College baseball season is just over a week away. Your North Carolina Tar Heels, who fell one game short of the 2025 College World Series, are itching for that elusive first championship this season.

UNC begins its 2026 campaign with a 3-game set against Indiana over Valentine's Day Weekend (February 13-15), then hosts Richmond and Longwood in midweek games the ensuing week. North Carolina plays ECU in a 3-game series split between Chapel Hill, Durham and Greenville, not starting ACC play until a home series with Virginia (March 6-8).

Want to watch the Diamond Heels on TV? You'll have plenty of chances to do so – on Tuesday, UNC announced 10 of its 2026 games will be on national television.

North Carolina's first televised game will be Friday, March 20 vs. Louisville at 8 p.m. on the ACC Network, followed by an 8 p.m., March 31 home date with Campbell – on the same channel. The Diamond Heels host Charlotte at 7 p.m. on April 7 (ACC Network), then make an ESPN2 appearance at Clemson on Sunday, April 12.

Tar Heels on your TV 📺

🔟 is the most nationally televised regular season games in 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮!

Get ready to see a lot of us. pic.twitter.com/BEISKd4jZe

— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) February 3, 2026

UNC hosts Georgia Tech for two nationally-televised games on April 18 (12 p.m.) and April 19 (1 p.m.), followed by April 23 (7 p.m.) and May 3 (2 p.m.) clashes with Duke. North Carolina's final Tuesday home game against Coastal Carolina (April 28, 7 p.m.), followed by its opener at N.C. State (May 14, 7 p.m.), will also be played in front of national audiences.

If you can make your way out to Boshamer Stadium for a game, even better. If not, the Diamond Heels give you plenty of chances to watch them in 2026.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on. Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC baseball team will have 10 games in 2026 season on national TV

The transport infrastructure within south-east London is currently being impacted by a series of significant logistical failures. Rail services managed by Govia Thameslink Railway, including those operated under the Southern, Thameslink, and Gatwick Express brands, are experiencing severe and ongoing disruption. These complications were initiated by a train derailment at the Selhurst depot, which occurred in tandem with critical signalling problemsaffecting the broader network. Passengers are being cautioned that cancellations and delays of up to sixty minutes are to be expected, with revised services being implemented across all affected routes.

The operational capacity of the network was compromised when a signal failure was identified, specifically impacting the corridors between London Blackfriars and Norwood Junction. Due to the convergence of these technical issues, Thameslink services connecting Brighton and Cambridge remain entirely suspended. Furthermore, the normal stopping patterns at London Bridge have been altered, with several trains bypassing the station to manage the flow of traffic. An urgent do not travel alert was issued by GTR during the previous day, through which passengers were strongly encouraged to avoid the network entirely where possible.

The Impact of the Selhurst Depot Incident

While the derailed train at Selhurst depot has been successfully re-railed, the incident caused a substantial bottleneck in the deployment of rolling stock. Access to the maintenance facility was blocked for a prolonged period, resulting in more than 130 trains being left out of their required operational positions. This displacement has continued to impact services throughout Wednesday, and further knock-on disruption is anticipated to persist into Thursday morning. The logistical challenge of repositioning such a large fleet is cited as a primary reason for the lingering instability of the timetable.

Apologies for the inconvenience experienced by commuters were offered by a GTR spokesperson. It was noted that the combination of the signalling fault between Norwood Junction and London Bridge and the depot incident created a uniquely difficult set of circumstances for rail operations. Coordination with Network Rail is currently being maintained to ensure that the infrastructure is restored to a functional state as quickly as possible. In the interim, services between London Victoria and West Croydon have been suspended until further notice, creating additional hurdles for local commuters.

Travel Advice and Airport Connections

Special consideration is being requested for those attempting to reach major international hubs. Travel to Gatwick Airport and Luton Airport Parkway by rail is being significantly hindered, and travelers are being advised to allow at least an extra hour for their journeys. Because fewer lines are currently available for use, trains are being operated at reduced speeds by National Rail to ensure safety protocols are maintained. This reduction in throughput has led to a decrease in the frequency of departures, further compounding the backlog of passengers.

Crowding has become a significant concern at major transit points, with platforms at stations such as East Croydonreported to be at high capacity. The physical environment at these hubs is being monitored to manage the safety of the large volumes of people displaced by the service changes. Commuters are being urged to seek alternative modes of transport or to delay non-essential travel until the backlog of trains is cleared and the signalling infrastructure is verified as stable.

Investigation and Infrastructure Recovery

A full investigation into the root causes of the derailment is being undertaken, as confirmed by engineering director Steve Lammin. Regret was expressed by the director regarding the inconvenience caused to the public, and a commitment to understanding the mechanics of the failure was emphasized. The investigative process is expected to examine both the rolling stock involved and the track conditions at the Selhurst depot to prevent a recurrence of such a disruptive event.

The complexity of the modern rail system means that a single point of failure, such as a signal fault or a minor derailment in a critical depot, can have cascading effects across hundreds of miles of track. Until the investigation is concluded and the full fleet of 130 trains is returned to its scheduled starting points, the schedule will remain fluid. Passengers are being instructed to verify the status of their specific journeys before departing for the station and to remain updated via official digital channels provided by the train operators.

Summary of Affected Routes

The breadth of the disruption is summarized by the suspension of key arterial routes and the modification of express services. The suspension of the Brighton to Cambridge line represents a significant loss of north-south connectivity through the heart of London. Similarly, the loss of direct links between London Victoria and West Croydon forces a heavy reliance on bus replacement services and local London Underground routes, which are also experiencing increased pressure.

Network resilience is being tested by the high volume of out-of-position assets. Even as the physical obstructions are cleared, the administrative task of rescheduling crews and units remains a monumental hurdle. It is anticipated that the stabilization of the network will be a gradual process, with incremental improvements seen as the Thursday morning peak approaches. Continuous monitoring of the situation at Norwood Junction is being prioritized by engineering teams to ensure the signalling system can handle the return to a full service frequency.

Guidance for the Commuting Public

For those who must travel, the use of journey planning tools is being described as essential. Information regarding compensation for delayed journeys is also being made available, as many passengers may be eligible for refunds under the Delay Repay scheme due to the length of the hold-ups. The patience of the traveling public is being requested while the mechanical and digital faults are rectified by the dedicated maintenance crews on site.

The situation remains dynamic, and while the re-railing of the train at the depot is a positive step, the total recovery of the Southern, Thameslink, and Gatwick Express networks is a task of considerable scale. The priority remains the safe transport of passengers, even if it necessitates the current reduced speed and frequency of the rail service. All travelers are encouraged to stay informed through the latest bulletins issued by National Rail and the respective train operating companies.

Cristian Chivu gives credit to the Inter youth academy for providing fresh talent in tonight’s Coppa Italia win over Torino. ‘You can improve a squad without buying new players.’

The Nerazzurri did not hold back with squad rotation, including full debuts for youth team players Matteo Cocchi and Issiaka Kamate, the latter providing an assist for the Ange-Yoan Bonny header.

Andy Diouf added a second straight after the restart, and Torino got one back through Sandro Kulenovic to set up a tense finale, but Matteo Prati’s potential equaliser was flagged offside.

Chivu pleased with experimental Inter side

“I am not a journalist, nor do I play fantasy football, so I won’t give player ratings,” joked Chivu on Sport Mediaset.

“I am satisfied with the performance, the energy that we needed in a match like this, and what we managed to create. Inevitably, when it gets to 2-1, then the opponent has a second wind and tries to ride that enthusiasm, but they didn’t cause us that many problems.”

Inter didn’t even have home advantage this evening against Torino, as it was played at the U-Power Stadium in Monza, because San Siro is preparing for Friday’s opening ceremony of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.

“We know who we are dealing with and the players we worked with. These are games where you need energy and fresh legs, so I chose the players who had energy. Don’t forget we had a busy January and will have an even busier February,” explained Chivu.

“I compliment Cocchi and Kamate, but also want to compliment those who run the Inter youth academy, who worked with these lads over the years. It’s Cocchi and Kamate today, but I could also cite Bovo, Topalovic, Alexiou and Berenbruch.

“Stefano Vecchi is doing a great job as coach of the Under-23 side, and these lads are improving, so they can be of use to us throughout the season.”

Inter added nobody to the squad during the January transfer window, despite the on-going Denzel Dumfries injury.

“You can improve a squad even without bringing in new players,” noted the coach.

“We tried to do something, but the January transfer market is very tricky. We had 23-24 players, seeing as Palacios left, but these great lads from the Under-23 side can give us a hand.”

The result means Inter will face either Napoli or Como in the Coppa Italia semi-final, which is the only stage of the tournament to be played over two legs.

They are also top of the Serie A table, with only Milan seemingly in any condition to keep up the pace, and will play Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League play-offs.

“We want to be competitive, to give a sense of consistency to what has been done in recent years. We keep going with belief, hard work, good performances, always aware that we can continue to improve,” noted Chivu.

This is the 19^th time in the last 30 seasons that Inter have reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals, and their eighth consecutive victory over Torino.

The semi-final is going to be scheduled just before the Derby della Madonnina in Serie A, so could the extra strain worry Inter, considering Milan are now out of the Coppa Italia and had no European commitments?

“I am never worried, I like playing football, and as a player I preferred it to training,” replied Chivu.

“Inter must never lack ambition, but that also must not be mistaken for obsession, because high expectations can create disappointment.

“We work hard to ensure we are ready, that is what these lads have always done.”

“The future feels bright for Inter.” @ChrisWittyngham and @IFTVMarco discuss Cristian Chivu trusting youth and the impact it’s already having pic.twitter.com/gbGsU3pUed

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 4, 2026

Right after LSU football tabbed Lane Kiffin as its next head football coach, Kiffin was quick to assemble his own staff. One of the first hires was general manager Billy Glasscock, who worked alongside Kiffin in the same role at Ole Miss.

Kiffin met with the media for the first time since is introduction on Wednesday and went into detail on Glasscock's importance to LSU.

In the new era of college sports, where a head coach has to balance so many things all at once as the transfer portal approaches, a GM is critical, Kiffin said.

"Why would you not have a general manager that helps run the entire building with you, and if you look at, I think the best runs in the NFL over time, it's head coaches and general managers that work together, they're not placed together, they work together," Kiffin said.

Kiffin pointed to the success he and Glasscock had at Ole Miss, saying they work "extremely well" together.

"I know that I can go get on a plane, to go to schools and go recruit, and I know everything's going to be handled extremely well in this building, and usually the decisions are going to be made exactly how I would think to make them," Kiffin said.

Glasscock joined Kiffin with the Rebels in 2024. Before his stop in Oxford, Glasscock worked in Texas's personnel department for three seasons. Glasscock was key in assembling LSU's transfer portal class, which ranks among the best in the nation.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Kiffin on why LSU's new GM is critical for college football success

Nearly two weeks after Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney publicly accused Ole Miss of tampering with linebacker Luke Ferrelli, the situation remains unresolved, and the silence from college football’s governing body has only intensified the spotlight.

The NCAA has acknowledged the Tigers’ complaint and stated it is reviewing the allegations, but no further details or timelines have been shared. Ole Miss has not issued any public response, which has left many around the sport frustrated but unsurprised.

On ESPN’s College Football Live, analysts Tom Luginbill and Sam Acho both pointed to tampering as the real problem in today’s college football landscape, not NIL or the existence of the transfer portal.

“The reality of the situation is, something has to put a stop to this. Because this is the problem. It’s not name, image and likeness. It’s not the transfer portal. It’s tampering,” Luginbill said.

Luginbill explained that coaches, including Swinney, are asking for rules that actually matter and punishments that are strong enough to change behavior.

“What the coaches are asking for, with Dabo Swinney in particular here, is for that to matter, and there to be accountability if there are rules in place against this, to be levied against the coach, the assistant coach, the university, and for there to be distinct penalties, and penalties so severe that you wouldn’t think to step over it.”

Acho agreed that consequences should focus on coaches rather than players, while also questioning whether many in the profession will be willing to speak out.

“I think it’s a very slight chance that more coaches calling out coaches happens,” Acho said. “Coaching is somewhat of a fraternity. But my point is that the penalty should not be levied on the player. The penalty for some of the tampering should be levied on the coaches who are the ones who are texting and calling the players.”

Clemson is no longer a top team in this way-too-early ACC rankings https://t.co/z2E8aBFzSLpic.twitter.com/gfPBnlNVGB

— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) February 4, 2026

Swinney has alleged that Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding directly contacted Ferrelli after the linebacker had already enrolled at Clemson, attended classes, and begun team activities. Clemson submitted a formal complaint to the NCAA in late January.

For now, the case remains in limbo. Until meaningful consequences are attached to tampering violations, many around the sport believe situations like this will continue to surface.

Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.

This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: ESPN analyst Tom Luginbill sides with Swinney over Ole Miss tampering

Cozumel, Nassau, and St. Maarten brace for a tidal wave of visitors as Caribbean cruise capacity climbs over ten percent in 2026, driven by fleet expansions and new itineraries from Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and peers. This surge positions Cozumel‘s reefs and Nassau‘s beaches as epicenters of renewed tourism, with major lines deploying mega-ships to private destinations like Perfect Day at CocoCay and Celebration Key. Tourism authorities in these hotspots forecast revenue spikes, as shorter three to eight night sailings democratize access for families and millennials.

St. Maarten‘s Maho Beach regains prominence with increased calls, amplifying duty-free and adventure tourism. Sustainable tourism initiatives, including shore power mandates, accompany growth to protect coral ecosystems amid heightened traffic.

Royal Caribbean Leads Over Ten Percent Capacity Push

Royal Caribbean allocates fifty-seven percent of 2026 deployments to the Caribbean, featuring Cozumel via Star of the Seas and Icon of the Seas from Port Canaveral. Perfect Day at CocoCay expansions draw Nassau overnights, enhancing private island tourism. St. Maarten itineraries blend with Aruba for Southern Caribbean loops.

This strategy responds to demand for flexible short cruises, boosting tourism dwell times in Cozumel‘s dive sites. Sustainable tourism incorporates eco-adventures like reef restoration programs.

Carnival Revolutionizes with Celebration Key

Carnival unveils Celebration Key near Nassau, anchoring six to eight night voyages from Miami and Tampa on Carnival Legend and others. Cozumel features prominently in Western circuits with Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays, diversifying tourism options. St. Maarten links to Barbados via Ocho Rios and Montego Bay.

Private destination focus elevates tourism exclusivity, spurring hotel partnerships. Sustainable tourism emphasizes low-density beaches preserving marine life.

Short Itineraries Ignite Nassau Tourism

Three to four night escapes to Nassau and Cozumel proliferate from Florida ports, packing Key West, Bimini, and private isles. Royal’s seven-night Western Caribbean hits Roatan, Costa Maya, amplifying tourism volumes. St. Maarten benefits from St. Kitts pairings.

These bitesize voyages target time-strapped travelers, surging tourism revenues without overwhelming infrastructure. Sustainable tourism regulates tender capacities.

St. Maarten Rebounds with Mega-Calls

St. Maarten welcomes larger vessels post-recovery, integrating with Antigua and Puerto Rico for Eastern loops. Nassau‘s Valiant Lady adults-only sailings to Bridgetown and Castries add variety. Cozumel anchors Mexico-focused runs.

Tourism boards promote resilient ports, drawing premium lines. Sustainable tourism includes mangrove protections.

Private Islands Transform Tourism Landscape

Perfect Day at CocoCay and Celebration Key redefine Nassau and Bahamas tourism, with waterparks and beaches exclusive to cruisers. Cozumel complements with mainland excursions to Chichen Itza proxies. St. Maarten‘s airport beach thrills persist.

These enclaves boost onboard spending, insulating tourism from external shocks. Sustainable tourism features solar-powered amenities.

Port Expansions Handle Ten Percent Surge

Cozumel‘s pier upgrades accommodate Odyssey of the Seas-scale ships, mirroring Nassau‘s multi-ship days exceeding thirteen thousand passengers. St. Maarten streamlines berthing for efficiency. Tourism analytics project weekly peaks in Grand Cayman and Belize.

Infrastructure investments sustain tourism growth responsibly.

Sustainable Tourism Balances Boom

Caribbean ports adopt green berthing amid 10% capacity rise, with St. Maarten piloting waste-to-energy. Cozumel enforces reef-safe sunscreens for snorkelers. Nassau limits simultaneous calls to preserve tranquility. Sustainable tourism certifications attract eco-luxury segments, mitigating overcrowding risks.

Economic Windfall for Island Economies

Over ten percent growth translates to billions in tourism spend across Cozumel retail and Nassau excursions. St. Maarten casinos and beaches reap dividends from mega-ship passengers. Local artisans thrive via port markets. Sustainable tourism fosters job training in hospitality.

New Ships Anchor Tourism Revival

Star of the Seas debuts Cozumel–Roatan runs, while Carnival bolsters Nassau with Excited class. St. Maarten eyes LNG pioneers for cleaner emissions. Tourism diversifies with cultural deep-dives. Innovations sustain appeal amid capacity hikes.

Regional Alliances Strengthen Resilience

Bahamas, US Virgin Islands, and Barbados coordinate tourism flows, sharing mega-days exceeding sixteen thousand arrivals. Cozumel collaborates with Belize for combo tours. St. Maarten integrates French side synergies. Joint sustainable tourism pacts ensure equitable growth.

2026 Forecasts Signal Peak Seasons

Weekly quartets in Nassau project over fourteen thousand passengers, mirroring Cozumel peaks. St. Maarten anticipates eight hundred fifty thousand annual cruisers. Tourism boards eye record fiscal years. Sustainable tourism planning averts saturation.

Global Travelers Fuel Caribbean Craze

Europeans and North Americans dominate, with Cozumel‘s accessibility shining. Nassau‘s private isles lure families, St. Maarten sophisticates. Shorter formats expand markets. Sustainable tourism global standards elevate prestige.

Future Horizons for Island Tourism

More than ten percent capacity cements Caribbean dominance, with Cozumel, Nassau, St. Maarten as flagships. Emerging tech like drone excursions innovate tourism. Sustainable tourism investments promise longevity.

