In another reshuffle in West Indies cricket, CWI president Ricky Skerritt has announced Kieron Pollard as the new ODI and T20I captain. Pollard has not played an ODI in nearly three years but CWI has decided to give him the captaincy after Jason Holder led them in the format recently in the World Cup and against India at home.

Skerritt made the announcement in Trinidad on Monday, after the conclusion of a quarterly board meeting in Tobago. He said the board was following the "best possible practices for best possible outcomes".

"Jason Holder was called by me yesterday morning and we spoke," Skerritt said at the press conference while sitting next to Pollard and other CWI officials. "He's a very important force and is still going to be our red-ball captain. Holder will now compete for a place in Pollad's team and use this as an opportunity to become a better cricketer. Pollard is the right man at the right time to take our white-ball teams forward.

"What impressed me the most about Pollard was his keenness and commitment to give back to the game."

Pollard last played an ODI in October 2016 but he has been a part of the T20I side recently. In the three T20Is against India, he scored 58, 8* and 49 to finish as the leading run-scorer in the series. He did not bowl in the series, though, even though he has bowled twice in three CPL matches so far for Trinbago Knight Riders.

When Viv Richards was asked last month by the Telegraph (India) if West Indies should have different captains in different formats, he had said: "Judging from what I have seen, Kieron Pollard would have been the best choice as our T20 captain and there are reasons for that. During CPL, he was the best with the bat. Also why I think this may be because a lot of captains were introduced at that time. There were also problems between the Board and the players, no disrespect to Carlos Brathwaite but because of those politics he has fast fallen in captaincy. Pollard would have been a better choice. It's not that Carlos would not have been a member in the team then... I know Carlos is magnificent as an individual, he is a wonderful guy, highly competitive guy, he will not feel hurt any way. A lot of guys know that Pollard would have been a great choice."

It was last year that Pollard returned to the T20I West Indies side after more than a year's gap as the board wanted to try out some high-profile players before the World Cup in England. Pollard and a few other players had fallen out with the board earlier for various reasons, the primary one being the clash between playing domestic cricket and overseas T20 leagues.

However, with a change in personnel at CWI earlier this year, Pollard had expressed his hopes of making the World Cup squad. He was named among the reserves but wasn't picked in the final squad of 15.

Less than two months after the end of the World Cup, Pollard will now lead West Indies in two formats. His first assignment as captain will be against Afghanistan in November in India where they will play three T20Is and three ODIs before a one-off Test, which Holder will be captain.

Following their historic Test win against Bangladesh, retiring allrounder Mohammad Nabi lauded "aggressive" captain Rashid Khan, while also laying the blame on last-minute captaincy changes for their poor performance in the World Cup.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board in April had ushered in a new leadership era with Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib and Rashid taking charge of the Test, ODI and T20I teams respectively, ending Asghar Afghan's four-year stint as captain.

With Afghanistan losing all of their nine matches in the World Cup, Naib's captaincy, especially his on-field decisions during a thriller against Pakistan, came under the scanner. Phil Simmons, whose tenure as their coach ended after the tournament, had even said he would expose the truth behind the team's World Cup mess, including the controversial removal of Afghan as captain.

"It is all about team combination," Nabi said in the post-match press conference after the win against Bangladesh on Monday. "In the World Cup, the board members changed the old captain and that's why the combination wasn't that good. With Rashid as captain, Asghar and I support him a lot. He prepared for the role too.

ALSO READ: Rashid Khan lauds 'great team effort', dedicates match award to Mohammad Nabi

"If you change the captain before the World Cup, how can you prepare the team? He (Naib) never captained in his life, how can he lead a team in the World Cup? That's why it was tough, and the boys didn't perform in the World Cup. We got close against India, Pakistan and West Indies but now it has totally changed. We are giving chances to the youngsters; three debuted in the Test and there will be many debuts in the T20s too."

Scathing in their criticism, Nabi and Rashid had taken to Twitter to oppose the drastic captaincy changes before the World Cup, with Rashid calling the decision "irresponsible and biased".

Following the debacle in the tournament, Rashid was made the Afghanistan captain across formats, while Afghan was appointed his deputy. Rashid delivered in his very first assignment, spinning Afghanistan to victory in Chattogram and also picking up the Man-of-the-Match award for his 11 wickets and a half-century in the first innings, which invited praises from Nabi.

