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Seventh-ranked Texas will be the home team in the Big 12 championship game if it beats Texas Tech. The game Friday night will be the Longhorns' regular-season finale in the Big 12 before moving next year to the SEC

No. 12 Mississippi seeks its second 10-win regular season in three years, both under coach Lane Kiffin

It's hard to top the Iron Bowl in the SEC's final week of the regular season, no matter how many other traditional rivalries are taking place

Former Saints tight end Boo Williams needs surgery, medicine and doctors to make the pain in his injured neck subside

Entering the final week of Atlantic Coast Conference play, it’s already known what the title-game matchup will be: Florida State meets Louisville for the league title in Charlotte on Dec. 2

Lionel Messi said there “could have been a tragedy” after police clashed with fans during Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against rivals Brazil at the Maracana in Rio. The match was delayed by half an hour following crowd trouble in the stands, which started before kick-off and during the national anthems. In response, Brazilian police charged at the Argentina fans, with the fighting taking place in a section of the stadium that contained the visiting players’ families and friends. Some Argentina supporters ripped up seats to throw at the police, who were wielding batons, while others attempted to escape the scene. Led by Messi, the Argentina players went over to try and calm the situation. Images showed the Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez trying to grab a baton from a police officer’s hand as the Argentina players appealed for the fighting to stop. The World Cup winners then left the pitch and returned to the dressing room for more than 10 minutes. When the match eventually resumed, Argentina won a bad-tempered qualifier 1-0 to leave Brazil in crisis after suffering their third straight defeat. The clashes in the stands occurred just two weeks after similar scenes at the Copa Libertadores final between Brazilian side Fluminense and Argentine giants Boca Juniors, which was also held at the iconic Maracana stadium. “It was bad because we saw how they were beating people,” Messi told reporters after the match. “The police, as happened in the Libertadores final, were once again repressing the people with night sticks. “We went to the locker room because it was the best way to calm everything down, it could have ended in tragedy. “You think about the families, the people who are there, who don’t know what’s going on and we were more concerned about that than playing a match that, at that point, was of secondary importance.” The Argentina players were joined by Brazil captain Marquinhos as they appealed for calm in the stands. The defender said: “We were worried about the families, women and children that we were seeing in panic up there in the stands. “Down on the pitch it was hard for us to understand what was going on, it was a very scary situation.” On the pitch, Argentina took a huge step towards qualifying for the 2026 World Cup as Nicolas Otamendi’s header secured a 1-0 win, but the match was littered with fouls, skirmishes and cards. Brazil finished with 10 men after Newcastle’s Joelinton was sent off for hitting Argentina’s Rodrigo de Paul in the face. Brazil have now lost successive matches to Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina and are eight points behind the world champions in the qualifying table. The five-time World Cup winners sit sixth, which is the last spot that guarantees qualifying for the finals, after six rounds.

James McClean has backed the Republic of Ireland’s new generation to fulfil their potential after calling time on his international career. The 34-year-old won his 103rd and last Ireland cap in Tuesday night’s 1-1 friendly draw with New Zealand and bade an emotional farewell to team-mates and fans alike after a 11 and a half years in the green shirt during which he played at the finals of two major tournaments. McClean may not be the only man whose time in the international set-up has drawn to a close, with manager Stephen Kenny now out of contract and not expecting an extension after a disappointing Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, although the Wrexham defender is convinced the foundations he has put in place will pay dividends. Speaking after the game, he said: “I’m going to call it how I see it. There is so much ability here. These lads are young – that’s not making excuses for them. International football is a whole different level. “These will get better with experience and with that experience, I’ve no doubt that down the line, these lads will bring the glory days back – and when I say glory days, I mean qualifying for major tournaments. “They just need to believe in themselves because the ability is there, it’s just getting that consistency and doing it every single game, and I’ve no doubt that will come with experience.” McClean knows what it takes to qualify for tournaments having represented Ireland at both Euro 2012 and ast France 2016, too. It was at the latter that the Republic secured one of their most significant victories, a 1-0 win over Italy in Lille which set up a last-16 clash with hosts France. McClean said: “That night in Lille when we beat Italy was… I’ve said this before, I wish you could bottle that because if you could bottle that and sell it, you’d be laughing. Absolutely phenomenal. “It’s been absolutely amazing. From the second I stepped on the pitch against the Czech Republic in 2012, the fans here in the stadium have been absolutely phenomenal, home and away. “That was something again that was very special. I pride myself on how your nearest and dearest, your team-mates, view you as a person and tonight that showed how they viewed me. “I’ve struck up some great relationships with the lads over the years and it’s something that I will miss, the camaraderie around the squad and going into battle with these lads.” McClean announced his decision to step back from international football last month and had no regrets about doing so after his final appearance. He said: “I think this is the right time to go. Not many people get to go out on their terms. I’ve had the absolute time of my life. I’ve achieved so much. Beyond my wildest dreams. I’ve had my time. “The lads were saying tonight, ‘why didn’t you cry? I would have cried’. But I don’t see the need to cry because like I said, I had the time of my life. I’ve had so many happy memories and it’s been an absolute honour.” Read More On This Day in 2017 – Everton’s Oumar Niasse hit with retrospective diving ban Performing under pressure – remembering England’s dramatic 2003 World Cup win Jason Robinson has yet to watch a rerun of England’s World Cup success Rob Page draws on play-off experience after Wales miss out on Euro qualification Stephen Kenny admits dream job is probably over James McClean’s Republic of Ireland farewell ruined by New Zealand friendly draw

