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The Big Ten wants to emphasize conference standings, prop of mediocre teams, and insert play-in games to the College Football Playoff process.
Big Ten’s playoff plan would devalue non-conference games rather than rectifying that soft portion of the schedule that needs boosted.
College football needs to put more value on interconference clashes. Don’t neuter high-stakes games between Power Four conferences. Emphasize them.

Tony Petitti says his preferred College Football Playoff format would make for a compelling November, and, on that point, I agree with the Big Ten commissioner.

November, though, doesn’t require a commissioner’s help. That portion of college football’s calendar already rocks, full of epic rivalries and crucial games that influence playoff qualifications and seeding.

On a wild Saturday last November, Florida upset Mississippi and Oklahoma stunned Alabama in results that altered the playoff field. That same day, Penn State barely survived Minnesota, and Arizona State wriggled past Brigham Young in a thriller with playoff stakes.

Regular-season television ratings peak in November. It’s the rest of the season that could use a boost.

That’s where Petitti’s controversial 4+4+2+2+1+3 playoff plan falls flat.

Big Ten playoff plan would devalue non-conference games

Petitti claims to want a playoff model that would improve the regular season, but his plan wouldn’t achieve that goal.

The surest way to improve the season would be to incentivizing teams to play tough non-conference games and reduce the feast of cupcake games that shackle the season’s early weeks. Petitti, though, aims to devalue non-conference games.

November would stay great in his plan, and play-in Saturday would generate buzz, but his idea to award more than 80% of the playoff bids based on conference standings and play-in games would diminish September and, to a lesser extent, even October.

“Fans will gravitate to” play-in games, Petitti said Tuesday at Big Ten media days.

At what cost?

One play-in Saturday is not worth deflating September.

If the playoff became a Petitti production based mostly on conference results, interconference games like Ohio State-Texas, LSU-Clemson and Michigan-Oklahoma would become glorified exhibitions.

Play-in Saturday could prop up average teams

Petitti admits to wanting to prolong the playoff hopes of average teams. He sees the chance for an 8-4 Big Ten team winning a play-in game and cracking the playoff as an asset, not a detriment. I see a structure that would make the season’s first two months less relevant.

I’m envisioning a scenario in which Iowa loses to Iowa State in a September non-conference matchup, and the Hawkeyes slog to 8-4 before winning a play-in game to reach the playoff, while the Cyclones go 10-2, lose a play-in game and miss the playoff.

That’s how a playoff becomes a farce.

Fortunately, Petitti’s playoff plan is going nowhere fast. He’s failed to gain support from other conferences. The playoff format for 2026 and beyond remains undecided.

Petitti would like to diminish the selection committee’s role and, as he puts it, allow playoff spots to be decided on the field and not in a boardroom. In practice, his plan not only would diminish the selection committee, but it also could dilute the influence of some November results.

Alabama, Mississippi and Miami lost to unranked opponents late last November, results that bounced them from the playoff. If Petitti’s model had been in place, the losing teams would have retained a playoff path through play-in games.

I don’t see how college football’s season improves if Syracuse upsetting Miami on the final day of November carries no weight on the playoff picture.

How to actually improve college football’s regular season

Petitti’s playoff plan would earmark four automatic bids for the Big Ten and four more for the SEC – that’s half of a 16-team field – while the Big 12 and ACC received only two automatic bids apiece.

Is it any wonder why the Big Ten hatched this plan, and the Big 12 and ACC detest it?

If Petitti wants to get serious about improving the regular season, then he’s going about this backward by focusing on conference standings and propping up mediocre teams.

Here’s how you improve the regular season: Preserve automatic bids for conference champions, but keep most of the playoff bracket open to at-large bids, and devise a system in which the playoff committee values meaningful non-conference results while evaluating bubble teams.

As it is now, Big Ten teams like Indiana and Nebraska are canceling their toughest non-conference games in favor of weaker schedules, and SEC teams cling to their Championship Subdivision games like a child hugs a security blanket. 

These gimme games bog down the schedule, particularly early in the season.

To rectify that, task the selection committee to reward teams that schedule – and win – tough non-conference games and hold accountable bubble teams that beefed up their record purely by blasting patsies.

