The expanded College Football Playoff has changed the math, but regular-season perfection still carries value in postseason seeding. Unbeaten Power Four teams don’t have to worry about résumé comparisons or strength-of-schedule arguments.

Pulling off an undefeated regular season, however, has never been more difficult. Championship hopefuls must overcome unexpected injuries, and even the nation’s heavyweights face dangerous road trips capable of derailing title dreams.

Talent alone is no longer enough. Since 2020, only 10 teams have reached conference championship weekend with undefeated regular seasons, and no season has produced more than two such teams. Last year featured the rare unbeaten No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the Big Ten championship game after Ohio State and Indiana navigated the first 12 games without a loss.

Final record prediction for every new Power Four coach: Lane Kiffin, James Franklin primed to shine

Brad Crawford

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For this list, we’re leaning on four traits that separate legitimate unbeaten candidates from everyone else: roster strength, coaching edge, survival ability and, perhaps most importantly, schedule favorability. The teams that navigate their toughest matchups with championship aspirations intact are usually the deepest, most disciplined and best prepared for adversity.

These 10 programs check at least two major boxes. One has the most forgiving schedule in the country, while others boast overwhelming talent or elite coaching. All have a path — some more realistic than others — toward finishing the regular season without a blemish.

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1. Texas Tech

Opponents in post-spring top 25: 0

The defending Big 12 champions miss BYU and Utah during the regular season and should cruise through their nonconference schedule. Another portal-heavy defense bolsters the Red Raiders’ chances, even with the Brendan Sorsby fallout at quarterback.

Texas Tech should be favored in every game, with early tests against Houston and a Week 11 trip to Oklahoma State standing out as potential pitfalls.

Chances increase significantly if … quarterback Will Hammond plays at an all-conference level.

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2. Notre Dame

Opponents in post-spring top 25: at BYU, Miami, SMU

A playoff appearance feels inevitable for the Fighting Irish this season. However, Notre Dame will get every team’s best shot each week. Marcus Freeman’s challenge is making sure his team maintains that focus throughout the season, not just against ranked opponents. 

They’ll get an early measuring stick in Week 1 against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. Last season’s opening loss to Miami — followed by another defeat against Texas A&M two weeks later — ultimately proved fatal.

Chances increase significantly if … Notre Dame gets past BYU in Provo on Oct. 17.

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3. Miami

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Clemson, at Notre Dame

Expect Notre Dame and Miami to spend several weeks at No. 1 this season, given their favorable schedules and All-America-caliber talent. There’s a strong chance both teams will be undefeated when they meet Nov. 7 in South Bend. 

Landing former Duke quarterback Darian Mensah was a massive addition for the Hurricanes, who should feature an explosive offense and a defensive front capable of overwhelming opponents despite losing two first-round NFL Draft picks.

Chances increase significantly if … Miami avoids an upset loss before battling Notre Dame in November.

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4. Oregon

Opponents in post-spring top 25: at USC, at Ohio State, Michigan, Washington 

Postseason disappointments have haunted Dan Lanning’s program the past two years, first in the 2024 Rose Bowl quarterfinal against Ohio State and then in last season’s CFP semifinal loss to Indiana. 

Perhaps the Ducks have learned to keep something in reserve for the postseason. Oregon should be 8-0 entering its Nov. 7 trip to Columbus, where a win over the Buckeyes would put an unbeaten regular season within reach.

Chances increase significantly if … Oregon takes out Ohio State to move to 9-0.

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5. Indiana

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Ohio State, at Michigan, USC, at Washington

With essentially the same collection of marquee games as Oregon, choosing between the Ducks and Hoosiers comes down to which team inspires more confidence. 

Given Indiana’s transition to former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, Oregon gets the slight edge. The encouraging news for the Hoosiers? Their two toughest games — against Ohio State and USC — will be played in Bloomington.

Chances increase significantly if … the Hoosiers beat the Buckeyes at home for the first time since 1988.

