The New York Jets had their bye in Week 12 in a break after losing seven of their previous eight games, most recently a 28-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at home.

That game dropped the team to 3-8 and, after Week 12’s games, New York has a 2% chance of making the postseason, according to NFL.com’s playoff probability model. They’re four games back from the current No. 7 seed Denver Broncos with six games left to go.

It’s hard to imagine the team turning things around in that time under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich. Fans can look ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft and the subsequent season.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

One question mark could be quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who appeared on ESPN’s ‘Pat McAfee Show’ Tuesday. He addressed his future with the team amid rumors that he may retire or the team could cut him, the latter reported by The Athletic’s Diana Russini.

‘As far as my future goes, I haven’t told anybody in my life that I want to play in 2025 and not on the Jets,’ Rodgers said. ‘That’s 100% false. I actually said the opposite. I said that I’m going to wait and see what happens at the end of the season and if they want me back.

I came here to win here. So I’m not jumping off ship, like ‘oh, I definitely want to play and not in New York.’ Like I don’t even know if I want to play yet but New York would be my first option.’

The Jets have had a tumultuous 2024 NFL season. They fired head coach Robert Saleh in October after a Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. They traded for Davante Adams – Rodgers’ longtime teammate and friend – a week later but have won one game since. Ahead of the Week 12 bye, New York fired general manager Joe Douglas.

The team has an interim head coach in Ulbrich and an interim general manager in former Cleveland Browns GM Phil Savage. That means there is plenty up in the air ahead of the 2025 offseason.

‘I’m going to wait and see what happens at the end of the season and if they want me back,’ Rodgers said. ‘What happens with [Ulbrich] and what happens with the offensive staff and obviously the GM… There’s a lot of things out of my control when it comes to that but I’ve really enjoyed my time in New York.

I mean, we obviously haven’t had the success that we’ve all wanted to have but I’ve made some great friendships on the team. I’ve enjoyed living in Jersey, I’ve enjoyed time in the city, I’ve enjoyed getting to know the fans.’

Aaron Rodgers contract details

Rodgers agreed to a three-year, $112.5 million deal with New York after being traded from Green Bay in the 2023 offseason.

He has a dead cap hit of $66.1 million this season if cut, per Spotrac. According to OverTheCap, he holds a $23.5 million cap hit for next season with a $49 million dead cap hit if he’s cut before June 1, 2025.

Can the Jets trade Aaron Rodgers?

Only if the 40-year-old quarterback agrees to a deal because his contract included a no-trade clause. He would have to agree on any deal and waive that clause in order for the Jets to trade him out of New York.

Aaron Rodgers stats

Rodgers is on pace for his worst season as a full-time starter in the NFL. Through Week 12, he’s completed 241 of 380 passes for 2,442 yards, 17 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

His passer rating of 88.9 would be a career-worst. His current yards per game (222.0) and touchdown rate (4.5%) figures would be the second-worst of his career as well.

New York Jets remaining schedule

Week 13: vs. Seattle Seahawks (6-5)
Week 14: at Miami Dolphins (5-6)
Week 15: at Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9)
Week 16: vs. Los Angeles Rams (5-6)
Week 17: at Buffalo Bills (9-2)
Week 18: vs. Miami Dolphins (5-6)

North Carolina has fired coach Mack Brown six seasons into his second tenure with the Tar Heels, the university announced on Tuesday.

Brown will be on the sidelines for the season finale against North Carolina State but a decision hasn’t been made on whether he’d continue to coach in the postseason, said the school.

This announcement comes one day after Brown said he intended to return in 2025 as head coach. After losing 70-50 at home to James Madison in non-conference play, Brown had to clarify he was not resigning after suggesting he would step aside if the team’s issues could be not fixed.

‘While this is not the perfect time and way in which I imagined going out, no time will ever be the perfect time,’ Brown said in a statement. ‘Moving forward, my total focus is on helping these players and coaches prepare for Saturday’s game against N.C. State and give them the best chance to win.’

UNC is 6-5 this season with several demoralizing losses, including the result against JMU and a heartbreaking 21-20 defeat to rival Duke one game later. Of the Tar Heels’ six victories, just one, against Minnesota in the season opener, has come against an opponent with a winning record.

