By Nick Bartlett, SuperWest Sports
Sports
Nick Bartlett’s 2026 Week Zero Fearless Predictions
Throughout the 2026 college football season, I’ll be giving you my just-for-fun picks for contests involving the best teams in the West across five conferences.
I start the season, like the teams we cover, with a perfect record.
This week, I am making picks for the following three games:
- San Jose State at USC
- Hawaii at Stanford
- Memphis at UNLV
You will want to read Stephen Vilardo’s Week Zero Previews of the contests as well.
Let’s get on to my picks!
San Jose State at No. 14 USC
Saturday, August 29th
12:00 PM PT, NBC
USC has an opportunity to fine-tune some things against San Jose State. The Trojans are a borderline College Football Playoff team, and the Spartans are projected to be near the bottom of the Mountain West.
Jayden Maiava will look to form connections with new playmakers Terrell Anderson and Trent Mosley. Maiava finished second in the nation in QBR in 2025.
Flipping the state, SC’s new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson should make light work of SJSU. The Spartans have the second-lowest returning production in the nation, and their offense ranked 113th in points scored per game a year ago.
They’ll also be breaking in a new quarterback in Luke Weaver. Guys like Luke Wafle and Jontez Williams could capitalize. The only returners on SJSU’s offense are two starting linemen.
Lincoln Riley has made a habit of destroying non-Power Four teams in the opener, and he’ll continue this trend against the Spartans.
USC eviscerates San Jose State.
USC 49, SJSU 14 (USC doesn’t cover)
Hawai’i at Stanford
Saturday, August 29th
4:00 PM PT, ACC Network
From a talent standpoint, this should prove a good matchup. Stanford enters this contest needing a win. Losing to Hawaii two years in a row would hurt the brand.
The Rainbow Warriors are talented this year, but it’s a cold world.
The key to a Cardinal victory is finding consistency on offense. Quarterback Davis Warren transferred in from Michigan, and he has plenty of experience leading a high-level program; he’s already attempted over 200 passes at the collegiate level.
Complementing him is Micah Ford at halfback. If Ford can get going early, it will take some pressure off the Tree offensively.
Hawaii is hoping Micah Alejado can lead the Bows to a third-straight victory over a Bay Area school. Alejado, who balled while beat up last year, should be able to exploit Stanford’s pass defense, which was last in the nation in 2025.
UH also gets back running back Cam Barfield, who had 80 touches a year ago. Rounding out the trio is Pofele Ashlock in the slot. The offensive line also returns three seniors, making this a complete unit.
The Bows’ defense is a bit sketchy, though they do have at least one proven player at every level.
Hawai’i might be the better team, but Stanford skrrtt’s by.
Stanford 28, Hawai’i 24 (Stanford covers)
Memphis at UNLV
Saturday, August 29th
7:00 PM PT, FOX
UNLV is playing Memphis at a clutch time. The Tigers have a streak of 12 straight .500+ seasons, but their offense is completely new. Their only returning starter is right guard Parker Mitchell; everyone else is gone.
The Rebels’ biggest concern on defense should be stopping Dallan Hayden, a Colorado transfer. UNLV’s defensive line is the soft spot of their unit, but U of M’s line is unproven, which will likely help them in this matchup.
Memphis also isn’t revealing who their starting quarterback’s going to be.
Flipping the script, the Rebels should be able to run the ball against the Tigers. UNLV returns halfback Jai’Den Thomas, a shifty runner who averaged 7.0 yards per carry in 2025, second-most among 1,000-yard rushers.
But the key for UNLV will likely be the play of Jackson Arnold, a solid quarterback who occasionally lacks awareness in the pocket, having been sacked 30 times a year ago.
The Rebels also return a starting center and left tackle, which should help him adjust.
Memphis could be decent this year, but it feels unlikely a team relying on transfers from Southern Mississippi will have the stuff to beat the Rebels.
