Week 1 provided a satisfying introduction to the 2026 college football season, but Week 2 serves up the true main-event of the campaign’s first month.

“It’s great for college football,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said on Tuesday of his No. 1-ranked Buckeyes visiting No. 5 Texas on Saturday. “This is going to be an unbelievable atmosphere down here against a great opponent. Everybody in the country will be watching.”

And everybody tuning into the prime-time kickoff from Austin presumably agrees with Day that this matchup is indeed great for the sport, regardless if one is wearing scarlet and gray or burnt orange.

The Week 1 slate was not without thrilling contests, capped on Monday with SMU escaping Florida State with a 27-24 win. The Mustangs’ victory was the second marquee matchup in as many nights coming down to a field goal, as Ole Miss outlasted Louisville in a Sunday night barnburner, 41-38.

Second-ranked Oregon’s 34-27 win over Boise State on Saturday likewise provided an exciting return to action. What’s more, it embodied a positive byproduct of the College Football Playoff as it exists now.

Before the expansion to a 12-team tournament, the loss — which came down to the final possession — would have eliminated Boise State from title contention. Given the Broncos’ status coming in unranked, winning in such nail-biting fashion may well have ended Oregon’s aspirations for a championship back in the Bowl Championship Series days.

The opposite side of that perspective, however, suggests that lower stakes for high-profile non-conference contests devalues their meaning. In the BCS days, Ohio State-Texas might well have been a de facto playoff game in an era when only two teams could play for a national championship at season’s end.

One can be understandably pessimistic over college football trading in a postseason atmosphere every Saturday over the span of three months for a system that has the 2025 version of Alabama competing for a title.

But in the same vein, Ohio State traveling to Texas offers hope of the sport encouraging more of these kind of early-season matchups.

Consider that in 1998 — the first season of the BCS — the campaign kicked off with eight Top 25 matchups in Weeks 0 and 1. The 2026 slate opened with just the Ole Miss-Louisville game.

This year’s slate is more in line with the trend that began early into the BCS years. The system tacitly discouraged scheduling up in the non-conference almost immediately, with a trip to Miami denying UCLA a title-game spot in 1998 and the Hurricanes coming up on the other end of a similar scenario in 2000 when it lost a September heartbreaker at Washington.

By the first season of the four-team Playoff in 2014, the season kicked off with just one Top 25 game. Here in the 12-team era, the dearth of such contests in the non-conference portion of most teams’ schedules has become more of a tradition than heavyweight showdowns like Ohio State and Texas.

Should Saturday’s losing side endure the rest of their schedule that follows, however, and lands a spot in the Playoff, perhaps the expanded bracket can be the conduit that creates more such matchups.

That’s a win for the players who seek high-profile competition, as Day alluded to on Tuesday.

“This is why you come to Ohio State,” he said.. “This is why you come to Texas.”

And games like Ohio State-Texas are why we follow college football.

Ben Shelton has given American tennis a reason to believe again.

The 23-year-old defeated Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 on Friday night to reach his first Grand Slam final, setting up a historic showdown at the US Open on Sunday.

Shelton’s victory means he is the youngest American man to reach a Grand Slam final since Andy Roddick in 2005. Even more significantly, he is the first Black American man to reach the US Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972.

It is also the first time a Black American man has reached a Grand Slam singles final since MaliVai Washington at Wimbledon in 1996.

And now, Shelton has one match left.

After his victory, he was reminded that it has been 23 years since an American man last won the US Open title and that Ashe was the last Black American man to play the final in New York.

His response was emotional.

“It’s a lot of emotion. My mom and dad sacrificed a lot for me to be in this position today. My dad lost his mom earlier this year. She’s the reason he was able to play tennis. Without her there’s no Ben Shelton standing here today. This one is for her.”

Then said to the American crowd ahead of Sunday.

“Ima need you guys on Sunday to bring the energy. We’re going for it here. Ima leave it all on the court. I hope you guys come and back me. Let’s do this for the USA.”

