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Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday that he has cautioned his team against the “Notre Dame scenario” and reminded his players that “we’re entitled to nothing” following Saturday’s 31-12 win over then-No. 10 Michigan that moved the Longhorns to No. 2 in the AP Top 25.

Texas’ 19-point victory over the Wolverines at Michigan Stadium represented an early statement victory in the Longhorns’ pursuit of a second-consecutive College Football Playoff appearance this fall. Led by 246 passing yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Quinn Ewers, Texas notched its largest road win over a top-10 opponent since 1979, handing Michigan its first home loss since 2020 and the program’s first defeat since the Wolverines fell to TCU in the 2022 College Football Playoff.

The Longhorns’ win came hours before then-No. 5 Notre Dame suffered a monumental upset Saturday afternoon, falling as a 28.5-point home favorite in a 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois — seven days after the Irish’s 23-13 road win over then-No. 20 Texas A&M.

As Texas (2-0) began preparations for a Week 3 visit from UTSA, Sarkisian directed his players’ attention to Notre Dame’s stumble as a warning to the surging Longhorns.

“Human nature is human nature,” Sarkisian explained. “So what did I do this morning? I walked them through the Notre Dame scenario of [the Irish] going into College Station a week ago and winning that game and being anointed a top-five team and in the College Football Playoff, then a week later losing to Northern Illinois.”

“I showed them that clip of [Kanon Woodill‘s game-winning] field goal and I showed the clip of Northern Illinois storming the field this morning as a good reminder that we’re entitled to nothing,” Sarkisian continued. “We’re capable of anything. We’ve got a really good team. But we’re entitled to nothing. We’re going to earn everything. And we’ve going to have to earn the victory here Saturday night.”

Texas’ rout of Michigan helped the Longhorns leapfrog Ohio State for No. 2 in the latest AP Top 25, the program’s highest ranking in AP poll since 2009. Texas’ remaining schedule includes meetings with only two teams currently ranked inside the AP Top 25. The Longhorns will face No. 15 Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 12 before hosting No. 1 Georgia on Oct. 19 in a potential matchup of No. 1 vs No. 2 in Week 8.

More imminently, Texas hosts UTSA at 7 p.m. ET Saturday night on ESPN. The Roadrunners visit Austin after suffering a 49-10 defeat to Texas State in Week 2. No different from the warning Sarkisian issued on Notre Dame’s upset, the Longhorns’ coach is cautious about overlooking Texas’ Week 3 opponent, as well.

“The worst opponents or the toughest opponents to play are the ones that are wounded; that are backed into a corner,” Sarkisian said. “… We’re going to get their best version. We’ve got to prepare really well this week like we have the previous two weeks knowing that we’re going to get their best shot. We need to ensure that they get our best shot.”

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Nebraska nixes Tennessee home-and-home plan

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Nebraska nixes Tennessee home-and-home plan

The NebraskaTennessee football home-and-home football series scheduled for 2026 and 2027 will not be played after Nebraska opted out of the agreement.

Tennessee athletic director Danny White posted on X that Nebraska called off the series and added that Tennessee is “very disappointed” by the cancellation, especially so close to the initial game in 2026. The teams had been set to play in 2026 at Nebraska and at Tennessee the following year.

In a statement, Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen explained renovations to the team’s stadium, which will temporarily lower seating capacity, ultimately led to the decision.

“We are making plans to embark on major renovations of Memorial Stadium that may impact our seating capacity for the 2027 season,” Dannen said. “The best scenario for us is to have eight home games in 2027 to offset any potential revenue loss from a reduced capacity. The additional home games will also have a tremendous economic benefit on the Lincoln community.”

The Cornhuskers announced they will host Bowling Green in 2026 and Miami (Ohio) in 2027 on the dates when it was originally set to play Tennessee. Nebraska has never faced either school. The team will play eight homes in 2027 for the first time since 2013.

