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Saturday’s clash in Norman comes at a pivotal point in the season for both Ole Miss and Oklahoma.
The Sooners are back home where they won Top 25 games already this season, but their playoff spot is in danger because of the defeat to the Texas Longhorns two weeks ago.
John Mateer didn’t look fully healthy in that game and he only had 164 total yards in last week’s win over South Carolina.
But where Oklahoma has been uber consistent is its defense. The Sooners’ only concession of 20 or more points came against Texas.
Ole Miss proved it could win a low-scoring game against LSU on September 27, but winning on the road against one of the nation’s top defenses is a whole other task.
Lane Kiffin’s team needs a win in Norman to solidfiy its playoff spot. If it wins on Saturday, it can cruise to 11-1 with an easy schedule.
Oklahoma only has ranked opponents left on its schedule. It feels like Saturday is a must-win because it is at home before a two-game road trip to Alabama and Tennessee.
The Sooners are going to have to win the game with defense, which is why the Under 52.5 feels like a far safer wager to make than betting on two teams facing a ton of pressure.
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Cristiano Ronaldo (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images) Saudi Arabiaâ€s premier club Al-Nassr is set to arrive in India on Monday night for their AFC Champions League 2 away fixture against FC Goa, but star player Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to miss the trip. According to Saudi sports daily Al Riyadhiah, the 40-year-old will not be part of the travelling squad, despite repeated requests from FC Goaâ€s management. Al-Nassr will be playing their third game in the continental competition after a comfortable league win over Al-Fateh, with the match scheduled at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on October 22. FC Goa, having defeated former AFC Cup winners Al Seeb to qualify for ACL 2, were drawn in Group D alongside Ronaldoâ€s Al-Nassr. The pairing has sparked excitement and speculation about the Portuguese superstar making the trip to India for a competitive match. Ronaldoâ€s contract with Al-Nassr reportedly allows him to select matches outside Saudi Arabia, giving him the flexibility to skip international travel. The forward, who is preparing for next yearâ€s World Cup, is also managing his workload to ensure he remains in peak condition for the tournament. Al-Nassr will land at Dabolim International Airport ahead of the game. The club has won both of its group-stage matches in the AFC Champions League 2 without Ronaldo and is well-positioned to progress to the next round. Following their clash against FC Goa, Al-Nassr will face rivals Al Ittihad in the Round of 16 of the Kingâ€s Cup on October 28.
The Top 10 looks quite a bit different in the Associated Press Top 25 poll heading into Week 9 of the 2025 college football season.
Ohio State retained the top spot thanks to a 34-0 shutout of Wisconsin, but Miami’s 24-21 upset at the hands of Louisville opened the door for Indiana to move up another spot to No. 2.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, fell to ninth after suffering their first defeat.
Texas Tech was another big loser from Week 8 after coming up short to Arizona State. The Red Raiders went from seventh to 14th.
If nothing else, Miami fans are at least well versed in dealing with the feelings they’re experiencing right now.
The Hurricanes aren’t out of the College Football Playoff picture for good, but a sense of déjà vu on multiple fronts resulted from Saturday’s upset.
Mario Cristobal’s game management, especially in the fourth quarter, left something to be desired. Carson Beck threw four interceptions, a performance Georgia fans know pretty well. And Miami crashed back to earth after stringing together enough wins to fire up the “The U is back!” discourse.
Miami Loses 1st Game Of Season
Ohio State fans were ready to fire Ryan Day after last year’s loss to Michigan, and that quieted down after the Buckeyes lifted a national championship. People were checking into Kalen DeBoer’s buyout at Alabama after a season-opening defeat to Florida State, only for the Crimson Tide to knock off Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee in succession.
Maybe Cristobal rights the ship and silences the skeptics for good. Finding people in South Florida who truly believe that can happen might be difficult, though.
It’s probably a similar scene in Baton Rouge with Vanderbilt giving LSU its second loss of the season.
Four years and zero CFP berths isn’t what the administration envisioned when it hired Brian Kelly on a $95 million contract.
The lack of a breakthrough is frustrating when comparing LSU’s fortunes to those of SEC rivals at or even below the Tigers’ level.
DeBoer was seemingly in a no-win situation as he replaced the greatest coach of the modern era. Instead, the Tide are trending toward double-digit wins and a CFP spot.
Texas A&M is a Top-Five squad in Year 2 under Mike Elko. Ole Miss was off to a 6-0 start and could be CFP-bound for the first time under Lane Kiffin. Even Vanderbilt has leapfrogged in the SEC hierarchy for now.