Nabi's decision to retire from Tests came as a result of him wanting youngsters to take his place in the format. On this occasion too he highlighted the importance of having a young player like Rashid in-charge.

"We are focusing on the youngsters," Nabi said. "We have put a young captain in-charge, and he is aggressive. He is the No. 1 bowler in the world as well. That's why we all support the captain. Our chairman and CEO, our board members support the team."

Bangladesh have made six changes to their T20I squad for the tri-series against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe starting September 13. Bangladesh left out Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain and Mohammad Mithun, while Tamim Iqbal continued to be on his break granted by the BCB.

Fast bowler Yeasin Arafat and Test specialist Taijul Islam received their maiden T20I call-ups, while Mahedi Hasan, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain and Sabbir Rahman were recalled. Other absentees from the squad, who were part of the T20I series against West Indies earlier this year, were Abu Hider, Ariful Haque and Nazmul Islam.

Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that they selected the likes of Mahedi and Yeasin, who were part of the High Performance squad this year, because it was the mandate given to them. Taijul was probably picked not just because of his Test performance but for his impressive BPL statistics over the last few years. Afif and Mahedi, meanwhile, made their T20I debuts against Sri Lanka last year, but did not make any noteworthy contributions in their respective games.

"We have to pick a new set of players, which is why we picked Mahedi and Yeasin. There's no real reason to drop Mehidy Hasan Miraz. We are just trying out some new players," Minhajul said.

Yeasin, 20, has played just seven first-class matches and six List A games. He recently played for the Bangladesh emerging team against the touring Sri Lanka side, in which he took three wickets in the three one-day games. His impressive outing in domestic cricket had also earned him a place in the 31-man preliminary squad for the senior team's tour of the West Indies last year.

T20I squad for tri-series: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Taijul Islam, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Yeasin Arafat

For the second time in ten days, Shakib Al Hasan has expressed his unwillingness to lead Bangladesh. This time he said it after their 224-run defeat to Afghanistan in Chattogram, although he hinted that he is open to discussions about his role, with the BCB chief Nazmul Hassan.

"I think it will be ideal if I didn't have to be the captain," Shakib said. "From a personal point of view, it will be good for my cricket. If I have to take leadership, then we must have discussion about a lot of issues."

Six days before the start of the Afghanistan Test, Shakib had similar views on his captaincy in an interview to the Bengali daily Prothom Alo.

ALSO READ: Shakib not 'mentally prepared to lead in Tests and T20s'

"I am not even mentally prepared to lead in Tests and T20s," Shakib said on August 30. "But the team is not in a good shape, so I understand that I have to lead to get it back on track. Otherwise, I am not really interested in leading in any format. I can focus on myself if I am not captaining, which would help the team.

"I want to see the younger lot to take responsibility. We [Mushfiqur Rahim and he, in the main] got captaincy at a very young age, but they (the next bunch) have now turned 26-27. Unless you give them responsibility, you won't know what they can do. The World Test Championship and T20 World Cup are up ahead, so we should plan for the next four years."

While it is important to usher in the youngsters, there is a general view within the decision-makers in the BCB that the likes of Mustafizur Rahman, Mehidy Hasan, Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das are not prepared to lead Bangladesh in any format yet. Among the seniors, Mashrafe Mortaza is still the ODI captain while Mahmudullah has led a few times in Shakib's absence in Tests and T20Is since last year. Tamim Iqbal led in Sri Lanka in the absence of Shakib and Mashrafe but it is well known that the BCB doesn't prefer him in the long term, while Mushfiqur has had his long stint as captain in all formats.

Shakib, however, accepted that he would have to shoulder the major blame for Bangladesh's disintegration on the fifth evening of the Chattogram Test. It was his needless cut shot, which he edged to wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai off Zahir Khan, off the first ball of the third session that gave Afghanistan their big breakthrough.

"I am really disappointed," Shakib said. "We had four wickets in hand to bat out an hour and ten minutes. My first-ball dismissal made it difficult for the team. The responsibility lies with me. I think it would have been better had I not played that cut shot. It put the team under pressure. I should have taken up the job to spend more time at the crease, which would have made the dressing room more comfortable. Maybe we could have taken it close to a draw."

