With just two weeks left in the regular season, there was very little change, at least at the top, in the third edition of the College Football Playoff selection committee's rankings, which were released on Tuesday.

The top seven teams -- Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Michigan and Michigan State -- all won this past weekend, so their rankings remain unchanged from a week ago.

The top-ranked Bulldogs improved to 10-0 with a 41-17 victory at Tennessee, which gave them a perfect 8-0 record in the SEC for the first time in school history. They remain on a collision course to play the No. 2 Crimson Tide in the Dec. 4 SEC championship game in Atlanta. Alabama was a 59-3 winner over New Mexico State at home on Saturday.

The No. 3 Ducks remained one spot ahead of the Buckeyes, as the committee apparently still gives a lot of weight to Oregon's 35-28 victory at Ohio State on Sept. 11.

"Head to head is certainly one of the criteria that we use and one of the things we evaluated," said Iowa athletic director Gary Barta, the committee chairman. "In Oregon's case, Oregon has been playing terrific football as of late; they won the other day against Washington State. Ohio State is playing some of the best offense in the country; they had a convincing win against Purdue. But when it comes down to those two, the fact that Oregon went to Ohio State and beat them in the Horseshoe, when the vote came down this week, that's the way the vote came out."

However, Michigan remains one spot ahead of rival Michigan State, even though the Spartans defeated the Wolverines 37-33 at home on Oct. 30.

"With Michigan and Michigan State, the committee when we met a week ago, the committee talked about Michigan being a more complete team," Barta said. "Since then, another game has been played. Michigan State looked good against Maryland; Michigan came from behind and won on the road at Penn State. Every week, 13 people recast their votes. And so when the votes were cast this week, that's the way it came out: Michigan ahead of Michigan State and Oregon ahead of Ohio State."

Undefeated Cincinnati, which is attempting to become the first team from a Group of 5 conference to make the playoff, remained at No. 5 after a 45-28 win at South Florida on Friday night. The Bearcats might face one of their more difficult challenges of the season against SMU at home on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN App).

"They're undefeated," Barta said. "We've talked a lot about a terrific win at Notre Dame, a difficult place to win. And Notre Dame keeps winning, so that win looks more impressive each week. Every week we talk about Cincinnati, the topic of strength of schedule comes up. Watching the game, we can see they have terrific players and it's a very good football team, but strength of schedule, that's something that makes it more difficult to evaluate. As games go forward, we'll continue to watch it. But strength of schedule has been one of the issues when talking about Cincinnati."

Cincinnati did get some help in that Houston became the second AAC team to be included in the selection committee's rankings at No. 24. Mississippi State also returned at No. 25.

Notre Dame, which won 28-3 on the road at Virginia, moved up to No. 8, followed by No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 10 Wake Forest.

According to research by ESPN Stats & Information, no team outside the top 10 at this point in the season has gone on to reach the playoff; the lowest rank with 19 days left to reach the playoff is ninth (Michigan State in 2015, Oklahoma in 2019). In fact, 21 of the 28 teams in the top four of the committee's rankings released 19 days before selection day went on to reach the CFP. That includes all but one eventual national champion (Ohio State was sixth in 2014).

After losing 27-14 at Baylor on Saturday, Oklahoma fell five spots to No. 13. Texas A&M also dropped five spots to No. 16 after losing 29-19 at Ole Miss. NC State slipped four spots following a 45-42 defeat at Wake Forest.

The Rebels moved up three spots, along with No. 15 Wisconsin, No. 17 Iowa, No. 18 Pittsburgh, No. 19 San Diego State and No. 22 Arkansas.

Auburn and Purdue fell out of the rankings after losing on Saturday.

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton is practicing with his teammates again and expects to play Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers after missing eight games due to a positive COVID-19 test.

"I've been working out the last couple of days here while guys were on the road," Middleton said after Tuesday's practice. "In practice, I felt good. But everybody knows game shape is a totally different ballgame. I can't wait to see how I feel tomorrow."

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Middleton will gradually work toward his usual amount of playing time.

