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🦘 Five things to know Friday
- The 49ers silenced the Rams with a one-sided win in Australia. So much for all the Rams' Super Bowl hype, huh? It's just one game, and Week 1 is not always indicative of the season to come, but San Francisco put an absolute beating on the NFL's most lauded team of the offseason. In fact, it was the largest season-opening loss for the Super Bowl favorite in at least the last 50 years. For a squad that was so upset about the demands of traveling Down Under, Kyle Shanahan's crew looked like the far more prepared side in their 27-7 victory. Maybe arriving in Melbourne a week early was the right call for the 49ers, because the Rams sure looked like a team that had only been in the country for a few hours.
- The injury bug is already contagious in NFL Week 1. The season is only two games old, but the number of key injuries is concerning. Coming out of Wednesday's opener, A.J. Brown is feared to have suffered a high ankle sprain, which could leave him sidelined until the middle of October. Sam Darnold's hip issue from that Super Bowl rematch is also expected to cost him some time, although the Seahawks proved in the win that their defense is capable of keeping them afloat in his absence. Another quarterback who could hit the shelf: Tua Tagovailoa. The Falcons are in a near-dire situation with their starter uncertain for Week 1 with an oblique strain. And at wide receiver, it is no guarantee Malik Nabers suits up for the Giants, even after logging multiple full practices this week.
- College football's Week 2 features the potential game of the year. It was a defensive battle last year, but No. 1 Ohio State and No. 4 Texas could feature more offense this time around with so much top-flight talent at the skill positions. The colossal showdown between the Buckeyes and Longhorns carries early College Football Playoff implications and will determine which team emerges as the national championship favorite. Our Tom Fornelli picked his favorite side in this week's Six Pack of picks. Elsewhere, Kentucky's Will Stein implored his fanbase to go wild when No. 12 Alabama comes to town. And we have a fun doubleheader in store on CBS with a Big Ten-SEC clash in the afternoon window and No. 13 Texas Tech's trip to Corvallis in the nightcap.
- Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are headed to the US Open final. Entering Thursday, there was a very real chance of an all-American championship. Instead, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula will watch as the top two seeds battle for the title. The two Americans combined to win just one set against the favorites in the semifinals, and in turn, Sabalenka has a chance at a third consecutive US Open crown while Rybakina eyes her first. On the men's side, however, the semifinal between Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe guarantees an American will reach the final and have a shot at ending the nation's grand slam drought. This weekend's champions, by the way, will split the largest purse in tournament history.
- UEFA Champions League Matchday 1 is complete. None of the biggest matches on Thursday's slate were even remotely competitive, which tells us everything we need to know about the favorites. The most lopsided result was Bayern Munich's 5-0 rout of Bodo/Glimt. For Manchester United, perhaps the 4-0 demolition of Sabah will provide momentum heading into this weekend's derby against Manchester City. And the biggest landmark result came with Como's 4-1 win over RB Leipzig, marking the first Champions League victory in club history.
✅ Do not miss this: Week 1 NFL picks
The first two games of the NFL season reminded us to expect the unexpected in Week 1. The Seahawks' fourth-quarter comeback on Wednesday and the 49ers' surprising blowout of the Rams were proof that preseason projections are only worth so much. That's why we're putting a handful of favorites on upset alert (shoutout to our Tyler Sullivan for nailing his 49ers-Rams prediction).
Pick the winners of this week's games at your own risk. There will be more surprises. That did not stop our Jordan Dajani and Jared Dubin from going head-to-head with their picks, though.
Both of them foresee the Texans defeating the Bills despite entering the game as home underdogs. History suggests they are on the right side, since Josh Allen is 0-4 in his last four trips to Reliant Stadium.
- Dajani: Texans 23, Bills 21
- Dubin: Texans 20, Bills 17
But they don't see eye-to-eye on every game. Dajani foresees the Vikings beating the Packers by a touchdown. Dubin? He's got Green Bay winning on the road, even without Josh Jacobs (who pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery and awaits a potential suspension).
- Dubin: "I'm pretty lukewarm on both of these teams this year, but I like Green Bay's chances to get off to a hot start offensively in this matchup. This is going to need to be Brian Flores' best coaching job in recent memory, because the defensive personnel on hand is not what it once was."
⚾ Final MLB Rookie Rankings of 2026
Year 1 in the majors is almost in the books for the 2026 rookie class, and what a season it was for the young stars. This might be an all-time great crop of first-year standouts. Kevin McGonigle. Parker Messick. JJ Wetherholt. These are legitimately elite players regardless of age. They are also the top three honorees in our final MLB Rookie Rankings of the season.
Perhaps the most impressive part of this class is its depth. To put it into perspective, here are the three guys who just barely made the cut:
8. Tristan Peters, White Sox
9. Payton Tolle, Red Sox
10. TJ Rumfield, Rockies
Believe it or not, there are 10 more impressive rookies than Munetaka Murakami. If 31 home runs does not get you into the rankings, then you know you are part of a loaded rookie class. A few others who just missed out: Sam Antonacci, Samuel Basallo and Travis Bazzana.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
- Team USA is two wins away from a fifth consecutive gold medal at the FIBA Women's World Cup. Tune in Saturday and Sunday as they go for the title.
- The Clippers are reportedly under federal investigation for their salary cap circumvention scheme with Kawhi Leonard.
