USA TODAY Sports has live coverage of Dodgers vs. Blue Jays in World Series Game 7.

Managers John Schneider and Dave Roberts announced their starting lineups for Game 7 of the 2025 World Series on Nov. 1, a winner-take-all showdown that will determine Major League Baseball’s champion.

Shohei Ohtani is the Dodgers’ starting pitcher in the decisive Game 7 on Saturday in Toronto, while 41-year-old Max Scherzer takes the mound for the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

The Blue Jays’ lineup has one change from Game 6, with Addison Barger (batting fifth in Game 7) and Dalton Varsho (seventh) swapping places in the batting order. The Dodgers shuffled the lineup slightly from Game 6, with Max Muncy sliding up one spot to hit fifth, and Tommy Edman hitting seventh rather than eighth. Miguel Rojas remains the Dodgers’ starting second baseman for Game 7.

Dodgers lineup today

Starting pitcher: Shohei Ohtani

1. Shohei Ohtani (L) P
2. Will Smith (R) C
3. Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
4. Mookie Betts (R) SS
5. Max Muncy (L) 3B
6. Teoscar Hernández (R) RF
7. Tommy Edman (S) CF
8. Enrique Hernández (R) LF
9. Miguel Rojas (R) 2B

Blue Jays lineup today

Starting pitcher: Max Scherzer

1. George Springer (R) DH
2. Nathan Lukes (L) LF
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
4. Bo Bichette (R) 2B
5. Addison Barger (L) RF
6. Alejandro Kirk (R) C
7. Daulton Varsho (L) CF
8. Ernie Clement (R) 3B
9. Andrés Giménez (L) SS

The MLS Cup Playoffs continue on Saturday, Nov. 1, with five matchups, including Lionel Messi and Inter Miami visiting Nashville SC in Game 2 of their first-round series. The match begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV

Inter Miami has a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series – hoping to move onto the conference semifinals for the first time in the franchise’s brief history since joining MLS in 2020.

However, a win by Nashville would force Game 3 at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium on Nov. 8.

Here’s everything you need to know about today’s match, and stay tuned as USA TODAY Sports provides live updates from the Nashville-Inter Miami match:

Nashville 1, Inter Miami 0: Sam Surridge score penalty (9’)

Nashville’s Sam Surridge scored a penalty in the 9^th minute to help his side take an early 1-0 lead against Inter Miami.

The play resulted from a penalty where Surridge was tripped inside the penalty area by Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo while making a charge toward the ball in the 7^th minute.

Inter Miami 0, Nashville 0: Early yellow card for Nashville (4’)

Nashville’s Edvard Tagseth picks up a yellow card for a late kick of the ball toward Inter Miami’s Ian Fray, who was tripped up.

Inter Miami 0, Nashville 0: Match has begun (0′)

It’s going to be a rainy contest in Nashville, with the game about to begin.

Messi warms up with Luis Suarez before the game

Nashville’s Sam Surridge warms up

Sam Surridge, who finished second in the Golden Boot race behind Messi, warms up before tonight’s match.

Messi, Inter Miami arrives to Nashville for match

What time is the Nashville vs Inter Miami match?

The match begins at 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. in Nashville, 8:30 p.m. in Argentina) at GEODIS Park in Nashville.

How to watch Nashville vs Inter Miami on TV, live stream link?

The match will be available to watch on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

Is Messi playing today? Inter Miami vs. Nashville starting lineups

Yes, Messi was announced as a starter in Inter Miami’s starting lineup, an hour before the match.

What to know about Inter Miami vs Nashville

It’ll be their third time facing each other in as many weeks: Messi had a hat trick with an assist in a 5-2 win on the final day of the regular season in Nashville on Oct. 18, then scored two goals with an assist in a 3-1 win in Game 1 at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium on Oct. 24.

Overall, Inter Miami has not dropped any of its last 10 matches against Nashville.

‘We know despite having had two positive results against them in the last two weekends, we have to understand that Nashville has put us in many difficult moments,’ Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said of Nashville before practice on Friday, Oct 31. ‘We’ve dealt with it well, but they’ll surely put us in a difficult moment again. We have to be prepared for that.’

Nashville hopes to bounce back

Nashville, which won the 2025 U.S. Open Cup, is led by MVP finalist Sam Surridge, and 2022 MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar. They’ve won 14 of 20 matches across all competitions at their home stadium, and hope to extend the series against Inter Miami.

‘They’re a really good team,’ Nashville coach B.J. Callaghan said of Inter Miami on Friday, Oct 31. ‘They’ve challenged us in different ways, and I think we’ve been able to spend this week learning some things from the last game, improving some areas, and focusing on what we do well.’

Mukhtar scored in Game 1 of the series, while Surridge and Jacob Shaffelburg scored in the regular-season finale against Inter Miami.

Messi, Inter Miami stars to appear on Tik Tok Player Spotlight

Inter Miami’s Messi, Luis Suarez, Rodrigo De Paul, Serigo Busquets and Jordi Alba will be featured on TikTok live dedicated live stream during Game 2 in Nashville.

Messi joins Luis Suarez on Watch Party live stream before Nashville game

Messi and Rodrigo De Paul joined Luis Suarez on a live stream of a Uruguayan soccer match between Deportivo LSM against Montevideo Boca Juniors before Game 2 in Nashville. Suarez and Messi started the Deportivo LSM club earlier this year.

Inter Miami, MLS Cup playoff schedule

• Nov. 8: Game 3 at Inter Miami, Time TBD (if necessary)
• Nov. 10-18: FIFA international window
• Nov. 22-23: Conference semifinals
• Nov. 29-30: Conference finals
• Dec. 6: MLS Cup Final

Field goal controversy nearly doomed Southern Methodist against No. 9 Miami.

