If the college football world needed another reminder that preseason hype isn’t worth much, a peek at this week’s AP poll would do the trick. This year’s preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams — Texas and Penn State — have dropped out of the Top 25 and are merely among the Others receiving votes.

Just last week, they were both still top-10 teams with genuine playoff ambition. And now, they’re just hoping to remain competitively relevant. The college football season comes at you fast.

This week’s slate presents three matchups of ranked teams: No. 1 Ohio State at No. 17 Illinois, No. 8 Alabama at No. 14 Missouri and No. 7 Indiana at No. 3 Oregon. All three should be appointment viewings, but there’s another game with possible playoff implications worth spotlighting: No. 24 USF at North Texas on Friday night.

USF is a 1.5-point favorite, but UNT comes in undefeated as both teams look capable of winning the American, which has positioned itself as the Group of 5 conference most likely to be represented in the playoff. — Kyle Bonagura

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Oklahoma’s defense | Alabama-Missouri
Big Ten title implications
Quotes of the Week

Oklahoma’s ‘Dog Pound’ defense

Dog Pound. Ninja Turtles. Power Rangers. The nicknames Oklahoma‘s defensive line unit has adopted in 2025 are many. But the common denominator among them is simple.

“The whole thing behind that mindset is this: We’re them guys,” senior defensive tackle Gracen Halton told ESPN this week. “No matter what, we’re here to play. That’s the mindset.”

No. 6 Oklahoma (6-0) rolls back to the Cotton Bowl on Saturday to face Texas (3-2) in the 121st edition of the Red River Rivalry (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The matchup has been fairly friendly of late to the Sooners, winners in seven of the past 10 games between the schools from 2016 to 2024.

However, each of those victories came with support from an Oklahoma offense that finished in the top 10 in scoring nationally. This time, the Sooners return to face Texas with the nation’s second-ranked defense, anchored by a ferocious and deep defensive line unit that enters Week 7 ranked first in sacks (21) and second in tackles for loss (50) among all Power 4 defenses in 2025.

“Everybody’s itching to get on the field to make a play,” senior defensive end R Mason Thomas said of the position group last month. “We have some dogs.”

There are shades of the vintage defensive lines Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables once oversaw as the program’s defensive coordinator from 1999 to 2011. Naturally, his fingerprints are all over a group that has feasted on opposing backfields this fall. Halton and Thomas were late additions to Venables’ first signing class at Oklahoma in the 2022 cycle. Sophomore interior playmakers Jayden Jackson and David Stone, who nearly left in the transfer portal this spring, joined in the 2024 class, a year after 2023 five-star Adepoju Adebawore. Among the unit’s regular contributors, just two — Damonic Williams and Marvin Jones Jr. — arrived via the transfer portal.

“We all have that same personality because BV recruited all of us,” Halton said. “We’ve just got that light in us. We’ve built those connections. We’re close. Like a real family.”

Stone is credited with the conception of the “Dog Pound” moniker, a nod to the depth and competitive edge of this Sooners defensive line.

“We have dog after dog,” Halton said. “When four dogs come out, there’s another four that’s going in to go eat and go hunt.”

Thomas introduced the “Ninja Turtles.”

The group sometimes goes by the “Power Rangers” because, of course, they are always there to save the day, Halton explains.

Curious for what their ever-intense head coach thinks of it all?

“I like the engagement,” Venables said this week.

“To me, that says there’s great ownership in that group,” he said. “If they named them something and they play like a bunch of pansies, it wouldn’t be good. We’d need to stop that quickly. But they haven’t. They’ve shown up. They like to work. They like to compete. They let you coach them hard.”

Whatever nickname the Sooners’ pass rush is rolling with in a particular moment, it is making life hard on opposing quarterbacks in 2025. Oklahoma got to Auburn’s Jackson Arnold nine times last month. On Saturday, it could spell serious trouble for Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning and a Texas offensive line that gave up six sacks at Florida in Week 6.

