Sep 11, 2026; Glendale, Arizona, UNITED STATES; UFC fighter Jean Silva during weigh-ins for UFC Noche Fight Night at Desert Diamond Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting

ESPN College GameDay is in Austin, Texas, for Week 2 of the college football season, setting up shop for the blockbuster showdown between the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 4 Texas Longhorns.

During one of the show’s opening segments, Texas Senator Ted Cruz pulled up to the set to sit down with host Rece Davis to discuss the Protect College Sports Act.

Advertisement

Unfortunately for Senator Cruz, fans on the LBJ lawn only wanted to hear about today’s games. When Cruz appeared on set, boos rained out of the crowd.

Cruz’s interview was drowned out by the raucous crowd, which routinely broke out into “Ted Cruz sucks!” chants throughout his sitdown.

MORE: College football games on today, Week 2 AP Top 25 TV schedule for Saturday

Ted Cruz Discusses The Protect College Sports Act

Cruz has been an outspoken supporter of the Protect College Sports Act and has been pushing for President Donald Trump to sign it into federal law.

He recently cited College GameDay clips from Nick Saban and Pat McAfee to promote the bill.

Advertisement

What Is The Protect College Sports Act?

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during a conference on Energy Permitting Reform at The Stack at Municipal Light Plant on Sept. 3, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

The Protect College Sports Act is a bipartisan bill Cruz co-authored with Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington.

The bill promotes a federal standard for eligibility, NIL, and transfers, limiting players to just five years of eligibility from the time they graduate high school or turn 19. Under the bill, athletes would receive one no-penalty transfer, which would put an end to the current “wild west” transfer portal.

Advertisement

A Senate vote on the Protect College Sports Act is currently scheduled between September 15 and September 23.

— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —

So, without further ado, here are the answers to some of your questions from this week:

Why is Allan not playing yet?

First, I must apologise for my editor. Normally I pick the questions but this week they have been helpfully picked out for me – only the names have been left off so I cannot address anyone by name. These also all feel like quite grumpy questions given City’s start but let’s get to them.

Allan is not playing yet because he isn’t ready yet. He had a slight issue when he joined which meant that he wasn’t risked for the Coventry game. Antoine Semenyo played on the wing as he has done every game, and Iliman Ndiaye was given his debut because he was fit and had been training and playing with Everton in the same league, so it was a bit of a no-brainer.

Then to Porto, and one of City’s most difficult Champions League trips of the season. No surprise again that, while Allan was able to be included in the squad, he wasn’t turned to as Maresca sought an immediate result. I wouldn’t expect to see Allan in the derby either, but perhaps against Norwich in the League Cup.

Transfer fees aren’t everything but the fee paid for Allan should give some perspective on the minutes he will get this season as a young player coming over from a different continent that doesn’t have much experience. Jeremy Doku, Semenyo and Ndiaye cost significantly more than him and Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki are much more established so Allan will start off as a squad player and have to go some to oust some of those names to be starting regularly.

Why are young lads like McAidoo not being given a chance?

Pretty much every word of the Allan answer also relates to Ryan McAidoo, except for the fact he’s an 18-year-old coming through the academy from than a slightly older rookie from Brazil. And the fact that he was given a chance against Palace and did well, and then came on in the final minutes of the Coventry game as well.

If minutes in two out of three Premier League matches so far isn’t being given a chance, then I’d say standards are too high – and certainly not being judged against how Guardiola treated young players. For McAidoo and Kaden Braithwaite to have already played in a league game is promising, and you’d expect more involvement against Norwich.

Is there anything Maresca is trying to do to stop opponents from going through our midfield so easily?

I think there may be an element of teams being able to get in behind City all season because of how attacking Maresca wants them to be, but around the first team they certainly believe that things will tighten up as new players settle into their roles.

We still have no idea what the best midfield combination is and I suspect there will be different options for different games given that if Ayyoub Bouaddi, Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez all play then Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden almost never will – and that isn’t going to happen.

Maresca has introduced a new press for the whole team that they are still working on, as well as a specific process for the defenders to work on in the build-up. Time will tell if it makes them tight, or tighter than they have been, but again given we are four games into a new era with a different manager for the first time in a decade – with younger players in place – it isn’t shocking that not everything looks polished.

What role will Enzo play in the team, and could his arrival have a negative impact on Cherki or Foden? Is it possible we could see Anderson, Enzo, and Cherki starting together?

I suppose Enzo Fernandez arriving could have a negative impact on Cherki and Foden if they decide that they may as well not play any more given their minutes are threatened. Fernandez does appear more likely to play further forward than the No.6 position – Maresca was talking about him on Friday in terms of the goals and assists he can get – but he gives City better and much deeper competition.

