Florida, Illinois on upset alert? Bold predictions for Week 2 college football

Florida, Illinois on upset alert? Bold predictions for Week 2 college football

Just whenthe dust settled on Week 1 of the college football season, we roll into the second weekend with one of thoseschedules that might be slim on first glancebut can be full of surprises when Saturday is done. Such is the brilliance of the sport that produces surprises and upsets when you least expect them. There's an obviouspressure point for Oklahoma and Michiganin the games's notable matchup. There's alsothe renewal of a Border Warfull of disklike. There's other games with big stakes and potential for upsets. But where will they take place? GET IN THE GAME:Play our college football survivor pool PATH TO PLAYOFF:Sign up for our college football newsletter That's why the USA TODAY Sports college football staff is here. Matt Hayes, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus and Blake Toppmeyer weigh in with their bold predictions for Week 2 of the college football season: Florida has received plenty of offseason priase and earned a spot in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. The road for the Gators isn't easy in the SEC. But before they get there, there's a big in-state matcup worth watching. Florida needs a last-minute drive, and touchdown from tailback Jaden Baugh, to beat South Florida.-- Matt Hayes Meet the newest College Football Playoff contender: South Florida. TheBullsopened with a 34-7 dominating win againstBoise State. Now, the Bulls have to go into "The Swamp" and play DJ Lagway and Florida to see if they are legit. The Gators are heavy favorites, but South Florida is a dangerous team led by Byrum Brown. He is the real deal at quarterback, puts up another gritty performance in the air and on the ground to stun Florida and move the Bulls to 2-0.-- Jordan Mendoza Iowa pulls off a minor shocker and beats Iowa State to continue one of the most ridiculous runs in the FBS: If they pull it off, this would be the Hawkeyes' seventh win in a row in Ames. It'll take more from new quarterback Mark Gronkowski, who had just 44 yards in the opener against Albany.-- Paul Myerberg Illinois has been trumpeted as the next Indiana after the Hoosiers made a surprising run to the College Football Playoff last season. But the Illini aren't coming out of nowhere. They won 10 games last season, so this could be a team feeling a bit overconfident and overlooking a Duke team that is very dangerous. Tulane transfer Darian Mensah will lead the Blue Devils offense, and the defense is good enough to slow down the Illinois attack. This shapes up to be a tight game with Duke having more than a puncher's chance to pull the upset. --Erick Smith We apologize in advance to devotees of MACtion for the following item. All 136 members of the Bowl Subdivision have now played at least once. Three of them have yet to score a point, and all three reside in the Mid-American Conference. One member of this trio of futility is about to get whitewashed again, and it's the one with perhaps the most unfortunate nickname in the sport. Yes, Akron, we mean you and your game against Nebraska after falling 10-0 at Wyoming. Ball Stateis another candidate after a loss at Purdue and now a trip to Auburn, The third member of the club, Miami (Ohio), should at least get off the schneid at Rutgers.-- Eddie Timanus Arch Manning was heralded all off seasons as the Heisman Trophy favorite. That narrative took a hit whenManning and the Longhorns fell flat at Ohio State. After theLonghornshangs 50 points on San Jose State, the pundits will reanoint Manning as the greatest quarterback since Tim Tebow.-- Blake Toppmeyer This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College football bold predictions: Florida on Week 2 upset alert?

byMario Satorik

in

September 06, 2025

Florida, Illinois on upset alert? Bold predictions for Week 2 college football

Florida, Illinois on upset alert? Bold predictions for Week 2 college football Just whenthe dust settled on Week 1 of the college football s...

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Althea Gibson's legacy visible at 2025 US Open, 75 years after breaking color barrier

Althea Gibson's legacy visible at 2025 US Open, 75 years after breaking color barrier

