The Counter with JP Rosales

I know I probably shouldn't pick another road underdog after last week... but I'm doing it anyway.

On today's episode of The Counter, I preview Falcons-Packers on Thursday Night Football as Michael Penix Jr. makes his return after 312 days away.

Green Bay enters the game as a 4.5-point favorite at Lambeau, but after breaking down Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Green Bay's injuries, the Packers' penalty problems and the matchup on both sides of the ball, I'm taking Atlanta +4.5 AND picking the Falcons to pull off the upset.

Then, the MLB regular season is down to its final weekend, and the playoff picture is chaos. The Rays have already clinched the AL East and the No. 1 seed in the American League, but the Guardians and White Sox are still fighting for the AL Central, the Astros and Rangers are battling in the AL West, and the Diamondbacks are desperately trying to stay alive in the National League Wild Card race.

With the Diamondbacks heading to San Diego for three games this weekend, we could be staring at a playoff series before the playoffs even begin.

Finally, I make my case for Junior Caminero as American League MVP. Yordan Alvarez has the better offensive numbers. I'll admit it. But after looking at what Caminero has meant to this 96-win Rays team, I'm giving Junior my vote.

And if Mason Miller is on the mound, it's a 3-2 count and one home run saves humanity?

Give me Caminero.

New episodes Monday through Friday.

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Ella Langley just did something nobody has ever done.

“Choosin’ Texas” has officially spent 23 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, passing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” for the longest run at the top in chart history.

So on today's episode of The Counter, I open the Ella Langley Files.

I go all the way back to Ella growing up in Alabama, learning to play on her grandfather’s guitar, singing to cows, playing bars while attending Auburn and covering Gretchen Wilson’s “Here for the Party” years before she would eventually sing it with Gretchen.

Then I follow Ella to Nashville and through the early records that established something very important: this girl could rock. “Damn You.” “Paint the Town Blue.” “Make Me Wanna Smoke.” Then came Hungover, Will Bundy, “Better Be Tough,” “Monsters,” “Weren’t for the Wind” and, of course, “You Look Like You Love Me.”

And that song came with a fight.

Ella's label wanted her to replace those unconventional spoken-word verses by singing them. She refused. The label thought the song might not work.

Well...

IT WORKED.

I also get into the incredible full-circle relationships behind Ella’s rise. Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me” meant something deeply personal to Ella as a teenager. Years later, Miranda would become her mentor, collaborator and an executive producer on Dandelion.

And remember teenage Ella covering “Here for the Party” in Alabama bars?

Years later, Gretchen Wilson would sing it with her.

Then comes HARDY, BigXthaPlug, “Choosin’ Texas,” and eventually, Dandelion.

I like Dandelion. But I have one question:

WHERE DID ROCK ELLA GO?

I go through the record, from the radio-ready smoothness of “Be Her” and “Bottom of Your Boots” to “Speaking Terms,” “You & Me Time,” “I Gotta Quit,” “Broken” and more. There are plenty of good songs.

But where is the song where you put Ella in front of 90,000 people in an SEC stadium, turn the amps all the way up and LET THE BAND RIP?

And just when you think the files are closed, Will Bundy shows up again through brand-new country artist Jordan Cobb, whose story might be another file beginning right in front of us.

Finally, I return to where we started.

23 weeks.

Billboard history.

And because the timing could not possibly be funnier, Taylor Swift announced a brand-new single on the SAME DAY Ella broke the record.

Conspiracy theorists, have fun with that one.

New episodes Monday through Friday.

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I picked the Giants to upset the Rams on Monday Night Football.

Yeah... about that.

Jaxson Dart went down with a knee injury on New York’s opening possession, Malik Nabers gave the Giants another injury scare, and Los Angeles proceeded to beat New York, 28-6. And somehow, that wasn’t even the strangest story of the night.

On today’s episode of The Counter, I break down everything that happened on Monday Night Football, including how Dart’s injury completely changed the game, why I liked the Giants going into it, and just how dominant the Rams looked even without Puka Nacua.