Brown is 44-32 in his second tenure at UNC, reaching bowl eligibility in all six seasons with one national ranking. The 2020 team went 8-4, 7-3 in the ACC, reached the Orange Bowl and finished No. 17 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

North Carolina owes Brown just over $2.8 million – the base salary part of his contract that had been set to run thru Jan. 15, 2028. The total pay for his deal was $5 million annually.

Heading into Saturday, his overall record at UNC is 113-78-1, giving Brown the program record for wins. His first tenure, from 1988-97, saw the Tar Heels make a run at Florida State for ACC dominance. After going a combined 2-20 in his first two seasons, Brown won at least nine games four times, led by a 10-1 mark and eventual No. 6 finish in 1997.

“Coach Brown has led the Carolina Football program back into the national conversation as we improved the program’s facilities, significantly increased the size of the staff, invested in salaries and bolstered our nutrition and strength and conditioning programs,” athletics director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement. He also has been a dedicated fundraiser, strengthening the Football endowment while also supporting our other sports programs.”

Brown was hired by Texas following the 1997 season and went 158-48 over 16 seasons, winning the 2005 national championship and playing for another in 2009.

He also coached at Appalachian State (1983) and Tulane (1985-87). Brown was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

NFL power rankings entering Week 13 of the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):

2. Philadelphia Eagles (3): RB Saquon Barkley showed Sunday night he might be the league’s best player. Per OptaSTATS, he’s the first to have more than 500 yards from scrimmage over consecutive games since Hall of Famer Walter Payton in 1977. He’s also the first since Maurice Jones-Drew 15 years ago to break two TD runs of 70-plus yards in the same game. But is Barkley the most valuable player in the NFL? Not ready to go there yet … though maybe Sunday’s game at Baltimore – against MVP candidates Lamar Jackson and (maybe) Derrick Henry – will shed further light on Barkley’s case.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

7. Baltimore Ravens (6): ‘Harbaugh Bowls’ are becoming byes for them. Not really, and playing another physical team on the West Coast in a Monday night matchup doesn’t bode especially well for the turnaround with those brutish Eagles making the quick commute to Charm City on a short week. But the Ravens are in a good spot, only a half-game out of first place in the AFC North.

13. Los Angeles Chargers (11): Detractors who might want to label them the Hoosiers of the NFL are eating no crow. A defense that hadn’t given up more than 20 points all season – albeit against questionable competition – has surrendered 57 at home over the past two weeks. It was also scorched for 212 yards on the ground Monday, the most ever for a Jim Harbaugh-coached team. Factor in RB J.K. Dobbins’ knee injury and … woof.

15. Atlanta Falcons (14): The August trade for Matthew Judon hasn’t borne fruit, the veteran pass rusher averaging roughly one pressure per game.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19): They might be on their way, Sunday’s rout of the Giants initiating what’s still the easiest remaining schedule (measured by opponents’ winning percentage) for any NFC team. WR Mike Evans had a 68-yard day on the heels of a five-week injury absence but will have to average 99.5 the rest of the way to keep his career-long string of 1,000-yard seasons intact.

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28. New York Jets (25): Before you avert your eyes … never mind – avert, avert.

29. Tennessee Titans (30): Per NFL Media, second-year QB Will Levis is the first player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to post a passer rating of at least 105.0 over three games while also being sacked at least 20 times.

30. Las Vegas Raiders (27): They hadn’t lost seven in a row since being based in Oakland … until now. Maybe it’s time to break tendencies and sign the ultimate anti-Raider – yes, we’re thinking it’s time for Daniel Jones to give this franchise, like, a shot in the arm … maybe of V8?

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

The NBA fined the Atlanta Hawks $100,000 for ‘violating the league’s Player Participation Policy in connection with Trae Young missing the team’s Emirates NBA Cup game on Nov. 12 against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden,’ the league announced Tuesday.

Young was listed out for that Celtics game with right Achilles tendinitis. However, the league said, “following an investigation, including review by an independent physician, the NBA determined that the Hawks held Young out of a game that he could have played in under the medical standard in the Policy. The organization’s conduct violated the Policy, which is intended to promote participation in the NBA’s regular season.”

Part of the NBA’s participation policy states that “Teams must ensure that star players are available for national TV and In-Season Tournament games.”

It’s the only game Young has missed this season for the 7-11 Hawks, who defeated the Celtics 117-116 in that contest.

All things Hawks: Latest Atlanta Hawks news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The College Football Playoff is so close you can almost smell the overreactions wafting from the football kitchen. Tuesday was another aperitif to get us going until the final bracket selection is drawn.