Whentennis legend Venus Williamsstepped onto Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie King Tennis Center for her first-round matchup at the2025 US Open, her white polo and matching pleated skirt was near identical to Althea Gibson's signature outfit throughout her career. It was intentional on Williams' part. "The most important part is that we are celebrating (Althea Gibson)," said Williams, who donned a custom ERL tennis set in honor of Gibson in a6-3, 2-6, 6-1 first-round loss to Karolína Muchováon Aug. 25. "Althea accomplished so much, and a lot of it has not been given the credit it deserves and the attention and the praise." Gibson became the first Black player to compete at the US Open (formerly known as the U.S. National Championships) in 1950. Seventy-five years later, the 2025 US Open is honoring Gibson breaking the color barrier in tennis by hosting "75 years of breaking barriers" this year. "It's amazing that she's been able to create this path for so many Black females,"saidHailey Baptiste, who dropped asecond-round matchup to Naomi Osaka, who advanced to the semifinals. "From Venus (Williams) and Serena (Williams), to me, Coco Gauff. "There's so many. Without that trailblazer, we wouldn't be here today." VENUS WILLIAMS:Barbie honors tennis legend's push for equal rights MORE:Billie Jean King looks for next generation of disruptors Gibson may have been the first Black woman to win a Grand Slam, with the first of her five singles titles coming at the 1956 French Open, but she's certainly not the last. Thirty-eight Black women have gone on to win a Grand Slam singles title since the Open Era began in 1968, including Serena Williams (23), Venus Williams (7), Naomi Osaka (4), Coco Gauff (2), Sloane Stephens (1) and Madison Keys (1). "I had an opportunity to feel proud of who I was and who I am because of people like Althea," Venus Williamssaid. "Of course, there's different kinds of ways you're perceived or sometimes treated because of the color your skin, but it never stopped me." The brown hue of Gibson's skin effectively barred her from entering prominent U.S. tournaments that not only favored pristine white tennis outfits, but white patrons as racial segregation and Jim Crow laws ran rampant. Inclusion had reached other sports, including boxing, football and baseball, whereJackie Robinson became the first Black player in MLBin 1947, but tennis was a step behind. "If tennis is a game for ladies and gentlemen, it's also time we acted a little more like gentle-people and less like sanctimonious hypocrites," five-time Grand Slam champion Alice Marblewrotein a scathing open letter to the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association (now the United States Tennis Association) in July 1950. "(Gibson) has a much better chance on the courts than in the inner-sanctum of the committee, where a different kind of game is played." Gibson was granted entry into the 1950 U.S. National Championships in Forest Hills, New York, becoming the first Black player to receive an invitation. She recalled the moment in her 1960 autobiography, "I Always Wanted To Be Somebody,"writing, "The president of the (USLTA) that year said that I was one of the fifty-two women whose entries had been accepted for the national championship tournament, and he added meaningfully, 'Miss Gibson has been accepted on her ability.' That was all I had ever asked." #OTDTennis player and professional golfer Althea Gibson was born. She was the first African American woman to compete at the highest levels of both sports. Her accomplishments broke race, gender, and class barriers.pic.twitter.com/wUvL3cUvPC — Smithsonian's NMAAHC (@NMAAHC)August 25, 2025 She defeated Great Britain's Barbara Knapp 6-2, 6-2 in the first round on Court 14, the court furthest