It was a close contest at Gerald J. Ford Stadium with the Hurricanes leading 20-17 with less than seven minutes left in the game. SMU was driving into Miami territory when the drive stalled thanks to a holding penalty and failed trick play. On fourth-and-21 from the 25-yard line, the Mustangs opted to kick a field goal to try to tie the game.

Kicker Sam Keltner got great power on the 42-yard field goal attempt, but it went right over the right goal post. Given that it went over the post rather than hit it, it was tough to tell if the kick was good or not. The officials ruled it no good, which stunned Keltner and the Mustangs.

Was SMU field goal good?

The call on the field certainly confused SMU players and fans, many of whom believed it should have been ruled good and the game should be tied.

On the ESPN broadcast, rules analyst Jerry McGinn said the ball must completely be inside the uprights in order to be ruled good.

‘Even one piece of the football cannot be on top of that upright. It appears it goes directly over the upright, it’s a great call,’ McGinn said.

According to NCAA rules, ‘The crossbar and uprights are treated as a line, not a plane.’

Fortunately, Keltner was able to avenge the miss by knocking in a 38-yard field goal with less than 30 seconds left to tie the game and send it to overtime. In the extra period, SMU intercepted Miami on the opening drive and followed it with a touchdown to win the game 26-20.

• Texas slapped Vanderbilt and resurrected from the College Football Playoff grave.
• Arch Manning got hot to lead Texas scoring outbreak.
• Texas tortures Diego Pavia after his Louis Vuitton comment.

AUSTIN – The preseason No. 1 team emerged from witness protection.

Where had these Texas Longhorns been hiding?

This 34-31 win over No. 11 Vanderbilt came without preamble or warning, though it did come with some suspense after the Longhorns nearly gave it all away, turning a three-score lead into a three-point win.

No. 19 Texas needed overtime to survive Kentucky and Mississippi State. Its playoff hopes went on life support. Hours after the final Halloween cocktails were served to costumed revelers here in this city that insists on keeping it weird, the Longhorns popped out of the grave like The Undertaker.

That’s sort of the nature of college football nowadays, isn’t it? Yesterday’s scrubs become tomorrow’s stars. And vice versa.

Vanderbilt, the SEC’s darling story, turned into a pumpkin. Check that, Texas smashed the Vandy boys like a pumpkin.

And the guy in burnt orange named Manning finally played like someone with his surname should.

Arch, he’s alive! He’s alive!

Ten straight completions, Manning fired, throughout the first half. Out of concussion protocol, and into the best performance of his career. The stats gleamed: 328 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Arch Manning leads scoring outburst for Texas football

Smokey the Cannon blasted through a pile of gunpowder keeping up with all the Texas scores.

Texas receivers sprinted wild and free through yawning holes in Vanderbilt’s defense. With Manning looking as settled as he has all season, the completions piled up. The lads in gold helmets kept trying to tackle thin air while Longhorns ran past them. Texas’ defensive front terrorized the Tasmanian Devil, otherwise known as Diego Pavia.

Pavia, before kickoff, compared Texas to Louis Vuitton and described Vanderbilt as a product from an “underground yard sale.” I would think he meant that as a compliment to Vanderbilt’s grit and pluck, but, after the way the Commodores just played, it’s hard not to see them as a discounted imitation of a playoff team.

Credit Pavia for single-handedly turning a rout into a dramatic finish. He rallied Vanderbilt with three fourth-quarter scores.

Tiers are forming within the nation’s deepest conference. On the SEC’s top shelf are Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. They’ve still got some lifting left for playoff qualification, but they’re in good shape.

On a lower tier reside Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Missouri, teams that present more as pretenders than contenders but have not succumbed to a knockout punch.

I’m still trying to figure out onto which tier Texas fits. The Longhorns possess the talent to claim a spot on the top tier. Rarely, though, have they played to that level. Two losses in the first half of the season eroded their margin for error. Oh, and this marks just the first of three November games for Texas against top-15 opponents.

That’s either the recipe for a resume revival or a burial.

Texas punches Vanderbilt in the mouth early, repeatedly

A sleepy, late-arriving crowd was still filling the seats when Ryan Wingo went 75 yards into the end zone on the first play from scrimmage, a neatly designed swing pass that beautifully countered a Vanderbilt blitz.

Manning roared in delight of the score and met up with offensive lineman Conner Robertson for a chest bump.

Offense came so easily to Texas that Quintrevion Wisner somersaulted into the end zone.

And how did Texas glide so smoothly? Consider this telling stat: Vanderbilt broke through just once for a tackle for loss. Texas had 10 TFLs. Vanderbilt’s first drive ended when Colin Simmons came roaring off the edge, sacked Pavia, stripped the football and grabbed it with his left paw.

This was how it was supposed to look, after Texas spent tens of millions on for a team that became preseason darlings.

The Longhorns never played so good as when the spotlight finally left this team. And the fans of the preseason No. 1 team, saddled with two losses but suddenly alert, chanted ‘Overrated! Overrated!’ — about Vanderbilt — in the fourth quarter. Some kind of college football season we’re having. Don’t shovel the dirt on Texas just yet.

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.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with new information and a new photo.

An interception by Ahmaad Moses off Carson Beck in overtime and a 1-yard rushing touchdown from T.J. Harden helped the Mustangs come up with one of the biggest upsets of the Week 10 slate: a 26-20 overtime win over No. 9 Miami. It’s the first-ranked win of the season for SMU.

The celebration of the Mustangs’ first top-10 win in 42 years didn’t take long to commence, as fans immediately stormed the field at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. Fan then broke one of the goalposts on the field and took it on a joy ride out of the stadium.