Matthew Stafford threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns, the Rams piled up 481 total yards, and Davante Adams turned back the clock with an absurd eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns. So yes, I’ll take the L on my Giants pick. But if this is what the Rams offense looks like without Puka, the rest of the NFL might have a problem.

Then we leave football for a very different fight unfolding at the White House. President Trump has barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House access, the major television networks have responded by suspending presidential pool coverage, and the three banned organizations are now suing the administration. Even Fox News joined ABC, CBS and NBC in refusing to replace CNN in the television pool.

That raises a much bigger question: What does freedom of the press actually guarantee?

I break down the competing arguments, the difference between freedom of the press and an automatic right to credentials, and the decades of White House press-access litigation that could shape what happens next. I also go back to my own experience as a student journalist, including a 2024 trip to Philadelphia where my colleagues and I spoke with the Student Press Law Center about press freedom, and a controversy surrounding prior review of one of my former colleague's stories at our private high school.

Journalists don’t have an unlimited right to go wherever they want. But can the federal government take away an established form of press access specifically because it objects to an outlet’s reporting?

It's now up to the courts.

New episodes Monday through Friday.

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I got absolutely destroyed by my NFL picks this weekend... but I also gave you RAIDERS to win. So we're taking the victory lap anyway.

On today's episode of The Counter, I break down the chaos around the NFL. The Raiders went into SoFi as seven-point underdogs and beat the Chargers 26-14 to move Klint Kubiak to 2-0. Carolina somehow went from giving up 59 points last week to beating Atlanta 34-3. CeeDee Lamb went off for 153 yards and two touchdowns in Dallas' 37-20 win over Washington, while Jayden Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow and is set for additional testing Monday. The Saints stunned Baltimore, the Jets blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead, Tampa fell to 0-2, Jaxon Smith-Njigba exploded for 41.1 fantasy points, and Kansas City needed overtime to survive Indianapolis.

Then we're heading back to college football, where my picks went MUCH better.

Louisville beat SMU 41-31 in a wild game featuring more than 900 yards of offense, but the difference was simple: SMU turned it over three times. Louisville didn't turn it over once.

Then, Kentucky walked into Kyle Field and exposed Texas A&M, with Kenny Minchey completing 14 of 18 passes for 252 yards and C.J. Baxter scoring twice while Marcel Reed struggled with his accuracy again.

And then there's Oxford.

I called the Ole Miss upset, and the Rebels delivered. Ole Miss beat LSU 32-24 in Lane Kiffin's return to Oxford, Trinidad Chambliss took over when the game mattered most, and after three weeks I'm ready to say it: Chambliss is my best quarterback in college football right now.

Plus, we break down the new AP Poll, why I value the eye test more than resume, and why I have some serious questions about Indiana over Miami, USC at No. 12, and Oregon sitting behind Missouri.

And finally, we look ahead to Giants-Rams on Monday Night Football, where apparently I still haven't learned my lesson about picking underdogs.

New episodes Monday through Friday.

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Josh Allen and the Bills put the NFL on notice with a dominant win over Detroit, and now the question is how dangerous Buffalo can become under Joe Brady.

On today’s episode of The Counter, I break down the biggest games of Week 3 across college football and the NFL. Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford for a massive top-10 showdown between LSU and Ole Miss, Arizona State and Kansas head to Wembley for the Union Jack Classic, and Auburn hosts Florida at Jordan-Hare.

Then, NFL Sunday gets chaotic. The Jets, Steelers, Jaguars, Raiders and Cardinals are among several underdogs I’m taking to pull off outright upsets, while the Bears, Ravens, 49ers, Chiefs and more look to take care of business.

Eight upset picks. One loaded weekend. What could possibly go wrong?

New episodes Monday through Friday.

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Buffalo opens the new Highmark Stadium against Detroit on Thursday Night Football, and what initially looked like an easy Bills pick has become much more complicated.