Do this, and you’d spur more Big Ten vs. SEC games, of which there are only three this season. Likewise, only three SEC teams will play a Big 12 opponent. Generating more high-stakes non-conference clashes between Power Four opponents not only would become a boon for September audience, those games also would help the committee separate the wheat from the chaff come selection time.

Imagine if Oklahoma played Oklahoma State this October, instead of Kent State, or if Texas played Texas Tech in September, instead of Sam Houston, or if Southern California opened the season against Missouri, instead of Missouri State.

That’s how you improve the season.

College football needs a play-in Saturday in December less than it needs more significant non-conference games, some of which could restore rivalries that conference realignment interrupted.

College basketball figured this out. The NCAA men’s tournament selection committee values victories against opponents within the top quadrants and thereby rewards teams that schedule tough. Qualifying for March Madness isn’t purely an exercise of assembling a fine record. Who you played, and who you beat, matters. Teams that avoid tough games are held accountable in bubble debates.

Petitti claims he’s got college football’s regular season at heart in his playoff plan. He’s wrong. His playoff plan would diminish and neglect the non-conference portion of the schedule that needs enhancement.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

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The United States has withdrawn its delegation from Doha, where it was participating in ceasefire negotiations this week, according to United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

The announcement came the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also announced that its negotiators in Doha would also be leaving in light of the response from Hamas. Witkoff also met with Israeli and Qatari officials in Rome Thursday, according to reports.  

‘We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza,’ Witkoff said in a statement Thursday. 

‘While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.’

Witkoff added that it was a ‘shame’ Hamas has acted in such a ‘selfish way,’ adding the U.S. stands resolute in its efforts to bring permanent peace to the region.

According to Israeli media reports, Hamas is now demanding the release of 200 Palestinians serving life sentences for murdering Israelis and an additional 2,000 Palestinians detained in Gaza after Oct. 7. 

The demand significantly exceeds the previous mediator-backed framework reportedly accepted by Israel, which included the release of 125 life-term prisoners and 1,200 other detainees.

At a State Department briefing Thursday, principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott would not elaborate on any details pertaining to the ‘alternative options’ the U.S. was considering in its effort to bring home hostages and create a more stable environment in Gaza.

‘At this point, (there’s) nothing to preview,’ Pigott told reporters. 

Pigott was also asked whether the U.S. would ever work within the Doha framework to advance negotiations again, a framework that has included representatives from Egypt, Qatar, Hamas, Israel and the United States, but he similarly did not share any details on that front. 

‘Ultimately, the special envoy statement speaks for itself, but I think the broader context here is also important. The fact that we have seen Hamas first break that ceasefire that existed on Oct. 7, then break another ceasefire, and then, here, as the special envoy makes clear, not acting in a way in order to achieve a ceasefire again,’ Pigott said Thursday. ‘So, to reiterate, the question has never been our commitment to a ceasefire. It has been Hamas’. They have shown that again and again and again and have just shown it once again.’

‘Israel has long accepted a deal on the table, and Hamas has long rejected it,’ he added.

During Thursday’s press briefing at the State Department, the agency also confirmed that the U.S. would not be participating in an upcoming United Nations conference discussing a potential two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians.

Fox News’ Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

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A Jewish-American national security group is sounding an alarm about how America and Israel’s enemies may exploit low missile stockpiles after the 12-day war with Iran.  

Defending Israel and the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar from Iranian counterstrikes cost the U.S. and Israel between $1.48 billion to $1.58 billion, according to an analysis by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), and burned through a large portion of missile interceptor stockpiles. 

Both the U.S. and Israel now face an ‘urgent need’ to replace those stocks and sharply increase production rates. 

The U.S. had roughly 632 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors before June 13, the day Israel began its offensive in Iran. About 540 interceptors remain in its arsenal based on JINSA’s calculations of interceptor deliveries and use, according to the report. 

In addition, the two Patriot missile interceptor systems responsible for defending Al Udeid, the U.S.’s largest base in the Middle East that’s home to 10,000 soldiers, reportedly used roughly 30 Patriot interceptors against the 14 Iranian ballistic missiles targeting the site June 23, The interceptors cost about $3.7 million each, totaling $111 million.

Iran launched 574 medium-range ballistic missiles toward Israel and the U.S. airbase in Qatar after Tel Aviv and Washington conducted strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites between June 13 and June 24, when the conflict ended in Iran’s counterstrike in Qatar.