UNLV glows in the spotlight.
UNLV 35, Memphis 20 (UNLV covers)
Writes about football and basketball as a Senior Writer and hosts “The Nick Bartlett Show” for SuperWest Sports.
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The well-performed gelding Althoff is currently sitting fourth in the initial markets for the Group 1 Epsom Handicap, although his connections are still contemplating whether he is truly a miler.
The Yulong family-owned five-year-old has achieved wins up to 1400m and finished fifth in the 2024 Callander-Presnell at his sole attempt beyond that distance. He is scheduled to test the 1500m journey again at Rosehill on Saturday in the Wests Group Macarthur Handicap.
Trainer Chris Waller has earmarked next year’s Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast as Althoff’s main spring objective, but he is keeping an open mind about the rest of the horse’s campaign.
Waller has indicated that the gelding’s showing this weekend will be crucial in determining if they pull stumps and focus on summer racing, or if he gets another chance to prove his worth in a race such as the Epsom.
“We had (Yulong’s) Mr Zhang up in Sydney and looking at all the horses (this week), and one of the discussion points was that horse,” Waller commented.
“We think he might be a perfect horse for the Magic Millions Cup if we back off him after Saturday.
“A mile could stretch him. But this Saturday is 1500, and if he comes out and wins on Saturday we could think differently.”
A Group 3 placed performer as a juvenile, Althoff did not quite make the grade at three but has arguably returned in career-best form this season. He was a fast-finishing second to Carbonados first-up at Rosehill on August 1 and then delivered an arrogant victory in the Spring Preview (1400m), beating Group 1 performers Attica and Fully Lit.
Attica is a significant player in Epsom Handicap (1600m) markets at $11, with Althoff backed into $15 for the October 3 showpiece.
Explore the leading betting sites for the upcoming spring carnival.
AEW will host All In: London this Sunday at the iconic Wembley Stadium. The upcoming pay-per-view can potentially be one of the greatest wrestling events of all time. Unfortunately, a popular star has likely suffered an injury ahead of the show.
Kyle O’Reilly locked horns with Nigel McGuinness in the semifinals of the Continental Challenge Cup on this week’s AEW Dynamite. This was an excellent match, which Nigel convincingly won. The Conglomeration member eventually shared a picture of himself on Instagram Story where he had a swollen black eye.
According to Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, O’Reilly might have suffered a broken orbital bone.
“There was definitely fear of a broken orbital bone. He had a big black eye though. I actually saw it during the match, and then afterwards I was told about that he’s got a big black eye and it was scary,” said Meltzer.
The severity of the former WWE star’s injury is unknown. Hopefully, we will learn more about this soon. Had he defeated McGuinness on Dynamite, he would have challenged Jon Moxley for the Continental Title at All In. He does not have a match at the upcoming pay-per-view for now.
AEW star Kyle O’Reilly wants to accomplish many things in the Tony Khan-led company
Kyle O’Reilly joined AEW in 2021. In a 2024 interview with Fightful, the former World Trios Champion said that he wants to accomplish many things in the promotion, but he is not in a rush. He also said that he is happy that he is working for such a massive promotion.
“I really just don’t want to take for granted the opportunity to wrestle in a mainstream company and even have matches again. That’s something I was never really sure if it was going to happen. The fact that I get to be back on the road and earning my living and get to wrestle, the only thing I’ve ever really been good at or can at least make a living doing, that’s the most important thing. Big matches and championships, I’m sure they’ll come as long as I stay the course. I’m not going to get too ahead of myself. One match at a time,” he said. [H/T: Fightful]
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for O’Reilly. Perhaps he will win a singles title in the company soon.
Get all the hottest wrestling news FIRST by clicking here
Edited by Debangshu Nath
Sports
England v Pakistan Second Test: Jofra Archer and Jamie Smith combine to remove Shan Masood early
England get an early breakthrough at the start of Pakistan’s first innings as Jofra Archer and Jamie Smith combine to remove Shan Masood for just one, with Pakistan 5-1, in response to England’s first innings score of 290 on the second day of the second Test at Lord’s.
