Watch highlights as Sam Tickle’s goalkeeping heroics help Wigan Athletic hang on to defeat 10-man Carlisle United, after Ethan Robson is controversially sent off in the 14th minute of their FA Cup first round match.
The first CFP rankings were released this week for 2024, and we finally have a look at what a potential 12-team College Football Playoff Bracket might look like come December. Check out everything you need to know about the 2024-25 College Football Playoff Bracket below:
A Football Association suspension meant Mendy, who was on a basic salary of £6m a year, was unable to fulfil his contractual obligations when not in custody.
Judge Dunlop said: “I found that Mr Mendy was ‘ready and willing’ to work during the non-custody periods, and was prevented from doing so by impediments (the FA suspension and bail conditions) which were unavoidable or involuntary on his part.”
She said the amount Mendy will receive will be calculated between the two parties or at a future hearing if they cannot agree.
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City have declined to comment.
Mendy was remanded in custody for five months before being released on bail in January 2022. The case went to trial for the first time in August 2022.
In January 2023 Mendy was cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
He was then cleared of raping a woman and attempting to rape another in July 2023 at a retrial.
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Mendy, who left City when his contract expired, now plays for French side Lorient.
In the submissions detailed in the judgement, Mendy’s lawyer argued that City had “a binary choice – to follow the dismissal procedure (which would, if a dismissal resulted, have freed Mr Mendy to contract with another club) or to keep him under contract and continue paying him”.
The hearing was told how on 15 occasions Mendy held or attended parties in breach of Covid-19 regulations or bail conditions, or both.
City’s lawyers argued that the suspension, being in custody and his bail terms “clearly amounted to a full impediment to Mr Mendy being able to perform his contract” and that the impediments were a result of his “culpable behaviour”.
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The judgement read: “Mr Mendy’s position is that he is an innocent man whose career has been ruined, and life blighted, by false sexual allegations and that the football club which brought him to this country effectively abandoned him in his hour of need.
“Manchester City’s position is that Mr Mendy largely brought his troubles upon himself and ignored sensible advice and warning after warning in his self-destructive pursuit of his chosen lifestyle.
“Both these narratives have validity, and there is no one cause of the chain of events which unfolded in this case.
“The question of whether Mr Mendy deserves to be paid, however, is one for the commentators and comments sections. The only question for me is whether Manchester City was legally entitled to withhold that pay.”
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Mendy’s legal team said City’s then chief football operations officer Omar Berrada had said he would be paid his salary if found not guilty.
Berrada denied the claim and Judge Dunlop said any “assurances about backpay” were “irrelevant”.
Mendy, who joined City from Monaco in a £52m deal in 2017, won the Premier League in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
His final appearance for City was on 15 August 2021.
Halfway through the NFL season and for many fans, it’s already over. Admit it: You’re already studying free agency or dreaming about the draft, waiting for another “next year.”
Again.
For some, that painful ritual is relatively new. For others, it’s lasted for decades. And for many, the constant disappointment is just a part of their fan experience. The suffering feels like the whole point.
If that describes you, you probably feel like nobody, anywhere, has it worse. But the truth is, a lot of fans around the NFL literally feel your pain. Some cheer for teams that haven’t made the playoffs in more than a decade. Some cheer for teams that have never been to a Super Bowl. Some root for teams that haven’t experienced glory since before the Super Bowl — and their own parents — were even born.
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So which is worse? Rooting for a team that can’t get over the championship hump? Rooting for a team that’s often good, but keeps finding new ways to fail in the end? Are you better off heartbroken or snake-bit? Is it better to have won and then lost, or never to have won at all?
The suffering of a fan base is in the eye of the beholder. So it might be impossible to figure out which fan base is the most desperate to see their favorite team finally bring home a Super Bowl trophy. But as another lost season starts to sink in for many, FOX Sports will give it a try anyway, with a list of the most desperate fan bases in the NFL. It takes into account the length of their pain, their expectations, their passions, and the unusual circumstances some have experienced along the way.
