Shohei Ohtani’s latest surgery could impact free agency. Plus, updated NFL and college football rankings

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🗽 Good morning to everybody however particularly …

THE NEW YORK LIBERTY

The Liberty‘s offseason overhaul created championship aspirations. They took some other large step towards that purpose Tuesday night time, completing a sweep of the Mystics in a 90-85 time beyond regulation mystery.

• Even with Breanna Stewart suffering — she completed with 27 issues on simply 9 of 25 taking pictures — the Liberty controlled to crack 90 issues for the second one instantly sport. It’s the primary time in franchise playoff historical past they have had consecutive 90-point outings.
• Jonquel Jones ruled within to the song of nineteen issues and 14 rebounds, arising massive in key moments. Late within the fourth quarter, Jones grabbed an offensive rebound, were given fouled and made two free throws to drive time beyond regulation. Then with underneath a minute left in OT, Jones made a layup to stretch the result in 3.
• It’s the Liberty’s first playoff collection win since 2015, and they are going to face the winner of Sun-Lynx this night within the semifinals.

On the opposite aspect of the bracket, the Wings blew out the Dream, 101-74, to win a playoff collection for the primary time since 2009 once they had been the Detroit Shock. Dallas will face the reigning champion Aces within the semifinals.

🙌 Honorable mentions

😬 And now not any such excellent morning for …

SHOHEI OHTANI

We already knew Shohei Ohtani was once completed for 2023. Now, he is completed as a tumbler for 2024 — regardless that he is anticipated so that you can hit subsequent season — after present process surgery on his proper (throwing) elbow.

• The actual nature of the process is not but recognized. Ohtani tore his UCL remaining month, finishing his sensible however harm plagued 12 months as a tumbler. He saved batting handiest to endure an indirect harm Sept. 4. The Angels close him down for the season on Monday.
• Ohtani, 29, posted a .304/.412/.654 batting line and an AL-leading 44 house runs in conjunction with a three.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts. He leads all avid gamers with 10.0 WAR. Matt Snyder defined why Ohtani remains to be the AL MVP.
• According to a commentary from Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, surgeon Neal ElAttrache says Ohtani “will be able to hit without any restrictions come opening day of 2024 and do both (Hit & Pitch) come 2025.”

Ohtani, after all, is set to be one of the crucial largest free brokers in MLB historical past. But this surgery — mixed with the reality he had Tommy John surgery in 2018 — provides a twist, writes Mike Axisa.

• Axisa: “The surgery could not come at a worse time for Ohtani …. Ohtani is still going to cash in, of course, perhaps even securing a record contract, though the elbow surgery complicates his market. He won’t pitch next season, but when exactly will he return as a hitter? How much are teams willing to bet on Ohtani returning to form as a pitcher? We’ll find out in the coming weeks and months.”

😥 Not-so-honorable mentions

👀 NFL Power Rankings: Cowboys make some other leap

What do the 2023 Cowboys, 2019 Patriots and 1970 Lions have in commonplace?

They’re the one groups because the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to attain a minimum of 70 issues and permit 10 or fewer issues via their first two video games.

As a outcome, the dominant Cowboys are in Pete Prisco’s Power Rankings after some other leap, this one previous an NFC East rival. Here’s the highest 5:

1. 49ers (remaining week: 1)
2. Cowboys (5)
3. Eagles (2)
4. Chiefs (4)
5. Ravens (6)

Dallas’ protection is absurd. There’s such a lot pace, talent and intensity. Here’s some other stat: The Cowboys are first within the NFL with a 34.2 passer score allowed. The passer score of an incomplete go is 39.6. Basically, combatants can be higher served chucking the ball out of bounds than looking to entire a go.

It begins — and continuously ends — with Micah Parsons, writes Garrett Podell in his overreactions and fact tests.

On the opposite finish of items, 9 groups are 0-2, and since 1990, handiest 11.5% of 0-2 groups make the playoffs. But now not all is misplaced for the ones 9; in truth, that historical past suggests one in all them will be within the postseason. Cody Benjamin has one explanation why for optimism for each and every winless groups, together with …

• Benjamin: “Patriots — Even with slow, injury-riddled offensive personnel, they’ve played two legit contenders close, resulting in maybe the most impressive 0-2 record of any winless team. Of course, at the end of the day, wins are wins, and they have zero. But the Eagles and Dolphins are arguably among the NFL’s top juggernauts at full speed, and New England battled back in tight games with both, flashing a typically physical ‘D’ and a more resilient Mac Jones at QB.”

We even have something we discovered from each and every group in Week 2 and grades for the younger quarterbacks.

🏈 CBS Sports 133: Here come the Huskies

Sure, there is the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll and all sorts of score techniques, however you realize the only I consider maximum? The CBS Sports 133. That’s proper: each and every unmarried FBS group ranked from first (Georgia) to worst (sorry, Nevada).

The most sensible 4 groups — Georgia, Michigan, Florida State and Texas — stayed the similar as remaining week, however Washington is as much as No. 5. Chip Patterson explains the latest replace.

• Patterson: “Washington went on the road and throttled Michigan State 41-7, a lopsided result that still might not accurately reflect the difference between the two Power Five foes. The Huskies were up 35-0 at halftime and quarterback Michael Penix had 473 passing yards and four touchdowns before the backups took over late in the third quarter. It was a performance that stood out to our voters more than any other among top 10 teams in the CBS Sports 133.”

Another factor that makes the 133 nice? We have a most sensible 25 and a Bottom 25. Let me be the primary to let you know: It’s now not lovely on the backside.

⚽ Champions League: PSG shines, plus previewing these days’s suits

PSG‘s Champions League forays during the last few years ranged from underwhelming to heartbreaking — and on occasion each. After making the general in 2020, the Parisiens misplaced within the semifinal in 2021 and bowed out within the Round of 16 throughout each and every of the remaining two tournaments. This summer season, Lionel Messi went to Inter Miami, Neymar joined Al Hilal and PSG’s standing as contender for European supremacy took a success.

Kylian Mbappé reminded everybody his group is a contender anyplace, any time. PSG crowned Borussia Dortmund, 2-0, at the opening day of Champions League motion in the back of targets from Mbappé and Achraf Hakimi.

PSG’s “rebuild” is already at the trail to good fortune, writes Jonathan Johnson.

• Johnson: “Of course, it is early days for PSG and Luis Enrique in his new role but the overriding takeaway from the first few games and weeks of this season is that the Spaniard is turning this Paris outfit into something totally different to recent years’ editions. He is also making them entirely more watchable as they exert greater control and mastery over their opponents.”

Elsewhere Tuesday …

Here are all the rankings and highlights, and listed below are Chuck Booth’s takeaways.

We’re proper again at it with 8 extra suits these days, streaming as at all times on Paramount+.

• Real Madrid vs. Union Berlin, 12:45 p.m. (preview)
• Galatasaray vs. Copenhagen, 12:45 p.m.
• Bayern Munich vs. Manchester United, 3 p.m. (preview)
• Benfica vs. RB Salzburg, 3 p.m.
• Braga vs. Napoli, 3 p.m.
• Arsenal vs. PSV, 3 p.m. (preview)
• Sevilla vs. Lens, 3 p.m.
• Real Sociedad vs. Inter Milan, 3 p.m. (preview)

Bayern and Manchester United is a matchup steeped in historical past with the 2 golf equipment combining for 9 Champions League titles. Who comes out on most sensible? Our professionals’ alternatives are in.

📺 What we are staring at Wednesday

⚽ UEFA Champions League, main points right here
⚾ Mets at Marlins, 6:40 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Sun at Lynx, 8 p.m. on ESPN