Yankees staring at sweep after ALDS Game 2 loss to Rays; Falcons run roughshod over Saints on 'MNF'

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🤯 Five things to know Tuesday

1. The Yankees and Guardians are on the verge of being swept. After getting one-hit in a Game 1 loss, the Yankees needed a response in Game 2. Instead, they made three errors in the first inning of a 5-2 loss. The series will now shift to New York with the Yankees on the brink of elimination. Following a 4-3 loss to the White Sox in Game 2, the Guardians are in a similar boat, except they will have to stave off a sweep on the road. The Garrett Crochet trade is finally paying dividends in Chicago.
2. The Falcons ran roughshod over the Saints. On an emotional night in New Orleans, the visiting team stole the spotlight. It started early when Bijan Robinson turned his first touch into a 59-yard touchdown, and the Falcons carved up the Saints on the ground for the rest of the night. The result was a big 45-24 win for Atlanta, and New Orleans won't enjoy looking at the film of this performance.
3. Oregon QB Dante Moore returned to practice. The Ducks got a positive update on their starting quarterback just days before a top-25 matchup against UCLA. After suffering a concussion on a scary hit against USC, Moore returned to practice in pads and a helmet on Monday. We won't know Moore's official status for the game until later in the week, but this is a positive development. If Moore can't go, the Ducks will turn to Dylan Raiola, whose patience has already paid off.
4. There are banged-up backfields in Philadelphia and Seattle. The Eagles may have avoided the worst-case scenario with Barkley, but he has still been labeled week-to-week while he recovers from a hamstring injury. The only backfield in worse shape than the Eagles' might be the Seahawks'. First-round rookie Jadarian Price is on IR with a chest injury, and Zach Charbonnet is still working his way back from a torn ACL he suffered last year. Because of that, the Seahawks turned to free agency and signed Joe Mixon off the street.
5. Alex Ovechkin announced that the 2026-27 season will be his last. The NHL's all-time leading goal-scorer will retire at the end of the current season. In a video posted to social media by the Capitals, Ovechkin revealed his retirement plans to his teammates. Ovechkin's 929 goals are the most in NHL history, and no one is remotely close to his nine Rocket Richard Trophy wins. Ovechkin is now eyeing one more Stanley Cup after Washington loaded up in the offseason.

🏈 Do not miss this: UCLA rises in CFB Power Rankings

Don't look now, but Bob Chesney has UCLA ranked inside the top 25 just four games into his tenure. In fact, the Bruins are ranked even higher than that in Brandon Marcello's latest CFB Power Rankings.

UCLA had an open date last week as it geared up for a top-25 game against Oregon this weekend, but it still climbed into the top 10 of our rankings. Not only does Chesney have the Bruins offense humming, but he also has the chance to get a little revenge after leading James Madison against the Ducks in last year's College Football Playoff.

• Marcello: "UCLA sat at home preparing for Oregon. James Madison's last three coaches - Curt Cignetti, Bob Chesney and current Dukes coach Billy Napier - are all unbeaten. Chesney returns this week to Eugene, where he led James Madison to a loss in the CFP's first round last season."

Here's a little snippet of the complete rankings:

21. Virginia Tech (-1) 22. Houston (NR) 23. Iowa (-7) 24. Mississippi State (-13) 25. USC (-2)

One team that's pretty far away from any top 10 ranking these days is Penn State, which is coming off a humiliating loss to Northwestern. The Nittany Lions plummeted 12 spots in the latest edition of the CBS Sports 138, and they're barely hanging on inside the top 50.

Oh, and to make matters worse, Penn State is one of the 10 teams that landed on our Panic Meter after Week 5.

🏀 Ranking the NBA's best starting fives

It won't be long before the 2026-27 NBA season tips off, and our team of experts is here to get you ready. Today, our own John Gonzalez is ranking the best starting fives from around the league.

In that regard, it's hard to beat the defending champion Knicks. Their quintet of oft-doubted stars returns after rolling to a title in last year's postseason. That said, they have serious competition within their own division.

The 76ers had quite the offseason, and their starting five looks a lot more formidable with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in the mix. President of basketball operations Mike Gansey deserves a lot of credit for his summer masterclass.

• Gonzalez: "He flipped Paul George and his onerous contract for Brown, a Finals MVP who is coming off the best regular season of his career and is seven years younger. Then he convinced arguably the greatest player of all time to sign for the vet minimum with a team that hasn't made it out of the second round since 2001. That's some nifty maneuvering. Add them to a newly svelte Embiid and that blur of a backcourt and the Sixers suddenly boast their best starting five (yes, yes, still on paper) since Dr. J and Moses Malone delivered their last championship in 1983."

Besides, the Knicks are currently in a contentious contract negotiation with a member of their starting five. According to Karl-Anthony Towns, extension talks "don't look good" with the season right around the corner. We've already seen one sour negotiation end on a positive note, so maybe Towns and New York can find a resolution.

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

• The NFL has announced discipline for two officials due to "unprofessional conduct toward a player."
• Arch Manning has fallen completely out of the first round in our latest 2027 NFL mock draft.
• So, is Bryce Young just going to be a star for the rest of his career?
• Dre Greenlaw explained why he was giving Sean Payton an earful after Sunday's game.
• More beef: Mike Vrabel called out a Bills DB for his criticism of Patriots WR Efton Chism III.
• Chicken or oil? College football mega boosters exchanged jabs about big-money NIL donations.
• The Big Ten is cleaning up another mess caused by one of its officiating crews.
• Our CBB experts see Illinois as the team to beat in the Big Ten this season.
• High stakes and external pressure have brought out the very best in Tom Kim.
• Lionel Messi is preparing for his final match with the Argentina national team.
• Roman Reigns set up Bloodline vs. 946 match at WWE Raw.

📺 What we're watching Tuesday

⚽ UEFA Nations League: Faroe Islands at Kazakhstan, 10 a.m. on FS2 ⚾ Game 3: Dodgers at Braves, 6 p.m. on FS1 🏒 Islanders at Rangers, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN 🏈 Southern Miss at Troy, 8 p.m. on ESPN2 ⚾ Game 3: Brewers at Padres, 9:30 p.m. on FS1 🏒 Panthers at Kings, 10 p.m. on ESPN