Image Credit: Carnival Corporation

Inter will face either Napoli or Como in the Coppa Italia semi-final after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Torino, with Ange-Yoan Bonny and Andy Diouf goals on neutral turf.

The first quarter-final saw the Nerazzurri coming off fine form in Serie A and the Champions League, but with Matteo Darmian, Nicolò Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries still out injured, they rotated bringing in Matteo Cocchi and Issiaka Kamate for their full senior debuts.

Toro eliminated Roma in a 3-2 thriller at the Stadio Olimpico, but missed Cesare Casadei, Giovanni Simeone, Ardian Ismajli, Gvidas Gineitis, Ivan Ilic, Zakaria Aboukhlal, Niels Nkounkou, Perr Schuurs, Cristiano Biraghi and Zanos Savva, so started four January signings. They lost 5-0 to Inter in the opening Serie A weekend, managing one draw from their last 13 competitive meetings.

It was played on neutral turf at the U-Power Stadium in Monza, as San Siro was being prepared for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Clinton Njie’s sprint down the left saw his pull-back from the by-line blocked by Francesco Acerbi’s body, but the Nerazzurri almost took the lead on 20 minutes when a Carlos Augusto left-foot screamer from outside the box clipped the top of the crossbar.

Matteo Prati fired over, but Inter broke the deadlock when 21-year-old debutant Kamate floated in a cross from the right with his weaker right foot for Ange-Yoan Bonny’s glancing header from six yards.

Ange-Yoan Bonny heads Inter in front!

A great delivery from Issiaka Kamate on his debut too pic.twitter.com/jzSngE04Ea

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) February 4, 2026

Kulenovic couldn’t keep his header down after getting away from Carlos Augusto on a Nikola Vlasic cross, but the hosts doubled their lead straight after the restart.

Davide Frattesi won the ball back and sent Marcus Thuram down the right, who pulled back for Andy Diouf to prod home at full stretch from eight yards.

Toro tried to respond, as Clinton Njie was off balance when scuffing into the arms of Josep Martinez, who then smothered an Adrien Tameze effort.

The pressure paid off, as Kulenovic nodded in a deflected Marcus Pedersen cross from the right, with Stefan de Vrij still struggling after an earlier collision.

Alberto Paleari parried a Frattesi curler, while Matteo Prati had the ball in the net after a deflected Torino free kick, but his header was flagged offside.

Prati also curled just wide of the far top corner following a Luis Henrique defensive error.

Inter 2-1 Torino

Bonny 35 (I), Diouf 47 (I), Kulenovic 57 (T)

04-02-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

Inter

Torino

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Ange-Yoan Bonny (Assist: Issiaka Kamate)

35'

2nd half

Andy Diouf (Assist: Marcus Thuram)		47'
		57'		Sandro Kulenovic
Petar Sucic		71'
Issiaka Kamate		79'
Pio Esposito		83'
		87'		Guillermo Maripán

Match statistic

63

Possession %

37

10

Total shots

11

4

Shots on target

4

4

Shots off target

5

2

Blocked shots

2

2

Corners

2

1

Offsides

1

11

Fouls

12

Inter

Torino

Starting lineups

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

56'

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

43

Matteo Cocchi

Defender

74'

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

57'

41

Issiaka Kamate

Midfielder

80'

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

56'

1

Alberto Paleari

Goalkeeper

35

Luca Marianucci

Defender

61'

16

Marcus Pedersen

Defender

62'

33

Rafa Obrador

Defender

86'

23

Saúl Coco

Defender

61

Adrien Tameze

Midfielder

14

Tino Anjorin

Midfielder

61'

4

Matteo Prati

Midfielder

10

Nikola Vlasic

Midfielder

92

Alieu Njie

Attacker

73'

17

Sandro Kulenovic

Attacker

Substitutes

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

40

Alessandro Calligaris

Goalkeeper

44

Thomas Berenbruch

Midfielder

51

Christos Alexiou

Defender

58

Luka Topalović

Midfielder

45

Leonardo Bovo

Midfielder

50

Simone Cinquegrano

Defender

10

Lautaro Martínez

Attacker

56'

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

56'

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

57'

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

74'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

80'

81

Franco Israel

Goalkeeper

77

Enzo Ebosse

Defender

83

Sergiu Perciun

Midfielder

99

Lapo Siviero

Goalkeeper

13

Guillermo Maripán

Defender

61'

6

Emirhan Ilkhan

Midfielder

61'

20

Valentino Lazaro

Defender

62'

91

Duván Zapata

Attacker

73'

25

Niels Nkounkou

Defender

86'

Looking ahead to 2026, one national outlet isn’t ready to write Clemson out of the ACC race, but it isn’t placing the Tigers among the conference’s elite just yet, either.

In its early preseason ACC projections, Athlon Sports slotted Clemson at No. 4 in the league, positioning the Tigers behind Miami, Louisville and SMU in the opening power hierarchy. The ranking reflects a program sitting at an interesting crossroads following a season that failed to meet expectations by Clemson standards.

The Tigers are coming off a 7-6 finish in 2025, a year that featured stretches of promise but lacked week-to-week stability. Clemson split its eight conference games and landed in the middle of the pack, a far cry from its usual spot near the top of the standings.

According to Athlon analyst Steven Lassan, several roster changes will shape how high Clemson can climb in 2026. The offense is expected to look different, beginning with a new starting quarterback in Christopher Vizzina and a new voice calling plays in Chad Morris. Lassan also pointed to wide receiver T.J. Moore as a potential difference-maker, while naming linebacker Sammy Brown and defensive end Will Heldt as key pieces for a unit that could take a step forward defensively.

Clemson makes a late move adding a player to 2026 recruiting class https://t.co/OGX55QzvGOpic.twitter.com/0J6KFZ9bPm

— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) February 4, 2026

Clemson’s path next fall won’t be easy. Home matchups against North Carolina, Miami, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech highlight a demanding slate, while road trips to Cal, Florida State, Syracuse and Duke add to the challenge.

The early forecast suggests Clemson remains respected nationally, even after a down year. If the Tigers can clean up their inconsistencies and get more production from a retooled offense, they have a clear opportunity to push back toward the ACC’s upper echelon in 2026.

Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.

This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football ranks low in Athlon Sports early ACC rankings 2026

College football programs are certainly buying the nation’s top recruits’ signatures, but relationships and proof of concept still matter on the trail.

To even be in position to close a deal financially, you have to have a product these blue-chip prospects are buying into. So while there was certainly a heavy financial investment in landing the top 2026 recruits in the country, there oftentimes was still a strong relationship behind the deal that helped allow things to fall into place.

With that, Rivals highlights the top on-field college football recruiters in the country in the 2026 class.

Mike Mickens – Notre Dame

For a second cycle in a row, the former Irish defensive back coach receives first mention after securing signatures from nearly all of his top targets before ultimately taking a job with the Baltimore Ravens to be their secondary coach.

Notre Dame’s No. 2 ranked recruiting class is highlighted by two Rivals300 five-stars in cornerback Khary Adams and safety Joey O’Brien and another Top50 recruit in cornerback Ayden Pouncey.

Mickens was also the lead recruiter for four-star cornerback Chaz Smith and coveted safety Nick Reddish. 

Mickens did a fantastic job of quickly identifying the nation’s best, and building a strong rapport with them. They trusted their development with him.

New Notre Dame defensive backs coach Aaron Henry, who did a terrific job at Illinois, has big shoes to fill in South Bend.

Eric Henderson – USC

In the summer, the Trojans won a back-and-forth recruiting battle for Rivals No. 1 ranked overall prospect Luke Wafle, ultimately outbidding Ohio State to land the Hun School (NJ) five-star. But they don’t get a chance to even make a pitch without Henderson’s pedigree as a defensive line coach. Henderson helped the Rams win a Super Bowl, he mentored Aaron Donald, brought Donald out to Trojan practices, and with that, earned Wafle’s trust.

Henderson also quickly pushed for Rivals300 five-star Jaimeon Winfield and locked him up early. Winfield never wavered on his pledge to the Trojans.

Beyond those two elite talents, Henderson helped USC flip four-star Tomuhini Topui from Oregon and beat the Irish for four-star edge Simote Katoanga and four-star defensive lineman Braeden Jones who also gave a very early commitment and never came close to thinking twice.

Henderson reportedly interviewed for a position with the Dallas Cowboys. Keeping him at USC would be as big as singing this top-ranked class.

Alex Mirabal – Miami

The Rivals Industry’s No. 1 prospect in five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell chose Miami over Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon. Obviously the Hurricanes put a massive NIL opportunity on the table for the Nixa (Mo.) High five-star.

But Miami also recruited Cantwell the old-fashioned way. No program was in contact more. Obviously head coach Mario Cristobal is heavily involved but Mirabal was in daily communication. And more than anything, sources at other schools involved even said that Cantwell always viewed Mirabal as the best offensive line coach in the country. The Hurricanes advancing to the National Title game only validated everything Cantwell thought when he chose Miami over the other powerhouse programs on his list.

Word around Miami is that they landed another future pro in four-star offensive tackle Joel Ervin. Mirabal, Cristobal and company locked the Fort Myers (Fla.) product up early and they also signed four-star Ben Congdon and beat Clemson for legacy recruit Canon Pickett. In-state offensive lineman JJ Sparks from The Bolles School rounds out a group Mirabal is very excited about.

Chris Hampton – Oregon

The Ducks No. 3 ranked class was especially strong on the back end of the defense with Hampton integral in a lot of those commitments. 

Securing signatures from Davon Benjamin (beating USC), Devin Jackson (holding off Nebraska) and Jett Washington (over Alabama) were three that Dan Lanning and Hampton had at the top of the board. Oregon also landed four-star Xavier Lherisse early in the cycle and picked up four-star Azel Banag in December. This is one of the top secondary classes in the land.

Hampton was promoted to defensive coordinator following the departure of Tosh Lupoi to Cal. Oregon already team-recruited on the trail so Hampton was active with a lot of these 2026 targets on the defensive side of the ball.

Brian Hartline – Ohio State

Death, taxes and Hartline being among the top recruiters in the country.

Now the head coach at USF, Hartline spearheaded the Buckeyes efforts to secure an elite wide receiver haul, and he helped Ryan Day keep it together at the end.

OSU beat Ole Miss for newly-minted Rivals300 five-star Jerquaden Guilford and then helped assist in holding off LSU at the end. Obviously there was the saga with five-star Chris Henry Jr. but in the end he honored his long-standing pledge to the Buckeyes over Oregon and USC with Texas and LSU throwing out last-minute offers.

In-state wideout Jaeden Ricketts took a late visit to West Virginia but stuck with Ohio State. He also flipped Brock Boyd from TCU.

Trooper Taylor – Texas A&M

The Aggies ace on the trail is Taylor who was in the middle of several big wins that helped bring in the No. 7 class in the land.

Texas A&M beat Texas and held off LSU for the No. 3 running back in the country. They also beat Florida among others at the buzzer to sign four-star Carsyn Baker.

Peach State four-star Aaron Gregory was Texas A&M’s top wide receiver target and Taylor led the charge and made sure he never flipped. 

Taylor had his hands on in-state recruits in four-star linebacker DaQuives Beck, four-star tight end Kaeden Johnson and offensive linemen Zaden Krempin and Avery Morcho, who the staff absolutely loves.

Taylor has always been widely regarded as one of the top recruiters in the country and he lived up to the status in the 2026 cycle.

Todd Hartley – Georgia

Similar to Hartline, the Bulldogs tight ends coach typically lands who he covets most on the trail.

While USC was able to get it done with Mark Bowman, Hartley land the other three he coveted at the position headlined by in-state five-star and the No. 2 player in the country at the position in Kaiden Prothro.

Saline (Mich.) High standout and the nation’s No. 8 tight end Lincoln Keyes quickly became a guy Hartley and Georgia pushed for after having him in camp. 

No program did a better job recruiting the No. 11 tight end in the class in Mansfield (Ohio) Lexington’s Brayden Fogle than Hartley and Georgia.

Three high upside, very talented tight ends are headed to Athens to maintain the standard of play we’ve grown accustomed to seeing between The Hedges. 

Tony Alford – Michigan

Michigan landed perhaps the best player in the country regardless of position in five-star running back Savion Hiter, beating Tennessee, Ohio State and Georgia for the Mineral (Va.) Louisa County standout. Alford was on Hiter very early when he was on the Buckeyes staff and that carried over to the last two years in Ann Arbor. Relationship, comfort-level, style of play, academics mattered very much to Hiter and his family and Alford’s efforts made them feel at home with Michigan.

Hiter was one of two backs Alford signed with Jonathan Brown out of Ohio also putting pen to paper as part of the class.

New Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham retained Alford from the previous staff and the Maize and Blue will see the fruits of that in the 2027 cycle and beyond.

Al Washington – Notre Dame

Another the Irish lost to the NFL, Washington helped Notre Dame recruit its best defensive line haul in recent memory before taking a position with the Miami Dolphins.

The jewel of the Notre Dame class is five-star edge Rodney Dunham who picked ND over Tennessee and South Carolina. Fellow edge Ebenezer Ewetade went with the Irish over Georgia. One of Notre Dame’s top targets was defensive tackle Tiki Hola who also had a keen eye on USC. One of the last to commit in the cycle was four-star Elijah Golden who chose to play in South Bend over Alabama.

Frank Wilson – LSU

There are built-in advantages at LSU when it comes to recruiting elite in-state talent, but you still need someone to get these to the finish line. Wilson was very impactful for the Tigers in the 2026 class in helping secure the best defensive line haul in America.

Five-star Lamar Brown committed to LSU during the summer despite Texas A&M making it look very enticing in College Station. The Tigers held off Texas for Richard Anderson. The relationship with Wilson was one of the biggest reason Deuce Geralds chose LSU over Ole Miss and Georgia Tech.

Every player LSU signed from the state had a rapport with Wilson. Wilson’s now in Oxford and aims to help the Rebels keep their momentum going in 2027.

Is Coen Carr a top-10 small forward in college basketball? The answer to that question is yes, according to the Erving Award voters. On Wednesday, it was announced on social media that Carr has been recognized on the Midseason Top-10 list for the Erving Award.

The Erving Award is given each year to the top small forward in college basketball. Carr was on the initial watchlist heading into the season, and has now made the more exclusive midseason top-10 list.

Coen Carr is averaging 11.4 points per game this year while adding 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game for the Spartans. His shooting numbers are down this year, but overall production is up, and he is quickly becoming one of the best defenders in the Big Ten.

Coen has been recognized on the Midseason Top-10 list for the Erving Award 🟢 ⚪ pic.twitter.com/ga7zaYpiRF

— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) February 4, 2026

Michigan State fans can cast their votes for Carr and help him make the top-5 for the award at https://www.hoophallawards.com/.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.

This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Coen Carr named to Midseason Top-10 list for the Erving Award

United Airlines has announced a major reservation system overhaul set to take place on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, from 2:30 am to 6:00 am EDT. This crucial technology upgrade, aimed at transitioning to a cloud-based AWS (Amazon Web Services) infrastructure, will cause significant disruptions for travelers, particularly on domestic flights within the U.S. With 600 scheduled flights being canceled during this period, travelers should expect delays and changes to their itineraries, especially on the busiest travel days.

A Surge in Cancellations and Flight Adjustments

The planned outage is expected to result in the cancellation of 600 flights on February 4, primarily affecting domestic routes. The day before, February 3, 2026, travelers are advised to check in early, as they will not be able to make bookings, amend flight details, or check-in online during the scheduled downtime. Although international flights and red-eye departures will operate without disruption, domestic flights, particularly those in major U.S. hubs like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, will experience significant setbacks.

The major disruption will be felt most on Friday, February 6, and Monday, February 9, when flights surge back into the schedule. These peak periods will challenge both airlines and travelers alike, making it important to remain flexible and plan for potential delays.

Impact on Travelers and Domestic Tourism

As a key player in U.S. domestic travel, United Airlines’ system outage will ripple through popular destinations like Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. The surge in cancellations and delays will affect not just leisure travelers, but also business passengers heading to key events and meetings.

This disruption also raises concerns for domestic tourism, especially as the system comes back online during peak winter travel months. Popular destinations like Hawaii and Florida could see delays, with fewer seats available as flights are rescheduled or rerouted.

Proactive Measures to Minimize Impact

United Airlines has taken proactive steps, including rehearsing the data migration process and implementing measures to ensure the technology upgrade proceeds smoothly. However, travelers should prepare for the possibility of delays extending beyond the initial outage window. To minimize the impact of these disruptions, United is encouraging passengers to stay informed by checking flight statuses regularly via the airline’s website or mobile app.

What Travelers Can Do to Prepare

For travelers planning to fly on February 4, 2026, it is crucial to:

• Check-in Early: Ensure all check-ins are completed by February 3, 2026, to avoid complications during the outage.
• Be Prepared for Cancellations: Expect significant disruptions, especially on domestic flights, with 600 cancellations already in place.
• Stay Updated: Regularly monitor United Airlines’ app or website for real-time updates on flights and cancellations.
• Remain Flexible: Be ready for changes in flight schedules, particularly on February 6 and February 9, which will see a peak in departures.
• Customer Support: United’s customer service teams will be available to assist with rebooking or managing canceled flights.

Looking to the Future: Enhancing Operational Efficiency

While the temporary disruption will be an inconvenience, United Airlines’ long-term goal of upgrading its reservation system to a cloud-based platform promises improved operational efficiency and better service for travelers. With better data management and real-time tracking, the airline aims to streamline its booking process and reduce the chances of delays caused by technical issues in the future.

Conclusion: A Temporary Disruption with Long-Term Gains

United Airlines’ scheduled reservation system upgrade on February 4, 2026, will undoubtedly cause disruptions for domestic travelers, especially during peak travel periods. However, the investment in technology aims to provide long-term benefits in terms of efficiency and customer satisfaction. Travelers are encouraged to plan ahead, stay informed, and remain flexible to minimize the impact of these temporary challenges.

Inter President Beppe Marotta backs the squad rotation for the Coppa Italia quarter-final with Torino and admits Milan have an ‘advantage’ in the Scudetto race.