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6. Georgia

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Oklahoma, at Alabama, Florida (Atlanta), at Ole Miss, Missouri

Georgia has finished the regular season 12-0 three times under Kirby Smart, most recently in 2023, before missing the four-team playoff and routing Florida State in its bowl game. 

As always, the Bulldogs will be tested as they pursue a sixth consecutive SEC championship game appearance. This schedule appears even tougher, highlighted by a trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium, where Georgia has not won since 2007.

Chances increase significantly if … the Bulldogs end their road skid against Alabama.

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7. Penn State

Opponents in post-spring top 25: USC, at Michigan, at Washington

If Matt Campbell’s transfer-heavy roster strategy pays off, Penn State could emerge as the Big Ten’s biggest surprise simply because of its favorable schedule. 

The Nittany Lions avoid Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon and get USC after the Trojans face consecutive games against Oregon and Washington. Penn State is not my CFP pick, but its chances improve dramatically if everything clicks early.

Chances increase significantly if … the Nittany Lions are 6-0 heading to Michigan at midseason, coming off a home win over USC.

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8. Ohio State

Opponents in post-spring top 25: at Texas, at Iowa, at Indiana, at USC, Oregon, Michigan

That’s right, Penn State has a better chance than the Buckeyes of finishing the regular season unbeaten because of the significant difference in their schedules. 

Those odds improve considerably if Ohio State wins at Texas in Week 2, but no top 10 team faces a more difficult collection of road games than the Buckeyes. If a three-loss team reaches the CFP this season, Ohio State or Texas feels like the most likely candidate because of their schedules.

Chances increase significantly if … the Buckeyes win their first two road games of the campaign against the Longhorns and Hawkeyes.

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9. NC State

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Louisville

In terms of talent, NC State stands as an outlier on this list. However, the Wolfpack have a golden opportunity to surprise in the ACC thanks to a favorable schedule. 

Four of their nine conference opponents missed bowl games last season, and NC State avoids Miami, Clemson, SMU and Virginia Tech. The toughest test outside of a Week 6 home game against Louisville is a Sept. 19 trip to Vanderbilt. 

If returning quarterback CJ Bailey plays at an All-ACC level and the Wolfpack win their opener at Virginia, they could remain unbeaten well into the season.

Chances increase significantly if … the Wolfpack take out Louisville to start the season 5-0 

10. Texas

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Ohio State, at Tennessee, Oklahoma (Dallas), Florida, Ole Miss, at Missouri, at LSU, at Texas A&M

This is a daunting schedule for one of the nation’s most complete teams. The Longhorns face eight opponents in the post-spring top 25, the most of any SEC team. 

No matter how talented the roster is or how much Texas invested in building its two-deep, this is a brutal slate. A three-game stretch in October will reveal whether the Longhorns belong among the nation’s elite. 

Texas would likely be a heavy favorite over NC State on a neutral field, but the Wolfpack rank ahead of the Longhorns here because their schedule is dramatically more manageable.

Chances increase significantly if … the Longhorns exit September 4-0 with wins over Ohio State and Tennessee before the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma on Oct. 10.

Dusan Vlahovic is starting to realise he won’t receive the offers he wants from Serie A, the Premier League or LaLiga, so is reportedly ready to listen to Vincenzo Italiano’s Besiktas.

The former Juventus striker has been a free agent since his contract in Turin was allowed to run down on June 30.

LECCE, ITALY – MAY 09: Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus FC during the Serie A match between US Lecce and Juventus FC at Stadio Via del Mare on May 09, 2026 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)

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He had expected a flood of proposals to come in from Milan, Napoli, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Arsenal or Manchester United, but that simply has not happened.

Vlahovic sees lack of alternatives

TURIN, ITALY – MAY 24: Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Torino FC and Juventus FC at Stadio Olimpico di Torino on May 24, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

There was also the possibility of a return to Juve on a lower salary than the €12m per season he was on, but they too appear to have moved on with Randal Kolo Muani and Kerim Alajbegovic coming in.

