Category: Sports

England Women will be seeking to wrap up another series victory over Pakistan live on Sky Sports on Wednesday.

Heather Knight’s side hold a 1-0 lead going into the third ODI, which is live on Sky Sports Cricket from 12.30pm, with a first ball scheduled for 1pm.

Elsewhere there is horse racing from Newton Abbot from 2pm on Sky Sports Racing.

Sky Sports is your home of Premier League, EFL, Scottish Premiership and WSL football, every F1 race, all nine golf majors, every England home cricket match, tennis, darts, Super League, netball and much more.

You can upgrade to Sky Sports here, and non-Sky subscribers can watch all the action with a NOW pass.

Here’s what’s coming up live on Sky Sports over the next few days:

Wednesday May 29

10.30am – International Raceday Live – live on Sky Sports Racing

12.30pm – Third Women’s ODI: England vs Pakistan – live on Sky Sports Cricket

2.00pm – Raceday Live – live on Sky Sports Racing

Thursday May 30

10.30am – International Raceday Live – live on Sky Sports Racing

12pm – DP World Tour: European Open – live on Sky Sports Golf

2.30pm – Raceday Live – live on Sky Sports Racing

5pm – PGA Tour: RBC Canadian Open – live on Sky Sports Golf

5pm – US Women’s Open First Round – live on Sky Sports Mix

6pm – Fourth Men’s T20: England vs Pakistan – live on Sky Sports Cricket

Friday May 31

8am – Super Rugby: Crusaders vs Moana Pasifika – live on Sky Sports Action

10.30am – Super Rugby: Waratahs vs Reds – live on Sky Sports Action

10.30am – International Raceday Live – live on Sky Sports Racing

12pm – DP World Tour: European Open – live on Sky Sports Golf

1pm – Raceday Live – live on Sky Sports Racing

5pm – PGA Tour: RBC Canadian Open – live on Sky Sports Golf

5pm – US Women’s Open Second Round – live on Sky Sports Mix

6pm – T20 Blast: Somerset vs Essex – live on Sky Sports Cricket

7.30pm – Super League: St Helens vs Catalans Dragons – live on Sky Sports Action, kick-off 8pm

7.40pm – Super League: Huddersfield Giants vs Hull FC – live on Sky Sports Arena, kick-off 7.45pm

8pm – IndyCar: Detroit Grand Prix Practice One – live on Sky Sports F1

Saturday June 1

3am – Super Rugby: Fijian Drua vs Melbourne Rebels – live on Sky Sports Action

5.30am – Super Rugby: Hurricanes vs Highlanders – live on Sky Sports Action

8am – Super Rugby: Blues vs Chiefs – live on Sky Sports Action

8.30am – NRL: Penrith Panthers vs St George-Illawarra Dragons – live on Sky Sports Arena

10.30am – Super Rugby: Western Force vs Brumbies – live on Sky Sports Action

10.30am – NRL: Dolphins vs Canberra Raiders – live on Sky Sports Arena

10.30am – International Raceday Live – live on Sky Sports Racing

12pm – DP World Tour: European Open – live on Sky Sports Golf

12pm – Raceday Live – live on Sky Sports Racing

2.10pm – IndyCar: Detroit Grand Prix Practice Two – live on Sky Sports F1

2.25pm – T20 Blast: Derbyshire Falcons vs Leicestershire Foxes – live on Sky Sports Cricket

2.30pm – Super League: Warrington Wolves vs Wigan Warriors – live on Sky Sports Action, kick-off 3pm

4.30pm – PGA Tour: RBC Canadian Open – live on Sky Sports Golf

5.15pm – IndyCar: Detroit Grand Prix Qualifying – live on Sky Sports F1

5.25pm – Super League: Hull KR vs Leigh Leopards – live on Sky Sports Arena, kick-off 5.30pm

5.25pm – Super League: Leeds Rhinos vs Castleford Tigers – live on Sky Sports Action, kick-off 5.30pm

6pm – US Women’s Open Third Round – live on Sky Sports Mix

6.25pm – T20 Blast: Birmingham Bears vs Nottinghamshire Outlaws – live on Sky Sports Cricket

Sunday June 2

1am – Men’s T20 World Cup: USA vs Canada – live on Sky Sports Cricket

7am – NRL: Sydney Roosters vs North Queensland – live on Sky Sports Action

8.45am – International Raceday Live – live on Sky Sports Racing

11.30am – DP World Tour: European Open – live on Sky Sports Golf

2.55pm – Super League: Salford Red Devils vs London Broncos – live on Sky Sports Arena

3pm – Men’s T20 World Cup: West Indies vs Papua New Guinea – live on Sky Sports Cricket

4.30pm – PGA Tour: RBC Canadian Open – live on Sky Sports Golf

6pm – Netball Super League: Manchester Thunder vs London Pulse – live stream on Sky Sports App

7pm – US Women’s Open Final Round – live on Sky Sports Mix

Monday June 3

1am – Men’s T20 World Cup: Namibia vs Oman – live on Sky Sports Cricket

10.30am – International Raceday Live – live on Sky Sports Racing

2pm – Raceday Live – live on Sky Sports Racing

3pm – Men’s T20 World Cup: Sri Lanka vs South Africa – live on Sky Sports Cricket

5pm – World Pool Championship – live on Sky Sports Action

Watch Sky Sports News live

Sky Sports News brings you the latest sports news throughout the day on channel 409. Watch with a Sky Sports subscription or NOW pass.

Live football on Sky

Check out the full football fixture list, see the latest standings with our football tables and catch up with all the Premier League goals in 2023/24 with our free highlights.

And get news and analysis from Sky Sports’ series of football podcasts including The Gary Neville Podcast, the Sky Sports Football Podcast, the Essential Football Podcast, Three Players and a Podcast, Sunday Supplement and Transfer Talk

Live Formula 1 on Sky

Formula 1 has a record schedule of 24 races for the first time and all race weekends will be live on Sky Sports F1.

Check out the full F1 2024 calendar, results and TV schedule, see the latest world championship standings and watch the best F1 video from the season so far.

And also stay up to date with the latest Sky Sports F1 Podcast.

Live boxing on Sky

There are a host of major boxing events coming up live on Sky Sports, while the Ringside Toe2Toe podcast welcomes the biggest names in the fight game.

Live cricket on Sky

Sky Sports brings you all the action from England Men’s upcoming cricket games including the T20 World Cup, two Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka at home and Australia’s white-ball tour.

Every game of the Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA in June will be live on Sky Sports as England bid to defend their crown.

England Women’s internationals against Pakistan and New Zealand will also be live on Sky Sports before the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh takes place in September and October.

Cricket fans can also watch The IPL, The Hundred and much more this summer live on Sky and listen to the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.

Live golf on Sky

Sky Sports is the home of the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LPGA Tour while also showing all four men’s majors and all five women’s majors.

You can stay up to date with the latest scores and tee times from around the world of golf with our leaderboards.

Sky Sports will keep you up to date with all the latest golf news, review the week’s tournaments and look ahead to forthcoming events on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast.

Live rugby league on Sky

Sky Sports will show every game from the 2024 Betfred Super League season. Sky Sports will show all six matches in each Super League round live.

Sky Sports also shows live matches from the NRL each week, while The Bench with Jenna and Jon brings you interviews with the big names from Super League and beyond.

Live tennis on Sky

Sky Sports is the new home for tennis in the UK and Ireland, with Sky Sports Tennis on Sky and NOW, making tennis content available all day, every day for fans.

Sky Sports will broadcast more live tennis than anywhere else, bringing over 4,000 matches from more than 80 tournaments a year on the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as full coverage of the US Open, all exclusively live.

Check out the full scores and schedule of the day’s play, see the latest world rankings, and get news, analysis and interviews on the Sky Sports Tennis Podcast.

Live darts on Sky

Follow the 2024 betMGM Premier League live on Sky Sports as Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries headline each Thursday.

Check out the latest standings from the Premier League Darts season, watch the best video from each week and keep up to date with the biggest news with the Love the Darts podcast.

Live netball on Sky

One Netball Super League game will be streamed each week in the Sky Sports App and Sky Sports website.

