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Southern California women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins has joined an investor group for the Boston Legacy Football Club.

The Boston Legacy is an expansion team in the National Women’s Soccer League that will begin playing in March 2026.

Watkins was formally welcomed with a press release on Nov. 6. She is the first college athlete to invest directly into a professional women’s team.

“Juju’s investment marks a groundbreaking moment for women’s sports and the power of NIL,” Jennifer Epstein, the controlling owner of the Boston Legacy FC, said in the release. “As the first college athlete to directly invest in a women’s professional sports team, she’s showing that today’s student-athletes aren’t just building their own brands — they’re shaping the future of the game.”

Watkins joins a group of investors that includes former USC and current Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston and Boston Celtics general manager Brad Stevens are also among the investors.

“Boston Legacy FC is creating a space for women to achieve, lead, and inspire others at the highest level,” Watkins said in the statement, “and I’m proud to be part of the movement pushing women’s sports forward.”

Will JuJu Watkins play for USC this season?

While the women’s college basketball season started Nov. 3, Watkins will not participate. She will miss the 2025-26 season as she continues her recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. It will count as her redshirt year.

Watkins suffered the injury in her right knee during an NCAA tournament second-round game against Mississippi State on March 24, 2025.

She finished last season with several accolades, including the Women’s Wooden Award and Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year honor.

Watkins is expected to return to USC for the 2026-27 season with two years of eligibility remaining.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

STORRS, Conn. — The No. 1-ranked UConn women’s basketball team unveiled its championship banner at Gampel Pavilion on Sunday. Then, the Huskies continued their dominance.

UConn smothered Florida State, 99-67, scoring 42 points off turnovers. UConn also outrebounded the Seminoles 39-27.

Azzi Fudd led UConn with 23 points and five assists. The senior shot 60% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range. Sarah Strong has 21 points and nine rebounds.

Sole Williams led Florida State with 14 points.

On Sunday, Nov. 9, UConn hosts Florida State for a late afternoon contest. Follow along for live updates and highlights from the game:

Third quarter: UConn 83, Florida State 48

The Huskies took their largest lead of the game by outscoring the Seminoles 32-21 in the quarter. UConn has 36 points in the paint and 22 fastbreak points. Azzi Fudd has 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting including three 3-pointers. Sarah Strong has 21 points and nine rebounds. Kayleigh Heckel added 10 points off the bench.

Sole Williams has 11 points to lead Florida State. The Seminoles have 22 turnovers and are shooting 39% from the field.

Halftime: UConn 51, Florida State 27

The combination of Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong are overwhelming the Seminoles.

Fudd has 20 points, going 8-for-12 from the field with two 3-pointers. Strong nearly has a double-double with 16 points and 8 rebounds. She also has two assists, two blocks and a steal. She stole the ball at midcourt in the waning minutes of the second quarter and took it in for a driving layup. Stong was fouled and converted the free throw.

UConn continues to outrebound Florida State 22-15. The Huskies also have 11 steals and 26 points off turnovers.

Sole Williams is leading Florida State in scoring with seven points.

First quarter: UConn 23, Florida State 13

UConn has taken a double-digit lead at the end of the first quarter. Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd have 10 points each. The Huskies are dominating the boards with 15 rebounds, including seven offensive boards.

Sole Williams has five points for the Seminoles. Florida State has eight rebounds and is shooting 31.1% from the field.

We are underway in Storrs

UConn had four chances on its opening possession, grabbing three offensive rebounds, and is 1-for-5 to start the game. Azzi Fudd broke the drought with a mid-range jumper.

Florida State at UConn: Time, streaming

Date: Sunday, Nov. 9
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT)
Location: Gampel Pavilion
Stream: FS1

UConn unveils championship banner

Florida State starting lineup

UConn starting lineup

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

DeMarcus Lawrence had two total touchdowns during his 11-year career with the Dallas Cowboys. It took him just eight games to achieve that same feat with the Seattle Seahawks.

Lawrence scored twice in the first quarter-plus of the Seahawks’ Week 10 game against the Arizona Cardinals. The scores were eerily similar.

On the first, second-year linebacker Tyrice Knight was able to get pressure on Jacoby Brissett and knock the ball out of his hands. Lawrence was able to scoop up the ball and run into the end-zone uncontested..

On the second, second-year linebacker Tyrice Knight was able to get pressure on Jacoby Brissett and knock the ball out of his hands. Lawrence was able to scoop up the ball and run into the end-zone uncontested.

Feeling deja vu? Lawrence must have been given the symmetry between the two scores.

Lawrence’s second scoop-and-score was also historic, as he tied the NFL record for most non-offensive touchdowns in a game. Minnesota Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers was previously the most recent player to achieve that feat, doing so in the Vikings’ 48-10 Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals earlier in the season.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

If you thought a fine was going to deter Rico Dowdle from fully channeling Hingle McCringleberry, guess again.

The Carolina Panthers running back scored his first touchdown since his paycheck was docked for thrusting two pumps a week ago in his life-imitates-art moment while mimicking McCringleberry, the fictional football player from a ‘Key & Peele’ sketch infamous for drawing penalties with his inappropriate end-zone celebrations.

After scoring on a 5-yard run Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, Dowdle again put his hands behind his head as if he was considering a pump or two, a la McCringleberry, portrayed by actor and comedian Keegan-Michael Key, who couldn’t help himself while deciding whether or not to test the official (played by Jordan Peele). McCringleberry had a propensity to test a fictional rule that permitted two pumps but not three.

But Dowdle contained himself this time, eventually celebrating with his teammates while forgoing even a single pump.

The Minnesota Vikings’ Aaron Jones also faked a pump Sunday after scoring a TD against the Baltimore Ravens.

Dowdle was fined $14,491 after being penalized for the celebration following his second Week 9 touchdown against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Not only did he lose money, his 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty contributed to a missed extra point. Dowdle later made amends with a 19-yard run on Carolina’s final drive, setting up the game-winning field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald.

Dowdle joked on social media that he was staring a GoFundMe initiative after learning his wallet had taken a hit.

By NFL standards, the Panthers’ breakout star is vastly underpaid, his one-year deal with Carolina set to pay him $2.75 million − less the cut the NFL has taken.

Dowdle ran for nearly 1,100 yards with the Dallas Cowboys in 2024 and entered Week 10 ranked third in the NFL with 735 rushing yards − despite starting just three games since he took over the lead role from Chuba Hubbard.

Dowdle was surprised when he was penalized, holding up two fingers as he left the field for the sideline in Green Bay.

‘From my understanding and everything I’ve learned, we go over stuff like this every week in the meeting room. I definitely think you’re supposed to get two pumps,’ Dowdle said following the game.

His infraction came at a time when the league has emphasized good sportsmanship. However the entire episode has generally been met with good fun, actor and comedian Keegan-Michael Key, who portrayed McCringleberry, expressing faux outrage on Instagram on Sunday night.

‘Rico! Man, you got robbed − you only did two pumps,’ said a flabbergasted Key, tongue firmly placed in cheek.

‘I’m sorry, man. Now I’m gonna have to write a new sketch.’

‘We’ve got to be smarter in that situation,’ said Panthers coach Dave Canales while in a forgiving mood Monday.

‘We’ve got to make sure that we understand the rules. I might have to call up Keegan-Michael Key to get clarification on that part of it, but from what I understand, any kind of movement that way, any weapons, or all that stuff is going to get flagged. We’ve got to be smarter about that.’

Sunday, it appeared Dowdle had learned his lesson.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Week 11 college football schedule provided further clarity for what the respective conference and College Football Playoff races may look like as the season enters its final stretch run.

The top four teams of last week’s US LBM Coaches Poll and CFP top 25 — No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 4 Alabama — won their Week 11 contests, setting up potential championship games between the Buckeyes and Hoosiers in the Big Ten and Aggies and Crimson Tide in the Southeastern Conference.

But what about the rest of college football landscape?

In the Atlantic Coast Conference, any hope the league had of producing multiple bids took a major hit on Saturday, Nov. 8, as two of its top teams in No. 11 Virginia (No. 14 in CFP) and No. 15 Louisville (No. 15 CFP) fell to Wake Forest and California, respectively. With the ACC standings currently muddied heading into the final three weeks of the season, it seems only the ACC champion may make it to the CFP in 2025-26.

Elsewhere, No. 9 Texas Tech (No. 8 CFP) demolished previously unbeaten No. 8 BYU (No. 7 CFP) to claim Big 12 supremacy after Week 11. And South Florida has once again emerged as a favorite to earn the Group of Five nod after not only beating Texas-San Antonio, 55-23, but also watching prior favorite Memphis fall 38-32 to Tulane on Friday, Nov. 7.

As the 12-team College Football Playoff field continues to take shape, here’s what USA TODAY Sports’ experts think the final bracket will look like after Week 11:

CFP bracket projections after Week 11

Craig Meyer, USA TODAY Network

Ohio State *
Alabama *
Indiana
Texas A&M
Texas Tech *
Georgia
Ole Miss
Notre Dame
Oregon
Miami *
Vanderbilt
James Madison *

* Denotes one of five highest-ranked conference champions

Ohio State and Alabama look well-positioned to win the Big Ten and SEC, respectively, while Texas Tech showed pretty definitively Saturday it’s the best team in the Big 12. I still think Miami has a clear enough path and more than enough talent to win a chaotic ACC while the American will cannibalize itself enough to get Sun Belt team James Madison a back door into the playoff as the designated non-Power Four participant.

Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Network

Ohio State *
Alabama *
Indiana
Georgia
Texas A&M
Texas Tech *
Ole Miss
Notre Dame
Oregon
Texas
Georgia Tech *
USF *

* Denotes one of five highest-ranked conference champions

Ohio State looks like the best team in college football this season, and, as of now, I have the Buckeyes taking down Indiana in the Big Ten title game to secure the No. 1 spot in the CFP bracket. I also have Alabama beating Georgia for the second time this season in the SEC championship game, as Texas A&M misses out on a conference title game berth after falling to Texas in the season finale.

Ehsan Kassim, USA TODAY Network

Ohio State *
Alabama *
Indiana
Texas A&M
Georgia
Texas Tech *
Notre Dame
Oregon
Ole Miss
Texas
Georgia Tech *
South Florida *

* Denotes one of five highest-ranked conference champions

Until someone shows me they can beat the defending champions, Ohio State remains the best team in the country. Ranking 2-6 is pretty even, but Alabama earns the No. 2 ranking as the Crimson Tide beat Georgia in the SEC championship game. Georgia Tech and USF get the last two spots as the ACC and American champs, respectively.

John Leuzzi, USA TODAY Network

Ohio State *
Alabama *
Indiana
Texas A&M
Georgia
Notre Dame
Ole Miss
Texas Tech *
Oregon
BYU
Georgia Tech *
North Texas *

Even with Carnell Tate absent from its win at Purdue, Ohio State remains the top-seeded team in the CFP. Alabama likewise kept its undefeated streak in the SEC, making the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide the top two seeds. The Big 12 runs through Lubbock with Texas Tech, which held BYU to a season-low 255 total yards of offense this past week.

Where it gets tricky is who will represent the ACC and Group of Five. For now, I think it is Georgia Tech — largely in part to Virginia’s loss to Wake Forest and Louisville’s loss to Cal — and North Texas, though the winner out of the American feels like a toss-up each week.

Craig Meyer, Austin Curtright, Ehsan Kassim and John Leuzzi of the USA TODAY Network contributed to this article.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Wisconsin stunned Washington, ending a six-game losing streak and securing its first home touchdown in more than a month.
The ACC continues to struggle after its top-ranked teams, Virginia and Louisville, both lost to unranked opponents.
Several games featured wild endings, including a premature celebration on a missed field goal and a fumbled spike attempt.

