicken, but he’s put together seven solid campaigns across seven major league seasons. This may seem like a bit too much for a reliever like Martin, and it probably is, but the veteran was phenomenal after being traded to the Dodgers in 2022, and should be a mainstay in Boston’s bullpen.
    Grade: B-