Mick Schumacher looks completely calm. There is a sense, even if just for a fleeting moment, that Formula One and the outside world are a million miles away. This feels like a safe space for him, the eerie quiet of the North Texas ranch broken only by the throaty engine notes of Schumacher's off-road Can-Am Maverick X3 as he drives around a track. The circuit is dug into the brown Texan soil in the far corner of the 400-plus-acre property his family owns. "I could do this all day," he says with a grin as he removes his race helmet and steps away from the off-road buggy after one practice run. Nick Capone Jersey It's the old cliché about race drivers spending their free time driving cars, but you know Schumacher is telling the truth. This Mick Schumacher is not the same one you would find at a Formula One racetrack. There's a different kind of calm about him. When the engine slows to a halt, the tranquil silence of the surroundings returns. The huge land around us feels like a sacred space, untouched, a place not sensationalised by documentary makers or photographers -- this is the Schumacher family ranch, just north of Gordonville, Texas.Logan Terness Jersey "It's a retreat, a spot where I can do whatever I want," Schumacher tells ESPN. "Not having the feeling that I'm observed or looked at. I just come here to enjoy my time." Ryan Tverberg Jersey

Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been charged by the Football Association (FA) with breaching betting rules more than 200 times, the governing body said on Wednesday. The FA said in a statement that it was alleged the 26-year-old, who was charged with misconduct, breached the rules 232 times between 2017 and 2021. Toney has until Nov. 24 to respond the charges. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Emari Demercado Jersey A report in the Daily Mail newspaper this month said Toney had been under investigation for around seven months in relation to the alleged betting activity before he played for Brentford. Emani Bailey Jersey It added there were no suggestions that he had betted on his own team to lose matches. "Brentford has been informed that Ivan Toney has been charged with breaches of FA Rule E8," Brentford said in a statement. Quentin Johnston Jersey "The club has been in discussion with Ivan and his legal representatives about this matter and those conversations will continue privately. We will make no further comment until the matter has been completed." After the newspaper report was published, Toney said he was assisting the FA with its enquiries. He was not named in Gareth Southgate's England squad for the World Cup in Qatar which begins on Sunday.

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo said he was close to signing for bitter rivals Manchester City last year but former manager Alex Ferguson asked him not to. Ronaldo said Ferguson persuaded him to re-join United for a second spell at Old Trafford when he moved from Juventus in August, 2021 on a two-year deal, returning to the club where he won eight major trophies from 2003-2009. Jack Frank Jersey - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) "Well, honestly, it was close... It's something they spoke [about] a lot and [Manchester City manager Pep] Guardiola said two weeks ago, I guess, that they tried hard to have me," Ronaldo told Piers Morgan in an interview for TalkTV, the first part of which was aired on Wednesday. "But as you know, as my history [was] in Manchester United, your heart, your feeling... make the difference. And of course, as well, Sir Alex Ferguson. Joey Hauser Jersey "I was surprised... But it was a conscious decision. Because the heart speaks, speaking loud in that moment." He added that Ferguson's intervention helped him make up his mind to join United. "I think it was the key. It was the difference in that moment, but I cannot be loyal if I will, I wouldn't say that Manchester City wasn't close," Ronaldo said. "I spoke with him [Ferguson]... He said to me that, 'It's impossible for you to come to Manchester City'. "And I say, 'OK, Boss'. So I took the decisions and... it was a good decision." - Ronaldo to miss World Cup warm-up with stomach bug Mitch Jebb Jersey In an excerpt of the interview published on Sunday, Ronaldo said that United had betrayed him and alleged he was being forced out of the club. The Portugal forward also said United did not support him when his daughter was taken to hospital in July, doubting him and showing a lack of empathy when he did not arrive on time for pre-season training. United said on Monday that they would address Ronaldo's comments that he felt betrayed by the club and was being forced out only after establishing the full facts. Casey Mayes Jersey Co-chairman Joel Glazer, football director John Murtough, chief executive Richard Arnold and manager Erik ten Hag held a meeting on Monday while United have also sought legal advice about how best to solve the issue. Ten Hag, according to ESPN sources, believes he cannot work with Ronaldo again after the striker said that he "doesn't respect" the Dutchman, and has communicated that view to the Glazers, Arnold and Murtough. Sources have also told ESPN that the majority of the squad do not believe there is a way back for Ronaldo particularly because Ten Hag has taken such a hardline on squad discipline since taking over as a manager in the summer.

CHICAGO -- The Bears placed running back Khalil Herbert on injured reserve Tuesday. Herbert's 6.0 yards per rush are tied with Dallas' Tony Pollard for highest output by a running back this season. Herbert's 643 rushing yards on 108 carries through 10 games rank just outside the top 10 and are the second most by a Bears player behind quarterback Justin Fields (749). The second-year running back has also scored four touchdowns. Braelen Bridges Jersey Herbert suffered a hip injury on the Bears' final kick return against the Detroit Lions last Sunday. He has returned five kicks for 146 yards this season, and his absence might mean Chicago will go back to rookie Velus Jones Jr. on kickoff returns. Jones, a third-round wide receiver, was a healthy scratch in Weeks 9 and 10. EDITOR'S PICKS NFL Power Rankings: Checking in on hot seats across the league, from Russell Wilson to Mike McCarthy 20hNFL Nation reporters Jailyn Ingram Jersey First look at the 2023 NFL offseason: Biggest needs, contract situations to monitor for each team 22hMatt Miller, +2 More The Bears will now have the chance to evaluate sixth-round rookie Trestan Ebner, who has 18 carries for 46 yards in 10 games. David Montgomery remains Chicago's lead rusher (115 carries, 434 yards, two TDs), but the contributions from Fields in the run game has the Bears boasting the NFL's top rushing offense at 201.4 yards per game. Aaron Cook Jersey The Bears have rushed for at least 200 yards in five straight games, including Sunday's 31-30 loss to Detroit, which is tied for the third-longest streak in the Super Bowl era. Herbert will have to miss at least four games before he can return and will first be eligible to come off IR ahead of Chicago's Week 15 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Also Tuesday, the Bears waived defensive end Kingsley Jonathan.