To no surprise, fans did not leave much of the structure in the stadium, as the crossbar and the piece attached to the post that is drilled into the field were just left:

For its postgame celebrations immediately on the field, SMU violated the ACC’s newly updated event security policy. The Mustangs will now have to pay $50,000 fine to the ACC’s Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship account as a first-time violator of the conference’s policy.

While it’s a hefty fine, it’s one that SMU president Jay Hartzell seems to be happily paying.

‘I neither condone nor support it, for the record, but I’ll pay the fine…,’ Hartzell said on X shortly after the game.

The win for SMU keeps the Mustangs in contention for a spot in the ACC championship game with a 4-1 ACC record. It also provides them a nice resume booster going into the first College Football Playoff rankings, which are set to be released on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. ET.

‘Hope there’s one (goalpost) in Deep Ellum and one in Downtown Dallas,’ SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said in his postgame news conference, according to Billy Embody of On3’s SMU affiliate, OnThePonyExpress. ‘Probably don’t need to take them through the Park Cities.’

Here’s another look at the goalpost that SMU snapped and broke following the win over Miami:

The Mustangs’ win also comes hours after SMU formally announced that it has signed Lashlee to a two-year contract extension that will keep him in Dallas for the foreseeable future, and remove his name from consideration for the open Power 4 head coaching jobs in the country.

Up next for SMU will be a trip up to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to face Boston College at noon ET on Saturday, Nov. 8.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

The Memphis Grizzlies suspended guard Ja Morant for one game without pay for conduct detrimental to the team, the Grizzlies announced Saturday.

Morant will miss Sunday night’s game against the Toronto Raptors and forfeit almost $482,000 in salary.

Morant was asked about his ongoing struggles this season after going 3-for-14 from the field and scoring eight points in the Grizzlies’ 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.

‘According to them, probably don’t play me, honestly,’ Morant said after the game.. ‘That’s basically what the message was. It’s cool.’

Morant also responded, ‘go ask the coaching staff,’ when questioned about his performance.

According to ESPN.com, Morant responded ‘in a tone deemed inappropriate’ when Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo questioned the two-time All-Star’s leadership and effort.

Morant is averaging 20.8 points, 6.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds this season for Memphis (3-3).

Defending a college football national championship can be as difficult as winning one in the first place, with only three teams managing the feat since 1996 at the FBS level.

For the first two months of the season, Ohio State made it look easy, with a 7-0 record that included six wins by at least 18 points.

Watch Ohio State vs. Penn State football live with Fubo (free trial)

That ruthlessly efficient march continued this weekend.

Behind a near flawless performance from quarterback Julian Sayin, the No. 1 Buckeyes overcame a slow start to blow past Penn State 38-14 on Nov. 1 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Sayin completed 20 of his 23 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns, further bolstering the sophomore’s Heisman Trophy candidacy. Much of that output ended up in the hands of Jeremiah Smith (six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns) and Carnell Tate (five catches for 124 yards and a touchdown).

Defensively, Ohio State allowed just 200 total yards and 3.3 yards per play to the Nittany Lions, who got 76 rushing yards and a touchdown from Kaytron Allen. One of Penn State’s touchdowns came off a short field, with the Nittany Lions beginning their drive at the Ohio State 13-yard line after forcing a fumble.

The game had lost much of the luster it had as recently as one month ago, when both teams were ranked in the top 10 of the US LBM Coaches Poll. Since then, the Nittany Lions have lost four games in a row, lost quarterback Drew Allar to a season-ending injury and, most notably, fired coach James Franklin in his 12th season at the helm.

The win was the Buckeyes’ 13th in the past 14 games against Penn State, including their ninth in a row.

USA TODAY Sports brought you live updates, scores and highlights from the game. Follow along.

Ohio State vs Penn State score

This section will be updated throughout the game

Ohio State vs Penn State updates

This section will be updated throughout the game

Ohio State vs Penn State highlights

Julian Sayin stats

Julian Sayin entered the game with an 80% completion percentage on the season and somehow managed to improve on that, completing 20 of his 23 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns.

Jeremiah Smith stats

Jeremiah Smith, the Ohio State phenom wide receiver, had six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ victory.

FINAL: Ohio State 38, Penn State 14

Ohio State runs out the clock and caps off a 38-14 victory over Penn State, improving the No. 1 Buckeyes to 8-0.

Caleb Downs end-zone INT ends Penn State scoring threat

A promising Penn State drive ends with no points. The Nittany Lions go 68 yards in 11 plays, but on a fourth-and-goal from the Ohio State 7-yard line, Ethan Grunkemeyer throws a pass into heavy Buckeye coverage, with Caleb Downs coming down with an interception.

Ohio State will take over at its own 20-yard line with 4:29 left.

Caleb Downs targeting call overturned

It looked for a moment like Ohio State might be without its best defensive player for the first half of its game against Purdue, with star safety Caleb Downs getting whistled for targeting on a big hit on Khalil Dinkins over the middle. Upon review, the targeting call was overturned, though Downs was hit for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty.

Jeremiah Smith scores TD on circus catch

Even when things don’t go exactly according to plan for the Ohio State offense, it still works out. On a first-and-10 from the Penn State 11-yard line, Julian Sayin has a pass deflected into the air, but it still finds its way to Jeremiah Smith, who hauls in the catch with a remarkable one-handed grab and gets into the end zone to extend the Buckeyes’ lead to 38-14.

Sayin now has four touchdown passes today while Smith has six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

Penn State goes three-and-out

The Nittany Lions have been stifled offensively much of the second half, with just seven yards across three drives. After the latest punt, Ohio State will take over at its own 38-yard line with 10:38 left.

Ohio State punts

For the first time today, the Buckeyes punt after failing to convert on a third-and-4 from their own 47-yard line. A 15-yard penalty for kick catch interference will give Penn State the ball at its own 25-yard line with 12:23 left.