It kicks off at the U-Power Stadium in Monza at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

The winners will be decided after 90 minutes or go directly to a penalty shoot-out, then go on to face either Napoli or Como in the semi-final.

It is played on neutral turf because San Siro is being prepared for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

Marotta has faith in Inter squad

“Inter are obliged to aim for the maximum result in every tournament they enter,” Marotta told Sport Mediaset.

“Of course, going into this tour de force of games, Chivu is wisely rotating the squad at his disposal. We have a large squad, but one of great quality, so we share his choices and maintain the utmost respect for Torino.”

There were no real January signings for Inter, although they had seemed close in some cases to getting new players.

“It is a transfer window for teams to repair problems, and we did not require that, as we did such strong work over the summer. Chivu can also count on the players coming up from the youth academy, so it is satisfactory,” assured Marotta.

“We had that small issue of Dumfries, we don’t know exactly when he’ll be back, but we are all optimistic he’ll return soon. We have the players to cover the roles for all the competitions we are in.”

The Nerazzurri are top of the Serie A table and booked their place in the Champions League play-offs, but go into this game without injured Nicolò Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries.

Matteo Darmian was meant to get his first start of the season, but was instead ruled out by a stomach bug.

It means both Matteo Cocchi, who turned 19 on Sunday, and Issiaka Kamate get their full senior debuts for Inter.

Considering Inter have seven games to play in February, are Milan the main competitors for the Scudetto, aided also by their early Coppa Italia elimination?

“It is not just a duel with Milan, but all the teams in those top places, as they can all aim for the maximum result. Football is different to the past, so the fact Milan are the only ones in that group who have a single tournament to focus on, that is an advantage,” noted Marotta.

“We are accustomed to dealing with numerous games, we played 64 last season, reaching the Champions League Final and competing to the very end for the Scudetto. We mustn’t give in, we’ve got to fight hard with a physical and psychological stress that comes with this schedule.”

Inter fans have been barred from attending away fixtures until March 23 as punishment for the single 19-year-old supporter who threw a firework that struck Cremonese goalkeeper Emil Audero at the weekend.

“It was an extraordinarily awful and negative gesture that has nothing to do with the values of sport that we’ve been proposing since the youth academy. Unfortunately, some people are just delinquents, the club is helping the judicial process against this individual to protect the club and the fans who have very different values.

“We want to put this behind us, because the majority of Inter fans are absolutely not represented by this person,” added the Inter President.

The memory shortage has become so severe that consumers are now looking to Chinese suppliers like CXMT and YMTC as their 'saviour', hoping to get cheap DDR5/DDR4 modules, but that might never be the case. The retail situation in the RAM market is worsening by the day, with price hikes across the board, especially for higher-capacity modules. Mainly driven by DRAM shortages, it has become tough for gamers to access any memory, and given that the supply situation isn't looking to improve anytime soon, many of us have set our hopes on Chinese memory manufacturers coming to the rescue. Consumers […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/can-chinese-memory-save-us-from-the-ongoing-ram-shortages/

In anticipation of Iowa basketball's (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten) home matchup vs. No. 12 Purdue (18-4, 8-3 Big Ten) on Feb. 14, fans have officially sold out Carver-Hawkeye Arena for a men's basketball game for the first time in two years.

According to Iowa Athletics, this is Iowa basketball's first home sellout since the Hawkeyes' regular-season finale against Illinois on March 10, 2024.

𝙎𝙊𝙇𝘿 𝙊𝙐𝙏 𝘾𝙃𝘼 ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/XcgsJndgWE

— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) February 3, 2026

After dropping the meeting against the Boilermakers on Jan. 14 in a tightly contested 79-72 final from Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, the Hawkeyes will look to get their revenge in front of a raucous Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd and potentially secure a significant Quad 1 victory as a result.

The sold-out clash with the Boilermakers on Feb. 14 will begin at 4 p.m. CT and be broadcast on Fox.

Iowa returns to action on Feb. 4, when it travels to take on Washington (12-10, 4-7 Big Ten) from Alaska Airlines Arena.  The game will begin at 10 p.m. CT and be televised on BTN.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews

This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball vs Purdue officially sold out

While much of the college football world was focused on National Signing Day on Wednesday, Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks added another valuable piece to the roster via the transfer portal.

Not long after the announced commitment from 4-star freshman DL Anthony Jones, the Ducks also picked up a commitment from Howard Bison transfer defensive lineman Derrick Brown Jr., a redshirt senior who is projected to come to Eugene and provide some needed depth along the defensive line.

After playing for four seasons at Howard, Brown has some solid experience under his belt, but is now ready to prove himself on a higher level. He will get that opportunity in Eugene.

For Oregon fans who know little about Brown, here is a look into what the Ducks are getting in the 6-foot-5, 295-pound lineman.

One Year of Eligibility Remaining

Going into the 2026 season, Brown Jr. will be a redshirt senior, giving him one year of eligibility remaining. He redshirted his freshman year at Howard before playing in two games in 2023, and 10 games in 2024. He then became a regular contributor for the Bison in 2025, having a great season.

Had a Great year in 2025

More on that great season — Brown Jr. appears to be playing his best ball lately. After racking up 33 tackles and a sack in 2024 as a redshirt sophomore, Brown followed it up with 23 tackles and a pair of sacks this past year for Howard. He is improving each year and should be able to continue that in Eugene.

Bulked Up After Freshman Season

While you love to see statistical improvements year by year for a player, you also love to see gains in the weight room as well. That's somewhere that Brown has succeeded. He arrived at Howard listed at 6-foot-5, 255 pounds, but ahead of the 2025 season, he weighed in at 295 pounds. Whether or not he settles there is yet to be seen, but it will be exciting to see what Wilson Love and the Oregon strength staff can do with him.

Will Add Depth to Defensive Line

Oregon's starting defensive line will be among the best in the nation next season, but they lost a lot of depth in the transfer portal. They've done a good job of replacing that depth, though, with Brown now joining the likes of edge rusher Bleu Dantzler (Oregon State), D'Antre Robinson (North Carolina) and Jerome Simmons (Louisiana-Monroe).

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: What Oregon Duck fans should know about DL transfer Derrick Brown Jr.

Juventus are reportedly ready to try again for Randal Kolo Muani in the summer, when he’ll return to PSG from Tottenham, but are not prepared to sacrifice Khephren Thuram.

The Bianconeri made absolutely no secret of their desire to bring the centre-forward back to Turin both last summer and in January.

He had already impressed in a loan experience from January to July 2025, staying on during the FIFA Club World Cup, scoring 10 goals in 22 competitive games, along with three assists.

However, negotiations for a fresh loan with option to buy at the end of the season collapsed, and instead he was loaned to Spurs.

Kolo Muani an eternal target for Juventus

Juve tried again for Kolo Muani last month, but Tottenham refused to interrupt their loan deal early.

Now multiple sources including transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano and Calciomercato.com suggest Juventus are gearing up yet another attempt for next term.

The 27-year-old’s contract with PSG only runs to June 2028 and the club paid €95m to buy him from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023.

However, any suggestion that Paris Saint-Germain will ask for France international Thuram as part of an exchange deal for Kolo Muani is doomed to failure.

It’s reported Juve are very happy with Thuram and want to propose a new contract for the midfielder with improved salary.

Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino insists they ‘care about’ the Coppa Italia quarter-final against Juventus, but confirm Ademola Lookman ‘asked to leave’ for Atletico Madrid.

The match kicks off at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo on Thursday at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

It will be decided after 90 minutes, or go directly to a penalty shoot-out if they are still on level terms, without extra time.

The winners will then go on to face either Bologna or Lazio in the semi-final.

Palladino has big Coppa Italia ambition

“This is a fascinating game against a strong team in good shape, who play fine football and have an excellent coach,” Palladino told Sport Mediaset.

“It’s an important match for us, because we care about this competition and want to keep going forward, being competitive to the end.

“Juventus have many great players, who since Luciano Spalletti’s arrival have gained belief in themselves. I see a strong identity now in this team, so Spalletti deserves credit for that. I always prefer to face the strongest opponents.”

There have been some changes to the Atalanta squad in the January transfer window, including the arrival of Giacomo Raspadori and departure of Lookman.

“Lookman had this offer towards the end of the transfer session, he asked to leave and wanted a change of scenery, so the club made him happy. I am very pleased with the team at my disposal, it is what we needed to face three tournaments. We were going to an away match when he left, so there wasn’t much time to say goodbye, but we wish him all the best for the future,” continued Palladino.

“I am fortunate to have a strong and competitive squad, with many players of quality and technique, so I am spoilt for choice on who to start tomorrow.

“Jack did not play the most recent match, but that was unusual anyway as we were down to 10 men. We’ll see who I choose after the final training session.”

Atalanta were down to 10 men for almost all of their draw with Como, as Honest Ahanor saw red early on for a reaction foul, but Marco Carnesecchi saved the last-gasp Nico Paz penalty.

“We will not fine Ahanor, he is young and is well aware of his mistake. I liked the reaction of the team, which fought hard to bring home a positive result.”

Remember that ancient Aztec burial ground underneath Galen Center? It was worth exploring when USC missed a boatload of free throws in an inexplicable pair of collapses from the foul line against Purdue and Northwestern. Someone needed to do a cleansing ceremony or ritual ... and it worked! USC is back to shooting free throws well again. It really helped in the win over Indiana. Now, however, we have to do another ritual to purge USC of bad karma. Less than 11 months after JuJu Watkins got hurt, and only a few months after Rodney Rice got injured, Chad Baker-Mazara got injured against Indiana.

JuJu Watkins

We don't need to explain how big the JuJu Watkins injury was or is. USC was in line to make the Final Four before JuJu got hurt. The injury was severe enough to cost her a full season. That says it all.

Rodney Rice

Stop and realize how close USC has been to beating good Big Ten teams such as Purdue and Iowa. With Rodney Rice on the floor, USC almost surely has at least two more Big Ten wins this season, very possibly three or four when you count the Northwestern debacle and the Washington loss.

Chad Baker-Mazara

USC is losing a dependable veteran player when the Trojans sit on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Now the margin of error for the rest of the roster is smaller.

Alijah Arenas

He's healthy now, but Alijah Arenas missed two and a half months of ball this season. Imagine where USC would or could be if Arenas had a full season of games under his belt. Arenas is just beginning to learn how to play college basketball as it is. If he had a full season, he would be so much more advanced right now; USC would be, too. The Trojans' bad injury luck is simply beyond belief.

Coaches are working around the limitations

USC hammered No. 8 Iowa in women's basketball last week. The USC men have picked up crucial recent wins over Wisconsin and Indiana. Lindsay Gottlieb and Eric Musselman are both doing their best to handle these problems. If they both make the NCAA Tournament, it will rate as a very strong and successful coaching job for USC's basketball bosses.

Bubble intrigue

Both the USC women and men are currently on the good side of the NCAA bubble, but with nearly all of February left, there's a lot of work to be done. Both teams have upcoming games they simply have to win: the women at Northwestern, the men at Penn State. Losses in those situations would be damaging. Avoiding hits to the resume will increase the odds of making March Madness.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC basketball stars keep getting injured as Trojan curse continues

Tottenham Hotspur had a mediocre January transfer window, and the fans were left frustrated in the end.

Even though they signed Conor Gallagher and Souza last month, they failed to address the concerns in the attacking unit.

Pundit slams “uncontrollable” star after what he did, believes he will “leave Tottenham”

Spurs set for defining summer

Tottenham have struggled to create opportunities this season and find the back of the net consistently. They have multiple attacking players on the sidelines with injuries, but they failed to bring in an attacking signing. They were heavily criticised by fans and the media, and Tottenham director Johan Lange has now responded to the situation with a transfer promise.

The Tottenham chief has explained that plans are already in place for an ambitious summer transfer window and that the club will aim to significantly improve its squad.

Johan Lange said (h/t Fabrizio Romano): “We will go into the summer with big ambitions, the plans are already drawn up and we have a clear picture of what positions and which profiles we need”.

More Stories / Latest News

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Arsenal and Chelsea send high-ranking official to scout target with “fearless magic”

Feb 4 2026, 19:30

Lange message could appease Tottenham fans

The message from the club chief will certainly appease the fans to some extent. It will be interesting to see if Spurs can now deliver on that promise at the end of the season.

They need high-quality additions to compete regularly with elite clubs. They will need to improve multiple areas of the squad at the end of the season. They should look to bring in a quality striker, a dynamic winger, a defensive midfielder, and another central defender, especially if Radu Dragusin leaves.

Tottenham won the UEFA Europa League last season and were expected to compete for trophies again this season. So far, it has been a disappointing season, and they are in the mid-table positions. It will be interesting to see if they can improve during the second half of the campaign and finish strongly.

Report: Tottenham want €40m ace as priority as key star’s replacement hunt heats up

The post Tottenham chief sends “big ambitions” message fans have been desperate to hear appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has transformed his career in the past two seasons. He has gone from looking like a bust to becoming one of the most successful quarterbacks in the NFL. It's been an incredible story to witness, and many people are rooting for him to cap off his rise to the top with a Super Bowl win this Sunday. It has inspired even the most unlikely of people to root for him. Many USC football fans will be pulling for Darnold on Sunday (as well as Darnold's Trojan teammates) despite the fact that Seattle just eliminated the hometown team, the Los Angeles Rams, in the NFC Championship Game.

And as it turns out, Darnold also has the support of former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson wrote a very kind post about Darnold on X, and here is what Kole Musgrove of Seahawks Wire wrote about it:

"Darnold has had quite a journey to this moment, and it has been an inspiration to many, including a fellow former Seahawks signal caller," Musgrove wrote. "After Seattle's triumph over the Rams, Russell Wilson took to Twitter to share a world-class message of support to the man who now leads his former team."

Sam Darnold’s comeback story over the past 2 years has been one of the most inspirational things to watch! Cool seeing him overcome!!! Congrats bro.
Hope you win it! 🏆
Go Hawks

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) January 26, 2026

"The legacy of Russell Wilson in Seattle is... a bit complicated these days. It was an ugly exit that tarred his image with the 12th Man. But however it may have ended, we cannot forget the heights he took the Seahawks to, and how integral he was in helping to usher in the golden era of Seattle football. It is comforting to see Wilson still has love for the Seahawks, on some level, bringing hope that reconciliation between the city and one of its most beloved athletes can one day happen."

In such a divisive time, Sam Darnold is bringing people together. Trojan fans join many around the world in hoping that he can become the first USC quarterback to win the Super Bowl this Sunday.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Russell Wilson voices support for Sam Darnold in social media post

The postseason chatter surrounding Auburn softball has begun ahead of the Tigers' season opener

D1Softball has released its preseason bracketology ahead of the 2026 college softball season, and early projections point Auburn to competing in the Clemson Regional this postseason. According to D1Softball's prediction, Auburn softball will take the No. 2 seed in the Clemson Regional, behind the projected No. 11 nationally seeded Clemson Tigers. Belmont and Elon are also expected to join Auburn in the Clemson Regional. The Clemson Regional is paired with the Gainesville Regional and the projected No. 6-seeded Florida Gators. D1Softball's preseason bracketology pairs Florida with FAU, North Florida, and Marist.

Auburn softball will get an early taste of the Clemson Tigers this weekend as the squads will play Saturday at 3 p.m. CT in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida. Clemson is one of two teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament that Auburn will face this weekend. The Tigers will begin the season on Thursday at North Florida, the projected ASun Conference champion, before making their way to Clearwater.

All 15 SEC teams are expected to make the NCAA Tournament this season, according to D1Softball's early projections, with nine teams projected to host an NCAA Regional. The SEC leads the nation in expected NCAA Tournament teams, followed by the Big Ten and the ACC, which are expected to send seven teams each to the postseason.

Auburn softball's season opener is set for Thursday at 3 p.m. CT against North Florida in Jacksonville. There will be no TV/video streaming coverage, but fans can listen to the game locally on WEGL 91.1 FM in Auburn or online at AuburnTigers.com.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn softball's early postseason projection from D1Softball

Three-star athlete Amari Sabb has officially committed to Alabama, per On3's Hayes Fawcett.

A New Jersey native who attends Glassboro High School, Sabb is the younger brother of current Alabama safety Keon Sabb, as both will now join the Tide for the 2026 season. Sabb is an extremely talented and athletic receiver that will more than likely compete for targets next season, and the route runner could quickly prove to be an excellent pick up in the near future.

At 5'9", 170 pounds, Sabb was a highly coveted recruit prior to his commitment to Alabama, as the rising star has ultimately found a home with the Tide in Tuscaloosa.

Sabb was ranked as the No. 82 ATH and the No. 1180 overall player from the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. Sabb chose Alabama over a multitude of prestigious programs including Notre Dame and Ohio State, as the playmaker could quickly prove to be one of the more underrated players from the 2026 class.

Alabama has added a number of talented players from the 2026 class on both sides of the football in recent weeks, as the Tide continue to make changes throughout the offseason.

BREAKING: Class of 2026 ATH Amari Sabb has Committed to Alabama, he tells me for @Rivals

The 5’9 170 ATH from Glassboro, NJ chose the Crimson Tide over Notre Dame and Oregon State

He’s the younger brother of Alabama starting DB Keon Sabbhttps://t.co/oZKL3vcHAEpic.twitter.com/3KrYG256Sk

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 3, 2026

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: 2026 wide receiver Amari Sabb commits to Alabama football

The metrics don’t love UNC basketball, which has some quality wins but has also struggled with blowing out mediocre teams. 

Ranked No. 18 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll and No. 14 in the AP Top 25, the Tar Heels (18-4, 6-3 ACC) remain on the fringe of snagging a top-four seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. 

UNC started February with an 87-77 win against Syracuse, but the Tar Heels had a 32-point lead late in that game. A monster opportunity awaits against No. 4 Duke (21-1, 10-0) on Saturday, Feb. 7 (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in the latest edition of college basketball’s top rivalry. 

Here's a breakdown of the latest bracketology and NCAA Tournament projections for the Tar Heels, as of Feb. 4.

