It's that time of year. The kids are going back to school, the leaves are just beginning to show the first signs of autumn, and MLS teams are clinching playoff spots. Pumpkin spice-flavored everything is here.

We knew LAFC was in, but Week 26 added two more teams to the list and the first to lock up berths in the Eastern Conference. NYCFC and Philadelphia still have work to do in terms of seeding (not so much of LAFC), but at least they know they'll get a chance to play for the Cup.

- ESPN Major League Soccer fantasy: Sign up now!
- MLS standings, fixtures and statistics

The next few weeks should bring plenty more clinching, which is great because "clinch" is such a fun word to say.

Previous rankings: Week 25 | Week 24 | Week 23 | Week 22 | Week 21 | Week 20 | Week 19 | Week 18 | Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. LAFC (19 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses)

Previous ranking: 1

Next MLS match: Saturday Sept. 7 at Orlando City, 7:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

Bob Bradley rotated his squad against the Loons, including leaving Carlos Vela out of the proceedings altogether. Will the Minnesota win crack LAFC's confidence? Losing without Vela won't dent the narrative that they are overly dependent on the Mexican star, but don't overlook Mark Anthony Kaye being left out of the first half.

2. Philadelphia Union (15-6-8)

Previous ranking: 3

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 14 vs. LAFC, 7:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

In any normal season, Jim Curtin would be leading the race for Coach of the Year. The performance the Union laid down in Saturday's win over Atlanta was what we like to call a "State of Serious Intent Game," or SSIG. We're not saying the acronym is good, we're just saying Philly is a club to watch out for.

3. New York City FC (14-8-5)

Previous ranking: 4

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 7 vs. New England Revolution, 3:55 p.m. ET

If it's possible to be quiet and also from New York, then NYCFC pulled off the trick for the better part of three months. Scheduling quirks meant the club lagged behind the East's top teams on points but could close the gap. Now, the gap is essentially gone.

4. Minnesota United (13-6-9)

Previous ranking: 4

Next MLS match: Wednesday, Sept. 11 at Houston Dynamo, 8:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

Mason Toye led the Loons to an incredible, confidence-boosting win in Los Angeles. For their purposes, it doesn't matter that Vela didn't play: Adrian Heath got his tactics right, Toye took his chances and Minnesota United looks to be more than just a "playoff qualifier."

5. Atlanta United (15-3-10)

Previous ranking: 2

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 14 vs. Columbus Crew, 7:00 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

One moment you're winning a U.S. Open Cup title and threatening to claim first place all by yourself and the next you're dropping into third place. It's a safe bet that the Five Stripes will still have something to say about the ultimate finish despite taking a 3-1 loss on the chin in Chester.

6. San Jose Earthquakes (13-5-10)

Previous ranking: 5

Next MLS match: Wednesday, Sept. 11 vs. Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

The Quakes are fascinating: An all-action team, led by a man with a penchant for ancient Japanese codes of honor, featuring an MLS legend who gets too little of the respect he's earned. Something amazing is happening out by the San Jose airport, and that's not a thing people say very often.

7. Seattle Sounders (13-7-8)

Previous ranking: 8

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 7 vs. Colorado Rapids, 9 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

The Sounders were good, then bad, then good again and pulled off a wild 4-3 win over the Galaxy on Sunday. There's not much more we can say that will do the game justice, though Cristian Roldan and Jordan Morris rightfully earned themselves an extra bit of the spotlight.

8. Portland Timbers (12-4-11)

Previous ranking: 11

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 7 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 10:50 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

The most reductive observation possible about the West's playoff picture is that the Timbers are playoff-bound if they can just make their back-loaded home schedule count. It doesn't matter how they do it, just that it gets done. Saturday's un-pretty win against RSL was about the win, not the lack of pretty.

9. New England Revolution (10-9-9)

Previous ranking: 7

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 7 vs. NYCFC, 3:55 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

Draws at this time of year rarely making anyone happy. That's definitely the case for the Revs, though Bruce Arena and his boys will also be relieved to even scrape a point at home after going down with 16 minutes left. Sure, Gustavo Bou scored the equalizer, but that won't be one that makes the end-of-year highlight reel.

10. LA Galaxy (13-3-12)

Previous ranking: 9

Next MLS match: Wednesday, Sept. 11 at Colorado Rapids, 9 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

There's really no telling which Galaxy team is going to show up on any given weekend and that fact is coming to a head with the regular season coming to a climax. The loss in Seattle, a game in which the Galaxy defense gave up four goals, puts LA just two points up on eighth place in the West.

11. Real Salt Lake (13-4-11)

Previous ranking: 10

Next MLS match: Wednesday, Sept. 11 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 9:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

RSL is one of several teams bouncing around the Western Conference standings based on single round of results. They have the look and feel of a playoff team, but with the Timbers bearing down on the field and points at a premium, it's too early to be sure.

12. FC Dallas (12-7-10)

Previous ranking: 13

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 14 at Chicago Fire, 3:30 p.m. ET

First, let's just acknowledge that FC Dallas was supposed to win this week and anything but a win would have been a disaster. That said, FCD kept their playoff dreams on track with a convincing win set in motion by a remarkable player who don't talk enough about: Ryan Hollingshead.

13. Sporting Kansas City (10-7-11)

Previous ranking: 15

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 7 at Portland Timbers, 10:50 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

Slim hopes are still hopes. Sporting's win over Houston was hardly impressive (no one in MLS wants the season to end more than the Dynamo) but any result that staves off the little "e" next to the club's name in the standings is an unqualified success.

14. Toronto FC (10-8-10)

Previous ranking: 16

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 7 at FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

No Jozy Altidore, no Justin Morrow, no win on the road in New England in a massive playoff six-pointer. The Reds have a lead on Montreal and Orlando in the race for the playoffs, but it's worth wondering if they'll rue dropping two points from a winning position via Quentin Westburg's howler.

15. D.C. United (11-9-10)

Previous ranking: 18

Next MLS match: Sunday, Sept. 15 at Portland Timbers, 7:30 p.m. ET

There's a much-needed win and there's a season-saving win and it's quite possible D.C.'s victory in Montreal was the latter. No Wayne Rooney, no momentum, but three points that could A) ensure United gets into the playoffs at all and/or B) gets a home game when they get there.

16. Colorado Rapids (8-6-14)

Previous ranking: 20

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 7 vs. Seattle Sounders, 9:00 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

A tip of the Power Rankings cap (it's a bowler) to Robin Fraser, who ran in from Toronto to take the Rapids over on short notice and scored his first win for his new club on the road in Harrison. Here's hoping Fraser gets the support needed in the offseason to remake the Rapids.

17. New York Red Bulls (12-5-12)

Previous ranking: 10

Next MLS match: Sunday, Sept. 15 at Seattle Sounders, 3:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN

Last week, the Red Bulls were forced to address a noxious smell that descended on Red Bull Arena. This week, Chris Armas was forced to address unhappy fans calling for his ouster after a noxious performance against Colorado. Everything stinks in Harrison at the moment.

18. Orlando City (9-7-13)

Previous ranking: 12

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 7 vs. LAFC, 7:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

The Lions got the double-whammy in their trip out to Northern California. A loss that damages their chances in the East's playoff race and an injury to Nani. If Nani misses any time, especially with the club short-handed thanks to the international window next weekend, the loss might be a 2019 death knell.

19. Chicago Fire (8-10-12)

Previous ranking: 14

Next MLS match: Sept. 14 vs. FC Dallas, 3:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

Still alive mathematically, the Fire did themselves no favors with a draw against Columbus. Chicago didn't do a good job putting the ball in the net when they had chances to do so, which (checks notes) is really hard to overcome when you're trying to win a soccer game.

20. Columbus Crew (8-7-15)

Previous ranking: 19

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 14 at Atlanta United, 7:00 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

One goal, one point, one more step towards the end of the season for Columbus.

21. Montreal Impact (11-4-15)

Previous ranking: 21

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 14 vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

The Impact scored a midweek win over Vancouver in controversial fashion, but lost a massive game to DC United in the race for the playoffs. Here's a question: What exactly is Wilmer Cabrera expected to do with a mediocre roster he's had no time to work with this late in the season?

22. Vancouver Whitecaps (6-9-15)

Previous ranking: 22

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 14 vs. Houston Dynamo, 10:00 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

Vancouver lost to Montreal on Thursday, then Vancouver lost to NYCFC on Saturday. That second officially eliminated the club from postseason contention. More news as events warrant.

23. Houston Dynamo (9-4-15)

Previous ranking: 23

Next MLS match: Wednesday, Sept. 11 vs. Minnesota United, 8:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

There's a pretty good chance you've stopped reading by now and if you haven't, it might be because you're a Dynamo fan. In the interest of not pouring salt in an open wound...let's just say there's always next season.

24. FC Cincinnati (5-3-20)

Previous ranking: 24

Next MLS match: Saturday, Sept. 7 vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+

FCC was officially eliminated from playoff contention after the loss against Dallas. The math going bad is usually what pushes a team to start looking ahead, but there's every reason to believe that the 2020 project for Cincinnati started months ago.