In that regard, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday's return after sitting out 10 games with COVID-19 last season could serve as a guide. Holiday played 18 minutes in each of his first two games back, then worked his way up to 23 minutes and 25 minutes before getting up to 32 minutes in his fifth game back.

Middleton acknowledged he was worried when he first learned about his diagnosis. He was not asked Tuesday about his vaccination status.

"Definitely panic," Middleton said. "You hear all the stories out there. I definitely feel like my family and I were very fortunate that we didn't have to end up in the hospital or get severe symptoms."

The defending champion Bucks are hoping Middleton's return can help them break out of a slump. Milwaukee went 3-5 in the games the two-time All-Star missed, and has a 6-8 record this season. The Bucks are about to play five straight home games after going 2/3 on a five-game trip.

Middleton averaged 20 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the six games he has played.

"I think it's underrated what he does for us defensively, underrated what he does for us on the boards, his communication, his leadership," Budenholzer said. "Everybody's going to talk about the scoring and the shooting and all those things. I don't want to undervalue or underestimate those, but I think he really is a complete player and he's a great leader."

Middleton said he "had a couple of symptoms" and felt sick for about two days after going home. Middleton then started to feel better but still couldn't begin workouts.

"Once I felt fine, I was still testing positive," Middleton said. "You've got that itch, and I'm calling the trainers to see if I could do anything. They'd tell me I can't get my heart rate up or exercise or work out or do anything till I get cleared by the doctors. That was the hardest part, just sitting, feeling like I was good to go but didn't get clearance yet."

The positive test also prevented Middleton from joining his teammates on their Nov. 8 trip to the White House in honor of their 2020-21 championship, though he participated from home. Bucks forward and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo surprised Middleton by contacting him via FaceTime and having him speak to President Joe Biden.

"I had no idea," Middleton said. "I was sitting on a couch with the family to see the whole event go on the livestream. I was waiting, waiting, waiting. Next thing, I get a call and I'm like, 'Oh, OK, this is why you aren't starting yet.' It was definitely cool."

DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic will miss Wednesday's road game against the Phoenix Suns due to left knee and left ankle sprains, the team announced.

The injuries are "not too serious," a source told ESPN. The Mavs are optimistic that Doncic will not be sidelined for an extended stretch, sources said.

Doncic suffered the injuries with 44 seconds remaining in Monday's win over the Denver Nuggets after contesting a driving layup by guard Austin Rivers, who fell onto Doncic's leg.

Doncic immediately hobbled to an empty courtside, sitting down and clutching his left ankle, before limping to the locker room.

Doncic was not made available to the media postgame because he was receiving treatment.

The Mavs did not practice Tuesday before departing for a four-game road trip featuring a pair of two-game sets against the Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers.

Doncic has a history of ankle sprains. He missed a total of 11 games during the 2019-20 season due to right ankle sprains. He played the last three games of the Mavs' 2020 playoff series despite a left ankle sprain.

Doncic, a first-team All-NBA selection the last two years, is averaging 24.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game for the 9-4 Mavs.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been cleared to participate in contact drills, the team announced, the latest step toward his eventual return to the court.

Williamson, who is in his third year, has missed every game this season because of a right foot fracture suffered in the summer. There was initial hope that he would be available for the start of the season but that hasn't happened.

The Pelicans also said that Williamson will undergo further medical imaging on Nov. 24, which will determine whether he will be available to be cleared for full team workouts.

Williamson will start with 1-on-1 workouts and progress from there. The team said he underwent the most recent round of imaging on Nov. 11 and was cleared by Dr. Richard Ferkel, who is based in Southern California and previously did surgeries on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and Dr. Scott Montgomery, who serves as the Pelicans' team orthopedic surgeon.

Without Williamson in the lineup, the Pelicans have struggled to a 2-13 start, including a loss to Washington on Monday night.

Williamson has been limited to 85 games in his young NBA career after he played in his 24 games during his rookie season because of a torn right meniscus.