FOLLOW LIVE: England v Pakistan – Second Test, day two
Available to UK users only.
Roger Federer loved to win, of course, and at the peak of his career almost always did. All those victories and trophies he piled up alone would have made Federer remembered forever in tennis, but they were only part of the reason he enjoyed playing. He liked traveling to tournaments, meeting people and making new friends, whether they were on the other side of the net or sitting in the stands. Only after he finished competing did Federer realize how much that impacted his legacy in the sport.
“I think when you retire, I think I said it before, that there was a lot of talk also about maybe my personality and what I brought to the game overall when I wasn’t on court, which I was a little surprised,” Federer said. “I thought it was about, in the moment, forehands and backhands and saving break points and victories and all that stuff.
“But actually it becomes a little bit, not irrelevant eventually, but it’s about what were you remembered for, how did you behave in the locker rooms or in the corridors or maybe with the media, or with the tournament directors, the ball kids.”
Federer will have a chance to reflect back on it all Saturday when he is enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.
The 45-year-old from Switzerland, who will be honored along with broadcaster and former player Mary Carillo, said it would be his first trip to Newport. That seemed surprising, given how many places he’s gone for his tennis.
Sure, there was regular stops such as New York and London and Paris for Grand Slam tournaments, but there were also cities like Cape Town, South Africa, for an exhibition match against Rafael Nadal that drew nearly 52,000 fans; or Mexico City, for one against Alexander Zverev that drew more than 42,000.
Those were near the end of his career, when Federer was forced to limit his schedule for health reasons. He hated having to do so, because he liked going too many places, even ones that didn’t host the biggest events.
“For me, if I look back, that’s kind of what I’m very happy about, that I went through 25 years on tour, and actually felt like I made a lot of friends and a lot of people miss me,” Federer said. “Same with fans. They come up to me and say, ‘What a shame you’re not playing anymore.’
“Then I get a flashback saying it was an amazing time, and I say it every time. I loved it, and it’s a shame I can’t be on the tour anymore. But it was a great, great time and I miss it dearly.”
The fans clearly miss Federer. When he returned to the U.S. Open this week for an exhibition, his first time playing in Flushing Meadows since 2019, the lines of fans waiting to get into Arthur Ashe Stadium resembled a night in the second week of the tournament, not well before it even began.
Federer won five straight U.S. Open titles from 2004-08, during a stretch when he compiled a 247-15 record from 2004-06 and reached a record 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals from 2005-07, winning eight. He went on to win 1,251 matches and 103 tournaments, including 20 Grand Slams.
“He’s the best I’ve ever played against,” Andre Agassi, Federer’s opponent in the 2005 final, said in a video the U.S. Open showed before Federer took the court Tuesday.
The way he won, with far more flair than some stuffy champions of the past but without the temper tantrums of others, earned him accolades that his skills alone couldn’t. He won the ATP Tour’s sportsmanship award every year from 2004-09, and again from 2011-17, and the fan favorite award every year from 2003-21. Those came while earning prize money of nearly $130.6 million.
Federer hits sometimes with his children — he and wife Mirka are parents of two sets of twins — and tries to attend a few events a year to keep him connected to the sport.
“I’m in a very comfortable place today, but I’m still happy to be out there and being in the tennis world from time to time, because it is the glue to everything that surrounds me still today,” Federer said.
“I had the best time, had a lot of friends on tour, from players to people who were organizers, et cetera. So I hope that a lot of the players who retire also feel the same way about the game, because I care dearly.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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India women lose 0-2 to Netherlands in second round of 2026 FIH World Cup | Other Sports News
 "Hockey World Cup")
India’s women’s hockey team
Indian women’s hockey team lost to reigning Olympic and world champions Netherlands 0-2 in their second round match of the FIH World Cup here on Friday.