Lt. Gen. Thomas Bergeson, former chief of U.S. Central Command, said the U.S. and its allies needed to do more to invest in nonkinetic interception mechanisms,or systems that can neutralize a threat without explosive force, would be much cheaper in defending against future attacks. 

‘There’s any number of operational test and developmental testing going on with a cheaper bullet than a multibillion-dollar interceptor to shoot down a relatively inexpensive missile or UAS,’ he said. ‘Any electro-magnetic interference capability, a microwave laser EMP, whatever that can screw up, the guidance system or the proportion of that particular system is something that could be cheaper.

‘You can have literally hundreds if not thousands of rounds in one interceptor at very low cost.’

While the cost for the U.S. and Israel was high, the cost for Iran was greater — between $1.1 billion and $6.6 billion. Air defenses saved Israel about $13.5 billion in property damage.

Iran used up between a third and a half of its ballistic missile arsenal during the 12-day conflict, suggesting Iranian assertions it could have continued striking Israel for years if it wanted were overblown. 

Replacing its missile stockpiles will be even more costly given that Israel struck many of its launchers and production sites. 

But the U.S. used up 14% of its global stockpile of prized THAAD missile interceptors. America’s THAAD system accounted for nearly half of all interceptions due to ‘insufficient’ capacity of Israel’s Arrow interception system. 

It would take three to eight years to replenish the THAAD interceptors used in the 12-day war at current production rates. 

Patriot interceptor production is more robust than THAAD, according to the report, but the U.S. is providing a number of Patriot interceptors to Ukraine. So, it’s unclear how many remain in the stockpile. 

If the U.S. and Israel fail to urgently replenish their interceptor inventories — especially THAAD and Patriot systems — they risk entering the next crisis with dangerously thin defenses, according to the report. Adversaries may take note of the extended gap between munitions use and stockpile replenishment, which leaves U.S. bases across the world open to vulnerabilities. 

‘Iran’s large-scale missile campaign may have revealed vulnerabilities in Israeli and U.S. air defense systems, providing lessons that Iran or other U.S. adversaries could exploit in the future,’ the report said.

The Pentagon could not immediately be reached for comment on its plan to replenish missile interceptor stocks.

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Ex-President Joe Biden’s former chief of staff ignored reporters on his way out of an interview with congressional investigators on Thursday after a marathon grilling behind closed doors.

Ronald Klain served as White House chief of staff for the first half of Biden’s term. He also reportedly played a key role in helping the former leader prepare for what proved to be a disastrous first and only 2024 election debate against current President Donald Trump.

Klain sat with staff and some lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee for hours for a voluntary transcribed interview.

Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., earlier told reporters that the interview was going well just after the session broke for lunch.

‘I think we’re having a very good transcribed interview. Mr. Klain is being fairly responsive to our questions,’ Comer said.

Comer is investigating whether Biden’s top White House aides concealed signs of mental decline in the then-president, and if that meant executive actions were signed via autopen without his knowledge.

Lawmakers who briefly attended the interview, however, called him ‘credible.’

‘I think he is telling what he knows accurately,’ Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital.

On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told reporters, ‘He answered every single question. He was fully cooperative.’

Comer was guarded, however, in response to questions about how much new information was gleaned.

‘There have been tidbits,’ he said. ‘We’ve asked specific questions. Obviously, evidence emerges on a daily basis that would suggest Joe Biden wasn’t mentally fit to be President of the United States.’

Klain is the sixth former Biden administration aide to appear for Comer’s probe and the third to appear voluntarily.

Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor, as well as senior advisors Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal, all appeared under subpoena.

Each also pleaded the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions.

Longtime Biden aide Ashley Williams and former staff secretary Neera Tanden both appeared voluntarily.

Like the previous five before him, the longtime Democratic operative did not answer questions from reporters either before or after his interview.

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Lies and lying people comprise the sorry epitaph of Barack Obama’s presidency.  

The Big Lie was that then-candidate Donald Trump colluded with Russia to rig the 2016 presidential election. It derived from a phony dossier commissioned and financed by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Obama’s national security team happily peddled to destroy his successor.  

It begat an even bigger whopper that ‘Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump’ and ‘aspired to help’ his election chances. This notorious deceit was inserted in the official Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) that was ordered by Obama himself and conjured up by his CIA Director John Brennan.  

