The Tampa Bay Buccaneers believe they have the potential to have a dominant offense this season.

It took Baker Mayfield one series to show the Tampa Bay Buccaneers everything they wanted to see from him in a preseason-closing 24-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Baker Mayfield has sore ribs and did not practice Wednesday, but the Tampa Bay quarterback says he’ll do everything he can to be ready to try to help the Buccaneers clinch a division title and playoff berth against the Carolina Panthers.

Baker Mayfield looked comfortable in his final tuneup as Tampa Bay’s new starting quarterback, throwing a touchdown pass while playing less than a quarter in the Buccaneers’ 26-20 preseason-closing victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

Baker Mayfield might have moved closer to claiming Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback job without even taking a snap in the Buccaneers’ 13-6 preseason victory over the New York Jets.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers third-string quarterback John Wolford was taken to a hospital because of a neck injury after being carted from the field after being sacked in a preseason game against the New York Jets on Saturday night.

Baker Mayfield continued his bid to follow Tom Brady as Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback and jumpstart his career with a solid, if not overly impressive preseason debut for the Buccaneers in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Baker Mayfield is excited to have an opportunity to try to win Tom Brady’s old job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Skylar Thompson threw for 218 yards and one touchdown to help the Miami Dolphins open the preseason with a 26-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the NFL Playoffs at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Alabama looked beatable.

Bryce Young’s first collegiate road start was a rousing success, a three-touchdown performance that helped top-ranked Alabama hold off No. 11 Florida 31-29 in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.

Some Southeastern Conference defenses are flexing their muscles after 2020 being a defensive coordinator’s nightmare.

No. 13 Florida tuned up for the start of Southeastern Conference play with a 42-20 rout of overmatched South Florida that did little to answer the question of whether starter Emory Jones or backup Anthony Richardson is best suited to run the Gators offense.

Florida coach Dan Mullen insists he has no quarterback controversy: Emory Jones is the starter, and Anthony Richardson remains the backup following a 35-14 victory against Florida Atlantic on Saturday night in which one clearly outplayed the other.

Briean Boddy-Calhoun returned a fumble 42 yards for a touchdown and the Tennessee Titans beat the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who played without Tom Brady and several starters, 34-3.

Tom Brady and the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened the NFL preseason with a 19-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Tom Brady is back on the practice field with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected Kyle Trask in the second round of the NFL draft and will groom the Florida quarterback to potentially become Tom Brady’s successor.

Not much changed on the second night of the NFL draft.

The Denver Broncos wrapped up the second day of the NFL draft by using a compensatory pick to take Ohio State linebacker Baron Browning with the 105th overall pick.

The next game he plays is for his NFL draft stock, provided the Alabama quarterback's gimpy left ankle is good to go. Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said the plan is for Jones to dress out and see how his ankle feels. “Just being in that room, I already learned so much about NFL football,” he said. Mond started 44 games for the Aggies, Ehlinger logged 43 starts for the Longhorns,Mond led the Aggies into College Football Playoffs contention in his final season. I just wanted to come and kind of learn more about NFL football and learn a new playbook, which I thought I did a good job with.

Ohio State won 49-28. “This team, this program, we persevered through so much,” Ohio State running back Trey Sermon said Monday. In addition to Sarkisian's imminent departure, Alabama has to take care of some Heisman Trophy business while preparing for the matchup with Ohio State. Ohio State (7-0) won that meeting en route to the national title. OHIO STATEOverview: Like many teams, Ohio State faced major obstacles during the pandemic.

And with that, Lawrence’s bid to finish an extraordinary college football career with his second national championship in three seasons slipped away. 2 Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Sugar Bowl on Friday night. “Obviously they kicked our butt tonight," Lawrence said. Lawrence is one of four finalists, along with Alabama QB Mac Jones, Crimson Tide receiver Davonta Smith and Florida QB Kyle Trask. Still, he'll be remembered as one of the faces of college football — on the field and off — during a tumultuous junior year.

(AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida quarterback Kyle Trask made his future plans official Thursday, formally announcing he’s declining an opportunity to return to school and entering the NFL draft. No one thought Trask would stick around following a record-breaking season that included being named a Heisman Trophy finalist. He led the nation in passing yards and TD passes. He broke the previous school record (39) for TD passes (39) set by 1996 Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel. Fellow defensive tackle Zachary Carter, meanwhile, announced plans to return to school for his senior season.

8 Oklahoma beat 10th-ranked SEC runner-up Florida 55-20 on Wednesday night in the Cotton Bowl. Back in the same NFL stadium where 11 days earlier they won their sixth consecutive Big 12 title, the Sooners (9-2, No. The 55 points were their most ever in a bowl game, while piling up a Cotton Bowl-record 684 total yards. 1 Alabama in the SEC title game, and had averaged nearly 42 points a game. Oklahoma: With Rattler and Mims among the young standouts coming back, the Sooners could again be favored to win another Big 12 title.

DeVonta Smith is The Associated Press college football player of the year, becoming the first wide receiver to win the award since it was established in 1998, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. Jones received nine first-place votes and 67 points as he and Smith became the first teammates to finish 1-2 in the voting for AP player of the year. Smith is also the first Alabama player to win the award. Derrick Henry won the 2015 Heisman for the Tide, but Stanford's Christian McCaffrey was AP player of the year. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

WHAT'S AT STAKEBig 12 champion Oklahoma takes a seven-game winning streak into its sixth consecutive New Year's Six bowl game. Florida is playing in its third consecutive NY6 game, having won the Orange Bowl and Peach Bowl the previous two years. ... Oklahoma is 5-2 at AT&T Stadium, including its fourth straight Big 12 title game there 11 days before the Cotton Bowl kickoff. The Gators' three losses were by a combined 12 points. The Sooners are playing in a bowl game for the 22nd season in a row, with Georgia's 24 in a row the only longer active streak.

10 Florida will be without its top four pass catchers in the Cotton Bowl against eighth-ranked Oklahoma. ESPNLine: Oklahoma by 3Receivers Trevon Grimes and Kadarius Toney announced Monday they are skipping the game in Arlington, Texas, to prepare for their NFL futures. Their absences leave Florida trying to replace four guys who combined to catch 174 passes for 2,778 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2020. Toney was at his best this season, finishing with 70 catches for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns. He ended his college career with 1,590 yards receiving, 715 yards rushing and 16 total touchdowns.

Lawrence, the likely first pick in the next NFL draft, made AP All-America for the first time in his career. ___The 2020 AP All-America team:FIRST TEAMOffenseQuarterback — Mac Jones, junior, Alabama. Running backs — Najee Harris, senior, Alabama; Breece Hall, sophomore, Iowa State. Guards — Ben Cleveland, senior, Georgia; Tommy Kraemer, senior, Notre Dame. Safeties — Kyle Hamilton, sophomore, Notre Dame; Tykee Smith, sophomore, West Virginia.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Oklahoma is going right back to the stadium where the Sooners just won their sixth Big 12 championship in a row to play SEC runner-up Florida in the Cotton Bowl. During a Gators team meeting on Zoom to discuss their bowl destination, one of the first questions players asked Mullen was where the Cotton Bowl was played. Oklahoma is in the Cotton Bowl for only the third time, its first since a 41-13 loss to Texas A&M on Jan. 4, 2013. The Cotton Bowl will be played two days before Alabama faces No. Pitts announced is turning pro and won't play in the Cotton Bowl.

11 Florida in a 52-46 shootout for the Southeastern Conference championship Saturday night. “The resiliency this team has shown this season to win 11 games is pretty phenomenal.”After falling behind 35-17 by halftime, Florida (8-3, No. Alabama had won every game in the pandemic-affected season by at least 15 points until Florida gave the Tide a scare. Florida: The Gators might’ve pulled off the upset if not for some crucial mistakes in the first half. But Florida also had two silly penalties on apparent third-down stops, extending a pair of drives that turned into touchdowns.

The senior leads the nation and has already set the school season record for touchdown passes with 40, despite the shortened, SEC-only schedule. He also ranks second nationally in passing yards per game (360.3), one spot ahead of Jones at 345.9. FACTS & FIGURESThis will be the 10th time the teams have met in the SEC championship game, with Alabama holding a 5-4 edge. The tight end has been a big weapon in Florida's passing game with 16 TD receptions. ... Florida K Evan McPherson is a three-time Lou Groza Award semifinalist who has made 48 of 56 field goal attempts (85.7%) in his college career.

Kyle has certainly done that and has had as fine a season as anybody in the country.”Ditto for Jones. Trask has already set the school season record for touchdown passes despite the shortened, SEC-only schedule. Trask is second nationally in passing yards per game (360.3), one spot ahead of Jones at 345.9. Jones said he looks up to Trask as both a person and a player, especially since both opted to stick it out instead of transferring. “I definitely have a lot of respect for Kyle, for how he’s handled his situation, too,” the 'Bama quarterback said.

Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts are the real stars of the leagues most potent offenses. Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts are the real stars of the league’s most potent offenses. “He’s great at the point of attack.”Added Smith: “Pitts, he just makes unbelievable plays.”Pitts was in the middle of a cautious and costly decision last week. Pitts is a lock for the Mackey Award given annually to college football’s top tight end. But anyone who has watched even a little bit of Alabama and Florida this season knows who the real stars are.

But for most of the game, Trask looked nothing like the Heisman Trophy front-runner. But for most of the game, Trask looked nothing like the Heisman Trophy front-runner. Florida: The Gators have all kinds of issues heading into the title game. POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Gators surely will tumble in the next AP college football poll and in the CFP rankings. ___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

The Gators have clinched the Southeastern Conference’s East Division and will play top-ranked Alabama in the league title game next week in Atlanta. Losing to LSU in the Swamp would eliminate any chance Florida has of sneaking into the College Football Playoff with a loss to the heavily favored Crimson Tide. Florida: TE Kyle Pitts is Kyle Trask’s top target and the team’s best pro prospect. … LSU self-imposed a one-year ban on postseason play Wednesday as part an effort to cooperate with an NCAA probe into rules violations. … Florida has won 12 straight at home, the team’s longest streak since winning 14 in a row between 2008 and 2010.

Kyle Trask threw for 433 yards and four touchdowns, and the Gators beat Tennessee 31-19 on Saturday to clinch a spot in the SEC championship game. “It felt like they threw on every snap.”Playing with a depleted roster, Tennessee (2-6) dropped its sixth consecutive game. Florida stretched a 10-point halftime advantage to 24-7 with a 75-yard drive capped by an 8-yard pass from Trask to Trevon Grimes. “I think they did a great job — Tennessee — throughout the game of giving us some different looks," Trask said. The Tennessee defense stiffened and forced the Gators into a field goal attempt from 53 yards.

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields throws a pass against Indiana during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020, in Columbus, Ohio. 3 Ohio State is playing as much as who will be play playing for the Buckeyes this weekend. Ohio State seems to be on track to play at Michigan State on Saturday after a spike in COVID-19 cases in the program forced a cancellation of last week's road trip to Illinois. If Ohio State has one more game canceled it would be unable to meet the Big Ten's minimum game played to be eligible for the conference title game. UNDER THE RADARNebraska at PurdueNeither team is in the Big West race, but the interesting thing is the Boilermakers (2-3) have won two straight against the Cornhuskers (1-4).

6 Florida Gators will play against the 2-5 Tennessee Volunteers at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. Florida is a 17-point Las Vegas favoriteWhat is the total for the game? Florida has to play the Vols on Saturday, LSU on Dec. 12, and against Alabama in the SEC Championship. Alabama vs. Florida for the SEC Championship is not set in stone at the moment, but it is the most likely matchup. If the SEC Championship ends up being the Crimson Tide vs. the Gators the winner would most likely get a spot in the final four.

Arkansas acting head coach Barry Odom, center, watches a stadium video monitor after Florida scored a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Trask repeatedly torched the Razorbacks (3-4), who were without coach Sam Pittman and without much of a chance by halftime. It was the second time this season Trask tossed six TDs in a game. “I think I did a great job of executing and being efficient,” said Trask, who now has an SEC-record 28 TD passes and just three interceptions in six games. He became the third player in school history with at least 25 touchdown passes in multiple years, joining Heisman Trophy winners Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel. Florida: The Gators have the offense to beat anyone and the defense to keep everyone in games.