Keep up to date with the latest standings in the 2024 Netball Super League as well as the netball fixtures and results.

What are the 12 Sky Sports channels?

401 – Sky Sports Main Event

402 – Sky Sports Premier League

403 – Sky Sports Football

404 – Sky Sports Cricket

405 – Sky Sports Golf

406 – Sky Sports F1

407 – Sky Sports Tennis

408 – Sky Sports Action

409 – Sky Sports News

412 – Sky Sports Arena

415 – Sky Sports Racing

416 – Sky Sports Mix

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LmpzcmRuLmNvbS9zL2NzLmpzP3A9MjI1NDYnIHR5cGU9J3RleHQvamF2YXNj
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Two women are suing kicker Brandon McManus and the Jacksonville Jaguars, alleging that McManus sexually assaulted them during the team’s overseas flight to London last year, according to court documents obtained by ESPN.

The two women — identified as Jane Doe I and Jane Doe II in the lawsuit filed Friday night in Duval County Circuit Civil Court — accuse McManus of rubbing himself against them and grinding against them. They also accuse the Jaguars of failing to supervise McManus and failing to create a safe environment for staff serving the team.

They are seeking in excess of $1 million and are demanding a jury trial.

“These are absolutely fictitious and demonstrably false allegations made as part of a campaign to defame and disparage a talented and well-respected NFL player,” McManus’ attorney, Brett R. Gallaway, said in a statement Monday night. “We intend to aggressively defend Brandon’s rights and integrity and clear his name by showing what these claims truly are — an extortion attempt.”

Attorney Tony Buzbee, whose firm is representing the two women, said in a statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday that an attempt to settle the case was made before the lawsuit was filed.

“Our efforts at resolution were met with arrogance, ignorance and stupidity, strikingly similar to how Deshaun Watson‘s team responded when we tried to resolve those cases pre-filing. The allegations made in this lawsuit are very serious. We made sure to fully vet them and speak to witnesses before even taking the cases. We will pursue this case with the same tenacity we are known for,” he wrote in the post.

The Jaguars also acknowledged the lawsuit in a statement Monday night.

“We’re aware of the complaint, and we acknowledge the significance of the claims,” the team said. “As we continue to look into the matter, it bears emphasizing that we insist on an organization built by people who represent our community and game with the highest character and class.”

The Jaguars did not re-sign McManus this offseason; he signed a one-year, $3.6 million contract with the Washington Commanders on March 14.

“Earlier today, we were made aware of the civil lawsuit filed on May 24 against Brandon McManus. We take allegations of this nature very seriously and are looking into the matter,” the Commanders said in a statement. “We have been in communication with the League Office and Brandon’s representation, and will reserve further comment at this time.”

According to the lawsuit, the two women worked as flight attendants on the Jaguars’ Sept. 28, 2023, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings charter flight. They allege the flight “quickly turned into a party” as McManus and several other players disregarded the flight attendants’ personal space, air travel safety and federal law. The lawsuit also claims that McManus recruited three other flight attendants to the party and passed out $100 bills to encourage them to drink and dance inappropriately for him.

Doe I accuses McManus of trying to kiss her while she was seated during a session of turbulence and twice grinding up against her while she was serving the flight’s two meal services, per the lawsuit. Doe I alleges during the first assault she made eye contact with another Jaguars player, who she said looked ashamed of McManus’ behavior.

Doe II alleges that McManus grinded up against her while she was serving the flight’s second meal service. Per the lawsuit, Doe II confronted McManus, who “smirked and walked away.” The lawsuit says Doe II remained in the aircraft’s second story to avoid McManus on the team’s flight from London to Jacksonville on Oct. 8.

The lawsuit says the September flight was the first Jaguars charter flight the two women worked, and they have experienced severe mental anguish, anxiety, psychological and emotional distress, embarrassment and humiliation. They have been removed from the core crew that staffs Jaguars charter flights, which is something they worked hard to achieve, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit alleges the Jaguars committed gross negligence by failing to properly hire McManus, train him about inappropriate and sexual contact with flight staff, supervise him on the flight, adopt policies and procedures to protect flight staff from sexual misconduct by employees, and enforcing a zero-tolerance policy regarding inappropriate behavior.

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Tuesday that he didn’t want to comment on the lawsuit until new information is gathered, but he did say that Monday was the first time he heard about the allegations against McManus. He also said he would not describe the atmosphere on the chartered flight to London as a party.

“A typical flight is not that way,” he said. “It’s a business trip, and that’s how we approach it from an organizational standpoint, from a league standpoint. So, when I read that, that part of it is disappointing.”

Pederson also said the seating arrangement on the flight is somewhat separated.

“I’m not going to get into a ton of those questions right now until I get more information, but we sit down — I’ll just maybe [make] a brief comment — we do sit down, and we want to make sure that the players are together and the coaches together, staff’s together and things of that nature and everybody’s comfortable and has space,” he said.

McManus signed with the Jaguars on May 5, 2023, after he was released by the Denver Broncos. The Jaguars gave him a one-year contract worth $2 million, and he made 30 of 37 field goal attempts and all 35 of his extra point attempts last season.

ESPN’s John Keim contributed to this report.

Ready or not, realignment is coming. The 2024 college football season will feature the largest power conference shuffle we’ve ever seen, with Oklahoma and Texas joining the SEC; Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington joining the Big Ten; Cal, SMU and Stanford joining the ACC; and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah joining the Big 12. We’ve also got Army entering the AAC in football and Kennesaw State jumping up to the FBS to join Conference USA.

That’s a lot. And between the destruction of the Pac-12 and the discontinuation of rivalries such as Bedlam (Oklahoma-Oklahoma State), we’re losing quite a bit of connective tissue with this round. Not great. But it’s time to see what kind of connections we can stitch together in response.

Below, then, are the 50 best games college football has seen between teams that will be new (and in some cases, old) conference mates in 2024. Between matchups like Texas-Texas A&M, Texas-Arkansas, the Holy War (BYU-Utah), Oklahoma-Missouri and Colorado vs. old Big 8 mates, we are rejoining some lost conference rivalries. And hey, USC has played just about everyone in the Big Ten in a Rose Bowl at some point. But this list is equal opportunity. It’s not all Texas vs. Arkansas; there’s room for some spicy Stanford-Clemson, Cal-Virginia Tech and Oklahoma-Kentucky action, too.

(Army-Navy will continue as a nonconference rivalry even though both teams are in the AAC, so we won’t count that one in this list. It deserves its own list anyway.)

Is this a weird list? The weirdest I’ve ever made! It’s got Gary Danielson and Craig Morton and FCS playoff games and “BEVO” in grass and Aloha and Sun and Insight Bowls and Richard Nixon and onside kick returns and multiple 2003 Colorado games and Ernie Koy and 15-yard penalties for kicking tees and Bear vs. Bud. But hey, if there’s anything that ties this sport’s history together, it’s oddity. And the occasionally amazing Rose Bowl. This list has plenty of both.

A 7-0 score in the biggest game of the year? A 6-3 bowl game between two teams that would then play another 6-3 game in 2003? We can’t say there’s anything Midwestern about Los Angeles, but with scores like 7-0, 6-3 and 6-3, maybe UCLA has actually been Big Ten all along?

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As with Dave Matthews Band and 64-ounce soft drinks, the rest of the world doesn’t quite share the same amount of passion for American football that we do. But you can’t say we haven’t given it the ol’ college try. We’ve sent Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes to Germany, and 34 years ago we sent David Klingler and the run-‘n’-shoot offense to Tokyo for the Coca-Cola Classic. Klingler completed 41 of 70 passes for 716 yards and seven touchdowns, including bombs of 51, 42 and, with 1:32 left in the game, 95 yards. ASU gained 666 yards and scored in every quarter but simply could not keep up.

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TCU was in only the second year of its long surge back toward the game’s elite, and Arizona was coming off of its first ever top-five finish, but they were dead even in a storm-delayed Week 2 game early in 1999. The Horned Frogs scored a pair of safeties and took a 25-7 lead early in the third quarter, but they couldn’t contain Arizona receiver Dennis Northcutt, who scored touchdowns of 38, 59 and 30 yards. The last came with 2:10 left, and TCU’s last-ditch comeback drive stalled out near midfield.