None of it was true. 

The bogus dossier was exploited to justify the ICA. Conversely, the ICA was used to legitimize the dossier. The circular faux verification was a clever ruse. And it worked splendidly. When both documents were leaked to the gullible Trump-hating media, journalists adopted them without question as sacred gospel from the Holy Book of Obama. The Russia hoax took off like a rocket.  

It crash-landed on Wednesday, July 23, when Tulsi Gabbard, the director of National Intelligence, accused Obama, Brennan and others of engineering the false intelligence. ‘They knew it would promote this contrived narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help President Trump win, selling it to the American people as though it were true. It wasn’t,’ she added.  

Newly declassified documents show that a December 8, 2016, draft of Obama’s Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB) debunked the notion of Russian electoral meddling to help Trump. But wait … that was problematic because it did not conform to the preferred narrative of Trump-Russia collusion. So, FBI Director James Comey and his cohorts reportedly scuttled it. That way, Trump, as president-elect, could not be briefed on its contents.   

The next day Obama convened a highly confidential meeting at the White House. The president ordered his intelligence cronies to expedite a new ICA that would reverse the PDB’s conclusion and energize the collusion fiction. With his marching orders in hand, Brennan immediately went to work on it. 

His challenge was devising a way to contort the known evidence and contradict the consensus of nearly everyone else in the intelligence community. No problem. CIA experts on Russia who strenuously objected were sidelined and silenced. Brennan ignored their warning that there was no direct evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to elect Trump.  

Other intel agencies that typically contribute to the assessment were deliberately excluded to stifle dissent. Evidence shows that Brennan then selected a handful of sycophants — with only one principal drafter — to craft the entire ICA that bore little resemblance to the truth and established facts.  

On January 6, 2017, the rushed-to-completion ICA was produced. It offered a remarkable transformation from the earlier PDB: ‘Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-Elect Trump’s election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him.’ (Page 7 of ICA)  

The head-spinning about-face of intel conclusions was an immaculate conception of corrupt handicraft that belongs in the Intelligence Hall of Shame.  

Although Brennan denied it, numerous delusions drawn from the fake dossier were placed in the formal intelligence assessment to give it the sustenance that it otherwise lacked. Armed with both fallacious documents, Comey then met with Trump later that day in a devious but misbegotten scheme to entrap him. It failed miserably because the newly elected president had no idea what the FBI director was talking about.        

Obama’s dirty fingerprints were all over the cooked-up intelligence claiming that Moscow helped Trump in some grand collusion conspiracy. On Wednesday, Gabbard held a news conference to lift the veil of secrecy and malevolence. She leveled the following broadside:  

‘President Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Brennan, James Clapper, James Comey and others, including their mouthpieces in the media, knowingly lied as they repeated the contrived narrative that was created in this January 2017 intelligence community assessment with high confidence, as though it were fact.’   

Mincing no words, Gabbard accused Brennan of lying about his use of the dossier even though he knew it was a discredited and politically manufactured document. ‘He directed senior CIA officials to use it anyway,’ she said.  

Other intel agencies that typically contribute to the assessment were deliberately excluded to stifle dissent. 

As ‘irrefutable proof,’ she unlocked the 2020 report of the House Intelligence Committee that had never before been seen publicly, thanks to the machinations of then-Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who buried it as classified in a limited-access vault at CIA headquarters. The report outlined in detail the events that I summarized above. 

It was easy to do so because many of them are contained in the book I wrote six years ago, ‘Witch Hunt:’ ‘John Brennan was instrumental in proliferating the dossier. But even before the Clinton campaign and Democrats funded Christopher Steele’s project to smear Trump with the collusion hoax, the seeds of the collusion narrative were germinated by none other than Brennan.’ (Pages 66-67)  

I recounted how Brennan boasted to the House Intel Committee in May of 2017 that he had been the first to alert the FBI about collusion. ‘As he exerted uncommon pressure on the FBI to pursue a counterintelligence probe on Trump, he resolved to help spread the false allegations to Congress and the media. He politicized phony intelligence and instigated the fraudulent case against Clinton’s opponent.’ (Page 68) 

The Russians never had ‘Kompromat’ (compromising material) on Trump, as the dossier falsely accused. But they apparently did have it on Hillary. And that proved quite a stunner on Wednesday.  

