After a little less than a year, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is ending the work of a task force she created to look at big changes to the U.S. intelligence community.Related video above: Gabbard had vocally opposed ‘regime-change wars’ during presidential campaignThe panel known as the Director’s Initiative Group was formed in April and charged with rooting out what Gabbard called the politicization of intelligence gathering. The group also studied ways to reduce spending on intelligence and whether reports on high-profile topics like COVID-19 should be declassified.The group became a lightning rod for criticism of Gabbard, with Democrats and some intelligence insiders questioning whether it would be used to weaken spy agencies and bring them under the control of President Donald Trump.In announcing the end of the group’s work Wednesday, Gabbard said it was always intended to be a temporary effort as she began her work overseeing coordination of the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies. Reuters first reported the winddown.”In less than one year, we’ve brought a historic level of transparency to the intelligence community,” Gabbard said in a statement. “My commitment to transparency, truth, and eliminating politicization and weaponization within the intelligence community remains central to all that we do.”The number and identities of the officers assigned to the group is classified, Gabbard’s office said, adding that they now will return to other agencies to continue the work begun by the group.Gabbard has ushered in big changes to America’s intelligence service, at times using the nation’s spy agencies to back up Trump’s conspiracy theories about the 2016 and 2020 elections.Under Gabbard, the government has revoked the security clearances of dozens of former and current officials as well as declassified documents meant to call into question long-settled judgments about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.Her presence at an FBI search of a Georgia election office related to the 2020 election has prompted criticism from Democrats who say she is blurring the traditional lines between foreign intelligence gathering and domestic law enforcement.The CIA also released more information about its investigations into the origins of COVID-19, including a new assessment released last year that found COVID most likely originated in a lab.In August, Gabbard announced plans to reduce the workforce at her office and trim more than $700 million from its annual budget. In May, she fired two top intelligence officials because she determined they opposed Trump.
WASHINGTON —
After a little less than a year, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is ending the work of a task force she created to look at big changes to the U.S. intelligence community.
Related video above: Gabbard had vocally opposed ‘regime-change wars’ during presidential campaign
The panel known as the Director’s Initiative Group was formed in April and charged with rooting out what Gabbard called the politicization of intelligence gathering. The group also studied ways to reduce spending on intelligence and whether reports on high-profile topics like COVID-19 should be declassified.
The group became a lightning rod for criticism of Gabbard, with Democrats and some intelligence insiders questioning whether it would be used to weaken spy agencies and bring them under the control of President Donald Trump.
In announcing the end of the group’s work Wednesday, Gabbard said it was always intended to be a temporary effort as she began her work overseeing coordination of the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies. Reuters first reported the winddown.
“In less than one year, we’ve brought a historic level of transparency to the intelligence community,” Gabbard said in a statement. “My commitment to transparency, truth, and eliminating politicization and weaponization within the intelligence community remains central to all that we do.”
The number and identities of the officers assigned to the group is classified, Gabbard’s office said, adding that they now will return to other agencies to continue the work begun by the group.
Gabbard has ushered in big changes to America’s intelligence service, at times using the nation’s spy agencies to back up Trump’s conspiracy theories about the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Under Gabbard, the government has revoked the security clearances of dozens of former and current officials as well as declassified documents meant to call into question long-settled judgments about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Her presence at an FBI search of a Georgia election office related to the 2020 election has prompted criticism from Democrats who say she is blurring the traditional lines between foreign intelligence gathering and domestic law enforcement.
The CIA also released more information about its investigations into the origins of COVID-19, including a new assessment released last year that found COVID most likely originated in a lab.
In August, Gabbard announced plans to reduce the workforce at her office and trim more than $700 million from its annual budget. In May, she fired two top intelligence officials because she determined they opposed Trump.
Farmer Wants A Wifeis coming back! The hit dating show will return for its fourth season on April 21.
This year, however, the series is introducing a twist. For the first time, the show will feature three farmers searching for love instead of four. According to a press release issued Wednesday (Feb. 11), the change is meant to allow viewers to dive deeper into each farmer’s journey.
Braden Pridemore, 26, Brett Maverick, 35, and Sean Cavanaugh, 22, are the three farmers hoping to find love this season. The women vying for their hearts have not yet been announced.
Pridemore is a 26-year-old fifth-generation corn and soybean farmer from Homer, Ill. According to the press release, he works on his family’s 3,000-acre farm, an operation originally built by his grandfather.
Pridemore says he’s looking for a wife who is kind, faith-minded and ready to build a family.
When he’s not farming, he enjoys songwriting and playing guitar at local bars.
Brett Maverick
Maverick is the oldest of this season’s farmers. The 35-year-old horse and cattle farmer is from Savannah, Tenn., where his family owns a 1,000-acre farm. He is currently building his own horse and cattle ranch on the property.
Before turning to farming full-time, Maverick worked as a bull rider before eventually stepping away from the sport to become an entrepreneur. He is now developing both a protein bar company and a tequila brand.
According to the press release, Maverick hopes to find a partner with whom he can build a legacy rooted in love, loyalty and land.
Sean Cavanaugh
Cavanaugh, 22, is from Solvang, Calif., where he works as a farm-to-table farmer on his family’s 22-acre produce farm. The crops grown there help supply his family’s farm-to-table restaurant, The Gathering Table.
According to the press release, Cavanaugh is focused, driven and ready to find something real.
Who will be hosting the show?
Actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley will return as host after debuting in the role during Season 3. Last season also featured a cameo from her husband, country star Brad Paisley, though it has not yet been confirmed whether he will appear in the upcoming season.
Before Williams-Paisley took over hosting duties, country star Jennifer Nettles hosted the show’s first two seasons.
Where can fans watch?
The show returns Tuesday, April 21, at 8PM ET/7PM C on FOX.
In the meantime, fans can catch up on past seasons on Hulu, FOX One, Tubi and through On Demand services. On Demand episodes are available to subscribers of providers including Cox Contour TV, DIRECTV, DISH, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Optimum, Spectrum, Verizon FiOS, Xfinity and YouTube TV, among others.
Catch up on which relationships lasted from Season 3.
‘Farmer Wants a Wife’ Season 3 Finale Pictures Include Final Decisions
The Season 3 finale of Farmer Wants a Wife will find all four farmers making a final decision between two women. Jay, Matt, John and Colton will all have to choose who they keep and who goes home during the two-hour finale on Fox on Thursday (May 22 at 8PM ET).
A couple of significant Big Ten results from overtime games on Tuesday night led to a shakeup on the No. 2 seed line in CBS Sports Bracketology. Purdue rose from a No. 3 seed to a No. 2 seed following its 80-77 win at Nebraska, and Illinois dropped from a No. 2 seed to a No. 3 seed following its 92-90 home loss to Wisconsin.
The path to get there was anything but smooth for the Boilermakers, who squandered a 22-point lead in the second half. But the end result was a seventh Quad 1 victory and seventh win over a team projected to be an at-large squad in the CBS Sports Bracketology field.
At 20-4 (10-3 Big Ten), Purdue has ample opportunity down the stretch to continue building its resume. Six of its final seven regular season games are against projected NCAA Tournament teams. While there is still a significant gap between the Boilermakers and the No. 1 seeds, they’re also a team with a high seeding floor because of what they’ve accomplished already and because any losses incurred from here on out would likely be Quad 1 or 2 defeats.
Holy hoops! Villanova, Notre Dame finalizing plans to open 2026-27 college basketball season in Rome, Italy
Matt Norlander
Nebraska would have been in position to potentially rise up and claim a No. 2 seed if it had completed the comeback and taken down Purdue. However, the Cornhuskers weren’t penalized too harshly and remained a No. 3 seed.
Bracketology top seeds
Check out the full field of 68 at the CBS Sports Bracketology hub.
Illinois falls
Despite the fact that Illinois (20-5, 11-3 Big Ten) now has five losses, our model is still high on the Illini over the long haul and projects they will rise to the No. 2 line by Selection Sunday. For now, consecutive overtime losses by a combined five points have taken a toll on Illinois’ resume. Illinois still rates as the nation’s No. 6 team at KenPom. But its No. 9 ranking in wins above bubble (WAB) reflects a resume that is more in line with a No. 3 seed.
Assessing the Atlantic 10’s prospects
George Mason entered Tuesday night’s game at Richmond within striking distance of the at-large discussion because of its top-50 resume. But after taking an 82-70 Quad 3 loss, the Patriots now have an even thinner margin for error. At just 3-3 over its last six games, George Mason is trending in the wrong direction.
However, all hope is not lost for the Atlantic 10’s hopes of producing more than one bid. VCU is entering its Wednesday night game at La Salle in the “First Four Out” category. At 18-6 and 9-2 in the A-10, the Rams are in the hunt as a team that with at least some chance to join Atlantic 10 stalwart Saint Louis (23-1, 11-0) in the field.
However, the surest path for the A-10 to two-bid status after having just one team selected in two of the past three seasons would likely be for someone other than Saint Louis to win the conference tournament. With the Billikens firmly in at-large territory, this league could end up producing a “bid thief.” George Mason and VCU are both good enough to enter the conference tournament on the wrong side of the bubble, hold the trophy on the end and then be dangerous in the Big Dance.
When former FBI agent Katherine Schweit heard about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, her mind drifted to a crime that took place in rural Wisconsin more than two decades ago.
An 88-year-old grandmother was abducted from her home in February 2003 and placed in the trunk of her car. Her abductor drove her to his property and shackled her inside a trailer. Soon after, the woman’s grandson, who owned a construction company, started to receive messages demanding millions for her release.