UNC basketball NCAA Tournament resume 

The Tar Heels are currently 26th in the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings. Through 21 games, UNC has a 4-3 record in Quadrant 1 games and a 14-1 record in Quadrants 2-4. The loss at Stanford dropped to a Q2 loss because the Cardinal is currently 77th in the NET. A win against Duke, which is No. 3 in the NET, would give the Tar Heels one of the best wins nationally. Breaking down the quadrant system, home games against teams ranked from No. 1-30, neutral-site games against teams ranked No. 1-50 and away games against opponents ranked No. 1-75 are considered Q1 chances. 

FULL BRACKET: March Madness bracketology: Houston, Florida rise in NCAA tournament

Here are the latest NCAA Tournament projections as of Wednesday, Feb. 4.

UNC basketball NCAA tournament projections, latest bracketology

ESPN: Joe Lunardi has the Tar Heels listed as a No. 6 seed in the Midwest Region, starting things off in Greenville, S.C., against No. 11 seed Miami (Ohio). Lunardi projects UNC’s highest possible seed as a No. 4.

CBS Sports: These projections have UNC as a No. 6 seed in the East Region, playing one of the First Four winners. In this scenario, the Tar Heels will face No. 11 seed Missouri or No. 11 seed Seton Hall.

USA TODAY: These projections have UNC as a No. 5 seed in the South Region, facing No. 12 Liberty in Greenville.

On3: These projections have UNC as a No. 6 seed in the West Region, facing off against No. 11 seed Texas or Ohio State in Philadelphia.

FOX Sports: These projections have the Tar Heels as a No. 4 seed in the West Region, facing No. 13 seed Stephen F. Austin. 

EvanMiya: The Tar Heels are 23rd in resume quality, projected to be a No. 6-8 seed.

Torvik: According to Bart Torvik's T-Ranketology Teamcast, UNC is projected to be a 6 or 7 seed.

Bracket Matrix: The Bracket Matrix formula considers the preeminent bracketology projections from across the web and averages them out to create a composite 68-team field. Of the 104 brackets tracked by the site, UNC is included on all of them, with most projections putting them in as a No. 5 or 6 seed.

Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to rbaxley@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC basketball seed in latest NCAA Tournament projections on Feb. 4

Tennessee received a 2026 football commitment on Wednesday from three-star running back Will Rajecki during national signing day.

The 5-foot-11, 199-pound prospect is from Sequoyah High School in Canton, Georgia. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 73 running back in the class and No. 129 player in Georgia.

Rajecki committed to Memphis on June 17, 2025 and decommitted from the Tigers on Dec. 21, 2025.

Georgia Southern was the first school to offer the 2026 prospect a scholarship on Nov. 20, 2024. Other schools to offer him scholarships include Kansas State, Charlotte, East Carolina, Cornell, Coastal Carolina, Kennesaw State, Miami University, James Madison, Appalachian State, Rice, Princeton, Buffalo, USF, North Carolina State, Vanderbilt, Toledo, Middle Tennessee State, Kansas, Wofford, Georgia State, Georgia, UAB, Oregon State, Arkansas and Southern Miss.

More: 2026 Tennessee football early signing period tracker

Tennessee has 28 other commitments in its 2026 football recruiting class: quarterback Faizon Brandon, wide receiver Tyreek King, offensive tackle  Gabriel Osenda, defensive lineman CJ Edwards, defensive lineman Zach Groves, safety KJ McClain, safety Luke Thompson, defensive end Kedric Golston II, offensive lineman Edward Baker, wide receiver Zaydyn Anderson, defensive lineman Dereon Albert, linebacker TJ White, cornerback Jamyan Theodore, defensive lineman Darryl Rivers, wide receiver Javonte Smith, linebacker Brayden Rouse, safety Jowell Combay, athlete Joel Wyatt, offensive tackle Kamari Blair, wide receiver Tristen Keys, defensive end Hezekiah Harris, tight end Luca Wolf, defensive lineman Nic’Quayvion Simmons, defensive end Carter Gooden, defensive end Jordan Carter, defensive lineman JJ Finch, offensive lineman Jeremy George-El and wide receiver JaColby Cooper.

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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: 2026 running back commits to Vols on national signing day

Former Juventus winger Massimo Mauro has given his assessment of Juventus’s current run of form, the role that Luciano Spalletti has had to play and the encouraging signs that the team showed in the absence of Kenan Yildiz against Parma. 

The Bianconeri are now up to fourth place in the Serie A table and have won four games on the spin in the league. They have also booked a spot in the Champions League play-off round along with Inter and Atalanta. 

Mauro, speaking in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, explained that there are several factors behind Juventus’s recent run of form. He argues that the form of summer signing Jonathan David has been key, but nothing has been more important than the guidance of Spalletti. 

Mauro on Juventus, Spalletti, David and Yildiz

“He’s done well. This version of David is acceptable and Openda is a worthy replacement, plus a few others who are doing well. Juve needs to get to the Champions League, and in the meantime, think and plan ahead to achieve next season’s targets,” Mauro said. 

“The players are the ones who go out onto the pitch and put in a performance, but there’s no doubt that the coach has played a fundamental role. At Juventus, you can’t just get away with winning four games, you really have to ‘arrive’. Spalletti did it very well, but he has to persevere because he hasn’t done anything yet. 

“Watching Juve play now is undoubtedly a pleasure, given their results and the way they achieve them. He’s deserved to win, even when he’s drawn or lost. It’s a great satisfaction for everyone.” 

With their 4-1 victory away against Parma on Sunday, Juventus have now leapfrogged Roma into fourth place in the Serie A standings. 

“Obviously, the standings are important. But Juve have to think like we did 30 years ago. What was done at Juventus on a Sunday was immediately forgotten because the most important game is always the next one. It might seem trivial, but it really does matter. If you stop to think about all the good things you’ve done, you’re not going anywhere. 

“I think Juve and Spalletti are doing that, and the quiet style of Comolli and Chiellini, who have left the management of the team to Spalletti and his team, also seems a wise move to me, it’s very Juventus. 

“Now they have a sporting director there, maybe the only thing they’re missing is a bit of ‘Italianness’. As for the rest, Juve have the right pieces in the right places and just have to play and win.” 

Mauro also gave his opinion on who he thinks will finish in the Serie A top four this season. 

“Whoever plays best and wins deserves it and will get to the Champions League. If the players maintain this quality of play, nobody can take qualification away from them. 

“They can’t let their guard down, of course, because Napoli could bounce back and Roma will fight until the very end: They have great staff and strengthened in the January transfer window. 

“But, if Juve maintain the high standard of play they’ve shown over the last five or six games, they will finish in the top four. I don’t know who will miss out, because I don’t feel like I can discount Roma: Everyone has to be careful. Milan are also on a similar level to these teams.

Lastly, Mauro gave his current opinion on Juventus star Kenan Yildiz, who is set to put pen to paper on a long-term contract extension in the near future. 

The Turkish talent came off at half-time in Juve’s recent win over Parma, but what happened in his absence is another encouraging sign for Spalletti and his team, Mauro says. 

“If there’s one thing that the Parma game showed, it’s that we were all wrong to say that Juve have big problems if Yildiz isn’t playing well. He played poorly in the first half, came off at half-time, but Juventus still played well and scored four goals. 

“Yes, Parma weren’t great, partly because Juve were very good and compact, but Spalletti’s gameplan put the team in a position to do well without Yildiz as well. Of course, it’s still better to have him.”

Two Tennessee baseball players received All-America honors from Baseball America ahead of the 2026 season. Sophomores Tegan Kuhns and Blaine Brown both earned second-team honors.

Kuhns was selected as a starting pitcher, while Brown was honored as a two-way player by Baseball America, which has its All-America Teams selected by MLB scouting departments.

After a freshman campaign for the Vols and playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2025, Kuhns returns to Tennessee's revamped pitching staff this season. He made 10 starts, totaling a 5.40 ERA and recording 40 strikeouts in 36.2 innings pitched.

Brown, a Rice transfer, enters his first season in Tennessee's program. He was a First-Team All-American Conference performer. He was also selected to the league's all-freshman team in 2025. Brown led the Owls in batting average (.292), slugging percentage (.493), hits (61), RBIs (38), doubles (12), home runs (10), total bases (103) and multi-hit games (18).

He also made seven pitching appearances, including four starts, for Rice last season.

More: Former Tennessee running back's son commits to Vols

Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Tegan Kuhns, Blaine Brown named preseason All-Americans for Vols

With its pivot to HAMR, Western Digital aims to deliver 100TB+ HDDs Western Digital has promised to launch 100TB HDDs by 2029, delivering a 2.5x increase in storage density over the next three years. This year, Western Digital will launch 40TB HDDs. This drive is their ePMR 40TB UltraSMR HDD, which enters volume production later […]

The post Western Digital promises 100TB HDDs by 2029 appeared first on OC3D.

Fabio Capello has had his say on Milan’s recent 3-0 victory over Bologna in Serie A, and suggests that it would be ‘foolish’ for Massimiliano Allegri’s side to not think about a fight for the Scudetto with city rivals Inter this season.

The Rossoneri claimed a dominant 3-0 win away against Vincenzo Italiano’s Bologna at the Dall’Ara on Tuesday evening thanks to goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christopher Nkunku and Adrien Rabiot. 

What is even more impressive about Milan’s victory last night was the fact that they did it in the absence of Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao and Alexis Saelemaekers. 

Capello on Milan, Champions League goal and Scudetto fight 

Writing in his La Gazzetta dello Sport column, Capello described Milan’s victory as ‘dominant’ and said that he was impressed by the ‘ease’ with which the Rossoneri managed to get themselves in on goal. He added that Allegri’s side played with a lot of personality and that they seemed ‘immune’ from Bologna attacks. 

Capello also credited Mike Maignan, who has recently extended his Rossoneri contract, as well as the partnership of Adrien Rabiot and Luka Modric in midfield over the course of the 2025-26 season: “When they turn up, the whole team turns up,” he wrote. 

Still, Allegri feels that Milan might be selling themselves short by not aiming to rival Inter for the Serie A title. 

Massimiliano Allegri has insisted throughout the season that Milan’s only goal is to finish in the top four and secure a return to the Champions League for 2026-27. However, even though Inter have a five-point lead after 23 matches, Capello believes that Milan should be taking the fight to their city rivals. 

“Why not aim for first place?,” Capello asked. He explained that aiming for the Scudetto would not compromise the main goal of finishing in the Champions League spots, and suggests that it would be “foolish not to consider it.” 

Preseason recognition continues to roll in for LSU baseball's Derek Curiel. The sophomore outfielder was named a preseason first-team All-American by Baseball America, as released Tuesday.

Curiel is one of five players named to the first team from the SEC. He burst onto the scene last year as a true freshman, earning a starting role in left field and often leading off the Tigers' batting order. On the national title-winning team, he led at the plate with a .345 batting average and 20 doubles.

In addition, Curiel finished with 90 hits, 67 runs and 55 RBI. He earned freshman of the year recognition from multiple outlets for his performance in the country's best baseball conference and in the postseason.

Here's what Baseball America had to say about Curiel as a preseason first-team All-American.

"Curiel’s reputation as an advanced pure hitter dates back to his freshman season in high school. As a freshman with LSU, Curiel hit .345/.470/.519 with seven home runs and 20 doubles, as well as far better exit velocities than expected given his lean frame. As a draft-eligible sophomore, Curiel will slide from left to center where his crisp route-running and solid instincts should allow him to stick long term."

LSU OF Derek Curiel -- 2025 Stats

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU baseball outfielder Derek Curiel named preseason All-American

Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SEC) still sits atop the SEC standings after defeating Georgia on the road 92-77, and with seven wins in conference play, the Aggies likely need at least three more victories to solidify their NCAA Tournament chances as an at-large bid. Set to face Alabama on the road, the Crimson Tide is desperate to protect home court after falling to Florida on the road 100-77.

Entering Wednesday's road test, first-year head coach Bucky McMillan spent Monday praising his team rather than spending both the pregame press conference and Aggie basketball hour discussing Alabama's roster, especially center Charles Bediako, who will be available on Wednesday amid his ongoing eligibility battle. After shooting 45% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc, the Aggies will need to continue outshooting opponents to keep the win streak alive.

However, Alabama has nearly matched Texas A&M from three-point range over the past two games, making an average of 14 threes per game compared to the Aggies' 15.

Health-wise, outside of Indiana transfer forward Mackenzie Mgbako, McMillan's roster is entirely healthy heading into Wednesday night, and according to the initial injury report, Alabama will be without three players, while forward Taylor Bol Bowen (7.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG), who was injured against Florida, is listed as "questionable" with a 50% chance to play.

Even if Bol Bowen doesn't play, Texas A&M will face a healthy Alabama squad led by star guard Labaron Philon Jr., who is averaging 21.6 points per game, shooting 51% from the field, and 38% from beyond the arc.

The SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report ahead of Texas A&M at Alabama tomorrow night: pic.twitter.com/M8t9COrbYQ

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) February 4, 2026

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M is 100% healthy before facing Alabama on Wednesday

Fans are watching Husker basketball in record numbers. Sunday's Nebraska-Illinois game had 1.37 million viewers and is officially the most-watched college basketball game ever on FS1.

The Huskers fell to the Fighting Illini, 78-69. Nebraska fell to 20-2 (9-2 Big Ten) while Illinois improved to 19-3 (10-1). 

Illinois’ Keaton Wagler led all scorers with 28 points while Branden Frager led the Huskers with 20 points. Nebraska shot 42.4% from the floor and 42.9% from the 3-point line. 

Nebraska will return to action on Saturday morning when it travels east to face Rutgers. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on Big Ten Network

Sunday’s Illinois–Nebraska matchup on FS1 delivered 1.37 million viewers — the network’s most-watched college basketball game ever. pic.twitter.com/uLVgADP8DO

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 3, 2026

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska basketball game against Illinois sets FS1 viewership record

It’s pretty safe the say that the general sentiment around college football is that Notre Dame will make its return to the College Football Playoff in 2026.

The Irish were left out of this year’s 12-team event, as many believed that they deserved to be in. After what we saw unfold, it was pretty safe to say that Notre Dame should have been in, as it very well could have won it all.

As for this coming season, CBS Sports Brad Crawford released his way-too-early CFP bracket projection, and he’s got the Irish as the No. 2 seed. Miami, one of Notre Dame’s opponents, takes the to spot, so it seems like whoever loses that game finds their footing once again. Texas and Indiana round out his top-4.

In this scenario, the Irish would take on the winner of the 7 vs. 10 matchup as Crawford has Texas A&M and Oregon battling it out in the first round. Overall, it’s an interesting take, with four Big Ten and SEC teams, Texas Tech making it again and Memphis as the Group of 5 team.

It will be interesting to come back to this when the regular season is over, but it doesn’t seem like the worst field considering which teams are participating.

Way-Too-Early College Football Playoff projection for the 2026 season, via @BCrawford247 👀

What would you change?

🔗 https://t.co/QnshRG871epic.twitter.com/Dlc3J28sIW

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) February 3, 2026

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: What seed is Notre Dame in CBS Sports early 2026 CFP projection?

Chicago O’Hare, Newark Liberty, and Denver International Airports face major disruptions as United Airlines implements a nationwide pause in operations following a system outage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the ground stop affects departures across these key tourism gateways, with recovery efforts underway to minimize long-term tourism fallout. This incident underscores vulnerabilities in airline infrastructure, directly threatening inbound tourism to bustling hubs like Chicago O’Hare‘s cultural districts and Newark Liberty‘s proximity to New York attractions.

FAA oversight ensures safety protocols during such pauses, coordinating with airlines to resume services swiftly. Tourism operators at Denver‘s ski resorts and urban spots brace for ripple effects, as delayed flights deter spontaneous visitors. Enhanced connectivity remains vital for tourism recovery post-pandemic.

FAA Coordinates Response at Major Hubs

The FAA issued ground stops at Chicago O’Hare, Newark Liberty, Denver, Houston, and San Francisco, prioritizing safe recovery from United’s technology issue. Regulators maintain close contact, offering support to clear backlogs without compromising standards. Tourism to these destinations suffers short-term hits, with leisure travelers rerouting amid uncertainty.

Chicago O’Hare‘s role as a Midwest tourism nexus amplifies impacts, affecting routes to national parks and city festivals. Newark Liberty passengers bound for East Coast tourism hotspots experience cascading delays. Sustainable tourism initiatives face tests, as efficient operations underpin eco-friendly travel planning.

Root Causes of the System Outage

United’s internal systems, critical for flight dispatch and load planning, encountered connectivity failures leading to the operational halt. FAA distinguishes this from broader air traffic issues, focusing on airline-specific resolutions. Past similar outages at these hubs highlight ongoing tech upgrades needed for reliable tourism support.

Denver International Airport‘s high-altitude operations demand precise data, making outages particularly disruptive to Rocky Mountain tourism. Chicago O’Hare and Newark Liberty see compounded effects due to dense schedules serving leisure markets. Tourism boards monitor to mitigate reputational damage.

Immediate Impacts on Tourism Flows

Thousands of flights face delays or holds, stranding passengers en route to tourism meccas serviced by Chicago O’Hare, Newark Liberty, and Denver. Hotel bookings and tours risk no-shows, denting local economies reliant on aviation-driven tourism. Families targeting Denver‘s adventure scene or Chicago‘s architecture face itinerary upheavals.

Newark Liberty‘s links to Atlantic City and Manhattan amplify tourism losses. FAA-monitored recoveries aim to restore confidence, essential for seasonal peaks. Culinary tourism in these cities suffers as inbound groups dwindle temporarily.

Recovery Efforts and Passenger Support

United prioritizes system restoration, anticipating residual delays at affected hubs while treating disruptions as controllable for compensation. FAA assists in backlog clearance, ensuring minimal extension of pauses. Tourism rebounds hinge on swift normalcy, with airlines covering eligible expenses like accommodations.

Chicago O’Hare ramps up ground handling to reconnect delayed tourism traffic. Denver and Newark Liberty leverage contingency plans to sustain operations. Transparency from regulators bolsters traveler trust.