- NaVorro Bowman Jr., the son of the former All-Pro linebacker and a five-star basketball recruit, announced his college commitment.
- Penn State is beginning to embrace Joe Paterno again, which raises questions about the restoration of his legacy.
- Jose Altuve is up to 2,500 career hits. His Hall of Fame case might hinge on him reaching 3,000.
- Ryan Garcia has an opportunity to prove he has matured as both a fighter and person when he takes on Conor Benn for the WBC welterweight title. Watch the bout Saturday on Paramount+.
- These 11 golfers exceeded expectations during the 2026 PGA Tour season.
- Jaylen Brown set down the basketball and put on boxing gloves this week in Nigeria.
- Former NFL running back LeShon Johnson faces a five-year prison sentence for operating a dogfighting ring.
- Ezi Magbegor tore her ACL at the World Cup, which clouds her future with the Storm.
- "Modern-day rockstar" Tommy McMillen looks to continue his ascent at Noche UFC, but Marwan Rahiki warned of a potential first-round knockout.
- The Spirit jumped past the Thorns for the No. 2 spot in this week's NWSL Power Rankings.
- It doesn't seem like the Clippers have plans to retire Chris Paul's No. 3 jersey anytime soon.
- The NCAA granted Kate Koval a transfer waiver following her departure from LSU and Kim Mulkey's addition of a Russian recruit.
📺 What we're watching this weekend
Friday
⚾ Pirates at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Marseille at Rennes, 2:45 p.m. on beIN Sports
🎾 US Open: Zverev vs. Khachano, 3 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 Norfolk State at No. 25 Virginia, 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra
🏈 Villanova at No. 24 Louisville, 7 p.m. on ACC Network
🎾 US Open: Tiafoe vs. Shelton, 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Mets at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Phillies at Braves or Dodgers at Marlins, 7:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Reds at Brewers, 7:40 p.m. on Apple TV
🏈 No. 23 Missouri at Kansas, 8 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Pride at Current, 8 p.m. on Prime Video
🤼 WWE SmackDown, 8 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Guardians at Twins, 8:10 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Padres at Giants, 10:15 p.m. on Apple TV
Saturday
⚽ Frosinone at Genoa, 9 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Hull City at Chelsea, 10 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ AC Milan at Lazio, noon on Paramount+
🏈 Arizona State at No. 10 Texas A&M, noon on ABC
🏈 Howard at No. 5 Indiana, noon on Big Ten Network
🏈 No. 11 Oklahoma at Michigan, noon on Fox
🏈 No. 6 Oregon at Oklahoma State, noon on ESPN
🏈 Western Kentucky at No. 2 Georgia, 12:45 p.m. on SEC Network
⚾ Mets at Yankees or Rockies at Tigers, 1:10 p.m. on MLB Network
🤼 Noche UFC: Silva vs. Delgado, 2 p.m. on Paramount+
🏀 World Cup: United States vs. Spain, 2 p.m. on TBS
⚽ Arsenal at Sunderland, 3 p.m. on USA Network
🏈 Mississippi State at Minnesota, 3:30 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Rice at No. 3 Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m. on NBC
🏈 No. 12 Alabama at Kentucky, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
🏈 Arizona at No. 15 BYU, 3:30 p.m. on Fox
🎾 US Open: Women's final, 4 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Royals at Red Sox or Guardians at Twins, 4:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Courage at Wave, 6:30 p.m. on Ion
🏈 No. 18 Tennessee at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Reds at Brewers, 7:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ White Sox at Cardinals, 7:15 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Phillies at Braves, 7:15 p.m. on Peacock
🏈 No. 13 Texas Tech at Oregon State, 7:30 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Iowa State at No. 21 Iowa, 7:30 p.m. on NBC
🏈 Louisiana Tech at No. 8 LSU, 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network Plus
🏈 No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas, 7:30 p.m. on ABC
⚽ Nashville at Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🏈 Charlotte at No. 9 Ole Miss, 7:45 p.m. on ESPN2
⚽ Timbers at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Royals at Dash, 8:45 p.m. on Ion
⚽ NYCFC at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Mariners at Athletics, 10 p.m. on MLB Network
🏈 Arkansas at No. 20 Utah, 10:15 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Dynamo at Earthquakes, 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV
Sunday
⚽ Brighton & Hove Albion at Coventry City, 9 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ Manchester City at Manchester United, 11:30 a.m. on Peacock
🏈 Bills at Texans, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Falcons at Steelers, 1 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Legacy at Spirit, 1 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Astros at Rays or Royals at Red Sox, 1:35 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Mets at Yankees, 1:35 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Phillies at Braves, 1:35 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
🏀 World Cup final, 2 p.m. on TNT
🎾 US Open: Men's final, 2 p.m. on ABC
🏁 NASCAR at St. Louis, 3 p.m. on USA Network
⚽ Atlético Madrid at Real Sociedad, 3 p.m. on ESPN+
🏈 Packers at Vikings, 4:25 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Commanders at Eagles, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
⚾ Rangers at Diamondbacks or Mariners at Athletics, 4:30 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Revolution at Fire, 6:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Stars at Thorns, 7 p.m. on Roku
⚾ Padres at Giants, 7:20 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
🥊 WBC welterweight title: Garcia vs. Benn, 8 p.m. on Paramount+
🏈 Cowboys at Giants, 8:20 p.m. on NBC
⚽ Union at San Diego, 9 p.m. on Apple TV