“The kidnapper thought he could get a big ransom from the family,” said Schweit, who investigated the case and helped capture the suspect and rescue the woman five days after she was taken.
The Guthrie case doesn’t seem to be following that script, Schweit said. “If you were going to abduct somebody for cash, why wouldn’t you aggressively try to get the cash by communicating with the family right from the start, so you could get your money and return the victim?”
It’s one of the big questions baffling investigators, law enforcement experts and the millions of Americans following the high-profile case. Even the recent release of home surveillance footage showing a potential subject provides no additional information about the person’s possible motive or what happened to Guthrie.
An FBI billboard in California displaying a missing person alert for Nancy Guthrie on Monday.via KNBC
The 84-year-old mother of NBC’s “TODAY” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie vanished from her home outside of Tucson, Ariz., after she was dropped off by family members on the night of Jan. 31.
Eleven days later, the identity of her abductor or abductors remains a mystery. But Tuesday, the FBI released images and videos from Guthrie’s home security camera showing a person in a ski mask and gloves and carrying what appears to be a handgun. The person walks up to her house, head down, and then attempts to tamper with the camera.
Michael Alcazar, a retired New York Police Department detective who is now an adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said he expects the new images and videos to produce a flood of tips that will help investigators identify the person.
“One hundred percent, somebody is going to recognize him,” Alcazar said.
Alcazar said he thinks it’s significant that the suspect approached the house with the head down, an apparent effort to keep the doorbell camera from recording the face. “That tells me he’s been there before,” said Alcatraz, who added that he wouldn’t discount the possibility that it was a burglary gone wrong.
Following the release of the new images and videos, Savannah Guthrie posted on her Instagram page: “We believe she is still alive. Bring her home.”
Abductions involving adults are rare in the United States, and rarer still are the kind that do not involve family disputes, drug traffickers or gangs, experts say.
Chip Massey, a retired FBI hostage negotiator, said the unusual circumstances of the case — an abduction involving a famous American family — reminded him of the 1932 kidnapping of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh’s 20-month-old son from his home in New Jersey.
“This is the stuff of movies,” he said.
In Guthrie’s case, a possible ransom note was sent to three news outlets, and the FBI said it referenced an Apple Watch, which she is believed to have worn. The note contained two deadlines — one at 5 p.m. Feb. 5, and a second deadline Monday, according to Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix division. But he said the note did not establish a means for communication.
A second note was sent to local TV station KOLD, but it did not contain a ransom demand and was different “in almost every way” from the first one, according to its news director Jessica Bobula.
Massey, the retired FBI hostage negotiator, said the lack of communication complicates law enforcement’s ability to identify whoever is responsible.
“If I can’t hear a voice, if they can’t hear mine, a lot of my training and background is now useless,” he said.
Written messages alone, Massey added, can provide important leads for investigators, but they also could be used to deceive law enforcement.
A Pima County Sheriff’s Office deputy stands outside of the home of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Ariz., on Sunday.Rebecca Noble / Getty Images
The authorities have revealed that Guthrie’s blood was found on her porch. She has mobility issues and requires daily medication, but her mind is sharp, according to local authorities.
Jim Cavanaugh, a retired agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who is now an NBC News law enforcement analyst, said he’s not convinced the ransom note is legitimate. He said that anyone could know that Guthrie wore an Apple Watch — all you have to do is Google her.
“There’s a picture that pops right up where they’re on the set of the ‘TODAY’ show, and the mother has a very prominent Apple Watch on,” he said. “Anybody sitting in Kathmandu could hit Google and see those pictures and demand bitcoin.”
Cavanaugh noted that Tucson is close to the southern border, where Mexican drug cartels operate. In the mid-2000s, its neighboring big city, Phoenix, was labeled the “kidnapping capital of the U.S.A,” and many of the crimes were linked to the cartels.
He sees no reason why a cartel would target someone like Guthrie. He thinks it’s more likely that a homegrown criminal would seek to hold her for ransom, but that this person did not expect the case to blow up so quickly into a national obsession.
“It got too big, too fast,” Cavanaugh said. “They could have gotten scared by the scope of the response and then abandoned it. But then, why wouldn’t they release Nancy? Where’s Nancy?”
Cavanaugh said that’s not the only possibility investigators would consider. The abductors could have hit the wrong house and decided against returning her out of fear of going to prison. Or this could have nothing to do with money, he said, and the person responsible could be harboring some kind of grudge.
Schweit, the former FBI agent, said it wouldn’t be especially hard for someone to remove Guthrie from her home and drive away undetected given the location. She lives in a quiet community about 6 miles north of Tucson where homes are spread out across desert terrain.
“That’s what makes it challenging for law enforcement,” she said.
In the absence of eyewitness accounts and additional surveillance footage revealing more about the suspect, Schweit said, investigators seeking clues are forced to scrutinize the recordings from cameras that could be miles away.
They must canvass an almost endless number of locations and neighborhoods seeking information from people who might have seen something suspicious. And the FBI’s behavioral experts based in Quantico, VIrginia, will be reviewing large amounts of data in the hope of finding a kernel of information that could lead to a suspect, Schweit said.
“It’s not a straight line,” she added, “from somebody gets abducted, a ransom note goes out, the person who gets kidnapped is recovered. That only happens in the movies.”
The FBI, Schweit said, is “incredibly capable of carrying out very complex work.”
“She’s out there, and they will find her. We just want to find her in time.”
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Children’s Cancer Fund of New Mexico is a nonprofit that helps kids and families living with pediatric cancer. The organization’s performing arts program gives kids an opportunity to perform music, act and dance. The performing arts program provides kids weekly classes for music, acting and dancing is coming soon. The classes […]
W.A.S.P. have announced a major U.S. and Canada tour for fall 2026, unveiling the aptly titled 1984 To Headless Tour, with KK’s Priest confirmed as very special guests.
Kicking off on September 10 in California and running through October 31, the tour will see W.A.S.P. return to North American stages playing selected hits from their first four albums, a period that frontman Blackie Lawless calls foundational to the band’s legacy. Get your tickets here.
The 1984 To Headless tour pays tribute to the era that cemented W.A.S.P.‘s place in rock history, beginning with their self-titled debut in 1984, followed by The Last Command, Inside The Electric Circus, and culminating in what Lawless describes as “their greatest yet,” 1989’s The Headless Children.
“The 1st Five Years of an artist’s career most always determine what their legacy will be,” the band notes, and W.A.S.P. used that period to establish themselves as pioneers of shock rock, psycho drama, and theatrical live spectacle — a reputation they plan to fully embrace on this run.
According to Lawless, this tour is something the band has never attempted before. “Playing those songs from those 1st Four Albums in a combined package like this is something we’ve never attempted,” he said. “The entire stage show will look like the album covers from those records will come alive… right before your eyes.”
He added that the production will lean heavily into the bombast and visual storytelling that made W.A.S.P. legendary live. “When elements of those album covers start to come alive, right on the stage before the people, it’s gonna be something they’ll not soon forget.”
KK’s Priest founder K.K. Downing echoed that enthusiasm, confirming the band’s return to North America after an extended absence. “Great news! KK’S PRIEST is going to be returning to the US and Canada this September and October 2026,” he said. “With over 40 shows, this is going to be an epic metal and steel tour featuring lots of Priest classics.”
9/10 El Cajon, CA The Magnolia 9/11 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern 9/12 Riverside, CA Fox Performing Arts Center 9/13 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theater 9/14 Santa Fe, NM Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino 9/16 Austin, TX Emos 9/17 Tulsa, OK Tulsa Theater 9/18 Dallas, TX House Of Blues 9/19 San Antonio, TX Aztec Theater 9/20 Houston, TX House Of Blues 9/22 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckard Hall 9/23 Daytona, FL Peabody Auditorium 9/24 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theater 9/25 Raleigh, NC The Ritz 9/26 Jim Thorpe, PA Penn’s Peak 9/27 Portland, ME Aura 9/29 Boston, MA House Of Blues 9/30 Hampton, NH Hampton Beach Casino 10/1 Wallington, CT Toyota Oakdale Theatre 10/2 New York, NY The Palladium 10/3 Carteret, NJ Carteret Performing Arts Center 10/5 Montreal, QC Mtelus 10/6 Ottawa, ON Hard Rock Casino 10/7 Pickering, ON Pickering Casino Resort 10/9 Des Plaines, IL Des Plaines Theater 10/10 St Charles, IL Arcada Theater 10/11 St Charles, IL Arcada Theater 10/13 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre 10/14 Harrisburg, PA Capitol City Music Hall 10/15 Cleveland, OH Agoura Theater 10/16 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater 10/17 Green Bay, WI EPIC Event Center 10/19 Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre 10/21 Edmonton, AB Midway Music Hall 10/22 Calgary, AB The Palace Theater 10/23 Coquitlam, BC Great Canadian Casino Vancouver 10/25 Seattle, WA Moore Theater 10/27 San Jose, CA San Jose Civic 10/29 Rancho Mirage, CA The Show Agua Caliente 10/30 Las Vegas, NV House Of Blues 10/31 Anaheim, CA The Grove
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Shopify is plowing ahead with investments in AI and international expansion, moves that will put pressure on margins in the near term as the company bets on unlocking future growth.
The 2025 college football season was a wild one, culminating with a thrilling College Football Playoff and a national title for undefeated Indiana, capping one of the most unlikely turnarounds in the sport’s history.
The season also saw a tumultuous coaching carousel, with several big-brand programs — LSU, Penn State, Florida and Michigan among them — making changes at the top.
On the heels of all that, it’s hard not to look forward to the fall to see what college football does for an encore. So we asked our reporters what games, players and teams they are most excited to see in 2026.
What early-season game are you most excited to see?
Adam Rittenberg: Ohio State at Texas, Sept. 12. The game should deliver more fireworks and better overall play than the one that kicked off the 2025 season in Columbus. Texas quarterback Arch Manning likely will enter the season as the Heisman Trophy favorite after his strong finish to 2025. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin actually was a Heisman finalist in 2025, which many seem to forget after the Buckeyes’ poor finish. Both quarterbacks and offenses should be better in 2026, and the winner certainly will feel good about its College Football Playoff chances.
Dave Wilson: I’ll second Ohio State-Texas. The game in Columbus last year began with Lee Corso’s farewell to “College GameDay” and ended with all-new levels of hot-take hysteria around Manning, despite just a seven-point loss on the road to the defending national champions. Manning certainly didn’t play well in that one, but he rounded into form as the season went on, and the Horns are excited to get a rematch at home with new players added around their QB. Don’t forget Will Muschamp is back in Austin taking over the defense. Texas will be under the microscope once again.
David Hale: Clemson at LSU in Week 1. This game has the feeling of two ships passing in opposite directions. On one side, there’s LSU, awash in hope after snagging Lane Kiffin to helm the program. The Bayou Bengals have loaded up on talent in both the portal and the recruiting trail, and Kiffin has injected an air of optimism that exceeds even what came with Brian Kelly’s arrival four years ago. For Clemson, the opposite is true. Dabo Swinney is coming off his worst season since 2010, with a question mark at QB and a host of NFL talent now off to the NFL. A year ago, this game was marked as a top-five matchup with the winner a likely title contender. LSU didn’t live up to that hype, and it cost Kelly his job. Clemson lost last year, and the wheels came off after that. A win in this game could turn the wariness of Clemson fans on its head and make 2026 the year Swinney revived the program — or it could be the year it all came to a crashing halt.
Mark Schlabach: Arizona State at Texas A&M, Sept. 12. The Aggies were on their way to one of the best seasons in program history until the wheels came off in the last two games with losses at Texas and against Miami in the CFP. Quarterback Marcel Reed is back, and he’ll be better if he cuts down on his turnovers. Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton is a big target to work the field with Mario Craver. The Sun Devils took a step back after winning the Big 12 in 2024, then lost quarterback Sam Leavitt (LSU), tailback Raleek Brown (Texas) and receiver Jordyn Tyson (NFL). Can Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley take the next step at quarterback? The talent is there to do it.
Andrea Adelson: LSU at Ole Miss, Sept. 19. The Lane Kiffin grudge match — in his return to Oxford — should be No. 1 on every viewing. How will the crowd greet him? How will his former players greet him? Will there be any pregame antics? How will his old team stack up against his new team? Will bygones be bygones? Somehow I doubt it. This game also should have plenty of SEC and CFP implications after both teams loaded up through the transfer portal.
Heather Dinich: I’m with Andrea on LSU-Ole Miss. There’s no shortage of drama in this one, and in addition to the Kiffin theatrics, let’s not forget he was hired to win a national title — yesterday. LSU will have already faced Clemson, which is also in must-win mode. This will be Kiffin’s first road trip as LSU’s head coach — and it couldn’t be in a more hostile environment. If LSU loses its opener against Clemson, the biggest game of the year might be in Oxford.
Jake Trotter: I’ll throw Oklahoma at Michigan on Sept. 12 into the conversation. The Sooners are coming off a banner season under Brent Venables, and with quarterback John Mateer back, they should have aspirations of returning to the playoff and potentially making a run. Kyle Whittingham, meanwhile, has stabilized a Michigan program that fell into disarray under Sherrone Moore. Whittingham succeeded in convincing ballyhooed quarterback Bryce Underwood to stick in Ann Arbor. This will be a prime opportunity for Underwood to show he can propel the Wolverines into playoff contention.
Harry Lyles Jr.: Florida State at Alabama, Sept. 19. This pick is based partially on seeing how Alabama responds after losing this matchup last year and partially on the potential fallout from this result. A loss for either the Seminoles or the Crimson Tide will put their coach firmly on the hot seat, assuming both teams enter this game 2-0. I think both Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and FSU’s Mike Norvell are really good coaches, but knowing college football fans, the heat will be on for the loser of this one and the margin for error will become pretty much zero.
What storyline are you most intrigued by?
Rittenberg: How does the SEC bounce back? The 12-team CFP era has humbled the sport’s most dominant conference, but it is still packed with well-resourced programs led by talented coaches. Georgia and Texas project as national title contenders, and Texas A&M and Ole Miss are coming off of their first CFP appearances. Will the momentum sustain at Oklahoma? How quickly can Lane Kiffin make progress at LSU? There are a lot of possibilities.
Adelson: I am intrigued to see whether Miami will remain a national championship contender. What happened in 2025 should not be considered a fluke — coach Mario Cristobal has spent years stacking top 15 recruiting classes with elite portal talent. This year is no different, with homegrown talent Malachi Toney and Mark Fletcher Jr. returning, along with key portal additions Darian Mensah, Cooper Barkate and defensive end Damon Wilson II. Miami was not satisfied just playing for the national title. Miami wants to win it. Is Mensah enough of an upgrade at quarterback to make the difference?
Schlabach: Circling back to the SEC, I’m intrigued to see what Ole Miss looks like after Pete Golding’s first offseason in charge, and how much better LSU is under Lane Kiffin. There are new coaches at Kentucky (Will Stein), Florida (Jon Sumrall), Auburn (Alex Golesh) and Arkansas (Ryan Silverfield). The hottest storyline in the SEC, other than Ole Miss vs. LSU, will be if Kalen DeBoer can turn things around at Alabama. Anything short of a 5-0 start won’t go over well in Tuscaloosa.
Wilson: Parity. Indiana gave new hope to the other 99% of college football teams. For most of my lifetime, every season began with what felt like no more than seven or eight legitimate national championship contenders that truly could win it every year. In the past 15 years, you could pick from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia or Ohio State with the occasional Florida State, LSU or Michigan. Those days are gone, as the portal and NIL have thinned out two-deeps, and a team with the right pieces can make a run.
Dinich: Life after Fernando Mendoza at Indiana. Hoo Hoo Hoo’s quarterback, again? Meet TCU’s Josh Hoover, who is a prolific passer with starting experience — and 13 interceptions last season. Will this be a seamless transition at quarterback? Hoover broke TCU’s single-season passing record with 3,949 yards in 2024, and his 9,629 career passing yards are the most among returning FBS quarterbacks. It’s also the second straight offseason IU has had to replace its quarterbacks coach, as Chandler Whitmer, who worked with the Heisman-winning Mendoza last year, is off to the NFL. Whitmer will be replaced by Tino Sunseri, who left IU for UCLA following the 2024 season.
Trotter: Can the Big Ten make it four in a row? The league will have a slew of legitimate national championship contenders once again. Oregon is absolutely loaded, headlined by the return of quarterback Dante Moore. Curt Cignetti has another high-profile quarterback transfer in Hoover and plenty of incoming talent via the transfer portal. Ohio State has a brutal schedule but arguably the best returning offensive trio in the country in quarterback Julian Sayin, running back Bo Jackson and superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. USC (No. 13), Iowa (16), Michigan (18), Washington (19) and Penn State (22) are all in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 as well. Another championship would make it hard to argue that the Big Ten isn’t the best football conference in the country.
Lederman: Perhaps this is a bit down ballot, but I’m intrigued to see how the Group of 5 darlings of last fall’s coaching cycle fare in 2026. Bob Chesney (UCLA), Alex Golesh (Auburn), Eric Morris (Oklahoma State), Ryan Silverfield (Arkansas) and Jon Sumrall (Florida) all jumped to Power 4 programs after crushing it in traditional Group of 5 jobs. Now each is staring down a fresh set of challenges and varying levels of expectations. How this group handles the weight of their new jobs could help dictate how rising coaching stars in the Group of 5 are evaluated moving forward.
Which players will be making the biggest impact?
Rittenberg: Incoming transfer quarterbacks have led the last two national championship teams in Will Howard (Ohio State) and Fernando Mendoza (Indiana). We could see similar impacts in 2026 at places such as Texas Tech (Brendan Sorsby), Indiana (Josh Hoover), Miami (Darian Mensah) and LSU (Sam Leavitt), although there are more incumbent QBs for CFP contenders. I also think Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith goes on a tear in what will be his final college season.
Adelson: Speaking of incumbent quarterbacks, it is hard to imagine Dante Moore not having a huge impact in his return to Oregon. Moore could have left and been a top selection in the NFL draft, but his performance in the CFP semifinals left him wanting one more chance to end his career on a much brighter note. Oregon once again has the talent in place to compete for a national championship. Will 2026 be the year with Moore back?
Schlabach: I can’t wait to see what wide receiver Cam Coleman does at Texas. He showed elite potential at Auburn, even as the Tigers couldn’t seem to figure out the quarterback spot under Hugh Freeze. Now that Coleman will be catching passes from Manning, the sky seems to be the limit. He’ll form a scary receiver duo with Ryan Wingo.
Wilson: Miami’s Malachi Toney will be just 18 when the season starts, already with a 109-catch, 1,211-yard season with 10 TDs under his belt, and he didn’t have his first 100-yard game until October. With a year of experience and a full offseason for his coaches to find new ways to use him, the future is scary for “Baby Jesus.”
Dinich: Don’t you guys know that defense wins championships? Nine of Notre Dame’s top 10 tacklers return from 2025. Quarterback CJ Carr will be better in his second season, but as the offense adjusts to life without running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, the Irish should have a championship-caliber defense it can depend on.
Trotter: You all remember Jeremiah Smith, right? Yeah, he’s still in college after two All-American seasons. The rising junior wide receiver remains the most impactful non-quarterback in college football. With several marquee games on Ohio State’s schedule, Smith will have plenty of chances to make his mark on this season.
Lyles: I agree with all of the above, but I’ll add Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood based on his potential. I am excited to see what new offensive coordinator Jason Beck is going to be able to do with him after seeing the success Beck had with Devon Dampier at both New Mexico and Utah. If he’s able to have similar success with the Wolverines, there’s no question Underwood will be one of the more impactful players this season.
Which newcomers should we be keeping tabs on?
Hale: James Franklin at Virginia Tech. No one should reasonably expect Franklin to have the Hokies in the playoff hunt in his first year on the job, but after more than a decade with the program largely adrift, the feeling is the former Penn State coach can finally create some positive vibes around Blacksburg and get Virginia Tech pointed in the right direction. He’s brought in a good bit of talent — much of it from Penn State — and the school is spending money. This isn’t exactly the same as Curt Cignetti raising Indiana from the dead, but the combination of a big-name coach and a cash infusion makes Virginia Tech a great test case for long struggling programs in the revenue share era.
Adelson: I am going to use the newcomer term loosely here and go with a player who is a newcomer on his team — Hollywood Smothers at Texas. The Longhorns have not had a game breaker at running back the past few seasons, and that is what they are banking on Smothers being. Over his time at NC State, Smothers emerged as a versatile, reliable and quick back with the ability to make defenders miss. His addition will help Texas compete for a national title.
Schlabach: How about the 24 transfers joining Matt Campbell at Penn State? Don’t sleep on the Nittany Lions, who bombed in Franklin’s last season in Happy Valley. Quarterback Rocco Becht is a veteran and is familiar with the offense, and running back Carson Hansen is good enough to make the attack balanced. Penn State doesn’t play Indiana, Ohio State or Oregon during the regular season, so it could be a sleeper in the Big Ten.
Wilson: Texas Tech went all in last year in the portal and it paid off big, with a 12-2 season, its first Big 12 championship — and its first outright conference title since 1955 — and a CFP appearance. The one place the Red Raiders didn’t look for new blood last offseason was at quarterback, with Behren Morton returning. Morton completed 67% of his passes with 22 TDs to just four interceptions in the regular season but struggled in his final game, throwing for just 137 yards and two interceptions in a 23-0 playoff loss to Oregon. Tech was not denied in its pursuit of the best player in the portal to replace Morton, adding Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, a Texas native who threw for 2,800 yards with 27 TDs and five INTs, while rushing for 580 yards and nine TDs. The Red Raiders aren’t looking to rebuild, but instead to reload with Sorsby.
Dinich: Alabama’s next QB. With Ty Simpson gone, it will be either Keelon Russell or Austin Mack, and neither has thrown more than 35 career passes. Instead of hitting the transfer portal, coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb remained confident one of the first-time starters already in the program can get the job done.
Lederman: How have we gotten this far without mentioning Darian Mensah at reigning national runner-up Miami? In the aftermath of his controversial transfer from Duke, Mensah holds the keys to a Hurricanes offense that includes star running back Mark Fletcher, homegrown phenom Malachi Toney and fellow wide receiver Cooper Barkate, the one-time Harvard pass catcher whom Mensah leaned on for 72 receptions for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns at Duke in 2025. The circumstances surrounding Mensah’s arrival will only fuel the general off-field spectacle of Miami football. The Hurricanes’ Week 11 visit from Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils should be plenty juicy too.
Lyles: I’ve attended a few Byrum Brown games at South Florida the last couple of seasons, and I’m excited to watch what he’s able to do at Auburn and in the SEC. There’s no question it’s a different game than playing in the American Conference, but Brown is one of the most exciting players in college football when he’s at his best. He has the physicality to play not just in the SEC, but in the NFL. A greater audience will have the chance to become familiar with the aspiring orthodontist this fall.
What teams are going to surprise us?
Rittenberg: Washington has the potential for a breakthrough in its third season under coach Jedd Fisch. The Demond Williams Jr. transfer portal drama certainly is a subplot to watch, but Washington should get past it and rally around its talented junior quarterback and others who have been in the program the past two seasons. Washington ultimately must perform better against the Big Ten’s best teams but has a fairly favorable schedule until the end, when it hosts Indiana (Nov. 21) before visiting rival Oregon (Nov. 28).
Hale: SMU has lost three ACC games since joining the conference — all on field goals (makes by 2024 Clemson and 2025 Wake, and a miss against 2025 Cal) in the final seconds. The Mustangs have proven they belong in the top tier of the conference, claiming a playoff berth in 2024. So, perhaps SMU shouldn’t count as a “surprise” team. But with QB Kevin Jennings returning, a strong portal class and an established defensive front, SMU has the talent to win the ACC — and, perhaps, a playoff game or two — in 2026. Then look at the schedule: After getting FSU and Louisville in the first three games, it’s relatively smooth sailing until a road trip to Notre Dame in late November. It’s not exactly an easy road, but if SMU can start strong and not stumble against lesser talent, there’s every reason to think the Mustangs will be playoff-bound again.
Adelson: Not to go too ACC-heavy here but keep an eye on Cal. The Bears have been an average program for the last decade, hovering around six or seven wins most years. But with Tosh Lupoi in as new head coach, there is fresh perspective and a roster that was put together to win now, with rising sophomore Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele returning after a Freshman All-America season. Cal brought in playmakers at receiver — including Ian Strong from Rutgers — and signed six offensive linemen from the portal as its portal class ranks among the best in the nation. With JKS behind center, Cal should have a chance to win every game. The Bears just have to avoid the too frequent “Cal moments,” that keep holding them back.
Schlabach: Along with Penn State, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Michigan rebound in former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham’s first season. Underwood is going to be great, and tailback Jordan Marshall and receiver Andrew Marsh have a chance to be very, very good. If John Henry Daley bounces back from a lower-leg injury, he’ll be one of the best edge rushers in the country.
Wilson: Willie Fritz shouldn’t qualify as a “surprise” anymore. He’s a two-time national coach of the year, won two juco national championships at Blinn, went to two FCS title games in three seasons at Sam Houston, has won conference titles in four leagues and rebuilt Tulane, leading the Green Wave to their first major bowl win since 1935. After going 4-8 in Year 1 at Houston, the Cougars finished 10-3 last year and bring back quarterback Conner Weigman, landed one of the best portal classes in the Big 12 and signed the No. 1 overall recruit in the country in QB Keisean Henderson. Fritz’s track record suggests Houston could push Texas Tech this season.
Dinich: I haven’t closed the door on Lincoln Riley and USC — yet. This feels like a playoff-or-bust season for Riley, but he’s got the pieces in place to do it. Quarterback Jayden Maiava returns, along with standout running back King Miller and all five of the starting offensive linemen. Riley also lured in the nation’s top recruiting class, and if the Trojans can beef up their defense, a postseason run is possible.
Trotter: Arizona quietly won five games in a row to close out the regular season before falling to SMU in its bowl game. Quarterback Noah Fifita, who had a resurgent 2025 campaign, has 73 career touchdown throws, more than any returning passer in the country. The Wildcats do have several starters to replace on both sides of the ball. But behind Fifita’s experience, they could still emerge as a stealthy playoff contender.
Lederman: How ’bout them (Oklahoma State) Cowboys? It won’t take much for first-year coach Eric Morris and his staff to improve upon the dire 1-11 season the fans in Stillwater endured last fall. It would also be naive to understate the challenge on their hands replacing more than 60% of the program’s scholarship roster from a year ago. But after bringing along quarterback Drew Mestemaker, running back Caleb Hawkins and wide receiver Wyatt Young and 14 other transfers with him from North Texas, Morris & Co. possess some continuity and the core of the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense from a year ago. Combine that with an impressive overall transfer portal class and a relatively favorable 2026 schedule in a fairly wide-open Big 12 behind Texas Tech, and there’s a path for Oklahoma State to get back on track quickly in the fall.
Elizabeth Lemley and Jaelin Kauf won gold and silver for Team USA in women’s freestyle moguls skiing at the Winter Olympics on Wednesday.
Lemley won the eight-skier final with a score of 82.30 points. The 20-year-old from Vail, Colorado, is making her Olympic debut at the Milan Cortina Games.
During the medal ceremony, Lemley’s gold detached from its ribbon, an issue that organizers have acknowledged has been happening to a “limited number” of medalists. At a news conference afterward, Lemley displayed her repaired medal.
Elizabeth Lemley of Team USA celebrates after winning gold in women’s freestyle moguls skiing at Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026.
Reuters/Hannah Mckay
Kauf repeated as silver medalist with a score of 80.77. The 29-year-old from Alta, Wyoming, also won silver in 2022 in Beijing.
Both of Kauf’s parents were professional mogul skiers.
“My mom has always been my biggest hero and role model, just watching how she’s just gone at life and done what she’s done, pushing the boundaries,” she told CBS News ahead of the Games.
Jaelin Kauf and Elizabeth Lemley of Team USA hug each other after their runs in the women’s moguls finals at the Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026.
Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes
Perrine Laffont of France, the 2018 gold medalist, took bronze in Wednesday’s finals.
Defending champion Jakara Anthony of Australia finished eighth after slipping on the last run of the final.
