On the day she turned 100 years old, University of Colorado superfan Peggy Coppom had a busy schedule of public appearances planned for herself:

At about 11 a.m. local time, she appeared with Colorado football coach Deion Sanders at his weekly news conference in Boulder. That’s where he announced a new line of apparel is being launched in her honor with proceeds going to benefit her and her family.

“She is 100 years old,” Sanders said. “That is to be applauded.”

Later in the day, her church planned to throw her a birthday party at The Boulder Cork, a fine dining restaurant in Boulder.

After that, she hoped to make it to the Colorado women’s basketball game against Utah State.

All of it follows a busy week of celebrations, including a party for her at the university on Sunday and a football game Saturday in which the sold-out crowd at Folsom Field sang “Happy Birthday” to her in unison, nearly bringing Sanders to tears on the field. He called it an “epic” moment.

“I had to turn away from the screen, because I was getting ready to cry,” said Sanders, whose Colorado team (8-2) plays Kansas (4-6) Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. “And I didn’t want the opposing team to think they making me cry. No, it was Peggy.”

What Peggy means to Colorado football

Peggy shed her own tears of joy Saturday and has been a fixture at CU sporting events dating to around 1940. The university has estimated that she and her late twin sister Betty are estimated to have attended more than 2,500 CU sporting events over the decades. But after battling pancreatic cancer, Betty died in 2020, leaving a void for Peggy that still leaves her sad and reflective on the birthday they shared.

“It’s been unbelievable, all the attention,” Peggy told USA TODAY Sports by phone Monday before her birthday. “I feel very humble and very honored. I’m having a good time. The sad part is my sister is not here to do it with me, but everything’s going well. I’m in disbelief at all this attention. I feel so undeserving. I can’t believe I’ve been honored for just having a good time, just going to the games and everything.”

Peggy and Betty shared almost everything together, with both even marrying World War II pilots who went on to fly planes for United Airlines. After Peggy’s husband died in 1973, the two grew even closer and became famous as the twin CU fans who wore matching CU apparel to sporting events. As the surviving twin, she has become a symbol of CU sports and ‘the rock that holds us all together,’ Sanders said.

What’s the secret to Peggy’s Coppom’s long life?

She remains in good health after surviving a recent bout with COVID and broken hip before that. Her youngest son Dail told USA TODAY Sports she goes to church daily as an Irish Catholic and eats a pretty normal American diet such as oatmeal for breakfast and maybe a grilled cheese sandwich or hamburger later in the day. Her social activity helps, too, as does support from her family.  She has three children, six grandchildren and six great-children, some of whom celebrated with her Monday night by reading her many birthday cards.

“When Betty died, everybody kind of took my mom under their wing, and they just love her,” Dail Coppom said. “It’s been really spectacular and amazing to watch this happen.”

That includes Sanders, who developed a friendship with Peggy shortly after his hiring at Colorado in late 2022.

“it’s amazing that God would find people from two different walks of life, two different generations and bring them together as he has,” said Sanders, 57. “She’s always greeted me with love, compassion, love, support, stability and hope.”

His embrace of her has elevated her national profile even more. She appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated last year and on Monday was featured on ABC News.

“It’s all unbelievable, so that that’s what he is − kind, unbelievable,” Coppom said of Sanders on Tuesday.

Peggy offers perspective on Colorado’s playoff run

Gratitude is a big part of her life formula, too. She even thanked the USA TODAY Sports reporter who called her the night before her birthday.

“I appreciate the call,” she said as the conversation ended. “Thank you very much and God bless you.”

But she didn’t say goodbye without answering one last question: How about those Buffs? How far will they go? They are gunning for the Big 12 Conference championship and a College Playoff berth just two years after finishing 1-11.

“Well, they can go as far as God wants them to,” she said. “We’ve been good losers long enough, and I want to be a good winner now for a while.”

Sanders also had a final question for her at the news conference Tuesday: Which bowl game does she want to go to?

