When a freshman wide receiver helps win a national title, breaks records, and commands a $4 million NIL valuation, it turns heads. When he signs a new deal with a celebrity-backed car empire? That’s when the college football world stops and pays attention.

Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith isn’t just rewriting the record books—he’s reshaping the NIL landscape.

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Fresh off a dominant freshman campaign that saw him rack up 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, the 19-year-old phenom announced his latest endorsement: a deal with the Mark Wahlberg Auto Group, a dealership brand co-founded by the Hollywood icon and known for its sleek Columbus showroom.

“Glad to be joining the Mark Wahlberg Auto Group,” Smith posted, standing in front of a jet-black Mercedes-Benz, a smile as polished as the vehicle behind him.

The signing marks another major win for Smith’s expanding business empire. Already the top-valued wide receiver in college football, Smith ranks No. 4 on the On3 NIL 100 list—trailing only Arch Manning, Cooper Flagg, and Carson Beck. Notably, he’s the highest-ranked non-quarterback in the country.

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Smith’s brand portfolio already reads like a Fortune 500 shopping cart: Red Bull, Nintendo, Lululemon, The Foundation, The 1870 Society, Ricart Automotive, and Battle Sports.

His deal with Wahlberg’s auto group isn’t just another flashy post. It cements Smith’s presence in the Columbus market and positions him as a dual force—unstoppable on the field, magnetic off it.

With at least two more years of eligibility, Smith is just getting started. And with each play, each post, and each partnership, he’s redefining what it means to be a college athlete in the NIL era.

Get ready. Jeremiah Smith isn’t just building a legacy—he’s building a brand.

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Related: Tulane Football unleashes better NIL structure than some P4 programs

Related: USC star recruit stands out for donation to high school program

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State wrapped up the regular season by securing a series sweep of Arizona State with a 7-4 win Saturday afternoon at O’Brate Stadium.
 
With the win, the Cowboys improved to 27-22 overall and 15-12 in Big 12 play, while ASU dropped to 35-21 and 18-12 in the league. OSU will open play at the Big 12 Championship Wednesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
 
Brayden Smith was the catalyst for the Cowboy offense in the finale, continuing his excellent series with a 3-for-4 game that included both a home run and a steal of home. Nolan Schubart and Colin Brueggemann also homered in the contest.
 
Ryan Ure picked up the win in relief of starter Hunter Watkins, who worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs while striking out eight. Ure improved to 2-4 on the season as he gave up one run on two hits over 1 2/3 frames.
 
Gabe Davis earned his second save of the season, working a clean ninth inning.
 
After Watkins struck out a pair in the first inning, the Cowboys took the lead in the bottom of the frame. Smith and Ian Daugherty got hits to start the game, putting runners on first and third for Brueggemann. The first baseman hit into an RBI fielder’s choice to score Smith and put OSU ahead 1-0; the RBI pushed Brueggemann to the 50 mark on the season.
 
Arizona State tied the game in the second inning courtesy of a Kien Vu home run, but Cowboys quickly regained the lead.
 
In the bottom of the second, OSU hitters worked four walks against ASU pitcher Easton Barrett, the fourth of which was an RBI walk from Daugherty to put the Pokes back up 2-1.
 
Smith brought O’Brate Stadium to its feet in the bottom of the fifth. He led off the inning with a double, stole third base, and with Brueggemann at the plate, executed a straight steal of home to push the lead to 3-1.
 
Watkins got into trouble in the sixth inning, allowing a run before handing the ball to Ryan Ure with a pair of Sun Devils on the bases. ASU tied the game with an RBI groundout before Ure was able to end the frame.
 
ASU took the lead in the seventh on a single from Matt King past a drawn-in infield that put the visitors up, 4-3.
 
The lead didn’t last long, however, as the Cowboys answered back with a loud bottom of the seventh. Avery Ortiz led things off with a walk before Smith caused O’Brate to erupt for the second time on the day with a go-ahead two-run home run to left-center field. It was Smith’s ninth consecutive plate appearance reaching base, which included seven hits.
 