For much of 2025, there hasn’t been much to jump around for in Wisconsin.

Six consecutive losses. Two straight home shutouts. All while the coach fans want out gets told he will be back next season.

How much worse was it going to get for the Badgers? Turns out, the good times have finally arrived.

Not only did Wisconsin score a touchdown at home, but it pulled through to stun Washington, 13-10.

It was by no means pretty. It’s not often you see the leading passer is the punter – on one pass – but the Badgers mustered 157 yards on the ground and kept the Huskies, No. 23 in the College Football Playoff rankings, scoreless in the second half.

It may be silly to see Wisconsin fans storm the field, but they absolutely deserve it after the pain they’ve endured this season. It’s the little things that matter, and that’s why Wisconsin leads the best and worst things from Week 11.

Best: Indiana and Gus Johnson

Fox top play-by-play man Gus Johnson is beloved for his electric calls, but he may have delivered one of his best on one of the greatest plays of the season.

Worst: ACC woes continue 

After not having teams in the top 12 of the initial CFP rankings, the ACC plummeted further with its highest ranked teams – Virginia and Louisville – losing to unranked foes.

The Cavaliers and Cardinals will surely fall down the rankings, and a four-way tie for first place ensures absolute chaos. Even worse, the only ranked team to play, Miami, won but doesn’t even control its destiny to the conference title game.

Does anyone want to win this conference?

Best: UConn

One of the best stories is developing at the independent level, where Jim Mora has Connecticut winning again.

The Huskies beat Duke to move to 7-3, making it two straight seasons of at least seven wins for the first time since 2009-10. Mora has done an excellent job building off last season’s nine-win campaign, and the fans are buying in.

The win over the Blue Devils came in front of its best home crowd in 12 years, proving basketball isn’t the only thing the Huskies care about.

It’s even more impressive when you realize UConn has more ACC wins (three) than seven actual ACC teams, including North Carolina and Florida State.

Worst: Painful celebration

Western Carolina thought it pulled off the upset of Mercer in FCS with a last second field goal, and the players and crowd went wild as they stormed the field.

There was just one problem: the kick wasn’t good.

It appears the stadium public address announcer thought the kick was good, and told the crowd it was successful, resulting in the celebration. It was only after some time everyone supporting the Catamounts realized the field goal was missed, and Mercer actually won.

Nothing worse than a premature celebration.

Best: Not giving up

Southern California quarterback Jayden Maiava made a bad mistake when his pass went right to the hands of Northwestern’s Najee Story. The Wildcats defensive lineman looked like he was going to take it back for a pick six and give Northwestern the lead, but Maiava didn’t quit on the play.

Just as Story was going to cross the goal line, Maiava hit him and forced the ball out. It tumbled out of the endzone, resulting in a touchback and no points for Northwestern.

It was a big play as USC got the ball back and eventually scored a touchdown, proving you should never give up even after making a mistake.

Worst: Failed spike

There’s plenty of insane ways to lose a game, but Eastern Washington took the cake this week. 

With the Eagles down 29-24 in the final minute to Montana, quarterback Jake Schakel tried to spike the ball to stop the clock and set up one last play. Only problem was he fumbled the ball on the spike.

By the time EWU got control of the ball, the clock ran out and the undefeated Grizzlies avoided the upset. A brutal way to lose.

Best: Deception

Southern California pulled off one of the sneakiest fake punts you’ll ever see.

Against Northwestern, the punt team was on hand on fourth down, but when the play began, the punter looked like a seasoned quarterback, dropping back and delivering a dot left-handed to receiver Tanook Hines for the first down.

It looked impressive from punter No. 80 Sam Johnson – only for it to not be him. 

That was actually third-string quarterback Sam Huard. Listed as No. 7 on USC’s online roster, he was listed on the game day roster as No. 80. 

It clearly faked out Northwestern, which didn’t realize a quarterback was in the game. Lincoln Riley’s trickery worked out well as USC scored a touchdown on the drive.