If you’re wearing burnt orange at the Cotton Bowl this weekend, beware of the Dog Pound. — Eli Lederman

What do Missouri and Alabama need to capitalize on to win?

Missouri: Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz had nothing but praise for Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson this week, saying his accuracy and ability to make off-schedule plays in Ryan Grubb’s offense is as good as advertised. The Missouri defense has made opponents one-dimensional by playing the best run defense in the country, holding FBS foes to 39.5 rushing yards per game, and has the top completion percentage defense (48.5%) in the country. It has had a lot of success generating pressure through five games, but getting after Alabama’s offensive line is a tall task. The Tigers need to play with precision on the back end after giving up a few too many explosive passes in zone coverage against South Carolina and Kansas, and they’ll probably need a little turnover luck this week after getting just two takeaways over their past four games. — Max Olson

Alabama: Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said this week that his defense needs to start faster, not only to avoid Missouri getting early momentum but for setting an early tone against the Tigers’ powerful run game. Ahmad Hardy leads the nation in rushing with 730 yards, and Missouri ranks No. 3 overall, averaging nearly 300 yards per game. Alabama has not been as consistent against the run this season as it has been in the past — Florida State and Georgia each ran for more than 200 yards already this season. In the first half last week against Vanderbilt, Alabama gave up a 65-yard touchdown run and another 36-yard run — two plays Wommack called “unacceptable” — before settling in. Hardy will challenge the Tide in different ways as the best running back they will play to date. Wommack praised him for his physicality and ability to break tackles, turning routine running plays into explosive ones. Tackling will no doubt be a huge priority in this game. — Andrea Adelson

Big implications for the Big Ten title race in Week 7

It’s still early October, but the Big Ten slate this week is about as blockbuster as it can be. More importantly, as the six teams atop the conference standings so far (Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana are all tied for first, and Illinois and USC are tied for second) are set to face each other, it will be a pivotal Saturday in the race to Indianapolis and the College Football Playoff.

The headliner is in Eugene, where undefeated No. 2 Oregon welcomes undefeated No. 7 Indiana. The Ducks have been dominant on defense and impeccably balanced on offense so far this season, looking plenty capable of defending their Big Ten title. But as Indiana proved in a blowout of Illinois a few weeks ago, this team isn’t just looking to go back to the playoff; it might be a better team than last year and is plenty capable of claiming the Big Ten title. The Ducks and the Hoosiers both avoid Ohio State on their schedules this year, making this game likely the toughest either team has left and one that has a good chance of playing into any potential tiebreakers that could end up mattering come the end of the regular season.

Speaking of the Buckeyes, since the opener against Texas, the No. 1 team in the country hasn’t had much trouble dispatching inferior opponents. Saturday’s trip to Illinois will test that thanks to a Fighting Illini team that bounced back from an embarrassing loss to Indiana with two wins against Purdue and USC in recent weeks. Upsetting the defending champions is a tough task for Bret Bielema’s team, but if it wants any outside shot at the Big Ten and a playoff spot, this would be the time to make a statement.

Meanwhile in Los Angeles, No. 15 Michigan and USC are set to meet, and though the Wolverines are the ranked team in this matchup (and the ones without a conference loss), the Trojans are favored and could get their own Big Ten hopes back on track with a win after a close loss at Illinois. Both of these teams still have pivotal games on their schedules (Ohio State for Michigan; Notre Dame and Oregon for USC), giving them — especially the Trojans — zero margin for error. — Paolo Uggetti

Quotes of the Week

“It’s sold out, but it’s sold out because Michigan’s coming,” — Michigan coach Sherrone Moore on heading to Los Angeles to play USC. “We’re not celebrating going to the Coliseum. There are no pictures and selfies because we’re at the nice Coliseum.”

“[He is] probably one of the most impressive young coaching phenoms to come around in a while.” — Indiana coach Curt Cignetti on Oregon’s Dan Lanning

“They’re 5-0. They’re a ranked team.” — Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer when asked about the Tide’s matchup against Missouri being a potential “trap game.”

THERE ARE THREE new banners hanging above the main court inside the Indiana Paces training facility, across the street from the team’s arena, Gainbridge Fieldhouse. On one end there are retired jersey numbers, Reggie Miller’s 31 and Mel Daniels’ 34, and a banner each for Herb Simon, the team’s governor since 1983 who was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year, as well as Jim Morris, a pivotal member of the Indianapolis community who held leadership roles in the organization up until his passing in 2024.

On the other end, a new banner for the 2024-25 Eastern Conference championship quietly hangs. It went up last week — a few days after the team had already begun training camp — without a collective acknowledgement from the players and coaches as they prepare for the upcoming season.

“It was not here one day, up here the next,” Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith told ESPN.

The Pacers do plan to commemorate the banner at the arena before their regular season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 23, but Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said there’s no plans to dwell on it for long.

“There’s not going to be a big thing about it,” Carlisle told ESPN after practice last week. “It was a great run and really a lot of amazing things happened during that stretch. But you got to turn the page.”

Such was the vibe at Pacers training camp, a team still fresh off the glow of one of the most improbable playoff runs to the Finals in NBA history, while also wrestling with the disappointment of coming up short in Game 7 and the consequences of a season-changing injury to Tyrese Haliburton in the first quarter of that game.

Haliburton’s torn Achilles was the latest such injury during the playoffs that has altered the trajectory of the 2025-26 Eastern Conference. The last two Eastern Conference champions will be missing their star player for most of, if not, all of the season after Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum tore his right Achilles in the conference semifinals. Boston had been to the conference finals in three consecutive seasons, and in four of the past five seasons. Meanwhile, Indiana had made back-to-back conference finals runs and appeared set up as well as anyone in the league to return with its young core and playoff experience.

It sets up both Boston and Indiana to endure an entire season with their star players almost certainly unavailable — the Pacers have ruled Haliburton out for the season although the Celtics have not done the same for Tatum — but also with much lower expectations than usual for the two teams who have controlled the East in recent years.

“I think it’s exciting,” Celtics guard Derrick White told ESPN. “We’re not the hunted anymore. But just have that mindset of ‘We’re going to prove people wrong’ and compete at a high level.”

In addition to losing their stars, both teams also lost other key pieces of their roster. The Celtics traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis and lost Al Horford and Luke Kornet in free agency. The Pacers lost center Myles Turner in free agency after the Milwaukee Bucks made their own move in response to a torn Achilles, waiving Damian Lillard and stretching his contract over the next five years after he was injured during the first round of the postseason.

It sets up a potentially wide-open Eastern Conference field where several teams believe they have a chance to make the Finals, especially after seeing the run Indiana made last year.

“You got to focus on what you have and not what you don’t have,” Carlisle told ESPN. “We want to develop and maximize.”

“One of the things I’m most proud of the last two years is the development [of our young players]. We’re going to be looking to do the same thing. We got guys that still have upside, and we want them to realize that upside. And we want to maximize what we can with wins and losses.”

Winning may be the intention of both teams coming into the season, but the projections are not optimistic about their chances even in a weakened conference. According to ESPN BET, the Celtics currently have the seventh best odds to win the East, just behind teams such as Detroit and Philadelphia, while Indiana has the ninth best odds.

Yet, neither the Celtics or the Pacers have intention of tanking to try and get the best draft pick possible, sources told ESPN, or taking a gap in their contention. Their goal will be to win as many games as possible, remain competitive and hope different players flourish in their new roles.

“That’s not going to be part of the lexicon [on rebuilding] in our building, and that’s the way we’re going to focus moving forward,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said this summer.

The mindset is the same for last year’s Eastern Conference champion.

“There’s been no internal talk about that,” Carlisle said about taking a gap year. “We want to compete at the highest level that we can.”

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Tatum feels ‘no pressure’ to return sooner from Achilles injury

Celtics star Jayson Tatum explains why there is no pressure to return quicker from his Achilles injury.

THERE ARE FEW PEOPLE that have walked into their first NBA head coaching job quite like how Joe Mazzulla did.