“I’ll take anything they give us,” she said.

How can Colorado clinch a Big 12 berth?

Colorado is tied with BYU for first place in the Big 12 standings with a 6-1 league record. The Buffaloes can clinch a berth in the Dec. 7 conference championship game if they beat Kansas Saturday and both Arizona State and Iowa State lose this weekend. The Buffs would play BYU for the league title in this scenario.

Arizona State and Iowa State are tied for second place in the standings at 5-2 and play BYU and Utah Saturday, respectively.

The Buffs also could clinch a berth in the championship game if they win both of their final two regular-season games – at Kansas and at home against Oklahoma State Nov. 29.

How can Colorado get into the College Football Playoff?

If the Buffs win out and win the Big 12 championship Dec. 7, they would get a berth in the new 12-team College Football Playoff as one of the five highest-ranked league champions, according to current rankings. They could even earn a first-round bye as one of the four highest-ranked conference champions. A first-round bye would mean they would start playoff play in the quarterfinals Dec. 31 or Jan. 1, possibly in the Fiesta or Sugar Bowl.

A loss in the next three weeks could drop Colorado out of playoff contention and into a non-playoff bowl game such as the Holiday or Alamo Bowl.

“We wanted to get her to a bowl game,” Sanders said of Coppom. “Now we want to get her to the bowl game.”

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

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Creeping change is giving way to sweeping change for the wreckage that is the New York Jets.

Six weeks after terminating former head coach Robert Saleh following a 2-3 start to a season fueled by massive expectations, the NYJ fired general manager Joe Douglas on Tuesday, signaling a complete overhaul of an organization that was expected to – at minimum – end its league-long 14-year playoff drought in 2024. Douglas’ contract was set to expire in 2025, but the Jets are making a clean break now.

Former Cleveland Browns GM Phil Savage will replace Douglas in an interim capacity for the remainder of this season.

‘Today, I informed Joe Douglas he will no longer serve as the General Manager of the New York Jets,’ owner Woody Johnson relayed in a statement. ‘I want to thank Joe for his commitment to the Jets over the last six years and wish him and his family the best moving forward.

‘We will begin the process to identify a new General Manager immediately.’

All things Jets: Latest New York Jets news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Hired to replace Mike Maccagnan after the 2019 NFL draft, Douglas ends his run with a 30-64 record and nary a winning season. He previously worked in the front offices of the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles.

His tenure certainly wasn’t a complete failure. The apex seemingly occurred two years ago when Douglas landed cornerback Sauce Gardner, wideout Garrett Wilson, linebacker Jermaine Johnson II and running back Breece Hall in a widely hailed 2022 draft. All have been highly capable to elite players, though Johnson tore his Achilles in September coming off a Pro Bowl campaign in 2023. One challenge for the team’s next GM will be to figure out how and if to retain these players, who are all eligible for contract extensions following this season.

Douglas also hit on players like nickelback Michael Carter II and pass rushers Will McDonald IV and Bryce Huff, who wasn’t drafted but signed a huge free agent deal with Philadelphia earlier this year.

However, like so many failed front office executives, Douglas’ inability to solve the quarterback position ultimately undermined him. He chose to move on from Sam Darnold’s estimable potential, rather than build the roster around it – All-Pro-caliber players like offensive tackle Penei Sewell, wideout Ja’Marr Chase or linebacker Micah Parsons were options – and instead reset by using the No. 2 pick of the 2021 draft on Zach Wilson. But the BYU product was so bad in his first two seasons that the team traded for four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers in 2023.

That, of course, opened a whole new can of worms – from the Achilles injury that cut Rodgers down four snaps into his team debut last year, to the ongoing failure to adequately protect him, to the perception he has too much influence in team operations, to the offensive gridlock borne of the hiring his good friend, Nathaniel Hackett, who is now only the coordinator in name amid the unit’s ongoing efficacy issues, to Rodgers’ own diminished abilities given his age and mounting injuries. In addition to Hackett, Douglas brought in several of Rodgers’ former Green Bay Packers teammates but the Jets’ haven’t enjoyed many notable contributions from them.

