AP Sports SummaryBrief at 12:44 p.m. EST

Source: Man United does 'due diligence' on Pochettino becoming its next coach MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United is working on a potential deal to have U.S. men’s team coach Mauricio Pochettino to replace Michael Carrick, who is under pressure after a dismal start to the season. United is in 18th place in the Premier League standings after 10 rounds, the club’s worst start in the modern era. A source told The Associated Press that preparations to appoint Pochettino have been carried out as a matter of “due diligence.” Pochettino, who has coached in the Premier League before, is under contract with the U.S. team through the 2030 World Cup. Astros bring back former catcher Brad Ausmus as their manager after Joe Espada exit HOUSTON (AP) — Brad Ausmus was named manager of the Houston Astros on Wednesday. New general manager Randy Flores made the announcement, which brings Ausmus back to the place where he spent 10 years of his playing career. He replaces Joe Espada, whose contract wasn’t renewed after the Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox in a Wild Card series. Ausmus is the 21st manager in franchise history. This is the third managerial job for Ausmus, who managed the Angels in 2019 and spent 2014-17 leading the Tigers. He most recently worked as the bench coach for the Yankees from 2024 through last season. Kirk Cousins returns to Minnesota, while Jonathan Taylor stays in Indianapolis Kirk Cousins is returning to Minnesota. Keenan Allen is heading to San Francisco. Josh Downs is going to Kansas City. Jonathan Taylor is staying in Indianapolis. The Colts’ decision to keep the three-time Pro Bowl running back was the biggest surprise Tuesday when several teams filled needs ahead of the trade deadline. Buffalo added safety Amani Hooker, Denver got linebacker Daiyan Henley, and Baltimore and Atlanta swapped offensive linemen. The Vikings turned to a familiar quarterback to try to rescue a woeful offense, acquiring Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders in a move that bolsters their chances in a competitive NFC North. Inside the numbers: Blowouts are common, close games rare so far in this NBA season MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is seeing an unprecedented number of blowouts this season, with an average winning margin of 13.8 points per game. This is the most lopsided start in league history. So far, there have been more games decided by 30 or more points than by three points or less. Chicago is being outscored by 16.7 points per game, which could set a record. Meanwhile, elite scorers like Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, and Victor Wembanyama are averaging more than one point per minute. This feat has only been achieved by Wilt Chamberlain in the 1961-62 season. Lopsided divisions leave 6-3 Packers in last place and 3-5 Panthers in first place Back-to-back wins have the Green Bay Packers on a roll with a 6-3 record headed into the second half of the NFL season. The Carolina Panthers have lost three straight and have the opposite record with a 3-5 mark. Yet amazingly, the Packers currently sit in last place in the historically tough NFC North, while the Panthers are in first thanks to another season of mediocrity for the NFC South. Nonprofit local news isn't free! It takes reporters, editors, and resources to do this work right. Your donation keeps that work alive. MAKE YOUR DONATION TODAY Georgia nabs top spot in CFP rankings, while Notre Dame jumps ahead of Miami after beating 'Canes Georgia moved into the top spot in Tuesday night’s College Football Playoff rankings, while Notre Dame moved up six notches to No. 5 to leapfrog two spots ahead of Miami on the strength of its win over the Hurricanes last weekend. The second of the CFP’s six rankings reveals had its usual share of head-scratchers, starting with Indiana dropping five spots to No. 9 despite not playing last weekend. The rest of the 12-team bracket would include No. 2 Utah, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 UCLA. Then, it was Texas at No. 6, Tennessee at 8, BYU at 10 and Kentucky at 11. No. 24 Boise State would get the last spot as the best team among the Group of Six. College football picks: No. 8 Texas, No. 10 Texas Tech will go down this weekend Football Bowl Subdivision teams are taking care of the ball better than they have through a 10th week of a season in at least a quarter century. The average of 2.2 giveaways per game and interception rate of 2.3% are lowest at this point in a season since at least 2000 and the fumble rate of 1.8% is the lowest since at least 2013. That's according to Sportradar. Nebraska is yet to lose a fumble and South Florida is yet to throw an interception. Arch Manning leads Texas into his bayou backyard for a key matchup with LSU AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Arch Manning has been to LSU's Tiger Stadium many times for epic night games in a building with the ominous nickname of Death Valley. Manning is a native son of the Bayou State. For kids like him, LSU games were the center of the football universe. Manning returns to the LSU campus on Saturday night as quarterback of the Texas Longhorns, starring in Act III of the Manning family legacy tour. Manning already has a road win at Tennessee and a home win over Mississippi. A night game at LSU with both teams fighting to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive could be the wildest of them all. By the Numbers: The NFL’s Germany push rolls on as the Lions and Patriots head to Munich MUNICH (AP) — The Detroit Lions and New England Patriots square off Sunday in Munich for what will be the NFL’s sixth regular-season game in Germany. Munich hosted the first one in 2022 and again in 2024. Frankfurt has staged two games — in back-to-back weeks in 2023. Berlin joined the party last season. Germany is the NFL’s biggest European market, and more games are already under contract. Berlin is set to host again in 2027 and 2029; and Munich in 2028. After crashing out at the Olympics, Ilia Malinin starts the long road back to the next Winter Games Ilia Malinin is back on the ice, nine months after winning his third world championship and 10 months after a shocking performance at the Milan Olympics, where the heavily favored American crashed off the podium altogether. The 21-year-old Malinin will make his season debut on Friday night at Skate America, in Everett, Washington. It's the first of two Grand Prix assignments for Malinin, and the first step in a four-year trek toward the next Winter Games in France. Malinin's short program is a tribute to those in the figure skating community who were killed when their American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter in January 2025. Donate now to support local nonprofit news in Lancaster County Newsletter Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Sports Our daily sports newsletter, delivered at 6 a.m. Please enter a valid email address. Sign up By opting into newsletters you are agreeing to our privacy policy . What to Read Next