Like a couple who have just moved in together, Jofra Archer and the England team are still coming to terms with each other's little ways.

Both know this is a special relationship. And both know it's made to last. But, as they settle down together, they are still marvelling at their new partner's qualities, working out what makes them tick and wondering why on earth they keep leaving the top off the toothpaste.

Take Archer in this match. In the first innings, with his team still riding the crest of the drama of Leeds and the game to be defined, he went missing a bit. It wasn't just that his speed was down a little - his average first innings speed was still a respectable 85 mph; his highest was a more than respectable 91 - but that he was unable to replicate the probing lines and lengths he had managed at Headingley. He finished with 0-97 from 27 overs and Australia built a match-defining position.

In the second innings he suddenly went up a gear. His top pace was 93 mph and his average was 88. He was, once again, the high-class fast bowler England have needed for so long. He produced an invigorating spell of fast bowling that, for a moment, threatened to drag England back into the match. But Archer and the equally admirable Stuart Broad had to be rested and, honest though the rest of the attack is, they lack the bite of the opening pair.

Also read: Bayliss holding out for a hero

The catalyst for the spell seemed to be some sledging from a couple of Australian players when Archer batted. Matthew Wade and Travis Head had been particularly vocal, appearing to question Archer's commitment to Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash. It didn't seem especially serious stuff - certainly there was nothing inappropriate, though Adelaide Strikers' supporters may have been encouraged by it - but it did seem to irritate Archer. When Head came in to bat he was waiting.

Immediately, Archer's pace went up to 90 mph. His first delivery beat an airy push, his second was dug out and his third, a bouncer, saw Head jerk out of the way. Shortly afterwards, the batsman was struck on the arm by another short one and the pair exchanged words. The next ball, again well over 90 mph, was driven for four but the one after that, a searing inswinger to the left-hander, knocked out his middle stump. The spell to Wade was not quite as dramatic but again, Archer got his man.

What can we conclude from all this? Well, firstly, that it probably isn't too clever to rile Archer. Just as Dean Jones found when he complained about Curtly Ambrose's wristbands or South Africa found when they bounced Devon Malcolm, it's sometimes best not to provide any extra motivation for fast bowlers. Archer, under that calm demeanour, is a fierce competitor and thrives in the heat of the battle. Maybe the England management, and Archer himself, need to find a way to unlock that aggression on demand. You would think it may be a task for the team psychologist.

But, from an England perspective, there may also have to be some tempering of expectations. Yes, Archer can bowl fast. But it is hard and it requires many factors to fall together if it is to happen. So in Leeds, for example, Archer did not feel it was necessary and concentrated on control and movement. And on the first day here, with a fierce wind and a wet outfield, he was simply unable to replicate the same rhythm. Trevor Bayliss rated the conditions "the toughest I've ever seen cricket played in." He's not a man prone to hyperbole.

Broad seemed to concur. "The outfield was very wet," he said. "It's cut very short, so it churns up a bit and it's hard to get grip when running in. You can't charge in. Your feet were almost sinking behind you." Put simply, Wednesday's conditions would have troubled any seamer. For a young man brought up in Barbados and playing only his 31st first-class game they were hugely testing.

It's important to remind ourselves about that inexperience. That number of first-class games is almost a third of the number played by Craig Overton, who is less than a year older. Archer is learning his trade. There are bound to be days when it shows.

Unlike just about everyone else who has played for England in recent years, Archer hasn't come through the ECB's pathways. As a result, there is little knowledge for the England management to draw upon: few captain or coach reports; no assessments from Loughborough; no feedback from Lions tours. England know they have something special here, but they don't know many of the details of how Archer works or how he cab best be utilised. There will be days when that shows, too.

There are some potential areas of improvement, though. Archer would appear not to be the most enthusiastic embracer of warm-ups - he often bowls spin on the morning of games and sometimes on the day before the match - and instead seems to prefer to ease his way into games through bowling. That's understandable. If he is required to bowl in match situations as often as England seem to demand, he doesn't want to waste any deliveries in training.

But, given the importance of utilising the new ball in Test cricket, that is a habit that may need to change. He needs to hit the ground running. He needs to adapt and learn. The England management, whoever that is in a few weeks, need to help him come to terms with that.

Equally, though, they have to understand that he cannot be a strike and stock bowler. Mitchell Johnson, for example, bowled only three or four-overs spells during that peak period he enjoyed in 2013 to 2015. Archer's first spell on Saturday was nine overs and, 16 overs later, he was recalled for a second spell. That workload may be sustainable for a classic English seamer - the likes of Overton - but Archer's ceiling is higher than that. He has to be looked after a bit more. Weariness - both mental and physical - may well have played a role in his declining pace since his Test debut at Lord's.

Maybe we should be aware of some alarm bells here. We now know that Archer had a pain-killing injection in his side at the end of normal play in the World Cup final and ahead of the super-over. We know, too, that he had undergone injections ahead of several other games. Is it right that four-months into his England career, he is already requiring such treatment? He has a precious talent; he needs resting and nurturing and protecting as much as he needs medical help to continue playing.

Most of all, we have to be realistic. That's the management, the media and the supporters. Even the very best in the business of fast bowling - the likes of Malcolm Marshall and Richard Hadlee - did not bowl flat out every day. Archer showed at Leeds that he could be successful by cutting his pace and concentrating on control and movement. We shouldn't just judge him by the speed gun. He's better than that.

At Sussex, they believe he is at his best pitching a full length that would hit a couple of inches below bail height on off stump. With his delivery point so close to the stumps and his ability to move the ball both ways, such a length invites the drives but offers the promise of several modes of dismissal. The bouncer is there only to ensure the batsman isn't too quick to come forward and as a shock. It shouldn't be his stock ball.

Archer has already helped England to that elusive World Cup title. He's already achieved the highest pace recorded by an England seamer. Bowlers like this come along, in England at least, very rarely. But there are going to be a few poor days on the journey and, if he's to fulfil his obvious potential, there has be deeper understanding of what is reasonable to expect and demand from him.

Guyana Amazon Warriors 159 for 2 (Hetmyer 70*, Hemraj 39) beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 153 for 8 (Thomas 62, Allen 33, Shadab 2-20) by eight wickets

Guyana Amazon Warriors registered their second straight win with a dominant performance against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. With a strong start with the ball courtesy of spinners Chris Green and Shadab Khan, Warriors were able to control the Patriots' batting through the middle overs in damp conditions, and restrict them to a total - 153 - that they chased down with seven balls to spare on the back of two half-century stands. Shimron Hetmyer's 70 not-out off 47 led the way after Chandrapaul Hemraj's 24-ball 39 had given them a brisk start. Patriots have now lost both their games.

Guyana keep it tight at the start

Chris Green began well for Warriors after they elected to bowl. But in the second over, having kept the first five balls to six runs, Keemo Paul overstepped as he bowled Kjorn Ottley. The free-hit that followed was a four and also a no-ball. What should have been 9 for 1 at the end of the second over, ended up being 19 for 0 as the second free-hit went for four as well.

But Ottley ran out of luck in the next over, as he took off for a run when Evin Lewis deflected the ball into the leg side and did not respond. Wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran put in the throw at the non-striker's end to run him out.

Keemo was out of the attack and spinners Green and Shadab Khan bowled five of the six Powerplay overs, giving barely anything to the batsmen. Lewis hit Green over his head off the back foot, but holed out to deep square off Shadab. Only 31 came from the Powerplay.

A lot of fortune, a lot of dew

Devon Thomas and Mohammad Hafeez had the task of rebuilding, and they managed to do that with a 54-run stand before Hafeez holed out to long-off against Shadab. There was little control during the partnership, despite its importance. Until the 16th over, almost all of Thomas' boundaries came off the outside edge down at third man. Hafeez was also dropped at sweeper cover on an evening where despite keeping things quiet, the Warriors fielders were circumspect because of the dew.

Keemo continued to have poor luck, edges off his bowling helping Thomas along before he clubbed Shadab for two sixes in a row,in the 16th over, to get past 50, his second in CPL. Keemo did, however, have Brathwaite caught at short midwicket for a second-ball duck - the dew going in the bowler's favour this time, imparting extra skid as Brathwaite tried to pull. He could have had Fabian Allen caught at fine leg too, but the top edge didn't quite carry and that ball also rolled into the boundary, another one of the nine fours that came behind the wicket.

Thomas made 62 and was eventually caught at the midwickwet boundary in the 18th over, brilliantly by Shadab tearing to his left. In the last 14 balls from that point, Allen hit two delightful sixes, one carved over deep cover and one smacked wide of deep midwicket. His 33 of 19 and Alzarri Joseph's unbeaten 10 off the last two balls helped Patriots to 153.

Warriors start well again

The second innings began differently. Off the first ball, Brandon King drove Sheldon Cottrell past the stumps to pick up four. Chandrapaul Hemraj was equally dominant in front of the wicket, starting with an expert cut over cover off a short ball. He chipped Mohammad Hafeez neatly over extra over soon after, and then hit short bowling from legspinner Usama Mir over and wide of long-on in the space of three balls. Where Green and Shadab had turned the screws in the Powerplay, Hafeez and Usama were dismantled - their two overs went for a combined 28. Warriors made 55 in the Powerplay without losing a wicket. Usama didn't bowl another over on the night.

Some hiccups, but Hetmyer takes them through

Allen took a stunning catch flying to his right at point to dismiss Hemraj off Brathwaite, but Patriots didn't take their other chances. As Thomas had earlier, Hetmyer, too, struggled for rhythm, missing a lot but also offering more chances than the former. He was involved in three mix-ups, two of them with King where either of them could have been dismissed at the non-striker's end with plenty of time for the fielders at midwicket to get their throws in. Both opportunities were squandered.

Shortly after he survived a third run-out chance, Hetmyer turned the tables on Joseph, who had caused him most trouble early in the innings. He lifted the fast bowler over mid-off, drove a full ball wide of long-on, and clobbered a short ball over the midwicket boundary to come close to his fifty. By the time he got it, captain Shoaib Malik was at the crease with him and the pair saw them through with an unbroken 64-run stand.

Bangladesh 136 for 6 (Shadman 41, Shakib 39*, Rashid 3-46) and 205 need another 262 runs to beat Afghanistan 342 and 260 (Ibrahim 87, Afghan 50, Zazai 48*, Shakib 3-58)

Afghanistan are four wickets away from a remarkable Test win over Bangladesh after they reduced the hosts to 136 for 6 at stumps on the fourth day. A third bout of rain, however, forced the players off an hour before the scheduled close of play. The start of the morning session was delayed by two hours while the lunch break was extended by 40 minutes, both due to spells of rain. There is more rain in the offing on the fifth day, leaving the visitors with what looks like some tight sessions to squeeze through the remaining wickets.

Afghanistan did a good job of taking the six wickets on the fourth day. Left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan made twin strikes immediately after the lunch break. Liton Das missed a delivery that spun back at his pads from over the wicket, while Mosaddek Hossain was caught at wide long-off in an attempted inside-out shot to a wide delivery.

Soon, Mushfiqur Rahim fell to Rashid Khan for the second time in the game, and the sixth time in nine innings across formats. After he had struck a few boundaries with the sweep, Mushfiqur was lbw after missing the ball on the forward press. Mominul Haque, who scored 52 in the first innings, became Rashid's second victim when he too was given lbw to a legbreak that spun back sharply from around the wicket.

Shortly before the tea interval, Rashid dropped Shakib Al Hasan's return catch, but on the other side of the interval, Bangladesh lost two more wickets in quick succession. Mohammad Nabi removed Shadman Islam, who had lasted 114 balls for his 41, before Mahmudullah completed the Test with a pair of sevens, this time getting caught at short leg off Rashid.

Shakib remained unbeaten on 39 off 46 balls, as he walked off in the rain with Soumya Sarkar, demoted all the way down to No. 8 due to a batting order shake-up, who is yet to open his account.

The day's first two hours and ten minutes were lost to rain, after which Afghanistan added 23 runs to their overnight 237 for 8. They were bowled out for 260 in their second innings, with Afsar Zazai remaining unbeaten on 48 off 110 balls. After half-centuries from Ibrahim Zadran and Asghar Afghan on the third day, Zazai stretched Afghanistan's score by resuming on 34 before Yamin Ahmadzai was run out for 9 and Zahir handed a catch to forward short leg for a two-ball duck.

One of the debates during India's tour of the West Indies centred on R Ashwin's place in the side in overseas Tests, after the offspinner missed out on the starting XI in both the Antigua and Jamaica Tests. In both matches, India went with Ravindra Jadeja as the lone spinner, with coach Ravi Shastri explaining that the preference for Jadeja was based on his improved batting and sharp fielding skills.

Former India captain and coach Anil Kumble, however, has backed Ashwin, insisting that he remains the No. 1 spinner in the side and India have to find a way to get him in. Ashwin has not played a Test for India since the first match the tour of Australia last year in Adelaide, where he suffered an abdomen injury that eventually ruled him out for the rest of the tour. Earlier that year, he had failed to finish the England series, after aggravating a hip injury. Despite the injuries, Ashwin's figures in seven overseas Tests in 2018 were 24 wickets at 30.16.

"He is still the best spinner that you have," Kumble said in an interview with cricketnext.com. "Yes, there have been a few incidents where he has had injuries and not performed to his potential, but Ashwin is your No. 1 spinner in the team. He should be a part of the squad, he should be in the playing XI, you have to make a way of getting him in."

Citing Ashwin's batting credentials - the offspinner averages nearly 30 in Tests and has four centuries and 11 fifties - Kumble believed the team could accommodate both Ashwin and Jadeja, adding heft to their lower-order batting too.

"I strongly believe that the team certainly can have two spinners in the squad, because both Ashwin and Jadeja are wonderful batsmen," he said. "Ashwin has had four Test hundreds, Jadeja has been really consistent with the bat. He did that again in the West Indies, he's a wonderful bowler too and both of them in tandem can certainly be handful for the opposition. So yes, when India travel outside, it's not always that you get four bowlers to pick up 20 wickets.

"Ideally, if you have a combination of three fast bowlers and two spinners, wherein your two spinners can also contribute with the bat, that's the perfect scenario. And you have two front-line spinners who are equally good as batsmen, so I think it's just a matter of time, I strongly believe that Ashwin will certainly make it into the playing XI. So, the management needs to look at that and I am a bit surprised that someone with the ability and quality of Ashwin is sitting out in a Test match."

Kumble also urged the selectors to have discussions about an exit plan for MS Dhoni, for the sake of clarity within the team and to ensure Dhoni got a proper send-off. There has been considerable speculation around Dhoni's future following India's semi-final exit from the World Cup. After the World Cup, Dhoni spent two weeks with the Parachute Regiment of the Indian Army, where he has the rank of honorary Lieutenant Colonel, and had opted out of the West Indies tour. Rishabh Pant handled wicketkeeping duties for all formats on the tour.

While announcing the team for the Caribbean tour, MSK Prasad, India's chairman of selectors, had stated that a cricketer like Dhoni "knows when to retire", and went on to add that they had already started grooming youngsters. Kumble said that with the T20 World Cup a year away, roles and responsibilities, including back-ups need to be fixed, and if Dhoni is a part of plans for the T20 World Cup, he needed to be playing all games.

"I think the selectors will have a take a call as to which is the likely team that you'd want in the World Cup because the World Cup is just a year away," Kumble said. "You'd want a consistent team to be playing right throughout and that's exactly what didn't happen in the 50-over [World Cup] competition.

"So, yes, there will be some discussions about an exit plan. But having said that, MS Dhoni certainly deserves a proper send-off, whenever he decides to move on from the sport. But for the team's sake, the selectors need to sit down and have a discussion around what the plans are because it's important that things be communicated.

"If the selectors believe that Dhoni is in the scheme of things for the T20 World Cup then I think he should be playing every game. If he's not, then it's important that they have a discussion around how they need to make this happen. I think they need to do that in the next couple of months.

"Pant has also shown some inconsistency. So, that's a call the selectors need to make. Today, in spite of all of that, are you going to back him or someone else, or would you look back? I wouldn't but I think it's important that the selectors take a call on that."

West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite, who bowls part-time offspin, has been reported for a suspect bowling action after the second Test against India in Jamaica. This is the second time Brathwaite has been reported for a suspect action - the first instance occurred in August 2017, during West Indies tour of England, and Brathwaite was cleared to bowl a month later.

Brathwaite will be required to submit to further testing by September 14, although he can continue to bowl in international cricket until the results of his tests are known. In the series against India, Brathwaite bowled only nine overs - two in Jamaica - taking the wicket of Ishant Sharma. Overall, Brathwaite has 18 Test wickets, including a six-for, after having bowled in 37 innings.

West Indies' next international assignment is a tour of India in December, where they will play matches against Afghanistan and the home side. West Indies are scheduled to play three T20Is, three ODIs and a Test against Afghanistan, before taking on India in ODI and T20I series.

The agent for Antonio Brown called joining the New England Patriots an "amazing opportunity" for the star wide receiver and said his client's goal going forward is to achieve something missing from his illustrious NFL career -- a Super Bowl title.

In an interview on ESPN's SportsCenter on Saturday night, hours after Brown's tumultuous stint with the Raiders ended with his release, Drew Rosenhaus credited Oakland for how it handled the situation and said the agreed-to deal with the Patriots is the right fit now for his client.

"I'll just tell you that the Patriots are obviously a very solid, strong organization," said Rosenhaus, who also represented now-retired Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. "They do things the Patriots Way. They expect everyone to be accountable. They don't make any exceptions. I've discussed this with Antonio. And he wants to be a Patriot. He's prepared to go there, fit in, work hard, be like every other player on the team, do what's asked of him, do his job and make it work. He's honored with the opportunity and he's looking forward to taking advantage of it."

Rosenhaus told ESPN's Adam Schefter that New England is giving Brown a one-year deal worth up to $15 million. It includes a $9 million signing bonus, another $1 million guaranteed and $5 million in incentives.

The Patriots have yet to announce the move.

Rosenhaus said several teams were interested in signing Brown once he became eligible at 4:01 p.m. ET Saturday, including one unnamed organization that "was really aggressive" in addition to the Patriots. He said he spoke with coach Bill Belichick and others in the New England organization before the sides agreed to the deal.

"Antonio had a robust free-agent market and certainly had a lot of options," Rosenhaus said. "But it was hard to compete with New England and that amazing opportunity, that great franchise, and play with one of the all-time greats, Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick."

As for Brown's short-lived stint with Oakland -- one marked by issues with his feet and helmet and a heated confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock midweek that led to significant fines -- Rosenhaus called it unfortunate, while crediting the Raiders, and specifically coach Jon Gruden, for how they handled it.

"You know there are trades that don't pan out," he told SportsCenter. "Relationships sometimes get off to a bad start and never recover. Unfortunately, this one just didn't work. I don't want the Raiders to get any flak for this because I just think it was a combination of bad luck and just bad circumstances.

"A lot of people focus on the last couple of months of dysfunction and things with Antonio. But what people should remember is that for eight years, he was one of the most rock-solid players in the league -- on and off the field. I just don't want people to lose track of that."

Rosenhaus said Brown is 100 percent healthy after frostbite on the bottom of both his feet due to a cryotherapy mishap sidelined him at the beginning of training camp. He is not eligible to play in New England's season opener Sunday night against his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, but could return in Week 2 against the Dolphins in Miami, where Brown is from.

The seven-time Pro Bowler joins a suddenly loaded Patriots receiving group, one that includes Super Bowl LIII MVP Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon and Demaryius Thomas.

Las Vegas took notice after news of the agreement broke. Caesars Sportsbook made New England the Super Bowl favorite at 4-1, ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs (6-1).

Rosenhaus said Brown is hoping his roller-coaster start to the 2019 season ends seamlessly with a ring.

"He wants to win a Super Bowl," Rosenhaus told SportsCenter. "It's a great opportunity for him to sign with a team that has dominated the football league for the past decade. It's a dynasty. The future is now for Antonio. This is an opportunity for him to do something that he hasn't been able to do in his illustrious career, which is win a championship. That's what he's looking forward to. That's immediately the goal. That's all he's thinking about right now."

Week 2 of the college football season seemed to separate the elite teams fighting for spots in the College Football Playoff from the rest of the field.

Throughout the season, our college football writers will pick their top four teams after each week's action. And this week, only six programs received votes.

No. 1 Clemson dominated against No. 12 Texas A&M, defeating the Aggies 24-10.

Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence passed for a touchdown and ran for another.

No. 2 Alabama rolled over New Mexico State 62-10. There was no sluggish start for the Crimson Tide in Week 2, as they took a 38-0 lead into halftime.

No. 3 Georgia had no trouble with Murray State, winning 63-17.

No. 4 Oklahoma got another big game from QB Jalen Hurts, as the Sooners breezed to a 70-14 victory over South Dakota.

Justin Fields was again the star for No. 5 Ohio State, passing for two scores and running for two more as the Buckeyes blanked Cincinnati 42-0.

And No. 6 LSU showed it could win a big game on the road, outscoring No. 9 Texas 45-38.

Joe Burrow passed for 471 yards and four touchdowns to lead LSU.

Here's how our writers see the playoff field after Week 2, not their projections about how the season will end.

Andrea Adelson: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Oklahoma; 4. LSU
Edward Aschoff: 1. Clemson; 2. LSU; 3. Alabama; 4. Ohio State
Kyle Bonagura: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Ohio State
Bill Connelly: 1. Alabama; 2. Clemson; 3. LSU; 4. Oklahoma
Heather Dinich: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. LSU; 4. Oklahoma
David M. Hale: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Georgia
Sam Khan Jr.: 1. LSU; 2. Clemson; 3. Alabama; 4. Oklahoma
Chris Low: 1. LSU; 2. Clemson; 3. Alabama; 4. Oklahoma
Ivan Maisel: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Ohio State
Ryan McGee: 1. Clemson; 2. LSU; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Alabama
Adam Rittenberg: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. LSU; 4. Ohio State
Alex Scarborough: 1. Clemson; 2. Oklahoma; 3. Alabama; 4. Ohio State
Mark Schlabach: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Georgia; 4. Oklahoma
Tom VanHaaren: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Ohio State

Somebody once said time was a flat circle, that everything we have done or ever will do, we will do over and over and over again, forever.

OK, that somebody was Matthew McConaughey in "True Detective." And sure, he ripped it off from Nietzsche, but it sounded better coming from him. And, in some ways, the Minister of Culture at Texas has a point. After all, you can't spend months in the desert, shirtless and slapping at bongos, without figuring out a few important universal truths.

And so here we are again. Texas, my friends, is not quite back.

But on the other hand, things do change. That flat circle gets folded in on itself. We step through a black hole and wake up in some universe we don't understand. Or, at least that's what we took from "Interstellar." Honestly, the movie was pretty confusing. The important takeaway here, however, is that LSU has an offense. Like, an honest-to-goodness, modern, effective, dangerous offense. And boy did Joe Burrow & Co. show it off on Saturday.

LSU's 45-38 win in Austin was a statement. The Tigers won a few games last year when no one was expecting it, but it always felt more like smoke and mirrors and defense. These guys, though, this offense -- Burrow completed 31 of 39 passes for 471 yards, a whopping 12 yards per pass, with four touchdowns. That hasn't happened since ... ever. Guess Texas is not DBU after all.

This was no one-off performance, either. Burrow's past six games: 72% completions, 1,915 yards, 19 touchdowns and two interceptions. There are fierce powers at work in the world, McConaughey said in "Mud." Burrow is one of them.

The last time LSU beat Alabama was a 9-6 slugfest in 2011 that was about as fun to watch as "Failure to Launch." In that game, the Tigers completed just nine passes for 91 yards. Since then, LSU is 0-8 vs. the Tide, getting shut out three times, never cracking 17 points and accounting for a grand total of four touchdown passes. Four. That's what Burrow had on Saturday against Texas.

Alabama has cruised to a 2-0 start against Duke and New Mexico State, which tells us a big fat nothing about the Tide. But LSU, well this was a performance that matters, and the Tigers look like they might just be good enough to shake up the power structure in the SEC West. To do this on the road, to do this despite Texas' ability to keep getting up off the mat, to do this with offense -- this feels like a genuine step forward for LSU, a true deviation from an offense that looked stuck in the past for far too long. Ed Orgeron was no one's choice to truly change LSU's approach, to rewrite this script that we'd seen play out for the Tigers for the better part of a decade. And yet, here we are.

For Texas, it's another setback on that seemingly endless path back to national prominence. The Longhorns showed plenty of fight, and it's hard not to envision a world where they cashed in on just one of eight plays from inside the 10 in the first half, where the outcome was different. But this is reality for Texas still. The flat circle.

There are bigger tests down the road. For LSU, dates with Florida and Auburn are on the docket before traveling to Tuscaloosa. For Texas, redemption can be found in Dallas against Oklahoma.

For now though, LSU has offered the first truly seismic shift to the playoff picture, blossoming before our eyes into a legitimate contender.

And at Texas ... well, that's what we love about the "Is Texas back?" joke. We get older, and it stays just as funny. Alright, alright, alright.

Six lessons from Week 2

Week 2 isn't exactly the point in the season when everything becomes clear. In fact, it's mostly a waste. There were 28 games this week in which an FBS team played an FCS opponent (not counting Illinois' game against UConn) and just 11 games between two Power 5 teams. Blowouts abound. Nearly two dozen teams topped 50 -- even Ball State! So, did we learn anything? It might take a slightly more discerning eye, but yes, there were lessons amid the blowouts in Week 2, and we're here to clear things up.

1. Clemson isn't going to lose an ACC game. Yeah, this isn't breaking news, but the Tigers' dominance of Texas A&M and Syracuse's nightmare against Maryland only underscored the huge gap between the Tigers and the rest of the Atlantic Division. What's more concerning for Clemson opposition after Saturday's shellacking of the Aggies is that it's hard to figure what the game plan would be to shut down this offense. In Week 1, Georgia Tech played two safeties over the top and forced Trevor Lawrence into a bad game. Travis Etienne responded with 205 yards rushing. So in Week 2, A&M decided to load up against the run, and Etienne was held to just 53 yards on 16 carries. No biggie. Lawrence threw for 268, and Lyn-J Dixon, Etienne's backup, ran for 79 and a TD. Good luck trying to crack that code.

2. We're going to need NASA to keep tabs on Jalen Hurts' numbers this year. The Oklahoma QB had another 300 yards of offense and three touchdowns and barely saw the field in the second half against South Dakota. Through two games, Hurts has completed 83% of his throws and totaled 814 yards, nine TDs and no picks. Compare that to Oklahoma's past three Heisman winners through two games:

Kyler Murray: 64% completions, 607 yards, 7 TDs, 1 INT
Baker Mayfield: 84% completions, 702 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INT
Sam Bradford: 77% completions, 581 yards, 7 TDs, 2 INTs

3. Michigan will make the playoff. Think about it: 100% of top-10 teams that narrowly escape Army in overtime at home have made the College Football Playoff. That's just good math. Of course, it'd also probably help if Michigan averaged better than 2.4 yards per carry (as it did against Army).

4. Scott Frost angered the football gods when UCF claimed a national title. That's the only explanation for the bad breaks for Frost at Nebraska. He has coached the Huskers for 14 games, and he's already lost five times by five points or fewer, including Saturday's absolute collapse against Colorado. The Huskers led 17-0 in the first half and had a 31-24 lead with less than a minute to play but fell in OT. The lesson? Don't ever take something that rightly belongs to Alabama. Nick Saban has connections.

5. Week 1 isn't a great forecaster. Sure, it's fun to overreact to the opening week's outcomes, but a lot can change between the first and second Saturdays of the season. Those teams that suffered miserable losses in the opener? They did OK in their follow-up performances. Missouri was upset by Wyoming but rebounded with a resounding win against West Virginia. Purdue was stunned by Nevada but picked off Vandy with ease on Saturday. South Carolina was an offensive mess in a loss to North Carolina, but Ryan Hilinski threw for 282 en route to 72 points vs. Charleston Southern. And even Tennessee -- oh, no. That Georgia State loss appears to have been a pretty good predictor of what's to come. Stay safe on Rocky Top, Vols fans.

6. It's going to be a long year in Tallahassee. Florida State escaped with a 45-44 overtime win vs. ULM, thanks to a missed PAT. (Note to ULM: Be sure your kickers are properly hydrated moving forward.) That's not a good look, coming one week after a brutal loss to Boise State. In the two games, FSU has been outscored 41-14 in the second half (not counting OT) and has allowed back-to-back runners to go over 100 yards (Robert Mahone, 142, and Josh Johnson, 126). And if you're counting at home, Florida State has inked 60 blue-chip recruits over the past four years. Boise State and ULM combined to sign six.

Heisman Five

1. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

We've been giving this some thought, and we've come to the conclusion that Lincoln Riley knows how to coach up QBs. Just remember, you heard it here first.

2. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Tagovailoa has more passing yards, passing TDs and a better completion percentage through two games this year than he did last season.

3. Joe Burrow, LSU

Over their past six games, Burrow has completed a higher percentage of passes, thrown for more yards and tossed the same number of TDs as Tagovailoa.

4. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

It has not been a great start statistically, but look at some of the throws Lawrence made against Texas A&M and it's obvious a breakthrough performance is on the horizon. He's just biding his time. Perhaps next week, considering his opponent (Syracuse) just gave up 63 to Maryland.

5. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin

He has rushed for 100 yards in seven straight games. The last Big Ten runner to get to eight in a row was ... Jonathan Taylor in 2017. Before that, however, none had done it since Ezekiel Elliott had 15 straight, ending in 2015.

Anderson gets a warm welcome

Blake Anderson took a leave of absence as head coach at Arkansas State on Aug. 19, just hours before his wife, Wendy, died of cancer. Although he wasn't coaching the team against UNLV on Saturday -- he plans to return full time next week against Georgia -- he visited the team in the hotel before the game, and he got an extraordinary reaction from his team.

There's no 'O' in UCLA

We're old enough to remember when Chip Kelly was an offensive genius. It was a different time. The Big East got a BCS bowl bid. Grumpy Cat clawed his way into our hearts. These days, though, Kelly's status as an offensive guru feels like a distant memory. UCLA lost to San Diego State 23-14 on Saturday, falling to 0-2 for the first time since 1943, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Both losses were to Group of Five teams. Overall, UCLA is 3-11 in Kelly's 14 games as head coach and has averaged just 23 points per game. That's worse than Kansas during that same stretch.

Take your ball and go home

Maine and Temple faced off in field hockey Saturday on Kent State's campus and were tied at zero through one overtime. So, how'd it end? It didn't.

As part of guidelines set out before the matchup, Kent State ended the match before a second OT could be played in order for the football team to kick off at 12:05 p.m.

"We regret today's game had to be stopped during overtime play per field guidelines, as previously discussed," said Dan Griffin, Kent State's director of athletics communication. "We recognize the hard work and dedication of all student-athletes. The safety of our community, including student-athletes and visitors is always our first consideration."

Maine's official Twitter account offered its frustration and a good bit of hand-wringing followed, as fans and media wondered why football came ahead of field hockey.

Mood: pic.twitter.com/fnFEB773f0

— UMaine Field Hockey (@UMaineFH) September 7, 2019

New faces, new places

It was a good week for coaches in new places. Houston's Dana Holgorsen, Utah State's Gary Andersen, ECU's Mike Houston, Georgia Tech's Geoff Collins, Louisville's Scott Satterfield, Western Kentucky's Tyson Helton and Coastal Carolina's Jamey Chadwell all won. That leaves just five still seeking win No. 1: Miami's Manny Diaz, Walt Bell at UMass, Jake Spavital at Texas State, Tom Arth at Akron and Hugh Freeze at Liberty.

Oh, so close

Maryland QB Josh Jackson had an exceptional first half in the Terrapins' thrashing of Syracuse, completing 17 of 28 for 277 yards and three touchdowns. It seemed like one of the most unlikely streaks in college football was destined to fall. Believe it or not, according to ESPN Stats & Info research, Maryland hadn't had a 300-yard passer since Oct. 12, 2013 -- back when the Terps were still part of the ACC. The only Power 5 team with a longer streak was Georgia Tech, which ran an option offense until this season. So, how'd Jackson celebrate ending that awful run? Ah, he didn't. In the second half, Jackson was 4-of-10 for just 19 yards, and he didn't throw a pass on the Terps' final three drives. For the game, he finished with 296. Sometimes, it's just not meant to be.

Twitter poll of the week

Army took Michigan to overtime in the Big House, the second straight season the Black Knights fell in an extra period to a top-10 opponent. Think Army's option offense might look appealing to some other programs that can't recruit blue-chip talent but want to compete with the big boys? Not likely. With Paul Johnson's retirement last year at Georgia Tech, there are no Power 5 programs running the option, and it doesn't seem like fans think that's apt to change anytime soon.

With Army playing well & Paul Johnson retired, question for y'all: Will we ever see another Power 5 team run the option full time?

— THE™️ David Hale (@ADavidHaleJoint) September 7, 2019

Under-the-radar win of the week

Southern Illinois hasn't had a winning season since 2013, but it has made a habit of taking FBS teams to the brink. The Salukis led Memphis at the half in 2017 and played one-possession games against FAU in 2016, Indiana in 2015, Illinois in 2013 and Marshall in 2009. What they hadn't done since 2007, however, was pull the upset over an FBS opponent. Mission accomplished on Saturday, as Southern Illinois annihilated UMass 45-20. It's the largest margin of victory by an FCS team vs. an FBS opponent since 2017, when Western Illinois beat Coastal Carolina 52-10. That was Coastal's first FBS season. This is Year 8 for UMass, which has never finished an FBS season better than 4-8.

Under-the-radar play of the week

Mercer was backed up deep in its own territory, late in the first quarter against Presbyterian, when QB Robert Riddle went deep, looking for sophomore Rob Lake. Lake caught the ball in stride and sprinted for the end zone. The result was a 98-yard TD reception, the longest offensive play in Mercer history. And oh, by the way, it was the first catch of Lake's career.

Best bets and bad beats

Lines courtesy Caesars sportsbook

• Bettors weren't exactly picking an upset when New Mexico State traveled to Alabama on Saturday. The Tide closed as a 55-point favorite. That's a huge number, but if anyone's going to get that kind of respect in Las Vegas, it's the Tide, who were also 55-point favorites against Georgia State in 2013, according to ESPN Stats & Info research. Bama, which won 62-10 on Saturday, didn't cover that one, either, winning by just 42. Alabama's biggest spread in the Nick Saban era was in 2012, when the Tide were favored by 55.5 against FCS Western Carolina and won by a mere 49 points. Overall, the 55-point spread is the highest in any FBS vs. FBS game since 2013, when Florida State was a 57-point favorite against Idaho. Of the 10 teams favored by at least 55 against an FBS opponent, only two covered the spread -- though one was the largest spread in the past 40 years, as the 1989 Houston Cougars, who were a whopping 59-point favorites against the post-"death penalty" SMU, won by 74. Saban is now 0-5 in games with 50-plus point spreads.

• Illinois closed as a 21.5-point favorite when it traveled to UConn on Saturday. How crazy is that? According to ESPN Stats & Info research, Illinois hadn't been favored by that much in any game against an FBS opponent since 2013, when Miami (Ohio) was a 26.5-point dog in Champagne, Illinois, but the Illini haven't been favored by 20 or more in a road game since at least 1991. It's easy enough to understand why. Illinois is a woeful 5-29 in true road games since 2012, losing by an average of nearly 19 points. The Illini looked just fine on Saturday but still didn't come close to a cover, ending with a 31-23 win. Still, Illinois is 2-0 to start the season for the sixth time in the past seven years. (Of note: They're 13-48 the rest of the way in those seven seasons.)

• Clemson fans got to celebrate a big win over Texas A&M, but Tigers backers got one of the worst beats of the early season. Clemson closed as a 15.5-point favorite, and it went up 24-3 with 5:50 to go in the third quarter. It looked like an easy cover until Texas A&M drove 91 yards on 16 plays on its final drive, finding the end zone with six seconds to play on a fourth-down pass from Kellen Mond. How ridiculous is that? Clemson has allowed just nine TD drives of 91 or more since Brent Venables was hired as defensive coordinator in 2012. This was the first since 2017, when Lamar Jackson led Louisville on a 95-yard drive. Venables' defenses have allowed even fewer 16-play drives -- just five since 2012. And the last time Clemson allowed a drive that included both 16 or more plays and 91 or more yards? That'd be 2007 against Maryland.

• Bettors with the under in the Colorado-Nebraska game were feeling good at the half, with the Huskers ahead 17-9 and the total set at 65. The second half, however, didn't work out quite so well. Colorado's furious second-half comeback meant regulation ended tied at 31. But this wasn't just a bad beat for the under folks, who at that point should've been counting their losses. Overtime proved to be ugly for the over bettors, too. Colorado booted a field goal to go up three, and Nebraska missed its kick for the tie. The final total: 65. A push. Over the past decade, less than 18 percent of overtime games ended with only three points being scored after regulation.

NEW YORK -- New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson made his first public appearance as the newest face of Jordan Brand on Saturday morning, when he helped unveil the upcoming Air Jordan 34 sneaker at a community event in Harlem.

The newest annual Air Jordan model will officially be released Sept. 25, with Williamson slated to headline and wear the shoe throughout the start of his rookie NBA season this fall.

On Saturday, Williamson was immediately surrounded by fans and younger prep players as he walked onto the freshly upgraded Jumpman-branded court of the Dunlevy Milbank Center.

"From the second I walked onto the court, I got nothing but love," he said.

Once the fandom died down, Williamson quickly stretched at the top of the key, then looked to take flight in a made-for-social media moment.

First, he threw down his signature windmill tomahawk from the left side. Next, with just three steps of momentum, he performed a near effortless between-the-legs dunk as the youngsters in attendance jumped in unison with his liftoff.

"The kids were hyping me up to do some cool dunks," Williamson added. "So I couldn't disappoint them."

View this post on Instagram

??"I put my feet in the footprints left to me" @jumpman23 #AJ34 ??

A post shared by Zion Williamson (@zionwilliamson) on Sep 7, 2019 at 5:28pm PDT

As the Jordan Brand transitions away from Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook as the face of its annual Air Jordan shoe, with his Why Not Zer0 signature line just beginning, the company is hoping that signing the most sought-after rookie since LeBron James as an endorser will help to elevate and continue the relevance of the shoe series, even more than three decades after Michael Jordan first introduced it.

"The first thing I think everyone is going to notice [about Zion] is the explosiveness," said Gentry Humphrey, vice president of Jordan Footwear. "Michael put the air in 'Air,' but this boy gets up. I asked him, 'Hey, what do you really think your vertical is?' He said, 'Well, last test, I went off the charts, so I really don't know. I think it's about 49 or 50.'"

That explosiveness, as the company found out during the highly anticipated Duke-North Carolina game earlier this year, can at times put unparalleled force and strain on Williamson's sneakers.

The Air Jordan 34 and the brand's additional upcoming technologies presented to him during his official pitch meeting in June proved to be a key factor in wooing Williamson to sign on.

"From an innovation standpoint, his family was very keen on making sure that we were able to build a product for him," Humphrey said. "He's really proud of the fact that at 6-6 and 285, he moves like a point guard, and yet he has the ability to move like a power forward. That's somewhat of a unique combination."

Weighing in as one of the lightest Air Jordan models in the series, the Air Jordan 34 features a new "eclipse plate" for added propulsion, both heel and forefoot Zoom Air cushioning units, along with targeted support panels and lockdown elements on the upper.

"All of the innovation that we rolled out to him and that we looked at to address his needs -- it was really, really scientific," Humphrey said. "He really appreciated that angle that we came at."

While Williamson will be the headliner, the shoe launches at a time of increased aggressiveness by the brand to add even more NBA players to a roster of around 30 athletes. Re-establishing the performance of the line has been an added emphasis.

"We had the discussion about taking back the courts," designer Tate Kuerbis said. "That was number one. Let's take back the courts, and make it the best playing shoe we've ever had."

The new model also creates a unique bridge for the designer. Kuerbis penned the Air Jordan XVIII for the 2002-03 season, the final sneaker of Michael Jordan's NBA career. Now, he has designed the sneaker that Williamson will begin his pro career in.

"I'm hoping Michael didn't [retire] because of the shoe," Kuerbis said, laughing. "The idea of Zion is super exciting for us. An athlete like that will take the brand even somewhere completely different."

While their games might not share much aside from the air, Jordan Brand is hoping the electricity of Zion's personality can mirror the instant frenzy that was Jordan's rookie season and make for that same marketing magic.

"To me, that's what [Zion is] going to bring, that's a lot like Michael," Humphrey said. "He's a human highlight. In the digital world we live in today, that's how kids connect to the game and it's going to be super exciting for us and a great opportunity."

Dwyane Wade may have recently retired from his NBA playing career, but he plans to be on the court with Lakers star LeBron James at Staples Center often in the coming season.

Wade, who is now living in suburban Los Angeles, told the Los Angeles Times that he plans to work out with his former teammate before games, both at the Lakers' training facility in El Segundo and at Staples.

"You're definitely going to see me out there," Wade said. "I'll be there early to work out with LeBron before the game starts. I just want to stay around it and be as involved as I can."

Wade also said he has "a great relationship with all the players" and has already worked out with Ben Simmons of the Sixers and Josh Hart of the Pelicans this summer.

Wade and James played together for four seasons with the Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014 and briefly with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017-18. Now their sons will be playing together at Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth, where Zaire Wade is a senior and Bronny Wade is a freshman.

And while the 37-year-old is enjoying his retirement and not looking to sign with another team at this moment, Wade would not entirely shut the door on a possible return when asked if watching the younger generation could inspire him to team up with LeBron for another NBA season.

"I'm done, but my trainer is going to keep me in shape just in case something happens," Wade said while smiling, according to the Times. "I'm going to stay in shape because you never know. Never say never."