The heretofore hidden House Intelligence report reveals how Russian intelligence ‘possessed DNC communications that in 2016 Clinton was suffering from ‘intensified psycho-emotional problems, including uncontrolled fits of anger, aggression, and cheerfulness.’ Clinton was placed on a daily regimen of ‘heavy tranquilizers’ and while afraid of losing, she remained ‘obsessed with a thirst for power.’’  

Obama and Democrat Party bosses apparently knew all about Clinton’s mental instability and found it ‘extraordinarily alarming.’ So much so, they worried it might have a ‘serious negative impact’ on the November election.    

Unlike the dossier, those shocking discoveries were not just idle gossip. The committee reviewed reams of source material and obtained corroboration during some 20 interviews with FBI agents and intelligence officers.  

How did the Russians get their hands on the damaging material? The report explains that Putin ordered hacking operations on the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee. It seems that since Putin believed Hillary would win the election, he held the ‘Kompromat’ in his back pocket to use as potential blackmail for later use. 

His challenge was devising a way to contort the known evidence and contradict the consensus of nearly everyone else in the intelligence community. No problem. CIA experts on Russia who strenuously objected were sidelined and silenced.

In sending a criminal referral for possible prosecution to the Justice Department, Gabbard stated, ‘The evidence that we have found and that we have released directly point to President Obama leading the manufacturing of this intelligence assessment.’ 

In response, the DOJ announced that it had formed a ‘strike force’ to fully assess all the evidence and to investigate the next legal steps. Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to ‘leave no stone unturned to deliver justice.’  

Obama denies any wrongdoing. But he should thank Trump for winning the recent landmark Supreme Court decision that provides all presidents with immunity. Ironically, the former president can now hide behind its broad protections. However, no such shield extends to others involved.  

It is folly to predict at this stage what prosecutions, if any, the future may hold. But the stain of corruption is already embedded in the epitaph of Obama’s presidency.   

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LATROBE, Penn. – Like always, T.J. Watt expects the rigors of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp will come with a night out with teammates at Sharky’s Café, the popular sports bar minutes away from St. Vincent College.

After all, some traditions never get old. And with the Steelers descending on the quaint Catholic school for training camp for the 58th year, Sharky’s is just the place to break the monotony of summer practices…while munching on chicken wings.

“All the traditions, that makes this place special,” Watt said Wednesday, shortly after checking into the Steelers camp with a fresh, three-year contract worth $123 million.

One guess who’ll be springing for the tab at Sharky’s. And then some.

“Yeah, I’ll be picking up the check for quite some time,” Watt, 30, confirmed. “I’ve got no problem doing that.”

It’s no wonder. Watt’s historic deal averages $41 million, which tops the $40 million-per-year figure for Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett and makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. The contract has $108 million guaranteed and came with a $40 million signing bonus.

That mega deal is some kind of calling card for the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year. And it begs for comparative context.

Consider T.J.’s big brother, J.J. During his 12-year NFL career, J.J. Watt earned three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards and collected $129.7 million in compensation.

That T.J. nearly matched his brother’s career earnings with the extension signed last week prompted a hilarious reaction from J.J.

In a post on X, J.J. posted, “I swear if this guy ever lets me begin to reach for my wallet at dinner…”

T.J. chuckled when reminded on J.J.’s social media dig.

“We’ve always had really good banter,” he said. “J.J.’s covered the checks for a lot of my life. I have no problem repaying the favor, but he’s done pretty damn well for himself.”

All joking aside, Watt’s big contract invites a huge question reflective with the huge hole in his impressive NFL resume.

Will Watt, heading into his ninth NFL season, finally help the Steelers win a playoff game? For all of his achievements – Watt was the second-fastest player in NFL history to notch 100 sacks, a pace bettered only by the great Reggie White – he’s still seeking his first NFL playoff victory as Pittsburgh has won all of zero playoff games since 2016.

“I think staying healthy is a huge thing. Rotating. Staying fresh,” Watt said, when someone asked what needs to happen for Pittsburgh to avoid its recent pattern of late-season swoons. “I think it’s the way we approach practice and everything. Everything you do is contagious, one way or another. So, I’m just trying to be the best teammate I can be, day in and day out.”