Historical Precedents in US Aviation

Prior FAA ground stops for United, including 2025 events at Chicago O’Hare and Newark Liberty, resolved within hours but echoed in networks. These incidents prompt investments in resilient tech for uninterrupted tourism. Denver‘s unique challenges inform national strategies.

Lessons enhance preparedness, safeguarding tourism to vibrant destinations. Regulators evolve protocols accordingly.

Broader Tourism Industry Ramifications

System outages expose risks to tourism ecosystems at mega-hubs like Chicago O’Hare, Newark Liberty, and Denver, where leisure comprises significant traffic. Cruise connections and multi-city tours falter, prompting diversification calls. Sustainable tourism advocates push for digitized redundancies.

East Coast tourism via Newark Liberty interconnects with regional draws. Midwest and West recover variably.

Economic Ripples Across Hubs

Disruptions translate to revenue dips for tourism-adjacent sectors at Chicago O’Hare, from taxis to attractions. Denver‘s outdoor economy feels pinch during peak seasons. Newark Liberty supports tri-state tourism, magnifying effects. FAA mitigation preserves capacity long-term. Airlines invest to avert recurrences.

Future Safeguards for Aviation Tourism

United accelerates tech modernizations post-outage, aligning with FAA guidelines for hub reliability. Chicago O’Hare, Newark Liberty, and Denver benefit from fortified systems supporting tourism growth. Emphasis on backups ensures resilience.

Sustainable tourism integrates outage lessons for greener, stable networks. Tourism stakeholders collaborate for robust futures.

Image Credit: United Airlines

Following reports of interest from Arsenal in Italy international Sandor Tonali towards the end of the January transfer window, there have since been suggestions that several top sides across Europe could be poised to make a move for the Newcastle United midfielder. 

Could Tonali move away from Newcastle?

According to reports on the final day of the January transfer window, Premier League leaders Arsenal had shown an interest in signing Tonali, but completing a deal for the €115m (£100m) rated midfielder with just a few hours of the window remaining was always going to be an impossible task. 

That is largely because Newcastle are not particularly interested in letting one of their star players leave. 

Tonali’s agent, Beppe Riso, has since had an opportunity to comment on the late Arsenal rumours, insisting: “I read it, but Newcastle won’t let Sandro leave in January, and we never talked to Arsenal about this. 

“We will evaluate in March whether Newcastle are open to anything, but right now he is playing in the Champions League, it is not the right moment to talk about it.”

According to the latest updates from Fabrizio Romano, Tonali remains a player to ‘keep an eye on’ heading into the summer transfer window. He claims that both Arsenal, Juventus and a host of unspecified ‘top clubs’ in the Premier League are interested in the former Milan midfielder. 

Wednesday’s update claims that Tonali’s agent, Riso, will meet with Newcastle representatives later on this season to take stock of the situation and discuss the player’s future. 

Fabrizio Romano suggests that there is a ‘possibility’ that Tonali considers a move away from Newcastle in the summer, btu for now, the situation remains in Newcastle’s hands.  

Recent reports claim that Alex Jimenez’s loan move to AFC Bournemouth is set to be made permanent in the near future, but how much will his parent club, Milan, earn from the deal? 

Alex Jimenez set to join Bournemouth from Milan on permanent deal

Jimenez has spent the 2025-26 season on loan at Premier League side Bournemouth from Milan. His deal with the Cherries includes a conditional obligation to buy, which, according to Fabrizio Romano, is set to be triggered this week. 

Milan already received a fee of €2m for Jimenez’s loan deal. According to Wednesday’s update, the buyout clause will be worth €19.5m plus an additional €5.5m in bonuses and add-ons. 

However, the Rossoneri will not receive all of that €19.5m as Jimenez’s former club, Real Madrid, are entitled to a 50% sell-on fee. 

So, Real Madrid and Milan will split the €19.5m fee equally, meaning €9.75m each, not including bonuses. 

Jimenez is reportedly set to join Bournemouth on a five-and-a-half year contract running until the summer of 2031.

Penn State will open a brand new era of college football under head coach Matt Campbell in 2026, and the schedule is seemingly pretty manageable for a potential rebound season. After a tough 7-6 season in 2025, capped by a win in the Pinstripe Bowl, Penn State looks for a fresh start in 2026. The new era begins with a home game against Marshall in Week 1 and will include a big home game against USC in mid-October.

Penn State's road schedule is highlighted by road trips to Seattle to face Washington and Ann Arbor, Michigan, to take on the Michigan Wolverines. The Nittany Lions also take trips to Philadelphia (Temple) and Maryland this season.

Penn State will be the first opponent Northwestern will host in its rebuilt Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois in early October. The game was moved up a day to a Friday night game to showcase the opening of Northwestern's home stadium after two years.

Here is Penn State's 2026 football schedule with updated start times and TV information. This will be updated as needed. Home games are listed in all CAPS and all times are Eastern (ET).

• "*" denotes Big Ten Conference game
• Penn State's bye week is during Week 8 (Oct. 24)
• The Big Ten Championship game is scheduled for Saturday, December 5 in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Full Penn State 2026 football schedule, kickoff times, and TV info

Juventus are on the verge of tying down Kenan Yildiz to a new long-term contract, with the Turkish star set to become the cornerstone of the club’s present and future.

With the January transfer window now closed, the Bianconeri are ready to complete what many fans see as their most important move of the season: the renewal of arguably their best player.

Talks have advanced significantly in recent days, with only the final details left to be resolved before the agreement is sealed, as per the Corriere dello Sport.

Yildiz signs with Juventus until 2031: the details

Yildiz is expected to sign a new deal running until June 2031, extending his current contract by a further two years.

The Turkish forward will also receive a major salary increase in line with his new status within the squad.

His wages are set to rise to €6m net per season, which would make him Juventus’ second-joint highest earner, alongside Jonathan David, behind Dusan Vlahovic.

Securing Yildiz’s future was one of the club’s top priorities at the start of 2026.

Juventus ownership have given clear instructions to build around the young forward, who has already attracted interest from several European giants, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

Barring any last-minute complications, Juventus are now closing in on the finish line.

La Gazzetta dello Sport

“What the Devil!”

Milan overwhelm Bologna (3-0) and remain five points behind Inter.

The Rossoneri win and put on a show.
Goals from Loftus-Cheek, Nkunku and Rabiot.
Allegri: “Now Roma at home.”

Chivu chooses a brand new Inter
Torino go all-in and look for an upset.

Spalletti changes Juve
Now they move at Champions League pace.

Serie A is red
Losses of €360 million.

Tuttosport

Milan, Scudetto show

Proof of strength without Leao, Pulisic and Saelemaekers.

Thanks, Allegri.

Agreement reached, announcement imminent

Yildiz 2030 – Juve, it’s time!

A top player already.

Written in black and white until 2030.

Now to sort out Vlahovic’s future: a leap forward next season is possible.

Koopmeiners still out.

Corriere dello Sport

Milan enjoy themselves

Allegri wins 3-0 away: message for Inter.

They beat Bologna: Max now five behind Chivu.

Fast start
Second straight win
Loftus-Cheek opens
Nkunku scores again (5th goal)
Rabiot completes the party

Juve, blitz for Senesi

The centre-back, set to leave Bournemouth, is the priority target.
The Argentine is free on June 30: Comolli first in line.

Former college basketball coach Bruce Weber joined Fox 2 Sports Director Martin Kilcoyne on the Sports Final set on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weber the former Illinois head coach led the Illini to the NCAA Championship game in 2005. He also coached at SIUC and Kansas State during his career compiling 497 wins during his college coaching career. Weber now works in television as a basketball analyst for the Big Ten Network. Among the topics Coach Weber and Martin discussed: the Illini’s strong season so far, the Billikens and their chances at making the NCAA post season tournament and how NIL has changed college basketball.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.

Intel's GPU business has always been a mystery, not just on the consumer front, but also in the datacenter segment, but it appears Tan has a plan in mind. Intel's CEO Reveals Recent Efforts to Hire Qualcomm Executive Were a Part of the GPU Business Strategy Intel has been in a struggling position ever since Lip-Bu Tan took over, given that the company still hasn't defined a clear roadmap for where it is heading with AI. When you look at Team Blue's accelerator plans, the only thing we know about is the 'inference-focused' Crescent Island, since progress around Jaguar Shores […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/intel-shows-no-signs-of-leaving-the-gpu-business/

It's almost here... one of the best sports months of the year is almost here. So why don't we start to look ahead to see where our Spartans could be landing when March Madness is officially upon us.

Michigan State basketball is once again having a strong season, with the Spartans currently sitting in the top 10 nationally as we enter February. The Spartans are 19-3 overall and 9-2 in Big Ten play, and are considered by some already a lock to be dancing in March again this year. The question now really becomes how do they finish the season and where do they land when Selection Sunday rolls around on March 15?

Bracketology has become a year around thing, but it really starts to hit differently when we get this late in the season. The loose projections of which teams could be a top seed or on the bubble in November become more and more clear as games begin in February. So with that being said, let's do a quick roundup of some notable bracketology posts that have came out in the last few days, and see where our Spartans are currently positioned to start the month of February.

USA TODAY Sports

Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in West Region

First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed North Dakota State in Greenville, S.C.

My Thoughts: I like the draw overall for the Spartans. The seed line seems fitting for where they are currently ranked, and this seems like a manageable path (North Dakota State, No. 6 seed Louisville then No. 2 seed Gonzaga) to the Elite Eight before a potential matchup with No. 1 ranked Arizona.

Click here to see full bracket projection

ESPN

Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in West Region

First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed Wright State in Buffalo, N.Y.

My Thoughts: This is a comparable draw to the previous bracket projection from USA TODAY Sports, with a similar potential second round matchup against No. 6 seed Louisville and potential Sweet 16 matchup against No. 2 seed Gonzaga. The main difference is playing in Buffalo vs. Greenville -- so I guess if you're traveling as a fan, going south in March beats going further north...

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The Field of 68 (On3)

Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in East Region

First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed East Tennessee State

My Thoughts: I'm seeing a trend here that Michigan State is a No. 3 seed by nearly everyone in the bracketology field right now. Notable difference in this bracket projection, though, is that Michigan State landed in the East Region, which could mean a potential rematch against Duke in the Elite Eight if things were to shake out that way. I wouldn't mind another crack at the Blue Devils with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

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NCAA.com (Andy Katz)

Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in South Region

First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed UC Irvine in Buffalo, N.Y.

My Thoughts: This may be my least favorite draw for the Spartans when you do the look ahead to the second weekend. If things were to go chalk, Michigan State would be playing No. 2 seed Houston in a Sweet 16 matchup based in Houston -- that's not ideal at all and would be awfully similar to having to play Auburn in Atlanta in the Elite Eight last year.

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FOX Sports

Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in West Region

First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed Harvard

My Thoughts: This is another draw that I like when you look ahead to potential second round and Sweet 16 matchups. If things were to go chalk, Michigan State would face No. 6 seed St. John's and No. 2 seed Gonzaga en route to potentially facing No. 1 Arizona in the Elite Eight. There's no easy matchups in March, but I would like this draw for the Spartans.

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CBS Sports

Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in South Region

First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed East Tennessee State

My Thoughts: This would be an interesting draw for the Spartans as chalk would have them playing a pair of rematches. First would be No. 6 seed Kentucky in the second round, and then No. 2 seed Illinois in the Sweet 16. We will see this weekend how the Spartans stack up with the Fighting Illini, but I personally don't like rematches in the NCAA Tournament -- especially if it's a team you already beat earlier in the year.

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Overall Thoughts

It's clear that if Selection Sunday were today, Michigan State would be a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That is exactly where I'd put them as well so I have no beef with any of these projections.

As we look ahead, Michigan State has a number of high-level games remaining on the schedule in February and into March, so there will be opportunities to raise (or drop) that seed line one or two spots. But assuming they don't tank down the stretch, we are looking at the Spartans most likely landing anywhere between a No. 2 seed through No. 5 seed -- with an outside chance at a No. 1 seed if they really do some damage late in the season. That will allow an opportunity for another run in March this upcoming season for the Spartans.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.

This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: 'Bracketology' Roundup: Analyzing where MSU basketball lands in latest bracket projections

Philadelphia Archbishop Ryan three-star defensive lineman Stanley Montgomery has decommitted from Syracuse, he announced on Tuesday evening.

He was pledged to the Orange since June 22. Montgomery is the second prospect to decommit from the ACC program on Tuesday, following athlete Davion Crumitie.

“After much thought and consideration, and taking the time talking with my family, I’ve decided to de-commit from Syracuse University and re open my recruitment,” Montgomery wrote announcing his decision on X.

Montgomery is the No. 512 overall prospect and No. 51 DL in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 16 recruit in Pennsylvania.

The 6-foot-3, 290-pounder is coming off a visit to Penn State over the weekend. He spoke about the visit with Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong:

“It was a great experience seeing the fans all come out for the game,” Montgomery said. “I think what excites me about playing for Coach Campbell is who is he as a person. Seems like a great person and a great coach and then also being a Nittany Lion and the love and support the fans give, who wouldn’t want to be a part of that.”

PSU has long been in the mix for the in-state lineman and it will now be a program to watch moving forward. Montgomery is coming off a 45-tackle, eight-sack season for Archbishop Ryan.

Syracuse still has bigger 2027 class than most thus far

Despite losing a pair of commitments, head coach Fran Brown and the Syracuse staff have still put plenty of hay in the barn early on in the 2027 cycle. The class now has eight commits and still ranks No. 25 in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

Rocky River (Ohio) four-star safety Tristin Hughes continues to headline the haul, checking in as the No. 360 recruit and No. 34 safety in the nation. He’s been in the class since September.

St. Frances Academy (Md.) three-star running back Sa’Nir Brooks is the most-recent addition to the mix as he committed on Jan. 24. The Aliquippa, Pa. native is the No. 33 RB in the cycle. Hillside (N.J.) three-star safety Travis Miles is a top-60 safety this cycle.

The rest of the early haul for the Orange can be seen here. Last cycle, Syracuse signed the nation’s No. 33 class, good for the No. 7 spot in the ACC.

Iowa basketball star Bennett Stirtz was unstoppable on Sunday.

In the Hawkeyes 84-66 win over the Oregon Ducks, Stirtz poured in 32 points on an incredibly efficient 12-15 shooting from the field. He added seven assists and two steals, while ot committing a single turnover all night despite playing 38 minutes. His effort in that game was a big reason he was named the Co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday. But that wasn't the only accolade to come out of that game for Stirtz.

In the first half of the win, the senior point guard reached an impressive scoring milestone in his career: 2,000 career points.

2K CAREER POINTS FOR NO. 14 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xM3S37jObk

— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) February 2, 2026

Stirtz had accumulated his points at three different schools. So far this season, he's scored exactly 400 points with the Hawkeyes. He had 673 points at Drake last season, his first Division I campaign. The rest of his career points came with Division II Northwest Missouri State, where he spent the first two years of his career with Ben McCollum. Stirtz scored 945 points across his two seasons with the Bearcats.

While the raw scoring numbers are impressive, Stirtz's efficiency may be better. Across his entire collegiate career, he's shooting 52.3% from the field, 38.5% from behind the arc, and 82.5% from the free throw line. Those are incredibly effective scoring numbers for any player, but especially a guard. No matter what level of college basketball he's played at, Stirtz has dominated.

Iowa fans should appreciate Stirtz and what he's doing while he's still here. He's one of the best pure talents to take the court wearing black and gold in recent memory, and could be one of the biggest reasons why the Hawkeyes finally see some big success in March.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney

This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball star surpasses historic scoring mark

A former Spartans star guard has landed in the NBA G League All-Star game.

Former Michigan State guard Jaden Akins has been selected for the NBA G League Next Up Game during All-Star weekend. He earned a spot in the event through the fan vote series, where he was fifth in fan voting.

Akins has starred for the Motor City Cruise in his first season since departing the Spartans. He is averaging 17.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5 assists per game in his rookie NBA G League season.

The Next Up Game will be held on February 19 at 3 p.m. ET at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The event will be televised on NBA TV.

EARNED.

Congratulations to @JadenAkins3 on earning a spot in the @nbagleague Next Up Game during All-Star Weekend!⭐️ pic.twitter.com/BlKoiocH0g

— Motor City Cruise (@MotorCityCruise) February 3, 2026

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.

This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Former MSU star Jaden Akins selected to NBA G League All-Star Game

Michigan State basketball has been listed as a road favorite at Minnesota in Wednesday night's conference battle from The Barn.

Michigan State is listed as a 7.5-point favorite over Minnesota in Wednesday's matchup, according to FanDuel. Additionally, the over/under points total is set at 131.5 points.

The Spartans come into this matchup looking to bounce back from a tough rivalry loss against Michigan in their last game last week. Michigan State is now 19-3 overall and 9-2 in Big Ten play following the loss to Michigan.

Minnesota is in the midst of a six-game losing streak, which has included a pair of heartbreaking losses in their last two games last week. The Golden Gophers first blew a 20-point lead against rival Wisconsin, before then losing on a buzzer beater against Penn State this past weekend. Minnesota is 10-12 overall and 3-8 in Big Ten play.

Tipoff from Minnesota is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.

This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State-Minnesota basketball: Betting line, over/under points total

The greatest rivalry in sports is nearly here. On Saturday, February 7 at 6:30 p.m. ET in front of a national audience, UNC and Duke will play Round One of the Tobacco Road Rivalry.

The visiting Blue Devils (20-1, 9-0 ACC) are conference favorites, but North Carolina (18-4, 6-3 ACC) is making a rapid ascension up the standings. The Tar Heels easily dispatched Notre Dame and Georgia Tech, roared back from a 16-point deficit to upset Virginia, then withstood a late Syracuse charge to continue their winning streak.

With a week ahead full of several, exciting college basketball games, Andy Katz named UNC-Duke his Game of the Week.

To further build anticipation for Saturday's ACC rivalry battle, College GameDay will be coming to Chapel Hill. Expect to see plenty of wild signs, discussion at the ESPN desk and – who knows – maybe appearances from Hubert Davis, Caleb Wilson, Jon Scheyer and Cameron Boozer.

