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As its second set of 2020 rankings are unveiled Tuesday night, the landscape of Playoff contenders remains complicated by COVID-19 cancelations and vastly different strengths of schedule. Ohio State, one of the teams named in the initial top four last week, couldn’t suit up against Illinois because of a coronavirus outbreak. USC, the last remaining Pac 12 squad with any hope of a Playoff appearance, might struggle to complete six games this year as the West Coast buckles down for a surge of hospitalizations and subsequent shutdowns....

Georgia made the biggest jump, moving up to No. 8 in the Coaches Poll with a blowout win over Mississippi State. West Virginia also made it into the top 25 while Florida State took the biggest drop, falling 14 spots after an 0-2 start. In the AP Poll, TCU’s win over No. 6 Oklahoma State was enough to move up seven spots. Oklahoma State dropped to No. 15. Notre Dame and West Virginia worked their way onto the list with convincing wins against Michigan State and Kansas, respectively....

Just ask Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Nebraska (among others). That said, there are a few games involving top-25 teams — including a few nonconference meetings — worth watching this week. That includes meetings between No. 12 BYU and No. 25 Oregon as well as No. 13 Miami and No. 24 Texas A&M. There’s also the old Big 8 rivalry between No. 6 Oklahoma and Nebraska, a historic series that has lost some of its luster with the Cornhuskers firing coach Scott Frost amid a 1-2 start....

That’s evident in top-25 games with No. 13 Wisconsin at No. 3 Ohio State, No. 9 Auburn at No. 2 LSU and No. 8 Notre Dame at No. 19 Michigan. By the end of the day, the field of Playoff-eligible contenders could be significantly smaller. MORE: Sporting News’ Week 9 top 25 Other games of note this week include No. 6 Penn State at Michigan State, Maryland at No. 17 Minnesota and Arkansas at No....

Let’s exploit these soft lines and grab the value. MORE: Get the latest college football odds at Sportsbook Review Louisville at Florida State (-6.5) Saturday, Sept. 21, 3:30 p.m. ET The college football odds opened right around where they should have on this contest, with the Seminoles favored as 8 1/2-point favorites over visiting Louisville. However, an influx of money on the Cardinals has seen this number cross through the all-important seven to where it currently sits at -6 1/2....

They are in the same division, too. There is room for No. 1 Georgia and No. 3 Tennessee right now. The Bulldogs and Volunteers meet on Nov. 5, and there is a good chance the loser of that match-up could back-door into the CFP depending on how the rest of the field shakes out. The Vols do have a trump card after Saturday’s 52-49 victory against No. 6 Alabama. MORE: Tennessee asks fans to pay for new goalposts...

He threw bombs to blow up the bridge on his way out. MORE: Way-too-early SN Top 25 | NCAA-CBS deal good for everyone Johnson slammed the school for its “incompetent” leadership, including four “awful” athletic directors — former Packers linebacker George Koonce, Rick Costello, Andy Geiger and current AD Amanda Braun. Johnson called Braun a “deplorable human being” who is “horribly under-qualified” and bad at her job. In what was an extremely unpopular decision, Braun fired basketball coach Rob Jeter in March after 11 seasons that included a pair of Horizon League titles and two NCAA Tournament appearances....

Because there are so many possibilities, finding the right diagnosis is important to getting the proper treatment. Seeking care from a healthcare professional will help, especially when there’s pain that doesn’t go away in a few days. If you are experiencing ongoing colon pain, contact your healthcare professional. This article will explore reasons why you may have colon pain and the associated symptoms, when to see your healthcare professional, how they may diagnose your problem, and what treatment may be used....

When asked why the state has not re-issued a mask mandate for all residents, Polis told Colorado Public Radio (CPR), “There was a time when there was no vaccine, and masks were all we had and we needed to wear them. The truth is we now have highly effective vaccines that work far better than masks … We see [the availability of vaccines] as the end of the medical emergency....

Orlando signs Jonathan Spector Sources told Goal of the Boateng move in late December, with the midfielder earmarked to replace departed U.S. national team star Jermaine Jones. Boateng spent the last four seasons on loan at Norwegian club Stromsgodset IF, becoming a regular starter while on loan from City. “Bringing Nana to the club was a key part of our offseason strategy and we’re delighted to welcome such a promising young talent to our club,” Rapids sporting director Padraig Smith said in a club release....