from the clubhouse that was typically used for practice sessions. Gibson faced three-time reigning Wimbledon champion Louise Brough in the second round and built an impressive 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 lead, needing one more game for the massive upset, before "the worst thing that could have happened" did, Gibson wrote. A weather delay was called due to a thunderstorm, halting Gibson's momentum. A nervous Gibson went on to lose to the veteran, but the pivotal moment proved she belonged. Gibson went on to become the first Black player to win a Grand Slam at the 1956 French Open and the first Black player to be ranked No. 1 in the world after winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals in 1957. She ended her career with 11 Grand Slams, including five singles, five doubles and one mixed doubles title. (In 1964, Gibson also became the first Black woman to join the LPGA Tour.) "She was 'the' trailblazer for African Americans in tennis," Ben Shelton said. "If it wasn't for her... who knows if my dad is ever playing tennis as a Black kid in Alabama in the '70s and '80s." Gibson andBillie Jean Kingare both tennis pioneers. Both used their talents to advocate for change and equality, but it was Gibson who inspired King's path toward social justice. "At 12, I was at the Los Angeles Tennis Club … and I noticed everyone who played our sport wore white clothes and everyone who played was white. I asked myself, 'Where is everyone else?'" King wrote in aforewordfor Gibson's biography in 2022. "From that moment on I committed my life to a life of equality for everyone." In an interview with USA TODAY Sports last month, King said she's "still thinking about how to change the sport" and is "looking for players that can take our sport to another level in the next generation." King said she sees these traits inGauff,21, andCanadian teen sensation Victoria Mboko, 19, who possess the capability to transcend tennis. It's a duty that Gauff does not take lightly. "Win or lose, knowing that there's, you know, at least one or two girls out there who look up to me,"saidGauff, who was knocked out by Osaka in the Round of 16 (6-3, 6-2). "It makes me want to keep waking up and doing this every day and being the best version of myself." Ahead of the women's singles semifinal matchup betweenOsaka and Amanda Anisimova, Venus Williams announced the launch of theWilliams Family Excellence Programwith the USTA Foundation. Williams said the achievement wouldn't be possible without Gibson forging a path for people of color, one of many tributes to Gibson during this year's tournament. Melissa Koby, the US Open's first Black theme artist in tournament history, created a striking logo out of Gibson's silhouette that has been prominently featured throughout the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. "When I was creating the piece, I thought of Althea as my ancestor, as a strong black female," Kobytoldthe US Open. "She's not my grandmother, but I thought of her as that, and I created it with the intention of making her proud to see that a little black girl created something to honor her." Introducing the 2025 US Open theme art celebrating 75 years of Althea Gibson breaking the color barrier.Check out the story here ➡️https://t.co/zi8fO9uDqTpic.twitter.com/Zgp7mL6bKJ — US Open Tennis (@usopen)May 29, 2025 The Florida A&M University Marching 100performedin Arthur Ashe Stadium on Aug. 27, just days after what would have been Gibson's 98th birthday on August. 25. Gibson, who died in 2003, attended FAMU on a tennis scholarship. Other tributes include a Marvel comic book that features Gibson and the Fantastic Four. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:US Open honors 75th anniversary of Althea Gibson breaking color barrier

