Cowboys cruise to victory over Raiders; Virginia Tech hires James Franklin

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Good morning! After a wild weekend with plenty of drama in both college football and the NFL, Monday night was drama-free as the Cowboys handled the Raiders with little difficulty in Las Vegas.

The bigger news items came with a massive coaching hire by Virginia Tech and one of the NBA's biggest and brightest stars officially being shut down by injury for a few weeks.

Let's drill down into the news you need to know, and the busy evening sports schedule to look forward to.

😟 Five things to know Tuesday

1. Victor Wembanyama to miss a few weeks with a calf strain, jeopardizing major awards. The Spurs' otherworldly talent is anticipated to miss a few weeks with a left calf strain. The injury occurred during Friday's loss to the Warriors. Wembanyama, 21, averaged 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game to start his third season in the league. Obviously, one's health always comes first, but it is worth noting that with the NBA's rule requiring players to appear in 65 games to qualify for major awards, Wembanyama could have little room for more missed games in a season where he's a favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, and possibly even Most Valuable Player.
   
2. Cowboys pick up easy victory on emotional night. There was not much drama in Las Vegas on Monday night as the Cowboys rolled over the Raiders, 33-16. Monday's game was the team's first since the death of edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland, and the team wore "94" decals on their helmets. Quarterback Dak Prescott completed 13 of 19 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns in the victory, this despite his top two receivers not being on the field for Dallas' first drive because CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens had "missed some things."
3. It's Tyrod Taylor Time in New York. The Jets benched Justin Fields after starting the season 2-8. New York will now turn to 15-year veteran and former Pro Bowl player Tyrod Taylor. Taylor will make his second start of this season Sunday against the Ravens.
4. Lane Kiffin to LSU? Ole Miss may be 10-1 and on the brink of securing a College Football Playoff appearance, but coach Lane Kiffin is a top name for some big teams looking to fill coaching vacancies. LSU sent a plane to whisk Kiffin and his family off for a tour of Baton Rouge, making a big move in an attempt to fill the vacancy left after the Tigers fired Brian Kelly.
5. Jake Paul set to face Anthony Joshua. Boxing fans who have been patiently waiting to see Jake Paul's controversial fighting career come crashing down may well get their wish in just over one month. On Monday, it was announced that Paul would face two-time former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Dec. 19. Unlike when Paul fought 58-year-old Mike Tyson last November, Paul is facing a mean, talented heavyweight near the prime of his career.

🏈 Do not miss this: Virginia Tech hires James Franklin as new coach

Virginia Tech made the first big splash coaching hire of the year when the university announced Monday that the Hokies hired former Penn State coach James Franklin. Penn State fired Franklin after a 3-3 start to the 2025 season. Penn State was seen as a championship contender entering the season, but the wheels fell off quickly, which, combined with Franklin's history of his teams losing the biggest games, built a narrative that he was not the man to lead the Nittany Lions back to the promised land.

The Hokies moved on from coach Brent Pry after a 0-3 start to the season. Pry led Virginia Tech to only one winning season in four years as coach. CBS Sports' Shehan Jeyarajah wrote that Franklin is the perfect man to lead the resurrection of the Virginia Tech program.

• Jeyarajah: "Franklin is a ruthless CEO. He helped maximize Penn State's potential in recruiting and fan support. Franklin also has a strong track record of hiring assistant coaches (ironically, including the man he's replacing, Brent Pry). He will immediately become the most powerful figure in the athletic department and win over the Southern Virginia community.
  Virginia Tech is a passionate fanbase and athletic department with a history of winning at the highest level. James Franklin is the perfect man to bring them back."

⚾ The 10 most interesting non-tender MLB decisions

The Nov. 21 deadline for MLB teams to tender contracts for the 2026 season to all of their players not already under guaranteed deals, or send them into free agency, is fast approaching. That leaves some intriguing situations around the league as teams prepare to build for the 2026 season.

These decisions have made for some meaningful moves in past seasons, and that could be the case again. R.J. Anderson broke down the 10 most interesting non-tender MLB decisions as the deadline approaches. At the top of Anderson's list was a big decision for the Red Sox regarding first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.

• Anderson: "Lowe might be the most obvious non-tender candidate in the majors. He was a nifty addition for the Red Sox last summer when they signed him after his failed stint with the Nationals. In 34 games, he batted .280/.370/.420 (121 OPS+) and reminded people that he has a track record of being an above-average offensive contributor. Boston has no need for another non-elite corner player, however, and especially not one slated to clear more than $13 million through arbitration. Lowe ought to land on his feet with another team, his fourth since Opening Day 2024. Prediction: Non-tendered"

There are plenty of rumors swirling around Boston, including a potential play for Pete Alonso and a possible trade for the Twins' All-Star starting pitcher Joe Ryan.

🏀 Grading the picks from the 2024 NBA Draft

Just shy of one month into the 2025-26 NBA season, it's a fine time to look at how the picks from the 2024 NBA Draft are performing. Those players, in their sophomore NBA seasons, cover a wide variety of contributions to their teams. Some are cornerstone contributors, while others are playing G League ball.

Jack Maloney graded those 2024 draft picks, and unsurprisingly, 2024 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle is getting an A+ as he has helped the Spurs get off to a 9-4 start to the season.

• Maloney: "His numbers are up across the board, and his playmaking has been particularly impressive. He had four consecutive double-digit assist games at one point while De'Aaron Fox was out, recorded his first career triple-double in a loss to the Warriors and is leading all second-year players in assists (7.8 per game).
  "Castle did leave the Spurs' win over the Kings on Sunday with a hip injury, however, and everyone in San Antonio will have their fingers crossed that he doesn't need a long spell on the sidelines."

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

• With Browns quarterback Dillion Gabriel in concussion protocol, it appears Shedeur Sanders will get his first career NFL start. It's not all good news for Sanders, however, as his home was broken into during this past Sunday's game.
• In other quarterback injury news, we're suggesting Mason Rudolph should start for the Steelers regardless of Aaron Rodgers' availability after injuring his wrist. Though, should Rodgers play, he wouldn't be the first Steelers QB to play through such an injury.
• Browns legend Bernie Kosar is "feeling good" after receiving a liver transplant.
• Star Bengals wideout Ja'Mar Chase has been suspended for one game by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct after he spat on Jalen Ramsey of the Steelers. The missed game will cost Chase more than $500,000.
• Falcons wideout Drake London will miss at least one week after suffering a PCL sprain.
• The first major free agent signing of the MLB offseason is in the books after the Mariners signed Josh Naylor to a five-year deal.
• Let's go down the Tuesday rankings rabbit hole. On the college football side, we have our weekly ranking of all 136 FBS teams. Were that not enough, we also have you covered with the Week 13 power ratings and the updated College Football Power Rankings.
• Over in college basketball, Purdue continues to hold the top spot in the men's coaches poll, as well as in the AP poll.
• For the women, UConn, South Carolina and UCLA are sitting at the top of the AP poll.

📺 What we're watching Tuesday

🏀 No. 17 Michigan State at No. 12 Kentucky (M), 6:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Devils at Lightning, 7 p.m. on NHL Network
🏈 Massachusetts at Ohio, 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏀 Grizzlies at Spurs, 8 p.m. on NBC
⚽ World Cup qualifying: Costa Rica vs. Honduras, 8 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ World Cup qualifying: Panama vs. El Salvador, 8 p.m. on Paramount+
🏀 No. 24 Kansas at No. 5 Duke (M), 9 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Suns at Blazers, 11 p.m. on NBC