Joe Burrow starred in a record-setting year on paper, throwing for 4,918 yards with 43 TDs and 9 INTs, posting a career-best 74.7 QBR as Cincinnati went 9-8 and missed the playoffs. Yet the betting market is bullish on an MVP rebound, with Burrow tied for the third-best odds at +600 behind Jackson and a growing crowd of public bets. The big-money action isn’t just on Burrow; Lamar Jackson has become the consensus MVP favorite based on liability and popularity, with ESPN Bet and Westgate seeing two $50,000 bets on him. All this creates a quarterback-dominated MVP narrative that matters for fantasy managers tracking pass-heavy lines and schedule-adjusted projections.

Beyond Burrow, the market shows Jackson surging due to public sentiment, Josh Allen remaining a threat, and Patrick Mahomes snagging attention as a perennial contender. A rookie-tinged storyline sits with Jayden Daniels (+750) from the Commanders, a club still navigating a McLaurin contract situation, while Mahomes remains a stable anchor at +700. The column notes the historical trend of MVPs among QBs since 2012 and the way heavy public bets shape the odds, offering a fantasy bettor a lens on which players carry downside risk versus ceiling upside.

Six former Knights will be inducted into the 2025 UCF Hall of Fame: Mike Sims-Walker, Alex Haynes, Cornell Green, Aurieyall Scott, Miriam Metzcus-Ochoa, and Dexter Lyons. The class will be celebrated at a banquet on Friday, Oct. 17 at the Celeste Hotel on campus, with a 6 p.m. reception and 7 p.m. dinner, and will also be honored during the UCF‑West Virginia game on Saturday, Oct. 18. The ceremony underscores UCF’s broad athletic legacy across football, track, volleyball, and basketball, highlighting pro-level production and sustained excellence in multiple sports.

Sims-Walker, a Knights wide receiver from 2002–2003, posted 2,561 yards on 184 receptions and 17 TDs over 49 games, earning second‑team All‑Conference USA in 2005 and first‑team in 2006 before being drafted by the Jaguars in 2007. Haynes totaled 3,356 rushing yards (second in school history), plus 28 TDs, and later appeared in the NFL with the Ravens, Panthers and Broncos. Green, a tackle from 1995–1998, started 33 games and was part of a 9‑2 UCF squad in 1998; undrafted, he carved out a nine‑season NFL career with multiple teams and a Super Bowl XXXVII title.

Aurieyall Scott was the Knights’ first NCAA title winner, taking gold in the 60 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 7.13 seconds and earning 14 All‑American honors across a standout three‑year run that helped UCF collect five CUSA titles. Metzcus-Ochoa dominated UCF volleyball from 1991–1994, earning three All‑ASUN first‑team selections and guiding the Knights to three straight conference crowns, while still holding career records for aces. Lyons helped steer UCF basketball to consecutive ASUN Championship appearances and an NCAA berth, averaging 18.3 points as a senior and placing among the program’s top scorers in the Division I era.

The Hall of Fame class now totals 110 members. Eligibility requires waiting at least seven years after a Knight’s final competition, reflecting the program’s long arc of success. The Sentinel will keep covering UCF coverage with Knights Weekly and invites fans to follow mmurschel on X, Bluesky or Instagram for more Knights coverage.

Lamar Jackson left Baltimore’s training camp early after a knockdown on a throw, walking off with strength and medical staff while signaling a hand or wrist issue. The Ravens labeled him fine, and reports credit a stepped-on foot as the reason for the exit. Fantasy managers will watch Thursday’s session closely to gauge Week 1 readiness and the extent of Jackson’s involvement in practice.

Jackson’s fantasy upside hinges on clear practice participation and continued rushing volume. If he practices, his dual threat remains a top-tier weekly asset; if not, the Ravens may lean more on the run game and a more conservative passing approach, nudging the value of other skill players and altering Week 1 lineup plans and props.

Missouri State and Delaware are moving from FCS to FBS amid a sea change in college sports, where NIL flow, revenue sharing, and bigger travel and facility demands reshape every decision. The jump promises larger conference distributions and greater visibility, but also introduces pressure to land higher-caliber recruits and to sustain a larger athletic department budget. Missouri State’s leadership frames the transition as strategic for branding and applications, while Delaware emphasizes national exposure and alumni appeal as a catalyst for campus growth. The two programs face a common challenge: balancing rapid upgrades with a prudent, coach-led path to competitiveness from Day One.

The numbers behind the shift are stark. The NCAA raised the FBS entry fee to five million dollars, and the gulf between FCS and FBS budgets is substantial. FBS programs typically operate with far larger revenue and expense lines, and top programs like Alabama already spend well into the hundreds of millions. Both schools plan to lean on Conference USA distributions, increased ticketing, sponsorships, and donations to close the gap, while also upgrading facilities and personnel. Missouri State’s coach Ryan Beard has built a foundation of recruiting in Texas and Florida and has sharpened fundraising skills to align with the new era, while Delaware’s Ryan Carty points to the platform and playoff/bowl opportunities as a major lift for the university’s brand. The broader narrative centers on brand elevation, recruitment leverage, and the uneasy reality that higher ambitions demand smarter spending and sharper execution on the field.