Shakib also said that some of the players displayed a real lack of game awareness, especially Mehidy and Soumya who made crucial mistakes on the fifth evening. "The result shows we didn't have the ability [to last 70 minutes]. Taijul [islam] had inside-edged the ball to his pad, but since [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz had taken the review, he couldn't use it. Even someone who has played cricket for one day would know that this was plumb out. If he hadn't taken the review, Taijul could have used it. He defended well in the first innings.

"When you see Soumya react like that after taking that run [to give No. 11 strike early in the over], you know that he isn't sure of his role. There's a lot to learn but I don't know how long it will take them to learn," Shakib said in his fourth press conference in the last six days.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- So much for that new-look offense without Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell.

Those players were missed on a miserable night of football for the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose 33-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday left their quarterback placing blame squarely on himself.

"I wasn't good enough," said Ben Roethlisberger, who went 27-of-47 for 276 yards and one interception. "I wasn't giving guys balls where they needed to catch them. Put them in front, behind, things like that. So, just -- I wasn't good enough."

The Steelers finished the game with 308 yards, but many of those came in garbage time. At halftime, Pittsburgh had limped to four first downs, one third-down conversion and 87 yards. James Conner and the rushing attack managed 32 yards and and failed to convert several short-yardage situations.

From five-wide sets to zone running plays, nothing the Steelers tried worked, with Roethlisberger missing on three of his four deep-ball attempts.

The Steelers most recently scored three points in a season opener in 2001, losing 21-3 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The message was sent.

"I think it was a wake-up call -- something we needed," said receiver Donte Moncrief, who dropped several contested passes Sunday and finished with three catches for 7 yards despite a team-high 10 targets. "It's something I felt I needed."

Struggling in New England is nothing new for the Steelers. The Patriots have outscored Pittsburgh 152-72 in their past four games at Gillette Stadium.

But the timing of the dud is noteworthy. Bell made his debut with the New York Jets on Sunday and Brown signed with the Patriots over the weekend, though he wasn't eligible to play in Week 1.

Coach Mike Tomlin said the Steelers weren't ready for prime time, and that has nothing to do with ex-players.

"I'm not specifically worried about anything relevant to Brown. I'm worried about the guys in our locker room and the quality of our execution in what we did and didn't do," Tomlin said. "Antonio has been off our team for a number of months. We moved on from that stuff in March."

JuJu Smith-Schuster understands that storyline but said he believes in his offense.

"People are always going to talk about not having certain players that we had last year," said Smith-Schuster, who led the team with 78 receiving yards. "I think this year, the guys we have here now, we have ultimate guys ... we've got so many guys, we just have to make our plays."

A video producer who worked with Antonio Brown said Monday that Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden approved the use of his phone call in a video released by the disgruntled wide receiver.

Alejandro Narciso, speaking on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, said he was recording Brown last week for a video project when agent Drew Rosenhaus told Brown that Gruden was on the phone for him. Narciso kept taping while Brown took the call, and later included it in a video that Brown planned to release.

In the call, Gruden asked Brown if he wanted to be a Raiders player or not. Brown countered by saying the Raiders should ask themselves if they wanted him.

There were questions on whether the inclusion of the call in the video was legal, as in California, both parties must consent to be recorded. Narciso said Monday he believes Gruden gave them permission to use the call in the video.

Narciso said while he was editing the video, Brown's marketing manager alerted him that he needed Gruden's consent to use the call. Narciso said Brown texted the video to Gruden, who answered 15 minutes later with three texts: "Wow, I love it," "loved it" and "I love it."

"All right," Narcisco said he told Brown. "There's our permission."

A source told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that Gruden thought the video was "awesome."

The video came in a week that saw Brown on Wednesday post a list of team-issued fines on Instagram that resulted in a heated argument with Raiders general manager Mike Mayock later that day at practice. The Raiders then announced Friday that despite the argument with Mayock, Brown was expected to play in Monday night's season-opener against the Denver Broncos. But the Raiders also fined Brown more than $215,000 for conduct detrimental, sources told ESPN.

The video, including Gruden's phone call, was posted on Brown's Instagram on Friday night.