Anderson, Fernandez and Cherki will all start together in at least one game, but there is also Bouaddi and Foden to bring in and real pressure on players to perform because places are all up for grabs. Bouaddi is already speaking about that feeling having only just joined and it is about whether players rise to that – something that did Guardiola well for so long – or react negatively.

Is Semenyo helping the team?

Yes, don’t be daft.

Sorry, are we talking about the guy that’s set up the opening goal in the last two league games? As in, two out of three league games this season? So in 66 per cent of league games this season, or 67 if you want to be really fruity, he has set up the opening goal and somebody is asking if he is helping the team?

Sorry, I just don’t get it. Obviously he can do more, he had a shocker against Porto in midweek but he has a knack and an actual record of goals and assists that is elite. He’s also one of the senior players in the team already, having stepped up to take responsibility as soon as he joined in January.

On top of that, he is one of the few players in the City team that can say they’ve scored at Old Trafford…

I read that Man City have loaned Echeverri to Benfica on the basis that City will pay his FULL wages AND give Benfica an option to buy. Is this true? Surely City can’t be that desperate to get rid of the player?

Don’t believe everything you read. But do believe everything you read in these Q&As. Unless it was the one before deadline day where I got so much wrong.

Congratulations to this anonymous reader though on giving somebody in City’s recruitment team a genuine laugh when I checked this. City aren’t a club that generally does things like paying wages in full for sending players on loan but, having not seen the initial report and not wanting to judge the question, I had to confirm and can reliably tell you that it isn’t even close to being true. An option to buy doesn’t mean anything either given it has to have the full agreement of all parties.

What I will say is that Echeverri’s stock is a lot lower than it was last season. The club were inundated with offers last summer and he went against City’s advice to join Leverkusen on loan, it was a disaster, and then Girona in the second half of the campaign wasn’t much better.

Having not pulled up any trees in pre-season, going to Benfica could be a very good loan but the Argentine can’t afford to get lost there and not play regularly.

What’s in a name? At this week’s Solheim Cup in the Netherlands, the question gives us plenty to unpack.

The host venue is Bernardus Golf, a name that’s notable for what’s not in it. No mention of “club.” No reference to “course.”

Robert van der Wallen, the Dutch entrepreneur who developed Bernardus, set out to create an upscale members’ enclave without the starchy trappings of a country club. He wanted the property to feel exclusive. He didn’t want it to be off limits. So he omitted “club,” with its closed-circle connotations. And he left out “course,” with its utilitarian implications. What remained — Bernardus Golf — has the ring of a lifestyle brand, an experience anyone can access.

And, it turns out, anyone can.

For €255 (about $295) during peak season — the rate drops to €195 ($225) in the off-season — non-members can become members for a day, with unlimited access to the course, the short-game area and practice range, as well as a sauna, spa and other non-golf extras.

“The whole place very much smells like exclusivity,” minus the fuss, said Jan Swinkels, a member who lives five minutes from Bernardus. He joined for the proximity. But also for the perks.

Bernardus, which opened in 2018, is anchored by a Kyle Phillips-designed heathland course that hosted the Dutch Open from 2021 through 2023. (Phillips’ other notable projects include Kingsbarns in Scotland and the restoration of the Cal Club, south of San Francisco.) Conditions are pristine and modern drainage allows for year-round play, keeping the grounds firm, Swinkels says, when other courses in the region turn squishy.

Another plus: Even with outside access, the tee sheet is uncluttered. For the club’s 300 members (roughly half are corporate memberships, the other half are individuals), Swinkels says it’s never hard to land a time. Carts are permitted, but most golfers walk. There are two comfort stations, at holes 8 and 13, where many players stop for sandwiches and wine, keeping an eye on TV monitors that show when other groups are approaching. For guests, the on-course food and drink is included in the pay-to-play.

If all this smacks of high-end resort golf, you’re not far off. Bernardus has overnight accommodations — a boutique lodge with eight double rooms — and a Michelin-star restaurant, Noble Kitchen, serving a refined six-course menu. Among the labels on the wine list are vintages from Bernardus Winery in Carmel Valley, Calif. — a winery Van der Wallen now owns, though he didn’t found it. Credit for that goes to Bernardus Pon, a Dutch Olympian skeet shooter and race car driver who turned to growing grapes after decades of dominating on the track. Pon established the winery in 1989; Van der Wallen became an investor in the business and took it over after Pon’s death in 2019.

By then, Van der Wallen had already cut the ribbon on a golf property half a world away, naming it in honor of his friend and winery partner.

