The Nebraska wrestling program placed third in the NWCA preseason poll released earlier this week. The program earned 362 points.
They finished fifth in the final NWCA poll in 2025-26, and finished third overall in the NCAA Championships as well.
Only Oklahoma State and Penn State had more points in this year's poll. The Nittany Lions topped the country with 400 points, while the Cowboys finished with 382.
The Huskers will face a difficult start to the season, opening with 18th-ranked Wyoming. The match will take place on November 8. The opener will be one of many matches that should test the program.
This program comes into the year with high expectations, as it remains one of the country's elite programs. Mark Manning and the program will have a chance to remain among the country's elite programs.

#nwca

Arizona State basketball is expected to struggle in Randy Bennett's first year as head coach.
The Big 12 media says so. In the Monster Energy Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Preseason Poll, Big 12 media members picked the Sun Devils to rank just 12th out of 16 in the conference for the 2026-27 season.
This comes after a season where ASU went for a third straight campaign of not making the NCAA Tournament. They have not been past the first round of the NCAA Tournament in any of the previous 12 seasons.
Bennett comes into the fold after leading the Saint Mary's Gaels to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances. They made it out of the first round of those five NCAA Tournaments three times.
To make matters worse for ASU, the Arizona Wildcats rank No. 1 in the media poll. UA won the regular-season Big 12 championship and the Big 12 Tournament championship last season.

#ncaa #Media

BATON ROUGE — Two exhibitions. Two blowouts.
LSU women's basketball put a bow on its preseason Thursday, Oct. 29 as it routed Loyola-New Orleans 119-54 inside the Pete Maravich ******* embly Center. Senior guard Mikaylah Williams led the way for the Tigers with 23 points, including going 5 for 6 from 3-point land, and sophomore ZaKiyah Johnson pitched in 22 points along with nine rebounds.
The big win was the second this preseason against an NAIA school for the Tigers. LSU defeated North Texas-Dallas, 159-31 last week.
EARLY IMPRESSIONS OF LSU WBB Early impressions of LSU women's basketball after UNT-Dallas win
LSU IN PRESEASON POLLS Where is LSU women's basketball ranked in preseason polls?

#tigers #dallas #rouge

Three months after revealing plans that it would seek a jersey patch sponsorship, Wright State University announced a deal with Premier Health on Thursday, Oct. 29.
"Premier Health has stood alongside Wright State Athletics for years and this partnership is a profound statement of what that relationship means," said Wright State Athletics Director Brad Chandler in a press release. "All 14 Division I programs will now carry Premier Health on its uniform, connecting our student-athletes with the academic health system that cares for the families in our stands and across our community. We worked hard to bring the first jersey patch sponsorship in the Dayton region to life, and we're proud that it's with a partner that has always shown up for Wright State. This is about more than visibility. It's two Dayton institutions putting their names side by side and investing in the next generation."
The NCAA approved the use of jersey patches in January.
According to an NCAA press release, "Effective Aug. 1, all Division I teams will be permitted up to two additional commercial logos on their uniforms and apparel and one additional commercial logo on equipment during the preseason and regular season, with an additional commercial logo on uniforms and apparel for conference championships. The patches will be limited to a maximum of 4 square inches per logo."
The patches will debut on Monday, Nov. 2, when the Wright State men's basketball team plays Air Force in the Stars, Stripes and Flight Classic at the Nutter Center.

#wright #state #premier #patches

Only five games into his NBA career, former UNC superstar Caleb Wilson is embracing every bit of the Chicago lifestyle.
The Bulls took Wilson fourth overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, needing instant starpower in a big way. Wilson quickly showcased his pro readiness in NBA Summer League action, scoring a debut-record 35 points, then continued to thrive in the preseason.
On a recent episode of pro basketball player Jared Brownidge's "Link with JB podcast," Wilson told Chicago sports fans four things they should know about him.
"Number one, Green Bay sucks," Wilson said. "Number two, we're going to get some good wins and eventually, you guys will think the Chicago Bulls are fire again, if you don't think so already. Number three, I don't like ketchup on my hot dogs anymore. And number four, it's a great day to be in Chicago. That's pretty much it."
That first sentence is a core of Windy City sports fandom. While Green Bay (Wisc.) doesn't have an NBA team, the Packers and Chicago Bears form the NFL's most historic rivalry.