The Tigers still have to play A&M, Alabama and Oklahoma.
Those matchups give Kelly an opportunity to write a different finish to 2025. Running the table would rebuild some of the confidence the fanbase has lost in him. Conversely, the final month could make it even more clear how far LSU has fallen relative to the SEC’s best.
The battle between the Tigers and Aggies is one of the biggest games on the Week 9 slate. The stakes will also be high in Missouri vs. Vanderbilt and Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma. As all four teams are sitting on one loss, the losers will see their CFP hopes suffer a big blow.
Outside of the SEC, UCLA could be a tricky foe for Indiana as the Bruins are riding a three-game winning streak. They’ll be big underdogs but shouldn’t be written off prematurely.
For younger football fans, Rory Delap is probably more famous as the father of Chelsea striker Liam Delap, but ask any fan of a certain age about him and you’ll get a very different answer.
That’s because father Rory was the man who turned the humble throw-in from a functional part of the game to a deadly set-piece. If for whatever reason you don’t believe us, then we challenge you to find another footballer with a longer ‘throw-ins’ section on their Wikipedia page than the 941-word opus that Delap’s page has at the time of writing.
It was during his five-and-a-half-year spell at Stoke City that Delap hit the mainstream, but this weapon was a long time in the making.
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Rory Delap on his long throw-ins
Here comes another one… (Image credit: Getty Images)
So just when did Delap realise his throw-ins were something special?
“When I was playing for Carlisle’s youth team,” he tells FourFourTwo. “I used it at every club during my career but in different ways – at Stoke it only became notorious because we had eight or nine players who were 6ft 4in and very brave.
Delap’s throw-ins were a deadly set-piece for the Potters (Image credit: Catherine Ivill/AMA/Corbis via Getty Images)
“But I used it at Carlisle, Derby and Southampton under Gordon Strachan – he used to like it if I threw it as high as possible, so the opposition couldn’t clear it. I used it for Ireland too.”
Delap’s throwing prowess was also born out of the skills he showed on both track and field as a kid.
“I got really good at 800m and javelin – I competed at county level and cleaned up in javelin. I think my personal best was 55 metres when I stopped at 14 or 15 and football took over instead.”
That journey saw him rise through the ranks at Carlisle, before going on to make more than 100 appearances at both Derby County and then Southampton.
Pulis’ Stoke City were not everyone’s cup of tea (Image credit: Getty Images)
A short spell at Sunderland followed, before he joined Stoke initially on loan in October 2006, with a permanent move following 14 months later.
Tony Pulis’s side would go to ruffle more than a few Premier League feathers, with FourFourTwo ranking their 2009/10 side at no.9 in a list of the 30 most-hated teams ever in British football.
Delap has teamed up with bookmaker William Hill for their prediction game Final One Standing this season
20. Tennessee (5-2, Previous Rank: 10)
Week 8 Result:Loss at Alabama (20-37)
Next Week:at Kentucky
The Volunteers allowed 16 unanswered points in the final eight minutes of the first half, including a safety and an interception returned for a touchdown, and they were unable to dig out of that early hole against the Crimson Tide defense. DeSean Bishop had a good individual game out of the backfield, tallying 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Tennessee will need to win out to have a chance at a playoff spot, with Oklahoma and Vanderbilt their toughest remaining games.
19. Cincinnati (6-1, Previous Rank: 21)
Week 8 Result:Win at Oklahoma State (49-17)
Next Week:vs. Baylor
The Bearcats cruised to victory against arguably the worst Power Four team in the nation, building a 28-10 lead at halftime behind three second quarter touchdowns. Brendan Sorsby completed 20-of-29 pass attempts for 270 yards and three touchdowns while adding a fourth score on the ground, and he has quietly emerged as one of the more consistent quarterbacks in the nation in his second year under center at Cincinnati.
18. South Florida (6-1, Previous Rank: 20)
Week 8 Result:Win vs. Florida Atlantic (48-13)
Next Week:at Memphis
After previously undefeated Memphis lost earlier in the day, South Florida took care of business against Florida Atlantic to cement their status as the top Group of Five team in the nation midway through the season. Dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown had another big game, logging 256 passing yards, 111 rushing yards and four touchdowns, and the Bulls piled up 522 total yards of offense while recording their fourth straight game with at least 200 rushing yards.