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A madcap game between two teams that would finish a combined 9-9-2. Future top-five pick and Super Bowl winner Craig Morton ran for one Cal touchdown and threw for two, including a 31-yard jump ball to Jack Schraub to tie the game late. Duke was preparing for a game-winning 30-yard field goal but forgot the kicking tee (a legal thing then). When a coach threw it in from the sideline, the Blue Devils were penalized 15 yards for “coaching from the sideline.” (Yeah, I didn’t know that was a thing either.) They then missed the ensuing 45-yarder. Delightful.

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Every list needs a little bit of Mike Leach. We expect any memorable Tech game from the 2000s to feature a million yards and a hundred points, but there’s a good reason Tech scored only 26 here: Quarterback B.J. Symons threw picks on the Red Raiders’ first four possessions! And they won anyway! CU predictably took an early 14-0 lead, but Wes Welker’s 58-yard punt return bought Symons some time, and a 13-yard Symons-to-Welker touchdown in the third quarter gave Tech a 19-14 lead. The teams traded TDs, and CU got a late chance to win, but Vincent Meeks picked off Joel Klatt at the Tech 7. Just like a Leach team, winning with defense and special teams.

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The only meeting between these two schools nearly featured a 27-point comeback. With 291 first-half yards in front of a mostly partisan crowd of 80,104, Clemson bolted to a 27-0 halftime lead, but Stanford charged back with three touchdowns from star running back Brad Muster and got a late chance to take the lead. Alas, the Cardinal turned the ball over on downs, and the Tigers survived.

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43. No. 13 Arizona 32, Texas Tech 28 (1975)

Arizona was unbeaten and into the top 15 for the second straight year when Tech came to town and… probably should have pulled the upset. Down 21-6 at halftime, the Wildcats battled to tie the game, only for Tech to drive 80 yards with its triple option and take a 28-21 lead right back. The Wildcats responded in kind, with Theopolis Bell catching a touchdown pass with under four minutes left, but they failed on a 2-point attempt. Game over? Nope. Tech punted and committed a pass interference penalty, and Arizona set Lee Pistor up for a game-winning 41-yarder with six seconds left. A desperate Tech kick return attempt went awry, and Arizona added two bonus points with a safety at the end.

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One of the cattier editions of the classic rivalry. Texas fans spelled out “BEVO” (the mascot) by pouring chemicals in the Kyle Field grass and rainy conditions turned the field into muddy slop. A Texas regent said the field was a “disgrace” and that “no university which makes any pretense of having a major athletic program would permit any such condition to exist.” Pearls: clutched.

Oh yeah, and Texas finished its first unbeaten regular season in 43 years by overcoming a 13-3 fourth-quarter deficit and scoring the winning touchdown with 1:19 left.

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A week after upsetting Notre Dame to move into the AP top five, SMU, always tantalizing and slightly disappointing, welcomed one of Bobby Dodd’s best Tech teams to Dallas. It was a very Dodd result. The Yellow Jackets scored the only points of the first half on a blocked-punt safety (set up by a great quick kick — the 1950s, everybody!), and although a Lon Slaughter touchdown got SMU within range of an upset late, Tech held on.

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40. Georgia Tech 18, No. 17 Stanford 17 (1991 Aloha Bowl)

Stanford got off to a much better start in this bowl, but the result was the same as it was against Clemson five years earlier. With 104 rushing yards from Tommy Vardell, Dennis Green’s Cardinal led 17-10 at halftime and almost made it hold up, but Willie Clay ripped off a 63-yard punt return with 1:41 left, setting up Shawn Jones‘ 1-yard score, and Jimy Lincoln’s 2-point conversion run, with 14 seconds left.

(Instead of this one, I almost chose another down-to-the-wire Stanford bowl game: The Cardinal’s 25-23 Sun Bowl win over North Carolina in 2016, which featured a failed UNC 2-pointer with 25 seconds left. Stanford has made its rare ACC encounters count, at least.)

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In front of what was, at the time, the largest Autzen Stadium crowd (59,023), Oregon captured one of its biggest-name home wins. Special teams made the difference: Michigan scored on a blocked field goal return, but Oregon scored on both a punt return and a blocked punt return, and after a late Steve Breaston touchdown got Michigan back to within four, the Wolverines’ last-minute desperation drive stalled at the Oregon 41.

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About three months after the win over Michigan came another Big Ten battle for Mike Bellotti and his Ducks. Oregon’s Samie Parker caught 16 passes for 200 yards and two scores, but the vaunted Minnesota ground game did its job (241 rushing yards, led by Laurence Maroney’s 131), and after two Jared Siegel field goals gave Oregon a 30-28 lead with 4:16 left, a fourth-and-2 conversion by Maroney set up a 42-yard Rhys Lloyd field goal with 23 seconds left. Oregon finished the year 1-1 vs. the Big Ten.

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Things have gotten a little trickier for Army recently as coach Jeff Monken has had to deal with cut-block rule changes, but for a while there, his Black Knights were always good for a couple of wild, back-and-forth contests per year, often against AAC-level competition.

In 2015 against Tulane, in a game that featured a 90-yard pass, a 48-yard fumble return and a blocked punt return score, Army charged back from 28-7 down to tie the game with 1:59 left. But the Green Wave drove 59 yards in nine plays and won with a 35-yard Andrew DiRocco field goal at the buzzer.

Two years later, Army rushed for 534 yards, North Texas threw for 386, and Army overcame four separate second-half deficits only for the Mean Green’s Trevor Moore to knock in a 39-yarder with five seconds left. May we get a few more of these with Army now in the AAC?

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Underdog Purdue jumped on visiting Washington in front of a crowd of 60,102, thanks primarily to the fleet feet of future college football commentator Gary Danielson. He completed only 1 of 9 passes but rushed for 213 yards as Purdue burst out to a 21-0 lead. But Washington’s Sonny Sixkiller overcame four picks to lead the Huskies back, and they took their first and only lead of the game with a 25-yard Steve Wiezbowski field goal with two minutes left.

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The newest member of the FBS was a new member of the FCS not too long ago, too. In just their third year of football existence, the Kennesaw State Owls — and their Turnover Plank, of course — beat future Conference USA mates Liberty and Jacksonville State on their way to the FCS quarterfinals, where a third future peer proved too much. Jeremiah Briscoe threw three touchdown passes, and the Bearkats led by as much as 17, but the deficit was only seven when KSU got one last chance. The Owls drove to the SHSU 11, but a fourth-and-5 option pitch was stuffed. SHSU advanced.

Plank has a new look today 👀 #FCSPlayoffs #GoKSUOwls @NCAA_FCS pic.twitter.com/wVG6tGDmon

— Kennesaw State Football (@kennesawstfb) November 25, 2017

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The game was fun enough. Ole Miss’ Deuce McAllister ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run, Oklahoma’s Josh Heupel set an Independence Bowl record with 390 passing yards, the Sooners charged back from a 21-3 halftime deficit to take a late 25-24 lead, and Les Binkley’s 39-yard field goal at the buzzer won it.

My favorite part, however, was driving through Oklahoma City the day after the game and listening to sports talk radio callers complaining about the Sooners’ loss, with one of them talking about how OU was “settlin’ for mediocrity” by not firing first-year coach Bob Stoops after a 7-5 season.

I wonder what that guy thought about the Sooners’ national title 12 months later.

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32. No. 9 Washington 21, No. 16 Maryland 20 (1982 Aloha Bowl)

There are a lot more important things you could do with a time machine if you had the chance, but imagine going back to Christmas Day 1982 in Honolulu and telling Maryland and Washington fans congregating at the inaugural Aloha Bowl that, 40 years later, their teams would be conference mates? Imagine explaining all the dominoes that fell for that to happen.

The only Terrapins-Huskies game to date was lovely, by the way. Maryland’s Boomer Esiason threw two touchdown passes, but Washington’s Tim Cowan threw three, the last one to Anthony Allen with six seconds left.