Matters weren’t helped when the team opted to let Huff – among the game’s premier situational pass rushers if not an every-down player – go and instead trade for Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick, who ultimately held out for the first half of the season when he and the Jets failed to reach a longer-term contractual accord. The Jets were widely roasted for the Reddick standoff given some kind of accord could have been cemented as part of the terms that cost Douglas a conditional third-round pick.

Still, New York won two of its first three games – even as it became apparent that the offense was limited and Rodgers had not recaptured his MVP form – before falling apart. Two subsequent losses cost Saleh his job, and the club has since gone 1-5 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.

Woody Johnson will now be on the lookout for a new GM/coach combo and maybe another quarterback, too, even though Rodgers – he turns 41 next month – recently expressed his intention to play in 2025, the final year of his contract.

Aside from a mandate to win the team’s first Super Bowl since its famed 1968 season, the Jets’ next decision makers must also decide what to do with recently acquired wideout Davante Adams and will likely be faced with further changes to the offensive line and the once formidable defense, which is set to shed several players into free agency next year, including Reddick.

Losers of seven of their past eight, including a crushing defeat to the Indianapolis Colts at home on Sunday, the Jets just entered their bye week. No telling what else will change on the other side of it.

This story has been updated with new information.

***

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

Joe Burrow should be a lock for NFL MVP. Ja’Marr Chase should be a candidate for NFL Offensive Player of the Year. And the Cincinnati Bengals shouldn’t be 4-7.

But here is where the Bengals are after another disappointing loss this season, following Sunday night’s 30-27 loss on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Bengals kickoff our USA TODAY Sports’ NFL overreactions from Week 11.

Say goodbye to this iteration of the Bengals

Bengals coach Zac Taylor is on the hot seat. Cincinnati has lost six one-score games this season, and he’ll will be the one to blame.

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

The Bengals, who took the NFL by storm with their run to the Super Bowl in 2021, are scratching and clawing for a playoff spot this season. They’re the No. 10 seed in the AFC playoff picture, outside the seven teams that will make it in the postseason.

Wide receiver Tee Higgins is making $21.8 million on the franchise tag. Unless he is franchise tagged again by the Bengals next season, he could also be out the door.

Chase, arguably the NFL’s best receiver along with Justin Jefferson, should also get a historic payday this offseason. But will the historically frugal Bengals give it to him? He’d certainly be worth at least several draft picks in a major trade if Cincinnati wanted to cash in and retool its roster.

And then, there’s Burrow, who leads the NFL with 27 touchdown passes and a 76.2 QBR this season. He’s still Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback. But his best season in the NFL has been a waste through 11 games.

Unless Cincinnati can turn their bad fortune into good, the Bengals will have a new look next year. And it would be a disappointing end to the Burrow-Chase-Higgins-Taylor era if this path continues for the Bengals this season.

Steelers lead AFC North, but won’t win division

Kudos to Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, starting quarterback Russell Wilson, and the rest of the Steelers for buying in. Pittsburgh is 8-2 after last week’s 18-16 win over the Baltimore Ravens, and own a two-game lead in the AFC North.

But don’t celebrate just yet. Tomlin certainly isn’t. Our overreaction on the Steelers: They won’t win the AFC North this season.

Their road to the division title will be tough from here on out: Four of their last seven games are on the road. They’ll play the Bengals twice and the Cleveland Browns twice, and don’t discount division rivals in division games.

The Steelers will also play visit the Philadelphia Eagles, visit the Ravens again, and host the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.

Pittsburgh’s season is far from over, and the AFC North lead is far from clinched just yet.

The 49ers will make it to the postseason again

Maybe, it’s a Super Bowl hangover from last season. Maybe, it’s the ill effects of three straight NFC title game runs. The San Francisco 49ers’ season isn’t over, but they’re not out the woods just yet.