SO many top tier matchups this week 🔥

Duke-UNC headlines a STACKED edition of @TheAndyKatz’s Games of the Week ‼️ pic.twitter.com/FWtaeeqnox

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 2, 2026

The Blue Devils could very well be undefeated, but Texas Tech spoiled their season back on December 20. Boozer (23.5 points, 9.8 rebounds per game) is a National Player of the Year candidate, but Patrick Ngongba (11 PPG) and Isaiah Evans (14.3 PPG) help form a lethal Duke trio.

North Carolina may not have the Blue Devils' record, but they have a better frontcourt with Wilson and Henri Veesaar. The Tar Heels' backcourt continues to solidify itself, bench production is increasing and, despite occasional struggles, 2025-26 is worlds better than last season.

Will UNC-Duke live up to the hype? Most matchups do, so with re-loaded rosters for both programs this year, expect more fireworks on Saturday.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on. Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC-Duke basketball tabbed Andy Katz' Game of the Week

Massimiliano Allegri believes that there is still room for improvement for his Milan side, despite picking up a 3-0 victory away against Bologna in the absence of Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic and Alexis Saelemaekers on Tuesday night. 

The Rossoneri extended their unbeaten Serie A run to 22 matches thank to goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christopher Nkunku and Adrien Rabiot in an eventual 3-0 romp at the Dall’Ara on Tuesday evening. 

You can see how the action unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Allegri reacts to Bologna 0-3 Milan 

Speaking to DAZN after full-time, Allegri explained that Milan played well because they were able to get the best out of their makeshift strike partnership of Nkunku and Loftus-Cheek, who had never previously started up front together before Tuesday night. 

“Nkunku and Loftus-Cheek are players of enormous quality,” Allegri told DAZN after full-time.

“It was always going to be a game that we needed to take seriously, because they have been very decent at the back. Bologna are a dangerous team that plays well. The boys did well defensively and offensively.”

Despite the scoreline, Allegri feels that there is still room for improvement among the current Milan squad.

“It was a good game tonight. In my opinion, we have to do better in ball management. We played well because Nkunku and Loftus-Cheek did well, allowing us to play with the ball and giving us depth.”

And when asked which parts of Milan’s performance he enjoyed the most, Allegri said: “It was important for us to get to 50 points for the season because our goal has always been to reach the top four.

We defended very well from 3-0, not conceding is always good. It’s more important to look ahead, because it’s a long season and we still need a lot more points to qualify for the Champions League. We’ll enjoy this break, because we’re not playing on Sunday, and will hope to have all our players available again.”

Vincenzo Italiano was left bemused and questioning why his Bologna side do not seem able to put in a decent performance for two matches in a row after falling to a disappointing 3-0 defeat at home against Milan on Tuesday night. 

The Rossoblu were a defensive mess on the night and were soundly beaten after goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christopher Nkunku and Adrien Rabiot, two of which were of their own doing. 

You can see how the action unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog. 

Italiano: ‘Bologna conceding at every slightest mistake’ 

Speaking to DAZN after full-time, Italiano said that he thought his players were looking confident in the build-up to the Milan clash, but believes that costly mistakes at the back are hurting his side, who have slipped down to 10th place in the table. 

“My analysis is that we were very confident. We approached it well, but we don’t seem to be able to put in two consecutive top-level performances,” Italiano told DAZN after full-time.

“Unfortunately we’re conceding goals at every slightest mistake. We’re paying for every blunder. We were light at the back and they hurt us. We stayed in the game and tried to put them in difficulty, but we can’t play well one game after the other and we have to work on that.”

The Rossoblu admits that for one reason or another, Bologna haven’t been the same since their appearance in the Supercoppa Italiana final in December.

“We’ve lost a bit of brilliance and a bit of solidity from there. We’ve been ourselves at times, but we can’t have this lack of continuity in our performance or concentration. We have to be more careful.

“We had a lot of enthusiasm for this game after the match against Maccabi, thanks also to the arrivals of the new players. We have time to put things back to how they should be, If we can find the key in these next three months, everything will be back in order.”

Italiano was also asked if he expected to see more from the likes of Riccardo Orsolini or Santiago Castro.

He replied: “It’s normal that every team has its key players to unlock games. Quality players make the difference and fix things for you when things aren’t going well. We’re playing in flashes, showing ups and downs, which isn’t good. We have to find the balance and that is what makes the difference.”

A combination of Milan’s French stars and Englishman Ruben Loftus-Cheek were among the best players during Tuesday night’s comprehensive 3-0 victory away against a defensively poor Bologna side at the Dall’Ara in Serie A. 

The Rossoneri extended their unbeaten Serie A run to 22 matches thanks to goals from Loftus-Cheek, Christopher Nkunku and Adrien Rabiot in Emilia Romagna on Tuesday evening. 

Bologna will be left feeling disappointed with themselves, however, after giving away a first-half penalty and then gifting Milan their third less than three minutes into the second period. 

You can see how the action unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Bologna 0-3 Milan: Player ratings! 

Bologna: Ravaglia 5.5; Zortea 5, Heggem 4.5, Casale 4.5, Miranda 4 (Lykogiannis 6); Freuler 5.5 (Moro 5.5), Ferguson 5.5; Orsolini 5 (Bernardeschi 6), Odgaard 5.5, Rowe 5 (Cambiaghi 6); Castro 5 (Dallinga 6)

Best Bologna player: Ravaglia 5.5 – Slim pickings on what was another poor night on home soil for the Rossoblu. Somehow, despite giving away a first-half penalty, goalkeeper Ravaglia was probably Bologna’s best performer on the night. After getting it wrong one-on-one with Nkunku in the first half, the stopper timed his saves well from there on in and prevented the scoreline from being even more severe. 

Coach: Vincenzo Italiano 4 – Bologna’s poor start to 2026 is now turning into a major issue. Only one win from seven league matches since the start of the calendar year and just two points picked up at home from their last five matches across all competitions. Bologna were a defensive mess on Tuesday night, from the penalty they gave away to the ludicrous throw-in that gifted the Rossoneri their third straight after half-time. Milan, had they been a bit more effective in the final third, could have made it five or six: Loftus-Cheek, Nkunku and Fullkrug all ended up one-on-one with Ravaglia at various stages. 

Milan: Maignan 6; De Winter 6.5, Gabbia 6, Pavlovic 6; Athekame 6.5 (Tomori 6), Fofana 6, Modric 7 (Jashari 6), Rabiot 7.5, Bartesaghi 6 (Estupinan n/a); Loftus-Cheek 7 (Ricci 6), Nkunku 7.5 (Fullkrug 6.5).

Best Milan players: Rabiot and Nkunku 7.5 – Not much to separate the two Frenchman, who both ended up on the scoresheet and both combined for Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s first-half opener. Five goals from his last seven Serie A matches for Nkunku: Trying his best to prove why Milan can live without Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta. Another goalscoring performance from Rabiot, who has three in his last four league matches. No wonder Allegri wanted him so badly over the summer. 

Coach: Massimiliano Allegri 6.5 – This was a victory that sums up the way Mian have been playing for much of this season. It was a convincing scoreline, the likes of Rabiot and Modric were on fine form, but the Rossoneri still let their opponents see a lot of the ball, even before they went 3-0 up early in the second half. Allegri will be delighted with the fact that Milan have scored three without either of their star attackers – Leao or Pulisic – and with the clean sheet away from home.

The Oregon Ducks are coming off a successful baseball season in Eugene, which ended in an unfortunate manner in the Eugene Regional, but they have high expectations going into the new season.

On Tuesday morning, Mark Wasikowski's team was ranked No. 23 in the USA Today preseason coaches poll. Not long after, infielder Maddox Molony was one of 20 players in the nation to be named to the D1 Baseball Player of the Year Watchlist.

Molony was also named a Perfect Game Preseason Third-Team All-American.

Molony has played for two seasons in Eugene, being named an all-league selection in both years. He hit .309/.403/.565 with a .968 OPS during the 2025 season and was a third-team All-Big Ten Conference selection. He also had 15 home runs, 45 RBIs, 41 runs, and 10 stolen bases.

𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞@maddox_molony one of 20 players on the @BaseballAmerica preseason Player of the Year watch list. #GoDuckspic.twitter.com/59TDlit8bg

— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) February 3, 2026

In his freshman season in 2024, Malony became the second Oregon freshman to be named first-team All-Conference since the return of the program while also earning second-team freshman All-America honors.

Oregon will start the season with an eight-game homestand at PK Park. The Ducks host George Mason for a four-game series, including a doubleheader on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14. The next weekend, Oregon hosts Youngstown State in a four-game set that begins on Thursday, Feb. 19.  

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Maddox Molony named to Player of the Year watchlist for Oregon Ducks

The Alabama Crimson Tide will host the Texas A&M Aggies on Wednesday night at Coleman Coliseum. 

The Tide enter the matchup coming off a blowout 100-77 loss to the Florida Gators on Sunday afternoon. Alabama was unable to get anything going on the defensive end of the floor for the majority of the contest, as the Tide were dominated on the glass throughout the entire matchup.

Star guard Aden Holloway also had a team-high 19 points in the loss, as the star guard and Alabama will now turn their full attention towards getting back in the win column on Wednesday night.

Here are three bold takes for the Tide’s clash with the Aggies.

Aden Holloway shines with 20+ points, 5+ assists

Holloway has played a crucial role on the offensive end of the floor throughout the 2025-26 campaign. The talented guard currently averages 17.1 points and 3.8 assists per game, as Holloway has been nothing short of elite from behind the arc in 2026. The former Auburn Tiger could quickly find himself having a major performance against the Aggies on Wednesday, as Holloway continues to be a huge threat from deep this season.

Aiden Sherrell dominates defensively with 10+ rebounds, 2+ blocks

Sherrell has been elite on defense for the Crimson Tide in 2026. The star forward currently averages a team high 2.3 blocks per game, as Sherrell has played a vital role on both ends of the floor as the season progresses. The talented playmaker could be in prime position for another big time performance on Wednesday, as Sherrell will almost certainly need to be at his best against a red hot Aggies’ team.

Labaron Philon Jr. scores 20+ points

Philon has been widely regarded as a top player in all of college basketball throughout the 2025-26 campaign. The star guard currently averages a team high 21.6 points per game on 51% shooting, as the sophomore has continued to be a focal point on the Tide’s offense in 2026. Philon and the Tide as a whole will need to be at their best Wednesday night, as Alabama will look to dominate against one of the hottest teams in all of college basketball. 

Alabama will face Texas A&M at 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday, as the Tide will look to get back in the win column following the loss to the Gators.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama basketball bold predictions vs. Texas A&M Aggies

Clemson added another late piece to its 2026 recruiting class with a quick-hitting commitment at wide receiver.

Keil McGriff, a 2026 wideout from Buchholz High School in Florida, announced his pledge to the Tigers just one day after receiving an offer. With the February signing period opening this week, Clemson expects the process to move fast and for McGriff to be officially in the class soon.

The Tigers had already addressed the position earlier in the cycle, signing three four-star receivers during the early signing period and adding a transfer wideout last month. Bringing McGriff into the fold gives the staff added depth as it continues to round out the roster.

ESPN’s Greg McElroy chimes in on Dabo Swinney calling out Ole Miss https://t.co/EWiAgZUasqpic.twitter.com/iQyzuJpitM

— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) February 3, 2026

McGriff checks in at 5-foot-11, 175 pounds and comes from a football background, as his father Travis was a standout at Florida. Although an injury kept him off the field during his senior season, McGriff showed his ability as a junior, finishing with 44 catches for 737 yards and six touchdowns.

He also picked up interest from several other programs before committing, but Clemson ultimately won out as it puts the finishing touches on its 2026 class.

Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.

This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson adds a late wide receiver to their 2026 recruiting class

Texas A&M's 2026 baseball season begins next Friday against Tennessee Tech, as second-year head coach Michael Earley will look to improve after missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nearly 20 years last season after finishing 30-26, and 11-19 in SEC play during his inaugural campaign.

Bringing back plenty of talent at the plate, headlined by star outfielder Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M's 2026 roster is built to make it back to the postseason, but the pitching rotation, which reportedly lost sophomore Caden McCoy for the year, is still a question mark, and will now have to rely on a younger arm to become the Sunday starter.

From the transfer portal, former Maryland standout infielder Chris Hacopian chose the Aggies over plenty of big-name suitors, knowing that Jace LaVolette's departure after setting the program's home run record last season left a gaping hole in the lineup, and paired with Gavin Grahovac making his way back from injury, power at the plate likely won't be an issue this season.

Still, consistent at-bats combined with reliability from the bullpen, despite McCoy's injury, is vital for the Aggies to have any shot at making it back to the NCAA Tournament. So, how many of Texas A&M's 54 regular-season games will be nationally televised? Just nine, all during SEC play.

Thanks to GigEm247 beat writer Carter Karels for putting together the list. Texas A&M vs. Texas, and the Aggies' road series vs. LSU will be nationally televised for at least two games each series, which makes sense given the rivalry and potential importance in the conference standings.

Texas A&M will open the 2026 season against Tennessee Tech in Blue Bell Park on Friday, February 13.

Texas A&M baseball is set to have nine nationally televised games in the regular season, the SEC just announced. pic.twitter.com/WAXvQtj0Fb

— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) February 3, 2026

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M baseball 2026 schedule: Only 9 games on national TV

Western Digital aims to revolutionise the HDD space with plans to boost bandwidth by 8x While SSDs now dominate the consumer PC market, HDDs still have a place within the overall storage market. Mass storage requires a medium that can store large amounts of data, and while SSDs are fast, data density and pricing are […]

The post Western Digital to revolutionise HDDs with “High-Bandwidth Drive” and “Dual Pivot” tech appeared first on OC3D.

Milan were unable to seal a deadline day transfer for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, but the Rossoneri were still celebrating after the window closed thanks to a 3-0 victory away against Bologna in Serie A in the absence of Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic on Tuesday night: Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christopher Nkunku and Adrien Rabiot with the goals at the Dall’Ara.

Bologna had only won one of their six Serie A matches in 2026 before kick-off, while Milan, coming off the back of a 1-1 draw with Roma last week, required a victory if they were to continue applying the pressure on Inter at the top of the league table. 

Bologna were without suspended goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski, and were also without star centre-back Jhon Lucumi through injury. There was no Pulisic, Alexis Saelemaekers or Santiago Gimenez in the Milan squad through injury. Leao was only fit enough for a spot on the bench, and with Niclas Fullkrug also named among the substitutes, there was a new Rossoneri strike partnership of Nkunku and Loftus-Cheek.

Click here to see how the action unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Bologna started proceedings encouragingly through Juan Miranda and Jonathan Rowe and earned a series of free-kicks and corners which they were unable to capitalise from. 

Milan started to grow into things after a quarter of an hour and came close to finding the back of the net after Zachary Athekame found the head of Youssouf Fofana with his cross in from the right flank. The Frenchman glanced his header just wide of the upright. 

Milan found their opener two minutes later. Nkunku was allowed a free header in the area, which was initially saved by Federico Ravaglia. The goalkeeper parried the rebound into the feet of Adrien Rabiot, who tapped to Loftus-Cheek to finish from 10 yards out. 

Nkunku and Loftus-Cheek combined again to double the Rossoneri advantage 10 minutes before the interval. The Englishman slipped his strike partner into the area, Ravaglia came out in an attempt to stop him, but got the timing wrong and tripped Nkunku up in the box. 

A penalty was awarded, a VAR check confirmed the correct decision was made, and Nkunku converted the spot kick low and to his right, sending Ravaglia the wrong way in the process. 

Moments after the second half kicked off, Juan Miranda sent a ludicrous long throw right into no-man’s land from within his own half. Rabiot spotted the opportunity, nicked the ball, raced through on goal and made no mistake one-on-one for 3-0. 

Clear-cut opportunities began to dry up from that point onwards: Bologna were afforded plenty of possession in the second half, but were unable to do much to break down Milan’s block. 

Niclas Fullkrug was sent through on goal after a long ball over the top after being introduced as a second half substitute. He chopped back inside Torbjorn Heggem, but ended up running straight into goalkeeper Ravaglia. 

Realistically, the job was already done for Milan when Rabiot made it three just a few minutes into the second half. Their unbeaten run in Serie A is now up to 22 matches. They find themselves five points shy of league leaders Inter. Bologna, meanwhile, are stuck in 10th and could now drop into the bottom half of the table if they fail to win next weekend. 

Bologna 0-3 Milan

Loftus-Cheek 20’, Nkunku 39’, Rabiot 48’.

03-02-2026 19:45

MatchDay 23

Renato Dall'Ara Stadium

Bologna

Milan

0 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

		20'		Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Assist: Adrien Rabiot)
		39'		Christopher Nkunku

2nd half

		48'		Adrien Rabiot
Federico Ravaglia		51'
Remo Freuler		58'
Lewis Ferguson		64'

Match statistic

54

Possession %

46

13

Total shots

10

2

Shots on target

7

9

Shots off target

2

2

Blocked shots

1

5

Corners

Offsides

1

14

Fouls

10

Bologna

Milan

Starting lineups

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

78'

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

78'

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

65'

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

53'

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

54'

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

83'

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

46

Matteo Gabbia

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

67'

12

Adrien Rabiot

Midfielder

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

72'

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

67'

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

72'

Substitutes

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

23

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

17

João Mário

Defender

30

Benja Domínguez

Attacker

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

5

Eivind Helland

Defender

82

Matteo Franceschelli

Goalkeeper

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

53'

24

Thijs Dallinga

Attacker

54'

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

65'

22

Charalampos Lykogiannis

Defender

78'

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

78'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

96

Lorenzo Torriani

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

67'

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

67'

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

72'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

72'

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

83'

The Florida Gators kick off the 2026 college baseball season ranked No. 16 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll.

Florida ended the 2025 season outside the top 25, following a disappointing finish at the Conway Regional. Despite a turbulent offseason — which saw several roster changes, head coach Kevin O'Sullivan stepping away from the team for the fall to deal with a personal matter and top assistant Chuck Jeroloman leaving for Tennessee at the end of October — the Gators are back in the top 25.