The countdown to the most desperate fan base in America begins here:
Seriously, if you’re a fan of the two-time defending champion and currently undefeated Chiefs and you’re feeling any desperation at all, it’s probably just for news of an engagement between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.
They probably were feeling desperate after 12 straight non-playoff seasons before Tom Brady dropped into their lap in 2020 and immediately led them to a Super Bowl championship. That bliss from a gift like that should last them a while. And just in case it doesn’t, Todd Bowles and Baker Mayfield have revived their careers in Tampa. So even with Brady in the broadcast booth, the Bucs are still pretty good.
The past three years have felt like a struggle in L.A., but they did win a Super Bowl in 2021, they do still have the best young coach in the game in Sean McVay, and possibly the best stadium in the league. McVay has had six winning seasons in seven years there, and they might be headed toward another one even though they’ve been crushed by injuries. Things are pretty good, and the last trophy doesn’t even have much dust on it yet.
They probably think they feel desperate in Philly, but that mostly comes from their feeling that the Eagles are better than everyone else and should win every year. They won a Super Bowl four years ago and lost one two years ago, so desperate fans really need some perspective. Of course, perspective is not something Philly fans do well, especially after the Eagles ruined a 10-1 record last year with a 1-6 finish.
Oh, boo hoo! If any Patriots fans are feeling desperate after 4 ½ bad, post-Tom Brady years, just get over yourselves. You had an unprecedented, 18-year run under Bill Belichick and Brady that included 13 AFC championship games, nine Super Bowls, and six championships. Yeah, they’ve bottomed out and are now rebuilding. Again: Boo hoo! Nobody’s buying your tears.
They haven’t won a Super Bowl since 2012, and last year’s loss in the AFC championship was the closest they’ve gotten in the Lamar Jackson era. But they’ve been a threat to get there in almost every year John Harbaugh’s been their coach. They’ve been to the playoffs 11 times in the previous 16 years. So, feeling desperate? Try running that by the Orioles fans down the street and see what they say.
It’s only been 10 years since they should have won back-to-back titles if it weren’t for the worst Super Bowl play call of all time. They only have the one title, but the recently ended Pete Carroll era was an incredible run of success. They made the playoffs 10 times in 13 years with eight seasons of double-digit wins. Things aren’t great now, which is why the desperation is building, but they’ve still had just one losing season in the last 12 years.
They were much higher on this list before Sean Payton and Drew Brees arrived and brought the city its first Super Bowl title just when it needed it the most. Yeah, that was way back in 2009, but they’ve had championship-caliber teams with double-digit wins to root for as recently as 2017-20. If their inability to win another title has the fan base feeling desperate, at least they can go drown their sorrows on Bourbon Street.
They haven’t gone three years without a playoff berth since 1992. They’ve had a steady flow of great quarterbacks from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers to, presumably, Jordan Love. The desperation here comes from the ghosts and the fact that these aren’t the 1960s anymore. Their last title was 2010 and that was their only Super Bowl this century. As older Packers fans will tell you, the ghosts did better than that.
They have enjoyed so much success (eight Super Bowls) and so much pain (five Super Bowl losses). They’ve had great coaches (Dan Reeves, Mike Shanahan, and now Sean Payton) and great players (John Elway, Peyton Manning). And it hasn’t even been 10 years since their last title. Then again, they haven’t been to the playoffs since then and have had losing records in each of the previous seven years. That’s quite a fall.
They are probably feeling a little desperate because of their passion and the standards of their franchise. It has to hurt that they haven’t won a playoff game since 2017. But please, have a little perspective. They’re tied for the most Super Bowl rings ever (six, though the last was in 2008). They are a model of stability with just three coaches since 1969. And their last losing season was … 2003? A lot of fan bases would sign up for desperation like this.
Any desperation they feel is really a direct correlation to just how spoiled they were during the Peyton Manning era, and the briefer era of Andrew Luck. Yeah, they’ve only been to the playoffs once since Luck retired and they’ve cycled through 10 starting quarterbacks in six years. And sure, they haven’t won a Super Bowl since 2006. But come on, you can’t expect to be gift-wrapped a franchise quarterback in every generation, can you?
