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Good morning! I wish you all a wonderful football Sunday.
Yes, it still matters: Notre Dame far below and Texas above
Going into this season, we knew the new 12-team College Football Playoff would change the emotional chemistry of every Saturday. We knew that as the season progressed, many fans would feel like competitors. But many people predicted this downside: As the stakes increase, big games could lack momentum.
Until now? No.
A typical example: When Notre Dame loses, it’s a reason for everyone to laugh. That’s how it’s always worked. So how about playing at home — as a 28-point favorite against NIU? Yes. Never mind that the Irish could still theoretically make the playoffs at 11-1. Right now, their haters are luxuriating, their fans are dejected, no different than in any previous era of the CFB.
Or watch the biggest game of the day. No. 3 Texas crushed defending champion Michigan 31-12 in Ann Arbor, and I didn’t see a single Longhorn fan complain that that upset didn’t technically eliminate the Wolverines.
(Side note: You may have heard that Texas has a Manning. But with three touchdowns yesterday, starting quarterback Quinn Ewers confirmed himself as a legitimate Heisman candidate and potential No. 1 quarterback in the NFL Draft. The rankings are as clear as they get.) Top three, Texas? Yep.
Elsewhere:
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Nick Cammett / Getty Images
NFL Watch Guide: The best email attachment is below
Spreadsheets don’t excite anyone, but if you remove the cell walls and put NFL game times where the data normally goes, you get a beautiful, pristine document that tells you how great the weekend is going to be.
Welcome back to our first full NFL football Sunday. What’s on today (all times ET):
1pm
Titans at Bears — Make the easy decision here and watch Caleb Williams’ debut if you can. If you read the Pulse last weekend, you know Tennessee may be underrated, so this should be a good game. Expectations are extremely high in Chicago, too. TV: FOX
4 p.m.
Cowboys at Browns — This could be our best game of the day. Dallas is still talented, but the depth has dropped from last season’s 12-5 team. Cleveland still has an elite defense, but nobody knows what we’ll get from Deshaun Watson this year. We’ll learn a lot from this. TV: FOX
19:20
Rams at Lions — Another homecoming for Matthew Stafford, who also finished last season here in a playoff loss. No one is surprised by Detroit anymore, though, and I think the Rams could be better than we think this season. Can the Lions live up to expectations? There’s pressure here. TV: NBC
news
Sabalenka wins first US Open; Fritz next
World number two Aryna Sabalenka defeated American Jessica Pegula in straight sets to win the US Open women’s title yesterday. Sabalenka, 26, who lost to Coco Gauff in last year’s final, is now a three-time Grand Slam champion. Today: Taylor Fritz, who outlasted good friend Frances Tiafoe in a thrilling semifinal, becomes the first American to play in a US Open final since 2006 (2 p.m. ET on ESPN).
Reese is ready for the season
Angel Reese will miss the rest of the WNBA season due to a wrist injury. The Sky’s star rookie last played on Friday, when she – of course – recorded a double-double (her 26th of the season!) against the Sparks. Reese, the No. 7 pick in the 2024 draft, finishes the season averaging 13.8 points and a league-leading 13.1 rebounds per game. Chicago is eighth in the league standings with six games left in the regular season.
More news
See and hear
📺 MLB: Diamondbacks at Astros
7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
These are two playoff teams battling for their spot. Houston has a few more weeks to hold onto its lead in the AL West, while Arizona — the reigning NL champion — is clinging to a wild-card spot.
📺 NWSL: Courage at Wave
8:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network, ESPN2, Paramount+, ESPN+, Amazon Prime Video and NWSL+
We wrote about Alex Morgan’s retirement on Friday, and now her final game is here. According to the league, this is the first time a women’s sporting event in the U.S. will be shown simultaneously on multiple channels. A fitting farewell.
Stream games like this Here and get tickets Here.
Pulse Picks
Worth reading before kick-off: Dianna Russini reports exclusively on how NFL general manager and coach actually feel about the new kick-off rule this year. People are more skeptical than you think.
We missed that, but so big House of Representatives vs. NCAA Settlement is on hold following a ruling. More details here.
New York City was once a breeding ground for basketball Talent. Some of its most famous products attempt to revive it.
Jason Jones has a review of NBA2K25which comes out today. They have repaired the defense.
Most clicked in the newsletter Friday: Of course, Taylor Swift’s performance on Thursday in Kansas City.
Most read on the website yesterday: Zak Keefer’s great profile of Troy Aikman.
Quick reminder on how to get the most out of our coverage this NFL season:
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(Top photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