Bernardus Golf. It’s well branded, which is no surprise, given that Van der Wallen built his fortune founding a global marketing firm called Brand Loyalty. The Solheim Cup is only adding luster to the name.

Alexander Zverev’s rocky road to start the U.S. Open turned into smooth sailing to the semifinals.

The No. 1 seed beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 on Wednesday night, putting him into the final four of every Grand Slam tournament this season.

The French Open champion and Wimbledon runner-up will play Friday against Karen Khachanov, while Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe meet in the other semifinal.

Zverev became the first men’s No. 1 seed to play five-set matches in each of the first two rounds of a major in the Open era, which began in 1968. But he won his last three matches in straight sets and is the only man to reach all four major semis this year.

After playing more than 4 1/2 hours in each of the first two rounds, Zverev hasn’t been on the court more than 2 1/2 in his last three matches.

“In other tournaments I would have been out in the first round but here I can fight back and play best-of-five, play 4 1/2 hours and somehow win the match and somehow get into the tournament,” Zverev said. “And then I start playing better throughout the tournament and definitely happy to be in the semifinals here, but of course I want to go further.” He went to the final in 2020 but blew a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem. That was the closest he would come to a major title until his victory this year at Roland Garros and the German now is 23-2 in Grand Slam matches this season.

“He’s been in top-five for so many years,” Khachanov said. “This year he did also step forward. He won his first Grand Slam, played the final in Wimbledon, as well. I mean, he’s coming up really in hot form, let’s say.” Khachanov got at least to the third round of every major this year and this time has gone three rounds further. He was prepared to go through a tough test Wednesday but Alexander Blockx’s body wasn’t up for one.

Blockx stopped playing in the third set because of injuries to his leg, ribs and back, sending Khachanov to his third Grand Slam semifinal.

“I think my body just gave up,” Blockx said.

Khachanov won the first two sets 6-2 and 7-5, and the No. 28 seed from Belgium decided it was time to stop after Khachanov broke his serve to take a 3-2 lead in the third.

“I was preparing really, really well for that matchup. It’s not easy really to play because from one side I was feeling I was dominating from the beginning, then I started to feel like he was struggling more and more,” Khachanov said, adding he saw that Blockx was “suffering all over his body.” Khachanov is seeking his first major final. The Russian got to the semifinals of the U.S. Open in 2022 and the Australian Open in 2023.

Khachanov was unseeded in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since 2018 after a strange season. He reached at least the third round of all four majors for the first time but is just 10-15 in other events, with losses in the opening rounds of all three hard-court events before coming to New York.

Blockx said he nearly stopped in his last match because of his injuries. As he got treatment for multiple body parts Wednesday, he said ne was neither upset nor angry.

“To be honest, during the match, it was quite funny to me. I just had to laugh it off, because it was just something new the whole time,” he said. “I think it was just my body that started compensating as well. I was starting to do different motions than I usually do just to avoid the pain.

In the other results from the evening, Bayern Munich thrashed Bodø/Glimt 5-0, with Michael Olise scoring twice. Manchester United marked their return to the Champions League with a 4-0 win over Sabah, while Como impressed in their very first European match, beating Leipzig 4-1.

In cycling, Enric Mas moved closer to overall Vuelta victory after finishing 12th on Stage 18, a 32-kilometre individual time trial.

Joe Root led England to a 3-0 Test series whitewash over Pakistan after scoring an unbeaten 62 in the third Test at Edgbaston. England were chasing 130 for victory but got off to a poor start. Ben Duckett was dismissed by Mohammad Abbas with the first ball of the innings, while opener Emilio Gay also fell later in the same over.At 2 for 2, Pakistan had a chance to put England under pressure. But Root and Jordan Cox remained calm and slowly took control of the chase.It was the first time England had whitewashed Pakistan in a home Test series.Root survived a big scare when Mohammad Ali bowled him for 23, only for the delivery to be called a no-ball. It was Ali’s 17th no-ball of the series.Pakistan then missed another opportunity when Root, on 38, edged Abbas between first and second slip. Neither fielder went for the catch.Root made Pakistan pay for the missed chances. His unbeaten 62 was his 110th Test innings of 50 or more, a tally that includes 41 centuries.Cox remained unbeaten on 59 as England reached the target in the 25th over with eight wickets in hand.