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31. No. 10 Utah Utes 13, No. 11 TCU Horned Frogs 10 (2008)

The Mountain West was basically a power conference in the late 2000s, and this game between top-15 teams had major BCS bowl implications. Both teams boasted brilliant defenses, and even with Andy Dalton (TCU) and Brian Johnson (Utah) at QB, the teams combined for only 23 points. TCU scored the first 10, but after kicking two field goals, Utah scored the last seven on a 9-yard pass from Johnson to Freddie Brown with 47 seconds left. Robert Johnson picked Dalton off at the Utah 15 with four seconds left, and Utah ended up in the Sugar Bowl.

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30. No. 6 LSU Tigers 45, No. 9 Texas Longhorns 38 (2019)

We had no idea what awaited either of these teams — that LSU would roll to 15-0 with quarterback Joe Burrow completing one of the greatest seasons of all time, or that Texas would stumble to 8-5 after a top-10 finish the year before. All we knew at the time was that this game was 60 minutes of nonstop fireworks.

29. No. 7 Michigan 38, No. 9 Washington 31 (1993 Rose Bowl)

A year after Washington wrapped up a national title campaign with a 34-14 Pasadena pummeling of Michigan, the Wolverines got their revenge and wrapped up a strange, unbeaten campaign (9-0-3) of their own. Sophomore Tyrone Wheatley capped a 1,300-yard season by rushing 15 times for 235 yards and scores of 56, 88 and 24 yards. The second Elvis Grbac-to-Tony McGee touchdown of the day gave Michigan a 38-31 lead with 5:29 left, and it held up.

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28. No. 9 Wisconsin Badgers 38, No. 6 UCLA Bruins 31 (1999 Rose Bowl)

27. No. 9 Wisconsin 21, No. 14 UCLA 16 (1994 Rose Bowl)

After a 31-year drought, Wisconsin finally earned a long-awaited Rose Bowl bid on Jan. 1, 1994, and despite the game taking place in UCLA’s home stadium, Badgers fans swarmed the Rose Bowl. They watched their team (A) do Wisconsin things and (B) get some breaks. They recovered all seven of the game’s fumbles — at one point in the second quarter, famed announcer Keith Jackson said, “Somebody needs to stick a fork in that [football]. It’s walking around.” — and they ground out 250 rushing yards, 158 from Brent Moss. A fourth-quarter score from quarterback Darrell Bevell provided the winning points in the school’s first Rose Bowl victory.

The Badgers earned their second five years later against the same opponent. UCLA was better and less mistake-prone, but Wisconsin had Ron Dayne, who rushed for 246 yards and a Rose Bowl record four touchdowns. Cade McNown and UCLA kept up for a while, but Jamar Fletcher’s 46-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter all but put the game away.

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26. No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats 13, No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners 7 (1951 Sugar Bowl)

Bear Bryant vs. Bud Wilkinson! It doesn’t get much bigger than that. Wilkinson’s Sooners had already wrapped up their first AP national title and rode a 31-game win streak into New Orleans, but Bryant’s best UK team ended the run. Future College Football Hall-of-Famer Babe Parilli threw his 22nd and 23rd touchdowns of the season as Kentucky took advantage of OU miscues and seized a 13-0 lead in front of a crowd of 83,000. The Sooners fought back, but fumbles and a pesky Wildcats front spoiled their trip.

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25. No. 3 USC Trojans 14, No. 2 Michigan Wolverines 6 (1977 Rose Bowl)

The 1970s played out pretty consistently for the Big Ten: Either Ohio State or Michigan won the conference, then lost to the Pac-10 champion (usually USC) in the Rose Bowl. In this one, USC star running back Ricky Bell got hurt early, but future star running back Charles White subbed in, rushed for 114 yards, and scored a 7-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to create the winning margin. Two years later, White rushed for 120 yards and scored again (though he probably fumbled before crossing the goal line) as USC beat the Wolverines 17-10.

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24. Colorado 45, No. 17 TCU 42 (2023)

With everything that happened with Deion Sanders’ Colorado after this game — a 3-0 start, celebrities on the sideline, a complete collapse to 4-8 — it’s almost easy to forget just how wild last year’s season opener in Fort Worth really was.

Shedeur Sanders threw for 510 yards, four different CU receivers gained at least 117 yards (and one of them, Travis Hunter, also had an acrobatic interception), TCU’s Emani Bailey gained 164 yards on the ground, and TCU nearly took control with a 21-7 second-half run. But Sanders’ third TD pass (to Jimmy Horn Jr.) gave the Buffs the lead with 7:36 left, and when TCU scored just 36 seconds later, CU went right back down and scored on Sanders’ fourth TD pass (to Dylan Edwards). One late stop, and CU was 1-0.

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23. Texas A&M 30, No. 1 Oklahoma 26 (2002)

In 2000, Texas A&M gave Oklahoma one of its only challenges as the Sooners rolled to the national title: The Aggies led 31-21 with eight minutes left before a Quentin Griffin touchdown and a Torrance Marshall pick-six saved OU’s unbeaten season.

Two years later, the Aggies got their revenge. OU was unbeaten and No. 1 once again, and the Sooners jumped to a 10-0 first-quarter lead. But Reggie McNeal, subbing in for a struggling Dustin Long, played the game of his life. He rushed for 89 yards, and while he completed just eight passes, that included touchdowns of 61, 40, 17 and 40 yards. With the Aggies nursing a late lead, they first forced a turnover on downs, then picked off Nate Hybl to seal the upset.

(Bob Stoops was pretty good at revenge, too. The Sooners would beat A&M 77-0 the next year in Norman.)

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22. No. 4 SMU Mustangs 7, No. 6 Pittsburgh Panthers 3 (1983 Cotton Bowl)

Maybe the two most physical teams in the country finished the 1982 season with an absolute slobberknocker. Pitt limited the Pony Express backfield of Eric Dickerson and Craig James to 181 yards on 41 carries, and SMU limited Pitt’s Dan Marino to 19-of-37 passing and an interception. But with the Panthers leading 3-0 in the fourth quarter in rain and sleet, two huge Lance McIlhenny-to-Bobby Leach completions, one for 20 yards and one for 42, set up McIlhenny’s game-winning option keeper. Blaine Smith picked off Marino in the end zone, and the single touchdown made the difference.

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21. No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners 26, No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers 24 (1968 Orange Bowl)

Unbeaten Tennessee didn’t get a shot at top-ranked USC because the Trojans were playing Indiana in the Rose Bowl. (Indiana in the Rose Bowl! The 1967 season was an odd one.) Instead, knowing that USC had already won earlier on Jan. 1, the Vols had to face an inspired Oklahoma team in Miami. Winners of seven in a row, the Sooners charged to a 19-0 halftime lead. Tennessee finally responded. A 24-7 run brought the Vols back, and when Jack Reynolds stuffed OU quarterback Steve Owens on a fourth down, UT had one last chance to win. But with seven seconds left, Karl Kremser’s 43-yard field goal attempt sailed well wide. Game: Sooners.

By the way, can we mandate that for any game these teams play moving forward, OU has to wear its crimson jerseys and Tennessee has to wear its orange ones? Because these are some pretty highlights.

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20. No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks 14, No. 1 Texas Longhorns 13 (1964)

Texas was the defending national champion and riding a 15-game winning streak when Arkansas visited Austin and stifled the UT offense. Future Arkansas head coach Kenny Hatfield gave the Hogs a 7-0 lead with an 81-yard punt return, and the Hogs led 14-7 when Texas’ Ernie Koy scored with 1:27 left. Not wanting to settle for a tie, Texas’ Darrell Royal went for the win, but the 2-point pass fell incomplete. Arkansas would go unbeaten and claim a share of the title instead of the Horns. And a year later, the Hogs would win another thriller, 27-24 in Fayetteville, to extend their own win streak to 17.

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19. No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners 28, No. 18 Missouri Tigers 27 (1975)

Missouri was the upset king of the 1970s, taking down Nebraska (four times), Notre Dame (twice), Ohio State, Alabama and USC … but never Oklahoma. The Tigers came close four times in five years but couldn’t get the job done.

The 1975 game might have hurt the worst. Trailing 20-7 in the fourth quarter, Mizzou ripped off 20 straight points to send the home crowd into delirium. But All-American running back Joe Washington exploded for a 71-yard touchdown on fourth-and-1, then dove into the end zone for a 2-point conversion. Mizzou got two opportunities to win at the end, but Tim Gibbons, who missed at PAT earlier in the quarter, badly missed field goals of 40 and 54 yards.