Fenway Sports Group is in advanced talks to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins, a source confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.

Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux have been the Penguins' majority owners since 1999. The Wall Street Journal and Sportico were the first to report on the potential sale.

The agreement needs to be approved by the Fenway Sports Group board, and then would be subject to NHL approval. The NHL's Board of Governors must approve any potential sale.

Billionaire John Henry is the principal owner of Fenway Sports Group, whose portfolio includes the Boston Red Sox of MLB, Liverpool of England's Premier League, and Roush Fenway Racing of NASCAR. Fenway Sports Group also owns real estate, including Fenway Park. NBA star LeBron James has stake in the company.

The Penguins were on the verge of bankruptcy in 1999 when Lemieux, a franchise legend, and Burkle, an investor, led a group that bought the team for a reported $107 million. Lemieux and Burkle were instrumental in securing a new arena in Pittsburgh, which fended off potential relocation. Since then, the Penguins have rediscovered success on the ice -- thanks, in large part, to the arrival of Evgeni Malkin (No. 2 pick in 2004) and Sidney Crosby (No. 1 pick in 2005).

While Lemieux helped the Penguins to their first two Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992, Crosby and Malkin led the franchise to three more in 2009, 2016 and 2017.

According to sources, Lemieux is expected to retain a minority stake in the team if a sale goes through.

According to recent valuations by Sportico, the Penguins are the NHL's 15th most valuable team, with a value of $845 million. According to the data compiled by Sportico, the average NHL team is valued at $934 million, and the combined market value of the 32 teams is $30 billion.

Burkle and Lemieux have explored selling the Penguins previously, including in 2015, when they hired Morgan Stanley to help them look at options.

Fenway Sports Group, meanwhile, has been public about growing its sports portfolio in North America.

"We're a huge admirer of the National Basketball Association and obviously the National Hockey League," partner Sam Kennedy, who is also the president and CEO of the Red Sox, said at a Sportico webinar in April. "It represents a natural place for Fenway Sports Group to look."

The Penguins, like many teams in the NHL, have struggled financially during the pandemic. The team accepted a $4.8 million Paycheck Protection Program loan in 2020, and its 14-year sellout streak ended earlier this season.

The last NHL team sale involved the Arizona Coyotes, as Alex Meruelo took over as majority owner in 2019. The NHL has a standard agreement that prevents new owners from applying for relocation for seven years after they take over.

Gabe Kapler, who guided the San Francisco Giants to a franchise-best 107 victories in his second season, was named National League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Tuesday.

Kapler, 46, received 28 of 30 first-place votes. He becomes just the second San Francisco manager to win the award.

Craig Counsell finished second in voting after leading the Milwaukee Brewers to the NL Central title. Mike Shildt was third -- a month after he was fired over what St. Louis Cardinals president John Mozeliak described as philosophical differences. Counsell and Shildt received one first-place vote apiece.

Brian Snitker of the Atlanta Braves and Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers were the other managers to receive votes.

The Giants went into 2021 with one of the sport's oldest rosters and 40-1 odds of winning the NL West, but Kapler -- bolstered by a robust, forward-thinking coaching staff and a savvy front office led by Farhan Zaidi -- presided over a team that blew past expectations, holding off the star-laden Dodgers to claim its first division title in nine years.

Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford and Evan Longoria tapped back into some of their prime form to bolster the offense; Kevin Gausman, Alex Wood and Anthony DeSclafani, all obtained through one-year commitments, outperformed their contracts to make up a formidable rotation. Around that, Kapler utilized an array of platoon bats and specialized relievers to persistently maximize matchups.

The Dodgers pushed hard over the final two months, acquiring Max Scherzer and Trea Turner before the trade deadline and winning 43 of their last 56 games. But the Giants, who added Kris Bryant at midseason, were only two games worse after the start of August and ultimately won the NL West by a game, snapping the Dodgers' streak of consecutive division titles at eight.

