Blue Jays advance to World Series on dramatic George Springer HR; NBA regular season tips off tonight

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Happy Tuesday, sports fans. Brent Brookhouse here to guide you through all the news you need to know to get your day going, as well as preparing you for a massive day of sports action.

Today, quite literally, your entire day can be spent watching sports, from the start of another week of UEFA Champions League action in the afternoon, to the start of the NBA regular season, and with a sprinkling of college football and NHL action. Is there anything better than a full day of sports as we head into the heart of the fall season?

Let's jump into it.

🏈 Five things to know Tuesday

The Toronto Blue Jays are going to the World Series. In a dramatic Game 7 of the ALCS, the Seattle Mariners led for most of the game, but a three-run home run off the bat of George Springer catapulted Toronto into a World Series showdown with the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 1 is Friday in Toronto.
Jahmyr Gibbs leads Lions to win over Buccaneers. Gibbs went wild on Monday night, picking up 218 scrimmage yards, the most by a Lions player since Calvin Johnson's 329 in 2013. The Lions cruised to a comfortable 24-9 victory. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, the team also lost wideout Mike Evans to a broken collarbone.
Is the 'Legion of Boom' back for the Seattle Seahawks? In today's NFL, a team that has a net +3 in the turnover department has to find creative ways to lose the game ... and that's exactly what the Texans did in falling to the host Seahawks, 27-19. Seattle's defense was superb, as it cleaned up for the offense's shortcomings. With the victory, the Seahawks move into a three-way tie for first with the 49ers and Rams.
Tuesdays are for college football rankings. We have our CBS Sports 136 topped by Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M, as well as our Week 9 power ratings and a new set of power rankings.
Former All-Pro running back Doug Martin was undergoing mental health issues at time of death. Former Buccaneers All-Pro running back and Boise State star Doug Martin, 36, died while in police custody following a struggle with officers who were investigating a break-in at a home in Oakland, California. Martin's family said that they had been actively seeking mental health services for him before the tragic events unfolded.

⚾ Blue Jays advance to World Series as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wins MVP honors

In defeating the Mariners, 4-3, in Game 7 of the ALCS, the Blue Jays advance to the World Series to face Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers. While George Springer's 7th-inning home run put Toronto in position to win the series, it was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who was awarded the ALCS MVP. Guerrero went 0 for 7 in the first two games of the series but finished 10 for 26 (.385) with three doubles, three home runs, four walks and two strikeouts. The biggest performance of the series was Guerrero's Game 3, in which he went 4 for 4 with two doubles, a home run and a walk.

On the other side of the coin, CBS Sports' Matt Snyder writes that the Mariners season should be celebrated as a success, even considering the heartbreaking ending. After all, this was a Seattle team that made it deeper into the postseason than any other team in franchise history.

Snyder: "How about Cal Raleigh? Never before had a catcher hit even 50 home runs in season. Never had a switch hitter reached 55. Raleigh hit 60. Julio Rodríguez was a 30-30 guy. Randy Arozarena was close. How about Game 2 of the ALDS? How about the 15-inning Game 5 of the ALDS, one of the most dramatic playoff games we've ever seen?
"Then there's ALCS Game 5. The eighth inning. Raleigh's game-tying blast. Eugenio Suárez's grand slam, anyone? How awesome was that eighth inning?
"None of that can ever be taken away from Mariners fans."

🏀 The ball goes up on the 2025-26 NBA season

Rejoice, for it is time for basketball. The NBA season tips off with a pair of games on Tuesday night, as the Rockets travel to Oklahoma City to watch the Thunder raise a banner, and the Lakers play host to the Warriors. As the MLB season reaches its final series, sports fans can look forward to what is sure to be a thrilling season of professional basketball.

In preparation for the start of the 2025-26 season, CBS Sports has you primed for what's to come. That includes over/under picks for every team in the East, expert picks for major awards such as MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, and the 30 NBA storylines you need to know this season.

We also have our first NBA Power Rankings of the season. Our Colin Ward-Henninger has the Knicks in the No. 2 spot, trailing only the Thunder. No pressure.