The cancellation ends a nearly two-decade process around a Nebraska-Tennessee series, which was originally agreed upon in 2006 and set for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. In 2013, the two schools agreed to delay the games for a decade. Nebraska will pay $500,000 to get out of the scheduling agreement.

White told Volquest that the “buyout implications need to be much steeper” with an “old contract,” and the cancellation puts Tennessee in a bind. Tennessee, which opens the 2025 season against Syracuse in Atlanta, had its nonleague schedule set through the 2030 season. The school either must find an opponent who can fill the 2026 and 2027 dates for a home-and-home series, or explore neutral-site options.

“You really can’t pull an audible this late in the game,” White told Volquest.

Nebraska’s stadium renovation, the first phase of which had been set to begin after the 2024 season, has been delayed until after the 2025 season, at the earliest.

Tennessee and Nebraska have played only three times before, most recently in the 2016 Music City Bowl, won by the Vols. Nebraska beat Tennessee in the 1998 Orange Bowl to secure a share of the national title that season.

Tennessee has been on the other side of a similar situation. The Vols in 2021 canceled a game against Army for the next season in 2022 and added Akron instead.

Information from ESPN’s Chris Low was used in this report.

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Changing stripes: Yanks OK well-groomed beards

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Changing stripes: Yanks OK well-groomed beards

TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees‘ facial hair and grooming policy, an infamous edict in place for nearly 50 years, was formally amended for the first time Friday.

In a statement, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said the organization will allow “well-groomed beards” effective immediately, changing a rule his father, George, established in 1976.

“In recent weeks I have spoken to a large number of former and current Yankees — spanning several eras — to elicit their perspectives on our longstanding facial hair and grooming policy, and I appreciate their earnest and varied feedback,” Hal Steinbrenner said in the statement. “These most recent conversations are an extension of ongoing internal dialogue that dates back several years.

“Ultimately the final decision rests with me, and after great consideration, we will be amending our expectations to allow our players and uniformed personnel to have well-groomed beards moving forward. It is the appropriate time to move beyond the familiar comfort of our former policy.”

George Steinbrenner implemented the mandate before the 1976 season, leaving players with a choice of being clean-shaven or wearing a mustache. Hal Steinbrenner kept the policy in place after becoming chairman and controlling owner of the franchise in 2008.

Players overwhelmingly obliged with the order over the next five decades, from spring training through October, often before letting themselves go during the offseason, though a few have pushed the limits.

In the 1990s, for example, star first baseman Don Mattingly was fined and benched by manager Stump Merril for refusing to trim his mullet. Four years later, Mattingly wore a goatee for part of his final season in 1995.

This year, All-Star closer Devin Williams, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in December, reported for his spring training physical with a beard before shaving it down to a mustache for the team’s first workout the next day. On the other end, former Yankees Gleyber Torres and Clay Holmes reported to camp with their new teams sporting full beards.

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Sources: Gators to promote Callaway to OC

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Sources: Gators to promote Callaway to OC

The Florida Gators are expected to promote Russ Callaway to offensive coordinator, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

Callaway spent last season as Florida’s tight ends coach and co-coordinator. This move marks his third straight year with a promotion since joining the Gators in an off-field role in 2022.

Florida coach Billy Napier remains the play-caller. Callaway’s offensive responsibilities continue to grow, and he’ll remain with the tight ends in the position room.

Callaway, 37, has coordinating experience and time in the NFL. He spent 2016 to 2019 as Samford‘s offensive coordinator. From there, he spent a year at LSU as an analyst and a year with the New York Giants as an offensive assistant.

Florida, which finished 8-5, won four in a row to close last season, including wins over LSU, Ole Miss and at Florida State.

There’s optimism around Florida taking another jump in 2025 after true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway went 6-1 in seven starts. Florida returns 15 starters for 2025.

Callaway’s tight ends accounted for 44 receptions for 444 yards and five touchdowns in 2024.

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