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Football: It’s good! On Thursday night, the National Football League will return to our televisions, with games taking place on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday to get us back into the swing of things with professional football. The day there isn’t NFL football? Well, that’s college football Saturday. Lotta football! I am very happy about this, and if you clicked on this, I presume you are very happy about this, too.

With the NFL coming back, we wanted to take some time to look at something near and dear to all of our hearts: The music that is inseparable from broadcasts. All of the networks that put the NFL on our televisions have distinct songs that are crucial parts of their broadcasts — for fans of the sport, there’s such a sense of familiarity from hearing them.

To celebrate things kicking off on Thursday night when the Baltimore Ravens travel to Kansas City to take on the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, we ranked all nine of the songs that are inextricably linked to the football watching experience.

(Ed. Note: This is just songs that air on game broadcasts, which means the objectively correct answer for the best football songs, the ESPN NFL Primetime music, is not included.)

9. That cover of “In the Air Tonight,” ESPN

I’m just not a fan. It tries to do too much, with Chris Stapleton spearheading a cover of the classic Phil Collins song (which I would probably like on its own if I came across it on Spotify or something) with a verse from Snoop Dogg that screams “we were able to get Snoop to record a verse here.” Its biggest problem, in my humble opinion, is that this doesn’t feel like a song for a football game, primarily because “In the Air Tonight” was, uh, not made to be a song for a football game.

8. NFL RedZone theme, NFL RedZone

Obviously, when the RedZone song hits on Sunday afternoon, I get the zoomies like I’m a dog that is about to get a treat, as Scott Hanson is about to bless me with seven god damn hours of some god damn commercial free football. Having said that, this sounds more like a song that plays in the montage in a Bond movie than a song that, in any other context, would make me think I’m about to watch football.

7. Thursday Night Football theme, Amazon

It’s not bad! The problem is it’s so new to the NFL music game that it lacks the inherit gravitas that the other five NFL network theme songs have, which is totally fine. Amazon is still getting into a groove here, but they have a song that is solid — I think you can make the case it sounds more like the song that plays on the home page for an old college football video game, but that’s more because it’s going up against some real giants.

6. The Monday Night Football theme, ESPN

Here’s the thing with 3-6: They are all interchangeable based on about a million different factors. They’re all iconic in their own ways, and I am putting MNF down here for really no reason other than I like the other ones more on the day that I am writing this up. Those horns at the very beginning are terrific, though, and the way the song builds and builds is great.

5. The Sunday Night Football theme, NBC

Just my opinion, but more places should pay for John Williams to make the theme song for their football game. The drums and strings at the top of this one are sensational, and when the full arrangement comes in, god, it’s so good. It would be higher if not for two things: 1. The 3 and 4 on this list are, for me, untouchable themes in all of sports and, 2. NBC has a song I like more. We’ll get to that second one in a moment, but for now…

4. The NFL on FOX theme, FOX

The best use of a horn section among all four of these. The very beginning of this theme is unmatched, with those horns blaring and announcing Fox’s NFL broadcast, and it continues to be spectacular as the rest of the arrangement comes in. Plus, come on, there’s just something really special about settling into your couch at 1:05 p.m. on a Sunday and hearing this. Also: It will not be the last Fox song that appears on this list.

3. The NFL on CBS theme, CBS

The full arrangement before the guitar comes in, man, nothing like it. Since my formative years as a football fan largely revolved around the balance of power in the sport being in the AFC (i.e.: The Brady and Manning years in New England and Indianapolis), I so closely associate this with the biggest football game in a given week. This is 100 percent a me thing, and I’ve gone back and forth on this and FOX about a million times, but in terms of the network theme songs, nothing tops CBS.

2. The FOX injury music

It has never once been clear to me why this song exists. I could have someone from Fox sit down and explain the thought process behind it to me in detail and I will still have no clue why it exists. Having said that, it is so weird, it is so absurd, it is so unique that it absolutely has to be high up on this list. It, obviously, only plays in unfortunate circumstances, which can knock it way down this list if you want. But I am trying to strip it from that context and judging it as a song, and as such, I’m giving it high marks for how unique it is. It’s got a pretty good groove to it when you listen to it on its own, and I would like to hear The Alchemist chop this up and turn it into a beat for Action Bronson or something.