End of third quarter: Ohio State 31, Penn State 14

Penn State is forced to punt after Ethan Grunkemeyer is dropped for an 11-yard loss on a sack, with Ohio State taking over at its own 30-yard line as the third quarter comes to an end.

Julian Sayin’s third TD pass puts Ohio State up 17

It took a minute, but Ohio State’s starting to pull away. The Buckeyes go 84 yards in seven plays, a drive punctuated by a 1-yard touchdown pass from Julian Sayin to Bennett Christian on third-and-goal to extend the Ohio State lead to 31-14.

The biggest gain of the drive came on a 57-yard pass from Sayin to Jeremiah Smith, who made his way behind the Penn State secondary and got all the way to the Nittany Lions’ 21-yard line.

Sayin has completed 18 of his 21 passes today for 301 yards and three touchdowns, further bolstering the Heisman Trophy resume for the first-year starter.

Penn State punts

The Nittany Lions pick up a couple of first downs, but don’t get past their own 37-yard line, as Ethan Grunkemeyer is sacked for an 8-yard loss on third-and-6, forcing a punt. It was the first sack of the day for either team.

Ohio State will take over at its own 16-yard line with 7:52 left in the third quarter.

Ohio State pushes lead back to 10 on opening-drive TD

The Buckeyes come out about as forcefully as they can, with C.J. Donaldson Jr. plowing into the end zone from one yard out on third-and-goal to push his team’s lead over Penn State back to 10, 24-14, with 12:18 left in the third quarter.

The big play on the drive came courtesy of Carnell Tate, who hauled in a 57-yard pass from Julian Sayin down to the Penn State 4-yard line. Tate now has four catches for 125 yards, more than double the yardage of his next-closest teammate.

Ohio State vs Penn State stats

Here’s a look at some of the key stats at halftime, with Ohio State leading Penn State 17-14:

• Total yards: Ohio State 221, Penn State 140
• Passing yards: Ohio State 168, Penn State 64
• Rushing yards: Penn State 76, Ohio State 53
• First downs: Ohio State 12, Penn State 8
• Yards per play: Ohio State 7.6, Penn State 4.4
• Third downs: Ohio State 4-5, Penn State 5-8
• Penalties: Ohio State 0-0, Penn State 1-15
• Turnovers: Ohio State 1, Penn State 0

Halftime: Ohio State 17, Penn State 14

Julian Sayin takes a knee and Ohio State heads to the locker room with a 17-14 lead over Penn State at halftime, with some audible groans from the Buckeye faithful at Ohio Stadium.

Ohio State will receive the kickoff to open the second half.

Kaytron Allen TD gets Penn State within three

Penn State is able to capitalize on the fumble, with Ethan Grunkemeyer getting an 8-yard completion to Kaytron Allen on third-and-5 from the Ohio State 9-yard line. One play later, Allen barges just over the goal line, getting the Nittany Lions within a field goal, 17-14, with 20 seconds left in the half.

Penn State forces fumble, takes over in Ohio State red zone

Just when it looked like Ohio State could add to its two-possession lead, Penn State comes in with a potential game-changing play.

On the first play of the Buckeyes’ possession, running back CJ Donaldson Jr. is stuffed, but while he keeps fighting for yardage, the Nittany Lions rip the ball away from him and recover the fumble.

The referees hadn’t ruled the play dead and, because of that, Penn State will get the ball at the Ohio State 13-yard line with a chance to get within a score.

Penn State punts

After giving up the touchdown on its previous defensive possession, Ohio State holds firm, forcing an Ethan Grunkemeyer incompletion on third-and-10. Penn State punts the ball into the end zone, meaning the Buckeyes will start at their 20-yard line with two minutes remaining before halftime — more than enough time for Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and company to add on to their lead.

Julian Sayin TD pass pushes Ohio State lead back to 10

Ohio State responds to Penn State’s touchdown with a score of its own, with Julian Sayin connecting with Carnell Tate for a 45-yard touchdown to push the Buckeyes’ lead back to 10, 17-7, with about four minutes left in the first half.

Things initially looked dicey for Ohio State, with a third-and-5 from its own 30-yard line, but Sayin escaped a collapsing pocket for a 9-yard scramble for a first down before finding an open Tate streaking down the field three plays later.

Nicholas Singleton TD pulls Penn State closer

We’ve got a game, folks. What had looked like a lifeless Penn State offense for much of the game comes alive with a 15-play, 75-yard drive that ends with a Nicholas Singleton 3-yard touchdown run on third-and-goal.

The key play for the Nittany Lions came on a 9-yard completion from Ethan Grunkemeyer to Devonte Ross on a third-and-9 from the Penn State 26-yard line. Instead of a three-and-out, Penn State takes 7:50 off the clock and gets within three with 6:18 left in the quarter.

Ohio State settles for field goal

After getting a first-and-goal from the Penn State 6-yard line, Ohio State’s offense sputters, with Julian Sayin rushed into an incompletion on third-and-goal from the Penn State 4. Rather than going for it, Ryan Day opts for the multi-possession lead, with Jayden Fielding knocking through a 22-yard field goal.

It’s 10-0 Buckeyes with 14:08 left in the second quarter.

End of first quarter: Ohio State 7, Penn State 0

Ohio State’s threatening to double its lead, with a second-and-goal at the Penn State 7-yard line as the first quarter comes to a close.

Penn State punts again

Two drives and two punts for Penn State. This time, the Nittany Lions go three-and-out, with Ethan Grunkemeyer getting flushed out of the pocket on a third-and-3 and throwing an incomplete pass.

A 43-yard punt results in a fair catch at the Ohio State 25-yard line, where Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and the Buckeyes will take over.

