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Good morning and happy hump day, everyone! It’s Austin Nivison greeting you on this fine Wednesday. Can we all agree this is the best time of year for college hoops until March? We had some blue bloods go head-to-head last night, and there is only more to come. On the NBA hardwood, LeBron James made his season debut, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is dealing with an injury.
Let’s get right to all that and more, shall we?
👑 Five things to know Wednesday
- LeBron James made his historic season debut. King James made his 2025-26 season debut in Los Angeles Tuesday night, marking the first time that an NBA player has stepped on the floor for a 23rd season. After missing the first four weeks of the season with sciatica, James tallied 11 points, 12 assists and three rebounds in 30 minutes during the Lakers’ 140-126 win over the Jazz. Now that he’s back in the fold, our Sam Quinn says the 40-year-old James must learn to take off his Superman cape and let Luka Dončić play the hero more often.
- Georgia rose to No. 4 in the new College Football Playoff Rankings. The Bulldogs scored a critical win over Texas last weekend, and with Alabama losing to Oklahoma, the door was open for them to reach the top four. As for those Sooners, who went into Tuscaloosa and beat the Crimson Tide, they are now No. 8. Be sure to check out the complete College Football Playoff bracket, fresh of the presses.
- College basketball blue bloods battled in the Champions Classic. After getting beaten by rival Louisville last week, No. 12 Kentucky took another early-season blow as No. 17 Michigan State cruised past the Wildcats for an 83-66 win. Amidst a cold start, Mark Pope has a very expensive problem on his hands. In the second marquee matchup of the night, No. 5 Duke held off No. 24 Kansas for a 78-66 victory as Cam Boozer showed out for the Blue Devils.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss 1-2 weeks with a groin strain. The Bucks will be without their star big man for at least a week, but it could have been a whole lot worse. When Antetokounmpo left Monday’s game against the Cavaliers, all of Milwaukee helds its breath, but it’s just a low-grade strain for the two-time MVP. Bucks fans can breathe a little easier knowing the NBA’s fourth-leading scorer will be back on the court soon.
- Shota Imanaga (Cubs) and Trent Grisham (Yankees) were among four MLB players to accept qualifying offers. With Gleyber Torres (Tigers) and Brandon Woodruff (Brewers) also accepting their qualifying offers, that sets a new record. Prior to this season, only 14 out of 144 eligible players had ever accepted their qualifying offers, and the most to do it in one offseason was three. Kyle Tucker was one of nine who declined a qualifying offer, and he should have plenty of suitors.
🐴 Do not miss this: Pete Prisco has Broncos rising in NFL Power Rankings
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It may not always be pretty. It may not always be comfortable. But the Broncos just keep winning, and their latest win over the Chiefs was their eighth straight. No one can deny that Denver has some magic, and Pete Prisco has placed them at No. 5 in his latest NFL Power Rankings.
The Broncos have needed some dramatic comebacks to get there, but they are 9-2, and they’ve been through the fire already. As Prisco explains, an iron clad defense and some clutch quarterback play from Bo Nix might be enough to help Denver reach the promise land.
- Prisco: “We know Nix has been inconsistent at times and the running game needs to be better, but Payton has this team believing in the fourth quarter that they can win games, even when behind. That, coupled with the dominant defense, will make them a threat come playoff time to win it all.”
The Chiefs, on the other hand, are faced with the potential for a major disappointment. Can Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid get this train back on track? Cody Benjamin broke down what’s gone wrong in Kansas City — and whether it can get fixed in time for a postseason berth.
😰 College Football Playoff Rankings: Is Notre Dame starting to sweat?
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For several weeks now, Notre Dame has been considered a virtual lock for the College Football Playoff, and Miami has looked more like a longshot after a midseason skid. Then the Hurricanes moved up to No. 13 in the latest rankings — just four spots being the Irish at No. 9.
With that gap closing, people are starting to compare the resumés more closely, and that might spell heartbreak for Notre Dame. For starters, Miami has a head-to-head win, but Shehan Jeyarajah explains that’s not the only edge the Canes have in their back pocket.
- Jeyarajah: “Miami takes the edge in head-to-head. Both programs beat mutual opponent NC State, though the Hurricanes’ performance was more impressive. Miami previously destroyed future Notre Dame opponents Syracuse and Stanford, while the Hurricanes have yet to play Pitt, which the Irish beat. As for strength of schedule, the SportsLine rankings have Miami (32) with a slightly better schedule than Notre Dame (34).”
The Irish are probably still safe, but this new wrinkle puts more pressure on them to score some style points in their last two regular season games against Syracuse and Stanford.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
📺 What we’re watching Wednesday
⚽ The UEFA Women’s Champions League will be on Paramount+ all day.
🏀 Rockets at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Oilers at Capitals, 7 p.m. on TNT
🏈 Miami (OH) at Buffalo, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏈 Central Michigan at Kent State, 7 p.m. on ESPNU
🏀 Winthrop at No. 2 South Carolina (W), 7 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 No. 4 Arizona at No. 3 UConn (M), 7 p.m. on FS1
🏀 No. 11 Alabama vs. No. 8 Illinois (M), 9 p.m. on FS1
🏒 Hurricanes at Wild, 9:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Knicks at Mavericks, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
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