Oregon jumped to No. 2 in the Coaches Poll for the first time since 2014 after beating Ohio State for the program’s first ever win over a top-two opponent. However, No. 1 Texas tightened its stranglehold on the top spot after receiving 53 of the 55 first-place votes.
Penn State also jumped Georgia and moved to No. 3 in the rankings after the Bulldogs struggled in a 41-31 win over Mississippi State. The Bulldogs stayed at No. 4, while Ohio State dropped three spots to No. 5 after the one-point loss to the Ducks. No. 8 LSU and No. 9 Clemson also both jumped Tennessee to get back into the top 10.
Down the board, Army entered the poll for the first time since 2018 after moving to 6-0 with a dominant 44-10 win over UAB. The Black Knights are 6-0 to start the season for the first time since 1945, when the program went on to win a national championship and produce Heisman Trophy winner Doc Blanchard. Nebraska also moved back into the rankings at No. 25.
Week 8 Coaches Poll
Texas (53)
Oregon (2)
Penn State
Georgia
Ohio State
Miami
Alabama
LSU
Clemson
Tennessee
Notre Dame
Iowa State
BYU
Texas A&M
Ole Miss
Missouri
Kansas State
Indiana
Boise State
Pittsburgh
Illinois
Michigan
SMU
Army
Nebraska
Dropped out: No. 16 Oklahoma, No. 17 Utah
Also receiving votes: Oklahoma 81; Arizona State 49; Navy 37; Utah 31; Vanderbilt 26; Syracuse 13; UNLV 12; Iowa 12; Texas Tech 9; Liberty 9; Washington State 8; Memphis 4; Louisville 4; James Madison 3; Tulane 2
Texas will enter this week’s Red River Showdown with Oklahoma as the nation’s No. 1 team after the Longhorns claimed the top spot in the AP poll on Sunday following Alabama’s Week 6 loss to Vanderbilt. The Crimson Tide had been No. 1 but fell to No. 7 following their stumble against the Commodores.
The Longhorns — off Saturday — benefitted from the carnage of a wild week that saw five of the top-11 teams lose. Ohio State crept up one spot to No. 2 following its 35-7 win over Iowa and received nine first-place votes compared to the 52 first-place votes awarded to the Longhorns.
This isn’t Texas’ first time at No. 1 this season. The Longhorns ascended to No. 1 following an authoritative Week 2 win at Michigan and held the spot for two weeks. They slipped to No. 2 last week, however, as the Crimson Tide claimed the top spot after a Week 5 win over Georgia.
Though Texas rose, it was a rough week for other highly ranked SEC teams such as the Crimson Tide, Tennessee and Missouri. As a result, the Big Ten’s top teams came out of the wild weekend in excellent shape as Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State each registered as top-five teams in the new poll. Oregon’s climb to No. 3 means that it will officially be a top-three battle when the Ducks host the Buckeyes in a marquee Week 7 showdown.
Here’s the full AP Top 25 Poll after the Week 6 slate, with first-place votes in parentheses.
Week 7 AP Top 25
1. Texas (52) 2. Ohio State (9) 3. Oregon 4. Penn State 5. Georgia 6. Miami 7. Alabama 8. Tennessee 9. Ole Miss 10. Clemson 11. Iowa State 12. Notre Dame 13. LSU 14. BYU 15. Texas A&M 16. Utah 17. Boise State 18. Kansas State 18. Indiana 18. Oklahoma 21. Missouri 22. Pitt 23. Illinois 24. Michigan 25. SMU
Also receiving votes: Southern Cal 98, Nebraska 51, Navy 43, Army 33, Vanderbilt 26, Arkansas 17, Washington St. 8, Iowa 8, Texas Tech 7, Syracuse 6, Washington 4, Louisville 4, Colorado 3, Kentucky 1.
Charli XCX is adding yet another acting role to her resume.
The singer, currently on a career high after the June release of her album “Brat,” will guest star in Benito Skinner‘s upcoming comedy series “Overcompensating.” She was previously announced to be producing original music for the series.
Besides “Overcompensating,” Charli XCX’s upcoming screen credits include three films: the Gregg Araki thriller “I Want Your Sex” starring Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman; Daniel Goldhaber’s remake of 1978’s “Faces of Death” starring Barbie Ferreira; and Julia Jackman’s graphic novel adaptation “100 Nights of Hero” starring Emma Corrin and Maika Monroe.
Along with Skinner and Charli XCX, the cast of “Overcompensating” includes Wally Baram, Mary Beth Barone, Adam DiMarco and Rish Shah as series regulars, with Connie Britton, Kyle MacLachlan, Kaia Gerber, Julia Shiplett, Tommy Do, Alexandra Beaton, Claire Qute, Elias Azimi and Maddie Phillips recurring.