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According to Calciomercato, Sportitalia and TRT Spor, Vlahovic is finally ready to listen to the offer from Besiktas and give negotiations some serious thought.

It would be a €10m per season salary, plus a large signing-on bonus and commission for his agent.

In turn, Besiktas warned that they will not wait beyond the end of next week, but have been calling Vlahovic practically every day to convince him.

They believe coach Vincenzo Italiano, who worked with the striker at Fiorentina during his most positive spell, can be a decisive factor.

Magnolia Hotshots’ Ian Sangalang blocks Meralco Bolts’ Chris Banchero during a game in the 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup. –PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines—Ian Sangalang has been a consistent and efficient offensive weapon for Magnolia in the PBA Governors’ Cup.

Not only has Sangalang scored 10 or more in the Hotshots’ six games this conference, but he’s also shooting a blistering 80.9 percent from the field.

But when asked about his offense, Sangalang said that the key to his steady scoring production is his play on the other end of the floor.

READ: PBA: Magnolia pulls away to beat Meralco in rain-delayed game

“I don’t think my plays lately are special. I really just started on defense. That’s where I get my momentum,” said Sangalang after helping the Hotshots rout the Meralco Bolts, 105-88, on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

“Every time that coach puts me in, I give it all on defense so I can stay in the game longer.”

Sangalang gave the Bolts fits with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 10 rebounds plus a steal.

The seasoned center, who is averaging 14.2 points per game, also had 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting and seven rebounds in an 88-73 win over Barangay Ginebra last Sunday.

“The offense will come naturally. I don’t think about that anymore. For me, I just start on defense,” said the 34-year-old Sangalang, who’s known for being the team’s defensive backbone since his college days with the San Sebastian Stags in the NCAA.

After opening the conference with losses to Phoenix and Blackwater, the Hotshots have now won three of their last four games to move into a third-place tie with the Bossing in Group B.

Devin Haney is currently searching for his next opponent and Shakur Stevenson believes there is only one option for him.

Haney hasn’t fought since becoming a three-division world champion when he defeated Brian Norman Jr by unanimous decision to win the WBO welterweight title back in November.

He has been rumoured to face a number of opponents since then, including Stevenson himself, but it looked like ‘The Dream’ would finally settle on a mandatory showdown with Keyshawn Davis after Top Rank won the purse bid for the clash last week.

Those plans went up in smoke when Davis pulled out of the contest, and Stevenson has explained why he thinks Haney now must target a battle against unified super-welterweight champion Jaron Ennis.

“You said you’d fight Conor Benn? You said you’d find Xander. Why the f**k you don’t say you want to fight Boots now? Matter of fact, you’ve got no other option.

“There’s nobody else on the table. There’s no me, there’s no Key[shawn Davis], there’s no Rolly. Who do you go to? Boots is free. Go get him.”

Ennis previously became unified champion at welterweight before moving up to 154lbs, making an instant impact in the new division when he stopped Xander Zayas in June to win the WBA and WBO super-welterweight titles.

It remains to be seen whether Haney would have any interest in moving up in weight to take on Ennis, with ‘Boots’ also having been linked to fights against IBF champion Josh Kelly, and fellow unbeaten star Vergil Ortiz.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive end Maxx Crosby were suspended from team drills at practice Saturday following their fight the day before, giving rookie QB Fernando Mendoza his first opportunity in training camp to run the starting offense.

“We have very clear expectations about how we want to practice, how you go about our business,” head coach Klint Kubiak said in a statement. “We violated that yesterday, so we held those guys out. That’s all I’m going to say about it. We addressed it with the team and we’re moving on.”

Cousins and Crosby had to be separated by teammates after the fight. The 37-year-old quarterback appeared upset that Crosby tipped his pass, forcing an incompletion, and then charged the 6-foot-5, 256-pound defensive end, who is three inches taller and 42 pounds heavier.

While Las Vegas selected Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, it also signed the soon-to-be-38-year-old Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler, to a two-year, $12.6 million deal in April. 