Both approaches highlight the candidates' most glaring liabilities. Amid generationally high inflation and with Biden's popularity lagging in Georgia, Warnock wants voters to make a localized choice, not a national referendum on Democrats as a whole. Georgia's first Black U.S. senator, Warnock pitches himself as a pragmatist who cuts deals with Republicans when they're willing and pushes Democratic-backed cost-cutting measures when they're not. Among the top accomplishments Warnock touts: capping the cost of insulin and other drugs for Medicare recipients. Vance Honeycutt Jersey "I'll work with anybody to get things done for the people of Georgia," Warnock said. Walker, meanwhile, denies that he's ever paid for an abortion. And glossing over a cascade of other stories -- documented exaggerations of his business record, academic achievements and philanthropic activities; publicly acknowledging three additional children during the campaign only after media reports on their existence -- Walker touts his Christian faith and says his life is a story of "redemption." Through the scrutiny he calls "foolishness," the Republican nominee has campaigned as a cultural and fiscal conservative. Walker, who is also Black, pledges to "bring people together" while framing Warnock as a divisive figure on matters of race and equality. Walker justifies his attack using snippets of Warnock's sermons in which the pastor-senator discusses institutional racism. Angel Zarate Jersey Republicans used similar tactics against Warnock ahead of his runoff victory on Jan. 5, 2021. Warnock won that contest by about 95,000 votes out of 4.5 million cast. Mikey Madej Jersey Runoff dynamics this year would vary widely depending on the Senate makeup. If the Senate majority already has been settled, it could make it easier for Warnock to frame the race as a localized choice between himself and Walker. But if the Georgia outcome determines which party will hold a majority and set the agenda, Walker could have the upper hand in his effort to tie Warnock to Biden and national Democrats.

ATLANTA -- Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker will meet in a Dec. 6 runoff in Georgia after neither reached the general election majority required under state law. Walker had a storied career at the University of Georgia from 1980 to '82. He led the Bulldogs to an undefeated record and national championship in 1980. In 1982, he won the Heisman Trophy. Georgia went 34-5 in his three seasons. David Lamanna Jersey After a stint in the USFL, Walker played for more than a decade in the NFL, making two Pro Bowls. But it's not just football that voters are paying attention to. Walker's rocky past came under scrutiny during the campaign and will again in the four-week blitz up to the runoff. Republicans, meanwhile, are hammering Warnock over inflation during the Democratic administration. Depending on the outcomes in other Senate contests, this could reprise the 2020 election cycle, when two Senate runoffs in Georgia doubled as a national winner-take-all battle for Senate control. Victories from Warnock and Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., left the chamber divided 50-50 between the two major parties, with Vice President Kamala Harris giving Democrats the tiebreaking vote. Cormac Ryan Jersey It will mean another month of Warnock hammering Walker, who is making his first bid for public office, as unqualified and Walker assailing Warnock as a rubber stamp for the White House. "Raphael Warnock votes with Joe Biden 96% of the time," Walker has told voters repeatedly. "He's forgotten about the people of Georgia." Prentiss Hubb Jersey Warnock, who is also the senior minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, answers that Walker is "not ready" and "not fit" for high office. That's an allusion to the celebrity athlete's rocky past, from allegations of violence against his ex-wife to accusations by two women Walker once dated that he encouraged and paid for their abortions despite his public opposition to abortion rights.

Tennessee Volunteers EDITOR'S PICKS Georgia, OSU, Michigan, TCU latest CFP top four 1dAndrea Adelson Why Alabama's season fell apart -- and what Nick Saban can do about it 3dAlex Scarborough Adrian Colon-rosado Jersey Debating NFL draft questions, risers, Heisman picks: Who stood out in Georgia's win over Tennessee? 2dMel Kiper Jr., +2 More D\'andre Smith Jersey Let's get this straight. A week ago, Tennessee was the best team in the country with easily the best resume. Then the Vols go to Georgia, lose to the new No. 1 team in weather that did little to help Hendon Hooker and the offense, and suddenly they're No. 5? Meanwhile, ahead of Tennessee in the pecking order is TCU, which jumped from seven to four, despite struggling to get past Texas Tech. Ohio State jumped Tennessee even though the Buckeyes looked bad against woeful Northwestern. Michigan, too, jumped Tennessee despite losing to Rutgers at the half. Garret Guillemette Jersey ESPN's strength of record still says Tennessee is the second-best team in the country. Just because the Volunteers happened to run into the juggernaut that is Georgia shouldn't negate all that came before. Just ask Oregon. Carson Lambert Jersey

2. UCLA Bruins (8-1) There is one Pac-12 team that is clearly better than UCLA, and that's Oregon. The Ducks beat UCLA convincingly in Eugene on Oct. 22. So we understand why Oregon is ranked higher. But six spots higher? With USC somehow in between? Corson Ceulemans Jersey UCLA beat Utah. USC lost to Utah. USC is ranked higher than UCLA. Make that make sense. Brock Caufield Jersey You can't. Even Utah, which was drubbed by the Bruins and has one more loss, is just one spot behind UCLA. Is the Cal university board slipping a few sawbucks to the committee just to spite UCLA for its move to the Big Ten? Otherwise, there's simply no cause to have the Bruins as the second-lowest ranked one-loss Power 5 team.https://www.wisconsinalumnigear.com