When Mazzulla replaced Ime Udoka as Celtics head coach on the eve of training camp three years ago, Mazzulla became the youngest coach in the league at 34 years old. He swiftly rose from a Division II head coach three years prior to running a group that has spent each of the past three seasons as one of the favorites to win the title.

And as he’s thrived in his position, Mazzulla has become defined by his intensity. His pre- and postgame interviews have gone viral, at times, for Mazzulla’s focused intensity and dry, sometimes unintentional, humor. Last year, when he was asked how the Celtics planned to embrace being the defending champion, Mazzulla responded “People are going to say the target is on our back, but I hope it’s right on our forehead between our eyes.”

Even if outside expectations have changed around the Celtics, it hasn’t dimmed that intensity at all.

“The same thing excites me every year,” Mazzulla told ESPN. “I get excited about, ‘OK, where are we as far as the trends of the league? Where are we as far as what we’ve put in up until this point? Does it really maximize the roster that we have? Does it maximize the mindset that we have? Are we truly taking advantage of the strengths that we have?”

Under Mazzulla, the Celtics have been known for an intense dedication to getting up as many 3-pointers as possible. Boston has led the league in 3-point attempts in each of the past two years and ranked second in his first season as coach, a 3-point barrage that has become dubbed Mazzulla ball. However, Mazzulla pushed back on that title over the weekend — “I don’t pay too much attention to that,” he told reporters — and he has said his belief in playing that way over the past three years was driven by his roster construction.

This year’s team doesn’t appear to have that same wealth of options.

Rather than stick to one overriding philosophy and making his players fit into it, Mazzulla said his goal was to figure out how to maximize the talent that’s in front of him on his roster — the same mindset Carlisle was planning nearly a thousand miles away.

“I may have to coach completely differently than the year before,” Mazzulla told ESPN. “In years past, you had an older, more experienced roster, four or five All-Stars on the team together. So your process is different.”

With a scoring void on the roster, it could present an opportunity for White to step into an even bigger role. Already regarded around the league as one of the best two-way guards, White is in position to emerge as the clear second option on the roster behind Jaylen Brown on offense.

But White has made his career out of conforming to whatever role the team needs him to play and he said going into the season focusing on trying to become a go-to scorer, it’ll take away from what made him the player the Celtics gave a four-year extension, $126 million extension last year.

“I know that if I focus on, ‘I need to score 25 points’ or something, I know I won’t play well,” White said.

“If I just do what I do and play within the offense and do it, I might get 25 points a night, who knows? And so my goal is not, ‘Oh, JT is out, I can do more.’ I still got to just be who I am and just do things I can to help us win games.”

Both Mazzulla and White pointed to the Pacers as a model for how an undertalented, but hard-playing, Boston team can find ways to win games.

Indiana provided the blueprint last season and particularly, in the playoffs, when they wore down opponents with a relentless playstyle, covering 94 feet of the court and for all 48 minutes of every game.

“It’s a copycat league, and you see success with it and now everybody tries to do it their own way,” White said. “You’re probably going to see that a lot around the league, and you’ve definitely seen like last year — the pressure. Everybody’s trying to pick up full and these teams are trying to just create turnovers.”

The Pacers have grown used to hearing that sentiment all summer.

Nesmith spent most of his offseason near Austin, Texas and while at baggage claim after the season ended, he had several fans remark about how the Pacers style of play inspired them.

“I’ve had a lot of people come up to me this summer and just say, “You made me a fan of NBA basketball again,'” Nesmith told ESPN.

The word Carlisle said he’s heard associated with the Pacers frequently throughout the summer: inspirational.

“Really it’s a credit to the players,” Carlisle said. “You got to have special guys that are willing to pick up full court. … that was cool to be a part of that.”

It’s why despite missing a few key players from last year, the principles of the Pacers offense and system are unlikely to change. Carlisle said Bennedict Mathurin will enter the starting lineup and Andrew Nembhard will take on more of the primary ball handling duties. While Indiana plans to lean into some of Nembhard’s strengths, such as playing downhill instead of as much high pick-and-roll as Haliburton, the Pacers are sticking to their principles.

