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    ESPN Staff Writer
      Dave Wilson is an editor for ESPN.com since 2010. He previously worked at The Dallas Morning News, San Diego Union-Tribune and Las Vegas Sun.

  • Harry Lyles Jr.

It’s only Week 2 and we’re already making history.

What we’ve got here is the greatest Cy-Hawk battle of all time. For the first time in the 67-game history of the series, both the Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State Cyclones will be ranked when the rivals meet in Ames (4:30 ET, ABC). Even better? They’re both in the top 10: The Hawkeyes jumped from No. 18 to No. 10 this week after crushing Indiana 34-6, while the Cyclones dropped two spots to No. 9 after escaping Northern Iowa 16-10.

The matchup will be the ultimate test of how far Iowa State has come under Matt Campbell. This is just the second time in history the Cyclones have been ranked in this rivalry matchup (the other time was in 1978). But for all that Campbell has done — his .556 winning percentage is the best in school history among coaches who have been there for 50 games — he has never beaten Iowa. But he has closed the gap: In Year 1 in 2016, Campbell and Iowa State suffered a 42-3 loss. Since then, the past three losses have been by a total of 14 points, including an 18-17 nailbiter in 2019. The game was not played last season.

The Cyclones will face an Iowa team that has won 12 straight nonconference games and four straight games against ranked teams. And while Iowa State’s Breece Hall is one of the nation’s most productive running backs, Iowa has allowed just 2.8 yards per carry since the start of the 2020 season, third best in the country in that span.

The stakes are high, and they got even higher with the prospect of realignment hitting the Big 12 and the Big Ten being part of the alliance with the Pac-12 and the ACC. As of now, there’s no guarantee the game will continue once everything shakes out.

So embrace this, much like the winner will embrace the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk trophy. There’s never been a bigger game sponsored by corn.

A tribute to service

Army and Air Force will meet on Saturday on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Navy will mark the occasion with a show of unity for military branches by wearing special Marine Corps football uniforms, inspired by the Marines’ “Dress Blue A” uniform with white gloves, black cleats, red trim and royal blue pants. “The actual ensemble worn by a Marine is the only uniform within the U.S. Military designated to include this red, white, and blue color scheme,” the Navy website says.

The helmets say “OO-RAH” on the front of them, “Semper Fi” on the back and the player nameplates and feature the Corps’ Eagle, Globe & Anchor logo on the sides.

Air Force will wear its annual “Air Power Legacy” alternate uniforms, with this year’s honoring the B-52 Stratofortress.

Johnny Majors and the Pitt Script

When Pitt and Tennessee meet on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN), they’ll honor legendary coach Johnny Majors, who coached at both schools. Former Majors assistant Jackie Sherrill, who succeeded him at Pitt, will serve as the Panthers’ honorary captain.

Majors obviously made an enormous impact on the field. But we spoke to Sherrill last year about one of Majors’ most interesting contributions to college football: the Pitt Script.

Upon arriving at Pitt in 1973, Majors wasted no time making it clear how much he cared about details. In his first team meeting, he stuffed the Panthers’ jerseys in a trash can, saying he believed proud teams played better, and this included looking good. The nondescript logoless helmets were history. The Panthers’ blue and gold looked too much like Notre Dame’s colors, too.

“In the coaching profession, Coach Majors was the best PR guy ever,” Sherrill, who was a 30-year-old defensive coordinator for Majors when they arrived, told ESPN. “He went to Carnegie Mellon classes on how to be a PR guy. Coach studied pretty hard.”

Majors hired an artist to create a Pitt logo and picked more distinctive colors. He was involved in every aspect of the design, down to the placement and thickness of stripes on the jerseys and where they’d go, unlike today where shoe companies often design uniforms based on a template.

“I went on vacation with Coach and his family back to Tennessee,” Sherrill said. “We were still designing the uniform on that trip. I remember going around to helmet companies to make sure they were able to make that color, because he wanted it implanted in the plastic, not painted.”

For six months, Sherrill frequently had to model prototypes on the field while Majors sat in the stands and pondered the combinations. He finally settled on the iconic Pitt Script, which adorned helmets as part of one of the greatest uniforms in college football history. It was the logo of the Panthers’ 1976 national championship team and was worn by Tony Dorsett and Dan Marino when they became legends. Pitt returned to it in 2015 after an ill-advised makeover in 1996.