Per the official logline, the series “is a college-set ensemble comedy about the wild, chaotic journey of Benny (Skinner), a closeted former football player and homecoming king, as he becomes fast friends with Carmen (Baram), a high school outsider on a mission to fit in at all costs. With guidance from Benny’s older sister (Barone) and her campus-legend boyfriend (DiMarco), Benny and Carmen juggle horrible hookups, flavored vodka and fake IDs. Deeply funny and personal, the show explores the lengths to which we all overcompensate while on the path to finding out who we really are.”
See Skinner’s post announcing Charli XCX’s casting and sharing behind-the-scenes photos from “Overcompensating” below.
ESPN senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski has agreed to become the general manager of the men’s basketball program at St. Bonaventure, he told ESPN.
Wojnarowski is a St. Bonaventure alumnus and has a strong relationship with the program, including as a fundraiser for the school’s collective in recent years. He is a 1991 graduate of the western New York school and a distinguished alumnus from the Jandoli School of Communication.
“It is a thrill of a lifetime to be able to return to a university and community that I love in a role of service to our student-athletes, coaches and institution,” Wojnarowski told ESPN. “I am hopeful that I can bring value in a lot of areas to our basketball program and open doors for our young men’s futures in ways both professionally and personally.”
Wojnarowski, 55, has worked at ESPN since 2017. He previously worked at Yahoo Sports and The Record of Bergen County (New Jersey), among other stops.
“I am retiring from a dream job at ESPN and am so incredibly grateful for my time and experiences with the Worldwide Leader,” he said.
The GM role has become more common in college basketball in recent years, as the transfer portal has made wholesale roster turnover an inherent part of the sport. The role includes name, image and likeness allocation, recruiting and supporting successful Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt.
“Woj is the perfect person to fill this new role, combining his intimate knowledge of St. Bonaventure and our Franciscan values with a deep network of relationships he has built across the worlds of professional and intercollegiate basketball,” St. Bonaventure athletic director Bob Beretta said. “The fact that the preeminent journalist in his field is willing to walk away from a lucrative media career to serve his alma mater in a support role is a testament to his love and passion for Bona’s.”
In a statement posted to social media, Wojnarowski wrote: “I grew up the son of a factory worker two miles from ESPN’s campus and only ever dreamed of making a living as a sportswriter. Thirty-seven years ago, the Hartford Courant gave me my first byline and I never stopped chasing the thrill of it all.
“The craft transformed my life, but I’ve decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry. I understand the commitment required in my role and it’s an investment that I’m no longer driven to make. Time isn’t in endless supply and I want to spend mine in ways that are more personally meaningful.
“I leave with overwhelming gratitude for countless mentors and colleagues, subjects and stories, readers and viewers. No one has benefitted more than me from the belief, trust and generosity of others.
“The past seven years at ESPN have been a particular privilege. I’m appreciative of the company’s leadership — especially [ESPN chairman] Jimmy Pitaro and [executive editor] Cristina Daglas — for the understanding and acceptance of my decision to make a life change.
“After all these years reporting on everyone’s teams, I’m headed back to my own.”
Pitaro said in a statement: “I’ve known and admired Woj since we first worked together at Yahoo! in 2007. His work ethic is second to none. He’s extraordinarily talented and fearless. He has led the industry at ESPN, and his dedication to the craft and to fans is legendary. While we will miss his daily output, we completely understand his decision to make a lifestyle change and slow down a bit. We know he will continue to thrive in this next chapter, and he has our collective gratitude and support.”
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasió — also known as the musical artist Bad Bunny — has found his next onscreen role, joining the cast of Adam Sandler‘s Happy Gilmore sequel.
Kyle Newacheck, who directed Sandler in the Netflix comedy Murder Mystery, is helming the Netflix sequel to the 1996 comedy about a wannabe professional hockey player who discovers his talent in the game of golf and begrudgingly goes on tour, only to become a sensation. Plot details for the sequel are being kept under wraps.
Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald are back for the sequel, having starred in the original film, respectively, as Virginia Venit, Sandler’s onscreen love interest, and Shooter McGavin, a jealous golf pro and the film’s villain.
Camerashave started rolling on the comedy, with Sandler posting on Instagram on Monday: “It ain’t over. The way I see it… we’ve only just begun.”
Sandler and Tim Herlihy wrote the screenplay and will also produce with Jack Giarraputo and Robert Simonds. Dennis Dugan, who directed the original Happy Gilmore, will executive produce with Judit Maull, Kevin Grady, David Bausch and Barry Bernardi.
As for Bad Bunny, repped by UTA and Rimas Entertainment, the film will mark his latest foray into onscreen roles. He previously appeared opposite Brad Pitt in Sony’s action comedy Bullet Train and Gael García Bernal in the Amazon drama Cassandro. Coming up, he has Darren Aronofsky’s crime thriller Caught Stealing at Sony Pictures.
In a Vanity Fair cover story published last year, the music superstar said, “You could say that I have been investing a little bit more of myself in acting.”