Ward-Henninger: "Armed with a new, movement-heavy offense from Mike Brown, the Knicks should be in the hunt for the East's top seed throughout the season. By empowering Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby -- among others -- the pressure should be at least somewhat lifted off of Jalen Brunson's shoulders. If they can stay around average defensively, New York should win a lot of games."

⚽ UEFA Champions League action resumes today

Matchday 3 for one of the biggest sporting competitions in the world begins on Tuesday. Nine matches take place on the day, including powerhouse clubs such as Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal will be in action. And, as with every Champions League match, all of the action can be watched live on Paramount+.

Ahead of the action, James Benge took a look at four burning questions, including whether Arsenal's setpieces are as unstoppable as they seem to be, as well as whether it's time to write off teams such as Benfica and Athletic Club as unable to advance to the knockout rounds. Our team also predicted the scores for every match and broke down much of the action.

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

Ja Morant is reportedly ready to go for the Grizzlies' season opener.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones does not expect Trevon Diggs to be out long after Diggs suffered a concussion in a fluke situation in his home.

After a disappointing 3-4 start to the Commanders' season, we took a look at the issues, and it appears a turnaround may not come due to a combination of factors. While the Commanders say Jayden Daniels' hamstring injury is not believed to be significant, the quarterback's status is uncertain for next week's Monday night game against the Chiefs.
With the NFL trade deadline on the horizon, there is plenty of chatter about which teams are buyers and sellers.
Jaxson Hayes seeks a Slovenian passport to join Lakers teammate Luka Dončić in international competition, a situation Dončić attempted with Daniel Gafford when the pair played together in Dallas.
As Virginia Tech searches for a new coach, Shane Beamer says he already has his "dream job" at South Carolina.
Justin Fields said he "can't be mad at" being benched by Jets coach Aaron Glenn on Sunday, though he expressed surprise in the moment.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said he is "not proud of where I'm at" after Miami slid to 1-6 on the season. Tagovailoa was benched in Miami's Week 7 loss to the Browns. Meanwhile, Miami is not expected to fire coach Mike McDaniel.
Tommy Fleetwood's tremendous season continued as he closed with a 7-under 65 for a two-shot victory over Keita Nakajima in the India Championship.
While it has been another rough season for Florida State, the university confirmed Monday that it will continue to support embattled coach Mike Norvell. Athletic director Michael Alford did add that the university would review the situation at the end of the season. We took a look at the pros and cons of the situation.
Similarly, Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh stood behind coach Luke Fickell despite a 2-5 start to the season.
Kayshon Boutte rubbed a little extra salt in the Titans' wounds, with the Patriots wideout saying the team took advantage of "lazy cornerback play" in their Week 7 win.
Panthers QB Bryce Young is expected to miss Carolina's Week 8 game against the Bills due to a high ankle sprain. Expect Andy Dalton to get the nod.
Two teams are reportedly interested in Albert Pujols for managerial duties, but the Angels aren't one of them.
A historic start to the NFL season for the crop of rookies has many wondering if this is the greatest rookie class ever.
The Raiders are expecting the return of tight end Brock Bowers and wideout Jacobi Meyers after the upcoming bye week.
Texas Tech is now prohibiting the tradition of throwing tortillas as the Big 12 has threatened penalties and fines.

📺 What we're watching on Tuesday

⚽ Olympiacos at Barcelona, 12:45 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Pafos at Kairat Almaty, 12:45 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Atletico Madrid at Arsenal, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Paris Saint-Germain at Bayer Leverkusen, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Borussia Dortmund at F.C. Kobenhavn, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Benfica at Newcastle United, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Napoli at PSV Eindhoven, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Internazionale at Union St-Gilloise, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Manchester City at Villarreal, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
🏀 Rockets at Thunder, 7:30 p.m. on NBC
🏈 Western Kentucky at Louisiana Tech, 7:30 p.m. on CBSSN
🏒 Panthers at Bruins, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Warriors at Lakers, 10 p.m. on NBC
🏒 Avalanche at Mammoth, 10 p.m. on ESPN