D1Baseball was slightly more bullish on the Orange and Blue, placing Florida at No. 13 in its preseason rankings, while Baseball America had the Gators at No. 22.

Nine SEC teams are ranked to start the year, with Florida coming in eighth among those programs. The LSU Tigers claim the top spot after winning it all in 2025, followed by the Texas Longhorns at No. 3, the Arkansas Razorbacks at No. 5, the Mississippi State Bulldogs at No. 6, the Auburn Tigers at No. 9, the Georgia Bulldogs at No. 13 and the Tennessee Volunteers at No. 15.

The Vanderbilt Commodores are the only SEC team inside the top 25 ranked below Florida at No. 18. In-state rivals Florida State and Miami are also ranked, at Nos. 14 and No. 21, respectively.

Florida opens the season on Friday, Feb. 13, against UAB at home.

2026 USA TODAY Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll

Others Receiving Votes

Kentucky 92; Ole Miss 59; West Virginia 42; Texas A&M 38; Oklahoma 28; East Carolina 25; Dallas Baptist 19; UC Irvine 13; Kansas 11; Murray State 7; Arizona State 7; USC 6; UC Santa Barbara 6; Duke 6; Alabama 6; Troy 5; Oklahoma State 5; UTSA 4; Northeastern 2; Nebraska 1; Connecticut 1; Cal State Fullerton 1; Bethune-Cookman 1

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida baseball's 2026 Preseason USA TODAY Poll ranking

The Florida Gators are moving on up in the latest men's college basketball bracketologies following a torrid two-game stretch that put the home loss to the Auburn Tigers firmly in the rearview mirror.

After blowing out the South Carolina Gamecocks on the road in program-record-setting fashion, followed by a home thumping of the Alabama Crimson Tide, the USA TODAY Sports bracketology update promoted the Orange and Blue from the No. 4 seed in the East Region to the No. 3 in the Midwest. There, they are lined up with the 14th-seeded East Tennessee State Buccaneers in the opening round held in Tampa.

"Defending national champion Florida and runner-up Houston are climbing in USA TODAY Sports’ latest men’s basketball bracketology update," the authors begin.

"After a sluggish start that included nonconference losses to Arizona, TCU, Duke and Connecticut, the Gators have moved to a No. 3 seed and within a half-game of first place in the SEC," they continue.

"Florida has lost just twice in nearly two months and now has a combined 10 Quad 1 and 2 wins. On Sunday, the Gators shot 51.3% from the field and had a plus-16 turnover margin in a 100-77 win against Alabama."

USA TODAY Sports bracketology for Feb. 3 pic.twitter.com/idHGdeMpaV

— Adam Dubbin (@AdamDubbin) February 3, 2026

Top seeds in USAT's 2026 bracketology

There were no changes among the four top-seeded schools in this update, as the Arizona Wildcats remained perched atop the West, the Michigan Wolverines continued to rule the Midwest, the UConn Huskies maintained the No. 1 spot in the South, and the Duke Blue Devils hung tough at the top of the East.

SEC schools in USAT's 2026 bracketology

The Southeastern Conference still has 10 teams in the latest bracketology, just one school short of the Big Ten's 11, and two more than the ACC and Big 12, whose seven apiece rounds out the Power Four conferences.

Florida is now in sole possession of the SEC's headline spot with the No. 3 seed in the Midwest, while the Vanderbilt Commodores are still a No. 4 seed in the South. They are followed by the Tennessee Volunteers (No. 5, West), Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 6, East), Alabama (No. 6, South), Auburn (No. 7, ), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 7, ), Texas A&M Aggies (No. 7, ), Georgia Bulldogs (No. 9, East) and Texas Longhorns (No. 10, East).

The Missouri Tigers are the final team among the first four out for the second-straight update.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida basketball moves up in USA TODAY Sports bracketology

Reports in Italy claim that Juventus star Kenan Yildiz is all set to sign a new and improved long-term contract extension with the Old Lady, which will see him tied to the club until the summer of 2030. 

Yildiz’s new Juventus contract described as ‘imminent’

Yildiz is already under contract until the summer of 2029, but the Bianconeri are hoping to reward him with an increased salary that reflects his star status within the squad.

Currently, he earns a reported €1.7m per season in wages, which doesn’t even place him in the top 15 highest paid players in the squad. 

Given that there has been plenty of interest in Yildiz since he burst onto the scene in 2023, Juventus are keen to hand him a new and improved contract in the hope that he stays on at the Allianz Stadium long into the future. 

There have been suggestions that Yildiz will become one of, if not the highest paid player in the squad, assuming that Dusan Vlahovis is moved on in the summer. Recent updates claim that Yildiz will be given an annual salary in the region of €6m. 

Now, according to reports from Romeo Agresti and Ilbianconero.com, the relevant parties are now discussing the final details of Yildiz’s new contract, and the signing now appears to be ‘imminent’. 

Tuesday’s report claims that the deal could be wrapped up later on this week. 

Reports in Italy claim that three different medical experts advised Milan against signing Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta on the final day of the January transfer window. 

Why did Milan’s deadline day deal for Mateta fall through?

Among the biggest stories on deadline day was Milan’s attempted signing of Mateta, who has scored 10 goals from 34 appearances across all competitions for Crystal Palace this term. 

The Rossoneri agreed a fee with Crystal Palace, understood to be in the region of €35m, and the South London club gave the green light for the Frenchman to have his medical over the weekend. 

Palace have also brought in a replacement for Mateta in Jorgen Strand Larsen, who arrived in a deal worth around €50m from fellow Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers. 

However, Mateta’s move to Milan eventually fell through on the final day of the January transfer window. This was due to the fact that there were concerns surrounding the striker’s knee and fears that he would need surgery and then several months of recovery to amend the issue. 

According to Tuesday’s reports, Milan and Crystal Palace were always aware of the fact that there was a possibility of the Mateta deal falling through as a result of his physical condition. 

Crystal Palace were reportedly fully compliant with Milan, sending detailed medical reports of Mateta’s condition. However, Palace were also aware that if the Mateta deal fell through on medical grounds, he would be unlikely to be able continue playing for them either, which is why they went ahead with the Strand Larsen transfer anyway. 

According to reports in Italy, three different doctors recommended against Milan’s signing of Mateta, who now faces a spell of around three to four months on the sidelines after taking the decision to have surgery on his knee. 

Ben McCollum has the Iowa Hawkeyes sitting at 16-5 overall with a 6-4 record in Big Ten play. Things are going well for Iowa, but they are still seeking that first marquee win. Iowa has beaten up on the bottom of the Big Ten, but has fallen to Iowa State, Michigan State, Purdue, and Illinois in chances to knock off a ranked opponent.

Nonetheless, the Hawkeyes are currently in the field rather comfortably. In ESPN's latest bracketology, they are hanging onto a No. 8 seed, the spot they have held for a few weeks. ESPN also looked at a conference-by-conference bubble watch and analyzed Iowa. While they aren't a lock to make the field quite yet, they are sitting in the driver's seat right now, controlling their own destiny.

Should be in

Iowa Hawkeyes

Updated: Feb. 2

Iowa's résumé rankings are all over the place, ranging from the high 40s in KPI to the low 20s in NET, averaging out to 30th nationally. That's still on the right side of the bubble, with some room to spare. The Hawkeyes bolstered their case with a Quadrant 1A win at Indiana in mid-January and with Sunday's 18-point victory at Oregon. They're even better than their résumé ranking gives them credit for, checking in at 22nd in our average of performance ratings, which raises their potential going forward. But their schedule does get more difficult looking ahead, jumping from 70th to 17th nationally from here on out, according to the BPI.

Next game: at Washington (Wednesday) - Neil Paine, ESPN

Not only does Iowa have a winnable game against Washington, but its next two are also a home date against Northwestern and a road trip to Maryland. These three games could get Iowa to 19-5 overall with a 9-4 mark in Big Ten play, which could essentially lock Iowa into the field with seeding to be played for.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7

This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball controls destiny in ESPN NCAA Tournament bubble watch

It has been an exciting two-game stretch for the Florida basketball program, having lit up its opponents for a plus-70 point differential over the past two games for a pair of SEC wins.

Those two victories came over the South Carolina Gamecocks on the road — a record-setting 95-48 shellacking — followed by an authoritative 100-77 home win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Things are looking good in Gainesville with just nine regular-season games remaining.

Looking ahead to the postseason, the Gators gained some ground in ESPN's latest bracketology, moving up from the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region to the No. 3 seed in the East. There, they are paired up with the No. 14-seeded Winthrop Eagles in the opening round held in Tampa, Florida.

Top seeds in ESPN's 2026 bracketology update

There were no changes this time around among the top seeds, as the Arizona Wildcats remain firmly entrenched in the top overall seed and the 1-seed in the West, while the Michigan Wolverines maintain the No. 1 seed in the Midwest. The UConn Huskies still cling to the top spot in the South and the Duke Blue Devils also held pat atop the East.

SEC schools in ESPN's 2026 bracketology update

The Southeastern Conference held onto its 10-member-school representation in the latest update, sitting one behind the Big Ten and ahead of the ACC (8) and Big 12 (7) among Power Four conferences.

Florida's ascent to the No. 3 seed in the East has it as the sole headliner in the SEC, while the Vanderbilt Commodores remain the No. 4 seed in the West; meanwhile, Alabama remained unchanged at No. 5 in the South, while the Tennessee Volunteers moved up to No. 5 in the East. They are followed by the Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 6, South), Auburn Tigers (No. 7, West), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 7, Midwest), Texas A&M Aggies (No. 7, South), Georgia Bulldogs (No. 9, Midwest) and Texas Longhorns (No. 11, West).

The Horns are still the very last team in the tournament, while the Missouri Tigers are the top team among the next four out.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida basketball's ESPN bracketology update after Alabama win

Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SEC) will enter the new week at 7-1 in the SEC standings, leading the conference through the first month of the season after defeating Georgia 92-77 on the road, and will now head back on the road to take on Alabama (14-7, 4-4 SEC) on Wednesday night, looking to knock off a desperate Crimson Tide team that is just two day removed from Sunday's blowout 100-77 road loss to Florida.

While the national media has finally veered its attention to the Aggies, especially first-year head coach Bucky McMillan's ability to take a team of 15 transfers, lose star forward Mackenzie Mgbako for the year, and go on to lead the SEC in several categories, while averaging over 92 points per game, Texas A&M will continue to be undervalued, especially if they lose on Wednesday and Saturday against Florida at home.

However, these outside doubts have yet to affect this team, which should be 8-0 In conference play, if free throws and questionable calls weren't an issue on the road vs. Tennessee. Outside of the facing Alabama center Charles Bediako, the Aggies should be able to score at a consistent rate against the Tide's average defense, especially from beyond the arc.

Still, defensive stops in key moments will be the focus, knowing that Alabama is shooting over 39% from three, compared to the Aggies' 41% showing from deep over the past two games. With seven wins in conference play, McMillan's veteran squad likely needs at least three more wins to earn an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament.

Projected as high as a 6-seed, ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi released his updated tournament bracket, projecting the Aggies as a 7-seed facing 10-seed Saint Mary's, and simliar the CBS Sports' recent prediction that had 7-seed A&M facing 10-seed Miami, a potential rematch against Houston in the Round of 32 is just too on the nose.

If Texas A&M keeps racking up victories, earning as high as a 6-seed is cleary lin the realm of possibilities.

@ESPNLunardi has his new bracketology out and has the Aggies as a 7-seed taking on Saint Mary’s in the first round

A potential 2nd round rematch with Houston is kind of funny as well pic.twitter.com/GxEBXvvtYf

— Kannon Torres (@TorresKannon) February 3, 2026

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M projected as a 7-seed in ESPN's Bracketology update

Milan will have to do without Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic and Alexis Saelemaekers in their starting line-up for Tuesday evening’s Serie A clash away against Bologna at the Dall’Ara. 

The Rossoblu only have one win from six matches in Serie A in 2026, and have slipped down to 10th place in the standings as a result.

The Rossoneri are coming in off the back of a 1-1 draw with Roma last time out in the league, and require three points if they are to continue applying the pressure on Inter at the top of the league table.

Vincenzo Italiano is without suspended goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski on Tuesday night, and will also have to do without Jhon Lucumi through injury. Joao Mario arrived on loan with an option to buy from Juventus on Monday’s transfer deadline day, but the Portuguese stats on the bench on Tuesday evening. 

Milan, meanwhile, have named a new combination of forwards, as Ruben Loftus-Cheek is set to support Christopher Nkunku in attack this evening. That means no Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao or Niclas Fullkrug in tonight’s starting line-up. 

Alexis Saelemaekers has also been ruled out and is replaced by summer signing Zachary Athekame at right wing-back. Massimiliano Allegri is able to call upon his preferred midfield trio of Youssouf Fofana, Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot, though. 

Leao and Fullkrug have been named among the substitutes, but Pulisic and Saelemaekers miss out altogether. 

Kick-off is due at 19.45 GMT. 

Bologna vs. Milan: Confirmed line-ups

Bologna (4-2-3-1): Ravaglia; Zortea, Heggem, Casale, Miranda; Freuler, Ferguson; Orsolini, Odgaard, Rowe; Castro.

Milan (3-5-1-1): Maignan; De Winter, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Athekame, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Loftus-Cheek; Nkunku.

03-02-2026 19:45

MatchDay 23

Renato Dall'Ara Stadium

Bologna

Milan

0 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

		20'		Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Assist: Adrien Rabiot)
		39'		Christopher Nkunku

2nd half

		48'		Adrien Rabiot
Federico Ravaglia		51'
Remo Freuler		58'
Lewis Ferguson		64'

Match statistic

54

Possession %

46

13

Total shots

10

2

Shots on target

7

9

Shots off target

2

2

Blocked shots

1

5

Corners

Offsides

1

14

Fouls

10

Bologna

Milan

Starting lineups

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

78'

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

78'

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

65'

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

53'

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

54'

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

83'

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

46

Matteo Gabbia

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

67'

12

Adrien Rabiot

Midfielder

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

72'

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

67'

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

72'

Substitutes

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

23

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

17

João Mário

Defender

30

Benja Domínguez

Attacker

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

5

Eivind Helland

Defender

82

Matteo Franceschelli

Goalkeeper

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

53'

24

Thijs Dallinga

Attacker

54'

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

65'

22

Charalampos Lykogiannis

Defender

78'

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

78'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

96

Lorenzo Torriani

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

67'

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

67'

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

72'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

72'

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

83'

Ademola Lookman was the most expensive Serie A sale of the 2026 January transfer window, but Napoli could match the same fee if Lorenzo Lucca’s loan move to Nottingham Forest is made permanent. Here is a reminder of the most expensive departures of the winter transfer window. 

The Serie A transfer window came to a close at 19.00 GMT on Monday, February 2. Lookman was the second most expensive deadline day transfer in the world with his €35m switch from Atalanta to Atletico Madrid (not including bonuses). 

•  Read more: Top 10 most expensive Serie A signings of January transfer window

Lazio were among the most active Serie A sides during the January transfer window, and raised just shy of €60m through their sales of Taty Castellanos to West Ham and Matteo Guendouzi to Fenerbahce. 

Lorenzo Lucca is an interesting case, as he was technically bought outright by Napoli from Udinese, and then sent out on loan to Nottingham Forest with an option to buy. His two moves this month could turn out to be worth in excess of €60m.

Here are the most expensive permanent sales of the January transfer window, and a list of the most significant loans with option to buy. 

Most expensive permanent sales of Serie A January transfer window 

1. Ademola Lookman: Atalanta → Atletico Madrid €35m
2. Taty Castellanos: Lazio → West Ham €29m
3. Matteo Guendouzi: Lazio → Fenerbahce €28m
4. Lorenzo Lucca: Udinese → Napoli €26m
5. Tammy Abraham: Roma → Besiktas €15m

Notable loans with options to buy

1. Lorenzo Lucca: Napoli → Nottingham Forest on loan with €35m option to buy
2. Noa Lang: Napoli → Galatasaray on loan with €28m option to buy
3. Douglas Luiz: Juventus → Aston Villa with €25m option to buy
4. Christos Mandas: Lazio → AFC Bournemouth on loan with €18.5m option to buy
5. Daniel Maldini: Atalanta → Lazio on loan with €15.5m option to buy
6. Marco Brescianini: Atalanta → Fiorentina on loan with €10m option to buy

Lorenzo Lucca, Giacomo Raspadori and Robinio Vaz were among the most expensive Serie A signings during the 2026 January transfer window, which saw the Italian top-flight sides spend a total of €243.49m over the last 31 days. 

The January transfer deadline struck at 19.00 GMT on Monday evening. Milan failed to get a deal over the line for Jean-Philippe Mateta, but there was still plenty of action on the final day of the window, including Juventus’s signing of Emil Holm from Bologna, Joao Mario moving in the opposite direction, and Roma’s acquisition of Bryan Zaragoza from Bayern Munich. 

The full month brought several new additions, including new Roma striker Donyell Malen, Napoli’s acquisition of Giovane and the return of Giacomo Raspadori from Atletico Madrid. 

Technically, Lorenzo Lucca, who left Napoli to join Nottingham Forest in January, was the most expensive Serie A signing this month. That is because the Italy international was still on loan with an option to buy at Napoli, and the Partenopei had to exercise that option to buy clause from Udinese before sending him to the Premier League. 

Coming in at joint-second are Giacomo Raspadori, who joined Atalanta after six months in LaLiga with Atletico Madrid, and Robinio Vaz, who joined Roma in a permanent deal from Olympique de Marseille. 

Below are the top 10 most expensive permanent signings from the 2026 January transfer window in Serie A. 