Can you believe they were actually in the Super Bowl just nine years ago? It feels like centuries ago the way the last seven years have gone. They’ve become the epitome of mismanagement, and their desperation now comes from the fact that it’s hard to see how they’ll dig themselves out of their latest hole. That, and a 33-75 record since David Tepper bought the team.
This fan base is a tough one to place since Los Angeles also has the Rams, and the Chargers are the Jets-like other team in town. Honestly, even when they were in San Diego it was hard to tell just how passionate the fan base was. Their most loyal fans, though, are both stung by no trips to the Super Bowl since 1994 and probably a little numb to their penchant for mismanagement and losing in very unique ways.
Their fan base was spoiled a little by the fact that Tom Coughlin turned them into the most successful expansion franchise in NFL history with four playoff berths and two trips to the NFC championship in their first five years. OK, it hasn’t been good since and they still have never made a Super Bowl (despite coming close as recently as 2017). I’m thinking they might be more worked up, though, over the fact that the Florida Gators have had three straight losing seasons and haven’t won a national title since 2008.
They’d be much higher on this list if they were still the Houston Oilers, the franchise they inherited. But they’re not. Plus, remember, they did actually get to a Super Bowl, and within a yard of a championship, just three years after the franchise moved. Of course, that was 25 years ago and the team has been to the playoffs just nine times since.
The old Houston Oilers fans have probably channeled their lingering desperation into the Texans, but a lot of apathy also set in when it took the Texans 10 years into their existence to make the playoffs for the first time. Also tempering the desperation is that right now is really the high point of their existence. The future is bright with coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback C.J. Stroud. It’s hard to feel down when, after 20 years, the franchise is finally on the way up. Maybe Houston’s first-ever Super Bowl with either franchise is finally in reach?
They’ve been in the desert for 36 seasons now and they’ve gone to the playoffs six times. What makes them a little less desperate, though, is that the Bruce Arians and Ken Whisenhunt eras were pretty good, and they were recent. They made a Super Bowl and two NFC championships between 2008-15. But that’s really all the good out there. Well, that and the abundance of golf.
Oh, they know they had it good for a while and they savor their four Super Bowl trophies and the fact that it’s only been 13 years since the last one. Their desperation comes from what’s happened since. They’re on their way to their 10th losing season in 13 years. That includes eight seasons of double-digit losses and a record of 78-125-1. They’ve even become a coven of chaos with five head coaches and four GMs in the last eight years. They were once a model franchise. Now the model is broken.
Their last Super Bowl championship was 1994, which means a whole generation hasn’t experienced that yet, even though their six rings are tied for the most in NFL history. But their desperation may be tempered by being so close, so often. They made three straight NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl under Jim Harbaugh (2011-13). And in the last four years under Kyle Shanahan they’ve been to four NFC championships and the Super Bowl twice. Of course, that’s a big tease, too. Being so close can be agonizing.
12. Las Vegas RaidersThey basically just got to Las Vegas, and any fans they left behind in Los Angeles or Oakland might feel more angry and abandoned than desperate. They do tend to have passionate diehards, though, and they’ve endured a lot. They’re about to make it 20 playoff misses in the last 22 years. They’d be higher on the list if they hadn’t already alienated so many of their fans.
To be honest, they were probably most desperate to get rid of Dan Snyder and that wish has been fulfilled. Yeah, they’re still looking for their first playoff win since 2005, but everything’s great right now with a new owner, a new coach, the best young quarterback in the game and a shocking 7-2 start. They’re ready for a parade no matter how the rest of the season goes. Of course, good vibes can only last so long.
It’s easy to forget how good this franchise was in the 1970s, which is in part because they lost all four of their Super Bowls. Since then, they’ve actually been blessed with a lot of good teams and a lot of playoff teams. They’ve even been to four NFC Championship Games between 1998 and 2017. But they lost them all, including two of them in overtime.
