This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. As we turn the page from the 162-game season to the playoffs, let's take a moment to remember the teams we lost along the way. There were the last-place Rockies and their 58 wins.
There were the Rangers, who fell short of the AL West crown on the season's final day. And, of course, there were the Mariners, who easily staked their claim to the title of this year's most disappointing team. Immediately after Seattle's disastrous campaign ended, manager Dan Wilson informed the club he will not return in 2027.
Here is where each of those teams landed in our final MLB Power Rankings of the regular season: 16. Rockies (--) The highest-rated team to miss the postseason? That would be the No. 10 Diamondbacks.
Our Matt Snyder lamented the slim margin that kept Arizona out at 86-76. The Oregon-USC showdown in Los Angeles was a good-spirited heavyweight fight until a cheap shot changed the whole tune. After a vicious hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore required him to be carted off the field, it was all about the Ducks getting payback.
Dan Lanning's team rallied to a victory, and given his reaction to the play, it's not hard to see why his players were so motivated to win that game. Moore suffered a concussion and should return later this season, while the defender who hit him, Desman Stephens II, was hit with a one-game suspension. Stephens' targeting penalty is also one of the reasons why our John Talty says it's time to institute player fines in college football.
That play made USC one of college football's Week 4 losers. The final score put the Trojans in the loss column, too. Lincoln Riley's old school (and specifically its quarterback) also had a week to forget.
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