Study this one closely.

Non-conference Records Versus Power 4 Teams:

• SEC: 10-2 (Gross)
• Big 12: 5-7
• ACC: 6-9
• Big Ten: 4-10
• Mountain West: 0-7
• Pac-12: 0-12

Preseason expectations are meaningless compared to actual results. The Big Ten has underperformed. Oregon’s loss to Oklahoma State forced a change in perceptions out West.

But it’s a long season.

The Ducks will probably continue building their at-large Playoff resume in Conference play.

That’s a harder task for teams in the Big 12, which rely more on margins of victory to boost their status.

The worst optics from the non-conference season, though, are by far on the Pac-12.

That league’s claim as a “Power Conference” was officially exposed as false. The rebuilt Conference of Champions is nowhere near Power Conference status.

Yet, Boise State’s position as the top Group of 6 team provides the league a path to the Playoff.

Here’s my Power Ranking for the Top Teams in the West for Week 5.

Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.

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The Irish team bowed their heads during playing of the Israeli national anthem on Sunday night and they declined to shake hands with their opponents, a gesture that is customary before international fixtures.

Ireland played the match wearing black armbands in memory of those killed in Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip, and just 24 hours earlier it was unclear whether the match would go ahead at all.

‘Significant majority’ vote to play

On Saturday, the players voted in favor of playing what was technically a home match for Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, despite widespread opposition to their participation among the Irish public.

David Courell, the chief executive of the Irish FA (FAI), told a press conference that had been delayed for several hours while players and coaches met to discuss the issue, that a significant majority of the squad had voted to play.

“Based on that, the association took ⁠the decision on behalf of Irish ​football that this fixture would continue, as we have always intended to fulfil the fixtures,” he said.

However, the vote was not unanimous and one player, reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, decided to pull out of the squad for this and a second match against Israel during this international break.

In Sunday’s match, Troy Parrott netted the opener for Ireland in the 14th minute, with ​Adam Idah scoring two minutes later. Jack Moylan added a third in the 25th to make the final score 3-0.

Few supporters present

The fixture was played in a largely empty stadium in Debrecen, with just a few hundred Israeli fans and a handful of Irish supporters in attendance.

The FAI had not reserved any tickets for their fans to attend the match and public broadcaster RTE showed the match without the usual halftime analysis.

Over the previous few days, the Irish team had been under intense pressure from Irish fans and politicians to boycott the fixture.

Ireland has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and formally recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 alongside Spain and Norway. Dublin has also repeatedly criticized Israel over the Gaza conflict.

A Hamas raid into Israel on October 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people, prompting Israel’s attack on Gaza which has killed over 73,000.

Ireland’s next Nations League match was originally scheduled to be played in Dublin on October 4, but due to security concerns, it has been moved to the Serbian town of Backa Topola, where it is to be played behind closed doors.

Edited by: Jonathan Harding

While Autumn Boy began the week in Melbourne, Chris Waller expects the multiple Group 1 winner to be in Sydney on Saturday for the running of the Epsom Handicap at Randwick.

The champion trainer confirmed over the weekend that the historic mile, a Group 1 event worth $1.5 million, was the plan for the Caulfield Guineas and Rosehill Guineas victor.

Autumn Boy’s first two starts this campaign – an eighth in the Memsie Stakes and a second in the Makybe Diva Stakes – were in Melbourne, where he will have his final gallop before heading north after Tuesday morning’s barrier draw.

The trainer indicated that the colt would need to perform exceptionally poorly in his upcoming race for Waller to consider deviating from his plan for the son of The Autumn Sun, with champion jockey James McDonald booked.

“Maybe (if he drew) barrier 20, but when we’re committed to James I’d say he’d come up,” Waller said when asked what would prevent him from running in the Epsom.

“He’s not back from Melbourne, he’s going to gallop there Tuesday and he’s going to come back Wednesday night. I guess there is a five per cent chance I could run him in the Turnbull, but that’s highly unlikely. He’ll run in the Epsom, that’s our plan and James (McDonald) is booked to ride him so that’s showing our hand pretty firmly.”