The Associated Press reported that Denver broke its record for latest measurable snowfall, which was set on November 21, 1934. If the weather stays this way for another week and a half, the city will also break its record of 235 days in a row without snow, set in 1887. Though Denver residents have been enjoying the weather, with the temperature hitting a high of 73 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday (tying the 1973 record), climate scientists are worried about the effects of the heat and drought....

April 20th (or 4/20) has become known as a day where stoners smoke weed. They partake in this activity most days anyways, but 4/20 is special for reasons that aren’t exactly clear. Anyways, the “holiday” is often joked about, and it’s also the first day the NFL begins to adminster drug tests. MORE: The eight worst possible roommates for Johnny Manziel McAfee didn’t partake in the 4/20 tradition, but he did join in on the jokes, and guessed that he’d be tested on 4/21....

Luck finished with three interceptions and one fumble, while Vinatieri uncharacteristically missed a short field goal. But as bad as the team played, on top of a Week 1 loss to the Bills, the season is still young for a Colts team expected to make it back to the AFC championship game. MORE: Week 3 waiver wire pickups | Blame everyone for Colts’ struggles | Who should you hate this week?...

Now what? While the Colts have moved on from Wentz, they are left searching for a viable starting quarterback. Indianapolis made it clear that they would rather have no quarterback than Carson Wentz right now. They are set to move onto their fifth different primary starting quarterback in five years, and they don’t have much security at the position after trading Wentz. Indianapolis currently has just two quarterbacks on its roster: Sam Ehlinger and James Morgan at the position....

“Filed to ESPN: Andrew Luck has informed the Colts he is retiring from the NFL, per source,” Schefter wrote. “There will be a press conference Sunday to make it official, but Luck is mentally worn down, and now checking out.” Luck was the overall first pick of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Colts as longtime signal-caller Peyton Manning began to reach the later years in his career. Luck played at Stanford University and was a two-time runner-up in 2010 and 2011 for the Heisman Trophy, given annually to college football’s best player....

The three men, who played instrumental roles as the Black and Gold reached the MLS Eastern Conference final, are among nine players to have had their deals renewed. This has taken Crew’s roster to 19 for next season so far as 10 players, including compatriot Jonathan Mensah, were already under contract for 2018. “Preparations for 2018 are underway and we are pleased to bring back the core of this year’s roster for next year,” Crew sporting director and head coach Gregg Berhalter said, as reported by the club’s official website....

Terms of the transfer and contract were not officially disclosed but he’s reported to have cost the MLS side $2.3 million. Columbus Crew to win MLS Cup at 25/1 Santos will join the Crew as the team’s third designated player - the first time they’ve filled all three DP slots - while the club announced the fee paid for him is the largest in its history. “We are excited to welcome Pedro Santos to Columbus Crew SC and look forward to him making an immediate impact on this club this season,” Crew head coach Gregg Berhalter said in a press release....

Guaranteed. It’s way past time for those who play America’s most popular — and physically demanding — sport to be paid what they’re worth. The most obvious starting point would be to ensure their contracts work like pretty much every other professional league on the planet. The NFL’s standard practice of only guaranteeing part of a contract, even for the biggest stars, seems grossly inadequate when one considers that players have a shorter shelf life than any other sport and often face a lifetime of debilitating health problems because of the sheer brutality they put their bodies through....

Don’t mistake this place for a standard-issue R&R facility. Stressed-out GIs in Iraq unwind at one of four in-country centers, and about 95 percent return to their units after two or three days of movies, videogames and talk, says reservist psychiatrist Col. Emile Risby. Many of those soldiers believe that the best place to recover is at the front with their buddies, who know what they’ve been through. But others, hard hit emotionally but driven by false shame and guilt at their supposed “weakness,” go back on patrol despite not being ready for duty....

I am not offended when people don’t know what a pipe fitter does, even though in my world, pipe fitting is considered a prime and indispensable craft. What depresses and infuriates me is the astonishing number of people who look through the barbed-wire fences of our industrial plants and choose to see only machines. The ignorance about the kind of work people like myself do is not just comical. It is willful and destructive....