Eli Lederman

National recruiting and college football reporter @espn

[Eli Lederman @ByEliLederman]

The PCSA wasn't the only bit of CFB legislation kicking around the U.S. Congress this summer.

Spoke to Senator @Eric_Schmitt and others to figure out why the 1960 Missouri Tigers became national champs 66 years later...and how we define a national title: https://t.co/HT5m4VMEx6

[Pete Thamel @PeteThamel]

Sources: Oklahoma star sophomore LT Michael Fasusi faces long odds to play at No. 2 Georgia this weekend. He’s Oklahoma’s top offensive linemen, and he’s only played limited snaps in the first half of the opener against UTEP. He’s dealing with a shoulder injury that cost him the last two games. He's Oklahoma’s best offensive lineman.

[Billy Tucker @TheUCReport]

UA Next camp footage of new Oklahoma commit Jay Schell from this past March @Jayschell1015

Quick learner who wanted to be coached. Showed off his length, versatility, and posted elite combine numbers. Big upside addition for the Sooners.

[Adam Rittenberg @ESPNRittenberg]

Oklahoma DT David Stone injured his knee when he ran into a scout team play on a jog-through, coach Brent Venables said.

"Kind of popped out. We'll see where he's at. The X-rays were positive. He said his pain was about a 2 out of 10 right now."

[Pete Thamel @PeteThamel]

Sources: Oklahoma star DT David Stone will undergo further testing Tuesday morning after leaving practice today with a lower body injury. He’s expected to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.

[Pete Thamel @PeteThamel]

Oregon WR Jeremiah McClellan is out indefinitely with a broken foot, Dan Lanning announced tonight. The injury happened warming up for the Portland State game Friday.

[Mike Brooks @MBrooks02]

Eli, I read your post about Mizzou recognizing its 1960 team as National Champions, so naturally I went back and checked my CFI numbers for that season.

CFI tells an interesting story:

Ole Miss — 173
Missouri — 156
Minnesota — 147

Minnesota was selected No. 1 by both the AP and Coaches Poll despite finishing with two losses, including the Rose Bowl loss to Washington.
But when you look at the season through the CFI, there’s certainly a statistical case for Missouri — and an even stronger one for Ole Miss.

Just another example of why those old National Championship debates are so much fun. The numbers sometimes tell a different story.

[Adam Rittenberg @ESPNRittenberg]

Texas A&M wide receiver Terry Bussey will miss the remainder of the season with a lower-body injury, per coach Mike Elko. Bussey had 7 catches for 92 yards this season.

[Arkansas State Red Wolves Athletics @AStateRedWolves]

We send our thoughts to the family and loved ones of JC Cox, our friend, colleague and football radio sideline reporter since 2022.

https://t.co/eNtIiURfXi

[Eli Lederman @ByEliLederman]

NEWS: Four-star safety Braylen Bedford, ESPN's No. 77 overall prospect in the 2028 class, has committed to Ole Miss.

The 5-foot-10 defender from Brentwood, Tennessee, was on campus in Oxford for the Rebels' win over LSU on Saturday. Bedford is the No. 7 safety in the 2028 cycle.

[Braylen Bedford @braylen_bedford]

First off I wanna thank GOD for blessing me to be in this position and thank my family for supporting all the way to this point, thank all the coaches for giving me an opportunity to be able to play college football! 🦈🦈@CoachGolding @_kbolden @drm_12 @wesnab4646 @CoachSchoonie

[Eli Lederman @ByEliLederman]

The finish will steal the headlines and paper over Jared Curtis' late-INT. Nonetheless, there was so much to like within the five-star freshman QB's debut start today.

Final line for Curtis: 20-of-34, 277 yards, 3 TD to 2 INT with 64 rushing yards on 12 carries. Promising stuff.

[SEC Network @SECNetwork]

What. Just. Happened?!?!

Vanderbilt forces the fumble in the waning seconds and recovers it in the end zone! 😱

[Eli Lederman @ByEliLederman]

Vanderbilt. My goodness.

[Eli Lederman @ByEliLederman]

https://t.co/HT5m4VMEx6

[Eli Lederman @ByEliLederman]

Missouri made a point of saying it wasn't *formally claiming* the 1960 national championship. But the new signage up in Columbia blurs that distinction.

On the Tigers' retroactive title, the push from the U.S. Senate that made it happen and how we define a national champion ⤵️

[Max Olson @max_olson]

Texas Tech goes with Tommy Castellanos for the first snap tonight and he…throws a pick.

[Pete Thamel @PeteThamel]

"We're going to a bowl game this year." How has New Mexico become a sudden Mountain West contender? Profile of coach Jason Eck's coaching journey, which includes 11 different stops, an offensive line background and a unique way to instill belief forged through his journey. https://t.co/v0zltanNKc

[PowerMizzou @PowerMizzoucom]

Good read from Eli: Included is the note that it appears #Mizzou will have some sort of permanent recognition at Faurot Field for the 1960 national championship

[robertklemko @RobertKlemko]

After quietly answering questions about his support for Putin’s agenda in a press conference, Alex Ovechkin said, “Let’s do hockey questions.” I spoke with him after and asked Russia questions until he ended the interview.

“I wanted to know more about the process of filming the ad. When did you shoot it?”

AO: “I think three weeks ago.”

“Did you tell the team you were doing it?”

AO: “No.”

“Were you surprised by the backlash?”

AO: “I'm surprised, but it is nothing you can change right now. I'm Russian, I'm gonna live there when I'm done. My kids gonna be there. My family's gonna be there, you know, I support my country. That's it.”

“I think the reason for the backlash being bigger this time is because of what Lavrov says about countries bringing “the sword” to Russia. When I talk to experts about that, it mimics messaging Russians get that says Ukraine is responsible for being invaded by Russia. So you standing behind him, as he says that, feels to people like a pro war stance.”

AO: “Well, I don't think it's a pro war. I think it's just support what's happening in Russia. I want the peace and love for everybody. It doesn't matter who you are, American, Russian, or Ukrainian. Like, I have lots of friends who are Ukrainians, and I hope everything's gonna be good, and everything's gonna be done soon.”

“It'll be done soon if Putin stops the invasion. Like, that's how it ends.”

AO: “Well, I'm not in politics. I can’t say who's right and who's wrong.”

“In that larger group, there were about 30 people with you, One of the people is Maria Lvova Belova. She's got an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for abducting Ukrainian children.”

AO: “I don't know who that is.”

“Okay. Can you understand why a congressperson says the NHL shouldn't allow you to participate because you support this regime, and this country is spending billions of dollars helping fight Russia? What's your reaction to that?”

AO: “Well, everybody have their own opinion, right? I'm not a politician, I'm an athlete, and, how I said, I'm gonna live there when I'm done playing. I support my country. Like, I'm Russian.”

“You would support it no matter what?”

AO: “Well, I'm gonna live there, yeah.”

“So if they're responsible for a genocide, you would support the genocide?”

AO: “What do you mean, genocide?”

[Media relations official translates ‘genocide’.]

AO: [Groans.] “Oh. I would say, like, I'm, I hope it's not gonna, it's not gonna be like that.”

[Ovechkin walks away]

https://t.co/FHUB9YCbE0

[Pete Thamel @PeteThamel]

LSU QB Sam Leavitt is upgraded to questionable on the latest SEC availability report.

[Pete Thamel @PeteThamel]

Sources: Syracuse heralded freshman receiver/basketball player Calvin Russell is expected to debut for the Orange football team against UConn on Oct. 3. He’s not expected to play tonight against Pitt, but has been listed as questionable and was spotted in warm-ups last week.