“We’re doing the same things,” Nembhard said. “We’re still trying to push the pace, play randomly. A lot of different guys touching the ball. A lot of different actions.”

However, the Pacers are going to be walking a tightrope of leaning into that style of play while knowing the league is going to be more prepared for it than in the past few seasons.

“When you disrupt the industry the way we did, it’s going to disrupt back,” Carlisle said. “And so we got to be ready for that. More teams are going to be more physical and so we’ve got to be ready to bring it up another notch.”

HALIBURTON STOOD UNDERNEATH a basket, wearing a grey hoodie with grey shorts, as he waited for a rebound.

Two players at the end of the roster, Johnny Furphy and Taelon Peter, were engaged in a shooting competition at the end of practice with Peter getting ready to shoot around the 3-point line. Furphy has set the target score, and Peter is trying to match. But in addition to rebounding, Haliburton keeps providing more fuel to the fire.

“Ooooh,” he eggs Peter on with each shot. “Don’t let him beat you.”

When Peter misses, Haliburton fires a pass back at him: “Don’t miss. You got two more.”

Peter accepts the challenge and knocks down five in a row to win the competition.

Even if he is sidelined from playing in games for the entire season, Haliburton still plans to be a regular presence around the team both at home and on the road.

“We’ll hear his voice,” Carlisle said with a smile.

“He’s always going to have great energy. One thing about Ty, he has a consistent, positive spirit about life. He just loves it. He’s an early riser. He’s here before anybody in the morning. He’s tackled this rehab thing like a beast. It’ll be important to have him be a part of this every day.”

Haliburton was walking without the aid of a brace or crutches and proclaimed with a smile that he’s back to driving a car again. But Indiana has already targeted opening night 2026 for the breakout star of last year’s postseason.

Tatum, meanwhile, has closed no such doors on a potential return this season. Five months after his injury, he’s resumed light basketball activities, including a workout video before the start of camp that helped grease the speculation of whether he could play at some point during the 2025-26 season — though no definitive timelines have been laid out by either Tatum, or the team, for his return.

“No pressure to return back any sooner than when I’m 100 percent healthy,” Tatum said at Celtics media day. “No pressure from Brad, Joe, the team, the organization. The most important thing is that I’m 100 percent recovered and healthy whenever I do come back.”

That last point by Tatum is what makes this season all the more strange for both Boston and Indiana. For both teams, the most important thing that will happen this season won’t be on the court — instead, it’ll be the respective recovery processes for each team’s injured star, and with it the potential for brighter days in the future.

But rather than allow that to turn this season into a time-wasting exercise, the Celtics and Pacers are using it as motivation, in their own way, to try to make this a special year anyway.

“It doesn’t really matter what people believe or what they say,” Nesmith told ESPN. “They haven’t believed in us in three years. We surprise them every single year. I don’t see what makes this year any different.”

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jobe Bellingham is on the radar of Manchester United, while Bruno Fernandes is still attracting interest from Saudi Arabia, and Chelsea are ready to go back in for Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men’s grades | Women’s grades

TOP STORIES

– Sources: Orlando eyed summer Richarlison deal
– Sources: Man United believe players back Amorim
– Henderson: Tough times after Liverpool exit for Saudi

TRENDING RUMORS

– Manchester United are keeping close tabs on the situation of midfielder Jobe Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund, according to TEAMtalk. Despite only signing in the summer, it is reported that the 20-year-old is now weighing up his options following “heated exchanges” with manager Niko Kovac, and dressing-room issues with his father, and could look to push for a move away in January. United are reported to see his technical ability and physicality as two factors that could improve their midfield, but there could be competition from Crystal Palace. Bellingham has been named on the bench in five of the last six matches.

– Al Nassr and Al Ittihad are interested in Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes, reports TalkSPORT. The two Saudi Pro League clubs are reportedly at the front of the queue to sign the 31-year-old, with Al Hilal no longer expected to push forward with an approach for him. It is reported that an offer in excess of £60 million will be required to land him, though any potential move isn’t expected to take place until next summer, with Fernandes keen to stay at Old Trafford until the end of the season.

