CFP Rankings Winner and Losers

Plus: Raiders give up, World Series umpires should too.

Good Morning, and welcome to Savage Sports. When asked if you thought Aaron Rodgers would take another snap this season in our poll on Monday, most of you answered “Maybe, but it doesn’t matter because it’s the Jets.

Sheesh—now that we know how you all really feel, let’s move on.

ICYMI: Clemson is not having their best year and this was just too good not to share. Tyler from Spartanburg called in to ask why Dabo Swinney is being paid $11M. Dabo went off ⬇️

Here's what we got for you today:

  • The Raiders Are Done

  • More Trade Deadline Takeaways

  • CFP Rankings Winner and Losers

  • World Series Umpires Lose, Rangers Win.

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NFL

The Raiders Are Calling It Quits

The Las Vegas Raiders axed coach Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler, promoting linebackers coach Antonio Pierce and assistant GM Champ Kelly to interim roles.

With a woeful 3-5 record this season and 9-16 since McDaniels took over in 2022, the offense’s highest-scoring game stopped at 19 points.

McDaniels’ four-plus years left on a six-year deal means he’ll still collect from the Raiders. Owner Mark Davis decided to pull the trigger eight games in, stating a “comprehensive search” for a GM would take place post-season.

Why now? Despite an abysmal start, the timing is a bit of a head-scratcher. The pair were actively involved up to the NFL trade deadline. Davis aims to use the rest of the season to vet potential replacements, effectively giving himself a head start.

Where to next? Antonio Pierce steps in with a shoddy 3-5 record and a roster arguably worse than when predecessor Rich Bisaccia took over. But key players from the 2021 run remain, and Pierce has locker-room respect.

As for Champ Kelly, he’s been integral in scouting and personnel decisions, and now has a golden chance to audition for the permanent GM role.

———

More Trade Deadline Takeaways

Vikings trade for Cardinals QB Joshua Dobbs

After losing QB Kirk Cousins to injury, the Vikings added QB Joshua Dobbs and a conditional seventh-round pick from the Cardinals for a sixth-round pick.

Vikings Grade: B. The Vikings had an immediate need for a competent quarterback to remain competitive. Dobbs, who showed promise with the Cardinals, offers a plausible short-term solution without giving up significant draft capital.

Cardinals Grade: C+. For a team with the No. 1 draft pick and a focus on evaluating in-house QB talent, trading Dobbs was inconsequential. However, the return feels somewhat low, considering Dobbs’ reasonable performances this season.

49ers trade for Commanders DE Chase Young

The 49ers acquired DE Chase Young from the Washington Commanders for a compensatory third-round pick to bolster their defense.

49ers Grade: A+. The acquisition pairs Young with Nick Bosa, creating a formidable pass-rushing duo. Young has demonstrated his potential this season with five sacks in seven games. Considering that they paid a moderate price (a third-round pick), the trade positions the 49ers well for a playoff push.

Commanders Grade: B-. The return seems low for a player of Young’s caliber. The strategy implies a long-term rebuilding phase, potentially impacting team morale. However, they now have five picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 draft, offering substantial future capital.

Bills trade for Packers CB Rasul Douglas

In a win-now move, the Bills acquired CB Rasul Douglas and a fifth-round pick from the Packers for a third-round pick.

Bills Grade: A. Douglas fills the void left by injured CB Tre’Davious White and adds playmaking capability to the secondary. His experience and skill set fit well into the Bills’ defensive schemes.

Packers Grade: B-. Although the Packers added a third-round pick, they conceded a fifth-rounder and weakened an already struggling secondary. The deal signals a clear focus on future rebuilding, acknowledging that playoffs are out of reach this season.

Bears trade for Commanders DE Montez Sweat

The Bears traded a second-round pick to acquire DE Montez Sweat from the Commanders, who is in the final year of his contract.

Bears Grade: ????. Depending on one’s perspective, the trade could be either brilliant or flawed. Sweat is a proven pass-rusher and could become a cornerstone for the Bears’ defense. However, given that the Bears are unlikely to make the playoffs, the deal could compromise their rebuild by diminishing their 2024 draft capital and possibly inflating Sweat’s contract demands.

Commanders Grade: A. Commanders get a high second-round pick, further adding to their 2024 draft arsenal for the rebuilding process. This seems like a maximized return for a player they were unlikely to re-sign.

College Football

CFP Rankings: Winners and Losers

The first CFP Top 25 Rankings are out, which means everyone is mad their team isn’t ranked higher. Let’s go through the top three winners and losers of this year’s first Top 25.

WINNERS

Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0, No. 1): Despite not appearing overwhelmingly dominant in some of their games, they secured the No. 1 spot thanks to wins over top-15 teams: Notre Dame and Penn State.

Being at No. 1 puts them in a prime position to secure a playoff spot if they maintain performance. They also psychologically gain the “team to beat” status.

Georgia Bulldogs (8-0, No. 2): Despite a weaker schedule (ranked No. 100), they have claimed the No. 2 spot, which shows the committee’s confidence in their past postseason performance.

This gives them a buffer; even if they lose one of their upcoming challenging games, they might still maintain a top-four position.

Michigan Wolverines (8-0, No. 3): They have managed to claim the No. 3 spot even with a weaker schedule than some (ranked No. 111).

They’re now set up well for the upcoming battles with No. 11 Penn State and No. 1 Ohio State. Success there could solidify their playoff chances.

LOSERS

Florida State Seminoles (8-0, No. 4): Despite an undefeated record, a win over No. 14 LSU by 21, and wins over SP+ top-30 teams, they are ranked at No. 4, below Michigan and Georgia.

If the race for the top four spots becomes crowded and FSU doesn’t move up, they could find themselves being edged out.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-2, No. 15): Two losses to top-13 teams and wins over ranked teams should arguably place them higher than No. 15.

Given their brutal schedule, this lower starting position severely hampers their chances to move up adequately by the end of the season.

Kansas State Wildcats (6-2, No. 23): Despite having arguably better performance metrics compared to LSU (which is nine spots ahead), they are stuck at No. 23.

They will need significant upsets to even consider moving into a higher bowl game, much less the playoffs.

MLB PLAYOFFS

Rangers Win, Umpires Lose

No Adolis Garcia, no problem. The Texas Rangers are on the verge of winning their first World Series title in franchise history.

And to think the season-ending Jacob deGrom injury might have derailed those plans early in the season, here we are—up 3-1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

deGrom down. Scherzer down. Garcia down. No problem.

ICYMI. This series could look very different had the home plate umpire not missed so many calls in Game 3. It was a rough night for Alfonso Marquez. Maybe robot umpires are the way to go in the future.

Should the MLB use robot umpires to call balls and strikes?

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ALSO, this is funny.

TW0-MINUTE DRILL

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Imagine?

THE BUZZER

That's a wrap for today. We'll be back on Friday!

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