On Saturday morning, after Brown publicly requested his release on Instagram, the team released him. Brown officially became a free agent at 4:01 p.m. ET Saturday, and shortly after, agreed to a one-year deal with the New England Patriots.

CLEVELAND -- The NFL has spoken with Browns star Odell Beckham Jr. about wearing a watch during Sunday's game.

The flashy, fashionable wide receiver sported an expensive watch -- worth over $250,000 -- during his debut with Cleveland, which was rolled 43-13 by the Tennessee Titans.

Beckham, who came to Cleveland in a March trade from the New York Giants, caught seven passes for 71 yards in his first action for the Browns.

In photos taken during the game, Beckham is wearing a limited Richard Mille watch.

NFL spokesman Michael Signora said there are no rules prohibiting jewelry. However, the league does have a policy "prohibiting hard objects." He said the league will address the matter with Beckham and the Browns, who play at the New York Jets next Monday night.

"I was not aware he had the watch on," Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said Monday. "As long as they're going to enforce [the rules] with everyone, I'm fine with it. Let's just make sure we get it enforced with everybody."

Kitchens, whose team committed 18 penalties in his debut as Browns coach, later quipped jokingly: "Did they want to put another flag on the field? I was being facetious."

Beckham also drove his customized, orange Rolls Royce to FirstEnergy Stadium.

ESPN's Jake Trotter and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

It was jarring to realize that, nursing a shrunken lead on Saturday at No. 9 Texas, LSU really was going to live or die with the forward pass.

This was LSU, after all. The defense and field-position prototype. The team that was still grinding out yards between the tackles well into the spread offense revolution.

But there was quarterback Joe Burrow, attempting 11 fourth-quarter passes (to only three LSU rushes) while the Tigers clung to a 37-31 lead with less than four minutes remaining and looking to pass once more to clinch the game.

It almost backfired. Terrace Marshall Jr. nearly fumbled on an 11-yard catch to start the clinching drive, and after another first down, Burrow threw an incompletion (which stopped the clock), then took a huge sack to set up third-and-17. With 2 minutes, 38 seconds remaining, Texas was about to get the ball with a chance to win against an exhausted LSU defense.

The LSU of old would have run a draw play to keep the clock moving and steal a few yards for the defense. But now, the brain trust of offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger and passing-game coordinator Joe Brady elected to ride with what had gotten the Tigers the lead in the first place. Burrow narrowly avoided pressure in the pocket and found Justin Jefferson dragging toward the left sideline about 18 yards downfield. Jefferson stiff-armed a tackler around the 30 and raced to the end zone, victory in hand.

Burrow's production -- 749 yards, nine touchdowns and a 219.1 passer rating in two games -- has been revelatory. So has the offense Brady has brought to town. LSU talked all offseason about a new identity, but we couldn't completely believe our ears. We had to see it with our eyes. And now that we have? It's beautiful.

What about the other good teams with new identities?

Here are the teams that came into 2019 with certain expectations -- we'll define that as having a Caesars win total of at least seven in late August -- and either a new offensive coordinator, an announced identity change or both. How are things going so far?

Promising early returns

LSU

The change: Ed Orgeron brought in Brady -- a young assistant with experience under both Joe Moorhead and Sean Payton -- to serve as Ensminger's Rasputin, someone to complete the modernization process Orgeron initially hoped Lane Kiffin (his original coordinator choice before he took the FAU head job) or Matt Canada would initiate.

The early returns: LSU has indeed shown a commitment to a new identity that other teams (cough Michigan cough) haven't thus far. That was almost as encouraging as the result itself. Two years ago, Orgeron seemed to rebel against some of the changes Canada wanted to install, and it was hard for an offense to live up to its potential with the head coach pushing back against the playcaller. But if Orgeron had any remaining qualms in 2019, the play of Burrow and an incredible receiving corps certainly tamped them down.

Offensive SP+ ranking: Second (17th in preseason)

The next big test: If Texas couldn't keep LSU in check, odds are the next three opponents (Northwestern State, Vanderbilt, Utah State) can't either. So maybe the Tigers get to dial things back a bit before the four-game gauntlet (Florida, at Mississippi State, Auburn, at Alabama) that will define the season.