Meanwhile, Crosby, a five-time Pro Bowler, was set to join the Baltimore Ravens in March prior to the Ravens backing out of a trade after developing long-term concerns over the defensive end’s medicals.

The Raiders are coming off a 3-14 season and entering their first with Kubiak as head coach.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Diego Rossi scored the go-ahead goal in the 90th minute to help Monterrey to a 2-1 win over Inter Miami, which played without Lionel Messi, in the group stage of the Leagues Cup on Saturday night.

Messi returned to his native Argentina following the death of his father, Jorge, earlier in the day. It is not known when the 39-year-old star forward will return to the club.

The 39-year-old Messi took a two-week break after leading Argentina to a runner-up World Cup finish. He made his first appearance as a reserve when Inter Miami tied Columbus 2-2 in an MLS match Aug. 1. Messi then had two goals and an assist in Inter Miami’s first Leagues Cup match a 4-2 win against Atletico San Luis on Wednesday.

Miami (1-1-0, 3 points) won the 2023 Leagues Cup and reached the final last year, but its chances of advancing to the knockout stage appear bleak with one match remaining in its 18-team group. 

The strike by Rossi, who was acquired July 3 from the Columbus Crew, capped a two-goal second half for Monterrey (1-1-0, 3 points). Rossi won the 2022 MLS Golden Boot for Los Angeles FC and he helped Columbus to titles in the 2023 MLS Cup and 2024 Leagues Cup.

Monterrey erased a 1-0 halftime deficit on Hugo Cuypers’ equalizer in the 47th minute. Cuypers was an 2026 MLS All-Star and scored 13 goals in 11 games this season for the Chicago Fire before his transfer to Monterrey on July 23.

Rodrigo De Paul put Inter Miami on the board with a strike from 25 yards that landed inside the left post in the 32nd minute.

As he celebrated the goal, De Paul temporarily removed his No. 7 jersey to reveal Messi’s No. 10 in support of his national team and club teammate, which resulted in a yellow card.

Monterrey defender Carlos Salcedo went off due to an injury in the 15th minute and was replaced by Jorge Rodriguez.

Both clubs conclude the group phase on Wednesday. Miami will host Leon while Monterrey will visit Nashville.

Prima Bella appreciated the quick pace and finished strongly to win the Ranvet Handicap (1000m).

Considered one of the most improved horses in training, Prima Bella has hit a purple patch of form, recording her third win from five starts this winter preparation.

“Prima Bella’s airborne,” Smith enthused. “When you get a mare in form, you have to keep them going. Look at Paul Cave’s mare The Mona Lisa, she keeps winning too. My mare has never been going better and I will have to look at a stakes race now because she is racing so well.”

Prima Bella ($7), who carried a competitive weight of 52.5kg after apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald’s 3kg claim, powered to victory by just over a length from the favourite Amazing Eagle ($3.40). Beast Mode ($5.50), the early pace-setter, held on for third.

The Randwick track surface was upgraded to a Good 4 during the meeting, but Prima Bella’s time of 56.57 seconds remained exceptionally fast for this time of year.

Smith indicated that Prima Bella is likely to target a race like the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1100m) at Randwick in two weeks.

“I’ve got Idle Flyer resuming that day but I might split the mares up and run her in the Show County Quality (Group 3 $250,000, 1200m),” Smith said. “Prima Bella deserves her chance in a better class of race as she is in such good form and she handles wet or dry tracks.”

Idle Flyer, a winner of the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes and Group 1 Queen of the Turf Stakes to conclude her autumn campaign, has completed two barrier trials in preparation for her return, including a close sixth behind Matcha Latte at Rosehill on Friday.

Smith’s speedy sprinter Headwall also moved closer to a racing comeback with a notable third in Apocalyptic’s heat at Rosehill.

In other news, New Zealand trainer Lauren Brennan had her inaugural runner at Royal Randwick and celebrated a win with I Park in the MyPlates Handicap (2400m).