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18. No. 17 UCLA Bruins 50, Northwestern Wildcats 38 (2005 Sun Bowl)

You’ll rarely see a stranger bowl. (It’s funny how many times we say that about a Sun Bowl.) Northwestern parlayed a pair of pick-sixes into a 22-0 lead just 11 minutes in, but a 36-0 UCLA run gave the Bruins a comfortable lead. Northwestern cut the deficit to 36-31 with 2:29 left, but Brandon Breazell returned an onside kick attempt 42 yards for a score. Northwestern scored again with 24 seconds left … and Breazell returned another onside kick for a score! Even by Sun Bowl standards, this was wild.

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17. Texas 27, Texas A&M 25 (2011)

It was the end of a disappointing regular season for two six-win teams, but with Texas A&M leaving for the SEC the next year, this one was for all-time bragging rights. (Or, as it turned out, bragging rights until late 2024.)

A&M raced to an early 13-0 lead, but touchdowns via a trick play and a pick-six got Texas going, and they stormed to a 24-16 lead heading into the fourth quarter. After Randy Bullock’s third field goal made it 24-19, A&M’s Ryan Tannehill found Jeff Fuller for a 16-yard score to give the Aggies the lead. But they missed the 2-point conversion, and that loomed large because Texas had Justin Tucker. A key personal foul penalty got the Horns to near midfield, and a 25-yard scamper by Case McCoy put them in Tucker range. He nailed a 40-yard field goal at the buzzer.

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15. Kansas Jayhawks 52, Colorado Buffaloes 45 (2010)

You just never know when college football is going to create something magical. These two conference games remind us that you always have to pay attention just in case. In 2004, Colorado and K-State had combined to go just 9-9 when they met, but they put together the nuttiest fourth quarter you’ll see. KSU scored three touchdowns in the final 9:12 and tied the game twice, but Ron Monteilh somehow got wide open against a K-State prevent defense and scored on a 64-yard pass from Joel Klatt with five seconds left. It was such a shocking win that CU fans rushed the field … after beating a 4-5 team.

Six years later, it was CU’s turn to suffer a shocking defeat. The Buffs had lost seven conference games in a row, and Kansas had lost 11 when the two met in Lawrence in November 2010. KU suffered an absolute no-show for three quarters: Colorado led 45-17 early in the fourth quarter. But then James Sims scored, and 90 seconds later Johnathan Wilson did the same. Tyler Patmon returned a fumble for a touchdown, and suddenly it was 45-38. Sims scored again with 4:30 left, and we were somehow tied. And with 52 seconds left, Sims scored again, from 28 yards out, to give the Jayhawks a wildly unexpected win. They wouldn’t win another Big 12 game for three more years, but at least they made this one count.

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14. No. 7 Purdue 14, USC 13 (1967 Rose Bowl)

The Big Ten’s “no repeats” rule, banning teams from back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances, created awkwardness in the 1960s. In 1966, a brilliant Michigan State team romped through the Big Ten, but the conference sent a two-loss Purdue team to Pasadena. In turn, the Boilermakers would win the conference the next year with a better team, but Indiana would go instead.

While Indiana couldn’t make the most of its first Rose Bowl bid, however, Purdue most certainly did. USC stifled Bob Griese and the Boilers’ passing game, but two short Perry Williams touchdowns gave Purdue a late 14-7 lead; a 19-yard play-action pass from Troy Winslow to Rod Sherman brought USC within a point with 2:28 left, but George Catavolos picked off a 2-point pass, and a last-gasp USC drive came up well short. Purdue scored its first and, to date, only Rose Bowl win.

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13. Utah Utes 41, BYU Cougars 34 (2005)

12. No. 21 BYU 33, Utah 31 (2006)

The Holy War rivalry doesn’t really have ebbs and flows — only long waves. From 1896 to 1971, Utah went 41-8-4 against BYU, basically clinching a forever lead in the series. But from 1972 to ’92, LaVell Edwards’ BYU turned the tables and won 19 of 21. More recently, Utah has won nine of 10 since 2010.

The only time this series was really up for grabs on a year-to-year basis was from 1993 to 2009, but damn near every game in that span was a classic, from back-to-back 34-31 wins for Utah in 1993 and 1994 to back-to-back comebacks for BYU in 2000 and 2001.

The peak probably came in the perfect back-and-forth of 2005 and 2006. In Provo in 2005, Utah bolted to a 24-3 halftime lead, but two Curtis Brown touchdown runs and two John Beck touchdown passes brought BYU back. The Cougars tied the game with 4:50 left in regulation, but on the second play of overtime, Utah’s Travis LaTendresse torched double coverage and caught a 25-yard touchdown pass. BYU went four-and-out, and the road team won. Just as it would the next year.

BYU got off to an infinitely better start in 2006, but a 14-0 first-quarter lead turned into a 24-14 fourth-quarter deficit before Beck got rolling again. His third touchdown pass of the game made it 27-24 Cougars with 3:23 left before Utah responded with a two-minute touchdown drive of its own. It was 31-27, but there was just enough time for one more plot twist. On the final snap of the game, Beck drifted left waiting for someone to get open, then had to scramble back to his right under pressure. After a full 10 seconds with the ball, Beck threw back across his body to a wide-open Jonny Harline in the left corner of the end zone. Ballgame.

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11. No. 5 Texas Longhorns 21, No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide 17 (1965 Orange Bowl)

The 1963 national champion beat the 1961 and 1964 champ with big plays. Ernie Koy’s 79-yard run and George Sauer’s 69-yard catch-and-run staked Texas to an early lead, and while game MVP Joe Namath’s two TD passes got Bama back in it, the game started and ended the same way: with a Texas goal-line stand.

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10. No. 19 Oklahoma 31, No. 23 Tennessee 24 (2015)

Act 1: Tennessee scores 17 points in the first 18 minutes to take a commanding lead in front of a delirious home crowd in Knoxville.

Act II: After struggling for most of the game, first-year OU starter Baker Mayfield throws two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to force overtime at 17-17.

Act III: Mayfield runs for one score and throws to Sterling Shepard for another, then Zack Sanchez picks off Tennessee’s Josh Dobbs to clinch a stunning win. “One of the more special wins, maybe my favorite of all of them,” according to Bob Stoops.

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9. Cal Golden Bears 52, Virginia Tech Hokies 49 (2003 Insight Bowl)

There are few things better than a turn-your-brain-off popcorn flick in bowl season, and Virginia Tech and Cal gave us one of the best ones on record. Can I interest you in 1,081 total yards? How about a 394-yard performance from Cal’s Aaron Rodgers? Or Tech’s Bryan Randall outdoing him with 398 yards and four scores? Or Tech’s DeAngelo Hall tying the game with a 52-yard punt return with 3:11 left? Both teams led by 14 at one point, but Cal had the ball last, and Tyler Fredrickson’s 35-yard field goal at the buzzer made the difference.

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8. No. 6 Oregon 45, No. 9 Wisconsin 38 (2012 Rose Bowl)

Oregon’s first Rose Bowl win came in 1917 over Penn. The Ducks had to wait 95 years for another one, and they made it memorable. De’Anthony Thomas exploded for touchdowns of 91 and 64 yards, and the Ducks gained 621 total yards, but they couldn’t shake Wisconsin. Russell Wilson threw for 296 yards, Montee Ball rushed for 164, and the teams went score for score. Neither team led by more than seven points all game, but down seven late, Wisconsin blinked. Receiver Jared Abbrederis lost a fumble with 4:06 left, and after a long pass to Nick Toon with two seconds left, the Badgers couldn’t quite get another snap off.

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7. No. 3 USC Trojans 17, No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes 16 (1980 Rose Bowl)

Ohio State began the 1979 season unranked after the famous firing of Woody Hayes. But Earle Bruce’s Buckeyes climbed the polls all season and, at 11-0, needed only a win in Pasadena to secure their first national title in 11 years.

