August slipped away into a moment in time

The GIST: Sound the alarm — college football returns in full this weekend, but things have changed quite a bit since Michigan strutted away with the signs ’ship last January. With three top-25 matchups highlighting opening week, here’s what you need to know before kickoff.

There’s a new playoff format: The College Football Playoff (CFP) has expanded from four to 12 (!!!) teams, who’ll compete in a new bracket-style tournament that adds eight more playoff games, not to mention more postseason excitement, viewership, and advertising money. Make it rain.

• Most importantly, the expanded format will help put an end to wild playoff snubs, like the one that kept undefeated FSU from competing for the title last season.

• There’ll always be bubble teams, but this change brings more programs — namely one- or even two-loss teams — into the hunt, amping up the end-of-season drama.

No. 1 Georgia is the team to beat: The Bulldogs lost just one game in the past two seasons and are projected to be similarly dominant this year (despite some major roster moves). But No. 2 Ohio State could give them a run for their money, especially after some big transfer portal pickups.

• Rounding out the top four are two teams looking to make a splash in their new conferences: No. 3 Oregon (Big Ten) and No. 4 Texas (SEC), both of whom will be powered by star quarterbacks (QB): Dillon Gabriel for the Ducks and Quinn Ewers for the Longhorns. Touchdowns, loading.

Don’t sleep on these Canadian footballers: A number of Canucks will be hitting the college gridiron this season. Two to know? Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke and Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor.

• Rourke is fighting back from a torn ACL suffered at Ohio and will be competing against top Big Ten squads for the first time, while Ayomanor boasts the Jon Cornish Trophy for best Canadian in college football, awarded after his All-American freshman year. Game on.

The GIST: We’re less than one week out from the NFL season kicking off (six days, but who’s counting?), meaning fantasy football drafts are in full swing as folks select and manage imaginary rosters for the season ahead.

• Whether you’re new to fantasy football or a seasoned vet, our deep dive and today’s section are here to help you choose your squad. The only hard part will be coming up with a creative team name.

✅ Select running backs (RB) and wide receivers (WR) in the early rounds: RBs and WRs are drafted early and often, and for good reason — they accumulate the most points compared to other positions. This year, San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (aka Mr. Universe) is the consensus No. 1 overall pick after he averaged a league-best 24.5 points per game last season.

💡 You’ve selected your top dogs, what’s next? Use the “best available” list on your draft homepage to help fill out the rest of your roster. Try not to pick players with the same bye weeks…it’s all fun and games until all of your RBs are resting on the same Sunday.

💪 Top players to add to your draft day wishlist: Aside from the aforementioned CMC, RBs Breece Hall (NY Jets), Bijan Robinson (Atlanta Falcons), and Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts) are topping draft boards while CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions), and Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings) are holding it down for the WRs. May the draft order odds be ever in your favor.

• Notably missing from the top player picks? QBs. Though they’re the most important player on actual NFL rosters, don’t waste an early fantasy football pick on a signal-caller — most QBs will get the job done.

⭐ Most importantly, don’t forget to update your lineup weekly: Injuries, matchups, and bye weeks all impact which players you should start (the ones that can contribute points to your team’s total) and which ones will be riding the pine. P.S. you can also trade, drop, and add players to your lineup all season long. Happy managing!

Summer’s almost over, but the sport of the summer is just getting started. More women than ever are trying out golf, and Golf Canada’s going all in to make the game more inclusive through initiatives like the She Plays Golf Festival.

• She Plays Golf is all about showing newbies they belong and providing competitive opportunities for aspiring pros. And after the success of the 2023 Calgary edition, they added Toronto and Vancouver to the mix this summer.

• Want in on the next festival? Follow Golf Canada or email Golf Canada to join the movement. A fantastic community — and a fun, new hobby — is waiting for you on the links.