Josh Allen, Bills trample Lions' hapless defense; college football Week 3 picks; UFC 331 preview

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🦬 Five things to know Friday

1. The Bills steamrolled the Lions on "Thursday Night Football." The 10-point margin on the scoreboard doesn't fully explain how easy Josh Allen made it look in a game that was never remotely close. Allen threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more to continue his blazing start to another potential MVP season in a 41-31 win. Buffalo opened the new Highmark Stadium in style and did so even with DJ Moore missing the entire second half due to a shoulder injury. On the Lions' side of things, this was a daunting matchup, to be sure. But Detroit's defense has few excuses for what it has done over two weeks. At one point in Week 1, the Lions held a 21-0 lead. Since then, they have surrendered 71 points in six quarters of football.
2. Off-field turbulence struck multiple college football coaches. Steve Sarkisian has been under the spotlight all week following his dismissive behavior with ESPN reporters and the fallout from his postgame interview, and on Thursday he addressed the situation and Arch Manning's comments on the matter. One of Sarkisian's assistants at Texas, co-defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen, faces an even more serious issue as he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor DWI. Meanwhile, at North Carolina, defensive coordinator Steve Belichick resigned at the conclusion of the school's investigation into the football program.
3. UFC 331 features a title rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja. The flyweight championship is on the line as Van defends his title against a former champ -- one whom he defeated by TKO at UFC 323. Van is an ascending star while Pantoja enters the rematch seeking to reclaim glory at 36, and the age difference factored into our pick for the highly anticipated bout. Earlier on the main card, Arman Tsarukyan will return to the same city where he squandered a title shot and could secure another look at the lightweight championship. Watch all the action on Paramount+, where early prelims start at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.
4. LSU elevated Sam Leavitt to questionable for Week 3. The Tigers' starting quarterback participated in Thursday's walkthrough and is no longer doubtful to play against Ole Miss in one of the SEC's biggest games of the year. The Rebels might have to prepare for Leavitt and his backups just to be safe, and maybe that's the point. Would anyone put it past Lane Kiffin to show a little bit of gamesmanship with his injury report, especially after he already pushed the limits with the conference this year? Our experts are not shy about their confidence in LSU going into Oxford and silencing the bitter crowd whether or not Leavitt plays.
5. Wide receiver injuries could impact your fantasy football lineup. While he avoided a serious injury, the hamstring issue that Nico Collins sustained during the Texans' Wednesday practice leaves his status for Week 2 up in the air. The Ravens could also be without their top pass-catcher, as Zay Flowers has yet to practice this week due to the hamstring injury that knocked him out of the season opener. Our Heath Cummings explained the fantasy implications of these injuries and others, and whether or not you have them on your squad, you should consult with Dave Richard's player ratings to determine who you should start.

⚾ Do not miss this: MLB free agents who helped or hurt themselves in 2026

Much is made of the contract year and the motivation it brings for players to rise to the occasion and earn themselves big paydays. In a lot of cases, that's exactly how it works out.

But it's not some guarantee that soon-to-be free agents will play at a high level. Don't gloss over players like Jazz Chisholm Jr., who would have been better off hitting free agency last year than this winter. Our Matt Snyder detailed the crossroads at which Chisholm finds himself.

• Snyder: "Chisholm last season was a 30-30 guy with a 122 OPS+ and 4.1 WAR. This season, he's hitting .232/.312/.403 (98 OPS+) with 19 homers and 1.4 WAR. His defense was never great, but it's been bad this season, while his strikeout rate is back up around 30% after being 27.9% last season. There's still plenty of potential to dream on and he won't have trouble finding good offers heading toward his age-29 season, but this season has been a definitive step backward."

While Chisholm hurt his case for a massive contract, a few All-Stars are in line to earn a whole lot of money this offseason. Take these guys, for instance:

• Tarik Skubal, SP, Dodgers
• Seiya Suzuki, RF, Cubs
• Randy Arozarena, LF, Mariners

👀 NFL Week 2 upset alert, underdogs to watch

The first week of the NFL season always delivers surprises, and the 2026 installment was no different. Could we be in for another Cardinals-over-Chargers-esque upset in Week 2? As teams figure themselves out and injuries start to play a bigger role in every matchup, there is a real chance for more chaos early in the campaign.

Maybe the Ravens should be on notice. With the potential absences of two key receivers, an 8.5-point spread is a big margin to cover against a pesky Saints team that rattled off 22 fourth-quarter points a week ago. They are among the teams our Tyler Sullivan put on upset alert. Here are a few:

• Saints (+8.5) at Ravens
• Jaguars (+2.5) at Broncos
• Packers at Jets (+3.5)

If you're a fan of the underdog story, look no further than the Commanders. A handful of our experts have their eyes on Washington ahead of its trip to Jerry World, where they enter the divisional matchup with the Cowboys as four-point 'dogs. There might be some value in picking them to win outright against a Dallas team that could not stop anything on "Sunday Night Football."

Our JP Acosta says to pump the brakes on the doom and gloom surrounding the Cowboys' defense, but if there is no improvement on that side of the ball, Commanders receivers like Antonio Williams could have a field day.

☑️ Week 3 college football picks

This week marks the start of conference play for a number of College Football Playoff hopefuls, which makes Saturday's slate the biggest one of the young season. There are three top-25 battles on the schedule, and all of them have early postseason implications. We have you covered with picks for all of the marquee matchups. To get things started, I'll turn it over to Tom Fornelli and his prediction for the rivalry battle in Oxford. He's taking Ole Miss +3, even if Sam Leavitt suits up for LSU.

• Fornelli: "Trinidad Chambliss clears Sam Leavitt by a lot. Now, I've argued that Ole Miss can be too reliant on Chambliss to make miracles happen, but even so, he keeps doing it. And I can't help but think of Leavitt's turnover issues. Those three interceptions he threw against Louisiana Tech last week are not flukes. When Leavitt has faced tougher competition on the road in his career, he has been prone to making mistakes. Given the atmosphere of this game, I can't help but believe he'll make a mistake or two this Saturday as well."

This week's Big Ten on CBS game also features a CFP contender. No. 12 USC will be without freshman receiver Trent Mosely due to a knee injury, but another first-year standout should step up on the other side of the ball. Five-star edge rusher Luke Wafle returns to his home state for Saturday's contest at Rutgers, a downtrodden team that feels far removed from the incredible highs of the first Greg Schiano era.

Our pick for Trojans vs. Scarlet Knights is in. We also have predictions for these games featuring top-25 teams:

• No. 2 Georgia at Arkansas
• No. 16 SMU at No. 23 Louisville
• Florida State at No. 10 Alabama
• No. 11 BYU at Colorado State

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

• Mets first baseman Jared Young was taken off the field on a stretcher and transported to a hospital after a scary collision with pitcher Nolan McLean.
• Travis Kelce was reportedly among the victims of a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme. He also admitted that he got away with an obvious penalty in the Chiefs' win over the Broncos.
• Stephen Curry explained why he has no interest in replicating LeBron James' free agency saga.
• The Pro Football Hall of Fame restructured its selection committee and cut a Super Bowl-winning coach in the process.
• Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed lurk behind co-leader Aaron Rai through one round at the BMW PGA Championship.
• The Browns intend to sign one of Shedeur Sanders' college teammates. Could this mean a quarterback change is imminent?
• Russell Wilson explained why he thinks Joe Burrow could leave the Bengals after this season.
• LeBron James will reportedly pocket $15 million annually from Polymarket, which raises even more questions about prediction market endorsements.
• The WNBA is back from the World Cup break, which means it's time for another batch of rookie rankings.
• Former Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is still taking jabs at Brian Daboll.
• Kyrie Irving offered to cover Azeez Al-Shaair's fine for his tribute to a Palestinian girl killed in Gaza.
• The Royals jumped past a couple of championship contenders into the top tier of our NWSL Power Rankings.

📺 What we're watching this weekend

Friday

⛳ BMW PGA Championship: Second round, 7 a.m. on Golf Channel

⚽ Chelsea at Brentford, 3 p.m. on USA Network

⚾ Cubs at Reds, 6:40 p.m. on MLB Network

⚾ Red Sox at Rays, 7:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited

⚾ Phillies at Mets, 7:10 p.m. on Apple TV

🏈 No. 5 Miami at Wake Forest, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

🏀 Fever at Tempo, 7:30 p.m. on Ion

⚽ Red Bulls at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV

🏈 No. 22 Houston at No. 13 Texas Tech, 8 p.m. on Fox

🤼 WWE SmackDown, 8 p.m. on USA Network

⚽ Current at Wave, 8 p.m. on Prime Video

⚾ Yankees at Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m. on MLB Network

🏀 Fire at Valkyries, 10 p.m. on Ion

⚾ Giants at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on Apple TV

🏈 Portland State at No. 21 Oregon, 10:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network

Saturday

⛳ BMW PGA Championship: Third round, 7 a.m. on Golf Channel

⚽ Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur, 7:30 a.m. on USA Network

⚽ Cagliari at Udinese, 9 a.m. on Paramount+

⚽ Arsenal at Brighton & Hove Albion, 10 a.m. on USA Network

🏈 No. 2 Georgia at Arkansas, noon on ABC

🏈 Kent State at No. 6 Ohio State, noon on Fox

⚽ Inter Milan at Roma, noon on Paramount+

🏈 Troy at No. 20 Missouri, 12:45 p.m. on SEC Network Plus

🏀 Mercury at Wings, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+

⚽ Barcelona at Sevilla, 3 p.m. on ESPN+

🏈 Florida State at No. 10 Alabama, 3:30 p.m. on ABC

🏈 Kentucky at No. 9 Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN

🏈 No. 16 SMU at No. 23 Louisville, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2

🏈 No. 12 USC at Rutgers, 3:30 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+

🏈 Utah State at No. 17 Utah, 3:30 p.m. on Fox

🏈 UTEP at No. 19 Michigan, 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network

🏈 Northern Iowa at No. 18 Iowa, 4 p.m. on FS1

🏈 Western Kentucky at No. 4 Indiana, 4 p.m. on NBC Sports Network

⚽ Thorns at Pride, 4 p.m. on Ion

⚾ Brewers at Orioles, 4:05 p.m. on MLB Network

⚾ Phillies at Mets, 4:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited

🤼 UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2, 5:30 p.m. on Paramount+

⚽ Gotham at Courage, 6:30 p.m. on Ion

🏀 Sky at Dream, 7 p.m. on Prime Video

⚾ Braves at Astros, 7:10 p.m. on MLB Network

🏈 No. 11 BYU at Colorado State, 7:30 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+

🏈 No. 7 LSU at No. 8 Ole Miss, 7:30 p.m. on ABC

🏈 Michigan State at No. 3 Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. on NBC

🏈 New Mexico at No. 24 Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2

🏈 West Virginia vs. No. 25 Virginia, 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network

🏁 NASCAR at Bristol, 7:30 p.m. on USA Network

⚽ Orlando City at Revolution, 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV

🏈 Kennesaw State at No. 15 Tennessee, 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network

🏈 UTSA at No. 1 Texas, 8 p.m. on SEC Network Plus

🥊 WBC interim junior welterweight title: Cruz vs. Bravo, 8 p.m. on DAZN

⚽ Cincinnati at Dynamo, 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV

⚽ Reign at Summit, 8:45 p.m. on Ion

🏀 Storm at Valkyries, 9 p.m. on Prime Video

⚽ Fire at Nashville, 9:30 p.m. on Apple TV

⚾ Giants at Dodgers, 10 p.m. on MLB Network

⚽ Atlanta United at Timbers, 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV

Sunday

⚽ Napoli at Fiorentina, 6:30 a.m. on Paramount+

⛳ BMW PGA Championship: Final round, 7 a.m. on Golf Channel

⚽ Málaga at Getafe, 8 a.m. on ESPN+

⚽ Liverpool at Bournemouth, 9 a.m. on USA Network

⚽ Real Madrid at Atlético Madrid, 10:15 a.m. on ESPN2

⚽ Manchester United at Fulham, 11:30 a.m. on NBC

⚽ Real Betis at Deportivo, 12:30 p.m. on ESPN+

🏈 Steelers at Patriots, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+

🏈 Vikings at Bears, 1 p.m. on Fox

⚾ Phillies at Mets, 1:10 p.m. on MLB Network

⚽ Hoffenheim at Paderborn, 1:30 p.m. on Peacock

⚾ Red Sox at Rays, 1:40 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited

⚽ Dash at Legacy, 2 p.m. on CBS Sports Network

⚽ Paris Saint-Germain at Marseille, 2:45 p.m. on beIN Sports