Blue Jays smash their way back into ALCS; Ranking the NBA's 25 best under 25

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⚾ Five things to know Thursday

The Blue Jays got on the board with a blowout win over the Mariners. With the Mariners bringing a 2-0 ALCS lead back to Seattle, T-Mobile Park was rocking, but it didn't stay that way for long. Toronto's bats mashed five homers en route to a 13-4 win. We have a series now.
Lions DT Alim McNeill is set to make his 2025 debut on Sunday. McNeill has yet to play a down this season after tearing his ACL last December, but that should change this weekend. As Dan Campbell put it on Wednesday, McNeill is "freaking playing" against the Buccaneers. A disruptive force in the middle of the defensive line, McNeill's return will be a major boost.
Tua Tagovailoa has apologized to his Dolphins teammates for his bizarre postgame press conference. Tagovailoa faced a lot of criticism -- from inside and outside the team facility -- for publicly calling out teammates about their attendance in players-only meetings. Tagovailoa has since apologized, saying his "intent was right," but can he really put that toothpaste back in the tube?
Russell Westbrook is signing with the Kings. Westbrook will now suit up for his seventh team in his 18th NBA season after inking a deal with Sacramento. Westbrook may not be the MVP-caliber player he once was, but he'll give the Kings some nice depth at point guard after finishing seventh in Sixth Man of the Year voting with the Nuggets last season.
The Orioles have expressed interest in Albert Pujols as their next manager. The three-time NL MVP is garnering quite a bit of interest on the MLB manager carousel. Pujols has already interviewed for the vacant Angels gig, and the Orioles are reportedly eyeing him for their opening. The 45-year-old Pujols is coming off a Dominican Winter League title with Escogido in his managerial debut.

💪 Do not miss this: Blue Jays slug their way back into ALCS

After laying an egg (pun intended) in the first two games of the ALCS at home, the Blue Jays needed to show signs of life in Game 3. Well, their vital signs look just fine from where I'm sitting.

After falling behind 2-0 in the bottom of the first, Toronto's bats woke up, and the team smacked the cover off the ball. Five different players -- George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger and Andres Gimenez -- hit home runs as the Blue Jays ran away with a 13-4 win to make it a 2-1 series.

What was the key to the Jays' offensive resurgence? As Mike Axisa explains, it was their ability to jump all over Mariners starter George Kirby's fastball.

Axisa: "Toronto put 11 balls in play against Kirby's fastball and the average -- average -- exit velocity was 94.2 mph. That includes two doubles and two homers. The Blue Jays were all over Kirby's heater after too many swings resulted in weak contact in Games 1 and 2. It was like someone flipped a switch. In the third inning, Toronto's offense finally locked in."

💸 Ballooning buyouts in college football

The best job in America, maybe the world, is a fired college football coach. No one gets paid more (millions) to do less (nothing), and the price tags have skyrocketed in recent years.

Less than one year after taking Penn State to the College Football Playoff, James Franklin was shown the door on the heels of consecutive losses to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern. On his way out the door, Franklin will cash a $49 million check, the second-largest buyout in college football history.

Our own Brandon Marcello took a deep dive to find out what's behind these ballooning contracts and buyouts in college football. Sometimes, these gargantuan deals stem from one thing: Fear. The higher-ups at these schools are scared to miss out on -- or lose -- the hottest names in the sport.

Marcello: "For athletic directors, one bad hire can end a career. Reputation is the currency. That's why, as one search-firm executive put it, 'It's not the president or board's money. If a president, board and AD make an elite hire that turns the program around, no matter what it costs, that's going to help the public's perception of their ability to do their jobs.'"

As the money continues to explode (nine coaches are set to make at least $10 million in 2025), here are the biggest buyouts in college football today:

1. Kirby Smart, Georgia ($105.1 million)
2. Lincoln Riley, USC ($80+ million)
3. Ryan Day, Ohio State ($70.9 million)
4. Mario Cristobal, Miami ($61 million)
5. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama ($60.8 million)

Most of those coaches are relatively safe at their current gigs, but these nine coaches are feeling the heat. At least the severance packages will be quite generous.

🏀 Who are the NBA's best 25 under 25?

Our NBA Top 100 players list was released on Tuesday, but we have another list that's just as interesting. Adam Finkelstein captured a snapshot of the league's future in his 25 under 25 ranking.

It's hard to beat the combination of youth and skill, especially when it means cheaper contracts in the present and a bright future down the road. Every player on this list has both of those, and one of them already has a ring.

Mentioned in the same ballpark as Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Edwards, Thunder star Jalen Williams comes in at No. 6 after helping Oklahoma City win its first NBA title. His ability to accept a role and play it to the best of his ability is invaluable, according to Adam Finkelstein.

Finkelstein: "SGA may have been the MVP, but Williams was just as valuable to OKC's championship run. His versatility, two-way impact, and consistent improvement are all widely acknowledged, and rightfully so. Beyond that though was his toughness to play through injury and unselfishness to buy into his role and not allow any fraction or dissent to be formed around role allocation."

Here's a little taste of the top 10 -- that's called a tease, folks.

6. Jalen Williams, Thunder
7. Chet Holmgren, Thunder
8. Amen Thompson, Rockets
9. Evan Mobley, Cavaliers
10. Alperen Sengun, Rockets

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

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Ty Simpson and Joey Aguilar, both top 15 in our CFB QB Power Rankings, will meet this weekend.
Texas Tech has been fined for repeated tortilla throwing. (Yes, you read that correctly.)
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz has dismissed coaching carousel speculation.
Likewise, Dan Mullen addressed rumors connecting him to the Penn State opening.
We gave our CFB experts another crack at their College Football Playoff predictions.
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has undergone offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum.
The Cubs and Blue Jays each have a half-dozen Gold Glove Award finalists.
It's the same old story for the Sabres in our latest NHL Power Rankings.
The Rangers' offense is off to a historic start ...for all the wrong reasons.
A strong showing at the Ryder Cup vaulted Xander Schauffele into the top five of our Power 18.
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USWNT star Lily Yohannes scored an absolute stunner in the UEFA Women's Champions League.

📺 What we're watching Thursday

⚽ UEFA Women's Champions League: Atlético Madrid at Manchester United, 12:45 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Women's Champions League: Bayern Munich at Juventus, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Women's Champions League: Benfica at Arsenal, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Women's Champions League: Paris Saint-Germain at Real Madrid, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚾ NLCS Game 3: Brewers at Dodgers, 6 p.m. on TBS/truTV
🏒 Oilers at Islanders, 7:30 p.m. on Hulu
🏈 Tulsa at East Carolina, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Preseason: Rockets at Hawks, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2
⚾ ALCS Game 4: Blue Jays at Mariners, 8:30 p.m. on FS1