Jeremiah Smith TD gets Ohio State on the board

One of the nation’s best and most talented offenses makes it look easy on its first drive. After forcing the Penn State punt, Ohio State goes 89 yards in 11 plays, capped off by a 14-yard Jeremiah Smith touchdown catch from Julian Sayin on a third-and-3.

Smith had three catches for 42 yards on the touchdown march while Sayin went a perfect 6-for-6 for 71 yards.

Penn State punts on opening drive

The Nittany Lions get the ball first and get off to a strong start, with a Kaytron Allen 26-yard rush on the first play from scrimmage. Their drive stalls from there, though, and rather than go for it on a fourth-and-3 from the Ohio State 42-yard line, interim head coach Terry Smith opts to punt.

A 31-yard Penn State punt is downed at the Ohio State 11, where the Buckeyes will take over from.

Jim Knowles makes return to Ohio State

After helping lead Ohio State to a national championship last season, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles left the Buckeyes for the same position at Penn State, putting the Philadelphia native back in his home state (or, technically, commonwealth). Today, he makes his return to Ohio Stadium, albeit under circumstances few would have realistically envisioned when he left for Happy Valley earlier this year.

Ohio State injury updates

Here’s a look at Ohio State’s injury situation heading into its game against Penn State, according to the Big Ten’s availability report:

Out

• #9 Malik Hartford
• #11 Quincy Porter
• #16 Mason Maggs
• #21 Anthony Rogers
• #48 Logan George
• #59 Ahmed Tounkara
• #93 Maxwell Roy

Penn State injury updates

Here’s a look at Penn State’s injury situation heading into its game against Ohio State, according to the Big Ten’s availability report:

Out

• #7 Kaden Saunders
• #13 Tony Rojas
• #14 Jaxon Smolik
• #15 Drew Allar
• #18 Max Granville
• #19 Josiah Brown
• #23 Tikey Hayes
• #30 Kari Jackson
• #34 Owen Wafle
• #38 Jackson Pryts
• #42 Mason Robinson
• #58 Kaleb Artis
• #59 Brady O’Hara
• #61 Liam Horan
• #81 Donte Nastasi
• #84 Peter Gonzalez
• #93 Bobby Mears
• #95 Jordan Mayer

What TV channel is Ohio State vs Penn State on today?

• TV channel: Fox
• Streaming: Fubo (free trial)

Penn State-Ohio State will air live on Fox, with streaming options available on Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Ohio State vs Penn State start time today

• Time: Noon ET
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 1
• Location: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)

Ohio State vs Penn State predictions, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, Oct. 31.

• Spread: Ohio State (-19.5)
• Over/under: 44.5
• Moneyline: Ohio State -1400 | Penn State +825

Prediction: Ohio State 36, Penn State 13

Even under much better circumstances, the Nittany Lions would have faced an uphill battle in this game, having to go on the road to take on a deep and talented Buckeyes team that has shown few, if any, flaws this season. Given where Penn State finds itself now, that challenge is even bigger.

Defending a college football national championship can be as difficult as winning one in the first place, with only three teams managing the feat since 1996 at the FBS level.

For the first two months of the season, Ohio State made it look easy, with a 7-0 record that included six wins by at least 18 points.

Watch Ohio State vs. Penn State football live with Fubo (free trial)

That ruthlessly efficient march continued this weekend.

Behind a near flawless performance from quarterback Julian Sayin, the No. 1 Buckeyes overcame a slow start to blow past Penn State 38-14 on Nov. 1 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Sayin completed 20 of his 23 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns, further bolstering the sophomore’s Heisman Trophy candidacy. Much of that output ended up in the hands of Jeremiah Smith (six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns) and Carnell Tate (five catches for 124 yards and a touchdown).

Defensively, Ohio State allowed just 200 total yards and 3.3 yards per play to the Nittany Lions, who got 76 rushing yards and a touchdown from Kaytron Allen. One of Penn State’s touchdowns came off a short field, with the Nittany Lions beginning their drive at the Ohio State 13-yard line after forcing a fumble.

The game had lost much of the luster it had as recently as one month ago, when both teams were ranked in the top 10 of the US LBM Coaches Poll. Since then, the Nittany Lions have lost four games in a row, lost quarterback Drew Allar to a season-ending injury and, most notably, fired coach James Franklin in his 12th season at the helm.

The win was the Buckeyes’ 13th in the past 14 games against Penn State, including their ninth in a row.

USA TODAY Sports brought you live updates, scores and highlights from the game. Follow along.

Ohio State vs Penn State score

This section will be updated throughout the game

Ohio State vs Penn State updates

This section will be updated throughout the game

Ohio State vs Penn State highlights

Julian Sayin stats

Julian Sayin entered the game with an 80% completion percentage on the season and somehow managed to improve on that, completing 20 of his 23 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns.

Jeremiah Smith stats

Jeremiah Smith, the Ohio State phenom wide receiver, had six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ victory.

FINAL: Ohio State 38, Penn State 14

Ohio State runs out the clock and caps off a 38-14 victory over Penn State, improving the No. 1 Buckeyes to 8-0.

Caleb Downs end-zone INT ends Penn State scoring threat

A promising Penn State drive ends with no points. The Nittany Lions go 68 yards in 11 plays, but on a fourth-and-goal from the Ohio State 7-yard line, Ethan Grunkemeyer throws a pass into heavy Buckeye coverage, with Caleb Downs coming down with an interception.

Ohio State will take over at its own 20-yard line with 4:29 left.

Caleb Downs targeting call overturned

It looked for a moment like Ohio State might be without its best defensive player for the first half of its game against Purdue, with star safety Caleb Downs getting whistled for targeting on a big hit on Khalil Dinkins over the middle. Upon review, the targeting call was overturned, though Downs was hit for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty.

Jeremiah Smith scores TD on circus catch

Even when things don’t go exactly according to plan for the Ohio State offense, it still works out. On a first-and-10 from the Penn State 11-yard line, Julian Sayin has a pass deflected into the air, but it still finds its way to Jeremiah Smith, who hauls in the catch with a remarkable one-handed grab and gets into the end zone to extend the Buckeyes’ lead to 38-14.

Sayin now has four touchdown passes today while Smith has six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

Penn State goes three-and-out

The Nittany Lions have been stifled offensively much of the second half, with just seven yards across three drives. After the latest punt, Ohio State will take over at its own 38-yard line with 10:38 left.

Ohio State punts

For the first time today, the Buckeyes punt after failing to convert on a third-and-4 from their own 47-yard line. A 15-yard penalty for kick catch interference will give Penn State the ball at its own 25-yard line with 12:23 left.

End of third quarter: Ohio State 31, Penn State 14

Penn State is forced to punt after Ethan Grunkemeyer is dropped for an 11-yard loss on a sack, with Ohio State taking over at its own 30-yard line as the third quarter comes to an end.

Julian Sayin’s third TD pass puts Ohio State up 17

It took a minute, but Ohio State’s starting to pull away. The Buckeyes go 84 yards in seven plays, a drive punctuated by a 1-yard touchdown pass from Julian Sayin to Bennett Christian on third-and-goal to extend the Ohio State lead to 31-14.

The biggest gain of the drive came on a 57-yard pass from Sayin to Jeremiah Smith, who made his way behind the Penn State secondary and got all the way to the Nittany Lions’ 21-yard line.

Sayin has completed 18 of his 21 passes today for 301 yards and three touchdowns, further bolstering the Heisman Trophy resume for the first-year starter.

Penn State punts

The Nittany Lions pick up a couple of first downs, but don’t get past their own 37-yard line, as Ethan Grunkemeyer is sacked for an 8-yard loss on third-and-6, forcing a punt. It was the first sack of the day for either team.

Ohio State will take over at its own 16-yard line with 7:52 left in the third quarter.

Ohio State pushes lead back to 10 on opening-drive TD

The Buckeyes come out about as forcefully as they can, with C.J. Donaldson Jr. plowing into the end zone from one yard out on third-and-goal to push his team’s lead over Penn State back to 10, 24-14, with 12:18 left in the third quarter.

The big play on the drive came courtesy of Carnell Tate, who hauled in a 57-yard pass from Julian Sayin down to the Penn State 4-yard line. Tate now has four catches for 125 yards, more than double the yardage of his next-closest teammate.

Ohio State vs Penn State stats

Here’s a look at some of the key stats at halftime, with Ohio State leading Penn State 17-14:

• Total yards: Ohio State 221, Penn State 140
• Passing yards: Ohio State 168, Penn State 64
• Rushing yards: Penn State 76, Ohio State 53
• First downs: Ohio State 12, Penn State 8
• Yards per play: Ohio State 7.6, Penn State 4.4
• Third downs: Ohio State 4-5, Penn State 5-8
• Penalties: Ohio State 0-0, Penn State 1-15
• Turnovers: Ohio State 1, Penn State 0

Halftime: Ohio State 17, Penn State 14

Julian Sayin takes a knee and Ohio State heads to the locker room with a 17-14 lead over Penn State at halftime, with some audible groans from the Buckeye faithful at Ohio Stadium.

Ohio State will receive the kickoff to open the second half.

Kaytron Allen TD gets Penn State within three

Penn State is able to capitalize on the fumble, with Ethan Grunkemeyer getting an 8-yard completion to Kaytron Allen on third-and-5 from the Ohio State 9-yard line. One play later, Allen barges just over the goal line, getting the Nittany Lions within a field goal, 17-14, with 20 seconds left in the half.

Penn State forces fumble, takes over in Ohio State red zone

Just when it looked like Ohio State could add to its two-possession lead, Penn State comes in with a potential game-changing play.

On the first play of the Buckeyes’ possession, running back CJ Donaldson Jr. is stuffed, but while he keeps fighting for yardage, the Nittany Lions rip the ball away from him and recover the fumble.

The referees hadn’t ruled the play dead and, because of that, Penn State will get the ball at the Ohio State 13-yard line with a chance to get within a score.

Penn State punts

After giving up the touchdown on its previous defensive possession, Ohio State holds firm, forcing an Ethan Grunkemeyer incompletion on third-and-10. Penn State punts the ball into the end zone, meaning the Buckeyes will start at their 20-yard line with two minutes remaining before halftime — more than enough time for Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and company to add on to their lead.

Julian Sayin TD pass pushes Ohio State lead back to 10

Ohio State responds to Penn State’s touchdown with a score of its own, with Julian Sayin connecting with Carnell Tate for a 45-yard touchdown to push the Buckeyes’ lead back to 10, 17-7, with about four minutes left in the first half.

Things initially looked dicey for Ohio State, with a third-and-5 from its own 30-yard line, but Sayin escaped a collapsing pocket for a 9-yard scramble for a first down before finding an open Tate streaking down the field three plays later.

Nicholas Singleton TD pulls Penn State closer

We’ve got a game, folks. What had looked like a lifeless Penn State offense for much of the game comes alive with a 15-play, 75-yard drive that ends with a Nicholas Singleton 3-yard touchdown run on third-and-goal.

The key play for the Nittany Lions came on a 9-yard completion from Ethan Grunkemeyer to Devonte Ross on a third-and-9 from the Penn State 26-yard line. Instead of a three-and-out, Penn State takes 7:50 off the clock and gets within three with 6:18 left in the quarter.

Ohio State settles for field goal

After getting a first-and-goal from the Penn State 6-yard line, Ohio State’s offense sputters, with Julian Sayin rushed into an incompletion on third-and-goal from the Penn State 4. Rather than going for it, Ryan Day opts for the multi-possession lead, with Jayden Fielding knocking through a 22-yard field goal.

It’s 10-0 Buckeyes with 14:08 left in the second quarter.

End of first quarter: Ohio State 7, Penn State 0

Ohio State’s threatening to double its lead, with a second-and-goal at the Penn State 7-yard line as the first quarter comes to a close.

Penn State punts again

Two drives and two punts for Penn State. This time, the Nittany Lions go three-and-out, with Ethan Grunkemeyer getting flushed out of the pocket on a third-and-3 and throwing an incomplete pass.

A 43-yard punt results in a fair catch at the Ohio State 25-yard line, where Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and the Buckeyes will take over.

Jeremiah Smith TD gets Ohio State on the board

One of the nation’s best and most talented offenses makes it look easy on its first drive. After forcing the Penn State punt, Ohio State goes 89 yards in 11 plays, capped off by a 14-yard Jeremiah Smith touchdown catch from Julian Sayin on a third-and-3.

Smith had three catches for 42 yards on the touchdown march while Sayin went a perfect 6-for-6 for 71 yards.

Penn State punts on opening drive

The Nittany Lions get the ball first and get off to a strong start, with a Kaytron Allen 26-yard rush on the first play from scrimmage. Their drive stalls from there, though, and rather than go for it on a fourth-and-3 from the Ohio State 42-yard line, interim head coach Terry Smith opts to punt.

A 31-yard Penn State punt is downed at the Ohio State 11, where the Buckeyes will take over from.

Jim Knowles makes return to Ohio State

After helping lead Ohio State to a national championship last season, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles left the Buckeyes for the same position at Penn State, putting the Philadelphia native back in his home state (or, technically, commonwealth). Today, he makes his return to Ohio Stadium, albeit under circumstances few would have realistically envisioned when he left for Happy Valley earlier this year.

Ohio State injury updates

Here’s a look at Ohio State’s injury situation heading into its game against Penn State, according to the Big Ten’s availability report:

Out

• #9 Malik Hartford
• #11 Quincy Porter
• #16 Mason Maggs
• #21 Anthony Rogers
• #48 Logan George
• #59 Ahmed Tounkara
• #93 Maxwell Roy

Penn State injury updates

Here’s a look at Penn State’s injury situation heading into its game against Ohio State, according to the Big Ten’s availability report:

Out

• #7 Kaden Saunders
• #13 Tony Rojas
• #14 Jaxon Smolik
• #15 Drew Allar
• #18 Max Granville
• #19 Josiah Brown
• #23 Tikey Hayes
• #30 Kari Jackson
• #34 Owen Wafle
• #38 Jackson Pryts
• #42 Mason Robinson
• #58 Kaleb Artis
• #59 Brady O’Hara
• #61 Liam Horan
• #81 Donte Nastasi
• #84 Peter Gonzalez
• #93 Bobby Mears
• #95 Jordan Mayer

What TV channel is Ohio State vs Penn State on today?

• TV channel: Fox
• Streaming: Fubo (free trial)

Penn State-Ohio State will air live on Fox, with streaming options available on Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Ohio State vs Penn State start time today

• Time: Noon ET
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 1
• Location: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)

Ohio State vs Penn State predictions, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, Oct. 31.

• Spread: Ohio State (-19.5)
• Over/under: 44.5
• Moneyline: Ohio State -1400 | Penn State +825

Prediction: Ohio State 36, Penn State 13

Even under much better circumstances, the Nittany Lions would have faced an uphill battle in this game, having to go on the road to take on a deep and talented Buckeyes team that has shown few, if any, flaws this season. Given where Penn State finds itself now, that challenge is even bigger.

TORONTO – It might have been easier – for the mind and soul – if the Toronto Blue Jays simply offered token resistance in the bottom of the ninth inning of World Series Game 6, down 3-1 and assured of a Game 7 and November baseball, regardless.

Succumb meekly to Los Angeles Dodgers rookie closer Rōki Sasaki, and the postgame vibes would’ve been muted but rote after right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto mastered them for the second time in eight days.

Get ‘em tomorrow. Sometimes you just gotta tip your cap. All hands on deck in Game 7.

Alas, these are the 2025 Blue Jays, MLB leaders in comeback wins, incapable of anything but big feelings and bigger goals that almost always, against the odds, come to fruition.

Yet this time, one sinking line drive and the ultimate youthful mistake on the basepaths left one of the greatest hitters in postseason history on deck, robbed of the chance to tie or win the game. And now everyone – the Dodgers and Blue Jays, a collection of 44,710 title-hungry Toronto fans, the hundreds of cops deployed in anticipation of championship bedlam in The Six – must come back tomorrow night and try again.

Game 7, the greatest words in sports?

Tell that to a club that got the tying runs on base and the World Series-winning run to the plate with nobody out, the temporary stage Major League Baseball constructs for championship celebrations poised and ready for a strike force to guide it onto the ersatz surface of Rogers Centre, where, if the ball fell properly, Rob Manfred would award the Commissioner’s Trophy to the Blue Jays.

That stage never moved.

If only Addison Barger did the same when Andrés Giménez’s sinking fly to shallow left field got hauled in by Dodgers playoff legend Kiké Hernández.

The ever-heady Hernández spotted Barger drifting too far off second base, jacked up and too eager to score the game-tying run. Instead, it was an unprecedented World Series  walk-off result of the worst kind for the home team: 7-4 double play, game over, and George Springer – he of the 23 career postseason home runs, including a three-run shot to win ALCS Game 7 – on deck for his Joe Carter moment.

Instead, Barger drifted too far off the second base bag, dead man’s land. Hernández, promptly yet casually, spiked a one-hop throw to second baseman Miguel Rojas.

And Barger, all limbs and long hair flailing into second base, was out by a mile.

