The 24-team Playoff continues to be discussed as a potential option for the sport as early as 2027.

Would the G6 have realistic options to get two, or even three, teams into the Playoff?

On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, Spencer McLaughlin discusses schedule changes across the sport, including Florida State and Georgia.

Is Mike Norvell making the right move by getting the Bulldogs for one less game?

Texas Tech is likely to have the best defense in the Big 12 again in 2026, along with BYU.

Which other units are going to help their teams push for a conference title?

00:00 Expanded college football playoffs discussion
03:26 Avengers Endgame and playoff rankings
07:35 Importance of competitive scheduling
15:39 Neutral site games controversy
18:16 Mike Norvell’s program strategy
23:45 Predicting strong defenses in the Big 12
30:09 Discussing Texas Tech and BYU game

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

Manchester United secured a 3-2 win over Liverpool last week, with Howard Webb giving his take on a particularly controversial goal

Howard Webb has clarified that VAR’s choice not to chalk off Benjamin Sesko’s controversial ‘handball’ goal against Liverpool was based on insufficient evidence to overturn the decision. United secured a 3-2 win over their bitter rivals earlier this month to stamp their place in Europe for the new season.

Matheus Cunha broke the deadlock at Old Trafford just six minutes in, before Sesko added a second merely eight minutes later. While United went into the interval with a comfortable lead, Liverpool demonstrated resilience to restore parity early in the second-half – Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo bringing the scores level.

A draw for Arne Slot’s outfit might have been a respectable outcome given United’s recent form, but fortune dictated otherwise. Kobbie Mainoo netted the winner with only 13 minutes of regulation time left to guarantee all three points stayed in Greater Manchester.

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Yet some Liverpool supporters will have felt aggrieved, particularly given the controversy surrounding Sesko’s strike. Luke Shaw whipped the ball into the penalty area, with Bruno Fernandes nodding it back across goal towards the Slovenian forward.

While Freddie Woodman managed to get a hand to it and disrupt its path, the ball eventually ricocheted off Sesko’s torso and over the line. Close-up footage appeared to show the ball brushing Sesko’s fingertips before crossing the goal line, with VAR analysing whether a handball had occurred.

Following a significant delay, play continued with United leading Liverpool 2-0, much to the frustration of Reds players and supporters watching on. Webb has since explained that VAR were correct to permit the goal, given the lack of conclusive evidence that an infringement had occurred.

Speaking on Match Officials Mic’d Up, the 54-year-old said: “I think the clip kind of speaks for itself, doesn’t it, really? I’m pretty much with you. I think it probably does hit the hand. But of course, the VARs need that conclusivity. They need to be absolutely certain that it does.

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“And it doesn’t matter what we think, does it? It matters what they think. And we do ask them to be sure that something needs acting upon. Clearly, Sesko doesn’t deliberately handle this. He doesn’t make himself bigger. It’s all very natural.

“But, of course, the Laws of the Game require any goal that comes off the hand immediately, or where the player scores immediately after hitting the arm, then it has to be disallowed, and that means the VAR has no option but to start looking for that.

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“Sometimes it looks like they’re being a bit too forensic, and you hear, in this situation, the VAR looking from various angles. They want to get it right.

“If it does conclusively come off the arm, but they don’t get to that level of certainty, they probably think it probably does as well, but they need to be absolutely categorical to get involved, and they weren’t able to find it, and hence the reason that the on-field decision stood.”

Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo have been key players for Manchester United this season under interim head coach Michael Carrick

Casemiro has admitted it is difficult to offer advice to teammate Kobbie Mainoo amid the growing influence of social media. The Manchester United midfield duo have been key to the club’s revival under interim head coach Michael Carrick.

United have qualified for the Champions League and are on track to finish third under their temporary boss. The Reds have lost just twice since Carrick succeeded Ruben Amorim in January, with both Casemiro and Mainoo regular starters under the former Middlesbrough manager.

