Hey Team 👋

The wait is finally over. The NFL season kicks off with rivalry fireworks, international flair and a full slate of Sunday action. Meanwhile, college football is already shaking up the rankings after a wild Week 1. Ohio State sits atop the AP Poll after toppling Texas, Alabama took a historic tumble and LSU is suddenly in a frontrunner in the playoff conversation. Buckle up: Between the first taste of drama in the pros and the madness in the NCAA, football season is back and better than ever.

Letter Rip!

< NFL >

Week 1 Preview

Forget TGIF — it’s Thursday night, baby, and football is officially back. No more clinging to training camp reports, pretending preseason matters, or mock-drafting your life away. It’s here for real this time. The fireworks start right away, with a fierce rivalry matchup between the Eagles and Cowboys. Then, we get a Friday night game between the Chargers and Chiefs. Sunday is business as usual: A full slate of games (aka, eight hours in front of your TV). 

Eagles vs Cowboys

The defending champs enter as clear favorites, but there’s no shortage of intrigue in this matchup. Dallas is looking to reinvent itself. The Cowboys may have lost Micah Parsons, but they also gained George Pickens and new head coach Brian Schottenheimer. 

Pickens should be able to breathe some life into this Cowboys offense. Even when Dak Prescott was healthy last season, he wasn’t able to make explosive offensive plays. Why? He just couldn’t get the ball to CeeDee Lamb. Pickens will force defenses to spread their coverage rather than zeroing in on CeeDee and offers another offensive weapon in himself. 

Philly, meanwhile, looks like the same juggernaut that just lifted the Lombardi. With Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith on the field, the Eagles have no problem putting points up. The defense remains formidable too, but losing veteran corner Darius Slay to the Steelers leaves a crack in the armor. Against Dallas’s upgraded receiving corps, that could matter. Still, the Eagles talent and balance on both sides of the ball makes it hard to doubt them. But I do know this: In Week 1, anything can happen – especially in a rivalry game.

Chiefs vs Chargers

After last year’s Eagles-Packers thriller (highlighted by Saquon Barkley’s unforgettable debut), the NFL is gearing up for another matchup in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This year’s matchup features the Chargers versus the Chiefs and ensures we won’t have to go one day without football this weekend.

While the Chiefs dynasty is obviously seeking another Super Bowl, Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers are trying to establish themselves as a force in the NFC. The Chiefs have made 10 consecutive playoff trips, including three consecutive Super Bowl trips. After a 15-2 season last year, they came up short versus the Eagles. Now, they’re seeking redemption – and it all starts on Friday, where they are favored over the Chargers. 

On the other side, Jim Harbaugh has quickly turned the Chargers into a contender. L.A. went 11-6 in his first year, earning a Wild Card berth before falling to Houston. The only problem? The Chiefs. Los Angeles has lost seven straight to Kansas City. Similarly, Now that you know that statistic, it shouldn’t be surprising that Justin Herbert has only two wins throughout his nine meetings with Patrick Mahomes. In order for LA to flip the script, they’ll need to break those streaks and start a new narrative. 

Sunday Matchups

Even after all that action today and tomorrow (plus college football on Saturday), we still have 13 NFL games to look forward to on Sunday. 

1:00 PM 

Dolphins @ Colts

Steelers @ Jets

Panthers @ Jaguars

Cardinals @ Saints

Giants @ Commanders

Buccaneers @ Falcons

Bengals @ Browns

Raiders @ Patriots

4:05 PM

49ers @ Seahawks

Titans @ Broncos

4:25 PM

Lions @ Packers

Texans @ Rams

8:20 PM

Ravens @ Bills

*All Times ET

< CFB >

Week 2 AP Poll

The Week 2 AP Poll is here, and after Texas’s loss, there’s a new No. 1 team. It’s no surprise Ohio State slid into the top spot after last week’s win and their previous status as No. 3. I’m already hearing the pushback: Fans saying the Buckeyes don’t deserve that spot. And do I think they’re truly the best team in the country right now? Maybe not, but after beating the No. 1 team, how could you rank them any lower? Meanwhile, Alabama took the biggest tumble of the week, dropping from No. 8 to No. 22 after a brutal loss to Florida State. Speaking of the previously unranked Seminoles, they vaulted their way into the No. 14 spot this week. 

Among already-ranked teams, LSU made the loudest statement, jumping six spots to No. 3 after upsetting Clemson. Beyond that, the shuffling was more modest: Miami, South Carolina and Iowa State all moved up after strong wins, while Notre Dame, Clemson and Texas slid after disappointing losses.

Week 2 AP Top 25 

1. Ohio State (⬆️2)

2. Penn State (🟰)

3. LSU (⬆️6)

4. Georgia (⬆️1)

5. Miami (⬆️5)

6. Oregon (⬆️1)

7. Texas (⬇️6)

8. Clemson (⬇️4)

9. Notre Dame (⬇️3)

10. South Carolina (⬆️3)

11. Illinois (⬆️1)

12. Arizona State (⬇️1)

13. Florida (⬆️2)

14. Florida State (previously unranked)

15. Michigan (⬇️1)

16. Iowa State (⬆️6)

17. SMU (⬇️1)

18. Oklahoma (🟰)

19. Texas A&M (🟰)

20. Ole Miss (⬆️1)

21. Alabama (⬇️13)

22. Tennessee (⬆️2)

23. Indiana (⬇️3)

24. Texas Tech (⬇️1)

25. Utah (previously unranked)