AI-assisted summary
• Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is at the center of coaching carousel speculation, with LSU and Florida as potential destinations.
• Ole Miss has set a deadline for Kiffin to announce his decision after the Egg Bowl.

The playoff race is supposed to command top billing at this stage of the college football calendar, but even debates about Notre Dame’s resume can’t hold a candle to Lane Kiffin’s all-consuming hold over the coaching carousel.

I’m imagining the “College GameDay” cameras cutting to Kiffin on a boat, where ex-wife Layla has lined up hats for Mississippi, LSU and Florida. And then Kiffin casts a line into the array, hooks one of the hats and reels it in.

The cameras cut back to the “College GameDay” set, and Pat McAfee is shirtless, and Nick Saban is discussing the plight of multimillionaire coaches.

As we await “The Decision 2.0,” here’s what lingers on my mind after college football’s Week 13:

Who’s leading the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes?

Only Kiffin could say.

Three years ago, in the days leading up to the Egg Bowl, the tea leaves sure seemed to indicate Auburn was positioned to plunder Kiffin. Then, Kiffin reversed course and announced after losing to Mississippi State on Thanksgiving night that he intended to stay.

I’m not saying Kiffin will repeat that pledge this year. I’m only saying, with Kiffin, the only thing you can expect with confidence is he’ll command the spotlight and prolong the drama for as long as he can.

Everyone wants a prediction, even if they’re glorified guesses, so here goes: Without much conviction, I’ll say Kiffin to LSU.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

MIAMI — A return for Anthony Davis appears imminent.

Though the Dallas Mavericks forward-center was downgraded to doubtful and then ruled out ahead of the team’s game on Monday, Nov. 24 against the Miami Heat, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd provided an update that points to his eventual return.

Davis has been dealing with a lower left leg injury and has missed the last 13 Mavericks games headed into Monday night. He had been dealing with an injury described as bilateral Achilles tendinopathy before he aggravated it on Wednesday, Oct. 29, during a game against the Indiana Pacers. Prior to exiting the game, Davis grabbed at his lower left leg, near his Achilles.

He did not return and has missed nearly a month with the ailment.

Here’s everything you need to know about Anthony Davis’ injury:

Anthony Davis injury update

Although the Mavericks had listed it as the Achilles injury, the team later changed the diagnosis to a calf strain, which is a tricky injury to manage.

The Mavericks, though, are planning to work Davis back to practice this week.

“He continues to get better,” Kidd told reporters prior to tipoff. “He’s working to get back. We’re anticipating him at practice this week, so any time you have a calf strain, you have to be cautious, but he has worked extremely hard. The next step is practice Wednesday, and we’ll see what happens after that.”

ESPN also reported that there was a disagreement between Davis’ personal medical staff and Mavericks director of health and performance Johann Bilsborough prior to the team’s Saturday, Nov. 8 game against the Wizards. According to the report, Bilsborough expressed concern about risking a more serious injury if Davis was rushed back too soon. Dumont, then, sided with Bilsborough.

Dallas Mavericks upcoming schedule

The Mavericks opened a four-game road trip on Monday night against Miami.

Dallas then will travel out west to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Friday, Nov. 28. Davis is with the team during this roadtrip, and took his place on the bench Monday night, in street clothes.

The Mavericks then play the Clippers (Saturday, Nov. 29) and Nuggets (Monday, Dec. 1), before heading back home to host the Heat (Wednesday, Dec. 3).

The College Football Playoff and ESPN will take more time to determine whether the field expands or stays put for 2026.

The two sides announced on Monday, Nov. 24 they have agreed to extend the deadline to determine the future format from Dec. 1 to Jan. 23, 2026. The move allows both parties to continue discussions on ‘future playoff models, scheduling details, media considerations, and long-term strategy.’

‘While no change to the current format is definite, this extension will allow the (CFP) Management Committee additional time to evaluate the second year of the expanded playoff and ensure any potential modifications are carefully considered, fully vetted, and in the best interests of student-athletes, schools, and fans,’ CFP executive director Rich Clark said in a statement.

The playoff field expanded to 12 teams for 2024 and will be in place this season, but the current debate is whether to expand it for the next season, and by how much.

There has been speculation that the CFP would increase 16 teams in the 2026 season. However, there wasn’t universal support on how the at-large teams would be selected. The Big 12, ACC and SEC favored the top five conference champions getting automatic bids, with the 11 remaining spots filled via at-large selection.

The Big Ten favored a model where 13 of the 16 spots would be determined by automatic bids − with its conference and the SEC getting four spots each. In August, the Big Ten reportedly floated the idea of a 24-team playoff that is still being pushed.

As a result, not every conference has been aligned on whether to expand.

“The move to 16 should be a priority for all of us in conference leadership,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told reporters on Nov. 15.

With the new deadline to determine expansion, it gives those in power nearly two months to determine it. The Jan. 23 deadline also comes after the national championship game on Jan. 19.

If the size of expansion and how its determined can’t be agreed upon, the playoff would likely stay at 12 teams. The current format has playoff spots determined by the five highest ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams.

The Cincinnati Bengals star receiver has returned from a one-game suspension that came after he spit on Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback, Jalen Ramsey, in Week 11. Chase and Ramsey were involved in an on-field altercation, which saw the Steelers’ defender earn an ejection from the contest.

While Chase wasn’t initially punished, he received a suspension from the league just one day later.

Now as the Bengals get ready to play on a short week, Chase took to social media and sent a message to his team, fans, the Bengals organization, the Steelers organization and the NFL community.

Here is his apology, in its entirety:

‘Please know I am speaking from my heart when I say I take full responsibility for my actions during last Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh.

What I did was wrong. The circumstances don’t matter. My passion for the game is no excuse. There’s zero place in our sport – or in life – for that level of disrespect.

I want to personally apologize to everyone within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. I let my emotions in the moment get the better of me. I can only hope and trust you know none of it represents who I am – not as a competitor, teammate, or person.

I also want to apologize to my coaches, teammates, and organization for not meeting my own standards as a leader of this team.

This has been a tough season with some incredibly hard losses. We’ve all been frustrated. But instead of stepping up with calm, class, and leadership, I let you down. My having to sit out yesterday’s game makes my actions even more inexcusable. I won’t let it happen again.

Finally, I want to apologize to my fans.

I do not take anyone who wears my jersey for granted. I do not take my position as a role model lightly. As someone who strives to lead with character and authenticity, I should have taken immediate accountability for what happened.

I am committed to earning back your respect – not just with words, but with my actions, day after day, on and off the field.

I promise to keep learning from this and to set a higher standard for myself moving forward.

With respect,

Ja’Marr Chase’

The Bengals will now look to turn the page as they try to turn their season around on Thanksgiving against the Baltimore Ravens.

Joe Burrow is set to make his return and start at quarterback and now he’ll get Chase back in the fold too.

AI-assisted summary
• Boxer Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis is accused of assaulting a former girlfriend in a Miami-area strip club, according to a civil lawsuit.
• Surveillance video and a club manager’s incident report support the woman’s allegations of battery, false imprisonment, and kidnapping.
• Davis’s scheduled exhibition fight against Jake Paul was canceled following the lawsuit and an active police investigation.
• A judge granted a temporary restraining order against Davis, but legal proceedings are stalled as authorities have been unable to serve him with a summons.

Surveillance video and an incident report compiled by a manager of a Miami-area strip club detail allegations that boxing star Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis assaulted and forcibly removed a former girlfriend from the club in late October.

An exhibition fight between Davis and Jake Paul scheduled for Nov. 14 was canceled on Nov. 3, four days after the woman filed a civil lawsuit with the 11th Judicial Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County claiming Davis committed battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping and intentional infliction of emotional distress against her.

USA TODAY obtained a copy of the manager’s incident report and, during a FaceTime call, viewed surveillance video that Richard Wolfe, one of the woman’s attorneys, said he obtained from the parent company of the Miami Gardens club through a subpoena.

Artagus Lane, a manager at Tootsie’s Cabaret, said he was working at the club during the alleged attack and later reviewed video from the club’s camera system. He said he documented what he saw for an incident report he filed with Tootsie’s Cabaret.

A copy of the club incident report obtained by USA TODAY Sports lists Lane as the person filing it and in part states, ‘Mr. Davis could be seen making gestures that gave the impression (the woman) was being forced to leave with him … Mr. Davis continued being physical by grabbing her by the neck and hair.’

Lane also said he interviewed the woman, who works as a VIP waitress at Tootsie’s Cabaret. Her name is being withheld because USA TODAY does not generally publish the identities of victims of domestic violence.

The woman said she and Davis, 31, had an intimate relationship for five months before the alleged attack took place Oct. 27. The woman also is 31, according to the club incident report Lane said he completed.

“I know she was shooken up and I just want to ensure her that her safety and everything,’’ Lane said.

Ravone Littlejohn, a representative of Davis, declined to comment to USA TODAY Sports. Davis has not commented on the allegations publicly and efforts to reach him directly were unsuccessful.