1. “Waitin’ All Day for a Sunday Night,” NBC

While I really dinged the “In the Air Tonight” cover for not being a football song, this is a football song through and through — even if it is a play on Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You” — and the three people who have sang it over the years (Pink, Faith Hill, and Carrie Underwood) seem to have fun with it, even if it has been parodied over the years. There were a few years where they went in a different direction with Underwood’s theme and it just wasn’t as good, but they changed that and went back to “Waitin’ All Day for a Sunday Night.” It’s incredibly corny, but I do not care, because every week, I am, indeed, waitin’ all day for a Sunday night.

It’s not uncommon for legendary players to bounce around from team to team at the end of their NBA careers. Dwyane Wade is a good example of this — after building a Hall of Fame resume as a member of the Miami Heat, Wade spent time with the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Of course, after Wade’s time in Cleveland unceremoniously ended after 46 games, he returned to the Heat, where he spent the final year and a half of his career. Things just never really clicked for Wade in his second stint as LeBron James’ teammate, which came up during his appearance on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast with Carmelo Anthony and The Kid Mero. Specifically, Anthony and Wade roasted how ugly the jersey was, with Wade going as far as to say that he didn’t even want to wear the number 3 in it.

“Cleveland was a whole different beast, bro,” Wade said. “It was a lot going on before I got there, obviously coming there as Bron’s guy, I got thrown into the sh*t.”

“We talk about a lot of bullsh*t jerseys on here, you got one of them,” Anthony responded. “That Cleveland jersey…”

“…oooooh, it’s nasty,” Wade said.

“That is nasty work,” Anthony said.

Wade went on to call it “one of the most nastiest jerseys … I didn’t even want the number 3 in that jersey, cause I was like, nah, this ain’t a good look.”

Wade ended up getting moved to Miami at the trade deadline that year, where he wore a jersey that wasn’t nearly as bad as the one he wore in Cleveland.

Homecoming’s purpose is to celebrate HBCUs and their legacies in the modern era since 1924. Homecoming has always provided a space for students, alumni, and the community to connect and reconnect. It’s a time to commemorate the history of the institution, reflect on the contributions of HBCUs, and celebrate Black joy and culture. Homecomings also help schools connect with their communities and foster bonds between different generations of HBCU students.

During my time at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC, the largest enrolled HBCU, Homecoming was truly significant, and it remains special returning as an alum. There are many Homecoming elements that are shared by many schools, although not all HBCUs have football teams, step shows, coronations, parades, stroll-offs, majorettes, drum majors, and marching bands. However, what is the same across the HBCU landscape, whether at smaller schools or the biggest universities, is the shared sense of pride and community from current students and alumni. That level of pageantry and community involvement, from parade participation to local business vendors, makes HBCU Homecomings stand out. As we get set for Homecoming season to start in October, we’re going to look at three elements that make HBCU Homecomings such special events: the lived experience, the sounds, and the highly anticipated games.

Many significant figures who have graduated from HBCUs still find themselves basking in everything Homecoming. Hugh Douglas is known for sacking quarterbacks for the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, and Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL, but before that he was an NAIA All-American, National Champion, and Black College Hall of Famer from Central State University, an HBCU in Wilberforce, Ohio, one of the smaller HBCUs in the country. Douglas, now a radio host in Philadelphia, felt the HBCU Homecoming experience from the athlete’s perspective, which is different from that of most students, but nonetheless still memorable. When asked about his greatest Homecoming memory at Central State, Douglas highlighted the sounds in the stadium on game day, “The band all day long and how they would play the current song that was hot at the time.”

Douglas worked and lived in Atlanta for several years and I brought up the epic event that is “SpelHouse”, the combination of Morehouse and Spelman College’s homecoming. About the same size and stature as Central State, he understood more than others the significance of HBCU homecomings regardless of the amount of students. Douglas’s late son Hugh attended Morehouse before his untimely death in 2023. When I asked him about what stood out about the shared experience of Homecoming for his son, he said, “I didn’t get a chance to go with him but, boy, I saw the pics of him and his mother, and I was super jealous. They had a ball.” Ultimately, he felt that connection is what the true Homecoming experience is about. “The love that we all have for one another. No matter what school we went to, it don’t matter, we all are family.”

Central State, Morehouse, and Spelman remind us that no matter the size of an HBCU, Homecoming remains a deeply significant event, embodying the spirit and legacy of these institutions. Whether at a small college or a large university, Homecoming serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring sense of community, pride, and cultural heritage that defines Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It’s a time when alumni, students, faculty, and the surrounding community come together to celebrate not just the football game, but the shared history, traditions, and achievements that have shaped the identity of the school. The scale of the institution may vary, but the importance of Homecoming in reinforcing connections, fostering unity, and honoring the rich legacy of HBCUs is universal.

Dr. KaNeisha L. Hall is a board-certified anesthesiologist and physician out of Houston, but before moving to Texas she graduated from Howard University. When I asked her to describe the Homecoming experience at what the Bison call “The Mecca”, she didn’t hold back. “Howard’s Homecoming is THE reunion for Black Excellence. It’s truly a family affair for me.” As for what makes Howard’s Homecoming standout, she pointed to the famous alums that make it a point to come back to D.C. “I believe our yardfest, which has hosted so many iconic artists, still holds a place for our own celebrities that truly enjoy coming home to The Mecca! You honestly never know who you will see on the yard.” Those celebrities include figures like Taraji P. Henson and, yes, even Vice President Kamala Harris.

Media personality, actress, and host Rashan Ali, reflected on her time at Florida A&M University or FAMU as both student and alumna and gave the total experience of what homecoming signifies to her.

“An HBCU Homecoming is a celebration of Blackness, family and culture. It’s a time to relive the best years of your life in the place where you became a newer version of yourself,” Ali said. “The memories of pivotal moments – the smell of fried fish, seeing your first college crush – invoke the euphoria of the microcosm that once was your world.”

Homecoming can bring back a flood of memories but also create new ones, as she got to experience a few years ago when she returned to Tallahassee and got to be a part of a special event that brought her career full circle.

“Homecoming 2021, on the tail end of the pandemic, was one for the ages. Movie producer and classmate Will Packer unveiled his on-campus amphitheater in which he brought ESPN’s First Take to aid in the celebration,” Ali recalled. “I hosted the official ceremony as well as being a part of the First Take broadcast. It was a full circle moment because I auditioned to be the host of the show with Stephen A. and Skip Bayless years before. So, at that moment, at my alma mater, during Homecoming, I felt vindicated.”

The HBCU Homecoming experience is a vibrant celebration of culture, community, and tradition that transcends the boundaries of a typical college event. It’s a time when students, alumni, and faculty come together to honor the rich legacy of historically Black colleges and universities, showcasing the pride and resilience that define these institutions. No matter whether it’s in Wilberforce, Ohio, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Georgia, or Tallahassee, Florida, the size of the school does not determine significance of the moment. The blend of spirited football games, electrifying performances, and deep-rooted traditions creates an atmosphere of unity and joy that leaves a lasting impact on all who participate. Whether it’s through reconnecting with old friends, making new memories, or simply basking in the shared sense of identity, HBCU Homecoming is more than just an event – it’s a powerful affirmation of the enduring spirit and cultural significance of these cherished institutions.

There are few things that make Shaquille O’Neal more upset than a center that cannot dominate on offense. He has spent much of his career on television crushing highly paid NBA centers who don’t put up the offensive production he thinks they should, especially in the playoffs. For a long time, Dwight Howard was the focal point of his ire — largely due to Howard co-opting the Superman nickname in Orlando — but more recently he’s set his sights on Rudy Gobert.

He certainly isn’t the only former (or current) player to call Gobert overrated, as Draymond Green has spent years crusading against Gobert’s reputation as the league’s best defender, but Shaq is certainly among the most vocal in criticism of the French big man. Gobert’s struggles against Dallas in the Western Conference Finals only escalated things, and in a recent video for Complex with his son Myles, Shaq declared Gobert the “WOAT (worst of all time) NBA Player” (watch the full clip here).