On today’s episode of The Counter, I break down Lions-Bills and why Detroit’s running game, offensive line and pass rush could make this much closer than the 5.5-point spread suggests. Can Dan Campbell control the game with Jahmyr Gibbs and keep Josh Allen off the field, or will Buffalo finish the job at home?

Then, college football’s financial arms race is getting ridiculous. A new report from The Athletic estimates that programs like Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and LSU have around $50 million in resources available to build their rosters, while other Power Four programs operate with a fraction of that.

With NIL, the transfer portal, revenue sharing, agents and massive TV contracts transforming the sport, Congress is now considering the Protect College Sports Act. I break down what the legislation could mean for transfers, roster spending, athlete protections and media rights, and ask whether college football can keep operating like the Wild West.

Bills or Lions? And can Congress bring order to college football’s $50 million arms race?

New episodes Monday through Friday.

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The people building some of the world’s most powerful AI systems are suddenly asking whether they’re moving too fast.

On today’s episode of The Counter, I break down the growing fight over frontier AI after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for pacing development, with Sam Altman, Elon Musk and Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis signaling agreement with parts of his argument.

What are these companies actually worried about, what do “AI safeguards” mean, and can we address the risks without making AI less useful or giving China an advantage?

Plus, the debate gets a very real example after an AI-generated video depicting Steve Sarkisian slapping Holly Rowe sparked backlash when Arch Manning called it “hilarious.” Arch has since apologized and Rowe accepted, but the bigger question remains: what happens when AI can create convincing footage of events that never happened?

Then, the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS, along with their players’ associations, are calling for lifetime betting bans for people who threaten or abusively harass athletes, officials and their families. I break down the proposal and where sports fandom crosses the line.

Is the AI frontier moving too fast? And what should happen when sports betting turns into harassment?

New episodes Monday through Friday.

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I owe the Kansas City Chiefs an apology.

I picked Denver to walk into Arrowhead and win. Instead, Kansas City delivered one of the most convincing performances of Week 1.

On today’s episode of The Counter, I break down the Chiefs’ 31–10 win over the Broncos and why Kansas City suddenly looks like one of the most dangerous teams in the AFC again. Patrick Mahomes accounted for three touchdowns in his return from a torn ACL, but the scariest part might be that Kansas City didn’t need him to be Superman. The Chiefs won by 21 despite Mahomes throwing for only 184 yards.

Then came Kenneth Walker. In his Kansas City debut, Walker exploded for 173 rushing yards, 191 yards from scrimmage and two total touchdowns, including a 60-yard score on 4th & 1. I look back at the running backs of the Mahomes era, from Kareem Hunt to Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Isiah Pacheco, and explain why Walker could give this Chiefs offense a dimension it hasn’t consistently had in years.

I also dive into something I noticed across football during Week 1: offenses fighting back against two-high safety structures with multiple-tight-end personnel. From Georgia’s Brock Bowers-Darnell Washington combination to the modern NFL’s use of 12 and 13 personnel, the chess match between offensive and defensive coordinators continues to evolve, and an elite running game could make Kansas City particularly difficult to solve.

Steve Spagnuolo’s defense completely suffocated Denver. The Broncos managed only 176 total yards, Bo Nix threw for 131 yards and turned the ball over twice, and the offensive weapons I thought could exploit Kansas City’s rebuilt secondary never became a factor.

Kansas City didn’t just beat Denver. They dictated how the entire game was played.

And finally, we have a very important fantasy football announcement. Someone in my league told me we didn’t need to wait and see what Kenneth Walker did before discussing his trade value.

He scored 34.1 points.

Jonathan Taylor scored 25.1.

David Montgomery scored 28.9.

I survived my matchup 161.6–158.6.

My running backs are not for sale.

Kansas City didn’t need Mahomes to throw for 400 yards. Kenneth Walker ran for 173, the defense allowed only 176 total yards, and the Chiefs won by three touchdowns. If this is Kansas City’s new formula, the rest of the AFC has a problem.