6 Florida Gators will host the Arkansas Razorbacks at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Gators quarterback Kyle Trask was named Southeastern Conference Player of the week and kicker Evan McPherson was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week. McPherson made a field goal from 51 yards, 50 yards, and 34 yards. Former Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks is now the starter for Arkansas, the Razorback will make his return to Gainesville on Saturday. Florida kept Trask as the starter and Franks transferred to Arkansas.

His Florida teammates took it to another level, running and leaping into the stands. Trask had another four-touchdown night, becoming the first quarterback in Southeastern Conference history to accomplish the feat in five consecutive games, and the eighth-ranked Gators beat No. Trask and the Gators took advantage, burning Georgia repeatedly with wheel routes while overcoming a 14-0 deficit. If they’re going bracket and take away and double people, he’s going to go to who you’re not doubling or covering.”Once Trask and Florida got going, the Bulldogs did little to stop them. Florida notched a signature win for Mullen, but likely can't afford a slip-up down the stretch to remain in play for a CFP spot.

This is the fourth straight domestic PGA Tour event where a player has tested positive. 8 Florida reported no new COVID-19 positives in the past week, the first time since September the team’s coronavirus numbers have remained steady. ___German soccer club Hertha Berlin says defender Jordan Torunarigha has tested positive for the coronavirus. Torunarigha is the third Bundesliga player to have tested positive in two days. Schalke said an unnamed player had also tested positive ahead of its German Cup game against Schweinfurt on Tuesday.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Southeastern Conference fined Florida coach Dan Mullen $25,000 on Monday for his role in a benches-clearing brawl against Missouri. Each of them will sit out the first half of Missouri’s next game, against No. Missouri linebacker Tre Williams was ejected for a flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct foul and will not be punished further. “There is no place in college football for the kind of incident that took place at halftime of the Missouri at Florida game Saturday night," SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. Florida’s faithful dismissed Mullen’s strong and somewhat questionable stances as typical brashness for an outspoken coach who’s focused on winning.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida coach Dan Mullen dressed as Darth Vader was fitting considering his last three weeks. Mullen showed up following a 41-17 victory over Missouri wearing a full “Star Wars” villain costume, complete with a red lightsaber. Mullen’s month concluded with a lopsided victory that was marred by a benches-clearing melee at halftime. So did Mullen, who started screaming at the officials and in the direction of the opposing sideline. “Never know with Coach Mullen,” safety Brad Stewart said.

It could be costly for Florida (3-1), which plays rival and fifth-ranked Georgia next week in nearby Jacksonville. The referee huddled Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and Mullen near the goal line and then announced the ejections. Missouri defensive lineman Tre Williams, Florida defensive end Zach Carter and Florida linebacker Antwuan Powell were tossed. Florida forced a fumble on the ensuing play, and Toney was at it again. Florida plays Georgia in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, which will be limited to about 18,000 fans.

18 Penn State was upset by Indiana so instead of returning to Happy Valley to host No. 3 Ohio State with an unbeaten record, the Nittany Lions are trying to avoid going 0-2 for the first time since 2013. No Big Ten team has tested Ohio State in recent years like Penn State, though the Nittany Lions haven't actually beaten the Buckeyes since 2016. 3 Ohio State at No. Can they disturb Justin Fields, who was near perfect last week for Ohio State?

“Now I want to see what do you follow up with?”Isaiah Spiller rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 21 Texas A&M beat fourth-ranked Florida 41-38 on Seth Small’s 26-yard field goal as time expired Saturday. Spiller helped get the Aggies get into position for Small’s decisive kick, sending A&M to its first win over a top-five team since a 41-38 victory over No. Florida led 28-24 early in the fourth when Spiller struck again, running 19 yards for a touchdown on a fourth-and-2 play. Spiller bounced off several defenders before waltzing into the end zone and then hitting the Florida fan section with a Gator chomp.

Florida quarterback Kyle Trask (11) throws a pass against South Carolina during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux,Pool)GAINESVILLE, Fla. – When Florida quarterback Kyle Trask walks into Kyle Field this weekend, it surely will feel a little surreal. So Trask had plenty of loved ones around him rooting against the state’s flagship university in Austin. On Saturday, some of those relatives might be a little torn between their beloved and 21st-ranked Aggies (1-1) and Trask and the No. Trask was a freshman at Manvel High at the time, in the early stages of a seven-year stretch as a backup quarterback. A year after replacing Franks at Kentucky and finishing with the most TD passes (25) for a Florida quarterback since Tebow’s senior season in 2010, Trask leads the Southeastern Conference with 10 TD tosses in two games.

3 Florida to a 38-24 victory over South Carolina on Saturday. The next performance comes at Kyle Field, where Texas A&M will try to become the first Southeastern Conference opponent to slow down Trask and Pitts in 2020. Kevin Harris was one of the few bright spots for South Carolina, which flubbed a chance to make it a one-score game in the final minute. DROPPED PASSESA big reason South Carolina couldn’t keep up in the first half was dropped passes. Florida takes its “Kyle to Kyle Show” to Kyle Field to play Texas A&M next Saturday.

3 Florida Gators will play against South Carolina at noon on Saturday. Former Gators coach and current USC coach Will Muschamp will make his return to Gainesville. The two best players on offense for the Gators are tight end Kyle Pitts and quarterback Kyle Trask. The Kyle-to-Kyle connection was the main reason for a Gators win in the season opener. Four of his six touchdown passes went to Pitts, the tight ended the day with 8 catches and 170 receiving yards.

Florida tight end Kyle Pitts (84) breaks away from Mississippi linebacker Jacquez Jones (32) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. 5 Florida won 51-35. (AP Photo/Thomas Graning)

The star tight end caught four of Kyle Trask’s six touchdown passes and No. 5 Florida spoiled the head coaching debut of Mississippi’s Lane Kiffin with a 51-35 victory Saturday. Trask completed 30 of 42 passes for 416 yards including touchdown passes of 1, 16, 71 and 17 yards to Pitts. Trask modestly chose to deflect the attention to 6-foot-6, 240-pound Pitts, who consistently found seams in the Ole Miss secondary. Ole Miss (0-1) tied it at 14 midway through the second quarter before yielding to the Trask-led Florida outburst.

It also could be Mullen taking over-the-top precaution as the eighth-ranked Gators get ready to begin a championship-or-bust season. We have the potential to go compete for a championship and be a championship team, said Mullen, who is 21-5 in two seasons in Gainesville. Florida won 10 games in Mullens first season and 11 in Year 2. Despite Franks' departure, the Gators still have as much depth at the position as they've had in years. This season, Wilson has All-SEC potential and fellow cornerback Kaiir Elam is considered a rising star after a breakout freshman year.

8 Florida hammered rival Florida State 40-17 to end a four-game, home losing streak in the series. Receiver Kadarius Toney taunted FSU players by posing and pointing at a scoreboard as they left the field at halftime. Florida: Coach Dan Mullen improved to 6-0 against FSU, including 4-0 as Florida’s offensive coordinator (2005-08). Defensive tackle Cory Durden and offensive tackle Ryan Roberts also left the game in the second quarter. UP NEXTFlorida State: Will play in a bowl game for the 37th time in the last 38 years.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida will play against Florida State in the Sunshine Showdown at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. In the game last season, Florida beat Florida State 41-14. Florida State has won seven of the last nine games of the series. The Seminoles have won the last four games in Gainesville in this rivalry. Florida State has one of the best red-zone offenses in the country.

– Kyle Trask threw two touchdown passes after a sluggish first half by No. 11 Florida and the Gators beat Missouri 23-6 on Saturday. That was plenty of offense for Florida (9-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference), which held Missouri to 204 total yards. Missouri: The Tigers had been two different teams this season based on the location of the game. Florida: The Gators have a week off before finishing the regular season on Nov. 30 at home against Florida State.