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In college football, SportsLine's model is out with its best bets for Friday night's Big Ten showdown between Nebraska and Illinois. The Cornhuskers and Fighting Illini are set to square off in what could be a pivotal late-season clash, and the model has a clear lean — if you're watching Friday night football, this one's worth your attention.
Shifting to Austin, Texas running back Hollywood Smothers is done for the two thousand twenty six season after suffering a torn MCL against Mississippi State on Halloween. It's a brutal blow for a player who's already battled through multiple injuries this year. The Longhorns, sitting at number seven nationally, will need to find answers in the backfield down the stretch.
And over in the NBA, six teams are already being written off before the calendar even flips. With five months still on the schedule, that's a brutal early verdict, but the standings don't lie. Some franchises are staring down another long winter, and the gap between contenders and the rest of the league is already looking wide.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
