Jesse Dougherty

I’m saying!

The preseason college football rankings were really, really wrong

See how each team over or underperformed the average regular season winning percentage for teams that have earned the same preseason ranking.

story w/ @jessedougherty.bsky.social: wapo.st/3XCOM7U

Got to say, a little biased, but I love this chart so, so much.

The preseason college football rankings were really, really wrong Led by Penn State, teams in the preseason top 15 have the second-worst winning percentage for programs ranked that high in decades.

The preseason AP poll was really, really wrong this year, which was even more notable because the preseason AP poll is often pretty predictive.

Story with @emilygiam.bsky.social, who dug up a lot of fun data on this: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

I hear you.

I would say that a subscription much more directly affects my ability to keep writing stories than it does line his pockets (just, you know, scale wise). But I understand and won’t ever tell anyone what to do with their money.

phew

Trouble With The SCORE Act, Pt. 2 A quick, short update.

I don't use my newsletter for news updates, but since I wrote Tues. that a vote on the SCORE Act was scheduled for Wed. — and that that likely signaled Rs knew they had the numbers by a slim margin — here's a news update.

Spoiler: Vote didn't happen.

collegesportsmoney.substack.com/p/the-score-...

I don’t really care that much, but did you read the story? A lot of these points are made! In terms of favoring traditional power. But again, typically it has been pretty predictive. Like that’s a fact haha

A lot of years it’s a pretty good way to know who will be good at football, actually. Just very much not this year.

The preseason college football rankings were really, really wrong Led by Penn State, teams in the preseason top 15 have the second-worst winning percentage for programs ranked that high in decades.

Thanks to voters Jon Wilner (Mercury News) + @michaeljlev.bsky.social for sharing their thoughts.

Constant player movement has made the sport much harder to predict. And this year, implosions for Penn State, LSU, Florida and Clemson made it near impossible.

www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

The preseason college football rankings were really, really wrong Led by Penn State, teams in the preseason top 15 have the second-worst winning percentage for programs ranked that high in decades.

The preseason AP poll was really, really wrong this year, which was even more notable because the preseason AP poll is often pretty predictive.

Story with @emilygiam.bsky.social, who dug up a lot of fun data on this: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

With the SCORE Act stalling before a House floor vote again, I'll recirculate this paragraph I wrote back in September, the first time it stalled.

Whoever decided to go for everything in one bill gave way, way, WAY too many ins for the opposition:

Aaaaaaaand the SCORE Act vote, initially expected Wednesday, has been postponed. And on and on we go.

A SCORE Act update tonight: Dem leadership in the House is officially whipping a no vote, meaning it is strongly suggesting D reps to vote to not pass SCORE through the House tomorrow.

Whenever there's a major story in college sports, I think: I wonder which politician will wield this as a talking point. And how. And why.

Yes, my brain is broken.

So I wrote about Congress, Chip Roy and Lane Kiffin (with some general SCORE Act thoughts, too). Linked below:

Now updated to include endorsements from the White House and USOPC.

Have had a few Dem aides tell me that Donald Trump's stamp could tamp down the number of D votes. But if enough Republicans are on board, this could pass the House without them, as we've been saying all along.

Political Football-ing In Congress, the Lane Kiffin mess is up for grabs. One Rep has already tried it out.

collegesportsmoney.substack.com/p/lane-kiffi...

Whenever there's a major story in college sports, I think: I wonder which politician will wield this as a talking point. And how. And why.

Yes, my brain is broken.

So I wrote about Congress, Chip Roy and Lane Kiffin (with some general SCORE Act thoughts, too). Linked below:

I’m not much of a takester with college football, but anyone suggesting Lane Kiffin should be able to leave Ole Miss AND THEN STILL coach them through whatever kind of run they make isn’t a serious person, right?

Right?

( … right?)

Hey thanks friend. I really appreciate all that

Today, @washingtonpost.com is hosting a Global Women’s Summit.

Meanwhile, the @postguild.bsky.social is protesting and raising awareness about the fact that the Washington Post illegally fired me, its only Black woman opinion columnist, for doing my job.

Salute to the Guild.
Shame on the Post.

The rise of ‘Uncle Dennis,’ the adviser at the center of an NBA scandal Kawhi Leonard’s uncle and adviser helped him build his business -- and courted controversy in the process.

New: How Kawhi’s "Uncle Dennis" helped spark the sports scandal of the year.

▶️ Steve Ballmer, Jerry West depositions
▶️ Private texts, Magic voicemails
▶️ An equity fight involving a Knicks star
▶️ Kawhi's private airport

Investigation w/ @samaha.bsky.social:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Thank you! It was really cool, not going to lie. Not the reason I pitched the story — there are so many other reasons to write about her — but once she gave that last answer I had to work it in!

Azzi Fudd was a can’t-miss basketball star. Then she had to prove it again. Injuries and self-doubt nearly derailed a prodigy. Now in her final college season, she has rediscovered just how good she can be.

I profiled Azzi Fudd.

After all the injuries and doubt, and dealing with that as her life became more and more public, here's a story of getting back to once was — mentally, physically — then becoming even better: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Thank you, Spencer. Hope you are well. And great work on the Nationals beat lately. It's all really coming together, huh? Fascinating stuff, made even more fascinating by your prose.

(Sending a nice post back to counter the constant stream of snarky texts)

I’d never tell Jesse this but even for him this is quite an exceptional read

‘She does everything’: Freshman is already one of nation’s top high school recruits Fifteen-year-old Azzi Fudd of St. John’s has stood out during her first season, and is a perfect fit for an increasingly positionless sport.

And as a bonus, here's that profile from 2017. Time sure flies.

www.washingtonpost.com/sports/she-d...

The writer of the story recounts first going to meet Azzi, the story's main subject, eight years ago, when she had yet to play a high school game.

For me, this story was a bit of a bookend, connecting profiles that have now published almost eight years apart.

And I couldn't help but think about first meeting Azzi while talking with her about everything that has happened since.

www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

And then she played peak Azzi Fudd basketball in the biggest games of her life.

And then, as it often happens in the NIL era, a rush of attention and opportunities followed.

And yet it could still feel weird to see her name in such big, bright lights.

www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Geno Auriemma, UConn's legendary coach, offers his view of how Azzi Fudd's career had gone up until last March, before the Huskies went on to win the national championship.

When Azzi and Geno Auriemma sat down last spring to talk about whether she'd return, he was, per usual, very honest with her.

She had, in his estimation, played very, very, very few games of what he called "peak Azzi Fudd basketball."

And she agreed.