New episodes Monday through Friday.

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College football turned completely upside down, the NFL reminded us that Week 1 makes absolutely no sense, and somehow I survived the chaos with a 17–7 record picking winners.

On today’s episode of The Counter, I react to a wild college football Saturday, starting in Austin, where Texas erased a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun No. 1 Ohio State 24–23. I break down Connor Hawkins’ crucial missed field goal, Arch Manning and Hollywood Smothers leading the comeback, Jeremiah Smith’s monster performance for Ohio State and how the Longhorns somehow found a way to win a game the Buckeyes appeared to have under control.

Then we go around college football. Michigan knocks off Oklahoma in an ugly defensive battle, Oklahoma State piles up 554 yards of offense in a stunning upset of Oregon, Arizona State hangs around with Texas A&M for three quarters before completely unraveling in the fourth, Alabama turns a halftime deficit at Kentucky into a 45–17 win, and Iowa-Iowa State gives me exactly the low-scoring rock fight I expected.

Then it’s time to react to the new AP Poll. Texas takes over at No. 1, Ohio State falls to No. 6 and Oregon tumbles to No. 21. I explain why Miami should be ranked ahead of Indiana, why I would put Texas Tech ahead of USC and which teams outside the top 10 could become serious problems as the season develops.

After that, we turn to a ridiculous first NFL Sunday. The Giants finish my biggest upset pick of the weekend by beating Dallas at MetLife, Chicago drops 59 points after I spent Friday praising Carolina’s defense, Arizona doesn’t just cover against the Chargers, but they win outright. Jacksonville destroys Cleveland as Parker Washington gives me an answer to a question I asked on Friday’s show. Meanwhile, my Buccaneers lose a six-point game to Cincinnati after putting the football on the ground four times.

Finally, we head to Arrowhead for Monday Night Football. Patrick Mahomes returns from his ACL injury as the Chiefs begin a new season against Bo Nix, Sean Payton and a loaded Denver defense. Kansas City is favored by 2.5 points at home, but I’m planting the flag: I’m taking the Broncos to win outright.

College football was chaos. The NFL was somehow even crazier. The picks went 17–7 straight up. And we still have one more football game tonight.

New episodes Monday through Friday.

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Twenty-five years after September 11, a new generation is learning what it means to never forget. On today's episode of The Counter, I open with a reflection on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks and what the day means to someone who wasn't alive in 2001.

I share my mom's story of working at a library on the University of South Florida campus that morning, when an ordinary Tuesday suddenly became one of the darkest days in American history, and explain why being too young to remember September 11 doesn't mean it's too old to matter.

Then, we head to Melbourne, where the San Francisco 49ers absolutely stunned the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 in the first regular-season NFL game ever played in Australia. I break down Brock Purdy's three-touchdown performance, Mike Evans scoring his first touchdown as a 49er, Deebo Samuel finding the end zone in his return to San Francisco, and a disastrous night for Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense.

Then it's time for one of the biggest football weekends of the young season. I make my college football picks and previews, including Arizona State's trip to Kyle Field against No. 10 Texas A&M, No. 11 Oklahoma at Michigan, No. 12 Alabama at Kentucky, Arizona at No. 15 BYU, No. 18 Tennessee at Georgia Tech, Arkansas at No. 20 Utah and the biggest game of the weekend: No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas.

Finally, we go around the NFL for the first full Sunday slate of the season. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers head to Cincinnati to face Joe Burrow and the Bengals, Josh Allen takes on Houston's loaded defense, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry visit the Colts, Kyler Murray makes his Vikings debut against Green Bay, Malik Willis begins a new chapter with Miami, and the Cowboys and Giants close out Sunday night at MetLife Stadium.

Football is back. The picks are in. And by Monday, some of them are probably going to look terrible.

New episodes Monday through Friday.

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