They just couldn’t figure out how to stop Charles White. In front of a crowd of 105,526, White rushed 39 times for a Rose Bowl record 247 yards, and his 1-yard score with 1:32 left gave the Trojans the win — and gave Alabama the national title — in an incredible big-play affair.

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6. No. 9 USC Trojans 52, No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions 49 (2017 Rose Bowl)

There were no national title implications at play here — both USC and Penn State had suffered multiple early losses before picking up steam and winning their respective conferences. But that didn’t stop the teams from putting on one of the best popcorn flicks of the 2010s.

USC went on a 20-7 run in the game’s first 20 minutes, but Penn State scored four touchdowns in six minutes — including a 79-yard Saquon Barkley run and a 72-yard Chris Godwin catch-and-run — to take a 42-27 lead out of nowhere. Barkley’s third touchdown made it 49-35, but the fourth quarter belonged to USC. The Trojans tied the game at 49-49 with 1:20 left, and after PSU’s Trace McSorley got a little too aggressive and threw a deep interception, USC’s Matt Boermeester hit a 46-yard field goal as time expired.

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5. No. 1 USC 42, No. 2 Wisconsin 37 (1963 Rose Bowl)

Oh look, another USC Rose Bowl win! I guess that’s kind of a theme here. After the 0-0 tie between Army and Notre Dame in 1946, college football had to wait an almost inexplicable 16 years for another No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle. It came in the Rose Bowl, as John McKay’s first great USC team met Milt Bruhn’s last good Wisconsin squad.

It nearly featured the greatest rally of all time. Pete Beathard’s fourth touchdown pass of the game gave USC a dominant 42-14 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Wisconsin scored 23 points in 10 minutes. A 19-yard pass from Ron Vander Kelen (who was 33-of-48 for 401 yards in a 1963 football game) to Pat Richter made it 42-37. USC recovered the ensuing onside kick, and even though Wisconsin came achingly close to blocking a punt on the final play of the game, the Trojans survived.

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4. Texas 26, No. 6 Texas A&M 24 (1998)

The game basically began with one of the most famous runs in college football history, Ricky Williams’ 60-yarder that set the all-time career rushing record.

Somehow, the game got even better from there. Texas took a 23-7 lead on a Kwame Cavil touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but the Aggies — who would upset Kansas State to win their first Big 12 title a week later — scored 17 points in six minutes. Randy McCown’s 1-yard plunge made it 24-23 A&M with 2:20 left, but that gave QB Major Applewhite too much time. After a series of short completions, he again found Cavil for 25 yards, and with five seconds left, Kris Stockton knocked in a 24-yard field goal and ended any national title hopes the Aggies had.

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3. No. 5 UCLA Bruins 14, No. 1 Michigan State Spartans 12 (1966 Rose Bowl)

One of those perfect games, with perfect weather and huge stakes, that the Rose Bowl has provided so many times through the years. UCLA had lost only once since a season-opening 13-3 defeat at Michigan State, and the Bruins came prepared for revenge against the top-ranked Spartans. After a short Gary Beban touchdown, UCLA got the ball back with a surprise onside kick, and Beban scored again.

Those 14 were just enough. MSU’s big running back, Bob Apisa, scored on a 30-yard run with 6:13 left, but a 2-point pass attempt — a very progressive strategy for the mid-1960s! — failed. Hall of Famer Bubba Smith partially blocked a UCLA punt, and with 31 seconds left, quarterback Steve Juday scored to make it 14-12. State had to go for two points and the tie, and thanks to No. 2 Arkansas and No. 3 Nebraska both losing their bowl games, a tie might still be enough to win the national title. Alas. Apisa took an option pitch, but Jim Colletto got him by the shoulders and tiny Bob Stiles briefly knocked himself unconscious, stopping Apisa short of the goal line. As with USC’s win over Ohio State in 1980, a Rose Bowl upset gave Alabama the national title.

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2. No. 1 Texas 15, No. 2 Arkansas 14 (1969)

For one of the first times in the sport’s history, television manipulated the schedule in 1969. Knowing that Texas and Arkansas would both be top teams that fall, ABC convinced the schools to move their huge head-to-head meeting to the end of the regular season. Sure enough, both teams went unbeaten, and they were the top two teams in the country when they met, with President Richard Nixon in attendance, in one of the true Games of the Century in Fayetteville.

Big college football games are special no matter what. But sometimes they manage to exceed expectations. Arkansas took a 14-0 early in the third quarter, but one of the best fourth quarters of all-time awaited. James Street raced 42 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Texas coach Darrell Royal, having decided before the game that he wanted to avoid a tie at all costs, elected to go for two. Street got in, and it was 14-8. Arkansas nearly put the game away with a lovely 73-yard drive, but quarterback Bill Montgomery got too aggressive and was picked off by Danny Lester in the end zone when a field goal would have done just fine. The Horns were still down six when Right 53 Veer Pass forever entered the college football lexicon. On fourth-and-3 from the Texas 43, Street went long to a well-covered Randy Peschel, who reeled in the 44-yard pass and set up Jim Bertelsen’s tying touchdown and Happy Feller’s game-winning PAT. Tom Campbell picked off Montgomery in the final minute, and Nixon declared Texas the national champion after the game. (Joe Paterno, head coach of fellow unbeaten Penn State, wasn’t too happy about that.)

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1. No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs 54, No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners 48 (2018 Rose Bowl)

Even in the College Football Playoff era, the Rose Bowl has been able to create magic. And even with last-second title winners in 2017 and 2018, this semifinal game might still be the best thing the CFP has produced.

I mean, come on.

OU threatened to run away with the game in the first half, with two Rodney Anderson touchdowns and a trick play touchdown pass to quarterback Baker Mayfield built a 31-14 lead. But long touchdown runs by Nick Chubb and Sony Michel brought Georgia back, and the Dawgs took their first lead early in the fourth quarter. OU rebounded, scoring on a Mayfield touchdown pass to Dimitri Flowers and a 46-yard fumble return by Steven Parker, but another Chubb score sent the game to overtime.

After the teams traded field goals in the first OT possession, Oklahoma’s Austin Seibert missed a 27-yard chip shot. Just one play later, Sony Michel raced down the left sideline and sent Georgia to the national title game.

This run of realignment might have been strange, but we get to reminisce about this game anytime OU and Georgia play. I’m cool with that.

The top stories and transfer rumours from Tuesday’s newspapers…

DAILY MAIL

Newcastle are ready to switch their attention to £20m-rated Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford with a deal for Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale proving hard to tie down because of his hefty price tag.

Leeds United face a massive exodus of players this summer after their failure to secure a place in the Premier League with Crysencio Summerville and Archie Gray likely to be popular targets.

Leon Balogun is set to sign a one-year contract extension with Rangers.

Germany have banned all police holidays and will beef up their borders to deal with potential troublemakers entering the country for Euro 2024.

“Sticker Wars” have broken out ahead of Euro 2024 with a battle between Panini and Topps, with Panini blocking their US rival from printing stickers including England stars Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka, replacing them instead with non-squad players like Rico Lewis and Luke Thomas to leave parents and collectors up in arms.

Mike Tyson is reportedly doing “great” after needing treatment on board a flight relating to an ulcer which left him feeling dizzy and nauseous.

DAILY STAR

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has told Everton that Manchester United will not be held to ransom over Jarrad Branthwaite, with United bosses making the defender one of their main targets in this summer’s transfer window.

THE ATHLETIC

Enzo Maresca is set to be handed a five-year contract to become Chelsea’s next head coach, more than double the length of Mauricio Pochettino’s previous deal.

DAILY MIRROR

Frank Lampard and Steve Cooper are on the shortlist as Burnley make plans to find their replacement for Bayern Munich-bound Vincent Kompany.

Arsenal are the latest club to hit supporters with season ticket price rises of up to 10 per cent for the 2024-25 season.

Manchester United’s bill for compensation should they decide to sack Erik ten Hag increased when he led his side to FA Cup glory on Saturday and secured European qualification.

Arsenal and Manchester United are set to go head-to-head in a battle to sign highly-rated Rennes defender Desire Doue.

THE SUN

Ineos potentially going over the 30 per cent investment level in Manchester United could mean them having to play in the Europa Conference League next season because of Nice – owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s company – qualifying for the Europa League.

Sheffield United will allow goalkeeper Ivo Grbic to leave the club this summer and he is hoping to secure a move back to Spain, where he previously played for Atletico Madrid.

Wayne Rooney is considering Britain’s most expensive coastal spot – Salcombe – for his second family home after agreeing to become Plymouth Argyle’s new manager.

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Southampton could give Adam Lallana the chance to extend his Premier League career after he cheered his former side during their Championship playoff final win over Leeds on Sunday.

Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan will miss the summer Tests against South Africa after deciding to move to the Sevens game and play in the Olympic Games.

THE GUARDIAN

Xavi has warned his successor as Barcelona manager that he will have to be prepared to “suffer” in the job.

DAILY RECORD

Celtic remain interested in signing Paulo Bernardo on a permanent deal even though the Benfica loanee made no hint over his desire for a return when bidding farewell on social media.

Panama defender Jose Cordoba appears set to have a medical ahead of a move to Rangers after apparently ignoring interest from Norwich City.

The Houston Cougars have pulled off a massive win on the recruiting trail, landing one of the top overall recruits in the class of 2026.

Spring (Texas) Legacy School of Sports Sciences four-star athlete Keisean Henderson has made the decision to commit to his hometown program.

Henderson, 6-foot-3, 185-pounds, has pledged to the Cougars to play quarterback. In his sophomore season, Henderson accounted for 1,574 yards and 21 touchdowns to just three interceptions. He completed 63-percent of his passes.

“Just the feeling of being at home and the connections with the people at Houston just makes it feel even more at home,” Houston said of his decision.

Houston, a second year Big 12 conference member, is among the programs trending up in the country. With the new staff in Houston under Willie Fritz, Henderson felt an all out pour of support in his recruitment.

“They basically just said that I’m their front runner guy. I’m the guy that they’re coming after the hardest. They want to build the program around me and keep me in Houston. They also want bring guys in that they know can play as well with me and just use me as a focal point to all the guys that know me personally and have offers from Houston to just bring a bigger like picture to recruiting the city.”

The most previous visit for Henderson to Houston, earlier this month, was the final piece of his decision.

“We went and saw the actual campus, beause I usually go and I just see the football facilities. So I brought all my family and we saw the business facilities, talked to like business administrative staff, and everybody around the business side of the school. We talked to the lead athletic director, the, the academic director, really all of the big name people on campus is who we spent our day around mostly. I metCase Keenum and Andre Ware too. It was an eye-opener to see more than just the football side of things.”

Henderson holds over 25 offers including LSU, Michigan, Texas, Texas A&M, SMU, Oregon, Penn State, Oklahoma, and TCU, among others.

Houston is ranked as the No. 32 overall prospect in the 2026 Rivals250. He is also the No. 2 prospect in the state of Texas.

There has never been a managerial recruitment race like it. Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Liverpool, Juventus and Chelsea — five of football’s biggest clubs — all searching for a new manager or head coach during the same brief period of time.

Manchester United, who won the FA Cup by winning 2-1 against Manchester City in the final at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday (stream a replay on ESPN+), could soon join the congested field of European giants looking to hire a new manager. Minority owner Ineos is conducting an end-of-season review that may lead to the departure of Erik ten Hag after just two seasons in charge.

Liverpool completed their search for a successor to Jürgen Klopp by confirming the appointment of Feyenoord coach Arne Slot last week. But having initially explored the possibility of hiring Xabi Alonso, before being told that their former midfielder would remain at Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool sources told ESPN that the recruitment of Slot came at the end of a process undertaken in a “challenging market.”

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Senior figures at Bayern would echo that sentiment. Germany’s biggest club, and six-time Champions League winners, has previously been a blue-chip destination for football’s elite coaches including Louis van Gaal, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Thomas Tuchel. When Bayern come calling, no one says no. Until now.

Sources told ESPN that Bayern are close to naming Vincent Kompany as Tuchel’s successor, having agreed a compensation package with the Belgian coach’s present employers, Burnley. But the former Manchester City captain is, at best, Bayern’s fourth choice for the job, but may even be considered their sixth or seventh pick.

Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann and Ralf Rangnick all rejected a move to Bayern, while former Brighton & Hove Albion coach Roberto De Zerbi, ex-Bayern coach Hansi Flick and Benfica‘s Roger Schmidt were all reportedly considered by the club. Talks with Tuchel about reconsidering the plan to part ways also took place before both parties stuck to Plan A of terminating their working relationship.

Meanwhile in Spain, sources have told ESPN that Barcelona are on course to hire Flick in the days ahead to replace Xavi Hernández, who announced in midseason he would leave this summer before changing his mind in April. Barça then decided to fire Xavi last week, despite spending months assessing potential successors — Flick, Alonso, De Zerbi, Sporting CP‘s Rúben Amorim — and struggling to find the right appointment.

Juventus appear to have a plan to replace Massimiliano Allegri with Thiago Motta, who is leaving Bologna, barring a possible late move by AC Milan. Chelsea have taken a week to nail down a successor to Mauricio Pochettino, with sources telling ESPN that the Blues have made an approach to open talks with Enzo Maresca after he led Leicester City back up to the Premier League. United, if they dismiss Ten Hag, have also spent months looking at possible candidates, but sources said they are yet to decide if any of them fit and whether they will be a better option than Ten Hag.

So why is the managerial market becoming such a difficult one to navigate, especially for those clubs that usually get what they want, and quickly? A big factor is the increasing influence of sporting directors, the executives charged by club owners to run the football side of the operation. The days of clubs being dominated by the relationship between chairman and manager are long gone.

“Football clubs are moving away from generalists to specialists,” Steven Houston, head of strategic and sporting operations advisory at the Sportsology Group, told ESPN. “Sporting operations are now so big that clubs are building brains trusts with many areas of expertise and responsibility such as sporting director, technical director, director of analytics, director of performances, head coach.

“So identifying the right head coach who is comfortable with the responsibility of driving the team, improving the players, delivering results, at the same time as accepting the roles of others, is crucial. Some of the coaches out there might not be compatible with the vision set by the owner or sporting director.

“Clubs should have their non-negotiables of what a coach must be prepared to fit into, such as style of play, development of young players, communication skills and that enables them to move quickly and narrow down the field of candidates.

“But we always say that they need to have a Plan A, B, C, D and E because availability plays a big part in recruitment in a specific window of time.”

Recent success is becoming a determining factor for many clubs in their search for a new coach. Ten Hag was hired by United two years ago after winning the Eredivisie with Ajax; Slot moves to Liverpool just 12 months after doing the same with Feyenoord. Motta tops the list at Juventus after guiding Bologna into the Champions League, while Kompany’s success in winning promotion to the Premier League with Burnley in 2023 appears to carry more weight at Bayern than his relegation at Turf Moor this season.

Those coaches with success further back in time — Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, for instance — have proved to be less attractive to those clubs looking for a coach with a recent winning pedigree as well as the readiness to work within a structure led by a sporting director or director of football.

It is the emerging coaches such as Slot, Motta, Amorim and Ipswich Town‘s Kieran McKenna, who are the new top targets, rather than the older coaches whose remit has generally been broader than those who are now making their way within club structures led by a sporting director. And that goes some way to explaining why clubs are taking longer to make an appointment and why they are working from shortlists rather than simply identifying one target.

“With tenure length [for coaches] decreasing, clubs should always have a succession plan running in the background,” Houston said. “They have big scouting departments constantly looking for players to cover every position, so it would make sense for them to do the same with coaches. The more background knowledge you have, the quicker you can move forward and make a hire.”

Liverpool have got their man, and Bayern and Barcelona seem to have finally got theirs, but none of those clubs have found it easy to switch from one coach to another. Yes, it is a tough market with so many competitors wanting the same thing, but clubs are also being more selective.

It is no longer simply about finding the coach with most titles and trophies. They now have to tick many more boxes to persuade a club to hire them.

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles signed veteran wide receiver John Ross to a one-year deal Thursday, the team announced.

Ross, 28, has not played in an NFL game since 2021 and announced his retirement in 2023. He participated in the Eagles’ rookie minicamp earlier this month on a tryout basis and did enough to earn another NFL contract.