Florida State

The change: After going 5-7 and averaging barely 20 points per game against FBS competition, Willie Taggart hired offensive coordinator Kendal Briles and his trusty offensive line coach, Randy Clements, to reinvigorate the Noles' attack.

The early returns: FSU has scored 76 points and already has as many 30-point games against FBS teams as it did all of last season. That's something -- and it's reflected in the Seminoles' massive early jump in offensive SP+ -- even if it has come against Group of 5 defenses (a potentially awesome Boise State and a less-than-awesome Louisiana Monroe). But the Seminoles have been sloppy, fumbling five times, going 11-for-31 on third downs and falling into second-half funks in both games. It has been a "two steps forward, one step back" kind of rise thus far.

Defense is the major issue in Tallahassee right now -- after all, it wasn't the offense giving up 44 points to ULM in a narrow victory -- but the offense isn't fully on track yet either. It's enticing to think of what might happen when it is, though.

Offensive SP+ ranking: Ninth (83rd in preseason)

The next big test: Next up is a trip to Charlottesville to face a confident and aggressive Virginia team. Sloppiness won't cut it.

Appalachian State

The change: The immensely successful Scott Satterfield took the Louisville head coaching position and was replaced by former NC State offensive coordinator Eliah Drinkwitz. Drinkwitz elected to serve as his own playcaller in Boone, North Carolina. Nowhere to go but down?

The early returns: App State still looks like App State, only better. The Mountaineers scored 98 points, rushed for an App State-like 553 yards and averaged 7.2 yards per play in wins over East Tennessee State and Charlotte. The defense, which gave up 41 points to Charlotte, is the bigger issue at the moment.

Offensive SP+ ranking: 11th (49th in preseason)

The next big test: After a bye, the Mountaineers head to Chapel Hill to face a rejuvenated North Carolina and its tricky defensive coordinator, Jay Bateman. We'll learn a lot then.

USC

The change: With his job on the line after a 5-7 campaign, coach Clay Helton hired Kliff Kingsbury as his new offensive coordinator in hopes of bringing things such as "fun" and "points" back to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. When Kingsbury quickly moved on to the NFL, Helton hired the younger version of Kingsbury: North Texas OC Graham Harrell.

The early returns: Harrell was dealt an awfully tricky hand, with starting quarterback JT Daniels tearing up his knee in the first half of the first game of the season. True freshman Kedon Slovis took over, and his first nine possessions (six against Fresno State, three against Stanford) produced three points.

Early in the second quarter against Stanford, however, Slovis ignited. USC scored touchdowns on six of seven drives, pulling off a 42-3 run to crush the Cardinal. Slovis finished an incredible 28-for-33 for 377 yards and three touchdowns, and just like that, the Trojans might -- might -- have a dynamite offense again.

Offensive SP+ ranking: 16th (27th in preseason)

The next big test: Having passed one test with flying colors, the Harrell-Slovis tandem faces four more in a row: at BYU, Utah, at Washington, at Notre Dame. Go 2-2 in that stretch, and the Trojans are in line for a lovely season. But they'll have to be a pretty strong and consistent team to go 2-2 in that stretch.

No massive changes yet

Alabama

The change: Nick Saban replaced new Maryland head coach Mike Locksley with a familiar face: Steve Sarkisian, who spent two years with the Atlanta Falcons after leaving his position as an analyst (and one-game offensive coordinator) in Tuscaloosa. The primary task was to bring an extra hint of diversity to an offense that set regular-season records in 2018 but faltered in the national title game.

The early returns: The Tide scored 104 points and averaged 7.8 yards per play against overwhelmed Duke and New Mexico State defenses, and Tua Tagovailoa's passer rating is above 200, just as it was early last season.

Offensive SP+ ranking: Fifth (second in preseason)

The next big test: We won't know what we need to know for a while. On Oct. 12, the Tide face a Texas A&M defense that managed to hold Clemson under 30 points, but the tests will likely come from LSU on Nov. 9, Georgia in a potential SEC title game matchup on Dec. 7 and whomever the Tide might face in the College Football Playoff.

Georgia

The change: Kirby Smart allowed Jim Chaney to leave for Tennessee and promoted quarterbacks coach and co-coordinator James Coley to the playcaller's chair.