#wilson #Chicago #Bulls #green

When left tackle Trevor Goosby went down with a torn patella tendon in the first quarter of last Saturday's win over the Ole Miss Rebels, the Texas Longhorns moved into a future without their All-American protecting the blind side of quarterback Arch Manning.
Taking over for Goosby? Another senior in 6'6, 339-pound Andre Cojoe, who was competing for the starting right tackle job in preseason camp last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Entering the game, Cojoe had only played 56 career snaps for the Longhorns after arriving as an early enrollee in the 2022 recruiting class just before he turned 17. Ranked outside the top 100 prospects in Texas, Cojoe didn't face high expectations when he got to the Forty Acres, but the athleticism he possessed at his size made him an intriguing long-term developmental prospect.
Now Cojoe has had the time to develop and the left tackle position will be his for the remainder of the season unless head coach Steve Sarkisian and offensive line coach Kyle Flood make the unexpected decision to flip Cojoe to the right side and move senior Melvin Siani back to the left tackle position he occupied last season at Wake Forest.
But that move sacrifices the offensive line's continuity the staff was able to maintain when Goosby missed multiple weeks of practice while recovering from a bone bruise in his knee sustained during preseason camp.

#last #longhorns #senior

The Charlotte Hornets announced on Thursday that forward Kon Knueppel has been ****** igned to the team's G League affiliate in Greensboro, North Carolina for Thursday's practice.
Though Knueppel is still listed as out for Friday's matchup at the Washington Wizards, being ****** igned to practice with the Greensboro Storm is an encouraging sign that the second-year sharpshooter is nearing a return after missing the Hornets' first five games of the season with a strained left hamstring.
Friday's game is the first of a back-to-back for Charlotte, who hosts the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. So perhaps the team is waiting to play him at home or maybe his season debut will be Monday versus the Detroit Pistons.
Knueppel, 21, suffered the injury just over a month ago during what the Hornets termed "offseason on-court activity." This occurred shortly before NBA teams reported for training camp, which Knueppel missed due to the hamstring strain along with the entire preseason.
Last season, Knueppel finished second in NBA Rookie of the Year balloting after challenging 2025 No. 1 overall pick and eventual winner Cooper Flagg by averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 ****** ists. Selected No. 4 overall out of Duke in the 2025 NBA Draft, he led the league by making 273 3-pointers, shooting 43% on 673 attempts.

#charlotte

The Big 12 loves its basketball.
According to conference commissioner Brett Yormark, the only better league for the sport is the NBA.
Eight Big 12 teams reached the NCAA Tournament last March, with six winning at least one game in the Big Dance and Arizona reaching the Final Four.
With the start of the 2026-27 regular season quickly approaching, the conference has released its preseason media poll. It will serve as our first installment of this year's Big 12 basketball power rankings, which will be updated weekly upon the start of league play in January.
Here's where media members covering the Big 12, including myself, picked the conference's 16 teams to finish this season.

#Basketball #conference #according

Maryland men's basketball unofficially kicked off basketball season in Xfinity Center Sunday, taking on local foes West Virginia in its second of three preseason games.
The Terps started slowly, falling behind by as many as 19 points in the first half, before stringing together positive possessions after the break to complete the comeback with 10 minutes to go. From there, the teams went back and forth until an overtime period where the Terps kept the Mountaineers from making a field goal.
Now, a behind-closed-doors scrimmage is all that separates the Terps from their official season opener on Nov. 2 against Bucknell.
Here are three takeaways from Sunday's matinee.
Starting in his second consecutive preseason game, Boston University transfer Mike McNair Jr. took little time to make an impression on the home crowd.

#terps #behind #maryland #center

MIAMI — Exhale. Because at some point during seasons, that's what Klay Thompson does. And then he becomes Klay Thompson again.
For all the metrics compiled by the Miami Heat during their now-completed 3-2 preseason schedule, one stands particularly stark:
In his four preseason appearances, Thompson shot 7 of 26 from the field, but even more starkly, only 3 of 20 on 3-pointers.
And yet history says not only isn't the sky falling for the four-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star, but he only is getting warmed up.
With a body of work lengthy enough where it offers ample context, the player who stands No. 4 on the NBA's all-time list of 3-pointers made stands in somewhat familiar territory.