When Shelton sealed his place in the final, his friend Tiafoe immediately walked around the net to congratulate him.

Now comes the big one.

Shelton will now face Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s US Open final, where he will be chasing his first Grand Slam title and a piece of history for American tennis.

The American has already made history by reaching the final. On Sunday, he has the chance to go one step further.

Seattle Seahawks fans, breathe.

While Sam Darnold will likely miss at least one game due to a hip injury he suffered in the team’s Wednesday night season opener against the New England Patriots, an MRI has determined that Seattle’s starting quarterback “dodged a bullet” and shouldn’t miss an extended period of time, NFL Media reported on Thursday afternoon.

Darnold hobbled off the field after being sacked on Seattle’s opening drive on Wednesday night and didn’t return. The Seahawks later announced that Darnold sustained a hip injury and wouldn’t return, with backup Drew Lock stepping in and helping Seattle pull off a come-from-behind 13-10 victory over New England.

After the game, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald revealed the team was “able to rule out a fracture” regarding Darnold’s hip.

In what was a rematch of Super Bowl LX, which the Seahawks won 29-13, Lock finished with 187 passing yards, one passing touchdown, no interceptions and a 113.3 passer rating, while completing 72.7% of his passes (16 of 22).

If Darnold misses time, Lock would presumably become Seattle’s starting quarterback, with second-year signal caller and 2025 third-round pick Jalen Milroe serving as the backup quarterback. Lock has made 28 starts over his seven-plus-year NFL career (2019-present), most recently making five starts for the New York Giants in 2024.

According to the Ringer, Darnold suffered a muscle strain after initial X-rays confirmed no fracture. While he is expected to avoid Injured Reserve, his immediate return is uncertain, and he is likely to miss time.

Seattle’s next two games are road tilts against the Arizona Cardinals (Sept. 20) and Washington Commanders (Sept. 27). With Darnold unable to go next week, the expectation is Drew Lock will remain the quarterback moving forward.

The 29-year-old Darnold is in his second season with the Seahawks. Last year (2025), Darnold earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod, throwing for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, while posting a 99.1 passer rating and completing 67.7% of his passes in a 14-3 season for Seattle. 

Oregon-Oklahoma State weather updates: Latest news on forecast after thunderstorms, lightning push back kickoff originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Those hoping to tune into No. 6 Oregon‘s clash with Oklahoma State were dealt a cruel blow in the lead-up to the contest’s scheduled kickoff.

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Thunder and lightning proved unruly in the lead-up to game’s 12 p.m. ET start. As it turned out, Mother Nature preferred a slightly later opening act.

Here’s the latest on the weather delay preventing the Ducks and Cowboys from taking the field.

MORE: Ranking the top 25 prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft in Ohio State-Texas game

Oregon-Oklahoma State weather updates

Kickoff for Oregon vs. Oklahoma State was slated to take place at 12 p.m. ET (11 a.m. local time). As it turned out, that start time proved to be something of a moving target; the game was subjected to a lengthy delay after thunderstorms roved above Boone Pickens Stadium.

If you invite a die-hard Michigan fan to a live show and give him the chance to build his all-time Wolverines football team, you better be ready for some debate.

Dave Portnoy, one of Michigan’s most passionate — and outspoken — fans, was given that opportunity Thursday during a special live edition of “The Joel Klatt Show” in Ann Arbor ahead of Saturday’s showdown between Michigan and Oklahoma (noon ET, FOX).

Klatt asked Portnoy to select an all-time Michigan team consisting of a quarterback, running back, two wide receivers and one defensive player. Portnoy selected a recent national champion at quarterback, a legendary running back, two of the program’s most dynamic receivers and perhaps the greatest player in school history on defense.

Here’s who made Portnoy’s all-time Michigan team:

Career stats: 482-of-713 passing (67.6%) for 6,226 passing yards, 49 passing TDs, and 11 INTs; 161 carries for 632 rushing yards and 10 rushing TDs.

