This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.
🐻 Five things to know Tuesday
- The Bears mauled the defending Super Bowl champs on Monday night. If you didn't believe in the Bears as legit Super Bowl contenders before that game, it's hard to doubt them now. Chicago absolutely mauled the Seahawks for four quarters en route to a 34-17 win. The addition of Jeffery Simmons on the Bears defensive line proved to be worth double what GM Ryan Poles paid to acquire him. On the other side, the Seahawks received some of their lowest marks of the season as they fell further behind in the NFC West race.
- Falcons EDGE James Pearce Jr. has been reinstated after an eight-game suspension. With the Falcons battling for an NFC South title, their defense will get some help this week. Pearce, a former first-round pick, has been reinstated after serving his eight-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy. In the offseason, Pearce was arrested following a domestic dispute with then-girlfriend Rickea Jackson and fleeing from the authorities. As a rookie last season, Pearce tallied 10.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
- No. 22 UCLA stuns No. 5 Arizona in its season-opener. With an 84-75 win, the Bruins certainly looked better than their ranking would indicate in this physical game against their old Pac-12 rival. Elsewhere, the top-ranked Gators kicked off their highly anticipated 2026-27 season with a 77-67 win over No. 14 Miami. Superstar Thomas Haugh showed why he was a favorite to win National Player of the Year with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Things didn't go as smoothly for North Carolina, which barely pulled out an 80-72 win over Western Carolina. At this rate, the honeymoon will be over rather quickly for new coach Michael Malone.
- Oklahoma has fired OC Ben Arbuckle amid a disappointing season. It may be too little, too late, but Oklahoma has finally made a staff change on offense. The Sooners have fired Arbuckle after another miserable offensive showing. Arbuckle came down from Washington State as a package deal with quarterback John Mateer, but that pairing didn't pan out in Norman. The rest of the way, NFL Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten is expected to take over play-calling duties on offense.
- The Cardinals are rolling with Gardner Minshew at QB in Week 9. After leading the Cards to a shocking comeback win over the Cowboys, Minshew will make his first start of the season on Sunday. Rookie Carson Beck will remain the backup while Jacoby Brissett has been demoted to third-string. That means Brissett suddenly becomes a trade candidate for playoff hopefuls in desperate need of help at that position.
📈 Do not miss this: New No. 1 in CFB Power Rankings
Only four more days to one of the best Saturdays of the 2026 college football season. The marquee matchup amid a loaded slate features No. 1 Miami against No. 4 Notre Dame in South Bend.
As it just so happens, that's exactly where those two land in this week's College Football Power Rankings. The Hurricanes snuck into the top spot with Ohio State sinking like a stone to No. 10. Notre Dame and Miami should produce a certified banger on the field, but as our own Brandon Marcello explains, Notre Dame Stadium has rarely been kind to the Canes.
- Marcello: "Notre Dame beat Navy 35-13 for its ninth straight win over the Midshipmen. It was a bit difficult for two-and-a-half quarters, but the Irish pulled away as expected. Nolan James Jr. ran for two TDs. Next: unbeaten Miami, which has won once in 11 trips to South Bend, in 1984."
As always, I'm not stingy enough to deny the masses a sneak peek, as long as you check out the entire rankings:
16. Wake Forest (+2)
17. USC (NR)
18. Iowa (+3)
19. Houston (--)
20. Arizona (-6)
That matchup will feature three Heisman Trophy frontrunners -- Malachi Toney, Darian Mensah and C.J. Carr. Who will emerge to produce a Heisman moment or two? Another team that's riding high this week is USC, which jumped 14 spots in the CBS Sports 138 with a top-five win over the Buckeyes.
I should also remind you that the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season will be revealed tonight. Here is what you can expect when you tune in. Also, do yourself a favor and subscribe to the "Cover 3 Podcast" so you'll be alerted when our crew goes live to discuss the rankings.
🏈 2027 NFL mock draft: Browns land franchise QB
By now, I think we all know that the 2027 NFL Draft quarterback class won't be what it was hyped up to be over the summer. That doesn't mean there aren't any franchise quarterbacks in the mix, though.
One of the most exciting prospects is Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who has made the jump to the Power Four level with ease. Our own Ryan Wilson loves what he's seen on tape from Mestemaker, who leads the Big 12 in passing yards and is tied for the FBS lead in passing touchdowns.
So, which team is lucky enough to select Mestemaker in Wilson's latest 2027 NFL mock draft? It just so happens to be the Browns, a team that has been searching for its next franchise quarterback for what seems like an eternity.
- Wilson: "I've said this for a month now, but if Arch Manning had Mestemaker's 2026 tape, he'd be QB1 by a large margin. Mestemaker is just 20 years old, but man, he does a lot of things really well. We'll see if he declares after the '26 season or waits until next season, when he could take advantage of another weak QB class."
Here's a quick look at how Wilson sees the bottom of the first-round playing out:
28. Steelers -- Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss
29. Broncos -- Kyngston Viliamu-Asa, LB, Notre Dame
30. Vikings -- Jayden Maiava, QB, USC
31. 49ers -- Nick Marsh, WR, Indiana
32. Bills -- Boubacar Traore, EDGE, Notre Dame
For the moment, any team in need of a quarterback will have to poke around the trade market. Although there aren't any franchise superstars available, some quality stopgap options could be on the move. I'm looking at you, Ravens. Don't start the UDFA rookie on Thursday.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
- The Cowboys must consider trading George Pickens, and five teams make the most sense.
- Lamar Jackson's thumb injury could throw a wrench into contract talks with the Ravens.
- "Do you work for a tabloid?" Bill Belichick wasn't pleased with a question about his personal life.
- Mike Norvell has some career options after collecting his $50 million buyout from Florida State.
- Speaking of FSU, here are the pros and cons of a reunion with Jimbo Fisher.
- It also sounds like the Seminoles aren't keen on picking up Deion Sanders and his baggage.
- The Jaguars should explore trade options with DT DaVon Hamilton likely out for the season.
- Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg was chasing 40 points -- and it got him benched.
- The 2027 outlook for the Guardians is bright in our way-too-early MLB Power Rankings.
- Our MLB experts did their best to forecast where two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will land.
- Pete Crow-Armstong and Shohei Ohtani are among the finalists for NL MVP.
- Fifa Laopakdee has punched his ticket to the 2027 Masters after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
📺 What we're watching Tuesday
⚽ We'll be tuned into the UEFA Champions League all day on Paramount+. Here's how to watch.
🏀 Wofford at No. 8 Tennessee (M), 6 p.m. on SEC Network
🏈 Ohio at Akron, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Drexel at No. 9 Virginia (M), 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network
🏈 Buffalo at Miami (OH), 8 p.m. on ESPN