byMario Satorik

in

September 06, 2025

Althea Gibson's legacy visible at 2025 US Open, 75 years after breaking color barrier

Althea Gibson's legacy visible at 2025 US Open, 75 years after breaking color barrier Whentennis legend Venus Williamsstepped onto Arthu...

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Biden launches fundraising push to build his presidential library

Biden launches fundraising push to build his presidential library

Former PresidentJoe Bidenhas decided to build his presidential library in Delaware, an aide confirmed to CBS News on Saturday. The 82-year-old former president has tapped a group of former aides, friends and political allies to begin the heavy lift of fundraising and finding a site for the museum and archive. The Joe and Jill Biden Foundation, this past week, approved a 13-person governance board that is charged with steering the project that includes former Secretary of StateAntony Blinken, longtime adviserSteve Ricchetti,prolific Democratic fundraiser Rufus Gifford, a list provided to CBS News shows. Gifford will serve as the board's chair. Biden's library team faces the daunting task of raising money for the 46th president's legacy project at a moment when his party is divided about the way forward and manymajor Democratic donors have ceasedwriting checks. It also remains to be seen whether corporations and institutional donors that have historically donated to presidential library projects — regardless of the party of the former president — will be more hesitant to contribute, with President Trump maligning Biden on a daily basis and savaging groups he deems left-leaning. The political climate has changed "There's certainly folks — folks who may have been not thinking about those kinds of issues who are starting to think about them," Gifford, who was named chairman of the library board, told The Associated Press. "That being said ... we're not going to create a budget, we're not going to set a goal for ourselves that we don't believe we can hit." The cost of presidential libraries has soared over the decades. The George H.W. Bush library's construction cost came in at about $43 million when it opened in 1997. Bill Clinton's cost about $165 million. George W. Bush's team met its $500 million fundraising goal before the library was dedicated. The Obama Foundation has seta whopping $1.6 billion fundraising goalfor construction, sustaining global programming and seeding an endowment for the Chicago presidential center that is slated to open next year. Biden's library team is still in the early stages of planning, but Gifford predicted that the cost of the project would probably "end up somewhere in the middle" of the Obama Presidential Center and the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Biden advisers have met with officials operating 12 of the 13 presidential libraries with a bricks-and-mortar presence that the National Archives and Records Administration manages. (They skipped the Herbert Hoover library in Iowa, which is closed for renovations.) They've also met Obama library officials to discuss programming and location considerations and have begun talks with Delaware leaders to assess potential partnerships. Private money builds libraries Construction and support for programming for the libraries are paid for with private funds donated to the nonprofit organizations established by the former president. The initial vision is for the Biden library to include an immersive museum detailing Biden's four years in office. The Bidens also want it to be a hub for leadership, service and civic engagement that will include educational and event space to host policy gatherings. Biden, who ended his bid for a second White House term 107 days before last year's election, has been relatively slow to move on presidential library planning compared with most of his recent predecessors. Clinton announced Little Rock, Arkansas, would host his library weeks into his second term.  Barack Obama selected Jackson Park on Chicago's South Side as the site for his presidential center before he left office, and George W. Bush selected Southern Methodist University in Dallas before finishing his second term. One-termer George H.W. Bush announced in 1991, more than a year before he would lose his reelection bid, that he would establish his presidential library at Texas A&M University after he left office. Trump taps legal settlements for his Mr. Trump was mostly quiet about plans for a presidential library after losing to Biden in 2020 and has remained so since his return to the White House this year. But the Republican has won millions of dollars in lawsuits against Paramount Global, ABC News, Meta and X, in which parts of those settlements are directed for a future Trump library. Mr. Trump has also accepted a freeAir Force One replacement from the Qatar government. He says the $400 million plane would be donated to his future presidential library, similar to how the Boeing 707 used by President Ronald Reagan was decommissioned and put on display as a museum piece, once he leaves office. Others named to Biden's library board are former senior White House aides Elizabeth Alexander, Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón and Cedric Richmond; David Cohen, a former ambassador to Canada and telecom executive; Tatiana Brandt Copeland, a Delaware philanthropist; Jeff Peck, Biden Foundation treasurer and former Senate aide; Fred C. Sears II, Biden's longtime friend; former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh; former Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young; and former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell. Biden has deep ties to Pennsylvania but ultimately settled on Delaware, the state that was the launching pad for his political career. He was first elected to the New Castle County Council in 1970 and spent 36 years representing Delaware in the Senate before serving as Obama's vice president. The president was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he lived until age 10. He left when his father, struggling to make ends meet, moved the family to Delaware after landing a job there selling cars. Working-class Scranton became a touchstone in Biden's political narrative during his long political career. He also served as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania after his vice presidency, leading a center on diplomacy and global engagement at the school named after him. Gifford said ultimately the Bidens felt that Delaware was where the library should be because the state has "propelled his entire political career." Elected officials in Delaware are cheering Biden's move. "To Delaware, he will always be our favorite son," Gov. Matt Meyer said. "The new presidential library here in Delaware will give future generations the chance to see his story of resilience, family, and never forgetting your roots." U.S. deploying 10 fighter jets to Puerto Rico in drug cartel crackdown Chicago-area Navy base to be used for immigration operations Saturday Sessions: The Bones of J.R. Jones performs "Stay Wild"

byMario Satorik

in

September 06, 2025

Biden launches fundraising push to build his presidential library

Biden launches fundraising push to build his presidential library Former PresidentJoe Bidenhas decided to build his presidential library in ...

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Trump seeking ways to take over 9/11 memorial in NYC