Nitin Menon will make his debut as a Test umpire when Afghanistan host West Indies in Dehradun from November 27 this year, making him the 62nd Indian to be an on-field official in the longest format.

Menon, who represented Madhya Pradesh at the age-group levels as a batsman, had a brief spell in List A cricket, playing two games for Madhya Pradesh in 2004 and scoring just seven runs in total. He then became a state-panel umpire in Madhya Pradesh in 2005, like his father Nadrendra Menon. He cleared the BCCI all-India umpiring exam in 2006 and started officiating in domestic matches from the 2007-08 season.

Over the years, Menon has officiated in 57 first-class games and 40 games in the IPL, as well as 25 ODIs (three as TV umpire) and 12 T20Is (three as TV umpire).

"The reason behind my smooth transition to international cricket is mainly because of the robust, competitive and professional structure of the BCCI domestic matches," Menon was quoted as saying on the BCCI website. "The experience that I gained from officiating in our domestic tournaments and the opportunity given to me by the BCCI for officiating in the IPL, as well as in first-class matches in Australia, England and South Africa as part of umpires' exchange programme, has helped me in my development as an umpire.

"I am happy to repay the trust shown in me and looking forward to facing the new challenges of Test cricket so that I can achieve my goal of becoming an ICC Elite Panel umpire."

When he makes his maiden appearance in a Test, Menon will become the first Indian to officiate at that level since S Ravi in October 2013 in Chattogram in a Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand, and also carry forward a long tradition that began with Dattatraya Naik and Jamshed Patel, who stood in the first Test during West Indies' tour of India in 1948-49 in Delhi.

The ECB have revealed 11 venues which will host women's matches for The Hundred, along with the selection process that will determine the make-up of each team.

Player registration for the new competition starting next July is open this month but, while the men's edition will have a player draft on October 20, the women's version will have a two-stage "bespoke player selection process", according to the ECB.

During stage one, which runs until the end of September, each team is obliged to sign two players from the current England Women's central contract list. During stage two, from October 1 until May 30 next year, each team will sign their remaining 13 players from three different player pools; remaining England Women's centrally contracted players, overseas players and domestic players.Teams can sign a maximum of one further England women's centrally contracted player during stage two and can sign a maximum of three overseas players.

The head coach of each team will lead their respective player selection process.

Former England captain Charlotte Edwards, recently appointed head coach of the Southampton-based women's team, said: "It's really exciting that we'll have an open market system and that all of the teams will be recruiting their own players for the first time. It shows how the women's game has evolved and developed.

"The depth of the women's game isn't yet at a stage where a draft would be the best way forward, and it's important that we don't just match the template of the men's game. There are areas in which the needs of the women's game are different and it's right that we find the right approach for them."

The women's venues have been "paired" with the host grounds for men's matches, with Old Trafford's partner ground yet to be announced.

Women's competition head for The Hundred Beth Barrett-Wild said: "The venues for the men's and women's competitions respectively are working together incredibly closely and that connection will help The Hundred inspire more people to attend, watch and play cricket.

"It's particularly exciting that the Women's Competition will be seen by fans across all 18 First-Class counties, this represents a huge opportunity to grow women's cricket - while the double-headers at the men's venues provide another chance to present the men's and women's teams on the same platform."

Men's venues - paired women's venues:

Sophia Gardens - The Bristol County Ground, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton

Edgbaston - Blackfinch New Road, Worcester

Headingley - York CC, South Northumberland CC

Lord's - The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, The County Ground, Northampton

The Oval - The County Ground, Beckenham

Old Trafford - TBC

Trent Bridge - The Pattonair County Cricket Ground, Derby, The Fischer County Ground, Leicester

Ageas Bowl - The 1st Central County Ground, Hove

Stories of superstitious cricketers not moving round the dressing room during tense moments are not uncommon, but Joe Denly took the fear of bad juju to extremes when he found himself confined to to the loo during Ben Stokes' historic knock at Headingley.

Denly said while some of his team-mates were enjoying the best seats in the house as Stokes and Jack Leach carried England to the most unlikely of victories, the only throne available to him was of the porcelain variety.

"I'm not a very good watcher of cricket when I get out," Denly told BBC Radio 5 Live. "The first 10-15 minutes is sulking and reliving how I got out. That last hour I was stuck in the urinal - toilet area of the changing room.

"There were a few guys out back in the physio room, a few guys in viewing area and we all stayed in our position and patrolled our area for the final hour. I felt every time I sat down and watched a bit of cricket we seemed to lose a wicket. I took myself off to the lovely urinals and paced around there for the last hour."

Denly confirmed he would open the batting in place of Jason Roy, who will drop down to No. 4, as reported by ESPNcricinfo last week.

"I got a call from Joe Root after a bit of time off and he said he'd like me to go at the top of the order and try to get us off to a good start," Denly said.

"Obviously Jason is going to bat four and that's great for English cricket. With Jason Roy in the team we are a better team and with him coming in at four, hopefully with the new ball worn off and myself and Rory Burns doing our job at the top, it allows him to come in and play his way. He's a great player to have there."

Denly was England's top-scorer with 12 in their woeful first innings of 67 all out while his 50 in the second innnings was overshadowed by Stokes' match-winning 135. But Denly didn't mind.

"Obviously it was a proud moment but as any top-order batter you come off after getting out wanting more runs," Denly said. "Having made 50 it would have been nice to go on and get a bigger score, but thankfully we had 'King Stokes' coming in and finishing it for us.

"I don't think it's going to sink in for a while. It was a remarkable day and one that will be remembered forever, so to be part of it was very special."

Ricardo Vasconcelos has signed a new five-year contract with Northamptonshire.

Johannesburg-born opener Vasconcelos still had two years remaining on his previous contract but has penned the new deal to secure his place at Wantage Road until the end of the 2024 season.

"It was an easy decision for me to stay here." said Vasconcelos "Northants took a chance on me and picked me out of South Africa, so it was a no brainer for me to be loyal to the club that gave me a chance to live my dream."

Vasconcelos, 21, first appeared for Northamptonshire as a non-overseas player - he has a Portuguese passport - against Pakistan in 2018 before making his County Championship debut against Leicestershire later that year. He was on track for a thousand-run Championship season before an ankle injury ended his campaign early. At the time, he had amassed 750 runs at an average of 46.87 for the season.

"The club has really shown ambition this year with some top-class overseas signings so hopefully that ambition pays off and we can get promoted and continue to improve in Div One next year." Vasconcelos said.

"The injury is coming along well, I've started walking again now so this is where the hard work starts, I guess, but I'm prepared to put in the work and come back stronger and fitter than ever for what hopefully will be a really good season for us in Division One next year.

"I've been working hard to get back fit and I'll be playing some club cricket in South Africa over the winter to make sure I've got some cricket under my belt before the start of the new season."

Northamptonshire are third on the County Championship Division Two table with three rounds remaining.

India A 208 for 6 (Pandey 81, Dube 45, Nortje 2-41) beat South Africa A 207 for 8 (Klaasen 44, Malan 37, Krunal 2-23) by four wickets
30 overs a side

A counterattacking 59-ball 81 from Manish Pandey helped India A to an unassailable three-nil lead over South Africa A, as they ran down a target of 208 with four wickets and 13 balls remaining. The match in Thiruvananthapuram was reduced to 30 overs, and the hosts were tottering at 26 for 3, having lost Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ricky Bhui and allrounder Krunal Pandya within seven overs when Pandey joined Ishan Kishan in the middle. The duo not only brought respectability to the chase but also kept abreast of the required run rate, adding 70 in just 49 balls before the wicketkeeper fell to the left-arm spin of George Linde for 40.

Next man in Nitish Rana departed for a run-a-ball 13, leaving Pandey, who had gone past fifty by then, in the company of left-hander, Shivam Dube. Dube didn't disappoint as he got going immediately, clearing the ropes off just his eighth delivery. Though Pandey fell to the left-arm spin of Bjorn Fortuin - for the only fifty of the match - with 34 still required, by this time the equation was just over a manageable run-a-ball. But Dube knocked off the target with plenty to spare, finishing unbeaten on 45 off 28.

The visitors had relied on a series of small contributions from their top and middle order to set a challenging target. There were no fifties as Heinrich Klaasen top scored with a 21-ball 44 that included four hits over the fence and two fours. Opener Janneman Malan and No. 3 Matthew Breetzke were guilty of squandering starts but at least each of their thirties came at faster than a run-a-ball. For India A, pacer Deepak Chahar and Krunal, with his left-arm spin, picked up two wickets apiece, but Krunal was by far the most effective bowler in the match, having gone at under five an over.

The fourth unofficial ODI will be played in two days time at the same venue.

The Indianapolis Colts are filling their thin quarterback ranks by signing former Patriot Brian Hoyer to a three-year, $12 million deal that includes $9 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Andrew Luck abruptly retired from the NFL this preseason, leaving Jacoby Brissett as the starter. Brissett was also a Patriots backup to start his career.

The Patriots went with rookie Jarrett Stidham as backup to Tom Brady, releasing Hoyer.

Hoyer, 33, started his career with the Patriots and also had stints with the Cardinals, Browns, Texans, Bears and 49ers before returning to New England last season. He has 37 starts in 65 NFL games. He started 13 games for the Browns in 2014.

The Colts had brought in veteran Brock Osweiler for a visit last week. The only other quarterbacks on the Colts' roster at that time were Phillip Walker and Chad Kelly.

Walker had never played a snap in a regular-season game and was subsequently waived before joining the Colts' practice squad on Sunday. Kelly has been placed on the suspended list for the first two games of the season for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

One thing we know for sure about the College Football Playoff -- it's never too early to start picking which teams should be in the top four.

Throughout the season, our college football writers will pick their top four teams after each week's action. And Week 1 was very good to the sport's elite programs.

No. 1 Clemson rolled over ACC rival Georgia Tech 52-14, with Travis Etienne rushing for a career-high 205 yards and three touchdowns, including one for 90 yards.

No. 2 Alabama overcame a sluggish start (the game was scoreless after one quarter) and routed Duke 42-3. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 336 yards and four touchdowns for the Tide.

No. 3 Georgia started the season with a conference road game, and the Bulldogs dominated Vanderbilt in a 30-6 win. D'Andre Swift gained 149 yards on 16 carries, and Brian Herrien added 65 and a touchdown as Georgia rolled up 326 yards rushing.

No. 4 Oklahoma's new quarterback, Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts, looked right at home on Sunday night in charge of the Sooners' offense. He passed for three touchdowns and ran for three scores in a 49-31 win over Houston. Hurts finished with 508 total yards, the fifth most in school history.

No. 5 Ohio State also debuted a new starting quarterback in Georgia transfer Justin Fields, who tossed four TD passes in the Buckeyes' 45-21 win over Florida Atlantic.

Here's how our writers see the playoff field after Week 1, not their projections about how the season will end.

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

Two things are forever true regarding our reactions to the first week of a college football season.

1. We know we shouldn't overreact. We don't have enough context to know what's good and what isn't, and a team's first impression matters only until its second. After all, Week 1 Maryland is darn near a national title contender each year. Other weeks? Not so much.

2. We really, really want to overreact! We just had to deal with an eight-month offseason. We're starving here!

So let's compromise and say we have partial answers to our infinite list of offseason questions over the past few days. Below are partial answers to 13 questions that intrigued me the most heading into Week 1 of 2019.

Alabama

Question: With camp injuries to veteran linebackers Dylan Moses and Joshua McMillon, and freshman DJ Dale already slated to start at nose tackle, the Tide's front seven is suddenly and alarmingly young. Is that a problem?

Partial answer: Probably not.

Eight of the 14 members of Alabama's front-seven two-deep for Saturday's game against Duke were freshmen or sophomores, and there were three true freshmen among the Tide's 10 leading tacklers for the game. But despite inexperience and an opponent willing to throw anything at the wall (Triple option! All-out spread! Everything in between!) the Tide gave up just three points and 3.8 yards per play.

Despite a slow start on offense, Alabama not only won handily but also covered a massive 34-point spread. Bama's next four opponents are New Mexico State, South Carolina, Southern Miss and Ole Miss. It might be a while before we learn whether this young unit will cost the Tide, and by then, the youth won't be as young.

Florida State

Question: Coach Willie Taggart's FSU debut last season was marred by some of the worst offensive line play in the country. Can you fix that in a single offseason?

Partial answer: Maybe.

Granted, the bar is pretty low. FSU lost at home against Boise State on Saturday, dropping Taggart to just 5-8 overall as the Noles' coach. But the line did its job -- for a while, anyway. The Noles enjoyed a 58 percent rushing success rate in the first half while bolting to a 31-13 lead, but basically the entire team, from blockers to defenders to playcallers, collectively lost the plot in the second half. FSU leaned heavily on the pass while trying to protect a wilting lead; and when the Noles tried to get back to the ground game, their success vanished. By the end, their rushing success rate slipped to 35 percent, and quarterback James Blackman took four sacks.

On the bright side, BSU has one of the best defensive fronts the Noles will face this year. If only because it can't get worse, we'll say the line might look better.

Michigan

Question: Coach Jim Harbaugh brought in new coordinator Josh Gattis to modernize* an occasionally stagnant attack. Will we actually see a difference?

Partial answer: Maybe.

The debut of Gattis' offense against Middle Tennessee suffered an inauspicious start: Quarterback Shea Patterson fumbled on the first play of the game, setting the Blue Raiders up for a short-field scoring drive.

It was fine (not amazing, not terrible, just fine) from there. Even without injured No. 1 receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, the Wolverines scored on four of their next six drives and posted 40 points in a comfortable win. Oft-injured blue-chip receiver Tarik Black caught four balls for 80 yards, and UM's primary tailbacks rushed 22 times for 156 yards.

Of course, scoring on lesser defenses hasn't been the issue for UM and Harbaugh. We'll probably have to wait a bit longer (Until Wisconsin on Sept. 21? Iowa on Oct. 5? Penn State on Oct. 19?) to get a more complete answer about Gattis' impact.

* What do I mean by "modernize"? In Michigan's case, it means minimal huddles (albeit with very little hurry-up), plays more aptly designed to respond to defensive formation, and more use of run-pass option and window dressing like fakes and motion. LSU's "modern" debut was more successful than Michigan's, but against a Georgia Southern defense that wasn't projected as high as MTSU's.

Michigan State

Question: Coach Mark Dantonio didn't fire anyone to fix his broken offense, he just gave a bunch of assistants different job titles. Did it work?

Partial answer: Probably not.

Dantonio made the most antisocial, Dantonio-esque move of the offseason in shuffling everybody's jobs instead of bringing in someone new. But just because it was amusing and totally in character, that doesn't mean it's going to work. In Friday night's 28-7 win over Tulsa, the Spartans looked ... like the Spartans. The defense was indestructible -- the Golden Hurricane managed just 80 total yards -- and the offense was, well, quite destructible. Against a Tulsa D that ranked 96th in defensive SP+ last season, Sparty averaged a useless 3.9 yards per play. State running backs gained 68 yards on 30 carries. Gross.

It didn't matter against Tulsa, and because of this defense, it will probably matter only a few times this year. But State's offense still looks like State's offense. That's not a good thing.

Nebraska

Question: The Huskers are back, right?

Partial answer: Probably not.

After winning four of its final six games in coach Scott Frost's debut season, Nebraska's expectations were considerably ratcheted up this offseason. But this is still a young team with a sophomore quarterback (albeit an exciting one), new players in the skill corps and a defense looking for answers. On Saturday against South Alabama, the Huskers scored on an interception return, a punt return and a fumble recovery. Despite that, they managed to beat the Jags by only a 35-21 margin, after being outgained by 38 yards and averaging a paltry 4.2 yards per play in the process. (South Alabama ranked 123rd in defensive SP+ last year, by the way.)

We shouldn't ring any alarm bells yet -- let's see what NU does at Colorado this weekend -- but Saturday was a reminder that building jobs don't always fall perfectly into place the way Frost's UCF build did.

North Dakota State

Question: New head coach ... freshman quarterback ... are the Bison still the Bison?

Partial answer: Probably.

The Bison wouldn't have become the dynasty of the Football Championship Subdivision if they couldn't handle turnover, but losing both head coach Chris Klieman (to Kansas State) and quarterback Easton Stick (to the Los Angeles Chargers) was a lot. The debut for head coach Matt Entz and redshirt freshman quarterback Trey Lance, however, went about as well as anyone could have hoped. At Target Field in Minneapolis, the Bison jumped all over Butler, leading 36-0 at the half and cruising 57-10. Lance went 10-for-11 for 185 yards and four touchdowns and rushed five times for 116 more yards. Goodness.

The tests get stiffer soon enough -- each of NDSU's next five opponents is either ranked or nearly ranked, and FCS No. 5 UC Davis comes to Fargo in three weeks, but at worst, we know NDSU's upside is as high as ever.

Ohio State

Question: Justin Fields was an all-world recruit who signed with Georgia in 2018, wasn't asked to do much and then transferred to Ohio State. Is he ready to look the part?

Partial answer: Probably.

Credit Fields for not wasting time. On the fourth snap of his first collegiate start, he rushed 51 yards over left end for a touchdown. On the sixth snap, he threw a touchdown pass. On his ninth and 13th snaps, he threw two more. Ohio State led FAU 28-0 after just eight minutes, then put the game into mothballs and cruised. Fields finished 18-for-25 for 234 yards and four scores and rushed 10 times (not including two sacks) for 67 yards. That'll do.

Cincinnati should offer more resistance in Week 2. But it was easy to envision Ohio State as either a top-five team or borderline top-15 or top-20 depending on the QB position, and Fields' first outing suggests the former is more likely than the latter.

Oklahoma

Question: Can a Lincoln Riley offense led by quarterback Jalen Hurts end up just as dominant as recent predecessors?

Partial answer: Probably. A very confident probably.

