Here's a look at how the College Football Playoff bracket would look if the season ended after the initial rankings reveal on Nov. 4.
College Football Playoff rankings release: What did we learn with inaugural Top 25?
Coming into Tuesday, there was only one relevant issue for the committee to weigh in on that could foreshadow how the rankings look in a month.
Kitchener Defenseman Jacob Xu Suspended For Reckless Slash To Opponent's Head
The OHL has handed out a necessary punishment on Kitchener Rangers defenseman Jacob Xu, who made a reckless and careless decision with his stick against his opponent on Halloween night when the Sudbury Wolves were in town.
During the third period last Friday, Xu briefly got tangled up with Los Angeles Kings prospect Jan Chovan on the Wolves. For whatever reason, Xu disengaged and swung his stick over the top of his head, striking the back of Chovan’s head.
Chovan participated in the game and did not miss Sudbury’s next match on Saturday against Owen Sound. As for Xu, the league reviewed the play involving him and handed out supplemental discipline to the defenseman eligible for the 2026 NHL draft.
Xu has been suspended for four games for his dangerous slash. He has already served one game of the suspension and is eligible to return on Nov. 15 against the Guelph Storm.
#OHL Disciplinary Action:
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) November 4, 2025
Kitchener’s Jacob Xu has been suspended for four games as a result of actions (Major, Slashing) on Oct. 31st vs. Sudbury.
It was a bizarre incident for a player who isn’t known to have a mean streak.
Xu’s four-game suspension has been met with a lot of questioning and debate online. Many fans argue that four games are not enough and he should’ve received more games. What do you think? Did the league get this one right?
Make sure you bookmark THN's OHL site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
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Maple Leafs Prospect Dominates In Owen Sound Win; Outstanding Start To Season ContinuesMaple Leafs prospect Harry Nansi posted a dominant one-goal, four-assist performance, fueling Owen Sound's offensive explosion and continuing his exceptional season. CFP rankings after Week 10: Where Big Ten teams ranked in initial release
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No. 1 Purdue to be without starting forward Trey Kaufman-Renn for season opener against Evansville
He was the Boilermakers’ leading scorer and rebounder last season with averages of 20.1 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Dent scores 21 points in his UCLA debut, helping the No. 12 Bruins beat Eastern Washington
Dent, a heralded transfer from New Mexico, had a memorable performance in his Southern California homecoming.
Padres RHP Yu Darvish to miss next season after undergoing elbow ligament repair surgery
SAN DIEGO — Right-hander Yu Darvish will miss the 2026 season with the San Diego Padres after surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow.
The 39-year-old Darvish also got an internal brace in the surgery performed last week, the Padres announced Tuesday.
“I will be working hard on my rehab to be able to throw a ball comfortably again,” Darvish wrote in Japanese on social media.
Darvish had Tommy John surgery in March 2015 and returned to a major league mound on May 28, 2016.
The five-time All-Star went 5-5 with a 5.38 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 15 starts for the Padres last season after missing the first three months due to elbow inflammation. Darvish started the decisive Game 3 of San Diego's wild card series against the Chicago Cubs, but he took the loss after allowing two runs on four hits and failing to record an out in the second inning.
Darvish has completed three seasons of the $108 million, six-year contract he agreed to in February 2023 wkth the Padres, who acquired him before the 2021 season. Darvish led the AL in strikeouts in 2013 and led the NL in victories in 2020.
His injury is a blow to a Padres rotation that was already in flux after San Diego made the playoffs for the fourth time in six seasons, but failed to advance. Right-hander Dylan Cease is a free agent, and right-hander Michael King became a free agent Monday after declining his option for 2026.
The Padres' remaining proven starters are Nick Pivetta, Randy Vasquez and Joe Musgrove, who is scheduled to return next year from Tommy John surgery. San Diego also acquired JP Sears in the deadline trade that also brought vaunted reliever Mason Miller, a starter earlier in his career.
Darvish will have plenty to keep him occupied during his year away from the mound: His oldest son, Shoei, has committed to play baseball at UC San Diego after he graduates from high school next year.
What to make of Chicago Cubs', Shota Imanaga's decisions to part ways
The Chicago Cubs entered this offseason with a need for starting pitching, and now they’ll likely need to find even more arms. The Cubs declined their three-year, $57 million club option for left-hander Shota Imanaga on Tuesday, according to reports. The move triggered a $15.25 million player option in Imanaga’s contract, which he also declined, making him a free agent.
The move comes after what was a down season for the Japanese southpaw. Imanaga went 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA across 25 starts in 2025. But those numbers don’t tell the entire story. The one-time All-Star had a second half to forget, with a 4.70 ERA over his final 13 starts.