Trump seeking ways to take over 9/11 memorial in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) — PresidentDonald Trump's administration said Friday that it is exploring whether the federal government can take control of the 9/11 memorial and museum in New York City. The site in lower Manhattan, where the World Trade Center's twin towers were destroyed by hijacked jetliners onSept. 11, 2001, features two memorial pools ringed by waterfalls and parapets with the names of the dead, and an underground museum. Since opening to the public in 2014, the memorial plaza and museum have been run by a public charity, now chaired by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a frequent Trump critic. The White House confirmed the administration has had "preliminary exploratory discussions" about the idea, but declined to elaborate. The office noted the Republicanpledged during his campaignlast year to make the site a national monument, protected and maintained by the federal government. But officials at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum say the federal government, under current laws, can't unilaterally take over the site, which is located on land owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The U.S. government shouldering costs and management of the site also "makes no sense," given Trump's efforts todramatically pare backthe federal bureaucracy, said Beth Hillman, the organization's president and CEO. "We're proud that our exhibitions tell stories of bravery and patriotism and are confident that our current operating model has served the public honorably and effectively," she said, noting the organization has raised $750 million in private funds and welcomed some 90 million visitors since its opening. Last year, the museum generated more than $93 million in revenue and spent roughly $84 million on operating costs, leaving a nearly $9 million surplus when depreciation is factored in, according to museum officials and itsmost recently available tax filings. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, voiced her own concerns about a federal takeover, citing the Trump administration's recent efforts to influence how American history is told through its national monuments and museums,including the Smithsonian. The takeover idea also comes just months after the Trump administrationbriefly cut, but then restored, staffing at a federal programthat provides health benefits to people with illnesses that might be linked to toxic dust from the destroyed World Trade Center. "The 9/11 Memorial belongs to New Yorkers — the families, survivors, and first responders who have carried this legacy for more than two decades and ensured we never forget," Hochul said in a statement. "Before he meddles with this sacred site, the President should start by honoring survivors and supporting the families of victims." Anthoula Katsimatides, a museum board member who lost her brother, John, in the attack, said she didn't see any reason to change ownership. "They do an incredible job telling the story of that day without sugarcoating it," she said. "It's being run so well, I don't see why there has to be a change. I don't see what benefit there would be." The memorial and museum, however, have also been the target of criticism over the years from some members of the large community of 9/11 victims' families, some of whom have criticized ticket prices or called for changes in the makeup of the museum's exhibits. Trump spokespersons declined to respond to the comments. In all, nearly 3,000 people were killed when the hijackers crashed jetliners into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in southwest Pennsylvaniaduring the Sept. 11attacks. More than 2,700 of those victims perished in the fiery collapse of the trade center's twin towers. ___ Follow Philip Marcelo athttps://x.com/philmarcelo

byMario Satorik

in

September 06, 2025

Trump seeking ways to take over 9/11 memorial in NYC

Trump seeking ways to take over 9/11 memorial in NYC NEW YORK (AP) — PresidentDonald Trump's administration said Friday that it is explo...

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Justin Herbert tosses 3 TDs as Chargers edge Chiefs in Sao Paulo

Justin Herbert tosses 3 TDs as Chargers edge Chiefs in Sao Paulo

Justin Herbert passed for 318 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Los Angeles Chargers to a 27-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener for the AFC West rivals on Friday night at Sao Paulo. "Justin was phenomenal today in every way," Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "Pinpoint accuracy. He did a great job with his legs. Just overall toughness. Just a complete stalwart. It was incredible quarterback play." Los Angeles' Quentin Johnston had five receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns and Keenan Allen added seven catches for 68 yards and a score. Herbert was 25 of 34 passing and also rushed for 32 yards. Patrick Mahomes completed 24 of 39 passes for 258 yards and one touchdown for the defending AFC champion Chiefs. Mahomes also led Kansas City with 57 rushing yards, while Travis Kelce hauled in a touchdown pass. The Chiefs were hoping for one last chance but Herbert scrambled for 19 yards on third-and-14 just before the two-minute warning. That allowed the Chargers to run out the clock on kneeldowns. With the win, the Chargers snapped a seven-game slide against the Chiefs. "It was just another game for us," Herbert said afterward in a YouTube on-field interview. "We came out here and executed and did what we needed to do. ... We have a lot of respect for them. We knew it would be a dogfight." Los Angeles had a 394-347 edge in total offense over Kansas City, which lost receiver Xavier Worthy (right shoulder) on the third offensive play. The Chiefs finally scored a touchdown on Mahomes' 11-yard run with 8:05 left in the third quarter to pull within 13-12. But Harrison Butker was wide right on the extra point. "We can learn from this," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "Moving forward, I have to make sure I get my team in a better state coming out and playing with more emotion. ... There were some good things, but we have to make sure we take care of business, and that's my responsibility." The Chargers pushed their lead to eight when Herbert hit Allen on an 11-yard scoring pass with 32 seconds left in the third period. Kansas City answered early in the fourth quarter when Mahomes hit a wide-open Kelce at the 25-yard line and the latter completed the 37-yard scoring pass to bring the Chiefs within 20-18. The ensuing two-point conversion failed when Teair Tart swatted away Mahomes' throw with his left hand. The Chargers then moved 74 yards on 11 plays with Herbert tossing a 23-yard touchdown pass to Johnston to make it a 27-18 lead with 5:02 left. Butker's 27-yard field goal pulled the Chiefs within six with 2:34 to play. The Chargers scored the game's first 10 points. Herbert threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Johnston to cap the team's first drive and Cameron Dicker kicked a 39-yard field goal with 13:47 left in the first half. Kansas City got on the board on Butker's 35-yard field goal with 4:50 left. The 16-play drive included two fourth-down conversions. "I think in general they came out with more energy than we did," Mahomes said. "We didn't execute. I missed some throws down the field and obviously we didn't play good enough in the first half." Dicker booted a 36-yard field goal to give the Chargers a 13-3 lead with 45 seconds left in the half. However, rookie Omarion Hampton ran out of bounds on the previous play instead of sliding down inbounds, and that cost his team three points when the Chiefs took advantage of the remaining time. Kansas City was able to put together a five-play drive, and the field-goal unit scrambled on in the final seconds. Butker kicked a 59-yard field goal to end the half and cut Los Angeles' lead to 13-6. --Field Level Media