“The Pitt Script was kind of like the Nike swoosh or the Adidas stripes, like the Texas Longhorn or the Alabama A,” Sherrill said. “It’s iconic. During that period of time, it was a symbol of one of the best football teams in the country.”

What else to watch this weekend

C.J. Stroud and Ohio State vs. Oregon (noon ET, Fox)
Stroud’s debut against Minnesota was a good one; he completed 13 of his 22 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. But there was a noticeable pattern that Oregon might try to take advantage of.

Stroud was at his best, by a wide margin, when throwing to his left. Stroud was 7-of-9 for 204 yards with three TDs and no picks when going to his left, but if he threw the ball anywhere else, he completed just 55% of his passes for 90 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

With Kayvon Thibodeaux’s status up in the air, don’t be surprised if you see Oregon make an attempt to see if Stroud can beat the Ducks going anywhere but left.

Washington’s redemption game vs. Michigan (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN App)
Washington is coming off of one of the worst losses from Week 1. After going up 7-3 through the first quarter, the Huskies allowed Montana to score 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to give the Grizzlies the 13-7 upset.

Huskies head coach Jimmy Lake said on Monday, “We should not have played the way we played on Saturday night and that’s why I feel so bad for our fans, for our supporters. They should be disappointed. They should be pissed, just like we are. All we can do now is move forward here and make amends. And that’s what we’re trying to do.”

There aren’t many other games that Lake could ask for as a better opportunity to make amends than a Saturday night trip to Ann Arbor against Michigan. The Wolverines aren’t the power that many expected them to be, but it would be a good win nonetheless.

If Washington loses, it will be the Huskies’ first 0-2 start since the 2008 season, when they went 0-12.

It won’t be an easy task. If Washington wasn’t able to somewhat bully its way past Montana based off of talent and skill alone, the Huskies won’t be able to do it against Michigan. That’s where Lake thinks Washington can improve.

“We’ve got to be better prepared, we’ve got to have a better plan and we did not execute a good plan,” Lake said. “It all starts with coaching first, and it starts with me.”

Kennesaw State (and the turnover plank!) vs. Georgia Tech (noon ET, ESPN3)
Georgia Tech welcomes Kennesaw State to Bobby Dodd on Saturday, which would make for a fun upset if the Owls were able to pull it off for a couple of reasons.

The first is location. Kennesaw State is north of Atlanta, and considered part of the metro area. The Owls have only been playing football since 2015 as a member of the Big South Conference, but have quickly established themselves as one of the better teams in FCS.

The second and more important part of this is Kennesaw State’s turnover plank, a piece of wood with two eyes and a mouth that the team uses to celebrate turnovers. Plank is a character from Cartoon Network’s “Ed, Edd n Eddy,” with no sort of significant ties to Kennesaw specifically. Tanner Jones, who played multiple positions for the Owls, found Plank on spring break in 2015, took him home and then introduced him to the team in 2017.

If the Owls were to upset the Bees, we’d probably get plenty of looks at Plank.

No. 21 Utah vs. BYU (10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN App)
The next-biggest rivalry game in Week 2 is happening in Provo, where Utah will face BYU. It’ll be the second of three consecutive Pac-12 games on BYU’s schedule, as the Cougars are coming off a 24-16 win against Arizona.

Utah comes into the game up three spots in the AP poll at No. 21, after cruising by Weber State in Week 1, 40-17.

BYU wide receiver Gunner Romney is doubtful to suit up against rival Utah, which would be a big loss for the Cougars. But brothers Samson (who previously played for Utah) and Puka Nacua are expected to play in what should be a fun matchup between rivals who can’t agree on when their first game was played or the series’ all-time record.

No. 15 Texas at Arkansas (7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN App)
From a breakup in the Southwest Conference to a future remarriage in the Southeastern Conference, this is one old rivalry we’re excited to regain. The teams are meeting for the 79th time, making this the most-played rivalry in Arkansas history. But just five of those games have come since the Razorbacks left the SWC in 1992. And while the Longhorns lead the series 56-22, Arkansas is 3-2 against Texas in the nonconference games.

The trash talk has already started where it matters most, the local barbecue joints.

A bye week by any other name

Mercer at No. 1 Alabama (4 ET, SEC Network): Alabama should really pick on someone its own size, like … well, we’re not sure. Nick Saban is 10-0 vs. FCS teams at Bama, winning by an average of 44.2 PPG. A win here would be the Tide’s 99th straight over unranked opponents. Just don’t tell Nick Saban this one will be easy.

Western Carolina at No. 2 Oklahoma, 7 ET: This is available on pay-per-view for the low, low price of $54.99. If you need any help getting over the hump to mash that “buy” button, consider this: Oklahoma is 8-0 vs. FCS teams, winning by an average of 52.6 points.

South Carolina State at No. 6 Clemson (5 ET, ACC Network): A cure for the Clemson offense, which was held to just three points in a loss to Georgia last week? That would be playing the Bulldogs of Orangeburg, South Carolina. Since 2008, Clemson has played South Carolina State four times. Average score? 60-5, including a 73-3 win in 2014. Clemson is 35-0 against FCS teams.

More corn news

Forgive us, Iowans. But it’s important to include an important historical footnote. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the sadly departed “pewter family” trophy that became the object of scorn after it was introduced for the rivalry in 2011.

The trophy, which depicted a father kneeling next to a bushel of corn alongside his family and a tall cornstalk, was roundly mocked and quickly abandoned. It was never awarded, and never seen again.

But it lives on lovingly. In Polk City, Iowa, this week, families could re-create the trophy on a photo stage. Now that’s entertainment.

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LSU’s Lacy facing charges related to fatal crash

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January 10, 2025

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LSU's Lacy facing charges related to fatal crash

  • Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterJan 10, 2025, 03:16 PM ET

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    • Senior college football writer
    • Author of seven books on college football
    • Graduate of the University of Georgia

Louisiana State Police have issued an arrest warrant for former LSU receiver Kyren Lacy, who is accused of causing a fatal crash that killed a 78-year-old man on Dec. 17 and then fleeing the scene without rendering aid or calling authorities.

Louisiana State Police said on Friday that Lacy will be charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle.

Police said they have been in contact with Lacy and his attorney to turn himself in.

According to a news release from state police, Lacy was allegedly driving a 2023 Dodge Charger on Louisiana Highway 20 and “recklessly passed multiple vehicles at a high rate of speed by crossing the centerline and entering the northbound lane while in a designated no-passing zone.”

“As Lacy was illegally passing the other vehicles, the driver of a northbound pickup truck abruptly braked and swerved to the right to avoid a head-on collision with the approaching Dodge,” a Louisiana State Police news release said.

“Traveling behind the pickup was a 2017 Kia Cadenza whose driver swerved left to avoid the oncoming Dodge Charger. As the Kia Cadenza took evasive action to avoid impact with the Dodge, it crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a southbound 2017 Kia Sorento.”

Police alleged that Lacy, 24, drove around the crash scene and fled “without stopping to render aid, call emergency services, or report his involvement in the crash.”

Herman Hall, 78, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, who was a passenger in the Kia Sorrento, later died from injuries suffered in the crash, according to state police.

The drivers of the Cadenza and Sorento also sustained moderate injuries, according to police.

Lacy played two seasons at Louisiana before transferring to LSU in 2022. This past season, he had 58 catches for 866 yards with nine touchdowns and declared for the NFL draft on Dec. 19, two days after the crash.

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Effort to unionize college athletes hits road block

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January 10, 2025

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Effort to unionize college athletes hits road block

  • Dan Murphy, ESPN Staff WriterJan 10, 2025, 03:12 PM ET

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    • Covers the Big Ten
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2014
    • Graduate of the University of Notre Dame

The legal efforts to unionize college athletes appear to be running out of steam this month as a new Republican-led administration gets set to take over the federal agency in charge of ruling on employment cases.

A players’ advocacy group who filed charges against the NCAA, Pac-12 and USC that would have potentially opened the door for college players to form a union decided Friday to withdraw its complaint. Their case – which was first filed in February 2022 – was one of two battles against the NCAA taken up by the National Labor Relations Board in recent years. Earlier this week, an administrative law judge closed the other case, which was filed by men’s basketball players at Dartmouth.

The National College Players Association, which filed its complaint on behalf of USC athletes, said the recent changes in state law and NCAA rules that are on track to allow schools to directly pay their players starting this summer caused them to reconsider their complaint.

“[T]he NCPA believes that it is best to provide adequate time for the college sports industry to transition into this new era before football and basketball players employee status is ruled upon,” the organization’s founder Ramogi Huma wrote in the motion to withdraw.

The NCAA and its four power conferences agreed to the terms of a legal settlement this summer that will allow schools to spend up to roughly $20.5 million on direct payments to their athletes starting next academic year. The deal is scheduled to be finalized in April.

College sports leaders, including NCAA President Charlie Baker, have remained steadfast in their belief that athletes should not be considered employees of their schools during a period when college sports have moved closer to a professionalized model.

Some industry stakeholders believe that the richest schools in college sports will need to collectively bargain with athletes to put an end to the current onslaught of legal challenges facing the industry. Currently, any collective bargaining would have to happen with a formal union to provide sufficient legal protection. Some members of Congress say they are discussing the possibility of creating a special status for college sports that would allow collective bargaining without employment. However, Congressional aides familiar with ongoing negotiations told ESPN that influential Republican leaders in Congress are firmly against the idea.

The NLRB’s national board previously declined to make a ruling on whether college athletes should be employees in 2015 when a group of football players at Northwestern attempted to unionize. Jennifer Abruzzo, the agency’s leader during the Biden administration, signaled an interest in taking up the athletes’ fight to unionize early in her tenure. Abruzzo is not expected to remain as the NLRB’s general counsel during Donald Trump’s presidency.

Under Abruzzo, the agency’s regional offices pushed both the Dartmouth and USC cases forward in the past year. Dartmouth players got far enough to vote in favor of forming a union in March 2024, but were still in the appeals process when they decided to end their effort last month.

The only remaining legal fight over employee status in college sports is a federal lawsuit known as Johnson v. NCAA. That case claims the association is violating the Fair Labor Standards Act, which does not guarantee the right to unionize but instead would give athletes some basic employee rights such as minimum wage and overtime pay. That case is currently working its way through the legal process in the Third Circuit federal court.

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Lopsided betting on Buckeyes to corral Longhorns

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January 10, 2025

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Lopsided betting on Buckeyes to corral Longhorns

  • David Purdum, ESPN Staff WriterJan 10, 2025, 11:31 AM ET

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    • Joined ESPN in 2014
    • Journalist covering gambling industry since 2008

Ohio State began Friday as a consensus 6-point favorite over Texas in the Capital One Cotton Bowl, a spread much larger than what was expected.

Sportsbooks had Ohio State as only a 1.5-point favorite over Texas in early lines posted last week before the semifinal matchup was set. But after the Longhorns squeaked past Arizona State in overtime and the Buckeyes blew out Oregon in the quarterfinals, oddsmakers knew they had to adjust the line on the Cotton Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

“Texas just doesn’t impress us, and Ohio State looks like a runaway freight train now,” John Murray, a veteran Las Vegas bookmaker with the Westgate SuperBook, told ESPN this week.

Caesars Sportsbook opened with Ohio State as 5.5-point favorites over Texas after the semifinal matchup was finalized and took immediate action from bettors on the Buckeyes, despite the line being four points higher than it had been in previous days at some sportsbooks.

The Buckeyes entered the playoffs after a stunning upset loss to Michigan in the final week of the regular season. Ohio State was a 20.5-point favorite over the Wolverines. Since 1998, in the BCS/College Football Playoff era, only two teams — 2008 Florida and 2016 Clemson — have lost as 20-plus-point favorites during the regular season and rebounded to win the national championship, according to ESPN Research. The Buckeyes and Notre Dame have a chance to join that list this year.

The Fighting Irish, who lost to Northern Illinois as 28.5-point favorites early in the season, rallied past Penn State on Thursday in the Capital One Orange Bowl to advance to the championship game. Notre Dame faces the winner of Texas-Ohio State on Jan. 20 in Atlanta.

The betting public, which has been invested in Ohio State all season, is squarely behind the Buckeyes against Texas on Friday. Approximately 72% of the bets placed — and 82% of the money wagered — on the Cotton Bowl at ESPN BET was on Ohio State as of Friday morning. At BetMGM, 28.2% of the money bet on the sportsbook’s odds to win the national championship is on the Buckeyes, more than what has been wagered on Texas and Notre Dame combined.

Sportsbooks have the Buckeyes listed as around 8-point favorites over Notre Dame in a potential championship game showdown. Texas is a 3-point favorite over Notre Dame in the early lines.

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