Outside of a brief, but significant revival under Lovie Smith from 2005-12 (one trip to the Super Bowl and two trips to the NFC Championship Game), this is a fan base still living in the Super Bowl Shuffle 1980s. Those ’85 Bears are the glory years multiple generations still worship in the Windy City. That’s especially true lately when they’ve had two playoff games (both losses) in the last 13 years.
They were so close to winning it all in 2021 and 2022, and they do still have one of the best young quarterbacks in the game in Joe Burrow. But they also have a terrible history of knowing their franchise is so cheap, they may waste his career. Before their Super Bowl run in ’21 they had gone 29 years without winning a playoff game. They cheer with a nagging feeling that something is always about to go wrong.
It’s really not a good sign that the guy who is still their most famous player is now 63 years old. And Dan Marino never won a championship either, by the way. They haven’t seen their team win a playoff game since 2000, and they haven’t won two in the same season since Marino was in his second season — 1984. On the bright side, the weather is great and the beach is never too far away.
They watched as their team blew a 28-3, third-quarter lead in the Super Bowl, which is more torture than any fan base should ever experience. But they also blew a 17-0 lead in the 2012 NFC Championship Ggame — a game they still led in the fourth quarter. They’ve never won a championship, and they’ve only made the playoffs 14 times in their 59-year history, but it’s the near misses that led to the most pain.
The agony for them is in their own greatness. From 1970 through 1995, they appeared in 14 NFC Championship Games, eight Super Bowls and won five championships. Since then, despite being “America’s team” and the NFL’s most valuable franchise, they’ve yet to get back to a conference championship. It’s not all bad. They made the playoffs 13 times in 29 years. They’ve even won 12 games in each of the last three years. But that can’t keep pace with their Texas-sized expectations and memories.
Even kids who weren’t born yet in 1990 are taught the agony of Scott Norwood’s “Wide Right,” when the Bills came as close as a team can come to winning a Super Bowl without winning it. And that was just the first of four straight Super Bowl losses, just to add to the pain. They’ve also been tortured by the “Music City Miracle” and, most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs. They represent a region desperate for any kind of sports championship (other than indoor lacrosse, which doesn’t count). The Bills keep getting good, and then the rug gets pulled out from under them again.
Their recent revival under Dan Campbell has all the feels and it coincides with the revival of their city. But they still have never been to a Super Bowl and haven’t won a championship since 1957 — a Browns-like drought. They also had losing seasons in 17 of 21 years from 2001-21 plus a humiliating 0-16 season in 2008. That sucked the life out of the fan base. But they’re back now, desperate for the parade they’ve never had.
They must have sold their souls for the most important Super Bowl win in NFL history, which was a mere 55 years ago. They have had close calls (most recently back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 2009-10). Ownership has fanned expectations by bringing in big names like Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick (for a few hours), Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. They keep showing up and keep believing, but what do they get for their efforts? Oh, the pain.
It’s hard to beat a group that’s suffered through two different versions of their favorite franchise. They were heartbroken when the Browns left town in 1996, then thrilled when they returned in 1999, only to see them miss the playoffs in what will soon be 22 of the next 25 seasons. There’s also a whole generation of Browns fans still reeling from their three, soul-crushing losses in AFC title games in the 1980s. And you’ve got to be in your 80s to really remember their last championship in 1955. A picture of the Dawg Pound sits next to the word “desperation” in the dictionary.
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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Given the call by Sevilla in the wake of their sacking of Argentine Jorge Sampaoli, Mendilibar answered and then some.
Within days, the Spaniard’s side had knocked Manchester Utd out of the Europa League quarter-finals, scoring two dramatic late goals to salvage a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford before winning the return in Andalusia 3-0.
They then squeezed past Juventus in the semis after extra time before going the distance in the final, beating Roma on penalties. It was an outcome that the then Roma manager, Jose Mourinho, insisted he would not recognise such was his frustration that Mendilibar had got his hands on the trophy and his belief that the outcome was unjust.
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The honeymoon did not last long, though, and he was relieved of his duties just four months later after a poor start to the season.
Incredibly, 12 months on, he received another call, this time from Greece. Olympiakos needed a manager and Mendilibar accepted the challenge.