This week’s CFP rankings answered a lot of questions that the most recent week of play brought on. Particularly, what was going to happen to contenders like Alabama, Ole Miss, and Indiana after each of them lost. As it turns out, only Indiana remains in the projected bracket this week.

Elsewhere, the Big 12’s projected champion continues to fall down the rankings with No. 16 Arizona State now projected to claim the 12th and final spot of the College Football Playoff.

Keep it here for all of the latest and how to watch the latest CFP release.

College Football Playoffs 2024: Fourth CFP Rankings

* – projected first-round bye

No. 1 Oregon (11-0)*
No. 2 Ohio State (10-1)
No. 3 Texas (10-1)*
No. 4 Penn State (10-1)
No. 5 Notre Dame (10-1)
No. 6 Miami (10-1)*
No. 7 Georgia (9-2)
No. 8 Tennessee (9-2)
No. 9 SMU (10-1)
No. 10 Indiana (10-1)
No. 11 Boise State (10-1)*
No. 12 Clemson (9-2)
No. 13 Alabama (8-3)
No. 14 Ole Miss (8-3)
No. 15 South Carolina (8-3)
No. 16 Arizona State (9-2) – would earn 12th and final spot in CFP as projected Big 12 champion
No. 17 Tulane (9-2)
No. 18 Iowa State (9-2)
No. 19 BYU (9-2)
No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3)
No. 21 Missouri (8-3)
No. 22 UNLV (9-2)
No. 23 Illinois (8-3)
No. 24 Kansas State (8-3)
No. 25 Colorado (8-3)

CFP Bracket

Based on latest CFP rankings and projections.

First Round:

No. 16 Arizona State at No. 2 Ohio State
No. 8 Tennessee at No. 7 Georgia
No. 10 Indiana at No. 4 Penn State
No. 9 SMU at No. 5 Notre Dame

Quarterfinals:

(Winner of Arizona State vs. Ohio State) vs. No. 11 Boise State
(Winner of Tennessee vs. Georgia) vs. No. 1 Oregon
(Winner of Indiana vs. Penn State) vs. No. 6 Miami
(Winner of SMU vs. Notre Dame) vs. No. 3 Texas

2024 College Football Playoff Bracket: First teams out

This week’s rankings have Clemson and Alabama as the first teams out. Clemson holds their fate in their own hands with a matchup against South Carolina this week. That would be a strong win that should push Clemson into the playoff if any team above them either loses or struggles in any of their final games.

Alabama, meanwhile, has a tougher road to the playoff. After their embarrassing loss to Oklahoma, it will be hard for the selection committee to put the Crimson Tide in that 12-team pool. With only Auburn left on their schedule, the Crimson Tide will likely need multiple teams above them to collapse in order for them to sneak into the CFP.

2024 CFP schedule

All times Eastern.

First Round:

Game 1: Friday, December 20 at 8 p.m. | ABC, ESPN
Game 2: Saturday, December 21 at 12 p.m. | TNT Sports
Game 3: Saturday, December 21 at 4 p.m. | TNT Sports
Game 4: Saturday, December 21 at 8 p.m. | ABC, ESPN

Playoff Quarterfinals Round:

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: Tuesday, December 31 at 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl: Wednesday, January 1 at 1 p.m. | ESPN
Rose Bowl: Wednesday, January 1 at 5 p.m. | ESPN
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Wednesday, January 1 at 8:45 p.m. | ESPN

Playoff Semifinals Round:

Capital One Orange Bowl: Thursday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Goodyear Cotton Bowl: Friday, January 10 at 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

National Championship:

National Championship: Monday, January 20 at 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

CFP Rankings release show delayed

ESPN is currently showing the end of the Maui Invitational game between Memphis and Michigan State. As of this writing, the network has not announced coverage on another network. The game is currently in the final four minutes with Memphis leading, 66-55.

How to watch CFP Rankings release show: Time, TV, streaming

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 26
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo

Watch the CFP Rankings Show on ESPN with a Fubo subscription

What time is CFP rankings show? 

The College Football Playoff rankings are released each week through a CFP rankings show broadcasted by ESPN every Tuesday, from Nov. 5 through Dec. 3. This week’s show is slated to air starting at 8 p.m. ET and ending at 9 p.m. ET.

How many teams in College Football Playoff 2024? 