It only got louder when Schubart hit a missile to left field for his 17^th home run of the season. And on the very next pitch, Brueggemann did the same for his 14^th homer as the back-to-back jacks put OSU up by a 7-4 margin.
 
Sean Youngerman pitched the eighth inning and escaped a bases-loaded jam to preserve the three-run lead, and Davis came on for the save and worked an easy, seven-pitch ninth inning to secure the sweep.
 

College baseball has, for the most part, seen its regular season come to an end. Attention is now turning towards conference tournaments, but first, it’s time to predict how D1Baseball’s Top 25 rankings will look as we turn the page to the postseason.

Teams were jockeying for postseason positioning throughout the last weekend, some for a top 16 seed as a regional host and others for a spot in the NCAA Tournament to begin with. The weekend had just four top 25 matchups; No. 4 North Carolina at No. 2 Florida State, No. 17 Tennessee at No. 8 Arkansas, No. 18 Alabama at No. 23 Florida, and No. 19 Southern Miss at No. 22 Troy.

The weekend schedule was moved up a day, with most series being played from Thursday through Saturday to accomodate the start of conference tournaments early next week. Entering Saturday, there was still a lot at stake. While eight teams were 2-0 with a series win secured entering the finale, five were 0-2 with a series loss and 12 were 1-1 with a rubber game looming.

Through all of the action, D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings are likely to see some more notable moves this week. And that will perfectly encapsulate the exciting regular season that we just witnessed.

Previous Ranking: No. 1
Weekly Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 42-13 (19-11 in SEC)

LSU entered the week as the new top team in D1Baseball’s top 25, looking to solidify their spot as a top eight national seed. The Tigers, though, fell to South Carolina 6-5 in Thursday’s series opener. That was a pretty stunning loss, but LSU responded on Friday with an 8-1 win to even the series. In Saturday’s rubber game, LSU won 7-3 to take the series.

Previous Ranking: No. 4 (+2)
Weekly Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 39-12 (18-11 in ACC)

North Carolina ended the regular season on a very high note. On the road at No. 2 Florida State, UNC won 8-3 on Thursday and 11-1 on Friday to clinch the series victory right away. The Tar Heels entered Saturday looking for the ACC regular season title and a sweep over the Seminoles, but lost in the finale 5-4 and fall just short of the regular season title.

Previous Ranking: No. 3
Weekly Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 42-11 (22-8 in SEC)

Texas dropped out of the top spot in the rankings after last week, and wanted to move back in the right direction to end the regular season. The series at Oklahoma started with a 7-4 win for the Longhorns, but the Sooners answered back with an 8-6 win on Friday. In Saturday’s decisive rubber game, Texas won 9-1 after a brief weather delay in the late innings.

Previous Ranking: No. 5 (+1)
Weekly Record: 3-0
Overall Record: 41-13 (22-8 in Big Ten)

Oregon is absolutely surging right now. The Ducks were on the road at Iowa to end the regular season in a series that could ultimately determine who won the Big Ten regular season title. Oregon won 10-0 on Thursday and 9-6 on Friday, meaning the Ducks, Iowa and UCLA entered Saturday in a three-way tie for first place. In Sunday’s finale between Oregon and Iowa, the Ducks won 13-4 to clinch the top seed in the Big Ten.

Previous Ranking: No. 7 (+2)
Weekly Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 41-12-1

After a 5-3 win against Portland on Tuesday, Oregon State ended its regular season with a home series vs. Long Beach State. The Beavers won 2-1 on Thursday and 12-8 on Friday to secure the series win, and reach 40 wins on the year. Going for the sweep in Saturday’s series finale, Oregon State got just that with a dominating 13-0 win.

Previous Ranking: No. 8 (+2)
Weekly Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 43-12 (20-10 in SEC)

There weren’t many series this weekend with bigger D1Baseball top 25 and postseason stakes than Arkansas against No. 17 Tennessee. Both teams were trending in the wrong direction and needed a win to secure their postseason status. For the Razorbacks, that’s as a top eight seed. The series started on the wrong foot, with Arkansas falling 10-7 on Thursday before they won 8-6 on Friday to tie things up. In Saturday’s rubber game, the Razorbacks won 8-4 to take the series.

