2 top-4 college football teams go down. Plus, a rough day for NBA injuries

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Good morning! You never know when you might need an emergency tortilla.

Bye, Bye, Bye: Georgia and Miami lose prime positions

How’s this for an extremely 2024 college football sentence: In the first year of the 12-team playoff, the four first-round byes might all be claimed by teams that are brand new to their conferences.

Let’s walk through it, and remember, the top four league champs are the teams that get to claim those byes:

  • Yesterday, No. 3 Georgia turned in a 28-10 dud of a loss to a field-storming No. 16 Ole Miss. So right now, the No. 5 Texas Longhorns — who yesterday squashed Florida 49-17, right after Gators coach Billy Napier had received a vote of confidence — have regained their spot as the SEC favorites.
  • Meanwhile, No. 4 Miami lived on the edge one too many times, falling 28-23 to scrappy Georgia Tech. Now the only ACC team with an undefeated record in conference games is newcomer No. 13 SMU, which remains neither Atlantic nor Coastal.
  • In a late-night heater with maximum officiating outrage, No. 9 BYU came back to win in SLC against archrival Utah 22-21. The undefeated Cougars facing Pac-12 evacuee Colorado (41-27 win yesterday against Texas Tech) in the Big 12 title game: increasingly likely.
  • Compared to all that, the Big Ten feels stately. The only conference with two unbeaten teams. Simple and logical. Except one of them is No. 1 Oregon (39-18 win against Maryland), which had been in West Coast leagues for the previous century, and the other is No. 8 Indiana (20-15 win against Michigan), which has never been this good at football ever.

One benefit to earning a bye: letting someone else take a crack at No. 11 Alabama, which humiliated No. 15 LSU 42-13 yesterday in Baton Rouge.

Other wild cards include No. 12 Boise State, which theoretically could steal a bye from either the ACC or Big 12, and No. 2 Ohio State, which hosts Indiana in two weeks and could thus earn a shot at revenge against Oregon, possibly claiming the top seed along the way.

So much more happened this weekend in CFB, so be sure you’re subscribed to the Until Saturday newsletter. For now, I leave you with potential No. 1 draft pick Travis Hunter having the natural response to seeing a tortilla land on the field: stashing it in his pants.

NFL Watch Guide: Guten morgen, football

The NFL returns to Germany today and, depending on where you live and when you read this, the game is likely going on already. It’s part of a delicious slate today:

9:30 a.m. ET
Giants (2-7) vs. Panthers (2-7) — Apologies in advance to the nascent German NFL audience for this one, pitted between two of the NFL’s worst teams. That doesn’t mean it’s boring, per se: Carolina can win its second straight game here, and with that, Bryce Young’s turnaround would start much earlier than we thought. TV: NFL Network

1 p.m. ET
49ers (4-4) at Buccaneers (4-5) — All eyes will be on Washington–Pittsburgh in this window, but this might be a better game. San Francisco gets Christian McCaffrey back, while a talented Tampa Bay team will try to avoid falling behind in the playoff race. This will be fun. TV: FOX

4:25 p.m. ET
Eagles (6-2) at Cowboys (3-5) — Lurking behind upstart Washington in the NFC is old power Philly, which has quietly righted the early bad-vibes ship that set out from port. The Birds have a chance to reclaim the division lead and send the flagging Cowboys down into tanking territory. Also fun. TV: CBS

8:20 p.m. ET 

Lions (7-1) at Texans (6-3) — Count me a full-on Houston skeptic. This team has skated to a nice record this year, but the loss to the Jets last week exposed issues, particularly on offense. This could be a bloodbath against the NFC’s best team. TV: NBC

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Brett Davis / Imagn Images

News to Know

Is Dak 
 done? Maybe
The Cowboys plan to place Dak Prescott on injured reserve with his hamstring injury, Dallas EVP Stephen Jones said Friday, with the QB’s recovery timetable uncertain. “Right now, I don’t think anyone knows whether it will be four weeks, six weeks or the season,” Jones said. An IR stint means Prescott will miss at least four games, but according to multiple reports yesterday, the 31-year-old is considering surgery that would sideline him for the rest of the season.

Worrisome injuries for KD and Zion
Yesterday was a rough day for injuries in the NBA, too. First, we learned Zion Williamson is out indefinitely with a hamstring strain, another blow for the injury-riddled Pelicans (3-7). Shortly after, we heard Kevin Durant will miss at least two weeks with a calf strain. It’s a brutal turn for Durant, who’s been playing at an MVP level and finally seemed to be settling in with the 8-1 Suns.

More news

What We’re Watching: Welcome to ‘rez ball’

Hello again to Hannah Vanbiber. Take it away!

“Rez ball” is a high-velocity style of basketball played on Native American reservations, brought to life in a new movie of the same name on Netflix. Boasting LeBron James as a producer, the film is a fictional story based on “Canyon Dreams,” a book by Michael Powell. The book chronicles the real-life experiences of the filmmakers, who grew up on reservations where high school basketball was as integral to life as high school football in West Texas.

And you know who would’ve been obsessed with this movie? Fourteen-year-old me. (And not just because I would’ve had a crush on the main guy!) Present-day me found it flawed but ultimately still worthwhile.

Let’s review the case:

  • Where it hits: “Rez Ball” is the real deal — co-written by two Native American filmmakers and populated with a cast of Native actors who can really ball. They weave the culture, traditions and immense obstacles of reservation life into a kid-friendly, uplifting basketball film.
  • Where it misses: It’s more Hallmark than Oscars, and I say that with love in my heart. The story suffers from an accelerated pace, trying to do too much, too predictably, often stretching my credulity.
  • Is it worth a shot? If you’re looking for a family sports movie that leaves you somewhere meaningful, absolutely! Be aware it covers issues like addiction, racism and suicide, though it skims the surface and keeps the themes digestible for younger audiences.

Verdict: Your mileage — and patience — may vary with the writing and acting, but it’s an earnest film for young teens or young teens at heart. Say it with me: “What are the rules of rez ball? Run fast. Shoot fast. Don’t ever stop.”

Further reading/watching:

Pulse Picks

Many have thought Pep Guardiola would leave Manchester City after this season. But after some bad losses, is the world’s best manager preparing to 
 stay and rebuild?

How many majors will guys like Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm win? What does golf even look like in a few years? Brody Miller and Gabby Herzig have predictions.

Richard Deitsch answers a fascinating question: Are the Chiefs — not the Cowboys — America’s new favorite team?

The MLB offseason is just beginning. Let’s table-set: Jim Bowden has needs and goals for all 30 teams here.

Most-clicked in the newsletter Friday: Our story on Kirk Herbstreit’s dog, Ben, passing away Thursday.

Most-read on the website yesterday: Our explainer on the violence against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans after a Europa League match against Ajax in Amsterdam on Thursday.

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(Top photo: Andy Altenburger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)





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About The Author

Avatar of Fannie Hogan
Fannie Hogan is a writer and editor who covers lifestyle, books, sports, education, and tech. She's always loved to write—from the time she was a little girl writing stories about talking animals to the day she got her first job as an editor at a lifestyle magazine. Her hobbies include long walks on the beach, running, and taking breaks from work to read a good book.

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