17. Notre Dame (5-2, Previous Rank: 23)
Week 8 Result:Win vs. USC (34-24)
Next Week:BYE
On the strength of a career night from running back Jeremiyah Love, the Fighting Irish took another significant step toward putting their 0-2 start in the rearview mirror as they try to win out and make their case for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Love had 228 rushing yards on 24 carries while also recording one of Notre Dame’s three rushing touchdowns. Meanwhile, the defense shut down the USC running game, picked off Jayden Maiava twice and held standout wide receiver Makai Lemon to four catches for 76 yards.
16. Louisville (5-1, Previous Rank: NR)
Week 8 Result:Win at Miami (24-21)
Next Week:vs. Boston College
Miller Moss (23-of-37, 248 yards, 2 TD), Isaac Brown (15 carries, 113 yards) and Chris Bell (9 catches, 132 yards, 2 TD) all had strong games, but it was Louisville’s defense that shined in a huge win against previously undefeated Miami. After jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, they locked down the victory by picking off Carson Beck four times and allowing just 2.6 yards per carry.
Football Manager 26 launches next month, graphics greatly improved from the last release two years ago.
But while most games will use motion capture to get the most realistic gameplay, the team behind Football Manager have gone leftfield when it comes to replicating the real world.
And it’s all with the help of VAR…
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Sports Interactive’s Miles Jacobson (R) (Image credit: Getty Images)
“We’re getting closer: we’re not there yet with the way we’re doing animations now, both with men’s and women’s football.” studio director of Sports Interactive, Miles Jacobson, tells FourFourTwo.
While Video Assistant Referees may be loathed by the average fan though, Jacobson and the team leant on the data captured by VAR to produce something realer to life for FM.
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“It’s all well and good going into a motion capture studio with ex-footballers, kicking a ball around and getting that motion capture but that doesn’t really reflect the pace of the game.
“It doesn’t reflect the natural actions on the ball – the feints, the looks up and that sort of thing.
“So this year, we’ve been able to work with Hawkeye Technology who are a name that aren’t known by many people but they’re the people behind VAR. They have loads of cameras in stadiums to be able to do VAR and they work by looking at the skeletal structure of players rather than the person, like a camera would do.
“Our partnership with them means that we can take matches from competitions and take all of their motion data capture – even though that’s not what it’s there for – and put it into the game. That’s why in this game, you see players looking up before they look to cross, which is something that’s certainly never been in FM before but it makes a fundamental difference to how things look.
Manchester City, as seen in FM26 (Image credit: Sports Interactive/SEGA)
“There’s still a lot to do graphically before we get to the point where it looks like a real match. But some of the passing movement within the game is beautiful, it adds that extra element of realism.”
Football Manager 26 is out on November 4, 2025.
Referee, Jesus Gil Manzano, shows a red card to Hansi Flick, Head Coach of FC Barcelona, during the LaLiga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Girona FC (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Substitute Ronald Araújo snatched Barcelona a 2-1 victory over Girona in stoppage time in La Liga on Saturday and ended a mini losing streak before the clasico at Real Madrid next week.The central defender made the move of a striker when he slid in front of his marker as they raced to the near post and skilfully redirected a low pass from Frenkie de Jong and ignited the home crowd.Araújo’s last-gasp goal came moments after Barcelona coach Hansi Flick was sent off with two quick yellow cards apparently for complaining that the referee had not added more than four minutes of injury time.The sending off means Flick won’t be on the sideline for the first clasico of the season.Before the international break, Barcelona lost to Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in the Champions League and was stunned at Sevilla 4-1 in La Liga.Pedri González gave Barcelona the lead with an exquisite goal in the 13th, sliding an angled ball back across the area and inside the near post without looking at the target.But Barcelona’s control collapsed after Axel Witsel equalized seven minutes later with an acrobatic bicycle kick to whip a loose high ball off the turf and past Wojciech Szczesny.Only Szczesny’s saves and some poor marksmanship by Girona kept the visitors from taking the lead before halftime after it was able to mount repeated counterattacks after Barcelona lost possession.Girona then needed goalie Paulo Gazzaniga to turn back shots by FermÃn López and Marcus Rashord before Araújo´s clinched the result.With Barcelona missing strikers Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres and playmaker Dani Olmo to injury, Flick gave a La Liga debut to 17-year-old forward Toni Fernández. He was substituted for FermÃn at halftime.Barcelona moved into the league lead with a one-point advantage over Madrid before it plays Getafe on Sunday.