You could say Rogers Centre was deflated, but then again, it hardly had a chance to get fully going, so quick was the rally, so sudden the end.

The Blue Jays, winners of 105 games, regular season and playoffs, have done more than enough to deserve a championship. Yet the tiniest fraction of it – nine innings of winning baseball in a year they’ve done it dozens of times – still remains to be completed.

“Saying you deserve it is kind of tricky. To deserve something, you have to finish the job,” says Blue Jays rookie starter Trey Yesavage, whose epic postseason may yet require one more climb up the Rogers Centre mound. “You can have all these accolades in the regular season and thus far in the playoffs.

“But deserving something only gets you so far. We need to show up tomorrow.”

Barger has shown up throughout October for these playoffs, just a week removed from busting open World Series Game 1 with a grand slam. He put the Blue Jays in position to steal a game by scorching a ball 105.5 mph into the left field gap, so hard it wedged into the wall.

The ground-rule double didn’t change what would have been: Barger on second as the tying run, nobody out. Ernie Clement’s pop-up against Tyler Glasnow brought up Giménez, a No. 9 hitter but a playoff savior this month.

He did what he could against Glasnow, stroking the ball toward left. Given Giménez’s dearth of opposite-field power, Hernández was playing shallow and closing quickly.

If only Barger could see what almost everyone else could: That it was a relatively routine fly ball, that freezing and retreating almost immediately was the move.

“I was pretty surprised he got to it,” Barger said in the Blue Jays clubhouse. “Off the bat, I thought it was going to go over the shortstop’s head.

“I didn’t think it was going to travel that far. It was kind of a bad read.”

And not the way any club wants to go into a Game 7.

In a funereal Blue Jays clubhouse, some tried covering for Barger.

“I thought it was a hit. I thought it was getting down, a thousand percent,” says infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa of his vantage point on the play. “Kiké made a great play right there. Aggressive mistake.

“You make a mistake, you want it to be aggressive. That’s how we play. It didn’t work out for us tonight.”

And there was the sense the Blue Jays still possessed that esprit de corps, this notion that no cause is ever lost, that victory – second and third, nobody out – was expected, and will come their way next time.

‘Throughout the regular season, we’re in that spot, it’s a walk-off win,’ says Gausman. ‘Nobody out, guys on second and third. We’ve come back so many times. Everybody kind of just expecting, yeah, we’re going to win this game.’We didn’t, obviously. But we did have an opportunity to win. At least we didn’t kind of go down with no fight.’

Yet there was the undeniable residue that comes with opportunity lost. Not that all is lost: These fellows bounced back from an 18-inning loss in Game 3 to win the next two at Dodger Stadium, putting them in this enviable position in the first place.

The chins will be up come Saturday evening. Yes, there’s still a chance. But it’s impossible to ignore that a golden one just passed them by.

“We had a chance to close them out. But we didn’t so we’ll just turn our attention to tomorrow,” says infielder Bo Bichette. “Game 7, Game 60 in the regular season, we’ll show up ready to play, ready to compete, and give it everything we got.

“We thought we had a chance to win it today. But we didn’t get it done.”

TORONTO — Hall of Fame outfielder Vladimir Guerrero walked in the corridor Friday night of the Rogers Centre with a few friends, greeted a familiar face, and simply uttered: “Game 7.’

He spread his hands out, exhaled, and shook his head.

Guerrero played in only one World Series in his 16 year-career and never won a title, and his son Vladimir Jr. has a chance to go where he never went, playing in Game 7 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night after losing 3-1 in Game 6.

The Blue Jays are now going to have to do it the hard way – with Shohei Ohtani officially announced Sunday as the Game 7 starter.

The original plan was for Tyler Glasnow to start, but he came on in the ninth of Game 6 after rookie Rōki Sasaki tired, and closed out the game.

“That was pretty cool,’ Glasnow said, producing the first save of this World Series.

It now sets the magical stage for Ohtani, who saved the World Series Baseball Classic for Team Japan, win he struck out Angels teammate Mike Trout to end win the gold medal.

Neither team has much Game 7 experience, with the Blue Jays never playing a Game 7 while the Dodgers lost their last seven-game World Series in 2017 against the Houston Astros.

“It’s going to be electric here,’ Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.

“We had our chances with guys on base kind of as the game went on. But we’re going to be ready to play [Saturday]. Everyone’s going to be ready to play. I expect them to be playing cards around 1:00 p.m., kind of shooting the [stuff] with everyone. It’s going to be fun here. But to the fans. See you [Saturday] night. Be loud, be rowdy. We’re going to be ready to play.’

If they had their druthers, of course, the series would already be over. But Yoshinobu Yamamoto never gave them a chance. He gave up just five hits and one run in six innings, with their bullpen hanging on for dear life, and even using Glasnow, who originally was expected to start Game 7.

That honor now goes to Ohtani.

Ohtani has never pitched on three days’ rest in his MLB career, but this is the World Series.

“This is Game 7, so there’s a lot of things that people haven’t done,’ Roberts said. “You’ve just got to trust your players and try to win a baseball game.

What’s another Ohtani super-human feat to go down in the history books?

“We’re going to leave it out there,’ Roberts said. “I don’t think that the pressure, the moment’s going to be too big for us. We got to go out there and win one baseball game. We’ve done that all year. Everyone’s bought in. So I don’t know how the game’s going to play out, but as far as kind of the moment, winning a game, I couldn’t be more excited to get to sleep and wake up to play a baseball game.’

Game 7, there’s nothing like it.

‘It’s going to be three or four or five hours of mayhem and great baseball,’ Schneider said. “These guys are going to be ready for it. Hopefully they get to slow some things down but enjoy it.

“It’s Game 7 of the World Series at your home stadium. I mean, what the hell else do you want?’

This story was updated with new information.