Worst: Fighting

Something must’ve been in the air on Nov, 8 that was making several teams want to throw down. 

Three notable fights took place in Week 11, with Auburn and Vanderbilt nearly throwing down, while Grambling and Bethune-Cookman got crazy on the sideline.

Leave it on the football field.

Best: Onside kick

The chances of recovering an onside kick are rare, but if executed correctly, the benefits are great.

Delaware reaped all the rewards against Louisiana Tech. Down 24-16 in the final minute, the Blue Hens scored a touchdown but couldn’t tie it on the two-point conversion. So, it attempted the onside kick, and it worked perfectly. Kicker Nate Reed placed it perfectly for Delaware to get the ball with 33 seconds left.

A few plays later, Reed was back on the field, and he drilled a 51-yard field goal with 12 seconds left to put the Blue Hens on top, and they held for a stunning victory. 

Best: Army kills the clock

Temple was down 14-13 against Army when it punted it away with 9:45 left in the game. The Owls presumably figured just get a stop, get the ball back for a chance to take the lead.

It never happened.

The Black Knights put on a clinic in time of possession, running an 18-play drive that took up the rest of the game to preserve the win. Army started at its own 42-yard line, and made it to the Temple 1-yard line before it went to victory formation. Death by the triple option.

Worst: All-time losing team

For years, Indiana has been the most losing team in college football history. It entered 2025 with 715 losses. But Indiana hasn’t lost since, and in that time a new all-time loser has emerged: Northwestern. 

With the loss to USC, Northwestern now has 716 losses, the most in FBS. Congratulations?

Best: Sam Houston wins

Another team has fallen off the rank of winless.

Sam Houston entered Week 11 0-8 with a trip to Corvallis to take on Oregon State. The Bearkats were facing a Beavers team coming off a solid win against Washington State, but they didn’t fold on the road. Thanks to two special teams touchdowns, Sam Houston overcame some late mistakes to stun Oregon State and get its first win of the season. A remarkable achievement for Phil Longo’s team.

Now there’s only one team left without a win: Massachusetts. Hopefully the Minutemen can get out of the cellar.

This story was updated to change a video.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Clete Blakeman signed up for 60 minutes and not a second more.

The NFL referee inserted himself into the spotlight with a pair of bloopers towards the end of the NFL Germany game. It appeared the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons were destined for overtime, but Michael Penix Jr. had one last shot in regulation.

After Penix was flagged for intentional grounding, Blakeman’s crew had a tough time explaining, and executing, the 10-second runoff. The penalty ultimately ended regulation. While they eventually figured that out, the confusion spilled over into overtime.

Before the coin toss, Blakeman gestured to the Colts for them to call it. Indianapolis is the designated home team in Berlin, which means Atlanta should’ve had that privilege. Naturally, the Colts won the toss and were primed to start overtime with the ball.

Luckily for Blakeman, they corrected the snafu before overtime kicked off and the Falcons ended up with the ball first.

Penix and co. failed to capitalize on that possession, handing it right back to Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis offense. The Colts managed to march right down the field to win the game with a Jonathan Taylor touchdown.

The NFL’s new overtime rules made Blakeman’s error a little less impactful than it would’ve been under the old version. Both teams now have the chance to possess the ball in the extra session, meaning you can’t win the game without letting the other team have a chance to score.

Of course, there is a clock component, but luckily for everyone involved, none of that managed to become an issue.

In Blakeman’s defense, both teams were a long way from home. It won’t prevent him from ending up the blooper reels though.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Is this all one incredible thrill ride of distraction before a soul-sucking march to glory by Ohio State?
A ‘most improbable’ victory by Indiana keeps the Hoosiers undefeated.
The ACC is a mess, but we can’t look away.

Make room in Indiana athletics lore. If the wins keep coming for the Hoosiers, they may talk in Bloomington about Omar Cooper Jr.’s catch with the same reverence reserved for Keith Smart’s jumper against Syracuse.

