The college football landscape changed over the weekend.

Oregon’s loss to Oklahoma State has upended the narrative. Now, it’s the Wild West.

USC has taken advantage of its soft schedule to advance to the top spot for the first time in many years. At the same time, Washington has underperformed despite its own soft schedule.

All the results sent me back to the lab to re-rank the Top Teams in the West for Week 3.

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

Latest posts by Dane Miller (see all)

Real Madrid have started very well under Jose Mourinho, securing victories in five of their six games so far, with the Real Betis game the only exception.

The Portuguese tactician has done a very good job of rotating the players at his disposal, and one such area is left-back.

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Alvaro Carreras has responded to increased competition at Real Madrid in exactly the way Jose Mourinho would have wanted.

Rather than allowing Marc Cucurella‘s arrival to push him into the background, the left-back has used his opportunity to remind the manager that he remains a serious option.

According to AS, Mourinho has complete confidence in Carreras when required and was already delighted by his professionalism and performances during pre-season.

His display against Rayo Vallecano has only strengthened that trust further.

Carreras takes his opportunity with both hands

Carreras produced one of his most complete performances for Madrid, playing a major role in the victory at the Bernabeu.

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He won the penalty converted by Kylian Mbappe before scoring Madrid’s second himself, reacting sharply to a loose ball and finishing calmly after combining inside the penalty area.

Alvaro Carreras has responded brilliantly to Marc Cucurella’s arrival. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)

His influence went beyond those decisive moments. Carreras created three chances, completed both of his attempted dribbles, made three recoveries and three clearances, won three tackles and came out on top in six of his eight duels.

He also completed 54 passes at an 88% success rate and recorded 90 touches, showing how involved he was throughout the match.

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The performance was not necessarily a surprise to Mourinho.

The Madrid coach was impressed by Carreras throughout pre-season, particularly by his attitude and professionalism while the squad gradually came together following the World Cup.

Mourinho even experimented with him in a more advanced position, another indication that he sees useful qualities beyond conventional left-back duties.

Competition with Cucurella can benefit Madrid

Mourinho needs to manage minutes between Cucurella and Carreras. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Cucurella may currently have the advantage for Madrid’s biggest matches because of his defensive reliability, but Carreras has shown why Mourinho should not view the position as settled.

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That is exactly the type of internal competition Madrid need.

Carreras offers energy, powerful forward running and genuine attacking threat. Cucurella provides a different profile and greater defensive security.

Mourinho can choose according to the opponent rather than simply searching for one permanent solution.

Carreras did not have the greatest first season at Madrid, but his second year at the club seems to have started very well.

He has shown Cucurella that he is no pushover at left-back, and it remains to be seen how Mourinho manages their minutes through the course of the campaign.

Lamine Yamal believes his World Cup success with Spain and winning La Liga alongside Barcelona should give him the upper hand over Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Ballon d’Or.

France striker Mbappe, who finished as top scorer in the World Cup, La Liga, and the Champions League, stated last week that no player was better than him last season despite failing to claim any silverware.

Yamal was voted La Liga’s standout player in 2025-26 as Barcelona successfully retained the title, before proving pivotal in Spain’s World Cup victory across North America.

“I honestly believe there are two of us who are the best in the world, and this year I’d deserve it because of what I’ve won,” Yamal said in an interview clip released by Movistar on Sunday.

“As far as I’m concerned, Mbappe and I are the two best in the world. It’s clear to me and everyone who watches the matches knows it.”

Yamal was runner-up behind PSG and France forward Ousmane Dembele last year, while Mbappe came third in 2023 when Lionel Messi won the honour for a record eighth time.

The 30-player shortlist for this year’s award was released last week, with Yamal, Mbappe and Dembele all making the cut.

However, England captain Harry Kane is considered by many to be the favourite for the Ballon d’Or this time around after scoring a staggering 73 goals for club and country last season.

Kane won the Bundesliga and German Cup with Bayern Munich, but was knocked out in the semi-finals of the Champions League by Dembele’s PSG.

He also fell short of leading England to World Cup glory as the Three Lions were beaten 2-1 by Argentina in the semi-finals, although they did regroup to beat France 6-4 in the third place play-off.

Speaking last week to TNT Sports about his Ballon d’Or hopes, Kane said: “Of course, now it is out of my hands, it is down to the voters and the people who decide it. The season I had was my best season by far and we’ll have to wait and see.”

The Ballon d’Or ceremony takes place in London on 26 October.

Nigeria’s Falconets have booked their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland after producing a stunning 10-1 victory over New Caledonia on Sunday.

The emphatic win at Stadion Miejski ŁKS Łódź was Nigeria’s biggest victory of the tournament so far and secured second place in Group F.

The Falconets turned on the style particularly in the second half, with Winner Onajite David leading the charge with a hat-trick. She scored in the 60th and 75th minutes before completing her treble in stoppage time.

Ramotalahi Kareem, Rebecca Adegbemile and Tosin Rafiu also got on the scoresheet as Nigeria’s attack ran riot.

Rafiu’s 70th-minute goal came after a fine assist from Onyedikachi Ekezie, while Adegbemile added another four minutes later. Kareem also found the net in the 64th minute.

Nigeria kept the pressure on through a series of attacking moves and set pieces, with Janet Akekoromowei, Amber Ogbolu and Kareem among those who repeatedly threatened the New Caledonia defence.

Head Coach Moses Aduku also made effective use of his bench, bringing on Amber Ogbolu, Victory Lucky and Bright Effiong Etim as the Falconets maintained their intensity deep into the game.

New Caledonia managed a consolation goal through Joceline Kourevi in the 89th minute, but David had the final say by completing her hat-trick in added time.

The result means Nigeria finish the group stage with four points from three matches. They had earlier suffered a 2-0 defeat to Spain before playing out a goalless draw against China PR.

More importantly, the 10-1 scoreline gave the Falconets a major boost in goal difference and confirmed their second-place finish in Group F.

Next up is a big Round of 16 test against England, winners of Group E, on Thursday.

NFF Acting General Secretary Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme praised the team for showing what he described as the “true Nigeria spirit”.

“The Presidency through the National Sports Commission, the NFF and Nigerian Football stakeholders, and I believe all Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, are very proud of the outing of the Falconets against New Caledonia.

“They showed the true Nigeria spirit and overcame the odds when it mattered most.

“The result has taken them to the Round of 16, and we believe the team can only get better. I charge them to sustain the win-mentality and go all the way.”

After a difficult start to the group stage, the Falconets have now sent out a strong warning ahead of the knockout rounds: Nigeria are ready for England.

Former Asian Games gold medallist Shiv Kapur believes India’s golfers have the talent to end the country’s long wait for another gold at the continental showpiece, saying anything less than the top prize would be a disappointment at the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Games.

India will be represented by a six-member golf squad at the Asian Games, with Aditi Ashok, Diksha Dagar and Pranavi Urs making up the women’s team and Yuvraj Sandhu, Veer Ahlawat and Saptak Talwar featuring in the men’s competition. The team was selected on the basis of world rankings.

Kapur, who won the individual gold at the 2002 Asian Games, said the achievement remains the biggest of his career and hoped the current generation can break India’s gold-medal drought in golf.

“2002 is still fresh in my mind. It has been almost 25 years, but if anyone asks me what my number one achievement in golf, or the number one achievement in my career, is, it is still winning the gold medal,” Kapur said on the sidelines of the jersey launch of RVR Delhi Blue Bulls.

“So, I will be cheering for them and hoping that the last one took 20-some years, so hopefully they will break the jinx this time and win a gold medal for the country, both as a team and individually. I think they have the ability, there is no doubt.” Kapur said India’s growing pool of talent has raised expectations, and the golfers should be aiming for nothing less than gold.

“There are very high expectations. I think we have a really good pool of talent in India. We are able to perform on the world stage now, and I think anything short of winning would be a disappointment, in my opinion. The talent is there, the ability is there,” he said.

Gaurav Ghei, who is part of the Delhi franchise, also expressed confidence in India’s golfers, particularly highlighting the strength of the women’s game.

“They are all fantastic golfers, not just Aditi. I think Deeksha is doing fantastically well now on the Ladies European Tour, and I really have very high hopes for them,” he said.

Ghei, however, stressed the importance of embracing the occasion rather than becoming overwhelmed by the pressure of winning medals.

“I think the biggest thing for a team is to obviously work hard and be prepared for the tournament, but also to embrace the occasion and enjoy it. Sometimes you get too consumed by thinking, ‘I have to win a medal’, or whatever,” he said.

“These guys are seasoned professionals at a young age and they know how to do it. I’m sure they’ll do really well and make the country proud.” The two former golfers also shared similar views on the growing competition between the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), saying the rivalry could ultimately benefit the sport.

Ghei believes the emergence of the IGPL has pushed the PGTI to raise its standards while also highlighting the growing commercial interest in Indian golf.

“I think one of the reasons PGTI is doing well also is because they are getting a little bit more pushed by IGPL. The way the PGA Tour had to raise the bar when LIV came on, maybe something like that is happening here,” he said.

“But going down the line, who knows? Maybe we all join in and come together for the common good of really growing the game.” Kapur also described the competition as healthy, saying the two tours could eventually work together to create greater opportunities for professional golfers.

The comments came at the launch of the RVR Delhi Blue Bulls jersey for the IGPL. Kapur is serving as the franchise’s captain and mentor alongside Ghei, former Asian Games medallist Chiragh Kumar and emerging young golfer Aryan Roopa Anand.

Kapur said the franchise was focused on building a lasting identity for Delhi golf while helping develop the next generation of players.

“Golf has given me a lot, and Delhi has given me a lot. Delhi Golf Club is where I was born, and now I have a chance to actually use this platform not just to build a franchise that, in the future, people say was ‘the team of Delhi’, but also to build the next generation,” he said.

Chiragh Kumar said the Delhi outfit had developed a strong camaraderie.

“I started playing golf again last year, I want to thank Shiv for having the faith in me to be a part of RVR Delhi. We are the most closely knit team in the tournament. We want to do the best for the team in the last few months that remain, exciting times ahead for sure,” he said.

Kumar also pointed out that from next year, the IGPL winner will earn a spot on the Asian Tour.

Ben Shelton has urged tennis authorities to change a “stupid” rule after being instructed to remain in a receiving posture while Alexander Zverev completed his lengthy ball-bouncing routine during their US Open final on Sunday.

The German’s pre-serve ritual has frustrated several competitors over the past fortnight, with Zverev bouncing the ball as many as 25 times before initiating his delivery.

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While a 25-second shot clock applies to a first serve, no such restriction exists for a second serve.

Shelton expressed irritation after umpire Marijana Veljovic instructed him to stand on the baseline ready to receive, despite knowing the serve might not arrive for another 30 seconds.

“I think there’s not an athlete in the world that you’re going to watch them do their thing and they’re going to sit in a ready position for 30 seconds before the play starts,” said the 23-year-old American following his four-set loss to his German opponent.

“So for me it’s the same. I’m not going to sit there in a ready position with my knees bent, tension in my body for 30 seconds while I’m waiting.

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“I’m going to try to stay loose, and you know, I’ll let him do his thing when he’s up there, but I’m not going to sit there, be locked in, focused, in a ready position for that long.

“(The umpire) was telling me I need to get to the line earlier, and I was, like, ‘he can start his routine whenever he wants. I promise you there will never be a time where he serves and I’m not ready’.

“But I shouldn’t have to sit at the line. If he’s bouncing the ball 20 to 25 times, I shouldn’t have to just sit there for that.

“I think that there should be some sort of rule. I’m not sure exactly how you would do it, limiting time on second serve.”

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Zverev, the 29-year-old top seed, ended American hopes for a first home male champion since Andy Roddick in 2003 by securing a 6-3 7-6 (2) 5-7 6-2 victory as he won his second major of the year after also securing victory at the French Open.

Alexander Zverev has won his second Grand Slam singles title after the German top seed beat Ben Shelton in the US Open final on Sunday.

Zverev beat the American, who was making his first appearance in a major final, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-2.

This success caps the best season of Zverev’s career. Not only has he now won two of the four Grand Slams in the same season, but he has become just the ninth man to reach at least the semifinals at all four majors in the same season.

“We went 30 years without winning a Grand Slam title and now we’ve won two in three months,” Zverev said on court after his second major win of the year, following his victory at the French Open in June. 

“God has seen how hard we’ve worked and how much we’ve suffered. 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before,” he said as he thanked his coaching team and family.

Great expectations from the start

As a former junior world No. 1, there were great expectations on Zverev from the moment he started his pro career in 2013 at just 16 years old. Titles soon followed, as did a shock early win over Roger Federer in a tournament in his native Germany in 2016.

But the presence of Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic meant Zverev struggled to make a mark in the Grand Slams. After a string of disappointing exits, he had something of a breakthrough in 2020, reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open and the final of the US Open.

With age starting to catch up with at least two of the big three in modern men’s tennis, Zverev looked well primed to become a dominant force in the majors. His 2021 Olympic gold felt like it might be just the start.

French Open ends long grand slam wait

But he was unable to make the opportunity count, and the emergence of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has made the task even tougher. Finally, this year, Zverev got his hands on a major title, winning at Roland Garros in June. In doing so, he became the first German man to win a singles Grand Slam since Boris Becker in 1996 in the process.

“It was just relief, joy, everything together,” he told ATPTour.com. “I didn’t realize that I had won the match until I saw my box all jumping around and celebrating. In your mind, you think, ‘Well, I’ve got to continue playing’, but then I saw my dad raise his arms in the air. That’s when it kind of hit me, ‘Okay, we’ve done it. We’ve achieved it. We are Grand Slam champions.’”

Becker’s triumph was a year before Zverev was born in Hamburg to Russian parents who were both tennis pros in the Soviet Union and moved to Germany in 1991. His older brother, Mischa, was also a pro until 2023, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2017 and becoming world number 25 in the same year. But it was Alexander who was destined for the even bigger stage.

Family a big influence on Zverev’s career

In their youth, Mischa was generally coached by his father, Alexander Zverev Snr, while the younger brother was coached by his mother, Irina. His father has taken the reins in the professional arena though, and the family remain a constant fixture at Zverev’s matches.

“I know there are crazy tennis parents out there as well,” the 29-year-old said on the subject ahead of the US Open. “If you try to control every single aspect of your kid’s life, even when the kid is 25, 26, 27 years old and at some point has a personal life… I think that is never helpful.”

“But if you have smart tennis parents like we do have on tour now, I feel like Ben Shelton’s father is incredibly smart, Casper Ruud’s father is incredibly smart, I feel like I’m lucky enough to say the same thing about my parents. I think then it’s beneficial.”

Despite finally ending Germany’s long wait for a major male tennis champion, Zverev is far from universally liked in his own country, or on the tennis circuit.

Domestic violence allegations

While there is acknowledgement of his work in promoting awareness of type 1 diabetes, with which he was diagnosed in 2022, allegations of domestic abuse have hung over his career and seen him heckled at various tournaments. His behavior on court has also seen him get in trouble before.

The first came in October 2020, when his ex-girlfriend, Olya Sharypova, claimed he had been violent towards her on multiple occasions. However, Sharypova didn’t press criminal charges, and in January 2023, men’s tennis governing body the ATP closed its own investigation into the matter, citing “insufficient evidence.”

Welcoming that decision at the time, Zverev said: “From the beginning, I have maintained my innocence and denied the baseless allegations made against me.”

But he faced a Berlin court in 2024 after similar allegations from Brenda Patea, Zverev’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his daughter. The court was told that “after a heated argument” in the German capital, Zverev allegedly pushed Patea against a wall and strangled her with both hands.

He denied the charges and the case was settled, with Zverev paying €200,000 ($233,000), €150,000 of which went to the state and €50,000 to charitable organizations. The case was officially declared “no verdict” and Zverev made no admission of guilt.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery

As poster boy Armand Duplantis performed the Ultimate Championship’s official song and fireworks lit up the sky above the newly crowned winners, athletics had taken its first strides in a new direction.

Across three fast-paced evenings the inaugural event played out in Budapest, where a record $10m (£7.4m) prize pot was distributed among the sport’s biggest stars.

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It looked different. It felt different. And, after three successive sell-out crowds and positive feedback from the athletes, it appears it is here to stay.

“It’s a good first step towards changing track and field for the better,” said Usain Bolt, event ambassador and the greatest sprinter in history.

“The athletes are loving it. It’s a different energy, a different vibe.”

World Athletics and its president, Lord Coe, worked for three years to tackle the absence of a season-ending pinnacle event.

Rather than keeping to an established formula, the Ultimate Championship was a bold, innovative undertaking – and it is hoped it can exist as a testing ground to help shape the sport’s future.

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“We walked out, we came through the little starlights and we all looked at each other and said, ‘this is unbelievable’,” Britain’s four-time global relay medallist Imani-Lara Lansiquot told BBC Sport.

“It’s so rare that things really live up to the expectation, the hype. I’m so, so glad, having been in this sport for many years now, to actually see us be put on a platform and celebrated in this way.”