Liverpool receive a setback with their plans to sign Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi on a free next summer, Manchester United eye January move for Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, while Spurs and Liverpool are keen on Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.
Crystal Palace are planning to sell England defender Marc Guehi in January and Liverpool are no longer the frontrunners to sign the 25-year-old, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich all interested. (The I paper – subscription required), external
England midfielder and Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, 21, is Manchester United’s top transfer target for January, although he could cost around £70m. (Teamtalk), external
Liverpool and Chelsea were both rebuffed by Everton in the summer after expressing their interest in 23-year-old England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite. (Mail – subscription required), external
Tottenham and Liverpool are both keen on Bournemouth and Ghana winger Antoine Semenyo, 25. (Talksport), external
Inter Milan have dismissed rumours they are set to sign Brazil forward Neymar, 33, in January, after his contract expires at Santos. (Corriere dello Sport – in Italian), external
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is a huge admirer of Italy and Inter Milan left-back Federico Dimarco, 27, but the player is keen to remain at the San Siro for the time being. (Tuttosport – in Italian), external
Players of India (in blue) and Singapore vie for the ball during their 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifier football match, in Goa. (PTI Photo) India’s men’s senior national football team has dropped to 136th place in the latest FIFA World Rankings, marking their lowest position since November 2016.The team’s new ranking coincides with their elimination from both the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifications.India’s football journey has seen significant changes in recent times. After achieving success in the 2023 Intercontinental Cup, SAFF Championship, and Tri-Nation Series, the team’s performance has declined considerably.Their promising period, which had helped them reach the top 100 rankings, was followed by a disappointing AFC Asian Cup campaign in Qatar. The team failed to score any goals and suffered three consecutive defeats in the group stage.The national team’s leadership has undergone multiple changes, with three different head coaches in less than two years. Igor Å timac was replaced by Manolo Márquez, who was later succeeded by Khalid Jamil.Under Jamil’s leadership, the team showed some tactical improvements during the CAFA Nations Cup friendly tournament. However, their competitive match results have remained unsatisfactory.The team’s most recent competitive victory was against Kuwait in November 2023, with a score of 1-0.In the global rankings, Spain maintains its position at the top, followed by Argentina and France in second and third places respectively. The top eight positions are completed by England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Belgium.Germany has moved up two positions to 10th place after winning their qualifying matches against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland. Croatia has moved down to 11th position following their draw with the Czech Republic.The rankings will play a crucial role in determining the seedings for the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup draw scheduled for December 5. The United States, Canada, and Mexico, as co-hosts, will be placed in the top-seed pot along with the nine highest-ranked direct qualifiers, likely including Germany.
Football Manager 26 launches next month, with women’s football available on the game.
The integration was announced four whole years ago – in part because it would have been impossible to keep such a huge project quiet – but now, we’re on the cusp of seeing women’s players in the game for the very first time.
In truth though, getting women’s football into the game has taken much longer than even that…
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Sports Interactive’s Miles Jacobson (R) (Image credit: Getty Images)
“We’re late to the party on this. I was looking at this from a commercial perspective,” studio director of Sports Interactive, Miles Jacobson, tells FourFourTwo.
“I was on a panel where we were talking about it and I was asked why we hadn’t done women’s football – and I said it wasn’t commercially viable.
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“Three Lionesses grabbed me afterwards and sat me down, and said, ‘Unless we get the support from other games companies and media companies, it’s never going to be commercially viable. You need to help us break through the glass ceiling.’
“This was at a time when it wasn’t at a level that it is now. The discussion kind of annoys me – but I was part of the problem and I’m part of the reason that these discussions are still happening.”
“Let’s hope that us, Sky, the BBC, FourFourTwo, EA Sports FC and everyone else – let’s hope that we can get to a point where we don’t have to have this discussion anymore. And to be frank, to have the discussion, ‘Why the f*** didn’t you do this before?’
Real-world football clubs now use Football Manageras a scouting tool – and now, Jacobson says that he hopes that FMcan help as a source that will improve data in the women’s game.
Bunny Shaw, as seen in FM26 (Image credit: Sports Interactive/SEGA)
“We were late to it but we’re trying to fix that now,” he says. “I think data will be invaluable to football clubs and will hopefully open doors to more people to do data on this side of things as well.
“Because you look at the importance that women’s football is having on kids around the world: everyone across society needs role models. Let’s hope that we help, even if it’s a tiny bit. Women’s football is football. It’s football.”
Football Manager 26 is out on November 4, 2025.