Cooper leaped, caught and somehow affixed his left foot to the turf millimeters inside of the white chalk, good for a last-minute touchdown and an incredible 27-24 comeback victory for No. 2 Indiana at Penn State.

“It was the most improbable victory I’ve ever been a part of,” coach Curt Cignetti said after his team traveled 87 yards in less than two minutes for the triumph.

With wayward Wisconsin and woebegone Purdue left on the schedule, the Hoosiers are going to march into the Big Ten championship with an undefeated record and a shot at the playoff’s No. 1 seed.

And I still can’t decide whether this is a team of destiny or an incredible dose of window dressing before the inevitable — Ohio State repeating as national champions — takes hold in the postseason.

That’s the big, unanswered question looming over this season. Is this all one incredible thrill ride of distraction before a soul-sucking march to glory by Ohio State?

While the Hoosiers cooked up theatrics to survive left-for-dead Penn State, the thump-thump-thump Buckeyes drumbeat played in the background, as No. 1 Ohio State steamrolled Purdue 34-10.

“Business-like,” coach Ryan Day said of the team’s 13th consecutive victory.

C’mon, Buckeyes, don’t you want in on the white-knuckle theatrics?

In lieu of that, Ohio State served another masterclass of defense. Another game in which Julian Sayin completed more than 80% of his passes. Impressive though Ohio State’s persistent dominance is, it’s serving as the season’s boring undercard. All the drama’s elsewhere.

Hours after Indiana’s thriller, No. 11 Virginia finally fell during its weekly walk on the high wire, and California used a fourth-down completion to topple No. 15 Louisville in overtime.

The ACC is a mess of mediocrity, but its conference race commands our attention. Get a load of this: With three games remaining, Duke remains in the hunt for an ACC crown. That’s the same Duke that lost to Illinois, Tulane and UConn. Yep, the four-loss Dukies, with their three nonconference losses, are in better shape for the conference championship than onetime darlings Clemson, Miami and Florida State.

Some kind of season, this one.

And if you’ll turn your attention toward Nashville, the quarterback who’s spent one-quarter of his life in college just keeps delivering heroics. Diego Pavia, you rascal. He spurred Vanderbilt’s 28-point second-half outburst and completed the game-winner with a jump pass in overtime to keep the Commodores’ playoff hopes afloat. Vanderbilt’s beating Auburn, and nobody’s storming the field, because it’s not an upset.

Like I said, this is some kind of season.

Big oil money rules the kingdoms south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

No. 9 Texas Tech solidified its Big 12 frontrunner status with a suffocating win over No. 8 Brigham Young, and No. 3 Texas A&M keeps defying stereotypes by avoiding the collapse of Aggies teams of yore.

Neither Texas Tech nor Texas A&M has ever appeared in their respective conference’s championship game. Prepare for that to change.

Head back up to Big Ten country, and Oregon maintained its playoff positioning by out-Iowa’ing Iowa in an 18-16 victory. A safety became the difference in the score after Iowa’s errant snap on a punt traveled 147 feet out the back of the end zone.

You can’t make this up. Just another college football Saturday. Soak it up. Maybe, it portends an enthralling playoff.

Or, it’s just a beautiful facade, and Ohio State will tear through that gorgeous window dressing once the postseason arrives.

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

This story was updated to change a video.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers continue to elbow for position in a crowded AFC playoff picture on ‘Sunday Night Football.’

Despite leading the AFC North, the Steelers are in a somewhat precarious position. After returning Lamar Jackson from injury, the Baltimore Ravens are just a few games back of the division lead, meaning Pittsburgh would love to be able to put a little bit more distance between themselves and their divisional foe.

That starts with getting a little more consistency on both sides of the ball. The Steelers haven’t been able to unlock their offense with Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf despite ranking among the best in TD passes this season. On defense, the unit, which is the highest paid in the NFL, has underperformed.