Yibbi Jansen (2nd minute) and Frederique Matla (38th) were the goal scorers for the hosts. Both the goals were from penalty corners.
The loss meant that India will have to beat Australia in their last second round match on Sunday to have any chance of qualifying for the semifinals.
Australia also played out a 1-1 draw against China in an earlier second round match of the day.
India had made to the second round after playing out a goal-less draw against England in their final pool match on Thursday.
India had finished second in Pool D behind China.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Aug 22 2026 | 11:22 AM IST
Trae Bell-Haynes scored a game-high 18 points and added nine assists to lead Canada to an 86-66 victory over Panama in FIBA World Cup qualification action Thursday.
Marcus Carr, Bell-Haynes’ starting backcourt-mate, added a 15-point, 12-assist double-double, while Kyle Wiltjer poured in 18 points of his own for Canada.
Luis Rodriguez Jr led Panama with 17 points.
Canada brought with it a team mostly consisting of professionals playing in Europe and elsewhere, and players who have had stints in the CEBL. Kelly Olynyk was the only active NBA player for the Canadian side.
The 35-year-old played for the San Antonio Spurs last season, but remains a free agent.
With the win, Canada remained undefeated in qualifying, improving its record to 7-0.
Competing in Group F of the qualifiers, Canada is trying to be among the top three teams in its group to qualify for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
Canada will next play Argentina in Quebec City on Monday.
Sports
Neeraj Chopra climbs to 5th in Diamond League standings after 88.05m throw | Other Sports News
Neeraj Chopra produced his best throw in more than a year to finish second at the Lausanne Diamond League on Friday, narrowly missing out on the top spot to Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage while collecting crucial qualification points.
Chopra registered a season-best 88.05m with his second attempt at the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, briefly taking the lead before Pathirage responded with 88.14m in the third round.
Neither athlete improved in the remaining rounds, leaving the Indian nine centimetres behind the Sri Lankan. Grenada’s Anderson Peters finished third with a sixth-round effort of 86.69m.
The result earned Chopra seven Diamond League points, taking his tally to 12 and lifting him from seventh to fifth in the men’s javelin standings. He is now inside the top-six qualification zone for the season-ending Diamond League Final.
Pathirage leads the standings with 31 points, followed by Peters with 28. American Curtis Thompson and Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott occupy the next two positions with 18 points each. All four have qualified for the Final.
Chopra is three points ahead of Germany’s Thomas Röhler and Kenya’s Julius Yego, who have nine points each.
The Diamond League is contested across a series of meetings during the athletics season, with athletes earning points based on their finishing positions. The top six men’s javelin throwers qualify for the Final.
Chopra returns to 88m territory
The 28-year-old opened the competition with 83.54m, while Pathirage established the early lead with 85.99m before improving to 87.06m on his second attempt.
Chopra responded with 88.05m, improving his previous season best of 85.83m, recorded while finishing second at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
It was also his longest throw since he registered 88.16m at the Paris Diamond League in June 2025.
Pathirage reclaimed the lead with his next attempt, and the narrow advantage proved decisive.
Peters completed the top three, while Walcott finished fourth with 83.71m. Marc Anthony Minichello was fifth with 80.06m, followed by Thompson at 78.13m, the Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch at 77.32m, Ukraine’s Artur Felfner at 74.84m and Switzerland’s Simon Wieland at 73.23m.
Pathirage beats Chopra for third time in 2026
Lausanne marked the third meeting between Chopra and Pathirage this season, with the Sri Lankan finishing ahead of the Indian on each occasion.
Pathirage topped the field with 88.68m at the Doha Diamond League, where Chopra returned from a lengthy injury layoff and finished fourth with 85.69m. He then beat the Indian at the Commonwealth Games, where Chopra recorded 85.83m.
