LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA’s unbeaten start to the season started up front with an experienced attacking line-up. But when the Bruins No. 9 head into their marquee match at No. 10 Oregon on Saturday, the front five will have to tackle the challenging environment at Autzen Stadium, arguably the toughest in the Pac-12. The Bruins finished second in the conference with 211.5 yards per game, while the Ducks let 98 yards per game on the ground.
UNDATED (AP) — South Carolina is team No. 1 unanimously in the preseason AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll. The defending national champions become team No. 1 year ago and have been the top team for 20 weeks in a row. Stanford, Texas, Iowa and Tennessee round out the top five. UConn are sixth, the first time since 2006 the Huskies have not made the top five in the first preseason poll. Louisville, Iowa State, Notre Dame and N.C. State is another top 10.
UNDATED (AP) — The first half of the college football season has been defined by coaching changes, underdog programs finding success, and some traditional forces starting to decline. Over the next seven weeks, there will be more head coaches fired and at least some recruited. Expect more season-changing annoyances too. AP College Football writer Ralph Russo said the Heisman Cup race would be decided on another conference championship weekend. He also picked Ohio State over Alabama in the national title game.
UNDATED (AP) — Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, two Top Ten running defenders and Alabama passer Will Anderson Jr. spotlighted the All-America Associated Press team in mid-season. The team was selected by the AP Top 25 voters. Hooker is second in the country in the passer efficiency rating at 187.7 and has contributed 18 goals. Joining Hooker at the back are Illinois’ Chase Brown, who leads the country in sprinting, and Michigan’s Blake Corum, who has scored 13 goals for fourth-placed Wolverine.
UNDATED (AP) — Utah’s win over Southern California upset the Pac-12’s path to the College Football Playoffs. The conference now has one team unbeaten, two with one loss and 15th-ranked Utes hanging around with two defeats. The odds aren’t entirely in the Pac-12’s favor, but still have a CFP chance if the rest of the season goes well. UCLA is still unbeaten with games against Oregon and USC to come. The Ducks had to play Utah after the UCLA game and closed with a rivalry game against Oregon State. The Trojans faced Notre Dame late in the season, but the game shone with Ireland’s struggles.
UNDATED (AP) — North Carolina is No. 1 in the AP preseason Top 25 men’s basketball poll. The national runner-up from last season returned four of the five starters and received 47 of the 62 first place votes. Gonzaga is No. 2, followed by Houston and Kentucky. Kansas and Baylor, the last two national champions, drew in fifth. Duke, led by new coach Jon Scheyer, are seventh with UCLA, Creighton and Arkansas completing the top 10. The Top 12 and SEC lead with five teams each in the Top 25.
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