San Francisco is 5-5 after Week 11, and sitting in the No. 10 seed in the NFC playoff race. They’re staring up at the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West. But they’ve been here before.

The 49ers were 5-5 after Week 11 in 2021, and reached the first of their three straight conference championship game appearances. So, this is familiar territory for San Francisco.

The 49ers can make the playoffs again, and will if they can be more efficient in the red zone: San Francisco has the second-most yards in the NFL, but rank in the bottom half of the league with a 48.8% red zone touchdown efficiency (26th) and just 23 total touchdowns (tied for 17th) this season.

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England women’s soccer manager and Chelsea have condemned online abuse of female players Sam Kerr and Kristie Mewis since the couple announced this week they are expecting a baby.

Australia captain and Chelsea striker Kerr gave the news on Instagram with the words ‘Mewis-Kerr baby coming 2025!’ plus photos of herself and pregnant partner Mewis, an American who plays for West Ham United.

Among support from well-wishers, the post also attracted some homophobic vitriol.

‘It is very, very disappointing,’ England manager Sarina Wiegman told a news conference on Tuesday. ‘I’m really happy for them, they look really happy and I hope it all goes well.’

Chelsea said in a statement to Reuters that they were aware of ‘unacceptable and hateful homophobic comments’ on various social media platforms.

‘There is no place in society for any form of discrimination and we will not accept any abuse directed towards our players, staff or supporters,’ a club spokesperson said.

‘We are extremely proud to be a diverse, inclusive club that celebrates and welcomes people from all cultures, communities and identities.’

West Ham shared what they called Kerr’s ‘heartwarming’ baby announcement on the team’s website.

‘Mewis has announced the wonderful news that she is expecting her first child,’ the club said.

‘Everyone at West Ham United would like to congratulate Kristie and Sam on their fantastic news!’

Kerr is considered one of the world’s top female strikers, scoring 199 career goals across the Women’s Super League, Australia’s W-League and the National Women’s Soccer League, plus 69 goals for her country. But she has been sidelined since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in January.

The 31-year-old averaged nearly 30 goals in her previous three seasons for Chelsea. The 33-year-old Mewis has been capped more than 50 times for the U.S.

The couple were engaged in 2023.

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The Boston Bruins made Jim Montgomery the first coaching casualty of the 2024-25 NHL season, firing him on Tuesday, less than two seasons after he was named coach of the year.

Associate coach Joe Sacco, a former Colorado Avalanche head coach, will take over behind the bench as the interim head coach.

The move came after a blowout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. Montgomery, who was in the final year of his contract, was let go with the team sitting at 8-9-3 and sporting poor underlying numbers.

‘Our team’s inconsistency and performance in the first 20 games of the 2024-25 season has been concerning and below how the Bruins want to reward our fans,’ Bruins GM Don Sweeney said in a statement. ‘I believe Joe Sacco has the coaching experience to bring the players and the team back to focusing on the consistent effort the NHL requires to have success.

‘We will continue to work to make the necessary adjustments to meet the standard and performance our supportive fans expect.’

All things Bruins: Latest Boston Bruins news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The Bruins have given up the first goal of the game 13 times, rank second from the bottom of the league in scoring and have the fifth-worst goals-against average. They have the league’s worst power play and rank 25th in penalty killing.

They’ve been the victim of several recent blowouts: 5-1 on Monday night, and 7-2 to the Dallas Stars and 8-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes in the last month.

They gave up two short-handed goals Monday against the Blue Jackets.

‘We’re in a place right now where we’ve got to dig ourselves out of a hole before it gets bigger,’ Montgomery told reporters after the loss.

Montgomery had won the Jack Adams Award as top coach in 2022-23 after the Bruins set NHL records with 65 wins and 135 points.

But the Florida Panthers shocked the Bruins by overcoming a 3-1 series deficit in the first round and winning Game 7 in Boston.

