Where else could Marcus Freeman coach and enjoy such an easy November runway into the playoff? Certainly, not at Florida.
Notre Dame not being in a conference offers an advantage.
This side of the NFL, only Ohio State would make sense for Marcus Freeman.

You’ve just got to laugh anytime a college coaching job opens and there’s Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman listed as a potential candidate.

I used to think Kentucky’s Mark Stoops had the greatest job in America. He’s paid $9 million a year to go 4-8. That’s excellent work if you can get it.

Now, though, I’m thinking Freeman outdoes even Stoops for the best job in all the land. Look at it this way: All that stands between Freeman and another College Football Playoff bid is a November schedule of Boston College, Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Stanford.

Oh, my!

Where else could Freeman coach and enjoy such an easy November runway into the playoff? Certainly, not at Florida, one of those schools that’s hiring.

Freeman can pursue a national championship right where he’s at — he proved that last season — and do so without bothering with a Florida schedule that, this November, includes games against Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee, three playoff contenders.

Brian Kelly tried trading in Notre Dame’s independence for the SEC’s rigors. How’s that decision working out for him? Not great!

Notre Dame’s independence an advantage in playoff pursuit

At Notre Dame, Freeman enjoys the benefit of coaching a team that’s respected by the playoff committee like an SEC or Big Ten school, without having to actually play a conference schedule. Win-win.

So long as the Irish win out and reach 10-2, they can rest up and prepare for a CFP game during conference championship weekend, while other contenders play difficult games.

Freeman spoke recently on the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast about Notre Dame’s adherence to its independence.

“If there’s a time that Notre Dame has to join a conference to ensure they can have the same opportunities to make the playoff as everybody else, then I’m sure our administration would do it,” he said. “Currently, the administration and myself and all of us feel confident that if we win the games we’re supposed to win, we take care of the business we’re supposed to take care of, we have just as good of a chance to make the playoffs as anybody else.”

Let me translate that: Freeman knows he’s got it made in the shade so long as the Irish can handle some November roadkill. He’s telling no lies.

As losses mount to other playoff contenders inside the battle royale of conference play, the Irish are in great shape to enjoy a full recovery from that 0-2 start.

So, I ask: What’s the appeal of a job like Florida for Freeman? I see none.

In this 12-team playoff model, Notre Dame’s independence creates a clear advantage. Freeman’s no dummy. He sees it.

“We’re as well-positioned right now as anybody, we feel,” Freeman said on the podcast. “But, we can never put our program at a disadvantage for postseason play because we’re not in a conference. If that’s ever the case, I’m sure we’ll join a conference.”

In the meantime, bring on the hapless Catholics from Boston College.

For Marcus Freeman, could any job trump Notre Dame?

Pair Freeman with some NIL cash, and the Irish are disproving the notion they can’t lure the caliber of players necessary to pursue a national championship. His latest recruiting class notably outranks Kelly’s at LSU and includes commitments from three five-star prospects.

Freeman converted to Catholicism in 2022. He’s made for Notre Dame. He looks great in green, navy or gold. (OK, sure, he’d look great in any color.) Unless he’s just got some obsession with Cuban food we don’t know about, there’s simply no apparent reason for Freeman to bounce to Florida — or even Penn State, the top job available.

This side of the NFL, Ohio State is the only job that would make sense. Freeman’s alma mater enjoys incomparable resources. That seat’s occupied, though, by Ryan Day’s pursuit of college football’s next great dynasty.

Go ahead, Florida, and kick the tires, but Notre Dame offers Freeman something the Gators never could: a rivalry week showdown with mighty Stanford, with a playoff bid on the line.

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.

A season ago, the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers were two of the top dogs in the Eastern Conference. With injuries galore impacting other top competitors in the conference, the Knicks and Cavs should have the opportunity to accomplish what neither did a season ago: reach the NBA Finals.

Only one of these powerhouses can come out on top, though. Both teams, too, are facing serious injuries heading into the season. The Cavs will be without Darius Garland, while the Knicks will be without Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart.

Needless to say, this should be a thrilling matchup that gets fans excited for the upcoming season.

How to watch Cavaliers at Knicks

Date: Wednesday, Oct. 22
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden in New York
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo

Stream Cavs vs. Knicks with a Fubo subscription

Cavs at Knicks odds:

*All odds via BetMGM

Spread: Cavaliers (-1.5)
Moneyline: Cavaliers (-120); Knicks (+100)
Over/Under: 226.5

The Division I Administrative Committee on Wednesday, Oct. 22, released a statement regarding eligibility rules for student-athletes for the remainder of the 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years.

In a statement shared, the committee said it will ‘maintain existing eligibility rules as they pertain to student-athletes competing in no more than four seasons of athletics competition in a particular sport over a consecutive five-year period.’

That ruling from the committee comes after two Vanderbilt football players ― Langston Patterson and Issa Ouattara ― were among 10 current and former college athletes who challenged the NCAA in a lawsuit in September, seeking to allow athletes to compete for all five years of eligibility.

Statement from Division I Cabinet on eligibility

‘During its October meeting, the Division I Cabinet determined that, for the remainder of the current academic year and for the rosters competing during the 2026-27 academic year, it will maintain existing eligibility rules as they pertain to student-athletes competing in no more than four seasons of athletics competition in a particular sport over a consecutive five-year period,’ said Josh Whitman — chair of the Division I Cabinet and athletics director at Illinois — in a statement.

‘The Cabinet is studying these policies, along with several related eligibility rules, and will later consider what changes, if any, to implement for future academic years. When challenged, the current rules have been upheld by the overwhelming majority of courts. The Cabinet understands, however, that the situation for student-athletes, coaches and administrators remains untenable, with rules changing seemingly on a moment’s notice because of any single court’s temporary ruling.

‘Congress continues to be the best forum to protect these eligibility rules and other academic standards, while providing clarity for current and future student-athletes. As these situations demonstrate, we need bipartisan legislation that empowers college sports to set these basic rules that support academics as a foundational purpose of collegiate athletics.’

Lionel Messi returned to Inter Miami practice on Wednesday, Oct. 22, one day after missing a session with back discomfort, the club announced in a social media post.

News of Messi’s injury had raised concerns about his availability before the MLS Cup Playoffs begin this week. 

Inter Miami (the No. 3 seed) will face Nashville SC (No. 6) in the best-of-three first-round playoff series.

Inter Miami hosts Game 1 on Friday, Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. ET. Game 2 will be in Nashville on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Game 3, if necessary, will be at Inter Miami on Saturday, Nov. 8.

Inter Miami will open practice to media on Thursday, Oct. 23, before Game 1. Coach Javier Mascherano is expected to speak before the training session to confirm Messi’s availability for their playoff opener. 

The College Football Playoff race is taking shape as the season passes its midway point.
Teams are generally separated into three tiers: those in the driver’s seat, a second tier of contenders, and those needing help.
The SEC has multiple front-runners, including Texas A&M, Alabama, and Georgia.

The race for the College Football Playoff is rounding into form as the regular season passes the midway point and heads toward the debut rankings in early November.

That’s not to say that things are clear. Actually, the situation in the Power Four has only started to coalesce around teams separated into three categories:

One, teams that are currently in the driver’s seat. That includes most Power Four teams with one loss.

Two, the second tier of teams just behind the front-runners. These teams are either tied for first or within one game of first place in the conference standings.

And three, teams still in the mix but in need of some help across the board in the Power Four.

Based on these tiers, USA TODAY Sports breaks down the playoff picture in each of the major conferences:

Big Ten

In the driver’s seat: No. 1 Ohio State (7-0), No. 2 Indiana (7-0), No. 6 Oregon (6-1).

All three teams are among the most likely to make the playoff based on what they’ve achieved to date, each team’s remaining schedule and the fact that OSU and the Hoosiers could both be unbeaten when they face off in the Big Ten championship game. Oregon could lose another game and still be a lock.

The second tier: No. 24 Michigan (5-2), Southern California (5-2).

USC handed the Wolverines their one Big Ten loss, while the Trojans’ conference loss came on a last-second field goal to Illinois. USC could’ve secured firmer playoff positioning with a win against No. 12 Notre Dame. It seems more likely than not that Michigan plays Ohio State in the finale with an at-large bid on the line.

Needing help: Iowa (5-2), Illinois (5-2).

Iowa is one game out of first in the standings and have dropped competitive games to ranked teams in Indiana and Iowa State. The Hawkeyes’ most realistic path is via a conference championship. Illinois owns the tiebreaker against USC, but losses to the Hoosiers and Buckeyes will require a perfect close to the regular season and maybe even some help in the Big Ten and elsewhere.

SEC

In the driver’s seat: No. 3 Texas A&M (7-0), No. 4 Alabama (6-1), No. 5 Georgia (6-1).

Texas A&M might be the least respected of these three SEC front-runners, but you can’t argue against an unbeaten record that includes a huge road win against the Fighting Irish. At this point, it’s hard to see how the Tide and Bulldogs finish out of the field.

The second tier: No. 8 Mississippi (6-1), No. 11 Oklahoma (6-1), No. 12 Vanderbilt (6-1), No. 14 Missouri (6-1).

Even if none of these teams play for the SEC crown, each has a clear path toward an at-large bid by ending the regular season with fewer than three losses. While we only have one year of evidence at our disposal, the cutoff point for the at-large window seems like two defeats, though exceptions could easily be made to slide in a qualified three-loss contender.

Maybe the most intriguing team in this group are the Rebels, who have often looked the part of a playoff team but could be in danger of sliding into the needing-help category with a loss this weekend at Oklahoma.

