Bears crash the Super Bowl conversation by beating Seahawks; Miami up to No. 1 in CFB Power Rankings
This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here . Only four more days to one of the best Saturdays of the 2026 college football season. The marquee matchup amid a loaded slate features No. 1 Miami against No. 4 Notre Dame in South Bend. As it just so happens, that's exactly where those two land in this week's College Football Power Rankings . The Hurricanes snuck into the top spot with Ohio State sinking like a stone to No. 10. Notre Dame and Miami should produce a certified banger on the field, but as our own Brandon Marcello explains, Notre Dame Stadium has rarely been kind to the Canes. As always, I'm not stingy enough to deny the masses a sneak peek, as long as you check out the entire rankings : 16. Wake Forest (+2) 17. USC (NR) 18. Iowa (+3) 19. Houston (--) 20. Arizona (-6) That matchup will feature three Heisman Trophy frontrunners -- Malachi Toney , Darian Mensah and C.J. Carr . Who will emerge to produce a Heisman moment or two? Another team that's riding high this week is USC , which jumped 14 spots in the CBS Sports 138 with a top-five win over the Buckeyes. I should also remind you that the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season will be revealed tonight. Here is what you can expect when you tune in. Also, do yourself a favor and subscribe to the "Cover 3 Podcast" so you'll be alerted when our crew goes live to discuss the rankings. By now, I think we all know that the 2027 NFL Draft quarterback class won't be what it was hyped up to be over the summer . That doesn't mean there aren't any franchise quarterbacks in the mix, though. One of the most exciting prospects is Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker , who has made the jump to the Power Four level with ease. Our own Ryan Wilson loves what he's seen on tape from Mestemaker, who leads the Big 12 in passing yards and is tied for the FBS lead in passing touchdowns. So, which team is lucky enough to select Mestemaker in Wilson's latest 2027 NFL mock draft ? It just so happens to be the Browns , a team that has been searching for its next franchise quarterback for what seems like an eternity. Here's a quick look at how Wilson sees the bottom of the first-round playing out : 28. Steelers -- Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss 29. Broncos -- Kyngston Viliamu-Asa, LB, Notre Dame 30. Vikings -- Jayden Maiava, QB, USC 31. 49ers -- Nick Marsh, WR, Indiana 32. Bills -- Boubacar Traore, EDGE, Notre Dame For the moment, any team in need of a quarterback will have to poke around the trade market. Although there aren't any franchise superstars available, some quality stopgap options could be on the move . I'm looking at you, Ravens . Don't start the UDFA rookie on Thursday. ⚽ We'll be tuned into the UEFA Champions League all day on Paramount+. Here's how to watch . 🏀 Wofford at No. 8 Tennessee (M) , 6 p.m. on SEC Network 🏈 Ohio at Akron , 7 p.m. on ESPN2 🏀 Drexel at No. 9 Virginia (M) , 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network 🏈 Buffalo at Miami (OH) , 8 p.m. on ESPN
