Good morning to everyone but especially to...
THE GEORGIA BULLDOGS, OHIO STATE BUCKEYES, MICHIGAN WOLVERINES AND TCU HORNED FROGS
After a hectic weekend across the college football landscape, there's been some major reshuffling atop the latest College Football Playoff rankings.
Here's the new top 10.
- 1. Georgia (prev. 3)
- 2. Ohio State (prev. 2)
- 3. Michigan (prev. 5)
- 4. TCU (prev. 7)
- 5. Tennessee (prev. 1)
- 6. Oregon (prev. 8)
- 7. LSU (prev. 10)
- 8. USC (prev. 8)
- 9. Alabama (prev. 6)
- 10. Clemson (prev. 4)
Georgia predictably took over the top spot after dominating Tennessee, and the Bulldogs have the inside path to represent the SEC East in the conference title game. Ohio State, meanwhile, stayed put even after an underwhelming 21-7 win over a one-win Northwestern team. The Buckeyes not losing ground is a testament to their overall dominance, which includes an average winning margin of 30 points. That's second in FBS, only behind Michigan, which jumped to third thanks to the Tennessee and Clemson losses. The Wolverines and Buckeyes are still on track for a potential win-and-in showdown in just over two weeks.
And finally TCU jumped into the top four for the first time since 2014. The biggest reason the undefeated Horned Frogs were No. 7 last week was their perceived lack of game control. They've trailed in the second half in four games, including this past weekend, when they trailed sub-.500 Texas Tech entering the fourth quarter. But now, TCU can go forward knowing it's in win-and-in territory from here on out.
Honorable mentions
- Matthew McConaughey could be interested in being part of the Commanders' ownership.
- Meanwhile, Ryan Reynolds is interested in buying the Senators.
- Here's why there were no NBA games last night.
- Victor Wembanyama keeps playing well.
And not such a good morning for...
THE ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
For the first time since the rankings started in 2014, neither Alabama nor Clemson are in the top six. This comes on the heels of the Crimson Tide losing a heartbreaker at LSU and Clemson getting demolished at Notre Dame.
You never say never in college football, but it seems like for the first time, Alabama won't be in the playoff. In fact, at No. 8, the Crimson Tide are still overrated, writes our college football reporter Barrett Sallee.
- Sallee: "Reputation isn't supposed to be factored in to the decisions made by the CFP Selection Committee, but it's clear that Alabama gets an exception. ... Alabama only has one win over a ranked team, a 20-19 victory over No. 18 Texas, which isn't exactly something to write home about. A team isn't elite if it loses its big games, even if that team is clad in crimson and white."
Not so honorable mentions
- The man accused of throwing a beer at Ted Cruz during the Astros' parade has been charged with aggravated assault.
- A Vanderbilt football assistant coach is under review after a Facebook post about Kanye West.
- The NBA said referee error cost the Kings a chance at a win... again.
- The Raiders released 2019 first-rounder Johnathan Abram.
NFL Power Rankings: Packers 'done,' plus a top five shakeup 🏈
Two weeks ago, our NFL senior writer Pete Prisco said the Packers, among other teams off to slow starts, had time to turn things around. Two losses later, the Packers are "done," falling a league-worst nine spots from 19th to 28th in Pete's Week 10 Power Rankings.
- Prisco: "Normally, I would say it's doable. But look at the schedule. The next three games are home against the Cowboys and Titans and then on the road to play the undefeated Eagles. They also have games left with the Vikings and the 6-3 Dolphins. ... Aaron Rodgers watching the playoffs doesn't seem right. But it's happening. It's over."
It's hard for me to disagree with Pete here. Green Bay's one potential saving grace is the seventh seed in the NFC playoffs that currently belongs to the 4-4 49ers. But the Packers haven't shown they can beat anyone. They've lost five straight games -- the longest active losing streak in the NFL -- with the most recent coming to the previously 1-6 Lions. As I wrote Monday, it's the worst stretch of Rodgers' career, and it's unlikely to get any better soon, especially with injuries to several top players.
Regarding teams with slightly rosier outlooks, here's the top 10.
The @Eagles are still on top while the @Vikings crack the top 3 in @PriscoCBS newest power rankings pic.twitter.com/pC3l6MtqdT
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 8, 2022
You can see Pete's entire Power Rankings here.
Predicting the US men's national team World Cup roster ⚽
It's finally here. The day US men's national soccer team fans have been eagerly awaiting for months -- and its players have been waiting for their whole lives -- has arrived. Manager Gregg Berhalter will announce his 26-man roster at 5 p.m.
Before we jump into more details, remember to sign up for our new Golazo soccer newsletter that launches next week.
OK, we know some of the big names that will most certainly be there, and our soccer expert Chuck Booth had 16 "locks" in his latest roster prediction, but we've already gotten one surprise: Zack Steffen won't be making the trip, and it'll be Matt Turner, Ethan Horvath and Sean Johnson as the three goalkeepers, according to CBS Sports soccer insider Roger Gonzalez.
Here are Chuck's outfield locks:
- Defenders: Sergino Dest, DeAndre Yedlin, Antonee Robinson, Walker Zimmerman, Aaron Long
- Midfielders: Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, Kellyn Acosta
- Forwards: Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Brenden Aaronson, Tim Weah, Jesus Ferreira
That still leaves plenty of spots, though, and big questions remain -- particularly at defender and striker. As for that last category, one player I'd like to see (and Chuck has on the bubble) is...
- Booth: "Back and more confident than ever, Josh Sargent could be the number one option for the national team by the end of the World Cup. Sargent has been critical to everything that Norwich City do and finds himself near the top of the Golden Boot race for the Championship while the squad pushes for promotion."
See if Chuck includes Sargent in his final roster projection here.
MLB trade candidates: Big names make our top 20 list ⚾
There is no offseason for our excellent team of MLB reporters. It's been just a few days since the World Series ended, and we already have R.J. Anderson's top 50 free agents and now Mike Axisa's top 20 trade candidates.
There were plenty of big names on Mike's list, but one in particular piqued my interest.
- Axisa: "Rafael Devers, Red Sox -- Normally I would say no way, the Red Sox will keep Devers because he is the face of the franchise, but the Chaim Bloom-led front office has not earned that benefit of the doubt. Devers turned only 26 last month and is in line for a monster contract next offseason, upward of $300 million given his youth and production. Realistically, only a few teams can (or, more accurately, are willing to) afford him long-term, which limits his trade market a tad. ... Possible landing spots: Dodgers, Giants, Mets. It'll never ever ever happen, but the Yankees could really use Devers and his lefty bat, couldn't they? Even if only for a year before he heads elsewhere as a free agent"
I love watching Devers hit -- his spray chart is a beauty -- and his 359 RBI over the past four years is third in MLB. He's really, really good.
Speaking of really, really good players, Shohei Ohtani also made Mike's list. Angels GM Perry Minasian has already said Ohtani isn't going anywhere, but things tend to change quickly in baseball, especially as the hot stove heats up. R.J. has four reasons the Angels won't trade Ohtani, but, again, anything could happen.
What we're watching Wednesday 📺
🏈 Kent State at Bowling Green, 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏀 Knicks at Nets, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Penguins at Capitals, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Lakers at Clippers, 10 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Wild at Ducks, 10 p.m. on TNT