– A new approach for Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz is being lined up by Chelsea, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The Blues are ready to return to the negotiating table for the 20-year-old after previously looking to sign him during the summer, but Barcelona are also monitoring the situation. Aware of interest from Europe, the Bianconeri want to keep Yildiz in Turin, and negotiations over a new contract are ongoing with his father, who is also his agent.

– Juventus want to sign Bayern Munich left back Raphael Guerreiro, Tuttosport reports. The Serie A club believe the 31-year-old would solve several tactical issues for manager Igor Tudor and hope to take advantage of his contract situation. Guerreiro’s deal at the Allianz Arena will enter its final six months in January, and Bild’s Christian Falk says that while the Bundesliga club have no plans to offer him an extension, they won’t be prepared to part ways in the next transfer window unless they find a replacement.

– Real Madrid are prioritizing a move for Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, according to AS. Los Blancos have decided against signing a midfield reinforcement in the summer amid plans to land the 21-year-old, who they see as a similar profile to former player Luka Modric, while being a strong fit for their current transfer policy. The Eagles are expected to dismiss any offers short of €80 million for Wharton, with his contract at Selhurst Park not set to expire until the summer of 2029.

EXPERT TAKE

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Huthchison: Arsenal are starting to learn to play with Gyökeres

Don Hutchison believes Arsenal are getting used to playing with Victor Gyökeres and discusses how they can get the most out of him.

OTHER RUMORS

– Barcelona are working on signing goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to a new contract. (Sport)

– A move from Bayern Munich for Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck remains a possibility, but they are not currently prioritizing it. (Christian Falk)

– Juventus and Napoli are keeping tabs on Genoa right back Brooke Norton-Cuffy. (Nicolo Schira)

– Discussions are ongoing between Manchester United and defender Harry Maguire regarding a new deal at Old Trafford. (Sun)

– Real Madrid are interested in re-signing both Como midfielder Nico Paz and Stuttgart midfielder Chema Andres. (AS)

– Multiple clubs in Europe are exploring an approach for Santos goalkeeper Gabriel Brazao and have made contact with his representatives. (Florian Plettenberg)

– Brentford aren’t expected to sign free agent striker Michail Antonio to a contract, although he has recently been training with them. (Sky Sports)

– Aston Villa are planning to open contract talks with attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia. (Football Insider)

– A move to sign a winger is set to be prioritized by Juventus in January. (Tuttosport)

– Rangers are in talks with former manager Steven Gerrard over a return to the club. (TEAMtalk)

EA Sports has lifted the curtain on Team of the Week 5 in Madden NFL 26, which contains special Madden Ultimate Team items inspired by the previous week’s best real-world performances.

TOTW5’s top spots went to Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle and Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who’ve been awarded the prestigious 90 OVR Limited Edition cards for their efforts for their teams.

Dowdle posted 206 rushing yards, averaging nine yards per attempt, as well as one touchdown during the Panthers’ match against the Miami Dolphins, greatly contributing to his team’s comeback from a 17-13 deficit going into the fourth quarter. The Titans scored their first win of the regular season against the Arizona Cardinals, eking out a last-minute 22-21 victory. Simmons kept his team in play with eight total tackles, including 1.5 sacks.

Here’s the full list of Madden NFL 26 TOTW 5:

• Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers: 90 OVR

• Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans: 90 OVR

• Kool-Aid McKinstry, New Orleans Saints: 89 OVR

• Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks: 89 OVR

• Jalen Pitre, Houston Texans: 89 OVR

• Zaire Franklin, Indianapolis Colts: 86 OVR

• Mike Sainristil, Washington Commanders: 86 OVR

• J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos: 86 OVR

• Marques Sigle, San Francisco 49ers: 84 OVR

• Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins: 84 OVR

• Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Minnesota Vikings: 81 OVR

• Ryan Flournoy, Dallas Cowboys: 81 OVR