The biggest compliment you can give Oklahoma's offense in its 49-31 win over Houston is that Houston tackled pretty well. The Cougars didn't hand the Sooners too many free yards (aside from a busted coverage that led to a CeeDee Lamb touchdown in the second quarter). OU just took those yards via scheme and talent.

Hurts' first effort in a Riley offense after transferring from Alabama: 20-for-23 passing, 332 yards and three touchdowns through the air, plus 16 carries for 176 yards and three more scores on the ground. Better yet, it didn't feel like he was playing outside of himself. He was just being Jalen Hurts. In a Lincoln Riley offense. With amazing blocking everywhere you look. And players like Trey Sermon (11 carries for 91 yards), Charleston Rambo (three catches for 105), and Lamb (two for 46) in the skill corps.

But he did lose a fumble at one point. So there's still room for improvement.

UCF and Boise State

Question: The heavyweights of the Group of 5 are each starting new QBs in 2019 -- Notre Dame grad transfer Brandon Wimbush for UCF and freshman blue-chipper Hank Bachmeier for Boise State. Will they keep these respective trains a-rolling?

Partial answer: Probably.

Granted, there's quite a difference between a veteran from a high-major school starting off against an FCS opponent (UCF 62, Florida A&M 0) and a true freshman starting his first game in Doak Campbell Stadium (BSU 36, FSU 31). But despite missteps -- Wimbush (who suffered pass efficiency issues in South Bend) completed just 52 percent of his passes, and Bachmeier took five sacks and fumbled twice -- both got passing grades. Wimbush averaged 14 yards per completion with a pair of TD passes, and Bachmeier threw for 407 yards and led an 18-point comeback. Not bad.

Another true freshman -- UCF's Dillon Gabriel -- could insert himself into this conversation (he was 9-for-13 for 127 yards and three scores against FAMU), but Wimbush passed his first test, at least.

UCLA

Question: Is quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson ready to lead a second-year scoring breakthrough for head coach Chip Kelly?

Partial answer: Probably not.

Justin Fields will be the second blue-chip sophomore Cincinnati faces this year, but the Bearcats did quite a bit of damage against the first one: Thompson-Robinson. He made their job pretty easy, though.

UCLA entered the season as one of the biggest mysteries in FBS, but Thompson-Robinson basically picked up where he left off as a freshman. The last time we saw him, he was going 9-for-23 with a 94 passer rating against Oregon. On Thursday, he went 8-for-26 with a 91. He also let the ball squirt out of his hands, unforced, in two different failed red zone opportunities, and the Bruins fell 24-14.

Fumbles are random occurrences, but at this point, inefficient performances from DTR are not. And now he has to face an always-tricky and physical San Diego State defense before games against ranked Oklahoma and Washington State. Yikes.

UConn

Question: Is the Huskies' defense still historically awful?

Partial answer: Maybe not!

The Huskies were downright awe-inspiring in 2018, allowing at least 38 points and 516 yards in 11 of 12 games and giving up 50.4 points per game for the season. But they allowed just 21 points in defensive coordinator Lou Spanos' debut.

Sure, it was against Wagner, an FCS team that went 4-7 last year. And sure, after going nowhere for most of the game, Wagner drove more than 80 yards for a touchdown on two of its last three possessions in a 24-21 UConn win. Much larger challenges await as well -- Week 2 opponent Illinois gained 400-plus on Akron, and a trip to UCF looms -- but you have to start somewhere, and giving up 185 total yards and two offensive scores would have qualified as progress even if it had come against East Hartford High.

USC

Question: Did hiring offensive coordinator Graham Harrell fix the Trojans' sketchy offense?

Partial answer: Maybe, but now he has to do it again.

Things couldn't possibly have started better for Harrell and the Trojans' offense. With nary a third-down conversion required, quarterback JT Daniels led touchdown drives of 81 and 47 yards as USC hopped to an immediate 14-0 lead over Fresno State.

USC scored on only one of its next five drives, though, and then Daniels was lost for the season with a knee injury. Freshman backup Kedon Slovis led one scoring drive, and the run game was sturdy enough -- Vavae Malepeai and Stephen Carr rushed 29 times for 190 yards -- to get the job done in a 31-23 win. Still, the shine wore off a bit after a spectacular start. And now Harrell has to help the Trojans manufacture points, with a freshman QB, against a killer quintet of games: Stanford, at BYU, Utah, at Washington, at Notre Dame.

Utah State

Question: Quarterback Jordan Love is maybe the most exciting player in the mid-major universe, but he lost almost all of last year's supporting cast, including coaches. Can he thrive with all this newness?

Partial answer: Probably.