The early returns: The Bulldogs scored 93 points, totaled 592 rushing yards and averaged 8.1 yards per play in easy victories over Vanderbilt and Murray State. Of course they did.

Offensive SP+ ranking: Eighth (fourth in preseason)

The next big test: Notre Dame visits Athens on Sept. 21, and that will provide a solid barometer. But the Dawgs might not face a truly elite defense until November, and that's only if Florida (maybe), Texas A&M (maybe) or Auburn (most likely) qualifies.

Oklahoma State

The change: Offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich left to become Ohio State's passing-game coordinator, and Mike Gundy replaced him with creative young Princeton offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson.

The early returns: Same old, same old. Fifty-two points and 555 yards (7.3 per play) against Oregon State, 56 points and 580 yards (7.6 per play) against McNeese. Redshirt freshman Spencer Sanders has a 74% completion rate and 211.6 passer rating.

Change in offensive SP+ ranking: 13th (seventh in preseason)

The next big test: The Pokes head to Austin in two weeks to face a Texas team they've beaten four straight times. That'll be Sanders' first taste of a truly hostile crowd and a defense with blue-chip athletes (albeit athletes who just got torched by LSU).

Houston

The change: Former West Virginia head man Dana Holgorsen replaced the fired Major Applewhite, naming former WVU running backs coach Marquel Blackwell and former Texas Tech offensive line coach Brandon Jones his co-coordinators.

The early returns: The Cougars put up 31 points against Oklahoma in a shootout loss, and they scored 34 first-half points against Prairie View on Saturday before going into a second-half shell. There have been some funks, which have resulted in a drop in offensive S&P+, but I'm not concerned just yet.

Change in offensive SP+ ranking: 37th (11th in preseason)

The next big test: The Coogs meet Washington State at NRG Stadium on Friday, and they will likely need to score 40-plus to take home a win. Six days later, they head to New Orleans to face a potentially outstanding Tulane defense.

Utah

The change: Offensive coordinator Troy Taylor took the Sacramento State head coaching position, and Kyle Whittingham replaced him with an old friend: former Utah OC (2005-08) Andy Ludwig, most recently of Wisconsin and Vanderbilt.

The early returns: The Utes look awfully Utah-ish thus far. They pulled away in the second half against both BYU and Northern Illinois, riding a heavy dose of short passes from Tyler Huntley and punishing runs from Zack Moss, who's on pace for 300-plus carries and 1,700-plus yards.

Change in offensive SP+ ranking: 39th (30th in preseason)

The next big test: The Week 4 trip to USC might tell us more about the Utah defense than the offense, but we'll learn about the Utes' ability to define a game against an up-tempo opponent.

NC State

The change: With Drinkwitz down the road at App State, Dave Doeren replaced him with in-house promotions: running backs coach Des Kitchings and receivers coach George McDonald are now co-coordinators.

The early returns: Seventy-five points and 6.7 yards per play against a pair of directional Carolinas (East and Western). Doeren's quick passing game appears firmly in place, but a young RB corps has been lively thus far.

Offensive SP+ ranking: 58th (62nd in preseason)

The next big test: Trips to West Virginia and Florida State loom, but those might not test the O much. The Pack have a chance to find a nice offensive rhythm before Clemson comes to town in November.

Troy

The change: Neal Brown left to replace Holgorsen at West Virginia, and the Trojans brought in former Auburn OC Chip Lindsey as head coach.

The early returns: The Trojans torched Campbell in Week 1 (43 points, 527 yards), then took a Week 2 bye, so we know almost nothing so far.

Change in offensive SP+ ranking: 84th (101st in preseason)

The next big test: The Oct. 5 trip to Missouri will give us a good idea of what upside quarterback Kaleb Barker, receivers Reggie Todd and Kaylon Geiger & Co. possess in Lindsey's system.

A bumpy road so far

Miami

The change: New head coach Manny Diaz brought in Dan Enos -- formerly Central Michigan head coach, Arkansas offensive coordinator and Alabama QBs coach -- to liven up an offense in desperate need of energy and optimism.

The early returns: Redshirt freshman quarterback Jarren Williams has already endured a season's worth of ups and downs. He has taken 14 sacks (really bad) while completing 71% of his passes (really good), and after a late Week 0 comeback attempt against Florida fell short, he succeeded in bringing the Canes back against North Carolina ... only to watch the defense blow it.

Change in offensive SP+ ranking: 43rd (57th in preseason)

The next big test: The 0-2 Canes get a couple of tune-ups before huge home games against Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Michigan

The change: With an offense that was mostly solid but frequently staid, Jim Harbaugh hired former Penn State passing-game coordinator and Alabama co-coordinator Josh Gattis to modernize with fewer huddles and more run-pass options.

The early returns: On one hand, things are at least OK. The Wolverines scored 40 points on Middle Tennessee, and though they nearly lost to Army on Saturday, Oklahoma nearly lost to Army last season, and it still made the CFP. The Wolverines outgained Army by 97 yards and went to overtime only because of fumbles and fourth-quarter, fourth-and-short failures, neither of which are necessarily sustainable.

On the other hand, those fourth-and-shorts were awfully telling. Everyone in the stadium knew what Michigan was going to do (hand off to the running back between the tackles), and Army sent the house and made two stops. Michigan seems stuck between identities at the moment.

Also, the fumbles might be sustainable, given that the Wolverines have eight of them so far.

Change in offensive SP+ ranking: 54th (20th in preseason)

The next big test: Gattis and Harbaugh get a bye week to figure some things out, and then they go to, gulp, Wisconsin. The Badgers have pitched two shutouts to start the season.

Michigan State

The change: After dreadful production in 2018 (even by State's conservative standards), Mark Dantonio elected to make all of his changes in-house, giving a bunch of assistants new job titles and naming quarterbacks coach Brad Salem the new coordinator.

The early returns: Two games have told two completely different stories. The Spartans' offense was lifeless in a 28-7 victory over Tulsa, averaging just 3.9 yards per play. Against Western Michigan in Week 2, though? Hope! Sparty scored 50 points for the first time since the 2015 CFP run and gained nearly 600 yards in the process. That's one three-pitch strikeout and one home run. The Spartans' offensive SP+ ranking leaped this weekend, but we'll see if they can sustain it.

Change in offensive SP+ ranking: 67th (97th in preseason)

The next big test: Week 3 opponent Arizona State has allowed 14 points total in two games and gave up just 13 in an upset of Michigan State last season. With ASU's offense providing mixed results, expect a conservative slog until proven otherwise.

San Diego State

The change: With an LSU-like, run-heavy offense having grown stodgy, head coach Rocky Long tasked longtime coordinator Jeff Horton with spreading things out a bit while retaining a mostly physical identity.

The early returns: It's all about setting a clearable bar. After averaging just 3.3 yards per play in a gross 6-0 win over Weber State, SDSU looked downright invigorated in Week 2, averaging nearly 5 yards per play -- progress! -- in a 23-14 victory over UCLA. Still, the run game is lifeless (SDSU backs are averaging 2.8 yards per carry), and though quarterback Ryan Agnew was excellent against UCLA, the Aztecs might be stuck between identities at the moment.

Change in offensive SP+ ranking: 126th (87th in preseason)

The next big test: We'll learn if San Diego State is capable of a conference title run soon enough: Utah State comes to town Sept. 21, and Wyoming follows suit Oct. 12. The Aztecs don't have to be great offensively, but they probably can't afford to be wretched.

SHENZHEN, China -- Jayson Tatum was able to return to practice with the U.S. men's basketball team Monday, less than a week after he sprained his left ankle.

He did not play Monday night when the U.S. (5-0) closed out World Cup second-round play with an 89-73 win over Brazil. It is unclear whether Tatum will be ready for a quarterfinal game against France on Wednesday.

"I hope I can play," Tatum said. "There's no timetable or anything. I'm just trying to get back right."

Tatum said he went through the entire U.S. shootaround practice in advance of the Brazil game, able to run and cut without difficulty.

"Felt good," Tatum said.

The Boston Celtics forward sprained the ankle in the final seconds of overtime in last week's 93-92 win over Turkey on a play where he set up U.S. teammate Khris Middleton for what became the game-winning free throws. Tatum made two of three free throws with one-tenth of a second left in regulation of that game, sending it to overtime.

Tatum started the first two games of the tournament for the U.S., averaging 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per contest.

"When it first happened I was upset," Tatum said. "I didn't want to miss any games. But it's nothing significant."

U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said he didn't have an update on when Tatum could potentially return, though seeing him on the floor Monday was an obvious good sign.

"It's encouraging," Popovich said.

SHENZHEN, China -- The first mission for the U.S. is complete: The Americans are going to the Tokyo Olympics.

The World Cup quarterfinals are the next task.

Kemba Walker and Myles Turner each scored 16 points, and the Americans earned a top seed for the quarterfinals by beating Brazil 89-73 on Monday in the final second-round game of the tournament.

"A great team effort, man,'' Turner said.

It was a win three nations could celebrate: The U.S. victory not only resulted in an Olympic berth but also clinched an Olympic spot for Argentina and a spot in the quarterfinals for the Czech Republic. The Czechs moved on despite losing earlier Monday to NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece.

The Czech Republic grabbed the last spot in the round of eight via a three-team, points-differential tiebreaker over Greece and Brazil after they all went 3-2 in group play.

Greece defeated the Czech Republic 84-77 in Shenzhen, an outcome that meant the U.S. went into the Brazil game assured a spot in the quarters. All that was at stake was seeding and where it was going, either to nearby Dongguan by bus or back on a plane to Shanghai.

Get the bus ready. France, a 100-98 loser to Australia on Monday, awaits the U.S. on Wednesday in the quarterfinals. Other quarterfinal matchups: Spain vs. Poland and Serbia vs. Argentina on Tuesday, and Australia vs. the Czech Republic on Wednesday.

Jaylen Brown scored 11 and Harrison Barnes added 10 for the U.S. (5-0).

The U.S. opened on a 14-7 run, then led by as many as eight late in the half -- yet went into the break with only a 43-39 lead, unable to shake Brazil despite shooting 55% in the opening 20 minutes thanks largely to Walker and Turner. They were 9-for-11 combined in the half from the floor, while their teammates were 9-for-22.

Eventually, the Americans pulled away.

Marcus Smart's buzzer-beating, hand-in-his-face 3-pointer to beat the third-quarter horn put the U.S. up 11, and a 15-6 run to start the fourth -- mostly by getting to the rim, including back-to-back scores by Barnes, and capped by a 3-pointer from Walker -- put the game away and gave the Americans an 83-62 lead with 5:50 left.

The U.S. pushed its winning streak in major international tournaments -- Olympics, World Cup and FIBA Americas -- with NBA players to 58 straight games.

TIP-INS

U.S.: Walker, who missed the morning shootaround with an illness, was in the starting lineup. ... The Olympic berth was clinched because automatic spots go to the top two World Cup finishers from the Americas region, and the U.S. and Argentina are the lone quarterfinalists out of that group. ... Smart, who has twice battled leg issues this summer, limped to the bench in the fourth quarter in obvious discomfort. He was walking normally not long afterward. Brazil: Vitor Benite led Brazil with 21, and well-known NBA names Anderson Varejao and Leandro Barbosa each had 14. ... Brazil has lost seven consecutive meetings with the Americans now but always seems to be a thorny opponent for the U.S. in the World Cup. The teams' last meeting in 2010, a 70-68 U.S. win, went down to the final second and a missed shot by Barbosa. And Brazil topped the U.S. in four consecutive meetings at worlds from 1959 through 1970.

TOKYO-BOUND

The U.S. men will be in the Olympics for the 19th time next summer, extending their record. The only Olympic basketball tournament that didn't have the Americans was at Moscow in 1980, when the U.S. boycotted. The U.S. is 18-for-18 in earning medals -- 15 gold, one silver and two bronze.

PETROVIC EJECTED

Brazil coach Aleksandar Petrovic was ejected in the second quarter after picking up his second technical foul. His first came midway through the first quarter after arguing a kicked-ball call, then waving his hand dismissively at a referee's warning to calm down. The second came when Varejao had a clear lane to the basket, got cut off by Myles Turner and no foul got called -- so he went off, and was sent off.

UP NEXT

U.S.: Faces France in quarterfinals Wednesday at Dongguan, China.

Brazil: Tournament complete.