Russell Westbrook Retires After 18 NBA Seasons

Russell Westbrook has announced his retirement after 18 seasons in the NBA. The 2026 college football season is just around the corner, with the start of the season only 16 days away. The CBS Sports 138 rankings have been unveiled, with Ohio State and Oregon receiving first-place votes.

Russell Westbrook has announced his retirement after 18 seasons in the NBA. This news comes as the 2026 college football season is just around the corner, with the start of the season only 16 days away.

2026 College Football Season

The CBS Sports 138 rankings have been unveiled, with Ohio State and Oregon receiving first-place votes. There were many differing opinions about teams inside the top 25, but there seemed to be a consensus about one team in particular. The 2025 season was a train wreck for LSU, but the hire of Lane Kiffin and a transfer portal haul has the Tigers at No. 10 to begin the season.

According to Chip Patterson, the Lane Kiffin effect has taken over all of college football, and it includes a massive jump from where the Tigers sank at the end of last year to the expectations of contending for a College Football Playoff in Year 1 of the new regime. LSU's investment in Kiffin and the roster has made it easy for the experts to place LSU in a top 10 or top 15, but Tigers fans are hoping the results on the field lead to moves up closer to that national title contention.

NFL Preseason Storylines

With the Hall of Fame Game serving as an hors d'oeuvre, the preseason begins in earnest tonight with six games on the slate. There won't be many MVP candidates on the field this weekend, but there will still be plenty of intrigue. Carter Bahns has highlighted the 10 preseason storylines that will shape the 2026 season, and it should come as no surprise that the No. 1 overall pick will be must-watch television over the next few weeks.

The Raiders plan to ease Fernando Mendoza into his NFL career, but how long will they be able to keep him behind Kirk Cousins if he shreds defenses in the preseason? Jayden Daniels and Stefon Diggs probably won't get much game action this preseason, but it will be worth keeping an eye on their chemistry throughout camp. The new Commanders teammates have already formed a rapport and cooked the Dolphins defense in joint practice on Wednesday.

Finally, as the preseason kicks off, some fans are feeling better than others. Bryan DeArdo has the data on the NFL's most optimistic fan bases, and No. 32 shouldn't shock anyone.

The best (and not-so-best) of the rest includes several interesting notes. It might be time for the Pirates to start worrying about Paul Skenes. Russell Wilson thinks the sky is the limit for Bears QB Caleb Williams.

Brock Bowers is one of our non-QB MVP candidates in the AFC. No, Oklahoma QB John Mateer is not too jacked to play the position effectively. Is Texas Tech being blackballed or are teams simply scared to schedule the Red Raiders?

Kyle Whittingham isn't building his tenure around hating Ohio State - and that's OK. MLB might be able to achieve parity without instituting a salary cap (and causing a strike). Islam Makhachev is building a strong case to be the UFC's new GOAT.

USMNT star Florian Balogun and Tottenham Hotspur might be the perfect match. LIV Golf has canceled its $40 million championship as the league's future remains murky.

The sports world is filled with various events and storylines. The St. Jude Championship: First round will be taking place at 9 a.m. on ESPN.

The Packers at Steelers game will be on NFL Network at 7 p.m. The Phillies vs. Twins game will be on Netflix at 7:30 p.m.

The Sparks at Liberty game will be on Prime Video at 8 p.m. The Titans at 49ers game will be on NFL Network at 9 p.m. The Mystics at Aces game will be on Prime Video at 10 p.m.

The Tijuana at Portland game will be on FS1 at 10:30 p.m.

Source: CBS Sports