And it appears that Real Madrid legend Casemiro has been using his experience to guide Mainoo, 21, in a bid to drive standards. The 34-year-old will leave Old Trafford this summer after four seasons at M16.

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The Brazilian has now spoken to former Reds centre-back Rio Ferdinand on his podcast about how he is advising the England international.

When Ferdinand put to him that you can’t be as strong with young players [these days], he said: “I try, I try, but the phone, the social media is very difficult because everyone sees on the phone, nah, you play good.

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“You think, ‘ah, you play good. Yeah, it’s top, it’s top.’

“And I try every day about this with Kobbie. He’s an unbelievable player. But he needs to train, train, train. He needs fear – I play, I don’t play.

“I need to push the training because this guy is the present and the future of the club.”

Casemiro was then asked about Mainoo’s previous struggle for game time under ex-Reds boss Amorim. The young star did not start a single Premier League match this season before Amorim’s exit.

He added: “Yes. I talk to him about this, and because I love Kobbie. In this moment, he doesn’t play too much. Maybe it’s the first time he doesn’t play, but it’s not the last.

“You don’t need to drop your head. You need change. How? I don’t know. Work. Work. Work.

“Talk with the manager about what you need. I go with Amorim. I do what I need to, to play. I can’t play in this team because I need this, this, this. Okay. I try, but it’s not the last time.

“He’s very easy. He’s slow. He’s a calm guy. Very calm. But for me this guy is the present in the football club. This guy is an unbelievable player.”

Former pro-basketball player Jason Collins, the first active male athlete on a major American professional team sport to come out as gay, has died aged 47.

Collins died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, his family said in a statement shared by the National Basketball Association (NBA).

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He announced last year that he had been diagnosed with the cancer and was undergoing treatment to stop the spread of the inoperable disease.

“Jason Collins’ impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said on Tuesday.

“Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others,” Silver added.

Collins said in December 2025 that the cancer was discovered after he was struggling to focus.

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The brain tumour, he said, was like “a monster with tentacles spreading across the underside of my brain the width of a baseball”.

Without treatment, he would be dead within three months, doctors told Collins.

When revealing his diagnosis to the world, he said it reminded him of his decision to publicly come out as gay in 2013 in a front-page cover story for Sports Illustrated. The years since were “the best of my life”, he said.

“Your life is so much better when you just show up as your true self, unafraid to be your true self, in public or private. This is me. This is what I’m dealing with.”

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Collins was being treated with a drug called Avastin to slow the tumour’s growth, and had been travelling to Singapore for a targeted form of chemotherapy.

The California native played for six teams in his 13 seasons in the NBA. He had previously been featured on Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people list. He retired in 2014.

“Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar,” his family said on Tuesday.

He started his coming out essay for Sports Illustrated in 2013, by writing: “I’m a 34-year-old N.B.A. center. I’m Black and I’m gay.”

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He was a free agent at the time the essay was published, and so it remained unclear whether coming out would end his NBA career.

While there were significant developments for the gay rights movement by then, gay marriage was not legalized across the US until 2015.

Collins went on to re-join the Brooklyn Nets, where he started his career, and became the first openly-gay athlete to ever play across any of the major four US sports leagues.

The Minnesota Vikings may or may not need an extra outside linebacker; that depends on the team’s early plan for rookie Jake Golday, who, in theory, could be used as the OLB3. But if interim general manager Rob Brzezinski wants a veteran free agent, well, the market shrank Monday again as the Buffalo Bills grabbed Mike Danna off the wire.

One more veteran pass rusher disappeared. The Vikings’ options are getting thinner.

Minnesota still has veteran OLB alternatives to explore, but Danna is off the board.

Minnesota May Have to Move Quickly for EDGE Help

Danna heads to a contender.

BUF Signs Danna

Danna has a new NFL home after six seasons in Kansas City. ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg wrote Monday, “The Bills added a familiar former opponent to the roster, signing outside linebacker Mike Danna to a one-year deal Monday, the team announced. Danna, 28, had played the last six seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, who released him Feb. 23 in a move to create salary cap space ahead of the new league year.”