This season, there are 12 teams in the College Football Playoff for the first time. College football previously introduced the CFP in 2014 with a four-team format. The expansion to 12 teams is set in place for the 2024 and 2025 college football seasons. Leaders within the sport have not agreed to the framework of the playoff beyond that at this point.

How does College Football Playoff format work?

The 12 participating teams in the College Football Playoff bracket will be the five conference champions ranked highest by the CFP selection committee, and the next seven highest-ranked teams.

The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and receive a first-round bye. The fifth conference champion will be seeded where it was ranked among the top 12 teams, or at No. 12 if it is outside the top 12 in the CFP rankings. Non-conference champions ranked in the top four will be seeded beginning at No. 5.

‘Because of this,’ the CFP warns on its website, ‘the seeding, 1 through 12, could look different than the final rankings.’

For the first round, the higher-ranked team in each pairing (5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, 8 vs. 9) will serve as host on campus. The winners advance to the quarterfinals and match up with the corresponding top-four conference champion based on seeding. Quarterfinal games will played at the Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The semifinals – played at the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl Classic – will take place Jan. 9-10.

The two semifinal winners will play for the national championship Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. – Mark Giannotto

College Football Playoff predictions 

Erick Smith, USA TODAY

Oregon (Big Ten champion)*
Georgia (SEC champion)*
Miami (ACC champion)*
Arizona State (Big 12 champion)*
Ohio State
Texas
Penn State
Notre Dame
Indiana
Tennessee
SMU
Boise State (Group of Five champion)**

*Receives first-round bye, automatic bid; **Receives automatic bid

Bracket – first round games

No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Boise State
No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 SMU
No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 10 Tennessee
No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 9 Indiana

The Athletic

Oregon (Big Ten champion)*
Georgia (SEC champion)*
Miami (ACC champion)*
Boise State (Group of Five champion)*
Ohio State
Penn State
Texas
Notre Dame
Indiana
Tennessee
SMU
Iowa State (Big 12 champion)**

*Receives first-round bye, automatic bid; **Receives automatic bid

Bracket – first round games

No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Iowa State
No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 SMU
No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Tennessee
No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 9 Indiana

*Receives first-round bye, automatic bid; **Receives automatic bid

CFP rankings projections

Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY

Oregon
Ohio State
Texas
Penn State
Notre Dame
Miami
Georgia
Tennessee
SMU
Indiana
Boise State
Arizona State

Heather Dinish, ESPN

Oregon
Ohio State
Texas
Penn State
Notre Dame
Miami
Georgia
Tennessee
SMU
Boise State
Indiana
Alabama
Mississippi
South Carolina
Texas A&M
Clemson
Arizona State
BYU
Tulane
Colorado
Iowa State
UNLV
Missouri
Illinois
Army

College Football Playoff championship odds

As of Nov. 26, here are the latest College Football Playoff title odds from BetMGM:

Ohio State (+275)
Georgia (+350)
Oregon (+400)
Texas (+450)
Notre Dame (+1400)
Penn State (+1800)
Tennessee (+2000)
Miami (+2500)
Alabama (+4000)
SMU (+4000)
Clemson (+5000)
Indiana (+5000)
Arizona State (+8000)
Boise State (+12,500)
South Carolina (+15,000)
Texas A&M (+20,000)
Colorado (+20,000)
Tulane (+20,000)
Iowa State (+25,000)
BYU (+25,000)
UNLV (+100,000)

When do College Football Playoff rankings come out? 

The fourth College Football Playoff rankings of the 2024 season will be released Tuesday, Nov. 26. A new top 25 ranking is released by the CFP selection committee every Tuesday through Dec. 3. This is followed by a CFP selection show on Dec. 8 to announce the 12-team playoff field.

Here is the schedule for the College Football Playoff rankings show. All times are Eastern:

Ranking 4: Tuesday, Nov. 26, 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Ranking 5: Tuesday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Selection Day: Sunday, Dec. 8, noon – 4 p.m.

What were last week’s rankings, and how did each team fare?

