SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
And now it's time for sports.
SIMON: College football - who'll make the expanded playoffs? College hoops - a star in the men's game - can you imagine? Michele Steele of ESPN joins us. Why am I talking like this? Thanks for being with us, Michele.
MICHELE STEELE: Because it's fun.
SIMON: Because it's...
STEELE: And it's sports.
SIMON: ...Fun. Exactly. And it's sports. College Football Playoff Committee released its first rankings this week. On top - Oregon, Georgia and Ohio State. But, of course, the change of the format means that 12 teams make the postseason. Who are you keeping an eye on?
STEELE: Well, you mentioned some of the usual suspects there when it comes to the top of the college football rankings. I'd throw Texas and Alabama in as well. But did you know, Scott Simon, Indiana...
SIMON: Indiana.
STEELE: ...Now Indiana - now a football school. Yes, Indiana, of Bobby Knight fame, is undefeated on the gridiron. And they've won all of their games by at least 14 points, more than convincingly.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: There was a Big Ten preseason poll conducted over the summer, Scott. And out of 18 schools, you know where Indiana landed on that poll? - 17th. Well, look at them...
SIMON: Give me a...
STEELE: ...Now.
SIMON: ...Chance to answer. I knew that. Go ahead.
STEELE: (Laughter).
SIMON: OK. Yeah.
STEELE: Of course, of course - goes without saying. They got a new coach last year, Curt Cignetti. He boldly promised his program would start winning. And guess what? They have.
SIMON: Yeah. A team that maybe is the biggest surprise so far this year, Army - the Army Black Knights. They're 8 and 0, and on a 12-game winning streak. That's the longest in more than 70 years, right?
STEELE: Yeah. And there's questions about whether or not maybe they make a playoff push themselves. Are they going to compete for a national title? Probably not. You know...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...The talent level at the top, like we discussed, is just too much. But what a special season for No. 25 ranked Army. And in a way, Scott, they've really benefited from two of the biggest destabilizing forces in college football - realignment...
SIMON: Yes.
STEELE: ...Right? So the stronger teams in their conference went to other conferences. And the transfer portal, where you see players jump teams from year to year to year. Army, which, of course, is the West Point team, they're not seeing a ton of guys really come and go.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: Army coach...
SIMON: Yes.
STEELE: ...Jeff Monken has been able to develop his players and put together a really formidable team, including quarterback Bryson Daily, who's earned the nickname Captain America. He was an all-state baseball player in high school, a star basketball player. Now he's a West Point cadet...
SIMON: Wow.
STEELE: ...And leading an undefeated team. Pretty good.
SIMON: Yeah. College basketball season started this week. Did you know men play, too? It's...
STEELE: I heard. I know - rumor is.
SIMON: Women's game has had the star power recently, but...
STEELE: Of course.
SIMON: ...There's a 6'9" freshman now to Duke, Cooper Flagg.
STEELE: Yeah, Cooper Flagg, get used to hearing this name - 17 years old, freshman. He's already 6'9". I watched the game last night. And overall, you know what? He does not take a play off. His energy and intensity is big.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: He recorded his first double-double last night in just the second game of the season. And none other than LeBron James has predicted that he will be, quote, "a big-time player one day for Team USA" on the Olympic team. So you will be hearing Cooper Flagg's name in March, Scott.
SIMON: Finally, Raygun - the Australian breakdancer - Rachel Gunn announced her retirement from the sport this week. She got a lot of notoriety during the - for her performance at the Paris Olympics, which I will describe as distinctive. And she's met, unfortunately, a lot of ridicule. How will we remember her, do you think?
STEELE: Yeah. There was quite the backlash that we saw over her performance at the Summer Games. And, you know, I'm no expert when it comes to the sport of breakdancing, but I've heard that some of her moves were a little bit nonconventional, such as her kangaroo move. It was a little bit of an ode to the animal that we most associate - perhaps next to the koala - with the country of Australia.
We will not be seeing her anymore on the dance floor. And at any rate, the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles is not going to have breakdancing. So we won't be seeing her or any breakdancers in 2028. But I will remember her, Scott, for giving me my favorite costume in the last few years. I dressed up as Raygun for Halloween. I studied those kangaroo moves a few times, and that was enough to earn me second place...
SIMON: Oh.
STEELE: ...Halloween costume here in Chicago. Yeah, true story. I haven't decided definitively whether to retire the costume, but Raygun is Raydone (ph).
SIMON: Michele Steele, thanks so much.
STEELE: Sure. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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