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For some of the teams in the SEC, such as the Mississippi State Bulldogs or Vanderbilt Commodores, a 9-4 season is viewed as a success. To the Alabama Crimson Tide, such a season could land a head coach on the hot seat. Nick Saban isn't putting any added weight on his successor, Kalen DeBoer.
Saban, who put up a 206-29 record in Tuscaloosa from 2007-23, spoke to the media Wednesday at the Regions Tradition Pro-Am in Hoover, Ala. He didn't give a certain objective for DeBoer to strive for when asked about how his former program should fare this upcoming season.
"I don't really have an expectation," Saban said. "I know those guys are working hard to do the best they can."
Last October, Alabama was 4-0 and ranked atop the Associated Press poll before visiting Vanderbilt and coming up short against the Commodores for the first time since the 1980s. It was the first time an AP No. 1 team was upended as a three-touchdown favorite since 2008.
Two weeks later, the Crimson Tide fell short in visiting the Tennessee Volunteers and were later beaten by Oklahoma. DeBoer's crew couldn't outclass Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl, either. Saban does feel as if there will be an increased level of comfort this time around.
"You know, it was a difficult transition with the number of players that moved, new system, new people, you know," Saban said. "Players in the organizations had to make adjustments. I would say that everybody's probably a lot more settled in this year."
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The Miami Hurricanes came ever so close to their first ever College Football Playoff appearance last season. A 42-38 loss at Syracuse, where an embattled defense turned in the most embarrassing performance of the season, doomed the Canes from locking up an ACC title game spot and almost assuredly at least an at large berth. The Canes and everyone else have a fresh slate entering the 2025 season, and the Canes are getting some love as an ACC and playoff contender again in 2025. ESPN gives the Hurricanes a 46.3% chance to make the field and a 2.7% chance to win the national championship, which came in as the eighth best playoff odds. However, ESPN college football analyst Heather Dinish isn't buying those odds for the Canes. She evaluated Miami's playoff potential, and had an interest choice for the toughest test on Miami's schedule. "Toughest test: Nov. 1 at SMU. Yes, the Notre Dame game will be huge as far as the national spotlight and playoff implications, but the Canes at least have home-field advantage. Miami doesn't leave its home state until it goes to SMU. Traveling to Texas for a conference game to face the ACC runners-up right before the first CFP ranking is released is another glaring opportunity for the Canes to stumble." - Heather Dinich, ESPN.com The Hurricanes are going to have a challenging start to the season, to be sure, with the season opener against the 2024 national runner up Notre Dame Fight Irish offering a stiff test for where this team is at early on. A return matchup against the Florida Gators and star QB DJ Lagway will be another litmus test early on for Miami. However, particularly as it relates to the ACC, going to SMU, which proved last year it's ahead of schedule under Rhett Lashlee, is indeed going to be a challenge. The Mustangs are replacing some important skill position players, including Brashard Smith, but QB Kevin Jennings returns and the Ponies should again be a dangerous team. Miami won't have to leave the state of Florida for a game until that matchup. However, they'll have to show that their game travels and take care of business if they hope to make it back to Charlotte in December for the first time since the 2017 season.
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Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love’s ‘Fiery’ Response to Wife’s Take on Franchise’s Timeless Tradition
Green Bay Packers star quarterback Jordan Love and his wife, Ronika Stone Love, are truly in, well, love. The couple just got married in June, and with the Packers deep into their preparation for the upcoming 2025 NFL season, Ronika shows full support for her husband. In a social media post on Instagram, Ronika shared a series of photos from last Saturday’s Packers Family Night at Lambeau Field. The first photo on the post shows a happy Ronika in the arms of the former Utah State Aggies star signal-caller. “My version of a Lambeau Leap,” Ronika wrote as a caption. Last season, Love played in 15 games, throwing for a total of 3,389 passing yards to go along with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. That year was considered a down one for Love, but many expect him to come up with a bigger performance in 2025, as Green Bay looks to surpass its 11-win total in 2024. Fans react to Jordan Love’s wife’s Green Bay Packers Lambeau Leap Apart from Love, many others reacted to Ronika’s heartwarming post. Here are some of them: “Two Green Bay 10’s right there,” said a fan. Another one said: “Hair looks amazing” From a commenter: “Awhhhh y’all are so cute!! And I’m obsessed with the hair it’s giving SZA!! ” “Love the Loves!,” a social media user posted. Via a different commenter: “your outfit is adorable” Said another: “I love the fit! Both of yall ”
Brock Lesnar makes shocking return at WWE SummerSlam
It's feeling like 2012 all over again. SummerSlam 2025 ended with shock and nostalgia when Brock Lesnar returned unannounced and dropped John Cena with a thunderous F5, just as Cena was addressing the crowd during his retirement tour. The moment felt poetic, mirroring the night after WrestleMania 28 in 2012, when Lesnar returned to WWE for the first time in eight years and F5’d Cena, launching a brutal and unforgettable rivalry. This attack wasn’t just for show. With Cena’s farewell tour expected to end in December, the timing of Lesnar’s return feels intentional. WWE is known for delivering emotional, high-stakes finales for its legends and this could be the setup for one last epic clash between two of the most iconic figures in company history. Their rivalry has always delivered, from their battles in 2012–14 to the infamous “Suplex City” beatdown at SummerSlam 2014. Now, with both men nearing the end of their in-ring careers, fans may be getting a final chapter in this storied feud. Whether it culminates at the Royal Rumble or on the grandest stage of them all at WrestleMania 41, the anticipation is real. Lesnar has been off WWE TV for nearly a year, making this return even more impactful. For Cena, who has been embracing his final run with open arms, a showdown with Lesnar is a fitting, full-circle moment. It’s the kind of storytelling WWE thrives on — legacy vs. legacy, pride vs. redemption.
Troubling update emerges about Joel Embiid’s health
Joel Embiid’s trust in the healing process may not be paying off. A concerning update emerged over the weekend about the health of the Philadelphia 76ers star center. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reports that there is “genuine concern” around the league about the health of Embiid’s knee. Siegel adds that Philadelphia’s camp is attempting to downplay the concerns but notes that “word is bad” about Embiid’s health around the rest of the NBA. Now 31, the former MVP Embiid is still dealing with the ill effects of a torn left meniscus suffered during a 76ers game in February 2024. Embiid, who previously tore the same left meniscus back in 2017, quickly underwent surgery on the knee and missed two months. It appeared that everything was peaches and cream for Embiid after he returned to finish out the 2023-24 NBA season and even played at the 2024 Paris Olympics last summer as the starting center for Team USA. But Embiid missed significant time while managing his left knee throughout the 2024-25 season and even suggested at one point that he would need to have another surgery. In the end, Embiid appeared in just 19 total games for the 76ers last season and was shut down in February with the team nowhere close to contention. There was some talk a few months ago that Embiid might be undergoing the Kobe Bryant treatment to address the troublesome knee, but it looks like Embiid still hasn’t found a course of treatment that his knee is responding to. We know that the 76ers were already growing frustrated with Embiid’s lack of availability going back to last season. Now they may have to prepare for the potential of Embiid missing more time in 2025-26, a disastrous possibility given that they still owe the seven-footer an absurd $187.6M over the next three seasons.
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