byMario Satorik

in

September 06, 2025

Justin Herbert tosses 3 TDs as Chargers edge Chiefs in Sao Paulo

Justin Herbert tosses 3 TDs as Chargers edge Chiefs in Sao Paulo Justin Herbert passed for 318 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Los An...

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These six NFL teams could be prone to very disappointing seasons in 2025

These six NFL teams could be prone to very disappointing seasons in 2025

ASHBURN, VA − The2025 NFL regular seasonis underway, two of its 272 games already in the books – both involving teams, thePhiladelphia EaglesandKansas City Chiefs,which met in Super Bowl 59. But while there's little doubt those outfits will again be bona fide contenders leading up to Super Bowl 60, other clubs presumed to be relevant might be displaying early cracks and perhaps be especially vulnerable to a wider variance of seasonal outcomes (aside from the unpredictable catastrophic injuries that can change any organization's trajectory). Some squads are already nicked up, while others are hoping that the business of football hasn't infringed too far into the field of play. One that needed most of the summer to resolve a pressing financial matter was theWashington Commanders,an NFC title game entry in Januarybut one that couldn't meet teamcaptain Terry McLaurin's contractual demandsuntil late August. Now, McLaurin and the team are hoping he won't become one of the holdouts – or holdins nowadays – who might be more prone to soft tissue injuries in September after missing the bulk of or all of training camp. "(T)here's a difference between being in shape, football shape, and then game shape, you know what I mean?" McLaurin asked rhetoricallyafter signing a three-year extension last week that could pay him up to $97 million. "(Y)ou go into game one, you're like, 'Whew, I'm winded,' you know what I mean? And so that's just the process of football. But I've done everything that the training staff and the coaching staff have asked me to do since I've been here. I'm going to continue to do that, and there's a great plan in place for me to continue to ramp up so  … there aren't any setbacks." The Commanders and other teams rolling the dice in some capacity can only hope the same. But with regular-season openers just days away for most franchises, these six seem to run a substantial risk of experiencing what could be surprisingly poor campaigns. While McLaurin awaited his deal, he was rehabbing a nagging ankle injury for most of the summer. Starting WR Noah Brown is on the way back from a lingering knee injury at a time when the offense is also adapting to a reimagined backfield that might wind up heavily relying on rookie Jacory Croskey-Merrittfollowing the trade of Brian Robinson Jr.to the San Francisco 49ers. And as good as second-year QB Jayden Daniels is and will be, a team with such heightened expectations could also be due for a natural regression given eight of its 12 wins in 2024 came by six or fewer points – one of those in overtime andanother on a Hail Mary. 2025 NFL RECORD PROJECTIONS:Who wins Super Bowl 60? (Hint: not the Eagles) Both have capable rosters loaded with veteran talent that would seemingly fuel hopes of playoff contention in the ATL and Twin Cities. But each team's hopes are also inextricably linked to a second-year quarterback taken in Round 1 of the 2024 draft who's nevertheless far less experienced than his peers. The Falcons' Michael Penix Jr. got three starts as a rookie, while the Vikings' J.J. McCarthy had none after suffering a season-ending knee injury a year ago. Interestingly, neither has extensive preseason reps under his belt, either. McCarthy, who will make his regular-season debut Monday night in Chicago, has the benefit of