The Bruins then watched a 3-1 series lead evaporate last season before they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 at home. But they couldn’t get past the Panthers in the second round.

Boston beefed up this offseason, spending big money on Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. But Lindholm has only nine points in 20 games this season.

The team also split up their strong goaltending tandem by trading Linus Ullmark and re-signing Jeremy Swayman for eight years. But Swayman has a 3.47 goals-against average and .884 save percentage after he missed training camp before reaching a deal.

Lionel Messi will place a bow on a historic year Tuesday night when the Argentine national team faces Peru in a World Cup qualifying match in Buenos Aires, beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

It will be the final game of the calendar year for Messi, who helped Argentina win its second straight Copa America title and led Inter Miami to the Supporters’ Shield title in Major League Soccer.

“Looking forward to being back together with everyone tomorrow for the last game of another unforgettable year,” Messi said in an Instagram post Monday.

Argentina cemented itself as one of soccer’s greatest dynasties this summer, winning Copa America 2024 after winning Copa America 2021 and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Argentina hopes to end its year with a victory against Peru, despite entering the match losing two of its last four.

ALEXI LALAS: Inter Miami’s playoff failure sets stage for Messi’s last act

Meanwhile, Messi hopes to end a personal three-game skid as his busy year comes to an end. He also needs a new MLS coach next year after Inter Miami’s Tata Martino resigned Tuesday.

Follow along here for live updates from Tuesday’s Argentina-Peru match:

Where to watch Argentina vs. Peru live stream

The match will be available on Telemundo, and can be live streamed via fuboTV and ViX.

What time is the Argentina vs. Peru match?

The match begins at 7 p.m. ET (7 p.m. in Peru, 8 p.m. in Argentina).

Is Messi playing tonight?

Yes, Messi is expected to start and captain Argentina against Peru.

Argentina vs. Peru starting lineups

Here are the starters for both clubs on Tuesday night:

Argentina vs. Peru betting odds

The odds are stacked in Argentina’s favor for Tuesday’s match vs. Peru.

Argentina is a -650 favorite to win, while Peru has +1600 odds in the match. A tie has +625 odds. The over/under is 2.5 goals, via BetMGM.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR MESSI? Messi in store for busy 2025-26

Messi’s Inter Miami coach steps down

Inter Miami coach Tata Martino resigned Tuesday, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke under the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the news.

The move is a sour ending to Martino’s run as Inter Miami coach after a historic season, during which the club won the MLS Supporters’ Shield but was bounced in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs earlier this month.

Messi is on a 3-game losing streak

Messi is riding a personal three-game losing streak: Argentina lost 2-1 to Paraguay last week, and Inter Miami dropped its final two games of its first-round series to Atlanta United in the MLS Cup playoffs earlier this month.

It’s just the third three-game skid of Messi’s career.

In April 2014, Messi and Barcelona lost the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal against Atletico Madrid 1-0, a La Liga match against Granada 1-0, and the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid 2-1.

In April 2016, Messi and Barcelona lost a La Liga match against Real Sociedad 1-0, the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal to Atletico Madrid 2-0, and a La Liga match to Valencia 2-1.

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Argentina’s run atop international soccer

Argentina would maintain the No. 1 FIFA ranking with a win vs. Peru on Tuesday night. It’s on an incredible run, winning 64 of its last 69 games.

Argentina leads the Conmebol World Cup qualifying rankings, and will likely clinch its spot in the 2026 World Cup early next year.

MLS playoffs continue without Messi this weekend

Messi, however, was unable to help Inter Miami advance to the second round of the MLS Cup playoffs.

The MLS postseason continues Saturday as New York City FC hosts the New York Red Bulls at 5:30 p.m. ET, then LAFC hosts Seattle Sounders FC at 10:30 p.m. ET

On Sunday, Orlando City SC hosts Atlanta United at 3:30 p.m. ET, followed by the L.A. Galaxy hosting Minnesota United FC at 6 p.m. ET.

All four matches will be available via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.