Granted, this one was more of a personal curiosity than a national storyline, but USU's 2018 offense was one of the country's most seductive, and I was hoping the Aggies would have enough talent around Love to keep things exciting.

USU ended up losing a heartbreaker at Wake Forest (one of the few Mountain West upset bids to fall short in Week 1), but Love still completed 33 passes for 416 yards, and he found a major go-to in Utah transfer Siaosi Mariner (eight catches, 118 yards). Three picks were all sorts of costly -- the first two set up 10 Wake points, and the third ended the game -- but the upside is still obvious, and Mariner could be a great dance partner.

Virginia Tech

Question: The Hokies bottomed out defensively last year, beset by both inexperience and injuries. Can simple continuity and development fix last year's woes?

Partial answer: Maybe.

Legendary defensive coordinator Bud Foster's final season at Tech began with the Hokies allowing 35 points and 432 yards in a one-score loss at Boston College. That wasn't great, but it also probably wasn't as bad as it seemed.

Tech held BC to just 3.5 sack-adjusted yards per carry, and after averaging 9 yards per play in the first quarter, the Eagles averaged 4.2 thereafter. If not for horrible luck with fumbles -- the Hokies recovered zero of the game's four loose balls, and two fumble-aided, short-field drives made the difference for BC -- Tech possibly wins. Of the Hokies' next five opponents, two are FCS schools, and the other three combined to average 16 points per game and 4.4 yards per play in Week 0/1. The Foster defense could look like the Foster defense again soon.

SHANGHAI -- The grandstands at the Oriental Sports Arena for Team USA's first game were like a rainbow of NBA fandom.

There were gold Steph Curry jerseys, a bunch of Giannis Antetokounmpo jerseys in various colors and plenty of Los Angeles Lakers attire. But then there were the Charlotte Hornets colors, with Kemba Walker's No. 15 on the back, and in at least one case, a fan who had already acquired a brand-new Boston Celtics No. 8 jersey with Walker's name. (Either that, or it could've been a well-preserved Antoine Walker version that was being repurposed.)

When Walker ran out of the tunnel about an hour before tip-off, a genuine roar exploded from the hundreds of Chinese fans packed trying to get photos and videos of the American team. Walker couldn't help himself -- he had to smile.

Say whatever you want about the lack of star power on this team -- there's truth there -- but don't think it's going to get Walker down. He's getting a level of attention he has not been used to on this level and, frankly, he's loving it.

"To know you have fans in other places, especially me, it was very humbling," Walker said after he had a 13-point, four-assist performance in Team USA's World Cup opening win against the Czech Republic on Sunday. "It's just a great feeling."

Putting this in perspective, it's not like Walker is obscure. He was a starter in the All-Star Game last winter, which is a verified mark of popularity since it's determined by fan vote. He made the All-NBA team this past season. He has a shoe contract with Jordan Brand and has made international trips promoting it where he has interacted with international fans.

Not to mention his college exploits at Connecticut, specifically a magical run through the Big East and NCAA tournaments in his final year, that have helped him reach legendary status in some pockets of the East Coast.

But since he has been in the NBA, he has rarely been a headliner. He did his best in Charlotte, where he bonded with the community and planned to retire before he and the franchise didn't see eye-to-eye on contract talks this summer. The Hornets, fair or not, are a bit of a league outpost.

However, as a member of Team USA, as well as one of the highest-profile pro sports teams on the planet, Walker's world is changing. He's a bona fide star on Team USA, and he has been the Americans' de facto captain as well as their floor general over the past month.

The fans coming to these games know it and they get excited when they see Walker. When he crosses over an opponent or knocks him off balance with his array of hesitation moves, which he did several times in Team USA's 88-67 win over the Czech Republic, they react like it was Kobe Bryant or LeBron James in the building.

"This is something I've been looking forward to being a part of for a long time. It's special to be a part of this team," Walker said. "I've been a part of USA Basketball for years, I was on a couple Select Teams where I didn't get this far. I appreciate it."

It's more than just fan attention, though, it's also attention from the opposition. Walker was the centerpiece of Sunday's game plan. That's not something he hasn't seen before, it just wasn't something that was expected wearing USA across his chest.

There's more of that to come. The Americans next play Tuesday against Turkey, which has good size and bashed Japan with physical play in their opener. Walker can expect to get another full dose. And there will be more after that.

But Walker is welcoming it, part of the overall national team experience that is expanding his horizons.

"It's always good to have respect from opposing teams, especially in FIBA basketball," Walker said. "I'm just a kid from New York, from the Bronx. It's a great feeling to have fans all around the world for me."