Root praises Pakistan’s fight

Pakistan had shown more fight in the third Test after conceding a huge 320-run first-innings deficit.Root said the difficult chase was useful for England after Pakistan had put them under pressure.“Fair play to Pakistan, ?they threw some punches last night. They made it very difficult for us and in some ways it’s a good thing to go through that,” said Root.“Test cricket is not always going to go your own way but to see us actually be quite clinical with the bat off the back of that was good too. So ?in many ways we’re better for it.“Of course there’s things we will want to improve on but we ?came into this ?series with a lot of question marks and a lot of noise around the team and we’ve walked away 3-0 winners so ?in that respect I’m quite ?pleased.”

England bounce back after difficult period

The series came after a difficult period for England, who had been looking to recover from their defeat to New Zealand following the Ashes loss.Root’s return to the captaincy after Ben Stokes’ retirement from international cricket ended with a series whitewash.Pakistan had one major positive in the third Test. Debutant Razaullah scored an impressive 81 off 63 balls, giving his team hope and bringing energy to the contest at Edgbaston.

Robinson leads England’s pace attack

England’s fast bowlers were once again too strong for Pakistan on helpful surfaces.Ollie Robinson led the attack and finished the series with 21 wickets to be named England’s player of the series.“I’m a realist, I know it’s not always going to be like this,” said Robinson, England’s player of the series.“We know there’s ?going to be tougher times ahead. We have some tough opposition coming up and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson also played important roles in England’s dominant series win.England’s batting was less convincing, with no batter managing to score a century in the three Tests.Jacob Bethell is expected to return for the winter tour after recovering from knee surgery. That could leave one of Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence or Cox fighting for a place in the team.Cox, who also kept wicket in the second innings because of Jamie Smith’s finger injury, strengthened his case with his unbeaten 59.

Pakistan face more questions after 3-0 loss

The defeat was another setback for Pakistan, who have now lost 16 of their last 21 Tests.Their tour was also marked by major changes. Seven players were replaced in the squad after the second Test, while coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and his assistant Umar Gul were sacked.Pakistan captain Babar Azam said the team had some positive moments but blamed their first-innings batting for the defeat.“We had a couple of good moments. I think we have bowled well but I think the first innings cost us. Too many soft dismissals,” said Pakistan captain Babar Azam.“I think this was a good opportunity for youngsters to play against quality bowlers, quality opponent, so they learned a lot and I think this is helpful for the future.”Pakistan will now turn their attention to their next assignment against Sri Lanka in October.England, meanwhile, will face South Africa in a three-Test series in December and January. Marcus Trescothick, who had taken over as interim red-ball head coach after Brendon McCullum’s departure, will hand the team over to Stephen Fleming.

It’s never too early for a “game of the year”, and we get one in college football Week 2 action when the No. 4 Texas Longhorns host the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Sept. 12 in Austin. Both teams have their sights firmly set on the College Football Playoff and a chance to play for the title. The Buckeyes lost to Miami in the quarterfinals last year after going 12-1 in the regular season, while the Longhorns went 9-3 and had to settle for a victory in the Citrus Bowl. The teams met to kick off their 2025 seasons, with OSU taking a 14-7 home victory to improve to 3-2 in all-time meetings. Both teams have been ranked in AP top 10 in all six matchups, including Saturday’s game. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. Bet on Ohio State vs.Texas and more college football games with the FanDuel promo code to receive $350 in bonus bets:

Texas is a 1.5-point home favorite in the latest FanDuel Sportsbook odds, and the Over/Under for total points scored is 49.5. Both teams cruised in their 2026 college football season openers, with the Longhorns beating Texas State 59-7 and the Buckeyes routing Ball State 59-3. 

If you’re interested in betting on college football matchups such as Ohio State vs. Texas at the best betting apps, you need to see our picks for this matchup and what SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model have to say. 

Ohio State vs. Texas betting odds (via FanDuel)

Ohio State vs. Texas betting preview

The Buckeyes are the top-ranked team in the nation and will look to avoid the Longhorns’ fate after UT entered last year’s game on the road as the No. 1 team and lost. Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin threw for just 126 yards in his first start but avoided mistakes, and the defense held up as OSU won despite being outgained 336-203. The Buckeyes forced one turnover and made two big stops in the red zone as Texas quarterback Arch Manning struggled before coming to life in the fourth quarter. The Longhorns scored their only TD with 3:28 left in the game and were 1-for-5 on fourth down. The much-discussed Manning threw for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Ohio State lost significant players like receiver Carnell Tate and pass rusher Arvell Reese to the NFL, but coach Ryan Day and his staff have reloaded. Having an experienced Sayin this time will help. The junior threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns in the opener after putting up 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2025. Star receiver Jeremiah Smith is back and opened the season with eight catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns after posting 1,243 yards and 12 TDs last season. Devin McCuin had six catches for 97 yards and a score against Ball State. Running back Bo Jackson, who rushed for 1,090 yards last season, and Ja’Kobi Jackson each rushed for 83 yards last week. OSU amassed 671 yards in the rout.