#exhale

The 2026-27 Texas Tech women's basketball team made its first public appearance in an exhibition against Angelo State on Sunday at United Supermarkets arena.
The Lady Raiders, picked 10th in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll, dressed out nine players as the team navigates multiple injuries.
Here's who started for Tech, along with their stat lines from the 81-40 win.
Ambrosia Cole, guard — 12 points (4-of-8 shooting); 2 rebounds; 6 ******* ists; 2 steals
Tahys Da Silva, guard — 2 points (0-of-8 shooting, 0-of-5 from 3); 8 rebounds; 4 ******* ists; 5 steals

#team #guard #points

Call us a relic, call us what you will. Say we're old-fashioned, say we're over the hill.
Whatever.
Long ago, when NLI was something and NIL was nothing, when AI only meant Allen Iverson, college programs were ranked in the preseason largely on how many quality returnees it had on the roster.
Not so much anymore. The aforementioned NIL, along with the transfer portal and ever-changing eligibility rules have created roster havoc at most programs each year. Numerous teams still don't have complete rosters just a few weeks before the start of the season. LSU barely even has a roster.
Even Shaka Smart is getting in on the act, after eschewing the portal the past five seasons at Marquette.

#programs #allen

Klay Thompson was ice cold in his first preseason with the Miami Heat, but the four-time NBA champion isn't fazed by his shooting struggles heading into the 2026-27 regular season.
Speaking after Sunday's practice at Kaseya Center, Thompson maintained that he expects to shoot at his usual level once the games "count," brushing aside concerns about being too far over the hill entering his age-36 campaign.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra also voiced his confidence in the veteran shooting guard as anticipation builds for Wednesday's season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Brought in over the offseason to help create ***** e around Heat stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo on Miami's revamped roster, Thompson looked out of sorts throughout the preseason, shooting 7-for-26 overall (26.9%) and 3-for-20 from 3-point range (15.0%).
It was a small sample size, as Thompson appeared in four of Miami's five exhibition contests and never played into the second half of any of them as the Heat went 3-2. Still, his shooting blunders went viral on social media, fueling ridicule.

#four #klay

Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg owns the spotlight with hilarious rookie initiation appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Yaxel Lendeborg has spent the preseason showing the Golden State Warriors he is ready for a big role. On Sunday, he showed the fans he is ready for the stage, too. At the Warriors' open practice at Chase Center, the rookie forward stepped up to the microphone for the team's annual rookie karaoke and delivered a rendition of Carl Carlton's 1981 funk hit "She's a Bad Mama Jama."
Lendeborg did not just sing it, either. He worked the crowd throughout the performance, according to Danny Emerman of The San Francisco Standard, who shared a clip from the arena.
“She’s a Bad Mama Jama” by Yaxel Lendeborg, with some serious crowd work from the rookie.
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#lendeborg #Warriors #preferred

Nate Tice & Hayden Winks dive into their instant takeaways from Week 6 of NFL action. The show kicks off with reactions from the Green Bay Packers getting a win against a Dallas Cowboys offense that could not get rolling on Sunday Night.
This week's Pick 6 begins with a Philadelphia Eagles team that seems to be in deep trouble, losing their fourth straight, this time against a surging Carolina Panthers offense. The guys jump to the preseason Super Bowl favorite Los Angeles Rams losing another division game to the Arizona Cardinals. Is it time to panic in Los Angeles? Next, Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers pull off a comeback victory against undrafted rookie QB Jalon Daniels and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Nate & Hayden then discuss their reactions to the Houston Texans beating the Jacksonville Jaguars across the pond in London. Then, they take a look at the New Orleans Saints scoring 34 unanswered points against the New York Giants. Is there a QB competition brewing between Jameis Winston and J.J. McCarthy, who saw his first action in a Giants uniform on Sunday? To close out Pick 6, the guys break down Caleb Williams' return for the Chicago Bears in their triumph over the Atlanta Falcons.
Lastly, Nate & Hayden hit on some Extra Credit, including reactions to the Tennessee ******* ans getting their first win of the season against the struggling Indianapolis Colts, an exciting shootout between the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders, and the Cleveland Browns climbing the mountain to lead the AFC North with their win against the Baltimore Ravens.
(1:55) - Packers shut down Cowboys

#reactions #sunday

The Los Angeles Lakers may be ready for their regular-season opener on Wednesday once it arrives, but they may not be prepared. They were never whole in their five preseason games, of which they won only two, and that could hurt them in the early days and weeks of the regular season.
New starting center Walker Kessler didn't play in the team's first three preseason games. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves played in only three games apiece, and therefore, Friday's game, which ended with a 121-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets, was the only game in which the three of them shared the court.
Reaves said after that contest that he knows building chemistry together will be a process that won't be easy, but he also expressed confidence that things will get sorted out in time.
"There's gonna be some growing pains," Reaves said. "Just a lack of reps together so far, but you take guys like that, that are that talented, you are more than likely gonna pick up on it sooner than later. We'll continue to grow that over the next couple days and get ready for opening night."
Kessler seemed to take it somewhat easy in his two exhibition appearances, but he looks poised to give Los Angeles the elite rebounding and shot-blocking it lacked last season. He had a total of 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting, 15 rebounds, five ***** ists, three blocks and two steals in 47 minutes during those two contests.

#season

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Germie Bernard caught 11 of 12 targets for 87 yards with a touchdown in a Week 6 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Bucs.
SOURCE: USA TODAY
Why it matters: Bernard's first NFL touchdown with 3:15 left in OT gave Pittsburgh the lead. Bernard was a bright spot in preseason camp and has shown his ability the last two weeks; he had six catches for 80 yards last week against Indianapolis. With WR Michael Pittman on IR, Bernard should be considered as a WR4/Flex option with WR3 potential.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Germie Bernard torches Tampa Bay for 11 catches in Week 6

#bernard #week #yards #catches

Sep. 14—BEMIDJI — Oliver Peer is already winning 2026-27 CCHA honors.
The Bemidji State men's hockey team's top-line center was named the league's Preseason Player of the Year in the Coaches and Media Polls.
Bemidji State was picked to finish fifth in both polls. Michigan Tech was selected as the league's top team in both polls as well.
Peer, a native of Burlington, Ontario, had 20 goals and 16 ******* ists last year in his first season with the Beavers. He transferred from the University of New Brunswick (U Sports) ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Naturally, Peer was also selected to be on both of the All-CCHA Preseason Teams. Among coaches, Peer is joined by Michigan Tech forwards Max Koskipirrti and Isaac Gordon and Bowling Green's Ben Doran. Augustana's Hayden Hennen and Bowling Green's Breck McKinley round out the coaches' defender picks, while MTU goaltender Owen Bartoszkiewicz was selected as well.

#peer #polls

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs cornerback Mansoor Delane was questionable to return to Kansas City's season opener against the Broncos Monday night after the sixth overall pick in the NFL draft hurt his shoulder in the first quarter Monday night.
Delane intercepted Broncos quarterback Bo Nix the first time he was thrown at on the opening series of the game. He stumbled after making the catch and went to the ground untouched, and Delane was not on the field for the Broncos' ensuing series.
Delane missed the majority of the offseason and the first preseason game because of an injured shoulder.
Chiefs linebacker Cooper McDonald also left in the first quarter with a knee injury. His return was questionable.
___

#chiefs #questionable

There are few preseason events like Big Blue Madness for Kentucky basketball. It's a hugely popular day on the schedule for fans, who will fill the stands to watch the fans get introduced to this year's roster, and it's almost time to get tickets.
This year's Big Blue Madness will take place on Oct. 2 and 7:00 P.M. at Rupp Arena. Then Fan Fest will be the next day at the Central Bank Center. Tickets, which are free, will go quickly, and now fans know when to acquire them.
Ticketmaster will be handling he distribution of the tickets for Big Blue Madness, and that begins on Friday, Sep. 18, beginning at 5:00 P.M. There is a limit of two tickets per household so that more fans have a shot to land a seat at the festivities.
The 2026 season is a big one for Kentucky. Mark Pope has his best team yet, and needs to compete for an SEC championship, and win some games in March. Another disappointing season will inevitably result in fans calling for his job, as they did last season.
There is optimism, however, and heading into Big Blue Madness, fans will be excited and full of optimism. They'll want to be ready on Friday if they want a first look at the team.

#season #kentucky

The Abilene Christian Wildcats have dropped out of the FCS Top 25 rankings following their latest loss in Week 2 of the 2026 college football season.
The Wildcats — who fell in a 26-7 loss in their home opener to the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks on Saturday night — slid out of the rankings entirely from their previously held No. 23 spot in the latest edition of the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll.
It marks the end of a 30-week streak of consecutive appearances in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll for Abilene Christian, which will head into its Week 3 contest unranked for the first time since September 2024.
ACU started the 2026 campaign ranked No. 15 in the Stats Perform Preseason FCS Top 25 rankings.
The Wildcats received 15 points in the others receiving votes portion of this week's Top 25 poll.

#abilene #loss

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons' opening loss at Pittsburgh only added more uncertainty to the quarterback question that has persisted since the start of training camp.
Cooper Rush's performance in the Falcons' 20-13 loss to the Steelers on Sunday had some fans wondering why undrafted rookie Jack Strand wasn't given an opportunity and more fans asking when Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa will be ready to play. Rush threw two interceptions, including T.J. Watt's pick-6 in the fourth quarter. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.
Rush was named the starter on Friday after Tagovailoa was ruled out with an oblique injury. Rush started despite having back spasms on Saturday. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Rush was close to full health, but the conservative game plan with an emphasis on short passes placed too much of a burden on running back Bijan Robinson.
Stefanski said Monday he had no update on Tagovailoa or on Penix, who did not play in the preseason as he continues his recovery from a torn ligament in his left knee that ended his 2025 season. Penix was cleared for full team drills late in training camp.
Both Tagovailoa and Penix were inactive against the Steelers, and it is not known if either will return for next Sunday's home opener against Carolina.

#penix #steelers #loss #training

On Monday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs announced two practice squad elevations ahead of the "Monday Night Football" matchup with the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.
Defensive tackle Marcus Harris and fullback Ben VanSumeren will be available to play against the Broncos.
Harris was a standout during training camp and the preseason, doing enough to make the initial 53-man roster on cutdown weekend before the team waived him the following day. The second-year player from Auburn cleared waivers and returned to the Chiefs' practice squad; the interior lineman wears No. 68, filling in for defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott (IR) as a reserve defensive tackle.
VanSumeren could be the Chiefs' first pure fullback to take the field since Michael Burton in 2022. The fourth-year player entered the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent linebacker from Michigan. Listed at 6 feet 2 inches tall and 258 pounds, VanSumeren switched to the fullback position in 2025, appearing in one game for the Eagles.

#defensive #fullback #harris #Eagles

The Indianapolis Colts have waived cornerback Johnathan Edwards, the team announced on Monday.
Edwards was inactive during Sunday's Week 1 game against Baltimore.
The Colts signed Edwards as a UDFA after the 2025 NFL draft. He would make the Colts' 53-man roster as a rookie and appeared in 14 games, which included five starts.
Edwards flashed his upside and potential here and there, but he was also quite inconsistent as well. During his rookie season, Edwards allowed 17 completions on 27 targets, giving up almost 15 yards per catch.
In the preseason this summer, things didn't get much better. Edwards allowed a completion rate of 60% on 10 targets, while surrendering a hefty 19.3 yards per catch, with only one pass breakup over two games.

#games #allowed

Ex-OL mocks viral Sonny Styles video after Commanders LB trucks Saquon Barkley for sack appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Washington Commanders were inconsistent on offense during Sunday's 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, just as many anticipated, but fans got to see one player exceed the expectations that a large portion of the public had set for him. After getting roasted for a perceived lack of strength during preseason play, which was captured via video, rookie linebacker Sonny Styles displayed eye-catching power in Philly.
The former Ohio State star bowled over 2024 Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley before sacking Super Bowl 59 MVP Jalen Hurts. Retired offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz was quick to taunt the doubters following the thunderous play.
"So maybe that preseason week 1 'film review' mocking Styles wasn't indicative of how he might play in the regular season," the NFL ******* yst and podcast host quipped.
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#Commanders

It's always tough navigating that first injury report coming out of preseason and training camp. Some injuries are downplayed and others weren't as serious as initially thought. We also get some surprises (we're looking at you Raiders and Brock Bowers).
But we've gotten through most of the action for Week 1 and can lookahead to which injuries we'll need to track going into the second slate of the season. Below is all the latest news and updates, plus some fantasy football ******* ysis to help with weekly lineup tinkering.
Kyler Murray, MIN (concussion)
Sam Darnold, SEA (hip)
Murray: It was a tough Minnesota debut for Murray, exiting early in the contest after a questionable hit from Packers S Javon Bullard. Prior to the hit, Murray had thrown an egregious interception into triple coverage. Murray did not return, finishing the game 3-for-5 for 18 yards and the INT, plus two carries for nine yards.

#bowers

Why Falcons likely won't bench Cooper Rush for beloved UDFA after rough Week 1 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Falcons have a very brutal quarterback situation during the 2026 NFL season. Michael Penix Jr. is supposed to be the starter, but he's coming off an injury and isn't 100% just yet.
Tua Tagovailoa was meant to be the starter, but he sustained an oblique injury during practice, leaving Cooper Rush to start. He, too, was dealing with an injury, but the Falcons stuck with him as the starter. That was a mistake, as he really struggled.
It wouldn't be surprising for fans and media to call for the Falcons to start beloved undrafted free agent quarterback Jack Strand in place of Rush. But, Marc Raimondi of ESPN shared why the Falcons won't make the switch, as they don't believe he's ready yet.
"It does not seem like the team thinks undrafted rookie Jack Strand, who played great in the preseason, is ready just yet," Raimondi writes.

#falcons #strand

2027 NFL Draft QB rankings: Darian Mensah, Drew Mestemaker on the rise appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2027 NFL Draft class was talked up to be loaded with quarterbacks, which was much-needed for many NFL teams coming off of what many claimed was a one-QB class in 2026. Before the college football season, this was billed as one of the most talented QB classes in recent memory.
So far, that hasn't necessarily played out on the field. Dante Moore, our No. 1 quarterback on the board in the preseason, has looked awful, to put it bluntly. Arch Manning and Julian Sayin were up-and-down in their blockbuster Week 2 clash between Ohio State and Texas.
On the other side of the coin, Darian Mensah and Trinidad Chambliss have been very impressive so far in the opening few weeks, and CJ Carr has also played very well against a soft schedule to open the year.
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#darian

The Gophers were blown out at home by Mississippi State 38-13 in Week 2, and the game didn't even feel that close. Was it a difference in talent? Coaching? Let's play the blame game and figure out what went wrong for Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday's result was completely different than Minnesota's blowout losses at Oregon or Ohio State last season. Mississippi State has been near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) over the last two seasons. Its preseason win total was set at over/under 4.5 wins, and the Gophers were favored to win Saturday's game, according to some sportsbooks. So what happened?
Recruiting site 247Sports makes a "Team Talent Composite" every season, which gives us a data point to use when comparing talent. Mississippi State is ranked 20th in the country with 26 four-star players on its roster. Minnesota is ranked 36th with 15 four-star players on its roster, according to the site.
If talent dictated results on the field, the Gophers shouldn't have lost 41-3 at Iowa last season, as they ranked one spot higher than the Hawkeyes on last year's team talent composite. Minnesota beat teams like Wisconsin and Nebraska last season, which ranked higher on the list.
The Gophers have two legit NFL Draft prospects in the trenches with Greg Johnson and Anthony Smith, an NFL-hopeful QB with Drake Lindsey, and plenty more talented playmakers across the field. 247Sports' points system gives Mississippi State's 2026 roster 798.6 compared to Minnesota at 745.8. Is that big enough of a difference for a 25-point loss at home?

#gophers

The NFL is back and Week 1 saw a little bit of everything, from the New Orleans Saints (+7) nearly coming back from a 21-0 deficit to beat the Detroit Lions to the Arizona Cardinals — with a preseason win total of 3.5 — defeat the Los Angeles Chargers outright 26-14 and eliminate many, many Survivor entries.
But the odds are already out for every Week 2 NFL game at BetMGM, so let's take a look at what's in store as the season rolls on:
Thursday
Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills (-4.5, 53.5)
Sunday

#lions #arizona