World champions Argentina’s 1-0 win over Brazil was marred by crowd trouble at the Maracana Stadium. Kick-off was delayed by half an hour in Rio de Janeiro after rival fans and police clashed, with both sets of players trying to calm the situation down before eventually returning to the dressing room before the game could commence. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was filmed trying to climb the hoarding to stop a police officer wielding a baton before being pulled away by team-mates. Once the order was restored, Nicolas Otamendi’s second-half header gave Argentina an historic World Cup qualifying victory, with Joelinton sent off for the hosts. Lionel Messi said on Argentina’s X feed: “This group continues to achieve historic things. Although today was not the most important, it is something very nice. “We needed this victory after the defeat against Uruguay. “We knew it was going to be a tough game, similar to the one in the Copa America final. They pressed a lot, they went to look for us high up and it was difficult for us to have long possessions. These games are defined by details.” It was Brazil’s first-ever home defeat in a World Cup qualifier and their third in a row after previous losses to Uruguay and Colombia, with their path to the 2026 World Cup looking decidedly shaky. The hosts were the better side in the first half and could have taken the lead just before the break but Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli saw his shot cleared off the line by north London nemesis Cristian Romero. Martinelli missed another key chance after the break, with Martinez denying him from close range. The defending champions took a 63rd-minute lead when former Manchester City defender Otamendi headed home Giovani Lo Celso’s corner with their only effort on target of the night. Newcastle’s Joelinton saw red in the last 10 minutes when he struck out at Rodrigo De Paul to compound a miserable night for the hosts, with the inquest to their poor form and the ugly scenes in the stadium set to rumble on. Read More Football rumours: Giovani Lo Celso may help solve Barcelona’s Gavi problem On This Day in 2017 – Everton’s Oumar Niasse hit with retrospective diving ban Performing under pressure – remembering England’s dramatic 2003 World Cup win Jason Robinson has yet to watch a rerun of England’s World Cup success Rob Page draws on play-off experience after Wales miss out on Euro qualification Stephen Kenny admits dream job is probably over

What the papers say The Daily Mail says Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso has emerged as a loan option for Barcelona to fill their Gavi-shaped gap. The Spanish side are reportedly unlikely to look for a permanent replacement after they received £6million in compensation from FIFA following the Spain international’s knee injury. According to the Mirror, Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira could get the green light from Arsenal to join Marseille on loan. Chelsea are keen to part with Romelu Lukaku in the summer transfer window, with Italian side Roma eager to make the 30-year-old’s loan move permanent, the Evening Standard reports. Social media round-up Players to watch Gleison Bremer: The Juventus and Brazil centre-back is reportedly keen to move to the Premier League, as per the Telegraph. Dusan Vlahovic: The 23-year-old Serbian striker is looking to sign a contract extension at Juve, 90min reports, even though there is rumoured interest from Arsenal and Manchester United. Read More On This Day in 2017 – Everton’s Oumar Niasse hit with retrospective diving ban Performing under pressure – remembering England’s dramatic 2003 World Cup win Jason Robinson has yet to watch a rerun of England’s World Cup success

Oso Ighodaro had 21 points and nine rebounds as No. 4 Marquette routed No. 1 Kansas 73-59 in the Maui Invitational semifinals

Edson Álvarez saved Mexico from elimination with a goal in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time and El Tri beat Honduras 4-2 on penalty kicks to qualify for next year’s Copa América along with Jamaica, which rallied past Canada

Everton striker Oumar Niasse became the first Premier League player to be hit with a retrospective suspension for diving on this day in 2017. The Senegal international was handed a two-match ban by the Football Association after winning a controversial penalty, under pressure from Scott Dann, in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Niasse’s punishment came six months after the FA voted in favour of introducing new laws in an attempt to clamp down on players diving or feigning injury. Everton caretaker boss David Unsworth felt a “dangerous precedent” could be set by the sanction. “I think these people (the FA) will be very busy,” he said. “He (Niasse) was shocked and I was shocked (by the charge). “It’s a dangerous precedent that could be set if decisions are given against you which are debatable.” Niasse denied he had “committed an act of simulation” which led to a spot-kick being awarded in the fifth minute of the game in south London. But he was found guilty by the FA’s Independent Regulatory Commission, which includes former players. Leighton Baines converted the contentious penalty to cancel out James McArthur’s early opener before Niasse earned Everton a point by equalising following a goal from Eagles forward Wilfried Zaha. Palace boss Roy Hodgson said: “My only satisfaction is that the FA and the people who make those decisions have sided with me rather than the player.” Read More Performing under pressure – remembering England’s dramatic 2003 World Cup win Jason Robinson has yet to watch a rerun of England’s World Cup success Rob Page draws on play-off experience after Wales miss out on Euro qualification