Top 10 most expensive Serie A signings in January 2026

1. Lorenzo Lucca: Udinese → Napoli €26m*

=2. Giacomo Raspadori: Atletico Madrid → Atalanta €22m

=2. Robinio Vaz: Olympique de Marseille → Roma €22m

4. Kenneth Taylor: Ajax → Lazio €16.85m

5. Petar Ratkov: RB Salzburg → Lazio €13m

6. Adrian Lahdo: Hammarby → Como: €11.94m

7. Darryl Bakola: Olympique de Marseille → Sassuolo €10m

8. Ismael Kone: Olympique de Marseille → Sassuolo €10m*

9. Rafiu Durosinmi: Viktoria Plzen → Pisa €9m

10. Alphadjo Cisse: Hellas Verona → Milan €8m

Fees according to transfermarkt.co.uk

* denotes pre-existing option to buy

The Oklahoma Sooners had just two players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft last April, and only three players from the team's 2024 roster that stuck on an NFL roster during their rookie seasons.

In the fourth round of the draft, linebacker Danny Stutsman was drafted by the New Orleans Saints, while defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. was chosen by the Atlanta Falcons just a few picks later. Both had impressive rookie seasons with their respective teams. Defensive lineman Ethan Downs went undrafted, but he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. After being cut by the Jags, he found a home on the practice squad of the Kansas City Chiefs for the '25 season.

OU is set to improve upon that number of draftees in the 2026 draft this April. After a bounce-back 10-3 season in 2025, the Sooners will be losing a lot of veteran leadership and production from the roster to the NFL. However, every player the Sooners will be losing to the pros will have exhausted their collegiate eligibility, as Oklahoma did not have a single player enter the draft early for the second year in a row.

Running back Jaydn Ott, wide receivers Deion Burks, Keontez Lewis, and Major Melson, tight ends Jaren Kanak and Will Huggins, offensive linemen Febechi Nwaiwu and Derek Simmons, defensive linemen R Mason Thomas, Damonic Williams, Gracen Halton, and Marvin Jones Jr., linebacker Kendal Daniels, defensive back Robert Spears-Jennings, and kicker Austin Welch have each exhausted their college eligibility, and they will be trying to find themselves on an NFL roster next fall. Additionally, linebacker Owen Heinecke is still hoping the NCAA grants him another year of college eligibility, but after his initial request was denied, it's not looking promising for Heinecke to come back to school, though OU is appealing the NCAA's initial decision and will have to wait to hear back on their appeal.

To see how many draftees the Sooners might have in 2026, we fired up a mock draft simulation on ProFootballNetwork.com for all seven round of the draft. Oklahoma exceeded its total number of drafted players from a year ago in the simulation, and it might give us an idea of who could hear their names called in the real draft in a few months.

First up was Thomas, who was chosen by the New York Jets at the very top of the second round with the 33rd overall selection. Thomas is a fantastic pass rusher off the edge, one who got better and better during his time in Norman. Despite missing three games in 2025, he was a force to be reckoned with for the Sooner defense, and could find himself as a first-round pick with a good combine and pro day.

Next was Nwaiwu, who was picked with the first choice of the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns at No. 139 overall. Nwaiwu spent two seasons in Norman, and he was the most reliable player on the o-line for the Sooners during those two years. He primarily played right guard, but slid over to center for the final two games of the 2025 season, due to injuries up front.

Another player picked in the fifth round was Burks, who went 152nd overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in the simulation. Burks also spent two years with the Sooners, and dealt with injuries that limited him to five games in 2024. However, Burks started every game in 2025, helping OU improve offensively. His speed is his greatest weapon, and he's tough to keep up with in the open field.

In the sixth round, the Houston Texans selected Halton with the 201st overall pick in the simulation. Halton became a disruptor in the interior of the d-line for the Sooners, and he's another player who showed great improvement over the course of his OU career. Halton has great quickness and burst for the position, and he could frequently be found penetrating into the opposing backfield to wreck plays.

Up next was Williams, who went in the seventh round at No. 245 overall in the simulation to the Green Bay Packers. He spent two seasons as a Sooner plugging the interior up front defensively and showing good skills as a run-stuffer for the Sooners. He's got good size and athleticism for the position, and helped the Oklahoma d-line become the team's greatest strength over the past two seasons.

Two picks later in the seventh round, the simulation had Daniels going to the San Francisco 49ers as the 247th overall choice. Daniels was a Sooner for just one season, but he made the most of it, becoming a starter and a disruptive force for OU's defense. He's a versatile player who can play well against the run and the pass, and he was a great chess piece for Oklahoma to move around the board defensively this past season.

Of course, this is just one simulation and the Sooners could have more or less players picked when the actual draft takes place in April, but it sure looks like Oklahoma is set to have more players selected this year than they did last year.

The 2026 NFL Draft will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from April 23rd to 25th.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.

This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma had plenty of players picked in PFSN's mock draft simulation

There were a lot of good things that happened for the Texas Longhorns in 2025. The Longhorns beat all their rivals, scored big wins over ranked teams like Michigan and Vanderbilt and we saw the maturation of Arch Manning. But uneven play, especially from Manning, early in the year kept the Horns out of the 2025 college football playoff.

The running game, the offensive line and parts of the defense all let Texas coach Steve Sarkisian down last season. But with a stellar transfer portal class that bolsters all of the areas of weakness from 2025 and a solid recruiting class, next season's team should legitimately compete for a national title.

1. The QB Play Will Be Elite

I have zero questions about Arch Manning. The football that he played in the final month of the season was incredible without the pass protection drastically improving. It got better, but so many plays were dirty pockets that he made something special out of(especially against MSST). After the Kentucky game, he totaled 13 passing TDs, 1,700 passing yards(283 per game), 5 rushing TDs and 205 rushing yards.

Elite stuff from Arch on all three angles.

Footwork, ball security and placement. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/9X3u60nnEH

— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) February 3, 2026

Arch Manning’s baseline is good QB play. Give him elite protection and Manning can be downright special. As long as Seymore clears the eligibility hurdle, I expect he will get that. I won’t go as far to say Manning will be in NYC(though, I am tempted), but I’ll comfortably say he’ll be in that conversation from start to finish in 2026. 

2. Pass Protection Will Be Much Improved 

This not only is an absolute must, but it’s one that shouldn’t be all that difficult to fulfill. If Seymore is cleared, this figures to be one of the better pass blocking units in the SEC. Siani(RT) and Baker(RG) on the right side will be a down right elite duo when it comes to pass protection. Goosby is a known commodity on the left side that will be one of the best OTs in the country in 2026. Connor Robertson will need to step up, but if the guards show up, his job will be a whole lot easier. 

Laurance Seymore can make this an absolute slam dunk. If he clears and is slotted in at LG, the pass protection will be top-notch. If he doesn’t(which I don’t expect), sliding Chatman, Sikorski, Coleman or even true freshman John Turntine in there would improve the unit. The bar obviously isn’t high, but I have no doubts Arch Manning will have more time to operate in clean pockets in 2026 than he did in 2025. 

3. The DL Will Be A Difference Maker 

This applies no matter where on the defensive line you want to focus. The edge rusher group with Colin Simmons, Lance Jackson, Zina Umeozulu, etc. figures to be one of the best in the country. 

On the interior, Ian Geffrard is a space eater to the nth degree at 389lbs. Whether it’s Maraad Watson, Josiah Sharma or someone else behind him, they will bring elite size and athleticism to the table at nose tackle. 

Finally, the defensive tackle group is insane. Justus Terry, Alex January, Hero Kanu are as good of a trio as you will find in the SEC. True freshman James Johnson could factor in later in the season, Myron Charles could make a leap. 

Not only does Texas have true difference makers like Colin Simmons, Hero Kanu and Justus Terry up front, the depth is elite as well. It’s a unit that will force havoc up front consistently and allow the backend to benefit with interceptions and pass deflections in 2026. 

4. They Will Get More INTs Than In 2026 

Will Muschamp defenses play the football. They are aggressive on the outside at CB position and they will make a point to break on the ball when it’s thrown. Texas notches 16 in 2025(12th in the country), 5 coming in the final two games. That is obviously not a bad mark but I still expect this group to top that number, mainly because the personnel is perfectly designed for the Muschamp approach. 

Kade Phillips, Graceson Littleton, Kobe Black, Bo Mascoe all have elite ball skills. That’s not to mention what Jelani McDonald, Derek Williams Jr., Wardell Mack and more can do in the secondary. This group is going to attack the football and there’s not one of them that doesn’t do it well. 

5. Ohio State Is A Must Win 

This could be a little aggressive, but I really do believe it. Playing away games at Tennessee, Missouri, LSU and at Texas A&M is brutal. On top of that, the Longhorns get  Oklahoma(neutral site), Ole Miss and Florida at home. It is an incredibly tough SEC slate for Texas in 2026 and a loss to Ohio State puts them on thin ice early. 

This is going to be a battle the same way it was a year ago, but Texas has to get it done. They can’t go into that SEC schedule with (maybe) just one loss to play around with to still get into the playoff. I suppose it’s possible Texas could get in at 9-3 given their schedule but that’s not something they’d like to figure out. 10-2 or better should be the expectation and a win over Ohio State could be a must for that to happen. 

Now, on the flipside, you win that Ohio State game and the world opens up and you can handle some struggles and still find your way into the CFP or even better, they could run the table. One way or another, that game in Austin on September 12th looms large for the Longhorns season-long hopes.

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: 'Sure Things' for Texas Football in 2026: Manning will be elite

Former LSU football quarterback Garrett Nussmeier endured an incredibly frustrating final year at LSU, battling through an abdominal injury that hampered his play until he finally had to shut it down for the season. His 2025 performance looked nothing like the quarterback Tiger fans saw in 2024, and the same goes for NFL scouts.

This meant that Nussmeier had one huge opportunity to improve his draft stock against top competition: Senior Bowl week.

And the former Tiger did just that, excelling in practice all week prior to taking home the Senior Bowl MVP trophy. His play throughout the week earned him additional recognition, as The Athletic’s Dane Brugler named Nussmeier his NFL Draft “winner” among the quarterbacks who attended.

“This was one of the easier choices to make — Nussmeier was the most consistent of the group, while the other quarterbacks mostly underwhelmed," Brugler wrote. “Scouts were looking forward to seeing a healthy Nussmeier in Mobile, and he didn’t disappoint. He performed with a level of command and poise that will serve him well in the NFL.”

Brugler discussed how he believes Nussmeier’s performance will affect his draft stock on The Athletic Football Showon Monday morning.

“I do think that anywhere on Day 2 is now a realistic spot,” Brugler said.

How draft evaluators view Nussmeier has taken an incredibly twisty path, with many seeing him as a first-round-caliber quarterback coming into the year, a perception skewed by his injury-riddled year. It doesn’t appear Nussmeier will be able to regain that sort of prominence, but it’s good to see that he still has a chance to be taken in the second or third round and could potentially take over a starting role in the league at some point.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Former LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier recognized for Senior Bowl performance

It has been on the cards for a while, but Ademola Lookman’s departure from Bergamo is a major blow. Giancarlo Rinaldi looks back on how he wrote his way into the club’s history.

There may have been more typical stories of how a player has had their career transformed at Atalanta, but surely not many. The Bergamaschi – especially during Gian Piero Gasperini’s reign – developed a happy knack of taking footballers that had failed to truly ignite elsewhere and turning them into pyrotechnic success stories. Few have burned brighter than Ademola Lookman.

The London-born Nigerian international first emerged with Charlton nearly a decade ago and went through a string of moves that never really worked out. At Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham and Leicester, there were always sparks of brilliance but never with the consistency that any of those clubs had hoped for. It was not until 2022 – with his 25th birthday just a few months away – that he would finally find the perfect place to let his talents shine.

Lookman’s Atalanta move

La Dea, we know, has a habit of performing this magic – particularly under their silver-haired coach now departed for Roma. Gasperini’s brilliance is both in the overall teamplay that his sides produce but also in elevating players who have perhaps been underachievers elsewhere. Nowhere was this more in evidence than with Lookman.

He quickly became a mainstay in the Atalanta attack and also a goal threat with much greater regularity than he ever found elsewhere. If the club became something of a cult hit in Europe, it owed much to his breathtaking displays. Defenders across Italy and the rest of the continent were left dizzy by his close control and thumping finishes. This was a devastating player at the peak of his powers.

His crowning glory, surely, was the Europa League final against a Bayer Leverkusen side which had previously looked invincible. Yes, it was a masterpiece of tactics from Gasperini and an epic team performance too, but at the heart of everything good was Lookman. Everything he touched turned into a goalscoring chance, and the hat-trick he eventually completed cemented his place in the club’s hall of fame. It is unlikely to be a more impressive display for the Bergamo club in Europe ever again.

Of course, that turned heads – perhaps even the player himself got a little distracted. Certainly, things did not run quite as smoothly after that, and there were constant rumours that he was on the way out. Still, when he was on song, he remained a key part of the Atalanta attack. That he finished with more than 50 goals in less than 140 games without being an out-and-out striker tells you all you need to know. Add to that nearly 30 assists, and you get some idea of how significant a contributor he was to the club. The fact that these totals eclipse the entirety of the rest of his career also underlines how important the Lombardy side was to him.

All good things, of course, must come to an end and the conclusion of the Gasperini era in the summer was always likely to be followed by a few departures. It is also in the nature of things at the New Balance Arena – or whatever their ground is called now – that their best talents will move on. Lookman will now test his talents in La Liga with Atletico Madrid.

That looks like a mouthwatering prospect, but he should be warned that moving away from the city, famously divided into its higher and lower sections, can also have its ups and downs. Although they have always been about the team more than any individual, he was undoubtedly a star of their European and Serie A exploits. He is just one star among many at the Spanish club.

Still, he has all the skills in the world to thrive in his new surroundings. After a more lengthy apprenticeship than most, he emerged as a huge talent in Italy and more than earned his African Player of the Year honour in 2024. There is every chance that more honours will come his way with the Colchoneros.

Back in Bergamo, they will be entitled to feel the odd pang of nostalgia whenever they see him play. Raffaele Palladino is building a new era at the club, but he will find it hard to match up to the house that Gasperini built. And, in its later stages, Ademola Lookman was an integral part of that project. Their talented scouts will undoubtedly be scouring the planet in the hopes of unearthing another footballer who can contribute even half as much to their cause.

@ginkers

The fallout from Dabo Swinney’s transfer portal accusations isn’t just about Clemson and Ole Miss. It’s about whether the NCAA is finally willing to act on a problem most coaches believe has been ignored for years.

Swinney went public on Jan. 23, accusing Ole Miss of tampering with linebacker Luke Ferrelli and describing the situation as an extreme case. According to Swinney, Ferrelli had already enrolled at Clemson, signed his financial aid agreement, and was participating in football activities when an Ole Miss assistant allegedly contacted him directly. Ferrelli later re-entered the portal and committed to Ole Miss on Jan. 22.

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy addressed the situation on his Always College Football show, focusing on what usually happens in cases like this — and why this one feels different.

“It’s not that Dabo called out Ole Miss. It’s not that Ole Miss was allegedly doing something that was not necessarily on the up-and-up. It’s, what can be done about it?” McElroy said. “Normally, I’d say the NCAA will issue a sternly worded letter in four and a half years after they do their investigation, and it’s done. Nobody cares. This feels a little bit different.”

That difference, McElroy said, starts with the NCAA’s unusually quick response. The organization confirmed it would investigate Clemson’s claims almost immediately, something McElroy called rare.

“Now the NCAA has responded already. That almost never happens,” McElroy said. “For them to say we’re investigating credible allegations — that’s lightning speed this quickly. … But I do think if this did happen — if you’re texting an enrolled student, someone who is technically a Clemson Tiger sitting in a Clemson classroom – that takes poaching to a whole new level.”

Swinney backed up his accusations with a detailed timeline during his press conference, a move McElroy believes could force accountability if the claims are proven true.

“This feels like something that we’re not necessarily used to,” McElroy said. “Does it happen all the time? I guarantee it does. … But if he’s got receipts to claim that this went down, and he’s going to hand the NCAA the easiest layup they’ve ever had — this, eventually, is how you curb this behavior.”

Photos: Clemson basketball dominates Pittsburgh in ACC rematch https://t.co/iucBqVR77Wpic.twitter.com/GjNk8obwFB

— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) January 31, 2026

Swinney labeled the situation “Tampering 301” and challenged other coaches to stop quietly complaining and start exposing violations. McElroy echoed that idea, warning that if nothing comes from this case, it sends a clear message.

“Because if nothing happens here, if nothing happens to Ole Miss and these allegations turn out to be untrue, then the party’s over,” McElroy said. “There are no rules at this point. So ‘Tampering 301’ is officially in session — we will see who passes the final exam.”

Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.

This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: ESPN’s Greg McElroy talks Dabo Swinney calling out Ole Miss tampering

Georgia Bulldogs co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann visited four-star linebacker recruit Ellis McGaskin just days after his decommitment from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Schumann is an excellent recruiter and is known for signing elite linebacker classes year after year.

McGaskin decommitted from Notre Dame on Jan. 23 just a few days after Georgia offered him on Jan. 20. He had been committed to the Fighting Irish since June 2025. Schumann visited McGaskin days later on Jan. 28.

The four-star linebacker plays high school football for Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama, along with several other elite recruits including four-star safety Jaylen Scott, who puts Georgia among his top schools. McGaskin is a member of the class of 2027 and is ranked as the No. 263 recruit in the nation. He is the No. 17 linebacker and the No. 10 prospect in Alabama, per 247Sports.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound linebacker is coming off a massive junior season where he showed proficiency as a blitzer. McGaskin posted 160 tackles, three fumble recoveries, four blocked punts and one interception in 2025. College football coaches will love McGaskin's productivity on special teams.

Georgia has the No. 8 recruiting class in the nation in the 2027 cycle. The Bulldogs and coach Kirby Smart do not have any commitments at linebacker yet. Based on the timing of McGaskin's decommitment, he's definitely considering Georgia.

Glenn Schumann visits Notre Dame decommit

Thanks for stopping by @CoachSchuUGA#godawgspic.twitter.com/3pVzhSSoyv

— Ellis “Golden Child” Mcgaskin (@mcgaskin_ellis) January 28, 2026

On film, McGaskin shows excellent speed. He often finds himself in the opposing backfield and generated 27 tackles for a loss as a junior.

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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: 4-star LB recruit decommits from Notre Dame after UGA football offer