Within days, he was back in continental competition and guiding the Greek giants to their first European final.
He had to outfox continental specialist and countryman Unai Emery en route, beating his Aston Villa side in the Conference League semi-finals before creating more history as they overcame Fiorentina in the final in Athens.
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This meant that Mendilibar followed Rafa Benitez in winning back-to-back European trophies with two different clubs.
However, perhaps more importantly, it meant a Greek club had won a European honour for the first time and ended a 13-year stranglehold by the big four leagues in an era when those competitions and teams are getting more and more powerful.
Only clubs from Spain, England, Italy and Germany had got their hands on the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League since Porto’s victory over Braga in the secondary tournament in Dublin in 2011. Until Olympiakos of course.
That success tempered the club’s domestic disappointment as they finished third in the Greek Super League behind champions PAOK, who won the title for just a fourth time, and neighbours AEK Athens.
The first College Football Playoff rankings for the 2024 season were released Tuesday, and it’s the Oregon Ducks who were named the No. 1 team in the initial set of rankings.
This is the first time in program history that Oregon has been ranked No. 1 in any edition of the CFP rankings since its conception back in 2014. The Ducks’ highest ranking in a CFP reveal was back in 2014 when they were ranked No. 2 for five consecutive weeks.
Ohio State is ranked No. 2 in the first set of CFP rankings. Ryan Day’s team is 7-1 on the season, with its lone loss coming against top-ranked Oregon back in Week 7. The Buckeyes are coming off an impressive top-five win over Penn State this past weekend on the road. Georgia, also sitting at 7-1 with wins over Clemson and Texas, is ranked No. 3 in the CFP rankings, while undefeated Miami and its Heisman Trophy hopeful QB Cam Ward sit at No. 4 in the rankings.
So, while it’s Oregon, Georgia, Miami and BYU that will receive first-round byes in the projected bracket, my top takeaways from the committee’s initial reveal center around the following programs: Colorado, Indiana and Ohio State.
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With that, here are my top takeaways from the first set of CFP rankings:
1. Colorado’s path to the CFP has emerged after seeing its name among the selection committee’s top 25 for the first time since 2016
The Buffs were ranked No. 20 in Tuesday’s CFP reveal, one spot behind Kansas State (19) and three spots behind Iowa State (17).
With Iowa State and Kansas State taking losses to Texas Tech and Houston, respectively, Colorado (6-2) moved into a tie for second place in the Big 12 standings with the Cyclones. That means Deion Sanders’ Buffs are not just bowl-eligible with a Heisman candidate leading the offense and defense in Travis Hunter, but they also find themselves on a path to the 12-team CFP.
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With just one game left against a team with a winning record in Texas Tech (6-3) — Utah (4-4), Kansas (2-6) and Oklahoma State (3-6) — a win over the Red Raiders would be massive for the Buffs, who need Iowa State to lose to Kansas State on Nov. 30 and to win out in order to earn entry into the Big 12 title game.
If Colorado wins out, that would mark the first 10-win season the Buffs have secured since 2016 when they finished No. 10 in the Selection Sunday rankings — high enough to earn selection into a 12-team CFP in the four-team era.
2. Indiana is the most (un)likely CFP team, and it’s not close
BYU has won a national title. BYU has enjoyed a Heisman Trophy winner. BYU won 11 games just four years ago.
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Indiana has never won any of those things, and, in November, this program has a chance to win 10 games for the first time in school history and earn a chance to play for the national title for the first time in history.
The Hoosiers are 9-0 for the first time and have achieved their highest ranking in the CFP era at No. 8 after having previously peaked at No. 11 in the Selection Sunday 2020 rankings.
This Indiana team has won every game by 14 or more. In Big Ten play, they’ve won games by 29, 37 and 49 points. Two of those three wins have come on the road.
While both the AP and the College Football Playoff committee ranked the Hoosiers No. 8, I ranked this team at No. 6 in my latest College Football Playoff predictions because they have demonstrated they can play at the level Oregon and Ohio State have. Just look at a common opponent: Ohio State beat Michigan State 38-7. Oregon beat Michigan State 31-10. Indiana stomped a mud hole in Michigan State and walked it dry, 47-10.