A spokesperson for Davis on Nov. 24 said the boxer will address the matter in a documentary that will be released after Thanksgiving. The spokesperson, who identified herself only as Sade, said the boxer is in Baltimore, his hometown, hosting a Thanksgiving drive at Davis’ gym, the Uptown Boxing Center.

The matter involving Davis and the alleged incident in Florida is an ‘active case,” according to the Miami Gardens Police Department. No associated criminal charges had been filed as of Nov. 24.

Strip club incident report details allegations against ‘Tank’ Davis

At 3:51 a.m. on Oct. 27, a manager at Tootsie’s Cabaret heard that one of the staff members “may have been assaulted,’ according to a copy of the incident report. A review of video footage revealed an incident did occur, according to the report.

Video footage showed a light-skinned Black man wearing a white shirt and joggers, later identified as Davis, among club patrons, according to the report. Upon seeing the woman, the man approached her and grabbed her behind her head by the hair. The woman was working her shift as a VIP waitress and Davis forced her to walk toward the stairway that leads to the kitchen, the report states.

During a Facetime call, Wolfe, the attorney, allowed USA TODAY Sports to view a copy of the video he said he obtained by subpoena from RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc., the parent company of Tootsie’s Cabaret. Gary Fishman, a spokesman for RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc., said the company would not comment on the matter.

Lane’s report provided a detailed account of the video.

“(The woman) could be seen via camera footage begging for Mr. Davis to stop …,’ Lane wrote. “… Once by the stairway you can see Mr. Davis grabbing (the woman) and pushing her by the head, and grabbing her hair in an aggressive manner (shaking it and pulling it back and forth), down the first flight of stairs.’

According to the report, another woman witnessed the incident and was trying to alert a club employee to what was happening. The struggle continued as Davis forced the woman to walk down the stairs and through the kitchen.

“(The woman) begged Mr. Davis not to put his hands on her in front of the staff while walking through the kitchen,’ Lane wrote. “After they passed through the kitchen Mr. Davis continued being physical with (her) as she was trying to figure a way to get away from him.’

Eventually, Davis and the woman entered the club’s garage, according to the report, which states the woman told Davis to get the keys to his vehicle from the valet.

 “… and once he walked ahead, (the woman) took the chance to run back into the club,’ according to the report.

Later, in the manager’s office, the woman explained the details of the incident, also listed in Lane’s report.

‘(The woman) was a bit shaking (sic) up and crying from the incident while explaining,’ Lane wrote. ‘(The woman) stated that she and Mr. Davis are acquaintances who has had issues similar to this at another club recently.”

There were no visible injuries after the alleged attack at Tootsie’s Cabaret and the woman declined medical treatment. She declined to press charges and said she needed to think about it, according to the report.

Lane’s report filed with Tootsie’s Cabaret states, ‘(The woman) said she was a bit scared for what he might do to her outside of work cause he saw her out one night at a night club and choked her out prior to her employment.”

Wolfe, one of the woman’s attorneys, said the woman pressed charges with the Miami Gardens Police Department the same day the civil lawsuit was filed.

Civil matter against Davis stalled by summons delays

When the woman filed her lawsuit, according to court records, she also filed a petition for an injunction, also known as a restraining order.

A judge granted the woman a temporary injunction against Davis and a hearing for the permanent injunction was set for Nov. 12. However, the hearing was rescheduled for Dec. 9 because Davis was not served a summons for the injunction, said Eugenio Carral, director of the Family Courts Department in Miami-Dade County.

Davis must be served a summons before a judge can rule on the petition for injunction, Carral said. He said the temporary injunction typically stays in place for only 120 days before the judge dismisses it if there has been no service on the respondent.

A judge has extended the temporary restraining order in the woman’s lawsuit, according to Carral. He said copies of the new temporary injunction have been sent to both law enforcement offices in Broward County, Florida, and Clark County, Nevada, to attempt service on Davis again.

The docket in the civil case does not show Davis has been served, according to Carral, who said Davis must be served by law enforcement because the allegations constitute a domestic violence case.

Wolfe, one of the woman’s attorneys, said his law firm has tried to serve Davis, too. He said a process server representing his firm had tried unsuccessfully three times. Wolfe shared emails exchanged between his firm and On Demand Process Service in Miami, indicating the call box at Davis’ home does not list Davis’ name.

Davis resides at a home in Southwest Ranches, Florida, according to the woman’s lawsuit. The listed owner of the home is SWR Prime LLC, according to property records.

Davis is on probation from a 2023 hit-and-run case in Baltimore, Maryland, in which he pleaded guilty to multiple traffic offenses. In March, Davis admitted he left the state without permission and his probation was extended by 18 months, according to The Baltimore Banner.