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Happy New Year, sports fans! It’s Austin Nivison welcoming you to 2026. Hopefully you’re all feeling well today, and if not, there will be some playoff football to watch as you recover. The College Football Playoff quarterfinals kicked of with an fantastic game last night, Victor Wembanyama suffered an injury scare and the Packers made a notable addition to their secondary.
Let’s get this year in sports started, shall we?
🏆 Five things to know Thursday
- Miami advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals after upsetting Ohio State. After years of inventing new ways to wilt in big moments, the Hurricanes delivered a gutsy performance in the quarterfinals against the Buckeyes. Miami rode its elite defense and strong run game to a 24-14 win and the semifinals, where it will face the winner of Ole Miss vs. Georgia. The Canes’ defense was relentless, sacking Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin five times and recording seven tackles for loss.
- Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama suffered a leg injury against the Knicks. Well, Spurs fans officially hold their collective breath. Wembanyama came down awkwardly on his left leg in the fourth quarter, and he did not return after exiting the game. The good news for San Antonio is that Wembanyama seems to have avoided a major injury. The 2025 Rookie of the Year has taken yet another step forward and help the Spurs ascend the Western Conference standings.
- The Packers claimed cornerback Trevon Diggs off waivers. After all the speculation that Diggs would become a free agent due to his contract status, the Packers claimed him off waivers. Green Bay bolsters its cornerback depth with the addition of Diggs, who logged 20 interceptions in six years with the Cowboys. Diggs gives the Packers another option opposite No. 1 cornerback Keisean Nixon. As for why Dallas chose to release Diggs now, it sounds like there were several factors at play.
- Alabama WR Ryan Williams won’t enter the transfer portal. Williams was a freshman phenom in 2024. (He was only 17, if you recall.) Coming into this season, expectations were sky high, but his production has taken a significant dip. That led some to wonder whether Williams would pursue other opportunities — and a lot of money — in the transfer portal. However, Williams declared that he will remain in Tuscaloosa for the 2026 season.
- Patriots DT Christian Barmore faces domestic assault charges. This week has gone from bad to worse for the Patriots. One day after star receiver Stefon Diggs was charged with strangulation and assault, news broke that Barmore has been charged with assault and battery. In the alleged incident, Barmore is accused of throwing the mother of his child to the ground. Barmore’s arraigment is currently scheduled for Feb. 3, which is just five days before the Super Bowl.
🏈 Do not miss this: Miami ousts reigning champ Ohio State
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Coming into the Cotton Bowl as underdogs, Miami started the game with some snarl. Thanks in large part to their stellar defense, including a 72-yard pick six by Keionte Scott, the Hurricanes jumped out to a 14-0 over Ohio State early in the second quarter.
Over the last two decades, Miami has found ways to lose games like these. In fact, you don’t even have to go very far back. Look at the Hurricanes’ two losses in 2025, which kept them out of the ACC title game. Now, as Shehan Jeyarajah opines in his takeaways from the game, those demons have been exorcised with Miami just two wins from a national title.
- Jeyarajah: “For years, Miami has shrunk in the program’s biggest moments. The Hurricanes have not won a conference championship since moving to the ACC in 2003, including blowing a chance this year. They haven’t played in a major bowl game since 2017. Frankly, they’ve squandered numerous close game opportunities. After beating Ohio State, the reigning national champions, all of those moments are secondary. The Hurricanes established themselves as a serious national championship contender, not just for now, but heading forward.”
What a day to be a member of The U. As detailed in another piece written about the Miami’s superiority in the trenches, the Hurricanes didn’t just beat the Buckeyes. “They pulverized them.” And they did so by entering the arena as 9.5-underdog, and exiting it with a 10-point victory in a manner that would suggest that the Cotton Bowl was little more than mole hill for Mario Cristobal’s punishing tank of a team.
With Ohio State’s loss, there will be a new champion in college football. Frustrating as it may be for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, they should be right back in contention next season. Key offensive playmakers return, but the defense may have to endure a rebuild.
Last night’s game was only an appetizer for what’s to come today as three more quarterfinal matchups are on the docket. Before those kick off, be sure to check out our expert picks and predictions on each game.
🏀 NBA Power Rankings: Knicks soar into No. 1 spot
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Few, if any, teams are hotter than the Knicks right now. They just had a dominant December, and everything is coming together for a team that has its eyes on an NBA title.
New York is 11-2 in its last 13 games, and that has powered the team to the No. 1 spot in Brad Botkin’s latest NBA Power Rankings. What has gone right for the Knicks over this scorching hot stretch? Well, it’d be easier to list the things that haven’t gone right.
- Botkin: “Brunson is putting up superhero numbers. Karl-Anthony Towns has reversed his early season shooting slump. Mikal Bridges is having a superb season. You can’t lay off Josh Hart anymore. The bench is producing. God himself couldn’t keep Mitchell Robinson off the offensive glass.”
I won’t give away the entire top 10 because you know me by now, and — well, I’m just not that generous — but I will share a sneak peak:
6. Pistons (–)
7. Celtics (+2)
8. Timberwolves (-1)
9. Suns (+2)
10. Cavaliers (+5)
🤘 Arch Manning leads Texas past Michigan in Citrus Bowl
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Neither Texas nor Arch Manning lived up to the preseason hype in 2025. However, they ended the season on a high note as the Longhorns pulled away from Michigan in the Citrus Bowl with a 41-27 win. Manning continued his streak of exceptional play and he raised fans expectations for 2026.
Manning torched the Wolverines in more ways than one, throwing for 221 yards, rushing for 155 yards and totaling four touchdowns. As our own Chris Hummer writes, just when people started to give up on Manning, he started to deliver on that Heisman Trophy hype.
- Hummer: “After being called the ‘first college football flop’ by The Athletic, Manning threw for 13 touchdowns against just two interceptions in the regular season while completing 62% of his passes. Despite the slow start, he finished the year as a top 20 QB for PFF in terms of his season-long grade.”
On the other sideline, Michigan is about to enter a new era with Kyle Whittingham on the sideline. He was only in the broadcast booth on Wednesday, but Whittingham’s top priority is already clear. He must sell quarterback Bryce Underwood on his vision and do everything possible to keep him in Ann Arbor.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
📺 What we’re watching Thursday
🏈 CFP quarterfinal — Orange Bowl: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech, 12 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Cal at No. 16 North Carolina (W), 12 p.m. on ACC Network
🏀 No. 24 Michigan State at Indiana (W), 12 p.m. on Big Ten Network
⚽ Leeds United at Liverpool, 12:30 p.m. on USA Network
🏀 No. 20 Nebraska at No. 14 Iowa (W), 2 p.m. on Big Ten Network
🏒 Mammoth at Islanders, 3 p.m. on NHL Network
⚽ Manchester City at Sunderland, 3 p.m. on USA Network
🏈 CFP quarterfinal — Rose Bowl: No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana, 4 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 7 Maryland at Illinois (W), 4 p.m. on Big Ten Network
🏀 No. 18 Notre Dame at Georgia Tech (W), 4 p.m. on ACC Network
🏀 No. 6 Michigan at Washington (W), 6 p.m. on Big Ten Network
🏒 Jets at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. on NHL Network
🏈 CFP quarterfinal — Sugar Bowl: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia, 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 76ers at Mavericks, 8:30 p.m. on NBA TV