Athletics has long grappled with the issue of maintaining the interest and excitement which it generates at the Olympics throughout the rest of those four-year cycles.

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The structure of the season has not always been clear for occasional viewers, while showdowns between the world’s top athletes can be inconsistent. From a storytelling perspective, that is far from ideal.

They are all issues World Athletics has sought to begin addressing with the biennial Ultimate Championship, while also compensating the athletes with record prize money.

The premise is accessible: condensed, fast-paced sessions, with the best competing against the best for a global title and significant prize money.

A striking new appearance and several innovative features ensured the Ultimate Championship provided a notably different feel to that of the sport’s established global championships.

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An infield painted black sought to focus attention on the illuminated live events, while the horizontal jumps were decided in a bright pink sandpit.

A new trophy waited for the winners on a plinth, with their crowning moment marked by sparklers and celebratory music.

New features for TV audiences attempted to enhance the viewer experience, with athlete headshots, win probabilities and projected finishing positions flashing up on screen.

They did so with varying success.

Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen was unimpressed by his predicted finishing position of 12th before winning the 5,000m title, while Britain’s 1500m champion Josh Kerr was expected to finish last – a result of both athletes racing lightly over recent seasons.

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There was a notable athlete-centric feel to the event beyond the increased financial rewards.

The world’s top athletes arrived on the eve of the championship for a red carpet event featuring photoshoots.

Athlete videos were played inside the stadium before events and winners held centre-court style interviews before being escorted to a champions’ enclosure, where they joined Bolt and master of ceremonies Noah Lyles.

On the videos, Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell said: “I do like the fact that it builds personality and character for, hopefully, people to connect with the athletes. That storytelling is something that’s really interesting.

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“If you think of superstars like Carlos Alcaraz, Serena Williams or Tadej Pogacar, obviously they’re great athletes, but it’s their personality coming through that makes it fun.”

BBC commentator and former 1500m world champion Steve Cram said: “The key is the exposure of it. It’s good for the sport. It’s really good for the profile of the athletes.”

But the championship did not avoid criticism – the biggest its exclusion of certain events.

World Athletics took the decision to include events based on viewer behaviour, including pulse rate and sweat response.

That meant that distance track events, including the 3,000m steeplechase and 10,000m, were omitted, while only selected field events were included. Shot-putters and discus throwers were excluded entirely.

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The event format was also altered. Round progression in several field events meant increased jeopardy, with the competition whittled down to the top four athletes by the fourth and final round.

British long jumper Jazmin Sawyers told BBC Sport: “Some field events didn’t get any attention because they’re not here. The championship is worse off for not having them.

“It looks amazing in stadium and broadcast. It’s dynamic. It’s exciting. There’s a place for it alongside regular championships.

“I don’t think I would like to see it replace regular championships, but I like the idea that this is something that exists alone.”

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On the long jump competition format, she added: “I would love to see all eight [athletes] get all four jumps. It makes it more interesting.

“I was able to come from fourth to second. What if the person who was eighth could go from eighth to first? That’s more exciting.”

On the matter of the excluded events, Coe said the disciplines held at the Ultimate Championship were “not in tablets of stone”.

Looking ahead to the next edition in 2028, the Ultimate Championship will be positioned at the end of a season which is headlined by an Olympics.

It remains to be seen how it will fit alongside the Diamond League – the sport’s season-long series – in the schedule of the athletes.

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Former Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis told BBC Sport: “People have wanted to see something that looked different and felt like a different product. World Athletics has delivered.

“I don’t think we know what it will do to the global calendar of athletics.

“The overall picture and the landscape isn’t clear. There is place for this, but I do think it is unclear what yet.”

Coe accepted before the weekend that there would be “no guarantee we’re going get everything right” and said a “slightly different format” might be considered in future.

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But, regardless, the competition was a statement of intent as the sport seeks to engage with new, bigger audiences while ensuring its star names are rewarded with prize money closer aligned to that of other sports.

Speaking after become Britain’s first Ultimate champion in the 1500m, Josh Kerr said: “I welcome anything that can push this sport on to make it more entertaining for people to watch and athletes to go out and compete.

“There is one last thing that we can do to get it right and that is to let athletes wear their own brands versus their country.

“I love my country and competing for them, but we don’t make money from that. We don’t have the pay cheques other sports do just yet.

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“My $30,000 pay cheque just came through from winning the World Indoors, so $150,000 is a huge jump and I’m massively appreciative.”