playing for abudding offensive mastermind in Kevin O'Connellbut must also navigate what might be the league's toughest division. Penix is surrounded by weaponry in what seems like a winnable division. Yet Atlanta has already lost RT Kaleb McGary, who protects the blind side of southpaw Penix, to a knee injury that will keep him out until 2026. Veteran QB2 Kirk Cousins is also lurking in the background. But at least one of those teams is virtually guaranteed a decent start … given they'll meet in Week 2. NFL POWER RANKINGS:Who's riding high heading into Week 1? Opening at Atlanta on Sunday, they'll also get an early look at the Falcons, who swept the Bucs in 2024 – albeit with Cousins in the saddle. But the perennial NFC South champions will have to navigate the early stages of the season without, arguably, their best player (LT Tristan Wirfs) and will also have to rely heavily on rookie WR Emeka Egbuka with injured Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan still several weeks away from suiting up on Sundays. After facing the Falcons, the Bucs will play four teams over a six-week stretch that won at least 10 games in 2024 – meaning they could be in serious jeopardy of falling into a deep hole by the time November arrives. Calendar year 2025 began with owner Stephen Ross saying he expected more from coach Mike McDaniel and GM Chris Grier coming off an 8-9 campaign. Since then, the team has lost LT Terron Armstead, S Jevon Holland, CB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith, among others. QB Tua Tagovailoa revealed this summer that there are still trust issues between volatile WR Tyreek Hill and the locker room. Then the team was embarrassed during joint practices at Chicago and Detroit. Finally, Jacksonville's reserves largely had their way with Miami's starters in the preseason finale. Woof. With six of their first eight opponents non-playoff qualifiers in 2024, maybe the Fins can work out (or mask) their issues. But a team trying to debunk a narrative that it's soft better not waste much time,especially if it wants to save McDaniel's job. The team that most recently won the NFC West and came closest to knocking the Eagles out of the 2024 postseason could easily go 12-5, as it did when it won Super Bowl 56 nearly four years ago. It could also go 5-12, as it did the season after the Super Bowl 56 triumph. As was true in 2022, everything seemingly hinges on the health of QB Matthew Stafford, now 37 and emerging from a training camp when he barely practiced due to a balky back. Since coming to LA in 2021, Stafford has a 34-23 regular-season record. The Rams are 3-8 without him. "I love the Rams' chances with a healthy Matthew Stafford. But," said former New York Giants vice president of player personnel Marc Ross, "this is scary. "Backs and necks (are) always super tricky and very difficult to deal with – even with younger players," added Ross, now an NFL Network analyst. "(O)lder players, they don't get healthier … Is it pain? Is it functionality? And that's probably something they don't even 100 percent know because of the difficulty in evaluating a back. … Even once he gets on the field, how much of (him) will be the Pro Bowl-level Matthew Stafford, Super Bowl champion Matthew Stafford that we'll see?" It could bethebiggest in the league question entering the 2025 season. All NFL news on and off the field.Sign upfor USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Overrated NFL teams? These six could quickly go off the rails in 2025

byMario Satorik

in

September 06, 2025

These six NFL teams could be prone to very disappointing seasons in 2025

These six NFL teams could be prone to very disappointing seasons in 2025 ASHBURN, VA − The2025 NFL regular seasonis underway, two of its 272...