India’s Neeraj Chopra during the Men’s Javelin Throw. Photo: Reuters
The nine-centimetre gap in Lausanne was the narrowest margin between them this season.
Pathirage has emerged as one of the leading javelin throwers of 2026 and holds the world-leading mark of 92.62m, recorded at the Rome Diamond League.
Neeraj strengthens qualification prospects
Although Chopra’s place in the Diamond League Final is not yet mathematically secure, the Lausanne result has strengthened his position ahead of the remaining qualification events.
It also provided an encouraging sign after he failed to cross 86m in his first two competitions of the season.
Chopra’s last victory came at the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru in July 2025.
Sports
Top ranked Jannik Sinner pulls out of US Open after suffering knee injury | Other Sports News
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner withdrew from the U.S. Open on Friday, unable to recover from a right knee injury that has sidelined him since winning the Wimbledon title.
Sinner beat Alexander Zverev last month for his second straight title at the All England Club, but then pulled out of the hard-court tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati that serve as a warmup for the U.S. Open.
The 25-year-old Italian wrote Friday that he won’t be ready when the main draw begins on Aug. 30.
“Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year,” Sinner wrote in a post on X.
“We have been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days and have realized that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue. I’m obviously very sad and disappointed, as New York has a special place in my heart. I was very much looking forward to coming back and playing in the electric atmosphere in front of the great fans there.”
Sinner was the 2024 U.S. Open champion and lost to Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s final.
Alcaraz posted on social media on Thursday that he would be ready to play in New York after he has been out of action since April because of a right wrist injury.
The rivalry between those two has dominated men’s tennis in recent years, and they met in the last three Grand Slam finals in 2025. Alcaraz took the most recent one with his four-set victory in New York.
That ended Sinner’s title reign after he beat Taylor Fritz in straight sets in the 2024 final.
Sinner is 44-3 with six titles this year. He had a stunning collapse at the French Open, blowing a two-set lead while struggling in the heat in his second-round match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. He then sat out until Wimbledon, where his victory gave him five Grand Slam titles.
It will be the first time Sinner has missed a Grand Slam tournament since making his major debut at the U.S. Open in 2019.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Aug 22 2026 | 11:29 AM IST
Former Premier League midfielder Akos Buzsaky has released a statement allaying fears over his safety after being reported missing in Hungary.
QPR, one of Buzsaky’s former clubs, also confirmed on Friday morning that the 44-year-old is alive and well.
Hungarian media had claimed the ex-Plymouth and Portsmouth player had not been seen for a week, but he clarified the situation was a misunderstanding resulting from a need to step away after difficult times.
“Unfortunately, in the past few months, there have been serious changes in my life that have tested me,” Buzsaky said in a statement.
“There came a moment when I felt I had to break away from these daily routines.
“Thank you very much for all the concern and thoughts you have shown me. As soon as I learned about the situation, I stopped my retreat and informed the authorities.
“I wish everyone a very nice day and it felt really good to receive so much love.”
Buzsaky has previously spoken about his off-field struggles after retiring from football in 2015 due to injury problems.
Speaking on a podcast following his retirement, Buzsaky said: “What addictions are there: gambling, alcohol, drugs. I fell into one of them, which I am not proud of. It is a part of my life, if I were to deny it or declare that period as not having happened, I would be deceiving myself.”
Bukzsaky started his career in his homeland of Hungary for MTK Budapest before joining Portuguese giants Porto in 2002, where he played under Jose Mourinho.
He was sent out on loan to another Portuguese team, Academica, for the 2003-04 season when Porto won the Champions League, leading to Mourinho being snapped up by Chelsea.
In 2005, Buzsaky made the move over to England to join Plymouth Argyle, and he went on to have a brief loan spell at QPR before completing a permanent transfer in 2008.
He would spent the next four years in west London prior to moving to Portsmouth, while he also had a loan spell at Barnsley.
On the international stage, Buzsaky represented Hungary 20 times, scoring two goals for his country.
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