Imanaga finishes his tenure in Chicago 24-11 with a 3.28 ERA over 54 starts. He signed a four-year, $54 million deal with the Cubs the winter before the 2024 season. Now Imanaga, 32, will look for a new opportunity elsewhere. He becomes an interesting addition to a starting pitching market that lacks quality left-handers beyond Ranger Suárez.
With Imanaga’s departure, Chicago’s rotation is notably thin. While All-Star Matthew Boyd and NL Rookie of the Year finalist Cade Horton return, there are a lot of questions behind them. The Cubs will get left-hander Justin Steele back at some point in 2026, after he finishes recovering from Tommy John Surgery early in 2025. Other internal options include Javier Assad and Ben Brown, but the Cubs will surely need to acquire another arm or two this winter. — Dorsey
The complex, four-year contract Imanaga signed with the Cubs two years ago featured a crucial decision point following the 2025 season, when Chicago could opt to guarantee Imanaga three more seasons at $57 million or decline to do so, instead affording Imanaga the opportunity to exercise a $15.25 million player option for 2026. Chicago declined to extend Imanaga for three more years, and Imanaga then declined his own one-year option, adding him to the intriguing pool of free-agent starting pitchers.
Brilliant as a 30-year-old rookie in 2024, Imanaga regressed in his second major-league season in terms of both durability and effectiveness, missing several starts due to a hamstring strain midsummer and seeing his ERA rise from 2.91 to 3.73. While he remains an elite strike-thrower who doesn’t allow a boatload of baserunners — his WHIP actually improved in his second season — Imanaga is troublingly susceptible to opponents’ slugging, with a 1.93 HR/9 that ranked second-highest among pitchers with at least 100 innings thrown in 2025. That bugaboo proved costly in the postseason, when he surrendered two key long balls against Milwaukee in NLDS Game 2.
It’s an imperfect profile, but there is still a lot to like about what Imanaga brings on and off the field. Whether he ends up securing a deal in excess of the three-year, $57 million structure that Chicago declined to exercise is suddenly one of the more interesting subplots of this offseason. — Shusterman
Canucks Could Set Franchise Record On Wednesday In Matchup With The Blackhawks
Wednesday night could feature a historic moment at Rogers Arena. With a victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, the Vancouver Canucks would set a franchise record for most consecutive wins over a single opponent. The record is currently held at 11 straight wins and is shared by Chicago, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the San Jose Sharks.
Vancouver's win streak started on January 31, 2022. On that night, the Canucks departed the United Center with an impressive 3-1 victory. Some notable performances from that game include Brock Boeser scoring the game-winning goal, while Jaroslav Halák made 20 saves in the win.
Close to four years later, the streak continues. Over the past 11 games, Vancouver has outscored the Blackhawks 43-18, with only one game going beyond regulation. That game actually happened this season when the Canucks left Chicago with a 3-2 shootout win back in October, setting the franchise record for consective road wins against a single opponent.
Vancouver Canucks Set Franchise Record During Recent Victory Over The Chicago BlackhawksThe Vancouver Canucks have won 11 straight versus the Chicago BlackhawksAs for the all-time consecutive wins record against an opponent, Vancouver still has a ways to go. That record is held by the Montréal Canadiens who defeated the Washington Capitals 23 times from 1974-1978. Washington was finally able to halt the losing streak thanks to a 4-4 tie April 2, 1978.
The Canucks return to Rogers Arena for a four-game homestand, which kicks off with a match against the Blackhawks on Wednesday night. This will be the second time Vancouver faces Chicago this season, as they won their last outing 3–2 in the shootout. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Moses Moody shares mature outlook on unstable Warriors role after win vs. Suns
Moses Moody shares mature outlook on unstable Warriors role after win vs. Suns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Moses Moody has developed a reputation with the Warriors.
For many players in his role — in and out of the starting lineup and with fluctuating minutes — that reputation might be pessimistic or discontented.
But Moody never seems to be fazed by that inconsistency, as evident in his 24-point night off the bench in Golden State’s 118-107 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday at Chase Center.
After the game, Moody was asked about the transition from starting at the end of last season to coming off the bench so far in this campaign.
“I think it’s part of life,” Moody told reporters. “You know, stuff goes your way, stuff doesn’t go your way.
“I guess that’s why I got the nickname ‘Stay Ready Mo.’ No matter what the situation is, you’ve got to deal with it, and I think that’s where we’re at, so day by day.”
On the front end of a back-to-back Tuesday, Moody played a season-high 34 minutes as the Warriors were without Al Horford for the whole game and Jimmy Butler for the second half. The fifth-year guard, who is in the first season of a three-year, $37.5 million rookie contract extension, made 5 of 8 3-point attempts to help guide Golden State to a bounce-back win.
Following the NBA All-Star break last season, Moody averaged 27.2 minutes per game and started all 27 games. But after suffering a calf injury during the preseason that kept him out of the Warriors’ first two contests of the 2025-26 season, the two-way wing hadn’t played more than 22 minutes in a game until Tuesday night.
“Moses was the player of the game tonight,” coach Steve Kerr said postgame. “His defense on [Suns guard Devin] Booker and his shooting — he was fantastic. He’s just found his groove now after missing most of training camp with the ankle. So it was a tough start to the season for him, mainly because we just found a different starting lineup and different rotation while he was out, and we were doing pretty well.
“But he’s forcing his way back into the mix, for sure.”
Now, with Golden State set to be short-handed for Wednesday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings, Moody likely will have another opportunity for an increased role — which could lead to a more permanent uptick in minutes.
Pelicans' Zion Williamson out at least 7-10 days with Grade 1 left hamstring strain
New Orleans is 0-6 to start the season, with three of those losses by 30+ points. Yes, that's a record, the kind no team wants to hold.
Now comes more bad news: The Pelicans' leading scorer, Zion Williams, is out with a Grade 1 hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days, New Orleans announced. That timeline would have him missing at least four games, starting Tuesday night against Charlotte, and history suggests he could be out longer.
Hamstring injuries are literally an annual occurrence now for Zion, who now will have missed time in each of the past four seasons due to hamstring issues (as noted by Will Guillory of The Athletic). As is always the case, Zion has played well for the Pelicans when on the court, averaging 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists a game so far this season.
The Pelicans have been outscored by 28.7 points per 100 possessions this season when Zion Williamson is off the court, a concerning statistic heading into the next couple of weeks without him (they are -9.7 points per 100 with him on the floor, not great, but the gap between the numbers shows how much he still means to this team).
All of this could mean a long couple of weeks coming up for Pelicans fans.
Champions League roundup: Two-goal Luis Díaz sent off as Bayern edge PSG
Díaz shown straight red for scissor challenge in 2-1 win
Juventus held by Sporting, Atlético see off Union SG
Bayern Munich made it 16 wins from 16 games this season to underline their credentials as early Champions League favourites, beating the holders, Paris Saint-Germain, 2-1 away as Luis Díaz scored two goals and was shown a red card.
The Colombia winger struck twice before being sent off for a violent tackle on Achraf Hakimi on the stroke of half-time.
Continue reading...Warriors to rely on depth with sniffling Steph Curry, maybe more, out vs. Kings
Warriors to rely on depth with sniffling Steph Curry, maybe more, out vs. Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Walking to the podium for his postgame press conference after the Warriors’ 118-107 win against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night at Chase Center, Steph Curry was on his way to greet two older women. As he approached them, Curry’s words raised reporters’ eyebrows.
“I don’t want to get you sick, but I wanted to say hi,” Curry said.
Sweating, sniffling and coughing, Curry opened up about a sickness he has been dealing with for a couple days now. Curry said he was on his way to meet with doctors to determine his status for Wednesday night’s game against the Kings in Sacramento on the second night of a back-to-back. He didn’t know it yet, but his coach already had made an executive decision for him.
Curry officially has been ruled out by Steve Kerr, making the Warriors’ first matchup with the Kings the first game Curry will miss this season.
“He’s wiped out right now,” Kerr said. “I don’t care what the doctors say, we got to get him some rest. I’ll make the decision right now: He’s not going to play. He needs some rest. He’s been sick. All the travel, everything just caught up to him.
“Hopefully get him some rest and he’ll be ready to go for Denver.”
The Warriors play the Nuggets in Denver on Friday night. The two teams met in the second game of the 2025-26 NBA season when Curry scored 42 points and lifted the Warriors to an overtime win at home.
Curry struggled in the Warriors’ two previous games, losing to undermanned teams in the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers. Though he averaged 25.5 points in the two losses, Curry had five turnovers in each defeat and shot far below his standards, going 16 of 42 from the field (38.1 percent) and 8 of 26 on threes (30.8 percent). He didn’t exactly light the Suns on fire but was more effective and efficient, gutting it out for 34 minutes.
As he battled through his cold, Curry scored a team-high 28 points and only had two turnovers. He still wasn’t his usual self shooting the ball, but did make five of his 12 3-point attempts. Curry scored 16 points in the second half, fighting against his own body to get the Warriors a win.
“Second half, tank was on E,” Curry said. “I’m not blaming the air ball on that. But like I said, just trying to dig through it and get to the finish line.”
A big reason Curry had to do so was because the Warriors were without his running mate, Jimmy Butler, for the entire second half due to lower back soreness. Butler’s back tightened up earlier in the day. He tested it on the Warriors’ practice court and was deemed good enough to play, but then didn’t return after halftime. Kerr is considering Butler questionable against the Kings. Draymond Green, who was dealing with back pain of his own after the win, also is questionable.
