The Sportsletter - Power Hour 💪

BY JEFF YODER

OCT. 26, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Hello Again,

We've got new NFL Power Rankings, Champions League drama and the first college basketball preseason poll. Tomorrow turns the focus toward the World Series for the rest of the month. We want to know who you're taking at the bottom of today's edition.

Letter Rip!

NFL

Week 8 Power Rankings

Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

Seahawks & Bears Climb Into Tier 2, Top-10 Remain the Same With Minor Changes

It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time for our weekly NFL Power Rankings. Three of last week’s top-5 teams were on a bye week. The Eagles, Bills and Vikings all stayed untouched in their placements. A big Chiefs win vaulted them up one spot, and there was a shuffle in the back half of the top-10. What we do know after seven weeks? Those top eight to teams are legit. Meanwhile, the Seahawks and Bears shot up into the league’s Tier 2 spot with big Week 7 victories. AFC teams like the Colts, Broncos and Jaguars are still a mystery, and the NFC contenders with aging quarterbacks — Packers and Bucs — are struggling with sub-.500 records. Here’s where they stand heading into Week 8.

NFL Power Rankings (Week 8)

1. Eagles (6-0) | —

2. Bills (5-1) | —

3. Chiefs (5-2) | ↑1

4. Giants (6-1) | ↓1

5. Vikings (5-1) | —

6. Cowboys (5-2) | —

7. Jets (5-2) | ↑2

8. Bengals (4-3) | ↑2

9. Ravens (4-3) | ↓1

10. Chargers (4-3) | ↓3

Teams 11-20: 11. Dolphins (4-3) | 12. Titans (4-2) | 13. Rams (3-3) | 14. Seahawks (4-3) | 15. 49ers (3-4) | 16. Packers (3-4) | 17. Buccaneers (3-4) | 18. Cardinals (3-4) | 19. Colts (3-3-1) | 20. Bears (3-4)

Teams 21-32: 21. Falcons (3-4) | 22. Raiders (2-4) | 23. Commanders (3-4) | 24. Browns (2-5) | 25. Patriots (3-4) | 26. Jaguars (2-5) | 27. Saints (2-5) | 28. Steelers (2-5) | 29. Broncos (2-5) | 30. Panthers (2-5) | 31. Lions (1-5) | 32. Texans (1-4-1)

Biggest Risers: Seahawks, Bears, Commanders & Raiders

Biggest Fallers: Colts, Broncos & Jaguars

Editor's Note: Do you agree or disagree with any of today's Power Rankings? Reply to today's newsletter to share your thoughts.

Week 8 Schedule

Additional Storylines

Yahoo! Sports: NFL Power Rankings: Jets & Giants Probably Can’t Keep This Up, But Who Cares?

FOX Sports: NFL Power Rankings: Chaos is a Ladder — Up for Seahawks, Down for Packers

NFL PICK 'EM

Week 8 Picks

Let’s reset the points! We’ll keep track of our season-long leaderboard as the year rolls on, but you can join the fun at any time for a shot at weekly prizes. Week 8 picks can be made until Sunday.

Thursday Night Football Games Not Included to Allow Players to Make Picks Until Sunday Morning

SOCCER

Matchday 5: Magic Messi ✨

Photo: Catherine Steenkeste / Getty Images

Lionel Messi’s Masterclass Sends PSG Through to Knockouts; Chelsea, Benfica, Man. City  & Real Madrid Join Round of 16

Another Champions League wave crashed over Europe on Tuesday with Matchday 5, and five more teams secured their spots in the Knockout Stage. PSG were the big winners of the day with a 7-2 thrashing against Maccabi Haifa thanks to two crazy goals from Lionel Messi in the first half.. Neymar and Kylian Mbappe also scored in the onslaught. Elsewhere, a narrow win for Chelsea put the Blues through to the next round while Manchester City, Real Madrid and Benfica joined the party in 2023. Eight knockout spots are full with eight more left. Matchday 5 continues today…

Matchday 5 Highlights

Chelsea def. RB Salzburg (2-1)

Sevilla def. Copenhagen (3-0)

PSG vs. Maccabi Haifa (7-2)

Dortmund Draw Man. City (0-0)

AC Milan def. Dinamo Zagreb (4-0)

Benfica def. Juventus (4-3)

Celtic Draw Shakhtar Donetsk (1-1)

RB Leipzig def. Real Madrid (3-2)

Today’s Schedule (Matchday 5 Continued)

Inter vs. Viktoria Plzen (12:45 pm)

Club Brugge vs. FC Porto (12:45 pm)

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Marseille (3:00 pm)

Barcelona vs. Bayern (3:00 pm)

Ajax vs. Liverpool (3:00 pm)

Atletico Madrid vs. Leverkusen (3:00 pm)
Tottenham vs. Sporting (3:00 pm)

Napoli vs. Rangers (3:00 pm)

*All Times ET

Teams Advanced to Knockout Stage (8)

Napoli, Club Brugge, Bayern, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, PSG, Benfica

Additional Storylines

Eurosport: Magical Messi Inspires PSG With Mbappe & Neymar on Target

ESPN: Kai Havertz Sends Chelsea Into Champions League Round of 16

NCAA

The CBB Preseason Poll

Photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images

North Carolina & Gonzaga Headline 2022-23 Men’s NCAA Basketball Poll

It’s almost time! The 2022-23 men’s college basketball season tips off on Monday, Nov. 7, and we saw the first AP Poll of the season yesterday. North Carolina leads a blue-blooded top-10 after the Tar Heels’ magical run to the championship game last March. After Carolina, it’s another year of high expectations for Gonzaga (No. 2) while the defending champs from Kansas sit at No. 5. A few snubs and surprises round out the top-25, but we’ll be tipping off the sprint to March in less than two weeks.

AP Preseason Poll

1. North Carolina

2. Gonzaga

3. Houston

4. Kentucky

5. Kansas

6. Baylor

7. Duke

8. UCLA

9. Creighton

10. Arkansas

Full AP Top-25

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: College Basketball Preseason Awards Predictions

ESPN: What Early Polls Tell Us About the Eventual 2023 Men’s NCAA Champion

USA Today: Five Snubs From the Men’s College Basketball Preseason Poll

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🎥 THE HIGHLIGHTS

🏀 NBA: Suns Thrash Warriors in 2nd Half

Phoenix and Golden State were the marquee matchup Tuesday in the NBA, and the game was tight in the first half until the Suns took over in the second for a 29-point win (134-105). Devin Booker (34 points, 7 assists) led the way as Phoenix handed the Warriors their largest regular-season loss since Apr. 27, 2021.

🏒 NHL: Iron Man Kessel Sets NHL Record

Phil Kessel played his NHL record 990th consecutive regular season game when he took the ice for the Golden Knights last night in a 4-2 win over the Sharks. He also scored his 400th career goal to reach a milestone as he passed Keith Yandle (989) for the most consecutive games played in NHL history.

THE STORYLINES

⚾️ Aaron Judge’s Top-10 Landing Spots

With the New York Yankees eliminated from the postseason and 27 other teams also turning their attention to the upcoming offseason, the rumor mill is in full swing as we wait on the start of the 2022 World Series. Let the Aaron Judge sweepstakes begin! (Bleacher Report)

🏀 NBA Future Power Rankings

Forget about the 2022-23 season. Plenty of teams are building for the future. The Future Power Rankings are projection of the on-court success expected for each team over the next three seasons: 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25. So where do they stand? (ESPN+)

🏈 NFL Trade Deadline Moves for Contenders

The 49ers nabbed RB Christian McCaffrey and the Jets added RB Breece Hall in recent deals. Rest assured that those won't be the only notable trades that are executed between now and Nov. 1, the NFL's trade deadline. (CBS Sports)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Russian Court Denies Brittney Griner’s Appeal of 9-Year Drug Sentence (USA Today)
• Adidas Ends Partnership With Kanye West Over Antisemitic Comments (CBS Sports)
• Cristiano Ronaldo Returns to Manchester United After Controversy With Manager (B/R)
• Serena Williams Says She’s ‘Not Retired’ During Panel Discussion (SI)
• Jim Nantz to Call Last Final Four for CBS Sports in 2023 (ESPN)

• Marlins Hire Skip Schumaker as Next Manager (NBC Sports)

📊 READER POLL

World Series Predictions

The 2022 World Series begins Friday night in Houston between the Astros and Phillies. We want to know: What is your World Series Prediction?

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