Previous Ranking: No. 9 (+2)
Weekly Record: 3-0
Overall Record: 39-16 (19-11 in SEC)

This weekend’s series between Vanderbilt and Kentucky was a wild one. In both of the first two games, Kentucky led late before Vanderbilt stormed back to win. The Commodores won 8-7 on Thursday and 9-8 on Friday to win the series. There was still another important game on Saturday, where Vanderbilt came back from being down multiple runs for the third straight day, and won 5-3.

Previous Ranking: No. 2 (-6)
Weekly Record: 1-2
Overall Record: 37-13 (17-10 in ACC)

After rising up to No. 2 in D1Baseball’s top 25 entering the week, Florida State stumbled. The Seminoles hosted No. 4 North Carolina in a big ACC series to end the regular season, and instantly lost the series with an 8-3 loss on Thursday and an 11-1 loss on Friday. FSU wanted to salvage a win and avoid the sweep on Saturday, and did so with a 5-4 victory.

Previous Ranking: No. 10 (+1)
Weekly Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 42-14 (18-12 in SEC)

Georgia ended the regular season at home hosting Texas A&M, and the Bulldogs started off strong with a 10-6 victory in Thursday’s series opener. Texas A&M won 6-0 in a shutout victory on Friday, evening the series and setting up a rubber game on Saturday. Georgia needed a win in the finale to likely secure its spot as a national seed, and did just that with a 7-5 victory.

Previous Ranking: No. 11 (+1)
Weekly Record: 3-0
Overall Record: 44-11 (26-4 in Sun Belt)

Coastal Carolina has been largely cruising through this season, and this week was no different. The Chanticleers were on the road at Old Dominion, and won 6-3 on Thursday and 16-7 on Friday to secure the series win, and likely a jump into the top ten of D1Baseball’s top 25. In Saturday’s finale, Coastal Carolina cruised again to a 12-1 win to sweep.

D1Baseball Top 25 Projections: 11-25

11. Auburn (-5)
12. Southern Miss (+7)
13. UCLA (+1)
14. Clemson (+1)
15. Georgia Tech (NR)
16. Florida (+7)
17. Dallas Baptist (+7)
18. Kansas (NR)
19. Northeastern (+6)
20. NC State (-7)
21. UC Irvine (-9)
22. Tennessee (-5)
23. Alabama (-5)
24. Ole Miss (NR)
25. UTSA (NR)

With four new teams (Georgia Tech, Kansas, Ole Miss, UTSA) joining the rankings in our D1Baseball Top 25 predictions, four must fall out. Those teams are West Virginia (previously No. 16), Duke (previously No. 20), Louisville (previously No. 21), and Troy (previously No. 22).

Power Conference commissioners met once again Saturday to discuss the future of the College Football Playoff, Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported. A “compromise” for the Big 12 and ACC regarding a 16-team model was part of the discussion.

Saturday’s meeting is the second time the commissioners gathered to talk about potential CFP expansion in the last 10 days. ESPN’s Pete Thamel noted Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti appeared virtually since he’s in California for the conference’s upcoming spring meetings.

The proposed 16-team bracket would include four automatic bids for each of the SEC and Big Ten, according to Dellenger. The ACC and Big 12 would get two spots each, while the Group of 6 would get one. There would also be three at-large spots.

In addition, as Dellenger previously reported, “inner-league play-in games” could also be in the cards at the end of the year. That would put the third-place team in a conference against the sixth-place team, as well as the fourth-place team against fifth-place.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel also reported the focus is on a 16-team College Football Playoff, which would begin in 2026. That’s when the current agreement with ESPN ends, although an extension will also kick in at the end of the deal.

“I would say that 16 is becoming more preferred,” a source told Thamel. “It seems like 16 may be the preferred number, but there’s no format decision.”

While no decisions have been made, Mississippi State athletics director Zac Selmon strongly supported the idea of play-in games for the CFP. He pointed out the addition of more meaningful games to the schedule as a reason he’d be in favor of the move.

“There’s been a lot of just intriguing conversations,” Selmon told Peter Burns. “We just had some meetings in Birmingham this week. It’s always great to be with our colleagues. Commissioner [Greg] Sankey’s just a visionary in the industry. I think exciting competition is exciting competition, and I’ve always been a fan for access, but also for the fan bases, more play-ins. You look at what the NBA has done and other leagues – having hope, having excitement late in the season – I love the concepts of just having more opportunities and also having some more things on the line. The level of competition in our league, and you think about the physical toll that games take on somebody’s body.

“Now, the mental toll that this league puts on your body … I think it helps for the student-athlete mindset, too, of having more things to play for late in the season. Coaches are great at motivating and keeping guys connected, but I think having more things like this is a really good concept for the student-athletes. Having more access, more meaningful games, more games with a lot of things on the line, I think it’s a great thing for college football.”

Not every College Football Playoff run is created equal. Some teams have to claw their way through brutal schedules, dodging top-10 matchups week after week just to get a shot. But then, there are a few lucky programs that… well, let’s just say the path is a little smoother.

The teams we’re about to talk about? They’ve got it made.

That’s not to say they aren’t talented — they are. In fact, they’d all be Playoff contenders no matter what. But when you look at how their 2025 schedules stack up, it’s clear they’ve been dealt a very favorable hand. Short of a complete meltdown, it’s hard to see these teams not being in the thick of the CFP picture when the time comes. Basically, it’d take a disaster for them to miss it.

Let’s take a look at the teams with the easiest rides to the College Football Playoff this season.

Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State has scheduled three automatic wins to start the season with Nevada, FIU, and Villanova. They will then get a bye week — as if it’s needed after that stretch — before hosting Oregon. That essentially means they get an entire month to prepare for Oregon and work out the kinks on their team before their Big Ten run begins.

Though at UCLA and at Iowa aren’t easy games, but they’re certainly manageable, meaning that Penn State should be 7-0 or at worst 6-1 heading into November. They get a bye before going on the road against Ohio State and then they’ll close out the season win Indiana, at Michigan State, Nebraska, and at Rutgers. Could an upset happen along the way? Sure. But, this feels like a schedule that has Penn State set up to be 11-1 and, at worst 10-2.

If the Nittany Lions are 10-2 — regardless of if they win the Big Ten or not — they’re getting into the playoff. So, you might as well go ahead and count them in the College Football Playoff.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame gets a nice draw with its five ACC games, with the only one that will give them any trouble coming at the beginning when they travel to Miami, which will still be breaking in a new defensive scheme and Carson Beck at quarterback.

They get Texas A&M and Boise State at home, but there’s a decent chance that the Fighting Irish may not face a ranked team outside of the month of September, and they may not face more than two — Texas A&M and Miami to start the season — for the entire year.

Even presumably with a freshman in CJ Carr taking over at quarterback, Notre Dame has a very favorable path to the CFP, assuming they can simply split those first two, and if they win both, the Fighting Irish may be the country’s best chance at going a perfect 12-0, even with the experience they’re having to replace.

Oregon Ducks

Just like Notre Dame, there’s a solid chance that Oregon will not face more than 2-3 ranked opponents in 2025. As a matter of fact, there’s a chance that the Ducks will only play one ranked team the entire season.

Oregon will have the road game against Penn State, which will be a tough out. Even if the Ducks lose that one, though, they’re set up to run the table the rest of the way. They have a bye week after Penn State and then they’ll play Indiana, at Rutgers, Wisconsin, at Iowa, Minnesota, USC, and at Washington. Could Indiana, USC, Iowa, or Washington provide a little bit of a test for them? Absolutely. But, the Ducks will be heavily-favored in all those matchups, regardless.

At this point, we’d only point to Indiana as a ranked team heading into 2025 — and there’s a chance that Iowa or USC could sneak in — so to say that Oregon got a favorable draw would be an understatement.

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