The Warriors snapped their first losing streak of the season Tuesday night. To start a new winning streak, they’ll have to get back to their Strength In Numbers mantra.
“We’re going to need everybody,” Kerr said.
The Warriors’ bench outscored the Suns’ bench by 44 points, 63-19. Their 41 points in the first half were a new season high for an entire game, and Golden State tacked on another 22 after halftime.
And the first player Kerr can turn to based on performances against Phoenix is Moses Moody. Kerr called him the “player of the game” for the Warriors, and it’s easy to see why. Moody scored a season-high 24 points in 33 minutes off the bench. He started the season slow recovering from a calf injury he sustained in preseason and hadn’t found a rhythm early in the season.
But the game called for energy, effort and the long ball, playing right into what Moody does best. Moody made the nets drip and went 7 of 11 from the field, 5 of 8 on threes and 5 of 6 at the free-throw line while also grabbing five rebounds.
Moody knows the challenge of playing without Curry, and possibly Butler and Green as well, and feels the Warriors are up to the task.
“First time doing it this year, but yeah, I think we’ll be all right,” Moody said. “We play that way in practice a lot of times and in preseason. We’re used to playing with each other a little bit. I think we got all the pieces we need.”
Nick Kyrgios to play women’s No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Battle of the Sexes clash
Australian tennis star to meet Belarusian in December in Dubai
‘I’m not just here to play, I’m here to entertain,’ says Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios, Australian former Wimbledon finalist, is to play women’s world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in an exhibition match in Dubai.
The clash evokes memories of the 1973 Battle of the Sexes match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs – which King won in straight sets in the Houston Astrodome and was later the subject of a Hollywood movie.
Continue reading...Jake Allen Is The Ideal NHL Backup Goalie, Says Former NHLer Devan Dubnyk
The perfect NHL backup goaltender can be a real unsung hero.
But what makes an effective backup?
First of all, you want an experienced goalie who will push for playing time while also accepting their status as the second option between the pipes. You also need them to be able to play at a moment’s notice, and for long stretches if necessary. And you need them to be affordable and a calming influence in the dressing room.
These are all things we see in New Jersey Devils veteran netminder Jake Allen.
“When you talk about being the best backup, (Allen is) going to give you everything you want out of a backup,” former NHL netminder Devan Dubnyk said on The Hockey News Big Show. “Whether it’s (playing) a game every two weeks or five games in a row…I think that’s an important part of a backup goalie – being in the dressing room, having energy, being involved, whether you’re playing or not.”
Allen, 35, has appeared in eight games with the Devils this season, posting a 5-2-0 record, a 2.48 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. Starter Jacob Markstrom, meanwhile, is 4-3-2 with an .875 SP and 4.17 GAA while being injured during part of October.
Allen can handle a larger workload, having played in 42 games with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2022-23 season. And of course, Allen is a Stanley Cup champion from his days with the St. Louis Blues when Jordan Binnington took over starting duties. His $1.8-million cap hit makes him a bargain, and the Devils will hope he can continue to fit in his role for the full five-year contract.
“It’s being comfortable with that role and not getting upset, not having higher expectations than you should,” Dubnyk said. “With Jake Allen, you look at him, and he’s ready to perform, however that is. He’s going to contribute in practice – he’s going to contribute in the dressing room.
“And if he hasn’t played in two weeks, he’s going to come in and win you a game. If Markstrom’s not playing well, you need (Allen) to come in and win a game, win two games, three games…and then if Markstrom gets hurt, he’s able to come in and be your starting goalie. And not just kind of a keep-your-head-above water starting goalie – a good starting goalie.”
Dubnyk pointed to veteran goaltender Alex Stalock, his teammate during their time with the Minnesota Wild, as an example of a goalie who thrived as a secondary option.
“There were long stretches where he didn’t play,” Dubnyk said of Stalock, who last played in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022-23. “But every single day, he contributed to the team. He worked his butt off in practice, he was funny in the dressing room, he always had energy, he was always joking. He brought something to the group every single day, even when he wasn’t playing.
“And then when he did go out and play, (Stalock) worked his butt off and he gave the team a good effort. These are all pieces that make a good backup goalie, and then with Allen, you have the bonus side of it, where we’ve having a conversation of who is the starter (in New Jersey) right now.”
Allen now has 14 NHL seasons under his belt, so there isn’t much he hasn’t seen. He’s been a starter, an understudy and a winner at the game’s highest level.
Take it from another goalie who’s been an elite performer – Allen deserves a lot of credit for excelling in a role that many goalies have failed at.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.