Portnoy’s thoughts: “To me, it’s a no-brainer. It’s not even close. If you’re saying you need a QB for the NFL, it’s [Tom] Brady, clearly. But [McCarthy’s] record was 27-1 as a starter. You gotta remember, before he came here, we couldn’t beat Ohio State. He turned the whole program around. Michigan was down, and when McCarthy came in, everything turned.

“I wanted Jim Harbaugh gone. … Every year we were getting drummed [by Ohio State]. There were some down years. But, McCarthy’s record, him winning the national championship. … I don’t know how anybody could say anybody but him.”

Career stats: 434 carries, 2,624 rushing yards, 24 rushing touchdowns, 12 receptions, 121 receiving yards.

Portnoy’s Thoughts: “I’m going with Biakabutuka. He had 313 yards against Ohio State, which was the No. 2 team in the country at the time and undefeated. He made them look bad. I loved Biakabutuka. I had a crush on Biakabutuka.”

Career stats: Howard: 134 receptions for 2,146 receiving yards (16.0 YPR) and 32 receiving TDs; 23 rushes for 249 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs; 45 kickoff returns for 1,211 yards and 2 TDs; 26 punt returns for 337 yards and 1 TD

Carter: 161 receptions for 3,076 receiving yards (19.1 YPR) and 37 receiving TDs; 36 rushes for 213 rushing yards and 1 rushing TD; 79 punt returns for 907 yards and 2 TDs; 63 kickoff returns for 1,606 yards (40 total touchdowns).

Portnoy’s thoughts: “I want Desmond [Howard] and Anthony Carter. I’m down with that.”

Career stats: 21 receptions, 370 receiving yards, 3 receiving TDs, 167 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs, 16 interceptions.

Portnoy’s thoughts: “You could argue Aidan Hutchinson. There’s that clip of him just taking the Ohio State lineman and just throwing him into the fourth row. But, yeah, it’s gotta be Woodson.”

A top AEW star has made a major revelation regarding her pregnancy while reflecting on a recent NSFW moment in Tony Khan’s promotion.

The star in focus is Jessica McKay (fka Billie Kay) of the popular tag team, The IInspiration, alongside her best friend, Cassie Lee. IInspiration made their AEW debut at House Rules, a house show held in Brisbane the day after the Grand Slam: Australia event in Sydney in February. The duo then began competing in ROH, and their last match came on the May 30 edition, where they lost to Mina Shirakawa and Harley Cameron. Notably, the match featured an NSFW moment.

Jessica McKay recently announced that she is four months pregnant. In her recent Instagram story post, she reflected on IInspiration’s match against Shirakawa and Cameron. The former WWE Women’s Tag Champion and TNA Knockouts Tag Champion revealed that she was pregnant during that match but didn’t know it. The clip she posted was an unconventional wrestling moment, as the foursome engaged in a somewhat over-the-top, synchronized chest-shaking routine.

“Fun fact, I was actually pregnant here & I didn’t know it,” wrote McKay in her IG stories.

Check out her IG story post below:

AEW star Jessica McKay on the working relationship between WWE and TNA

Jessica McKay is a veteran in the pro-wrestling industry and has worked for all three top North American wrestling promotions: WWE, TNA, and now AEW. Many know that WWE and TNA have a working relationship. The former Billie Kay explained how beneficial it is for the business during an appearance on TMZ Sports’ Inside The Ring.

“I think it’s incredible. I think it’s just so good for the wrestling business in general, because it opens up doors for so many more people. It’s also exciting. It’s exciting watching each show and not knowing if somebody is going to pop over to either show. It’s really exciting. So I’m all for it. I think it’s a great partnership. It’s definitely been awesome to watch,” she said. [H/T: Fightful]

It will be interesting to see whether the IInspiration will go on to become AEW Women’s Tag Team Champions once Jessica McKay returns to active competition.