Autumn Boy was nominated for Saturday’s Turnbull Stakes at Flemington as a safeguard, but Aeliana, Asterix, Buckaroo, Birdman, and O’Hope Wins are more probable contenders from Waller’s stable for that $1 million Group 1.

This weekend, Autumn Boy will aim to improve on his runner-up finish in Randwick’s other major Group 1 mile handicap, the Doncaster Mile, in which he placed second to Sheza Alibi in April this year. He also finished second to the Victorian mare in the Randwick Guineas and at his most recent outing, the 1600m Makybe Diva Stakes on September 12.

Autumn Boy is allocated 55.5kg for the Epsom Handicap, where he is the $3.50 favourite, with unbeaten Kiwi star Well Written ($4.50), Attica ($6), and Ceolwulf ($8) also prominent in the betting.

Consider the current racing odds for the Epsom Handicap at online bookmakers before placing your bets.

The Seattle Seahawks visit the Washington Commanders on Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 1 p.m. ET from Northwest Stadium, Landover, MD. Seattle is 2-0 after a Week 2 win at Arizona and Washington is 0-2 after a Sept. 20 loss to Dallas amid a quarterback change.

Seattle has allowed 17 points total with 4 interceptions and 5 sacks. Washington averages 157 rushing yards per game and 185 passing yards per game.

Washington has allowed 61 points with 5 sacks and 0 interceptions. Seattle allows 8.5 points per game and Washington allows 30.5 points per game.

The Seahawks are 7-point favorites over the Commanders.

Below, we’ll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game.

How to Watch Seahawks vs. Commanders

Players To Watch

Washington’s quarterback picture changed fast in Week 2. Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow during the September 20 loss to Dallas, and the team has since named Mariota the Week 3 starter against Seattle. In relief that day, Mariota went 11 of 16 for 111 yards and a touchdown without an interception, good for a 109.1 passer rating on his snaps.

Washington has still leaned on the run, averaging 157 rushing yards per game through two weeks, which should ease the transition at quarterback. That ground game matters against a Seattle defense that has allowed just 17 points total this season and already has 4 interceptions, tied for the league lead. Mariota’s job Sunday is simple: protect the ball and let the rushing attack set up manageable throws.

Washington’s passing game has produced just 185.5 yards per game through two weeks, and it will lean on that number behind a new starter at quarterback. McLaurin remains the target Washington trusts most in that offense, even after managing only 4 catches for 64 yards over the first two games.

Seattle’s defense will make that climb harder. The Seahawks already have 9 passes defended, 5 sacks and 4 interceptions through two games, a group that has forced early turnovers and quick decisions from opposing passers. Washington needs McLaurin to turn a similar target share into real yardage now that its passing game is breaking in a new starter.

Seattle’s passing game has been nearly mistake-free through two weeks, and Lock is a big reason why. He has thrown for 422 yards and 4 touchdowns without an interception, completing 72.9 percent of his passes for a 127.3 rating.

That efficiency lines up well against a Washington defense that has allowed 61 points and zero interceptions through two games, even though the Commanders have generated 5 sacks. A clean afternoon from Lock, not necessarily a huge one, would keep Seattle’s early passing efficiency intact against a defense still hunting for its first takeaway.

Coming off a three-touchdown outburst in Seattle’s Week 2 win over Arizona, Smith-Njigba has been the most productive receiver in this matchup. He has 17 catches for 277 yards and 4 touchdowns through two games, including a 9-catch, 155-yard, three-score day against the Cardinals.

Washington’s defense has allowed 30.5 points per game and has yet to intercept a pass this season, conditions that favor a receiver who already has an 82-yard catch on his season log. If Smith-Njigba keeps winning at that rate, Washington will have to devote extra coverage to him and open room elsewhere in Seattle’s offense.

Seahawks vs. Commanders Odds

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In his first season in charge at Liverpool, Jürgen Klopp lost just one of his first five games. 

