Ohio State gets top billing in opening College Football Playoff rankings; Indiana, Texas A&M next
Ohio State received top billing in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, followed by Indiana, Texas A&M and Alabama. The top three head into the final four weeks of the regular season undefeated. Another team with no losses, BYU of the Big 12, was ranked seventh. At No. 5 was Georgia, followed by Mississippi. All of the top six came from either the Big Ten or Southeastern Conference -- a dose of business as usual despite a season that has been anything but predictable.
Jets trade All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner, star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams
Sauce Gardner went from last place to first and teammate Quinnen Williams also is on the move in separate blockbuster trades. The stunning deals by the New York Jets highlighted a flurry of activity ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline on Tuesday. Gardner, a two-time All-Pro cornerback, was sent to the Indianapolis Colts for two first-round draft picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. The Jets will receive the Colts’ first-round selection in 2026 and in 2027. Williams heads to the Dallas Cowboys for a second-round pick in 2026, a first-round pick in 2027 and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
No. 1 UConn handles No. 20 Louisville 79-66 in opening game moved due to government shutdown
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Sarah Strong had 21 points and nine rebounds, and top-ranked UConn opened its title defense with a 79-66 win over No. 20 Louisville. This was the first time the Armed Forces Classic featured women’s basketball teams, and the game was supposed to be played at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, but it was moved to the Naval Academy because of the government shutdown. Azzi Fudd scored 20 points for UConn, which has not lost a season opener since 1995. Laura Ziegler had 16 points and 18 rebounds for Louisville.
Evans, Boozer help No. 6 Duke overcome slow start and defeat Texas 75-60 in season opener
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Isaiah Evans scored 23 points, Cameron Boozer used a big second half to finish with 15 points and 13 rebounds and No. 6 Duke overcame a sluggish start to beat Texas 75-60 at the Dick Vitale Invitational on Tuesday night. The Blue Devils got 10 points from Patrick Ngongba and used a stifling defense to limit Texas to 32% shooting while forcing 16 turnovers. Dailyn Swain had 16 points, while Jordan Pope and Matas Vokietaitis each had 15 points to lead Texas in coach Sean Miller’s debut.
Alex Bregman, Lucas Giolito, Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz and Cody Bellinger become free agents
NEW YORK (AP) — Boston third baseman Alex Bregman and right-hander Lucas Giolito, New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Díaz and New York Yankees outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger were among the players who turned down player options or exercised opt outs and became free agents. San Diego pitcher Robert Suarez also turned down his option and went free on the third day of the five-day free agent window. A total of 153 players have become free agents following the end of the World Series and several dozen more potentially can go free through Thursday, depending on whether team, player and mutual options are exercised.
Cowboys make major move for beleaguered defense in trade for Jets' Quinnen Williams
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys have traded for star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams of the Jets in a major move to try to improve one of the NFL’s worst defenses. The deal for Williams on trade deadline day came after the lower-profile addition of linebacker Logan Wilson from Cincinnati. The Cowboys are giving a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2026 second-rounder and underperforming defensive tackle Mazi Smith to the Jets. The Cowboys gained first-round picks in the next two drafts in another blockbuster. That was the trade that sent star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers a week before the season.
Costly mistakes: Franchise QB Jayden Daniels, All-Pro Marvin Mims Jr. injured late in blowouts
NFL coaches are facing scrutiny for leaving star players in games during the waning minutes of blowouts. Washington's Dan Quinn admits it was a mistake to keep franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels on the field Sunday night. Daniels dislocated his left elbow late in a 38-14 loss to Seattle. Quinn acknowledges the error, saying he should have avoided the risk. A week earlier, Denver's Marvin Mims Jr. suffered a concussion in a similar situation. Broncos coach Sean Payton also admits a mistake in player management. These incidents highlight the risks of keeping key players in games when the outcome is already decided.
Johnny Keefer making steady gains up the ladder and now starts his biggest test on PGA Tour
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Johnny Keefer is making quick strides in golf since graduating from Baylor 17 months ago. His final college tournament got him into the PGA Tour Americas. He moved up to the next level and led the Korn Ferry Tour. And now the 24-year-old starts out on the PGA Tour this week in Mexico on a sponsor exemption. It's only his fifth PGA Tour start and he's already on the cusp of earning a Masters invitation at just outside the top 50 in the world. There's a mixed bag of results of players proving themselves in the big leagues.
How the NFL is aiming to broaden its appeal to women
The NFL is partnering with media outlets like Betches and The Gist to attract young female fans. These partnerships focus on creating relatable content, such as social media videos about women’s products, which have gained significant attention. The league sees women as crucial to broadening its appeal. By giving these outlets access to major events like the Super Bowl and the draft, the NFL aims to engage its female fanbase through authentic storytelling. This strategy emphasizes personal stories about players, fostering deeper connections with fans.
Champions League: Bayern and Liverpool earn statement wins as Van de Ven scores 90-meter solo goal
Bayern Munich has handed Paris Saint-Germain a first loss in its Champions League title defense while Liverpool beat Real Madrid 1-0 in another blockbuster matchup. Luis Diaz scored twice for Bayern before getting a red card in first-half stoppage time for a reckless lunge on Achraf Hakimi that forced the PSG defender off injured. PSG had already seen Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé come off with an injury and reduced the deficit through Joao Neves but Bayern held on a 2-1 win. The German champions joined Arsenal on a maximum 12 points. Arsenal won 3-0 at Slavia Prague. At Anfield, Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois produced save after save to defy Liverpool but was finally beaten by Alexis Mac Allister.