Needing help: No. 17 Tennessee (5-2), No. 18 Texas (5-2), No. 19 LSU (5-2).

The Volunteers haven’t beaten anyone, though they should get credit for playing Georgia tight in an overtime loss. Texas has a strong neutral-site win against the Sooners but have looked very average otherwise. The Tigers are still alive, technically, and can climb into a better position by beating the Aggies and Crimson Tide in their next two games.

ACC

In the driver’s seat: No. 7 Georgia Tech (7-0), No. 9 Miami (6-1).

Off to the program’s best start in over 50 years, the Yellow Jackets could be knocked out of the playoff by dropping just one of four remaining ACC games, losing to Georgia in the season finale and then losing in the conference championship game. On the flip side, the Jackets could be close to a playoff lock if 11-0 when meeting the Bulldogs. Miami is good shape thanks to non-conference wins against Notre Dame and No. 20 South Florida.

The second tier: No. 16 Virginia (6-1), No. 22 Louisville (5-1), SMU (5-2).

Louisville’s back in the conversation after knocking off the Hurricanes. Virginia has a bad loss to North Carolina State and barely sneaked past Florida State, the Cardinals and Washington State. SMU is still perfect in the ACC but has to win the league to reach the playoff after non-conference losses to Baylor and TCU.

Needing help: Pittsburgh (5-2), Duke (4-3), California (5-2).

Given how much uncertainty there is in the ACC, this threesome can’t be eliminated as playoff contenders despite each having one ACC loss and at least two losses overall. Duke is the biggest wild card after losing to three very good teams in Illinois, Tulane and Georgia Tech but destroying Syracuse and California on the road.

Big 12

In the driver’s seat: No. 10 Brigham Young (7-0), No. 21 Cincinnati (6-1), No. 25 Arizona State (5-2), No. 15 Texas Tech (6-1).

BYU has been one of the biggest surprises in the Power Four after losing quarterback Jake Retzlaff to the transfer portal. But road trips to Ames, Lubbock and Cincinnati could knock the Cougars out of contention. Cincinnati is the only other team still unbeaten in conference play and Arizona State is one game behind with a huge tiebreaker over Texas Tech. The Red Raiders still look like the most talented team in the conference and could definitely win out from here.

The second tier: Houston (6-1).

Houston’s one league loss came to the Red Raiders, but the Cougars can partially offset that tiebreaker with a win this weekend at ASU.

Needing help: Iowa State (5-2), TCU (5-2).

Iowa State has dropped two in a row to fall behind the pack. The Horned Frogs can play their way in with November wins against the Cyclones, Cougars and Bearcats.

LOS ANGELES — Jimmy Butler scored 31 points and was 16-for-16 from the free throw line, but don’t stop the presses.

While the two stars delivered again for the Golden State Warriors in a 119-109 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, Oct. 22, it was another player on the NBA’s opening night that warranted special attention.

Making a surprise start, he scored 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the floor, had a team-high nine rebounds and six assists, one shy of his career high. He also was 4-for-6 from 3-point range.

Asked to describe his performance against the Lakers, Kuminga said it was ‘decent.’

That prompted looks of amusement in the interview room. Draymond Green called Kuminga a star, and Curry and Butler also spoke about him in glowing terms.

Entering his fifth NBA season, Kuminga looks like the potential missing piece for a team that relies heavily – perhaps too heavily – on its aging stars. Butler is 36 and Curry is 37.

Last year Kuminga fell out of the Warriors rotation. On Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena, it was hard to fathom.

He guarded Luka Doncic, who scored a game-high 43 points. But he played well enough for the Warriors to eschew double teams.

‘I think he just has a better sense of what’s needed now compared to the past years,’ Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

If the Warriors hope to contend for a championship, they’ll need Kuminga more than ever.

A mentor emerges for Warriors

Butler has become a mentor for Kuminga.

‘I just want to help JK be great,’ Butler said. ‘… We’ve been kickin’ it. Hanging out. Watching film and just working on our game together. I know how great he wants to be and how great he can be.’

Kuminga said his time with Butler has helped and explained what he’s getting.

‘Just his knowledge of the game, as much as he knows,’ he said.

Kerr said he’s seen the impact.

‘I think Jimmy has really helped him too,’ Kerr said. ‘Jimmy has really talked him out a lot during (preseason) camp. He’s taken him aside after practices.’

More than a mentor

Butler’s contributions to the team on the court transcend the box score, according to Kerr.

‘He provides that stability and the ability to foul to go to line and settle the game down,’ Kerr said. ‘He never turns the ball over so he just controls some game out there.’

Draymond and Curry create chaos, Kerr noted.

‘… the chaos is really powerful, it can also get away from us,’ Kerr added. ‘Jimmy just settles us down.’