Finding that consistency may be a difficult ask against a tough Jim Harbaugh-coached squad. The Chargers got off to a promising start this season, but the top-heavy AFC West is providing something of an uphill climb for Justin Herbert and Co. The Denver Broncos sit atop the division and eked out another win on ‘Thursday Night Football.’

That all makes for a crucial ‘Sunday Night Football’ matchup in Week 10. USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates, highlights and more from the matchup below.

Watch ‘Sunday Night Football’ with Fubo (free trial)

What time is the Chargers vs Steelers game?

Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET

The Chargers and Steelers get underway at 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m. PT). Pittsburgh travels to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California for the prime-time matchup.

What channel is Chargers vs Steelers on?

TV channel: NBC

NBC is the broadcast home of ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Mike Tirico will be on the call alongside Cris Collinsworth, with Melissa Stark providing reports from the sideline.

Chargers vs Steelers stream

Live stream:Fubo | Peacock

For those looking to live stream the matchup, NBC’s streaming service Peacock will carry the game.

Cord-cutters can also turn to Fubo, which carries NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks. Fubo also offers a free trial.

Watch ‘Sunday Night Football’ with Fubo (free trial)

Chargers vs Steelers prediction

Could the Steelers offense be rounding into form? That’s a big question entering ‘SNF.’ Aaron Rodgers and Co. have put up 25 points or more in their last three matchups, potentially indicative of a little more consistency moving forward. The bigger question is their defense: While they’re coming off allowed just 20 points to the high-powered Colts in Week 9, their issues stopping offenses all season have been apparent. The Chargers win tonight on Herber’s arm.

Prediction: Chargers 27, Steelers 20

Chargers vs Steelers live betting odds, moneyline, O/U

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Senate Republicans unveiled a crucial piece of the puzzle in their bid to reopen the government and plan to plow ahead with a vote on Sunday. 

While both sides still appear at an impasse on extending expiring Obamacare subsidies, appropriators moved ahead with a package of spending bills that Republicans hope will jumpstart the government funding process, and lead to an end to the 40-day government shutdown. 

The Senate Appropriations Committee released the three-bill spending package, known as a minibus, Sunday afternoon. Lawmakers are still waiting on text for an updated continuing resolution (CR), that, if passed, is expected to reopen the government until late January. 

It includes legislation that would fund military construction and the VA, the legislative branch and agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.

Senate Republicans view the package as a sweetener that they hope attracts enough Senate Democrats to break through the logjam and move toward reopening the government. And given that the minibus is a largely bipartisan product, lawmakers believe it could succeed. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., made clear in the last few days that he would not put a bill on the floor that did not have the votes to pass after spending several weeks daring Senate Democrats to vote against the original House-passed continuing resolution (CR). 

‘There’s going to be something to vote on, let’s put it that way,’ Thune said. 

Still, the package does not include a deal on Senate Democrats’ chief demand throughout the government shutdown to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies. 

Thune has promised Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus a vote on the expiring subsidies after the government reopens. And for several weeks, Senate Democrats said that was not enough to assuage the concerns. 

Senate Democrats are expected to huddle Saturday night before a likely vote to plot a path forward. If Schumer and his caucus agree to the deal, they would effectively be caving from their deeply-entrenched position that has seen the government shutdown stretch over a month. 

Lawmakers will now have time to read over the bills, with a vote expected later Sunday evening. 

But, it’s just the first step in what could be a long and drawn-out process. First, Thune will tee up the original House-passed CR for a vote, which lawmakers view as the vehicle to attach the minibus and updated CR to. 

Then there will be two more votes before the package advances from the Senate. Then, it will have to go back to the House before making its way to President Donald Trump’s desk. 

Schumer and his caucus could still apply pain on the process, too, through procedural hurdles. And despite rumblings of some in the caucus ready to break ranks, some Republicans aren’t too optimistic that this will be an easy process. 

‘I don’t expect anything from the Democrats,’ Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said. ‘At this point, their demands have been so ridiculous, I don’t know what they’re going to do, and at this point, I frankly, don’t give a crap.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS