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🏈 Five things to know Wednesday
- Kyler Murray is the Vikings’ starting quarterback. Kevin O’Connell informed the team on Tuesday that Murray will open the season atop the depth chart with J.J. McCarthy serving as his backup. Thus ends one of the NFL’s few true quarterback competitions. Was it the right choice? McCarthy’s track record suggests it’s the correct call, but time will tell whether Murray can revitalize his own career in Minnesota. If this is the end of McCarthy’s chances at latching on with the Vikings, his tenure will be remembered mostly for his string of injuries. The few flashes he displayed when healthy, however, could help him take advantage of a second chance elsewhere.
- The NBA announced its Opening Week and Christmas Day schedule. The full 2026-27 schedule comes out on Thursday, but the league dropped a few early breadcrumbs including the first game of the season: Celtics vs. Pistons at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 20. Also on Opening Night is a marquee matchup between the 76ers and Knicks, which sees LeBron James open his Philadelphia career as an underdog against the reigning champions. About two months later is a five-game Christmas Day slate that features an NBA Finals rematch.
- Stephanie White fired back at her critics after DiJonai Carrington’s flagrant foul on Sophie Cunningham. The Fever coach caused a stir when she stood up for Carrington, who was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul in Saturday’s win over the Sky. She walked back some of that defense on Tuesday in an impassioned statement in which she called the foul “egregious.” And in direct response to the backlash she received for her initial comments, White bashed the fans who questioned her morals, stating, “The hate, the fear-mongering, the divisiveness, the stuff that’s trying to hijack our league will not win.”
- The first joint practices of NFL training camp are underway. Four of this year’s 23 combined training camp sessions kicked off Tuesday, and there is already drama. New Patriots receiver A.J. Brown beat Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner emphatically in a 1-on-1 rep, and after a video of the play made the rounds and drew a reaction, Gardner delivered a fiery response to his doubters. A couple of states over, Jets cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers was hospitalized and later sent home after collapsing in the joint practice with the Buccaneers. Coach Aaron Glenn said Stiggers is conscious and able to speak.
- Notre Dame stands atop our latest preseason College Football Playoff projections. With a Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback in CJ Carr, the Fighting Irish get the nod as the No. 1 seed in John Talty’s bracket. Georgia, Ohio State and Miami round out the first-round byes in a projected field that includes five SEC teams and three representatives from the Big Ten. As a testament to how wide-open the top of the college football ladder is in 2026, neither of the top two seeds advance to the national championship in this outlook.
🥇 Do not miss this: Best college football team in each state
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The national championship is the ultimate prize. The conference title is every team’s goal. But there’s just something so uniquely meaningful about winning in-state bragging rights. In the lead-up to every college football season, we predict the best team in each state, and it’s time for the 2026 edition.
There are, of course, the obvious choices: Wyoming and Hawaii win their states by default. There’s also the state of Vermont, which goes unclaimed with no schools offering Division I football. Then there are the FCS powerhouses, like Montana State, North Dakota State and South Dakota.
And then come the tough ones. Take Texas, for instance. Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech have very realistic College Football Playoff aspirations, but only one can be the best. Our Austin Nivison gave that title to the Longhorns.
- Nivison: “Some of that has to do with Arch Manning being a better quarterback than Marcel Reed and Will Hammond, but Texas just has the most complete roster. The Horns have electric playmakers and a stout line on offense, and their defense is anchored by a ferocious front seven. The Aggies will get the chance to prove me wrong and get some revenge on Nov. 27.”
Here are the best teams in a few other hotly contested states:
- South Carolina: Clemson
- Utah: BYU
- Kentucky: Louisville
- Kansas: Kansas State
🏀 College basketball five-for-five transfer portal winners
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The court rulings that paved the way for seniors to return for a fifth year of college basketball effectively created another transfer portal window. A few championship-contending teams capitalized on this chance to fill roster holes late in the offseason and emerged as clear winners from the free agency period. None are as obvious as Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders picked up two fifth-year standouts, including one familiar face in Darrion Williams. Our Isaac Trotter says this roster now has the makings of one that could cut down nets at the 2027 Final Four. And that’s without Donovan Atwell, who might also be granted a fifth year.
- Trotter: “Suddenly, Grant McCasland’s vision is getting a whole lot clearer. Williams and fellow five-for-five, UCF transfer forward Jamichael Stillwell totally change the complexion of Texas Tech’s 2026-27 outlook. When All-American big man JT Toppin returns from his knee injury, Texas Tech will have the bones of a top-5 offense in America.”
A couple of other teams that came out ahead: Gonzaga and Tennessee. These additions will help them compete at the top of the Pac-12 and SEC, respectively:
- G Javon Bennett: Dayton → Gonzaga
- F Chauncey Wiggins: Florida State → Gonzaga
- F Jalen Washington: Vanderbilt → Tennessee
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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📺 What we’re watching Wednesday
⚾ Orioles at Twins, 1:40 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Phillies at Cardinals, 2:15 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Brewers at Padres or Astros at Giants, 3:45 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Mariners at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Tempo at Wings, 8 p.m. on USA Network
⚽ Leagues Cup: Nashville at Monterrey, 8 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Sky at Valkyries, 10 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Rangers at Angels, 10:10 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Leagues Cup: Querétaro vs. LAFC, 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV
