Sports
Sweets, socks, shoes: The superstitions behind the unbeaten run for Miami (Ohio)
Miami (Ohio) head coach Travis Steele says he hasn’t been superstitious during the RedHawks’ 22-0 run, a streak that has them sitting alongside No. 1 Arizona as the final two unbeaten teams of the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season.
When pressed, though, he acknowledged he wears lucky shirts to every game, at the request of his 3-year-old daughter.
“She loves my shirts that I wear underneath my quarter zip,” Steele said. “I’ve got a Skyline Chili shirt and I’ve got an Ultimate Warrior T-shirt. She likes that.”
His players? Well, they make no such claim.
Senior guard Peter Suder, an All-Mid-American selection last season, is particular about what he puts on his feet every night.
“They’re washed, but I wear the same game socks every single time, regardless,” he said.
Brant Byers, reigning MAC Freshman of the Year, can’t play a game until he scarfs down a bunch of candy before tipoff. Jolly Rancher, Life Savers, anything sweet.
“A bag, a midsized bag that you can get at the gas station,” he said. “Usually, I’ll eat the whole bag.”
Junior guard Eian Elmer‘s superstition is more costly. The James Harden Volume 9 Adidas shoes he wears during games retail for nearly $200 online. Elmer started the season with eight pairs; now he’s down to six. Why? Because if he has a bad game, he refuses to play in those shoes again, choosing to give them away instead. During his worst effort of the season — he finished 0-for-4 shooting against Central Michigan on Jan. 13 — Elmer (11.6 points per game) even ditched an orange pair at halftime.
“I had two bad games in them,” he said. “It was time to give them up.”
For Miami this season, even a bad game has resulted in a victory.
A year after the RedHawks lost to Akron — and to Steele’s half-brother, Zips head coach John Groce — in the MAC tournament championship game, they’re chasing an unblemished season and the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance since 2007.
At No. 23 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, Miami leads the nation in scoring (93.7 PPG) and field goal percentage (53.4%). The RedHawks are also top 25 in 3-point (37.9%) and 2-point (62.6%) shooting. They hold the longest winning streak in MAC history thanks to the chemistry of a roster that returned its best players from last season and the players’ ability to quickly turn the page after each victory.
Up next (6:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday, ESPN+) is a Buffalo team that nearly ended the perfect season in overtime two weeks ago (a 105-102 Miami win) — and one loss could spoil any shot the RedHawks have at an earning at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, instead requiring a conference tournament title to secure a berth on Selection Sunday.
Twenty-two games in, though, the campus in Oxford, Ohio, is abuzz about basketball.
Tickets to Miami’s 2024-25 season opener against Wright State sold for $13. Attendance for that game at Millett Hall, the RedHawks’ home arena, was reported at just north of 2,000 — about 20% of the building’s capacity. As of this writing, a ticket for the team’s next home game against rival Ohio on Feb. 13 can’t be found for less than $100. (One of the few remaining courtside seats would cost you $514 on StubHub.) And an attendance record of 10,640 was set at last Saturday’s win over Northern Illinois.
“To have the crowd that we had last game is something that we’re not even used to really, but it adds another element to the games and makes them even more fun than what they had been in the past,” said Byers, whose 15.4 points per game lead the team. “I know there were a few games last year where we were probably pushing a thousand fans.
“It’s really wild to go from a completely quiet gym to a packed, loud gym.”
After leading for most of last season’s MAC tournament title game, Miami saw Akron come back from an 18-point deficit, losing on a shot by former Zips star Nate Johnson with 2.3 seconds to play. Some returning players watched that film a dozen times. Others stayed off social media so they wouldn’t have to see it. But they all agreed on one thing: They wanted another shot.
“I know we’d just gone through probably the worst thing a team could go through basically, but we still felt the connectivity with us,” Suder said. “I think I was the first one to talk to [Steele] within a week and I told him within 10 seconds of our [individual] meeting that I don’t want to leave, I want to come back. And then I told him to tell all of the players in their meetings.”
That decision created a domino effect, and other top players agreed to return, giving Miami continuity few teams in America can match — the sixth-most returning minutes (62%), per KenPom. The RedHawks understand and trust one another. They know one another’s tendencies on the court.
That’s how they are in position to chase a dream.