“During his time with the Chiefs, he faced the Bills in five regular-season games and four postseason matchups. In the AFC Championship Game during the 2024 season, Danna recorded his only sack against Buffalo — a strip sack on Josh Allen that the quarterback recovered.”

Danna joins a Super Bowl contender, while the Vikings’ presumptive search for an extra pass rusher dwindles.

Danna’s Production and Resume

Danna entered the business in 2020 as a 5th-Round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s stuck around since. In terms of longevity, he’s the Vikings’ version of safety Josh Metellus if Metellus had signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, for example, this offseason.

Here are his raw stats:

And the Pro Football Focus skinny:

Danna is basically the perfect guy for situational pass rushing, perhaps the Bills’ version of D.J. Wonnum from Vikings’ squads of yesteryear.

The Bills’ OLBs

Buffalo actually has some fantastic EDGE depth, onboarding three or four reputable outside linebackers this offseason. They’re serious and are in it to win it in 2026:

Here’s the current OLB group:

• Bradley Chubb
• Greg Rousseau
• Michael Danna
• T.J. Parker
• Michael Hoecht
• Andre Jones Jr.
• Javon Solomon
• Cade Denhoff

Parker, a rookie, now has ample time to develop with Danna around as the OLB3.

SI.com‘s Alex Brasky on the Danna addition: “While Danna and Solomon may not be roster locks by any means, signing a veteran not named Epenesa or Bosa at this stage is a bit telling, as OnSI’s Randy Gurzi wrote previously, along with highlighting the possibility of Solomon’s ultimate demise.”

“However, if that theory proves incorrect and Bosa and/or Epenesa are welcomed back, that would really spell trouble for Solomon. This is by no means an earth-shattering move, but there are reasons to look more closely at the Bills welcoming a player with Danna’s experience level, which includes Super Bowl experience.”

Buffalo’s defense ranked 20th per DVOA in 2025.

Brasky added, “We’ll see how it all shakes out, but this can’t be great news for Solomon. One thing that could salvage Solomon’s spot on the roster is Michael Hecht’s ongoing rehab from a season-ending Achilles injury.”

“If Hoecht cannot return in time for Week 1, that would open an additional roster spot for either Danna or the team’s homegrown pass rusher to hold down at least until Hoecht can return from injury.”

Who’s Left for Vikings?

Upset that Minnesota didn’t score Danna this week or Dante Fowler Jr. last week? Have no fear; the list of available outside linebackers remains impressive. Minnesota could somewhat easily sign one of these men as early as now:

• Denico Autry
• Derek Barnett
• Joey Bosa
• Jadeveon Clowney
• Marcus Davenport
• A.J. Epenesa
• Leonard Floyd
• Cameron Jordan
• Von Miller
• Haason Reddick
• Kyle Van Noy

Floyd might make the most sense. He won a Super Bowl with Kevin O’Connell on the 2021 Los Angeles Rams squad. Van Noy, too, has ties to Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores from their days together with the New England Patriots.

Danna will turn 29 in December.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Nikita Shulchenco of LCW UAECycling Team in action during the Tour of Luzon. –HANDOUT PHOTO

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Barring a massive disaster, Nikita Shulchenko has the MPTC Tour of Luzon title in the bag.

The Russian rider finished second in the individual time trial on Tuesday, the summer cycling spectacle’s penultimate stage, and built a four-minute cushion against French cyclist Antoine Huby

“It’s great for me,” said Shulchenko after crossing the finish in 26 minutes and one second amid the scorching heat and windy conditions at Lingayen Baywalk. South Korean ace Min Kyeong-ho beat him by 22 seconds.

Shulchenko crossed the finish in 26 minutes and one second amid the scorching heat and windy conditions at Lingayen Baywalk.

Min ruled the race-against-time format, but that meant little to the LCW UAE Cycle top rider, who built himself a buffer heading into the killer final stage from here to Baguio via Kennon Road, which will feature a climb that is more suitable to Huby’s talents.

Biggest threat

Huby was tagged as a potential challenger for Shulchenko, with mountain stages affording several opportunities to eat up time deficits, but he could not keep pace during the time trial, finishing at 27:21—1:42 behind Min and 1:20 slower than Shulchenko.

Shulchenko now has an aggregate time of 36:42:22, ahead of the 7-Eleven Roadbike Philippines ace by 3:50.

Huby emerged as the biggest threat to Shulchenko’s hold on the yellow jersey when he conquered the difficult climb towards Daang Kalikasan in Mangatarem the previous day to move within 2:30 of the Russian.

But a poor finish in the time trial by Huby turned Wednesday’s final stage into a virtual coronation lap for Shulchenko and not the “Battle Royale” that 7-Eleven team manager Ric Rodriguez billed it to be during the Tour’s rest day in Pagudpud last week.

Huby had beaten Shulchenko in the tough climbs, including the unforgiving Stage 10 at Bessang Pass in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, which could have made the final stage more dramatic had the 25-year-old slashed the deficit even more or even just kept pace.

“It’s a nice gap for me, but there’s no reason for me to relax,” Shulchenko said.

The Russian rider has donned the symbolic jersey since Stage 3, and will look to secure the P1 million top prize for the best individual rider of the Tour—which would make a fitting early birthday present.

Shulchenko will turn 27 on May 31.

His LCW teammate, Ibrahiem Alrefai, is third in the general classification (5:37 behind), while MPT DriveHub’s Nash Lim moved into fourth (8:05 behind) and is now the best Filipino rider.

Fan favorite Mervin Corpuz of 7-Eleven is fifth (+8:54), with Malaysia national team’s Muhammad Mazlin (+9:26) in sixth and 7-Eleven’s Ronnilan Quita (+9:46) seventh.

Rounding out the top 10 are MPT’s Rustom Lim (+12:19), Seoul’s Jung Woo-ho (+13:30) and Go for Gold Philippines’ Rench Michael Bondoc (+13:54).

Jacob Fatu brutally assaulted Roman Reigns and The Usos on the latest episode of Monday Night RAW. Following this incident, he has now broken his silence on social media.

The Samoan Werewolf challenged the OTC for the World Heavyweight Championship last Saturday at Backlash in Tampa. Despite dominating Reigns during the match, Jacob Fatu was unable to get the job done. In the end, Roman managed to pin him to retain his title.

Frustrated, Fatu attacked the World Heavyweight Champion after the match. That’s not all. The Samoan Werewolf still didn’t hold back this week on the red brand. He brutally assaulted Roman Reigns and The Usos during what was meant to be an “Acknowledgement Ceremony.”

Following this incident, Fatu has now broken his silence on X/Tiwtter with this message:

“@Golden1Center @WWE WE NEED A PLE IN THE 916 WHERE IM FROM❗️❗️❗️❗️” Fatu wrote.

Will Triple H book Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu II?

Roman Reigns may have survived WWE Backlash 2026 with the World Heavyweight Championship intact, but the war with Jacob Fatu looks far from over. In fact, the RAW after Backlash only added more fuel to the fire.

Fatu’s explosive actions on Monday night made it clear that he is still hunting the OTC. The Samoan Werewolf has been relentless ever since stepping into the main event picture, and despite falling short at Backlash, he doesn’t appear ready to move on. Given this, it’s possible that Triple H could book Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu II at Clash in Italy later this month.

The first match proved that Fatu belongs at the top of the card. He pushed Reigns to his limit and nearly walked away with the title before the Tribal Chief escaped with a narrow victory. WWE now has a golden opportunity to capitalize on that momentum with an even bigger rematch on May 31.

At the same time, WWE could take a different route if Adam Pearce decides to punish Fatu for his post-Backlash chaos on RAW. A suspension or storyline fine would temporarily delay the rematch and allow Reigns to move into another feud before revisiting unfinished business with his dangerous cousin.