Myles then poked the bear even further, asking if Gobert was worse than Ben Simmons, which led to Shaq calling Simmons “another bum” and explaining why he had those two at the top — or I guess, bottom — of his WOAT rankings despite Myles’ attempts to apologize to Gobert.

“No because you know why? Cause I’m gonna tell you why. If you sign a contract for 250, show me 250,” Shaq said. “There’s a reason why I walk funny and why I can’t turn my neck and can’t do that, cause I played for my 120. So you got guys like him that f**k the system over. They’re making all this money and they can’t f**king play. So I don’t respect guys like that. Every time I make these comments, people think I’m hating, but these are facts. You got teachers, you got firemen, you’ve got doctors who got real jobs who don’t get paid sh*t.”

His argument isn’t that they’re the least skilled players the NBA’s seen, but that they’ve done the least for the most, which is certainly a way you could look to quantify the worst player. That said, saying “people think I’m hating, but these are facts” while calling Gobert and Simmons the worst players ever is pretty funny as it’s far from an objective statement.

Gobert will forever be a lightning rod because he has been the best in the league at one thing (drop defense) and is otherwise mostly an average big man. How do you quantify that value? No one can seem to agree on that, and the fact that Gobert makes max money drives a lot of people (not just Shaq) crazy. Still, calling him the worst player in league history is a wild statement, as I think you’d have a tough time getting most Rudy detractors to even join you in that sentiment. Simmons, meanwhile, is a Hall of Famer at the bank and at this point you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone that’s still a believer that getting back to an All-Star level is still possible, so can probably find more folks to join you there.

The truth is, there is no player type that is more divisive than a player who is elite at skills that are not scoring the ball. No one in recent years embodies that more than Gobert and Simmons, and thus you end up with statements like this from Shaq (who, for all his skill as a scorer in the post, got torched for years for being unable to hit free throws).

At its core, Stagecoach is a country music festival. Still, the event has historically cast a pretty wide net with its lineups. The 2025 lineup was just announced today (September 5) and it’s quite the mixed bag.

The main headliners are Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll, and Luke Combs. Beyond that, though, there are sets from Lana Del Rey, Nelly (celebrating 25 years of his album Country Grammar), Goo Goo Dolls, T-Pain, Creed, and Backstreet Boys, as well as more traditionally country-aligned artists like Brothers Osbourne, Sturgill Simpson, Shaboozey, Midland, and Scotty McCreery.

This year’s festival runs from April 25 to 27, at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Festival passes go on sale starting September 13 at 11 a.m. PT via the festival website.

Find the full lineup listed in alphabetical order below.

Stagecoach 2025 Lineup

49 Winchester
Abby Anderson
Abi Carter
Alana Springsteen
Alexandra Kay
Angel White
Anne Wilson
Annie Bosko
Ashley McBryde
Austin Snell
Avery Anna
Backstreet Boys
Blessing Offor
Brent Cobb
Brothers Osborne
Bryan Martin
Carly Pearce
Chayce Beckham
Colby Acuff
Conner Smith
Creed
Crystal Gayle
Dasha
Diplo’s Honkytonk
Drake Milligan
Drew Parker
Dylan Gossett
Dylan Scott
Flatland Cavalry
George Birge
Goo Goo Dolls
Jelly Roll
John Morgan
Kashus Culpepper
Koe Wetzel
Lana Del Rey
Lanie Gardner
Louie TheSinger
Luke Combs
Maddox Batson
Mae Estes
Midland
Myles Kennedy
Nelly (25 Years of Country Grammar)
Nikki Lane
Niko Moon
Noeline Hofmann
Sammy Hagar
Scotty McCreery
Shaboozey
Sierra Ferrell
Sturgill Simpson
Tanner Usrey
The Bacon Brothers
The Castellows
The Wilder Blue
Tiera Kennedy
Tigerlily Gold
Tommy James & The Shondells
T-Pain
Tracy Lawrence
Treaty Oak Revival
Tucker Wetmore
Vincent Mason
Waylon Wyatt
Whiskey Myers
Zach Bryan

With Labor Day weekend behind us, the NFL season has finally arrived and hope abounds around the league, as teams believe this will be their year coming out of camp. The opening weekend brings plenty of excitement and four days of NFL football, starting Thursday and ending Monday, as the league has stretched things out to include a Friday game (in Brazil). The best part of the season starting is that the conversation can finally shift to the games themselves and actual football happening, rather than simply pontificating about what’s to come.

In this space, we will be taking a weekly look at games we’re most excited for, from the biggest primetime game to Sunday’s best and an under the radar matchup that could be extremely fun, as well as handing out our best bet for the week to come in the NFL.

Primetime Game of the Week: Ravens at Chiefs (Thursday 9/5, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)

The primetime slate this week is loaded, unsurprisingly, as the NFL made sure to put its four biggest matchups in their four primetime windows. However, for all the intrigue of the other three games, the opener on Thursday in Kansas City is the unquestioned headliner of Week 1. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs begin their quest for a three-peat and take on a team many consider their biggest challenger in the AFC, as Lamar Jackson and the Ravens come to town. There are storylines in abundance going in, and we’ll get some important answers to questions that will define this season’s race for a championship in the first game. Will the Chiefs passing attack be more dynamic with Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown? Will the Ravens rushing attack be as terrifying with Derrick Henry as expected? Which defense can assert itself against two dynamic QBs and offenses? The truth is, fans would be excited about the season opener if they put the Panthers and Titans head-to-head, but with the Ravens and Chiefs, the league ensured plenty of hype and fanfare for the kickoff game.

Sunday Funday Game of the Week: Cowboys at Browns (Sunday 9/8, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX)

The Cowboys never have a shortage of headlines, but with CeeDee Lamb finally signed, they at least have everyone on the field going into Cleveland. Dak Prescott’s future hangs over everything in Dallas this season, but that shouldn’t be a huge factor in his play (aside from maybe taking fewer risks with his legs). On the other side, Cleveland boasts an incredibly strong defense led by Myles Garrett, but it’s on the offense to prove it has taken some strides, namely Deshaun Watson who has been mediocre at best since arriving in Cleveland. This should be a good measuring stick game for both teams, and, as a secondary interest, it will also be our first game with Tom Brady on the call in the lead booth on FOX.

Under the Radar Banger: Cardinals at Bills (Sunday 9/8, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS)

The Bills have some questions to answer on the offensive side of the ball, namely who will emerge as Josh Allen’s top target. The likely answer is rookie Keon Coleman, but consistency wasn’t a hallmark of his time at Florida State (or Michigan State). On the other side, the Cardinals will debut the Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. duo for the first time, and hope to make a big leap back into the conversation for an NFC playoff position after a couple lean years. Both teams offensive hopes require big contributions from their rookie receivers, but if they can hit the ground running, we could be in for a fun one in Buffalo.

Best Bet: Rams (+3.5) at Lions

As always, we have a full five-game winners slate from the incomparable Brad Rowland, but here I want to give out a little pick of my own. Everyone loves the Lions coming into this season, and for good reason! They are a phenomenal example of how to turn around a franchise and build a winning culture from, effectively, nothing. They are rightfully among the favorites to win the NFC this season. That said, laying more than a field goal against a good Rams team (who, some view as a sleeper pick to be a contender) is a bit strong for me in the opener. These two teams met in the Wild Card round and Detroit got a 1-point win, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the opening Sunday Night game is similarly tight.

In late July, Mxmtoon released “I Hate Texas.” Ironically, the song proved impossible to hate. It also served as an effective appetizer for her third studio album.

On Thursday, September 5, Mxmtoon announced Liminal Space, her aforementioned third LP, will be released on November 1 via AWAL.

Simultaneously, “The Situation” featuring Kero Kero Bonito serves the latest single, which pairs the terrifying inevitability of mortality with a sweet, upbeat soundscape.

“In the turmoil of the last two years since my second record, I’ve felt suspended in a transitory landscape that often at times felt endless,” Mxmtoon said in a statement. “It’s easy to feel trapped in something you barely understand, and life has thrown an onslaught of questions towards me that I can only respond with, ‘I have no idea how to answer this.’ So, suspended in the unknown, I wrote these songs. I tried to unravel how I’ve chosen to fulfill the roles I’ve been given in my own life, and at times, how I’ve failed to keep up with them.”

Mxmtoon released Rising as her sophomore record in May 2022.

Watch Mxmtoon’s “The Situation” visualizer above, and check out the official Liminal Space album cover artwork below.

Liminal Space is out 11/1 via AWAL. Find more information here.

Orlando Bloom won’t be “the one that got away” for Katy Perry, not after the way she responds to him doing the household chores.

On the latest episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, the “Teenage Dream” singer made an X-rated confession about how she receives and expresses love in a relationship.

“If I come downstairs and the kitchen is clean, and you’ve done it all, and you’ve done all the dishes, and you’ve closed all the pantry doors, you better be ready to get your d*ck sucked,” she said. “I mean like literally, that is my love language. I don’t need a red Ferrari! I can buy a red Ferrari. Just do the f*cking dishes! I will suck your d*ck! It’s that easy!”

Perry never specified her fiancé Bloom by name, but the Pirates Of The Caribbean and Lord of the Rings actor clearly thinks she’s referring to him. “I’ve cleaned the whole house,” he wrote in the comments of her latest Instagram post.

Perry, who has been engaged to Bloom since 2019, also shared that she’s no longer attracted to “narcissists” or “anyone that is constantly changing the goal post, or pulling the rug out from you emotionally. Not it. Anyone that says they know you better than you know yourself. Someone that won’t just help.”

Unless they help with the dishes.

Week 1 of college football: OVER. Week 2 of college football: HERE NOW. We were treated to some pretty wonderful football over the first week of the season, which happened over the course of five days because the start of the college football campaign inexplicably (but, to be clear, thankfully) takes up almost an entire actual week.

This week, the sport has one game that serves as a clear-cut headliner, and while the remainder of the slate isn’t exactly loaded, we should still be in for a fun Saturday. We’re here to get you ready like we do every week, as of last week, when we started doing this.

The Game Of The Year (Of The Week): No. 3 Texas vs. No. 10 Michigan

The defending national champs did not look especially great last week, as it took them until the fourth quarter to put Fresno State away at home in new head coach Sherrone Moore’s debut. While the Wolverine defense was outstanding (and should be all season long), there are real questions about their ability to take care of business on the offensive side of the ball, especially through the air.

The good news is we’re going to learn a lot about Michigan right away, as Texas is coming to town in an increasingly rare non-conference matchup on a college campus between a pair of teams with national title aspirations. The Longhorns were incredibly impressive last week, as they shut out Colorado State, 52-0, behind a smothering defense and a workmanlike showing from Quinn Ewers.

Michigan is obviously going to need to find a way to move the ball consistently against a rock solid Texas defense — look for how they use backup QB Alex Orji as a way to find a spark in the running game — but the matchup I’m most excited for is between Wolverine corner Will Johnson (who is the best defensive player in the nation) and Ryan Wingo, the incredibly exciting true freshman receiver for the Longhorns who flashed in his collegiate debut. With respect to Colorado State, he’s about to go from playing the game on easy to playing the game on the hardest possible level, and it should be a blast to watch.

Lock Into This One: No. 23 Georgia Tech vs. Syracuse

Not exactly the most box office slate in the world this week, although there are a bunch of really solid games that should be pretty compelling throughout the afternoon. As such, I’m gonna throw a game involving a pair of teams that I generally find interesting this year. The Bees were incredibly impressive in a win over Florida State in Ireland to kick off the season, as they showed off some nastiness and physicality that should bode well for them this season. They followed that up by taking care of business against Georgia State, which is not always easy for teams that play immediately after coming back from Ireland, thanks in large part to a very effective ground attack.

Syracuse, meanwhile, hit the transfer portal hard under new head coach Fran Brown, and has brought in talent that should have them in bowl contention right away, even if it took them a bit to create some separation from Ohio. They have one of the best running backs in the ACC in LeQuint Allen, one of the best tight ends in the country in Oronde Gadsden, and a battle-tested QB in Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord. The thing that could end up deciding this game, though, is how another transfer — ex-Texas A&M edge rusher Fadil Diggs — is able to get after Tech quarterback Haynes King, who has started the season well.

Under-The-Radar Banger: UTSA vs. Texas State

There are a lot of nice games a little farther down the card this week, but let’s go with a matchup between two solid G5 programs in Texas. Both of these teams are capable of putting up plenty of points, and are in the process of breaking in new quarterbacks — the Roadrunners turned to former Colorado QB Owen McCown and the Bobcats are the latest stop for well-traveled signal caller Jordan McCloud, who was fantastic at James Madison last year. It’s very possible UTSA wins the American and Texas State wins the Sun Belt this year, so this one has all the makings of being an early season G5 banger.

Message Board Meltdown Game Of The Week: Appalachian State vs. No. 25 Clemson

Buddy, if Clemson doesn’t look good this week against App State, look out. There’s no shame in losing to Georgia, everyone that’s played the Dawgs in the regular season has done that for more than three years. However, the Clemson offense looked worse than expected, even factoring the opponent, and if Cade Klubnik doesn’t bounce back against an App State team that’s always frisky, the Clemson faithful are going to have some thoughts about his status as the starting QB and Dabo’s future. The Tigers are more than two touchdown favorites against the ‘Eers, and they could really use a comfortable win to keep the spotlight on Florida State’s failures and not end up right alongside the Noles. An honorable mention here goes to Colorado-Nebraska, but that’s less a message board meltdown situation and more a national TV meltdown situation given how every game involving the Buffs (who are 7.5-point road underdogs) gets discussed now.

Who Won The Heisman Last Week?: Cam Ward, QB, Miami (FL)

There are a few possible answers here, but Cam Ward’s performance in a big-time matchup in the Swamp puts him ahead of some of the other Heisman favorites who piled up stats against lesser opponents. Ward was 26-of-35 for 385 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, and aside from that early INT that came from forcing a ball back over the middle, it was about as good a quarterbacking performance as you’ll see. Ward was in full control of the offense and made throws we haven’t seen from a Miami QB in a long time, giving Canes fans reason to really believe they finally have it right at that position.

Best Bet: South Carolina-Kentucky UNDER 42.5

I stand by the Georgia State play last week, but sometimes you go 1-of-4 in the red zone for three points and lose by 2.5. That’s the magic of betting on college football. This week, there aren’t a lot of great games on the schedule, but we’re headed to Kentucky for a matchup of old SEC East foes in a game that should be a defense-first battle. South Carolina struggled to move the ball on Old Dominion and Kentucky wasn’t exactly a juggernaut on that side of the ball against Southern Miss. The real concern here is turnovers, but the game flow should be a lot of running the ball and playing the field position battle.

Megan Thee Stallion has been in utmost demand this year, from her Hot Girl Summer Tour to hosting next week’s 2024 MTV VMAs.

But, according to Meg, she’s only just arrived.

“ATTENTION HOTTIES,” Megan Thee Stallion captioned an Instagram post on Thursday morning, September 5. “WE ARE OFFICIALLY FAMOUS WE GOT A PEPSI COMMERCIAL.”

Yes, Pepsi and Paramount Global partnered for a brand new commercial blending Paramount’s forthcoming Gladiator II and the 2024 NFL season.

The three-minute spot begins with actors Jake Lacy and Lamorne Morris bragging about their respective fantasy teams. Then, we’re taken inside of their freshly served Pepsi can, which transforms into a Roman Coliseum. Travis Kelce, Josh Allen, Derrick Henry, and Justin Jefferson stalk out dressed as gladiators. Kelce, always hogging the spotlight, screams, “Are you ready?!” Megan Thee Stallion interrupts him to unleash tigers into the Coliseum and starts singing her unique spin on Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”

According to Variety, this ad will run until Gladiator II premieres on November 22.

“Megan Thee Stallion is going to get people to pay attention; Travis Kelce and Josh Allen are going to get people to pay attention,” Paramount President Of Advertising John Halley told the publication. “It’s a first-class branding moment for Pepsi and one that is going to last.”

The new NFL season begins on Thursday night with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens. The game will kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.