“I’m really proud and happy for [Steele],” said Wally Szczerbiak, a second-team All-American selection who led the school to the Sweet 16 in 1999. “They have done it the right way through player development and hard work. The team is connected and very close off the court, which shows up in pressure, clutch situations on the court. Miami is a special place with special people walking around on that campus and it’s great to see them going to games to enjoy the ride.”
Amid the newfound hype, Steele has preached keeping focus on the road ahead instead of the rearview mirror. The RedHawks have used that mentality to navigate close games, three of which have been decided by five points or fewer, including two in overtime.
The players point to their connectedness for allowing them to stay honest with one another and play through adversity. Over the summer, they had heated on-court battles in pickup games — which Byers characterized as “probably too intense at times” — after their MAC tournament loss. The RedHawks knew how close they were to their goals. But Steele doesn’t want them to get caught up in the possibility of perfection, or the potential consequences of failing to achieve it.
“My biggest thing for us is that we can always control our own destiny,” Steele said. “I know this: If we win three games in three days in Cleveland [at the MAC tournament], we’ll get the automatic bid regardless of what happens.
“That’s where my mind keeps on going back to and it’s like, ‘How can we peak at the right time? How can we get our team to play the best that it can possibly play in March?’ I’m not as consumed with our record.”
Sports
Craig Morton, quarterback who led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance, dead at 83
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Former Denver Broncos quarterback Craig Morton, who was inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame, died on Saturday. He was 83.
Morton was critical in helping the Broncos reach their first-ever playoff appearance, ultimately getting them to Super Bowl XII during the 1977 campaign.
After going 12-2 during the season, and getting wins in the playoffs over the Pittsburgh Steelers and then-Oakland Raiders, Morton was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Year.
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Denver Broncos quarterback Craig Morton stands on the sidelines with both hands on his hips. (GETTY)
“Craig Morton is unbelievable,” fellow Ring of Famer Haven Moses said after the Broncos won the AFC Championship in 1978, per the New York Times. “To me, he’s the most valuable player in the National Football League.”
Morton also won Sporting News Player of the Year, the PFWA Comeback Player of the Year and the NFL UPI MVP in 1977.
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of #BroncosROF quarterback Craig Morton, who died on Saturday at the age of 83,” the Broncos posted on social media.
Morton also led the Broncos to two different division titles and three playoff berths during his six seasons with the franchise. He finished his career in Denver with 11,895 passing yards, which marked the most in franchise history at the time.
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Quarterback Craig Morton #7 of the Denver Broncos drops back to pass during an NFL game at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colo., circa 1978. Morton played for the Broncos from 1977 to 1982. (Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
Morton also led the Broncos with pass attempts (1,594) and completions (907). But Morton’s time with the Broncos was the latter half of his NFL career.
He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1965, the fifth overall pick out of Cal. Morton spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Cowboys, where he threw for 10,279 yards with 80 touchdowns and 73 interceptions. He went 32-14-1 in his time with Dallas.
Then, during the 1974 season, Morton was moved to the New York Giants, a division rival of the Cowboys. He went 1-6 in his first seven starts that year and wouldn’t find much success in New York across three seasons.
Quarterback Craig Morton #7 of the Denver Broncos drops back to pass during an NFL game at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colo., circa 1978. Morton played for the Broncos from 1977 to 1982. (Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
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For his career, Morton threw for 27,908 yards with 183 touchdowns. He owned an 81-62-1 record across 207 games.
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Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza’s year couldn’t have been more perfect.
He led his Hoosiers to an unblemished 16-0 season, captured the national championship in historic fashion and won the 2025 Heisman before being selected first in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Raiders.
Now that the path is clear for a new athlete to leave NYC in December holding the Heisman, who will it be?
Here are the way-too-early odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 5.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
2026 Heisman Trophy Winner
CJ Carr (Notre Dame): +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Arch Manning (Texas): +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Julian Sayin (Ohio State): +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Dante Moore (Oregon): +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss): +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Josh Hoover (TCU): +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Darian Mensah (Miami, FL): +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State): +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Gunner Stockton (Georgia): +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Sam Leavitt (Arizona State): +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Marcel Reed (Texas A&M): +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Jayden Maiava (USC): +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
John Mateer (Oklahoma): +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Here’s more on a few of the names on the 2026 Heisman oddsboard:
The Favorites: Carr and Manning are tied at +750 to win the Heisman Trophy at the end of the 2026 regular season. And the latter is no stranger to Heisman talk. He opened as the favorite for the 2025 Heisman at several books and right before the season kicked off, bettors were hammering Manning’s futures. The excitement over Manning was short-lived once his Longhorns went 4-2 to begin the season. If he is at least named a finalist, he would follow in the footsteps of his uncles and his grandfather, as both Peyton and Eli Manning, and their dad Archie, were Heisman finalists during their college careers.
Arch Manning is an early favorite to win the 2026 Heisman Trophy.
Ones to Watch: Ohio State teammates Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are two players to watch for next season’s Heisman — especially because they were both in the conversation to win the award most of 2025. Sayin, in fact, was a Heisman finalist and finished fourth in the race with eight first-place votes. Smith didn’t make the trip to New York but finished sixth in the tally. FOX Sports college football writer RJ Young projects that both Smith and Sayin — as well as Manning — will be in the running in 2026.
Ohio State’s Julian Sayin could make another trip to NYC — but this time as the winner.
Heisman in Troy?: Could Maiava bring the hardware back to SC from NYC? Based on the early odds, he could have at least a slight chance. If the Trojans’ QB wins the most coveted individual award in college football, he’d be the first USC player since Caleb Williams (2022) to do so. Maiava finished the 2025 season with 3,711 passing yards and 24 touchdowns, as his squad ended the year with a 9-4 record.
Sports
Aaron Rodgers never met with Steelers despite rumor-filled weekend as QB’s decision remains up in air
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Aaron Rodgers didn’t make it back to Pittsburgh after all.
After reports surfaced this past Friday that Rodgers was expected to visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in preparation for a return to the team he played for last year, many were hopeful the months-long wait was over.
However, during his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN this Monday, Adam Schefter said neither the Steelers nor his agent were aware of any such meeting being on the schedule.
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Aaron Rodgers of the Steelers stands during the national anthem before an NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 4, 2026. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
But then, there were the reports about where Rodgers is in the world, with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporting that he was in the Steel City, though he wasn’t scheduled to visit with the team. A report from 93.7 The Fan added on, saying he was in town for golf.
Either way, the decision still lingers whether Rodgers will suit up for the Steelers, but the storied franchise gave themselves some insurance if the four-time MVP quarterback decides he wants to potentially play elsewhere.
STEELERS OWNERSHIP HOPES FOR CLARITY ON AARON RODGERS’ FUTURE ‘IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO’
The Steelers used an unrestricted free-agent tender on Rodgers last month, which allows Pittsburgh the right to match any offer Rodgers may get from another team.
Despite doubt from some camps on Rodgers’ potential return, Schefter noted his belief he will be in the Steelers’ depth chart come training camp. The Steelers have their OTAs scheduled to begin next Monday.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers drops back to pass against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 4, 2026. (Getty Images)
With Rodgers at the helm this past season, the Steelers went 10-7, even earning a playoff berth after Baltimore Ravens rookie Tyler Loop’s now-infamous game-winning field goal did not get through the uprights. The Steelers ended up losing to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round, extending the team’s playoff winless streak to eight straight seasons, including three consecutive campaigns.
Rodgers, who’s slated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame once he decides to call it quits for his career, threw for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns to seven interceptions in 16 games for Pittsburgh in 2025.
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The Steelers also revamped their team for this season, as Mike McCarthy, Rodgers’ old head coach with the Green Bay Packers, takes over for Mike Tomlin, whose generational run in Pittsburgh ended after 19 seasons (2007-25). While D.K. Metcalf and Rodgers built chemistry this past season, the Steelers also added veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in a deal with the Indianapolis Colts, while adding Alabama’s Germie Bernard in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers after being sacked during the wild-card game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 12, 2026. (Michael Longo/For USA Today Network-PA/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
And while Kenneth Gainwell is gone after a solid performance with Pittsburgh, Rico Dowdle comes into the fold to work alongside Jaylen Warren at running back.
Yet, the biggest question in football still remains: will Rodgers be a part of these new-look Steelers in 2026?
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