No, it’s never all on one player, even one as gifted as Watt. Yet having him in the fold from the start of camp undoubtedly eliminates the possibility of a major distraction that might have dampened the “all-in” buzz that exists after such an eye-popping offseason.

Pittsburgh lured Aaron Rodgers as a free agent, plus swung trades that landed star wideout DK Metcalf, premier cornerback Jalen Ramsey and versatile tight end Jonnu Smith. The Steelers added play-making cornerback Darius Slay and crafty receiver Robert Woods. The draft brought defensive end Derrick Harmon and a promising running back in Kaleb Johnson.

After such an aggressive offseason, not coming to camp without sealing the deal with Watt – the negotiations lingered for months – would have been a bad look.

Sure, it’s business. And after Garrett struck a deal with the Browns, topping the contract that Maxx Crosby signed with the Las Vegas Raiders that is worth $35.5 million per year, the market for edge rushers keeps escalating.

And it’s likely that Watt’s “highest-paid” tag comes with a short shelf life, with Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons next in line for a new deal.

With training camps open, time to grade every NFL team’s offseason – just two get A’s

While Parsons reported to Cowboys camp without a new contract, the drama has dominated the early stages of camp – much like the (since-resolved) cases of Dak Prescott and Cee Dee Lamb put a drag on Dallas’ camp last year.

No, there’s no circus in Steelers camp, at least not when it comes to contract matters. After swinging all the big offseason moves, GM Omar Khan sure checked that other crucial box in coming to terms with Watt’s agents.

How do you spell relief?

“Certainly, we’re glad that the business component of it is done and he’s here and ready to work,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said after putting the squad through its annual conditioning test to open camp. “But I don’t know about the relief component of it.

“I just know when two sides are properly motivated – him wanting to be here and us wanting him here – it was a matter of time before it worked out. I think the speed in which it happened, once they really got focused and serious, is reflective of that.”

Steelers’ new throwback uniforms honor 1933 Pittsburgh Pirates, not bumblebees

Watt heard all of the rumblings during the offseason, as the negotiations dragged on. Some of it seemed absurd, like suggestions the Steelers would put their defensive centerpiece on the trade block. There was also a theory that Watt wouldn’t sign until Garrett and Crosby’s deals were done to set the market, which is, well, what happened.

A few months ago, Watt – who didn’t participate in the offseason workout program and skipped the team’s mandatory minicamp — posted a cryptic message on Instagram. It was a photo of himself in a Steelers uniform, flashing a peace sign.

“Sometimes, it’s just fun to have fun with the narratives out there,” Watt said. “I’m very in-tuned with what’s going on in negotiations and how things are going. It’s fun to see what all you guys are writing, thinking that things are one way and they’re completely a different way. So, sometimes it’s fun.”

Well, it’s all business now for Watt. And given his contract and the expectations, it’s pretty big business.

Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: On X: @JarrettBell

On Bluesky: jarrettbell.bsky.social

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LAS VEGAS — He’s selling it because he believes it. Or maybe there’s no alternative when you’re deep into the buildout.

Oregon is doubling down, Dan Lanning says. Just one bad game away for the program that spent more time than any other at No. 1 last season — then played its worst game since the last time they played the eventual national champion.

And lost by 46.

That was Lanning’s first game at Oregon in 2022, a brutal loss at the hands of Georgia that can only be eclipsed by the brutal loss at the hands of eventual national champion Ohio State in last year’s Rose Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal — as the nation’s No.1 team and national title favorite.

But ignore those bookend beatdowns, there’s a bigger picture here.

“The process works,” Lanning said on the dais at Big Ten Media Days, throwing talking points chum to the masses. “We’re close.”

This, of course, means next to nothing in the coaching world of ‘you’re the last thing you put on tape.’

So I got Lanning away from the stage Wednesday, and asked what exactly does doubling down mean? Oregon has won 35 games in his three seasons, and last year won the conference championship in its first season in the Big Ten.

The Ducks have hit nearly every significant metric of growth under Lanning, from elite recruiting, to a winning record vs. ranked teams, to sitting on top of the college football world for nearly two months.

MAN WITH PLAN: Oregon’s Lanning pitches playoff that ends Jan. 1

So what in the name of Dan Fouts does doubling down mean?

“We’ve had a lot of success, and I really attribute that to our growth mindset,” Lanning said. “Our DNA mindset of who we are.”

Wait, what? 

So I got annoyed with the nothing answer, and Lanning got annoyed at me — and the next thing you know, Kirby Smart arrived. And by Kirby Smart, I mean the aura of the best coach in college football and Lanning’s mentor.

And it went about like what you’d think.

“Doubling down is continuing to work your ass off at practice,” Lanning said. “Doubling down is continuing to run when your body tells you ‘no.’ Doubling down is getting necessary sleep. It’s focusing intently on all those pieces and more. All the time.”

Hallelujah, now we’re getting somewhere. 

There’s a reason Lanning and three Oregon players who attended Big Ten media days were peppered with questions about the loss to Ohio State, and the impact moving forward. And it’s not because of the hoard of swooning Ohio State media endlessly reliving Scarlet and Gray glory.

When you fail so spectacularly on the biggest stage of all, there must be a complete deconstruction of the disaster. It’s not simply losing to a better team, which Ohio State was on that day. 

It’s how did it fall apart so quickly, and how was the preparation so ineffective? How was an Oregon team built for this moment so out of its element?

Ohio State scored on the third play of the game. Ohio State’s first two scoring drives took all of six plays. 

Ohio State led by 31 midway through the second quarter, and Oregon looked a whole lot like the Ducks team that was dismantled in Lanning’s first game against Georgia. Outcoached, outplayed, outclassed. 

So yeah, it’s a fair question to ask how that Rose Bowl loss translates to 2025, especially considering this talented Oregon team has gone from a record-setting quarterback (Dillon Gabriel) with 63 career starts, to one (Dante Moore) with five.

You don’t grind for three years on a buildout, painstakingly changing everything about a program and molding it into what Nick taught Kirby and Kirby taught you, and ignore the elephant in the room.

“A lot of work, man, a lot of it,” said Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher, a two-sport athlete who returned for his senior season instead of playing professional baseball. 

He hasn’t forgotten the suddenness of what happened in Pasadena on New Year’s Day. Why in the world would he? 

“It drives you,” Boettcher continued. “It’s hard to explain, the way it ended. That’s a problem. That’s not something you ever forget.”

And that’s where Lanning tangibly doubled down on what he knows works. He protected his roster from key transfer portal defections, and added a handful of critical pieces (starting OTs Isaiah World and Alex Harkey, RB Makhi Hughes) to solidify the team around Moore.

He went from taking a small group of players on a leadership retreat, to taking 35. Because more is better when adversity hits, and because good teams are led by coaches. Great teams are led by players.

Great teams that can withstand giving up a touchdown on the third play of the Rose Bowl, and not crawl into a fetal position at the thought of it all.

A great, player-led team goes on the road this year in the Big Ten, and isn’t impacted by a whiteout at Penn State, or a 3,000-mile trip to Piscataway, New Jersey. Because who among us wouldn’t travel three time zones to reach lovely Piscataway? 

A great, player-led team isn’t concerned with anything but doubling down and completing the buildout.

“What happened last year has nothing to do with the future,” Lanning said. 

Neither do the bookend beatdowns. 

But they’re all part of the bigger picture.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

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Hulk Hogan, legendary wrestler, has died at 71.

Real name Terry Bollea, Hogan rose to prominence as a wrestling superstar in the 1970s, eventually crossing over into superstardom as part of World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the 1980s.

The enduring image of Hogan was bodyslamming Andre the Giant in the main event of WrestleMania III.

‘Hulkamania’ ran wild all the way into the 1990s, when he found himself in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he was later reborn as the villainous ‘Hollywood’ Hulk Hogan, leader of the infamous nWo faction. He later returned to WWE in the early 2000s, kicking off his final full-time run with the company, before signing with Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling in the mid-2000s. He made sporadic WWE appearances in the decades that followed.

Hogan was the subject of several controversies, including a racist rant caught on video and a highly publicized lawsuit vs. Gawker Media. He also gained notoriety for striking down attempts at unionization within the wrestling industry.

Still, Hogan’s superstardom exceeded the confines of the squared circle and permeated pop culture in a way few before and after have been able to accomplish.

The wrestling world paid homage to the ‘Hulkster’ following news of his death Thursday:

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The WNBA regular season heats up as the Indiana Fever host the Las Vegas Aces in a highly anticipated matchup on Thursday, July 24.

The Fever will be without Caitlin Clark, who has been ruled out of the game against the Aces due to a right groin injury. This will mark the 12th regular-season game that Clark has missed. Ahead of tonight’s game, the Fever announced Clark underwent further medical evaluations earlier this week, which confirmed no additional injuries or damage. There is no timetable for her return, however, as Clark and the team prioritize the All-Star guard’s long-term health.

The Fever are aiming to snap a two-game losing streak after their recent loss to the New York Liberty. All-Star Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever in scoring in the loss, recording 29 points, two rebounds and two assists.

The Aces are currently enjoying their first three-game winning streak of the season after an 87-72 deafeat of the Atlanta Dream. Three-time MVP A’ja Wilson led the team with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Jackie Young and Dana Evans contributed a combined total of 28 points in the victory.

Here is how to watch the Indiana Fever take on the Las Vegas Aces tonight:

What time is Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever?

The Indiana Fever will host the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday, July 24 at 7 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Fans can watch the action on Prime Video.

How to watch Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever: TV, stream

Time: 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT)
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
Streaming: Prime Video
Local TV: WTHR Channel 13 (Indianapolis), Vegas 34 (Las Vegas).

The game will also be available to view on demand on WNBA League Pass after it concludes.

Stream Aces vs. Fever on Prime

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The father of Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter is being released from jail in Palm Beach County, Florida, after the state of Florida decided at a court hearing July 24 to withdraw its allegation that he violated his probation there.

Travis Hunter Sr., 39, was arrested July 22 after he allegedly violated his probation stemming from drug and gun charges in 2023.

His probation officer said he violated the “community control” portion of his three-year probation sentence when there was an 11-minute lapse in tracking his whereabouts on his electronic monitoring device. Under community control, he is generally required to be confined to his home under monitoring from the device, which generated a “bracelet gone” alarm for 11 minutes on the night of June 28, according to the officer’s report.

“It was beeping for I think 10 or 11 minutes, and then it was plugged back in, and they verified that he’s where he was supposed to be (at his home),” Hunter’s attorney Bradford Cohen said via Zoom at a court hearing July 24. “I don’t know if it was a low battery.”

As a result of the alleged violation, Hunter Sr. was taken into custody and held without bond until the hearing in court before Judge Howard Coates July 24. Hunter’s attorney told the judge he was prepared to admit to the probation violation as part of an agreement with the state to release Hunter and reinstate the terms of Hunter’s probation. But the judge advised that such an admission would require a guilty plea that could stack up against Hunter Sr. if he violated probation again.

“Once you get the violation, it’s cumulative in this court,” the judge said at the hearing, which was also viewable via Zoom. “The second violation will be dealt with more harshly.”

The attorney for the state then agreed to just withdraw the allegation instead and reinstate the terms of his probation as if it never happened.

“Mr. Hunter, you should be released forthwith,” the judge said. “There will be an order entered reinstating your probation.”

Travis Hunter’s father in the spotlight more as son soars

Hunter Sr. has been in the public eye recently after his son, the Heisman Trophy winner from Colorado, mentioned him in his speech at the Heisman ceremony in December. Hunter Jr. brought attention to his legal situation then when he mentioned his father couldn’t be there then or at other times previously.

Travis Hunter’s father arrested in Florida after alleged probation violation

Then in recent months, Hunter Sr. has made special requests in court related to his son. He asked for the court’s permission to attend the NFL draft with his son in Wisconsin in April and then attend his son’s wedding in Tennessee in May. The judge granted both requests.

But the judge denied his request to modify his probation so he could be with his son more frequently as he begins his rookie season in Jacksonville.

Why Travis Hunter’s father is on probation

His probation stems from traffic stop in Lantana, Florida, in November 2023, after the police said he didn’t have “any lights for the tag” on his car, according to the police report. Police identified him as a habitual traffic offender with no driver’s license and subjected him to a search that allegedly found drugs and a backpack with a pistol and loaded magazine, according to court records.

Hunter Sr., a former standout athlete in Palm Beach County, ended up being charged with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon after a prior conviction in 2018 for “sale or possession of heroin with intent to sell.” He reached a plea deal in 2024 that included a sentence of 90 days in jail. He got released on Dec. 5, just nine days before his son’s Heisman ceremony in New York.

He also was sentenced to three years of probation, including one year of community control supervision.

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

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