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Barring a disastrous loss for Indiana or Ohio State, that Nov. 23 matchup will define which of those programs is guaranteed selection come Dec. 4 when the CFP bracket is set.
3. Ohio State has the best seat at the CFP table
This is an opinion I’ve consistently voiced since the 12-team format was finalized. Think of it as the pinned comment on a YouTube channel or X page: The No. 5 seed is the best position in the CFP, and it’s not close. And right now, that team sitting in the No. 5 spot in the bracket is the Buckeyes.
As the No. 5 seed, you’re likely a conference title win away from the No. 1 or No. 2 seed, as we believe that team is likely to come out of the Big Ten or SEC. But even the conference champion would like to have the fifth seed, because that team gets to host the first home game in postseason history against the weakest team in the CFP field. With a win, the No. 5 seed then gets to play the weakest of the four highest-ranked conference champions.
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That means, in this scenario, Ohio State would host Boise State at the Shoe. Then, the Buckeyes would play BYU at a neutral site. While the Cougars would have a bye, most believe Ohio State is the better team as the runner-up in one of the two super conferences. With a win, the Buckeyes would finally fight in their weight class, potentially setting up a matchup against Big Ten foe and No. 1-ranked Oregon. That game would also be played at a neutral site, without the Ducks getting the benefit of a week’s rest.
Play for the No. 5 seed.
Here is a look at the first set of CFP rankings for the 2024 college football season:
Now that the first set of CFP rankings are live, here is a look at what the projected bracket would look like:
1. Oregon: Bye (would then play the winner of 8. Tennessee vs. 9. Indiana)
2. Georgia: Bye (would then play the winner of 7. Penn State vs. 10. Notre Dame)
3. Miami: Bye (would then play the winner of 6. Texas vs. 11. Alabama)
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4. BYU: Bye (would then play the winner of 5. Ohio State vs. 12. Boise State)
5. Ohio State (Big Ten championship runner-up) vs. 12. Boise State (highest-ranked Group of 5 champion)
6. Texas (SEC championship runner-up)vs. 11. Alabama (one of the top-12 teams)
7. Penn State (one of the top-12 teams)vs. 10. Notre Dame (one of the top-12 teams)
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8. Tennessee (one of the top-12 teams)vs. 9. Indiana (one of the top-12 teams)
First two teams out: 13. SMU 14. Texas A&M
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him at @RJ_Young.
“It’s gonna be a blockbuster! I don’t think Roy’s gonna come out too well in this film to be honest.”
Jason McAteer is looking forward to seeing Saipan at the cinema. After all, the former Liverpool midfielder is set to be portrayed in it.
However, the tale of the infamous bust-up between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy at the 2002 World Cup is not a great memory for him.
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Steve Coogan has been cast as Republic of Ireland manager McCarthy, with Éanna Hardwicke taking on the Keane role as they depict the fallout, which took place on the small Japanese island of Saipan and resulted in the captain leaving the camp.
McAteer, 53, first got wind of the project via a text from an actor friend in Ireland.
“It was a picture of this kid and he asked ‘do you think this guy can play you in a movie?” he told the BBC podcast, Sacked in the Morning. “Obviously it was Brad Pitt – I’m joking.
“He said they’re making a film about Saipan and I was like ‘shut up’. I asked was it a documentary and he went ‘no, it’s a big movie’.”
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Manchester United midfielder Keane had angered the FA of Ireland by giving a newspaper interview in which he criticised training facilities, including a “rock hard” pitch and missing equipment.
McCarthy’s decision to send Keane home triggered a media frenzy and divided supporters.
“There was always tension between Roy and Mick,” McAteer remembered. “It went back from when they played together.
“When Mick was (Republic of Ireland) captain and Roy was a young kid, they clashed a number of times.
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“Then Mick got the manager’s job and Roy became one of the best midfielders in the world, so it was always a difficult relationship.”
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