I Park achieved his third career win from 21 starts, collecting $82,500 for his Sydney Saturday success, which was more than his earnings from his previous 20 starts combined.

“Our plan was to bring I Park to Sydney over winter and look for these 2400m races,” Brennan explained. “He’s got the win and I think we might take him home now.”

Ridden by Tim Clark, I Park ($12) dug deep under pressure to defeat Le Troisir ($8.80) by a long head, with Elle Hudson ($4.40 equal favourite) finishing just over a length away in third.

Golden Century, which had been backed into equal favouritism at $4.40, led into the straight but faded to finish at the rear of the field.

Check out the latest racing odds at Australian betting sites.

FIFA on Saturday warned against what ⁠it called a “concerted ​and ongoing effort” to undermine its leader, Gianni Infantino, saying attempts to challenge his leadership must follow the governing body’s statutes ​and democratic procedures.

It came amid an increasingly bitter standoff over Infantino’s leadership following the collapse of his proposal to raise about $4.2 billion by selling a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup and other tournaments.

Read moreFIFA scraps controversial private investment plan after backlash

The statement was released Saturday, a day after a report by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph raising questions about an exit package paid by UEFA to a female staffer who worked with Infantino when he was general secretary of European football’s governing body. Infantino has categorically denied the allegations, according to the article.

UEFA confirmed that a “departure payment” was made to the employee and said it was “in line” with regulations at the time.

Infantino worked at UEFA for 16 years before being elected FIFA president.

In the statement Saturday, FIFA accused Infantino’s critics of trying to weaken his authority and remove him from office without due process.

Read moreFIFA closes ranks round Infantino amid mounting leadership crisis

“It is increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its president,” said the FIFA statement, which was also posted on X. “Those who do not have the support of FIFA’s member associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA’s established democratic processes.”

It said some reporting has included “unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims” which shouldn’t be presented as fact.

“Change inevitably challenges established interests, but disagreement with that change cannot justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of FIFA’s president or the institution he was elected to lead.”

Infantino faced intense backlash after details of his plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity were published. UEFA and two other continental confederations – North America’s CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation – rejected the plan.

He did receive backing from FIFA’s management board last Wednesday following a meeting in Morocco, and he apologised over the process. UEFA’s threat to have its 55 member countries boycott FIFA competitions until the plan was scrapped remained, with UEFA saying Thursday that the announcement “changes nothing”.

While confirming the exit payment “was in line with the regulations that existed for departing staff at the time”, UEFA said the rules had been tightened since 2016 and currently “reflect those found in a modern, high-profile organisation”.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)

Judd Trump could lose his world number one ranking before the end of the month after suffering a shock defeat by Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham in the first round of the China Open on Sunday.

Saengkham, ranked 45th in the world, claimed a 6-3 victory to set up a second-round meeting with either Ronnie O’Sullivan or Jackson Page.

Trump fought back from two frames down to level, before his opponent won three frames in a row to take control of the best-of-11 contest.

A match-high break of 120 put Saengkham 5-2 up, before the Thai won the final frame 78-0.

Trump, who won the China Open in 2011 and 2016, came into the event off the back of beating Kyren Wilson in the final of the invitational Shanghai Masters last week.

However, the 36-year-old has won just ranking tournaments in the past two years, the most recent of those the German Masters in February.

The China Open has returned to the World Snooker Tour calendar for the first time since 2019, and is now hosted in Taiyuan, 310 miles (500km) south west of Beijing, rather than the Chinese capital.

Trump has topped the world rankings since August 2024 but to have any chance of remaining at the summit he must win the Wuhan Open later this month and hope other results go his way.

Zhao Xintong is currently best placed to overtake Trump, with Neil Robertson and Wu Yize not far behind.

Trump was not the only seeded player to lose in the first round, as Barry Hawkins lost to Liu Hongyu, Mark Williams was defeated by Zhou Yuelong, and Ding Junhui was thrashed 6-1 by David Gilbert.

The winner of the tournament will receive prize money of £250,000, with the runner-up to bank £100,000.