No. 1 Oregon (11-0) – BYE
No. 2 Ohio State (9-1) – W v. Indiana, 38-15
No. 3 Texas (9-1) – W v. Kentucky, 31-14
No. 4 Penn State (9-1) – W @ Minnesota, 26-25
No. 5 Indiana (10-0) – L @ Ohio State, 38-15
No. 6 Notre Dame (9-1) – W v. Army, 49-14
No. 7 Alabama (8-2) – L @ Oklahoma, 24-3
No. 8 Miami (9-1) – W v. Wake Forest, 42-14
No. 9 Ole Miss (8-2) – L @ Florida, 24-17
No. 10 Georgia (8-2) – W v. UMass, 59-21
No. 11 Tennessee (9-2) – W v. UTEP, 56-0
No. 12 Boise State (9-1) – W @ Wyoming, 17-13
No. 13 SMU (9-1) – W @ Virginia, 33-7
No. 14 BYU (9-1) – L @ Arizona State, 28-23
No. 15 Texas A&M (8-2) – L @ Auburn, 43-41
No. 16 Colorado (8-2) – L @ Kansas, 37-21
No. 17 Clemson (8-2) – W v. Citadel, 51-14
No. 18. South Carolina (7-3) – W v. Wofford, 56-12
No. 19 Army (9-0) – L @ Notre Dame, 49-14
No. 20 Tulane (9-2) – BYE
No. 21 Arizona State (8-2) – W v. BYU, 28-23
No. 22 Iowa State (8-2) – W @ Utah, 31-28
No. 23 Missouri (7-3) – W @ Mississippi State, 39-20
No. 24 UNLV (8-2) – W @ San Jose State, 27-16
No. 25 Illinois (7-3) – W @ Rutgers, 38-31

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Austin Ekeler didn’t say the c-word – collusion – but provided a definition while describing the tribulations NFL running backs have faced on the open market in free agency recently.

“I think it was kind of a strategic play by ownership to say, ‘Hey, let’s suppress some of these guys’ contracts and kind of put some pressure on the relevance of the running back position,’” Ekeler told USA TODAY Sports. “Which clearly is still very relevant today.”

That relevance hasn’t been more apparent all season than after Week 12, especially among elite backs with pedigree who shined for their new teams in the first season of their fresh contracts. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley had two touchdown runs of more than 70 yards on his way to a 303-yard game from scrimmage against the Los Angeles Rams. The Baltimore Ravens’ Derrick Henry rushed for 140 yards in a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers the next night. Josh Jacobs of the Green Bay Packers scored three touchdowns and eclipsed the 100-yard mark against the San Francisco 49ers.

They were the top three players available at the position this past offseason. Any team with cap space (and a need at running back) could have had them. The trio – in order of Barkley, Henry and Jacobs – enter Thanksgiving week the top three rushers in the league, and their new teams are a combined 25-9. The teams that let them walk are 7-26.

Many other variables factor into the winning and the losing, but the organizations that added the backs made existing strengths even more formidable by either putting the ball carriers behind elite offensive lines or alongside other weapons defenses must account for – or both.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

SAQUON FOR MVP? Not so fast, and here’s why

“I think, in totality, running the football is back, more than it was in the past,” NFL Network analyst and former running back Maurice Jones-Drew told USA TODAY Sports. “I think what Saquon (does) for the Eagles and, I guess, consequently what he didn’t do for the Giants, is why the Giants are going in a different direction at quarterback and the Eagles are thriving.

“Guys like Saquon and Derrick Henry show that you need a top-tier RB to win in this league.”

Prior to entering free agency, all three had received the franchise tag from their former teams at one point or another. Henry, who will be 31 by the end of the regular season, signed the shortest deal with the least guaranteed money (two years, $16 million, with $9 million guaranteed). Barkley and the Eagles agreed to a three-year, $37.75 million deal, with $26 million guaranteed.

“He’s underpaid,” Jones-Drew said.

Jacobs, the youngest of the three at 26, signed a four-year deal worth up to $48 million, with a $12.5 million signing bonus – the only guaranteed money in the contract.

Last summer, as training camp was about to open, a group of running backs – which included Henry, Barkley, Jacobs, Ekeler, the Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb and Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers – met on Zoom to discuss the subdued market they faced. (McCaffrey ended up getting a contract extension that made him the highest-paid back in the league in terms of average annual salary at $19 million.)

“We’ve all had success – sustained success – so to have, all of a sudden, an anticipation that everyone is going to fall off because they got new contracts is kind of ridiculous. So I think that’s why you saw us band together,” said Ekeler, who signed a two-year deal worth up to $11.43 million with the Washington Commanders after seven seasons with the Chargers (he is also a vocal and respected representative in the players’ union). “Like, ‘Nah, hey, we make a big impact.’ You saw Saquon … you’ve seen Derrick Henry and what he’s done. It’s crazy to me, where you have this perception of, ‘Hm, running backs. Are they valued?’ Well clearly, they are. That’s nice to have.”

