You survived the first full week of 2026

The GIST: Settle into your best RBF — the College Football Playoff (CFP) national title game is halfway set following last night’s heart-stopping semifinal, and one more squad will punch their ticket to the January 19th championship tonight. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff.

💙🌀 No. 10 Miami edges out No. 6 Ole Miss in instant classic: It was a battle to the literal final second, but the Hurricanes pulled off a wild 31–27 win thanks to the fourth-quarter heroics of quarterback (QB) Carson Beck and the Canes’ pass defense, which broke up a would-be game-winner from Rebels superstar QB Trinidad Chambliss. Truly down to the wire.

• The L was extra heartbreaking for an Ole Miss squad that lost its head coach (HC), Lane Kiffin, to rival LSU just weeks ago. But it’s especially impressive that Miami is heading to the ’ship after barely squeaking into the playoffs.

❤️🦆 No. 1 Indiana seeks to repeat October win over No. 5 Oregon: Fans started to really take the Hoosiers seriously as natty contenders following their mid-season 30–20 victory on the Ducks’ home field. Indiana’s been a juggernaut ever since, topping reigning national champ Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship and routing No. 9 Alabama in their New Year’s Day CFP quarter-final.

• That said, beating Oregon twice is no small task. Even Indiana HC Curt Cignetti’s famous composure was tested in that October matchup, and the Ducks are riding their own hot streak, eviscerating No. 12 James Madison and No. 4 Texas Tech in the first two rounds.

• Expect this one to be a high-octane QB duel: Oregon’s Dante Moore leads an aggressive offense that runs up the score every chance they get, while Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy for a reason. Friday night lights, loading.

The GIST: But wait, there’s even more high-stakes playoff football on deck: It’s also NFL Wild Card Weekend, giving us five straight days of touchdowns, tackles, and tension. We’ll preview Monday’s tilt between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers in our next newsletter. Until then, here’s a two-minute drill on this weekend’s five games. That NFL bracket won’t pick itself, after all.

🐏 LA Rams vs. 🐈‍⬛ Carolina Panthers — Tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. ET: MVP candidate QB Matthew Stafford headlines a star-studded Rams roster that’s dressing for revenge after a 31–28 upset loss to signal caller Bryce Young and these very same Panthers in Week 13.

🧀 Green Bay Packers vs. 🐻 Chicago Bears — Tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET: These bitter NFC North rivals split a pair of games in the last four weeks, and both were decided by just one score. The only way to distinguish between these evenly matched foes? Cheeseheads and cheese graters.

🦬 Buffalo Bills vs. 🐆 Jacksonville Jaguars — Sunday at 1 p.m. ET: Bills QB Josh Allen’s path to his first career Super Bowl appearance has never been clearer, but the Jags are the hottest team in football, sporting an eight-game win streak. And that’s on doing the heavy lifting.

🔴 San Francisco 49ers vs. 🦅 Philadelphia Eagles — Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET: The injury-riddled Niners are as tough as nails, but their defense is especially banged up — cause for concern if Eagles running back Saquon Barkley can replicate last season’s playoff production.

⚡ LA Chargers vs. 💙 New England Patriots — Sunday at 8 p.m. ET: The Chargers’ top-five defense will be New England’s toughest test of the season to date, but that might not matter for a Patriots offense that’s absolutely thriving with MVP hopeful QB Drake Maye under center.

🤝 You deserve better basketball coverage. That’s why we’re popping into your inbox every Friday during the Unrivaled season to break down everything that makes this fast-paced league so electric.

• What can you expect? So glad you asked: We’ll recap clutch performances, chronicle the game’s brightest stars, and preview the league’s spiciest showdowns all season long.

💌 Consider it your weekly run-down of women’s hoops brilliance, perfectly timed before every weekend of action. Opt in now — your new fave read is waiting.

Men’s leagues have had generations to become institutions…women’s leagues, including women’s lacrosse, are only now getting the structure, investment, and stability they’ve long deserved. Women’s lacrosse has lived through stops, starts, and fragmented opportunities. This past year? Everything shifted.

That’s the engine behind She’s Not Next, She’s Now — The GIST of It’s eight-part deep dive into emerging women’s sports rewriting the playbook in real time.

In episode six, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Lauren Tuiskula turn to women’s lacrosse, unpacking how the sport is evolving from a star-driven, college-centric ecosystem to one finally carving out clearer professional pathways.

• We dig into the huge role the NCAA pipeline plays, and how new investment and infrastructure is shifting that storyline.

And we spoke with the folks shaping the change: former NCAA superstar and current Boston Guard standout Charlotte North and Premier Lacrosse League and Women’s Lacrosse League VP of Lacrosse Rachael DeCecco.

This episode is about a sport that’s always had elite talent and massive participation, and is finally getting the scaffolding, visibility, and pro opportunity to match.