It’s another twist in a career that has been full of them. Ross was selected ninth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2017 draft after racking up over 1,100 receiving yards and a Pac-12-leading 19 touchdowns for Washington the season prior. He was considered the top receiver in the draft by some within the Eagles organization but was off the board before they got on the clock at No. 14, where they ended up taking defensive end Derek Barnett.

Ross, who ran a then-record-breaking 4.22-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, dealt with a litany of injuries on the pro level that limited him to an average of seven games played over his first four seasons. His best year came in 2019 when he caught 28 balls for 506 yards in 11 games.

He joined the New York Giants in 2021 and had 11 catches for 224 yards in 10 games. He signed a futures deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in January 2023 before announcing his retirement later that year.

Ross has a chance to complete the comeback story in Philadelphia. The Eagles have one of the best receiver tandems in football in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith but the room is unsettled after that. One of the candidates for the No. 3 receiving role, DeVante Parker, retired earlier this week.

Ross will be competing with Parris Campbell, rookie Ainias Smith and others for a roster spot and playing time this offseason.

After ending his time as Barcelona coach with a 2-1 win against Sevilla on Sunday, Xavi Hernández said he believes his work has been undervalued and that his replacement will have a difficult job on their hands.

Goals from Robert Lewandowski and Fermín López sandwiched an effort from Youssef En-Nesyri as Barça finished the LaLiga campaign with three points just two days after the club announced Xavi would be sacked at the end of the season.

“I don’t think the work we have done has been sufficiently valued considering the adverse situation we came into,” Xavi told DAZN after beating Sevilla.

“Barça were ninth in the table when we arrived at the end of 2021. We finished second. Then, in the first full season [in charge], we won two trophies [LaLiga and the Spanish Supercopa].

“This year has not been at the level required, but it’s come down to details in several key games. It’s a shame. I am sad, but this is the job of a coach.”

ESPN has revealed that Hansi Flick will replace Xavi, with the Germán coach’s appointment expected to be announced in the coming days.

“They have to know it is a difficult situation, because Barcelona is a difficult club, but also because of the adverse financial situation, above all [LaLiga’s] financial fair play rules,” Xavi said when asked if he had any advice for his successor.

“It won’t be easy at all. They will suffer and they will need patience because it’s a really difficult job. The only thing that can save them is winning, whether they have been part of the club or not [previously].

“I have been looked at through a magnifying glass and a certain level of expectations were generated, because I was part of Barça’s best-ever era, which has played against me.”

Xavi initially announced in January that he would step down this summer, but he reversed his decision in April before being fired in a meeting with club president Joan Laporta on Friday.

The manager insists he wanted to remain in the job, despite his doubts in January, and refused to reveal the reasons given to him for his dismissal.

“It’s not for me to explain the motives, the president has to do that,” Xavi continued. “I just have to accept and respect them. The decision is made and there is no looking back. The club is above any person. I wanted to stay on. I get [the decision], I respect it, but it is a shame. The feelings are contradictory because the work has been positive despite not winning trophies this season. I thought we were on a good path and I still think that.

“But this is football, decisions have to be made. I am happy, proud and satisfied with what we have done: 2.5 years and two trophies in the adverse, difficult situation the club is in, that’s the reality.

“I have not been able to work with calm. We asked for stability one month ago when we decided to stay. We thought by staying on we had achieved that and we were hungry to work hard, but this is the life of a manager.”

Xavi said he is “open” to anything in the future regarding the next step in his career, but that in the short-term he needs to “rest and be with my family.”

The former midfielder, who made more than 700 appearances for Barça as a player, replaced Ronald Koeman in 2021 and steered the team from ninth to second in his first season in charge.

A first LaLiga title since 2019 followed last term, but Barça have failed to kick on this year, ending the season trophy-less as they finished second in the league and exited the Champions League and the Copa del Rey at the quarterfinal stage.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — An up-and-down day for the Chicago Bears‘ offense during the third practice of OTAs ended with an encouraging message for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

Nine-year safety Kevin Byard, who joined the Bears in free agency, approached Williams at the end of Thursday’s session with feedback after a stretch of inconsistency during the red zone period.

“I said something to him at the end of practice like, ‘Keep it going. We’re going to keep making you better,’” Byard said. “And not necessarily saying he had a terrible day, but days like this are going to make you better.”

The Bears’ defense, which has operated the same system since 2022, got the better end of an offense that is learning a new scheme under first-year offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

“We had a good day,” Byard said. “I’m not going to sit here and lie about that. But to be honest, it’s to be expected. You have a returning top-15, top-10 defense, obviously going against a younger rookie quarterback who’s getting acclimated and learning things. That’s what it is supposed to look like.”

Wide receiver DJ Moore noted the expectation of “growing pains” for Williams, whom the Bears drafted No. 1 overall, and the entire Chicago offense. During several instances in 11-on-11, Williams was late on throws or held onto the ball too long. With the incompletions and plays that would have resulted in sacks came frustrations over the offense not being able to execute.

“It’s frustrating, but we also know that we’re learning a new system,” Moore said.

Moore said he felt he needed to relay that reality to Williams.

‘Yeah, you’ve got to because our defense can get pretty rowdy, as you all know out there,” Moore said. “Just calming everybody down in the huddle and just refocusing is the best thing.”

Byard noted that the offense “kind of got after us a little bit” during the first practice of the week and came away impressed by several of Williams’ throws.

“Every week is not going to be great,” Byard said. “Some weeks we’re going to have to be on two-minute drill, he’s going to have to go win us a game. Some weeks we’re going to blow people out. Sometimes it’s not going to be like that. So I would just kind of tell him like, hey, days, like this just keep fighting, keep going, watch the film, get better. And that’s for everyone on the team. Everything is not going to be peaches and cream. You know what I’m saying? But like I like his confidence and he kind of just looked me straight in the eye and said ‘of course I will,’ and that was good to see.”

Coach Matt Eberflus emphasized the growth he saw Williams make during his first week of true practices against NFL competition.

“This is the first time going against a pro defense, and a pretty good one,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “It’s going to be learning for everybody. They’re getting everything together. It was progress. I saw progress from the first day to the second, the second to the third. So it’s good.”

Williams’ ability to process the information given to him from Bears coaches and execute it during practice has been “very impressive,” according to Eberflus. As the Bears gauge Williams’ development through the spring, easing him into the offense isn’t part of the plan.

“We’re not holding back,” Eberflus said. “We’re giving him a lot of information. We’re giving him the offense and you want to be able to go through the whole offense before the off-season gets done, primarily most of it, and work it into the summer.”

Tadej Pogacar wrapped up overall victory at the Giro d’Italia and Geraint Thomas a second straight podium finish as Tim Merlier won the 21st and final stage in in Rome.

Pogacar will now turn his attention to claiming a third Tour de France crown in July and becoming the first rider since Marco Pantani in 1998 to win both that event and the Giro in the same season.

He had stretched his advantage over Dani Martinez to just shy of 10 minutes when he won his sixth stage of this year’s Giro on Saturday, with Briton Thomas finishing 10 minutes and 24 second back in third.

Pogacar had been in the lead since victory on stage two and won by the biggest overall margin since 1965.

“I am speechless, it’s hard to describe this moment, it’s amazing,” said the 25-year-old.

“A lot of nice memories for sure, in a while I will see which one was the best moment but I think in general it was a really beautiful Giro.”

Thomas, who finished second to Primoz Roglic 12 months ago, rolled in to secure third place overall as he becoming only the second rider in Giro history over the age of 38 to finish on the podium.

Like Pogacar, Ineos Grenadiers star Thomas is focused on the Tour de France – which starts in Florence on June 29 – although his objective will be to help the likes of Tom Pidcock and Carlos Rodriguez.

Thomas told Eurosport: “I’ve really enjoyed [the Giro]. It’s been a good group of guys, it’s gone really fast, but it seems a lifetime ago that we started in Torino but it’s been great.

“I’m actually looking forward to [the Tour] now. It’s a big challenge but I’ll freshen up, stay off the beer, stay on it, go to altitude camp, go to the Tour and help the boys.

“We’ve got a great young team so I’m looking forward to it.”

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