Backs also have to fight the “wear-and-tear” narrative the most of any position group. That arguably hurt Henry the most, although he’s looked every bit of his “Tractorcito” Tennessee Titans prime with the Ravens. Jones-Drew said that some front-offices don’t account for the amount of time and money that players at the position put into taking care of their bodies.

“I think that’s part of the conversation as well … so they can perform at a longer clip for a longer time,” he said.  

Barkley and Henry will have the chance to go head-to-head Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS) when their teams clash. Henry said last week that the conversation about running backs and their perceived value didn’t affect his mindset entering the season.

“I trust and believe in my work ethic and knew that would pay off when the season came around,” Henry said. “I just needed an opportunity, and I feel like other guys felt the same way. I know guys want to get their worth, but we’re just focused on our performance.”

Henry hopes the success within his free-agency class of himself, Barkley and Jacobs – throw the Minnesota Vikings’ Aaron Jones (eighth in league in rushing yards) in there, too – can help the position on the open market in the future.

“They’re franchise players. They’re showing that. They’re proving that week after week,” Henry said. “Those guys work hard to let it showcase during the season, and I’m glad that they’re able to showcase their talents and having a great year. And hopefully, they’ll open doors for the future and other running backs that are coming up in free agency to get an opportunity to get paid, as well.”

For more than a decade, modern NFL offenses have placed a greater impetus on passing rather than running the ball; many of the best teams had balance in their offensive attack, of course. But Jones-Drew said the 2024 season has “re-identified” the running back position.

“Guys needed to go to places where they’re loved and not tolerated,” Jones-Drew said.

At the very least, running backs will have each other’s backs – except for days they are playing one another.

“We just tell each other, ‘Great job. You had a great game,’ just hyping each other up,” Henry said. “Backs, we’ve got to stick together, and I’m glad to see everybody doing well.”

Former NHL player Paul Bissonnette was briefly hospitalized Sunday after an altercation with several men at a restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Bissonnette, who played for the Arizona Coyotes and Pittsburgh Penguins and is now an analyst for Turner Sports, posted his version of events on social media, saying he was inside Houston’s when he saw people arguing with the restaurant manager. 

“You could tell he was a little shocked and surprised and stunned,” Bissonnette said on X. “It’s a family restaurant. I don’t think there was anybody in there who could go maybe like help him out. I went over, I just grabbed the guy’s arm that was on him. I said, ‘Sir, if you continue to harass and assault the staff, we’re going to have problems.’

“And then they just started chucking, so it escalated extremely quickly.”

Seven people were involved in the fight, according to Bissonnette.

“All is good, guys,” said Bissonnette. “It sucks. I got (kicked) in the face a couple times, but it could have been a lot worse.”

According to Fox 10 Phoenix, six men were arrested, with five facing misdemeanor charges and one facing a felony charge.

“Just bad dudes,” said Bissonnette, who also co-hosts the “Spittin Chiclets” podcast for Barstool Sports. “Way too drunk, and I don’t know what else they had in their system. Yeah, I’m very, very angry at these guys and kind of want their names out there and want them to pay the piper. Just unacceptable behavior at a family restaurant just because they couldn’t grab another cocktail and didn’t want to hear ‘No’ for an answer.”

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There was sure to be a new No. 1 in women’s college basketball when South Carolina’s winning streak was snapped over the weekend. But the voting to determine who would take over the top spot in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll came right down to the wire.

For now, it is Connecticut heading the rankings. The Huskies finish just a single poll point ahead of UCLA. The Bruins did, however, receive 14 first-place votes – one more than UConn – after knocking off the then-No. 1 Gamecocks. Notre Dame, which picked up a splashy win of its own at Southern California, is No. 3 overall and also received three first-place votes. Texas stays at No. 4 but claims the last No. 1 vote this week. South Carolina slides to No. 5, and USC slips to No. 6.

TOP 25: Complete USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball poll

Rounding out the top 10 are LSU holding steady, Oklahoma moving up a spot, and Ohio State and West Virginia each gaining two positions.

Kansas State drops two places to No. 12 after a loss to No. 13 Duke, and Iowa State falls seven spots to 15th after being upset by a hot-shooting Northern Iowa.

Iowa joins the poll at No. 24, replacing Oregon.