The Buckeyes averaged 33.4 points per game last season (26th in FBS) and allowed a minuscule 9.3 points to lead FBS. Texas scored 30.5 points per game (70th) and gave up 20.3 (28th). The Buckeyes have some holes to plug on defense after losing key pieces like Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs and Kayden McDonald to the draft. While they weren’t playing a dangerous team like Texas last week, they did hold the Cardinals to just 165 total yards and Ball State converted just three of 14 third-down attempts. Epi Sitanilei had the team’s only sack in Week 1, and Tarvos Alford had an interception. The Buckeyes’ only blemish was nine penalties, and Day will be sure to try to clean that up before the big game. Use the BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS to get up to $1,500 in bonus bets when wagering on Ohio State-Texas and more college football games:

It was a tough start to the 2025 season for Manning and the Longhorns, and they’re hoping to avoid an early hit to their playoff hopes, this time on their home turf. Texas is 22-11 against the spread at home under coach Steve Sarkisian since 2021 and 14-10 ATS in non-conference games over that same span. Manning came in with almost unprecedented hype given his talent and pedigree, but the pressure of the moment (and the OSU defense) made it a tough way to begin a season. The then-sophomore loosened up late in the game and went on to throw for more than 250 yards in three of the next four games. He finished the season with 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He threw for 305 yards with four TDs and one pick against Texas State last week. 

Manning is 9-0 as a starter at Memorial Stadium, and his 40 career total TDs at home are tied for most by an FBS player since 2024. The Longhorns put up 516 yards in Week 1, getting 156 on the ground behind Hollywood Smothers (70 yards) and Raleek Brown (34 yards, two TDs). Receivers Ryan Wingo (121 yards, one TD) and Cam Coleman (70, two TDs) lived up to expectations in the opener, and Smothers and Brown combined for 39 receiving yards. Seven Longhorns pass-catchers had at least 25 yards. Wingo was the team’s top receiver last year with 834 yards (15.4 per catch) and seven TDs.

The Texas defense had some problems against the run against Texas State, yielding 161 yards on the ground, but it had two sacks and three takeaways. Colin Simmons led the team with 12 sacks in 2025 and is back to anchor a strong defensive front. The defense has seen some turnover, but interceptions leader Jelani McDonald is back in the secondary, and several top recruits are preparing to step in. Will Muschamp is back to run the unit after working the past five years at Georgia after head coaching stints at Florida and South Carolina. The unit was subpar by UT standards in 2025, allowing 339 yards and 20 points per game. Linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith is a playmaker, Pitt transfer Rasheem Biles causes havoc all over the field and another transfer — 6-foot-5, 378-pound Ian Geffrard from Arkansas, — gives the Longhorns an immovable anchor up front.

Ohio State vs. Texas picks, prediction

Ohio State +1.5

Both teams have a lot of key pieces to replace on defense but both also have the resources to reload, so it should be a tight battle similar to last year’s. Add in that Manning and Sayin both come in with more experience under their belts and there should be a little more scoring this time around. 

The Buckeyes beat the Longhorns twice in the 2025 calendar year, knocking them off in the College Football Playoff semifinals on their way to the 2024-25 title last January and opening last season with the victory in Columbus. Texas has been snake-bitten over the past two decades in a lot of its biggest games, but if Manning plays the way he did the second half of last season, the Longhorns will be in a good spot. I don’t trust Texas much until it gives me a reason to, so I’m sticking with OSU while leaving open the possibility that UT will eke out the home victory. I do believe the Buckeyes will prevail in a tight game, so I’m playing it a little safer, but getting plus-money on the nation’s No. 1 team is tempting.

SportsLine expert Micah Roberts is backing the Longhorns to cover, as well. “The Buckeyes win with conservative bully football like they did last year in Columbus,” says Roberts, a former Las Vegas bookmaker. “Except this year, I think Sayin has a much bigger role in his sophomore season.” The SportsLine model also leans slightly toward the visitors, as the Buckeyes cover the spread 51% of the time and win outright at a 48% rate to bring value at current odds. Bet on Ohio State-Texas and college football Week 2 with the DraftKings promo code and get a $200 bonus:

Meanwhile, in Spain, Real Madrid return to La Liga following their Champions League victory over Inter Milan. Already three points behind their rivals Barcelona, Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid are under pressure, and the fans are growing impatient.

Meanwhile, in Senegal, ahead of the Youth Olympic Games, which run from 31 October to 13 November, Dakar is preparing to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic flame in the capital.