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Reform UK is on the rise. Leader Nigel Farage hopes the Trump playbook can propel him to power

Reform UK is on the rise. Leader Nigel Farage hopes the Trump playbook can propel him to power

LONDON (AP) — The political pitch sounded familiar: The country is in crisis. The government must slashimmigration, crack down on crime, ditch green energy targets and reopen factories to "make Britain great again." The words ofNigel Farageto his Reform UK party's two-day annual convention echoed themes that propelledU.S. President Donald Trumpback to the White House. Farage, the veteran hard-right politician, hopes a similar strategy can make him prime minister – a once-unthinkable idea that allies and opponents alike are taking seriously. "If an election were held now, Reform would be the largest party by far, albeit probably short of an overall majority," John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, wrote on the BBC website. "The question hanging over the party is - can they sustain this?" Farage aims to go from outsider to power Farage played a major role in taking the U.K.out of the European Unionin 2020, but has never held political power. He has led a succession of small, fractious parties and only became a lawmaker in 2024 after seven failed attempts to get elected to Parliament. Reform U.K. has only four lawmakers out of 650 in the House of Commons and got about 14% of the vote inlast year's national election. But for months it has led opinion polls, ahead of the center-left governing Labour Party and the main opposition Conservatives, which Reform aims to replace as Britain's major party on the political right. "Our country is in a very bad place," Farage told delegates at the convention, which ends Saturday in Birmingham, central England. "We are the last chance the country has got to get this country back on track." Founded in 2018 as the Brexit Party, Reform now claims to have 240,000 members. In May, itwon controlof a dozen local authorities in England with Trump-like promises like "a DOGE for every county," inspired byElon Musk's controversialspending-slashing agency. Farage made the most of Parliament's summer recess, when many politicians go on vacation, by holding regular news conferences to announce headline-grabbing policies like aplan to deporteveryone who arrives in Britain without authorization. He has capitalized on — critics say stoked — concerns about migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, which he has called an invasion. He welcomed protests outside hotels housing asylum-seekers over the summer, some of which turned violent. Opponents say Farage has demonized migrants and fueled misinformation. Last year, he inaccurately suggested police were withholding information about astabbing rampage at a dance classthat left three children dead. False claims that the attacker was an asylum-seeker sparked days of rioting across England. Reform faces the competence test Reform's success in May's local elections has brought responsibilities that will test the party's competence and popularity. Some of the positions he shares withDonald Trump, such as opposition to net-zero climate goals, are unpopular in Britain. Past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin could also be a disadvantage in a country where most people back Ukraine in its war against Moscow's invasion. Farage's depiction of Britain as a crime-ridden dystopia "in societal breakdown" has also met with skepticism. In Washington on Wednesday, Farage testified to the House Judiciary Committee about what he called the "awful authoritarian situation" and lack of free speech in the U.K., citing the arrest of TV comedy writer Graham Linehan for tweets attacking transgender people and the jailing of Lucy Connolly, a woman who was sentenced to 31 months in prison for a social media post urging people to burn down hotels full of asylum-seekers. "At what point did we become North Korea?" Farage asked rhetorically. Farage was welcomed by Republicans on the committee, but was excoriated by Democratic Rep.Jamie Raskinas a "Putin-loving free speech impostor and Trump sycophant." In London,Prime Minister Keir Starmernoted Farage's absence from the House of Commons, saying that he had "flown to America to badmouth and talk down our country." Other parties scramble to respond Both the Conservatives and Labour are struggling to respond to Reform's rise. Starmer has been criticized for not confronting the far-right party more strongly, instead seeming to agree with some of its talking points about immigration. In a May speech, Starmer said Britain risked becoming an "island of strangers," a phrase that some felt echoed Conservative politician Enoch Powell's notorious 1968 speech predicting "rivers of blood" as a result of mass immigration. Starmer later said he regretted using the phrase. Political scientist Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte, who studied reaction to the speech, said Labour is "legitimizing the immigration debate" in a way that plays into Reform's hands and alienates its own supporters. "Anti-immigration voters are not convinced by the turn, whereas pro-immigration voters are, and they're the ones who become really upset about it," said Turnbull-Dugarte, an associate professor at the University of Southampton. The media also comes in for criticism for amplifying Farage. The Green Party, which has the same number of lawmakers, receives a fraction of the attention. Reform is far ahead in opinion polls, however. The government does not have to call an election until 2029, and a lot can happen in four years. Farage said Friday that amid instability in Starmer's government, "there is every chance now of a general election happening in 2027, and we must be ready for that moment."

byMario Satorik

in

September 06, 2025

Reform UK is on the rise. Leader Nigel Farage hopes the Trump playbook can propel him to power

Reform UK is on the rise. Leader Nigel Farage hopes the Trump playbook can propel him to power LONDON (AP) — The political pitch sounded fam...

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