Germany hopes for a similar run emerges after a shock 1-0 defeat to Greece, a team that hasn’t qualified for a major international tournament in 12 years. The defeat left Klopp with just one point after his first two games in charge of the national team.

True to form, the head coach took responsibility for the loss, shielding this new crop of Germany players from criticism.

“We have been together for a week now, all mixed together, and that needs time,” Klopp said after the match. 

“Let the new players develop. The established players are top players at their clubs, and they have my support. Feel free to criticize me, but not the boys. We don’t need to completely tear everything apart. I was surprised that some people booed. The future is as bright as we make it. We’ll take it on with everything we have.”

He also emphasized development over short-term panic, citing the need for more training sessions to cement the automatic responses needed to break down well-organized defenses.

International coaching is different

Herein lies the challenge for one of football’s greatest coaches. In likely his final job as a head coach, can the multiple league winner adapt his coaching methods to work in the national team? Klopp, a coach and a person famous for his ability to develop relationships and grow a team at a club, has said he believes he can adapt.

His legacy at Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool leaves no doubt that his communication style is what this team needs. His charismatic focus on developing a culture and growing collectively in connection with the fans is what is required.

After many years of frustration and pain watching Germany’s men at major tournaments, the biggest mistake would be to tear down this new group before it even begins.

The team both needs and deserves the time to figure out how far it can go. Bambase Conte and Hennes Behrens made their debuts against Greece after a host of others had done so against the Netherlands.

These are the first steps towards finding out who will drive Germany towards an improved outing at the 2028 European Championship. It is the main reason why Klopp chose so many players for these first four games.

Can Klopp alone compensate should ability be lacking?

But what if, for all of Klopp’s positivity and culture building, this new generation of German players is just not good enough to win a trophy? Clearly, it is too soon to know the answer, as Klopp himself has said.

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“We want to help prepare these players to be competing at the very top over the next two or three years,” Klopp had said at his unveiling.

“We took a different approach and focused not on what we don’t have, but on what we do have.”

What Germany has right now is both a new team looking to grow and a team that just suffered their first-ever defeat to Greece.

At Liverpool, it took Jürgen Klopp two years and approximately 500 training sessions to reach the point where the team looked like his. In the 2017-18 season, they reached the Champions League final. Alongside the time it took for the team to learn the new system, new signings, notably Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, improved the quality.

Klopp doesn’t have that option in with the German national team. He has to do more with fewer training sessions — Klopp will have approximately 200 before Euro 2028. The closest he can get to new signings is by calling up uncapped Germany players — there were 11 first-time call-ups in this Germany squad.

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The 59-year-old said his whole career brought him to this job. It might well prove to be the greatest challenge of his career, too.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold

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John McEnroe believes tennis stars must boycott Grand Slam events to receive a greater share of tournament revenue.

Stars such as Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka limited their media time at the French Open and Wimbledon in a pointed protest, as players target a 22 per cent share of Grand Slam tournament revenue by 2030.

Yet speaking at the Laver Cup held in London over the weekend, McEnroe said players may have to take drastic action: “I’m going to say this: the players should be partners in the majors. Number one.

“The fact that they’re not causes friction, to me, that they’re getting such a small part of the revenue. I’m hopeful and I’m sceptical. You’ve got to have a little bit of hope, or it won’t happen. But I’m sceptical because nothing changes, it seems, or very little.

“I’m a backseat driver now. I’m commentating on a match, so it’s a lot easier than playing, but I still enjoy being a part of it. But I understand what the players go through. I’ve been there, and so my sympathies are with them.

“I understand that Wimbledon’s a great event. It’s obviously incredible, and so is the US Open. Australia’s done a great job. And the French, all of them have done a great job. But I believe the players should be partners in that success.

“The only way to succeed in doing that, in my opinion, is you’re going to have to boycott one or two of these [slams].”

McEnroe also believes the fifth set of matches at majors should be replaced by a match tie-break, as the length of contests and late-night scheduling continues to be a pair of unsolved problems, especially after Ben Shelton’s win over Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open finished at 3:33am.

“Some of the matches I called [at the US Open] went in excess of five hours,” he said. “You watch what you call football here where they have a penalty shoot-out. Why do they have a penalty shoot-out? Because people are worried about the attention span of some of the fans who will turn off, is my guess.

“Otherwise you’d just keep playing until a goal is scored, so tennis has to look at that. We finally got to the stage where there’s tie-breakers in the fifth set at all four majors, but I still think more needs to be done because it’s a great sport we have.

“You don’t want people playing at 3.30 in the morning.”

Chally Chute (16/1) gave trainer and rider, Ross O’Sullivan and Sam Coen, a major career success, with victory in the €500,000 Friends Of The Curragh Cesarewitch at The Curragh on Sunday afternoon.

The two-mile contest, worth €275,000 to the winning connections, was the feature of an eight-race card on day two of the Autumn Racing Weekend at flat racing’s headquarters.

🥈 in 2025
🥇 in 2026

Chally Chute makes amends for an unlucky defeat in last year’s Irish Cesarewitch by defying a 5lb higher mark this time around.

A cracking result for the @rosullivan82 team 🥳 pic.twitter.com/I5dTbZzlDR

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— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 27, 2026

Chally Chute, the top-weight with 9 stone 11 pounds, is owned by Julie White, one of the joint-breeders, with Dominic O’Neill, of the son of Fast Company, and was improving on last year’s runner-up spot in the race.

The eight-year-old won by a half-length from the Willie Mullins-prepared Sirius (28/1), with Galileo Dame (25/1), a neck further back, followed home by Madbadanddangersous (80/1) in fourth place.

Soul Love Wins Group 3 Renaissance Stakes

Karl Burke, a prominent visitor to Irish shores, claimed the Group 3 Qatar Racing Renaissance Stakes over six furlongs with Soul Love (5/2 joint-favourite). Ridden by French jockey Pierre-Louis Jamin, the chestnut filly had three-quarters-of-a-length in hand on The Curragh specialist, Big Gossey (12/1) at the line.

The nine-year-old grey runner-up was four lengths ahead of the other joint-favourite, Power Blue in third.

Made all, made all 🌬️

It’s yet another successful Irish raid for @karl_burke as Soul Love makes every single yard in the G3 Renaissance Stakes.

Lovely ride, @pljamin25 👏 pic.twitter.com/fK9yGu3OYk

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 27, 2026

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Curracloe Remains Unbeaten

Johnny Murtagh’s Gowran Park maiden winner Curracloe (13/8 joint-favourite) remains unbeaten after two career starts following today’s victory. Successfully stepping up directly from a maiden to Group 3 company, the Qatar Racing-owned juvenile filly ran out a length-and-three-quarters winner for Ben Coen.

A filly going places 📈

Curracloe, a daughter of first-season sire Baaeed, makes it 2-2 with a dominant success in the G3 @DarleyStallions Fillies Stakes.@JohnnyMurtagh | @BenCoen2 | @Qatar_Racing pic.twitter.com/BT2KyUSNBI

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 27, 2026

The runner-up, Alpine Wedding (7/2), for Saturday’s successful Goffs Million-winning combination of Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee, had two-and-a-quarter lengths to spare over Damsel In Distress (13/8 joint-favourite) in third.

Doubles for O’Brien and Coolmore

Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners opened the day with a quick-fire double, taking both maidens.

Raging Bull (1/2 favourite), bred by Whisperview Trading, had a head to spare over the John Murphy-handled Overhead Drive (14/1) in the Army Equitation Centenary Irish EBF Maiden. The juvenile son of Wootton Bassett was ridden by Ryan Moore.

JUST 👀

Raging Bull backers were made to sweat but the son of Wootton Bassett eventually got the job done under Ryan Moore.@curraghrace | @coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/3RkSkAPA21

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 27, 2026

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It was Inishannon, Co Cork, jockey Wayne Lordan who was in the saddle for the second Ballydoyle winner, Capability Brown (4/1), in the Izuzu Ireland Irish EBF Maiden over a mile and one furlong. Drawn on the rail, and prominent throughout, the Coolmore-bred son of Dubawi out of the Gailieo mare, Maybe, held off the late challenge of Colin Keane on Juddmonte’s Cluster (2/1) by two-and-a-quarter lengths.

Joseph O’Brien and Joey Sheridan teamed up to take the penultimate race on the card, the Kwiff More Bang For Your Bet Nursery, with 5/2 joint-favourite Moon Sand, while the finale of the weekend went to Fianna (4/1) for jockey Oran McGill and trainer Aidan Howard.

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The Indian men played out a draw with Hungary and settled for the silver medal on a tie-break, while the women drew with Georgia to bring home the bronze in the 46th Chess Olympiad that concluded on Sunday.

The Uzbekistan team regained the gold medal in the open section after winning the final round game against Ukraine by a 2,5-1.5 points. The Uzbeks ended with 20 points out of a possible 22, winning as many as 10 rounds and losing a lone match against Germany.

The Indian men ended up with 18 points and were tied for the second spot with Germany that defeated Holland. However, thanks to a better tie-break score, the Indian team ended with silver while Germany had to be content with the bronze.

Check Asian Games 2026 latest news here Check Asian Games 2026 medal tally here

In the women’s section, China annexed the gold with another fine performance against Vietnam, winning by a 3-1 margin. The Chinese team also ended with 20 points in all, a couple of points more than second-placed Kazakhstan.

The Indian team was yet against rescued by B Savitha Shri who has clearly been the best performer among the Indian women. Ending up with nine points out of her 10 games, Savitha Shri was clearly the reason why the Indian women could win the bronze.

As it happened in the match, Humpy scored a quick victory over Nana Dzagnidze but Divya Deshmukh lost against Bella Khotenashvili on fourth board.

After Vantika Agrawal was also held to a draw on the third board, much was left to Savitha Shri to survive a very difficult position where her king was under constant scrutiny. Savitha eventually fought move for move to force the draw.

In addition to the team bronze, Savitha also won the individual gold medal for her performance. Humpy and Vantika won the bronze while Divya Deshmukh got silver medal for her performance.

Among the Indian men, Praggnanandhaa won the bronze for his performance but following a last round debacle, Gukesh narrowly missed out on gold.

Important results final round Open: Uzbekistan (20) beat Ukraine (Nodirbek Abdusattorov Igor Kovalenko; Javokhir Sindarov drew with Vasyl Ivanchuk; Nodirbek Yakubboev drew with Ihor Samunenkov; Mukhiddin Madaminov beat Roman Dehtiarov). India (18) drew with Hungary (17) 2-2 R Praggnanandhaa drew with Richard Rapport; Arjun Erigaisi beat Peter Leko; Nihal Sarin drew with Benjamin Gledura; D Gukesh lost to Gleb Dudin). Netherlands (15) lost to Germany (18) 1.5-2.5; Anish Giri drew with Vincent Keymer; Jorden Van Foreest lost to Matthias Bluebaum; Loek Van Wely drew with Svane Frederik; Casper Schoppen drew with Rasmus Svane.

Women: China (20) beat Vietnam 3-1 (Zhu JIner beat Pham le Thao Nguyen; Song Yuxin drew with Vo Thi Kim Phung; Lu Miaoyi beat Luong Phuong; Zhai Mo drew with Nguyen Thi Mai Hung). Poland (17) drew with Kazakhstan (18) 2-2 (Oliwia Kiolbasa drew with Bibisara Assaubayeva; Aleksandra Maltsevskaya beat Alua Nurman; Kulon Klaudia drew with Meruert Kamalidenova; Alicija Sliwicka lost to Elnaz Kaliakhmet); India (18) drew with Georgia (16) 2-2 (Koneru Humpy beat Nana Dzagnidze; Divya Deshmukh lost to Bella Khotenashvili; Vantika Agrawal drew with Lela Javakhishvili; B Savitha Shri drew with Meri Arabidze).

Check Asian Games 2026 latest news here Check Asian Games 2026 medal tally here