After a tightly contested season series, the Dodgers and Giants engaged in an intense NL Division Series that wasn't decided until the final inning of the final game. The Dodgers ultimately prevailed, but the challenge of eliminating the Giants -- most notable with the over-use of their starting pitchers -- cost them in the following round.

Kapler spent 13 years in the majors and quickly built a reputation as an analytically savvy, outside-the-box thinker who could also relate well to players. He was hired as the Dodgers' farm director in November of 2014 and became a finalist for the managing job that ultimately went to Dave Roberts a year later.

The Philadelphia Phillies hired Kapler as their manager heading into the 2018 season but fired him after missing the playoffs in back-to-back years, prompting Zaidi to hire him to replace the retired Bruce Bochy at the conclusion of the 2019 season.

The Giants missed the expanded playoffs by one game during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, then set a franchise record for wins in 2021 and extended Kapler's contract through 2024. Under Kapler, the 2021 Giants finished the regular season with the second-best run-differential, the fourth-highest OPS and the second-lowest ERA.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kevin Cash, who led the cash-strapped Tampa Bay Rays to a second consecutive division title, captured his second consecutive American League Manager of the Year Award on Tuesday.

Cash captured 19 of 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Scott Servais of the Seattle Mariners (five), Charlie Montoyo of the Toronto Blue Jays (three), Dusty Baker of the Houston Astros (two) and Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox (one) also received first-place votes.

Cash is the first to win AL Manager of the Year in consecutive seasons. Bobby Cox of the Atlanta Braves took NL honors in 2004 and 2005.

Cash, in his seventh season as manager, once again led the Rays to the AL East title despite losing former Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell over the offseason and, later, ace Tyler Glasnow to Tommy John surgery. The Rays opened the season with the fifth-lowest payroll in the sport, but they held off the veteran-laden Red Sox, the young and dynamic Blue Jays and the big-spending New York Yankees, winning the AL East by eight games.

The Rays finished with the third-most wins (100) and the third-highest run-differential (plus-206) in the majors. Only one of their pitchers topped 150 innings, and yet their staff led the AL in ERA. Only one of their position players, catcher Mike Zunino, was an All-Star when the initial rosters were unveiled, and yet the Rays averaged more runs per game than every team except the Astros.

The Rays were bolstered largely by their defense, which ranked third in outs above average, but more broadly by an efficient use of their roster that routinely placed matchups in their favor. It's a concept that manifests itself from the front office and trickles down to Cash, who, despite being roundly criticized for pulling Snell in Game 6 of the 2020 World Series, has developed into one of the game's sound tacticians.

Cash, 43, was a major league catcher from 2002 to 2010, then served as an advanced scout for the Blue Jays in 2012 and as Cleveland's bullpen coach from 2013 to 2014.

The Rays hired Cash to succeed Joe Maddon as their manager in December 2014, at that point making him the youngest in the sport. The Rays finished below .500 in their first three seasons under Cash, but they won 90 games in 2018, claimed a Wild Card spot in 2019, fell two games shy of a championship in 2020 and set a franchise record for regular-season victories in 2021, ultimately losing to the Red Sox in the AL Championship Series.

26 potential stars offered membership to British Athletics system

British Athletics have announced that 26 athletes will begin their journey on the Olympic or Paralympic Futures Academy Programme for the 2021/2022 season, supported by Nike.

The FAP is essentially a pathway for junior athletes to eventually transition onto the British Athletics’ World Class Programme, where they would be able to receive National Lottery funding.

By being on the FAP, British Athletics have identified that athlete as having the potential to win medals at future Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Recent graduates of the system include Olympic 800m silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson and Paralympic T20 1500m champion Owen Miller.

The Olympic Futures programme – for which 19 athletes have been offered membership – is split into three levels: Futures Academy, Futures Transition and Relay.

Joshua Lay, George Mills, Tade Ojara and Jake Smith will join up on the Olympic Futures Transition part of the programme, while 15 athletes will be part of the Olympic Futures Academy.

Steven Bryce, Barney Corrall, Prince Reid, Segun Samuel, Jade Smith, Emily Stewart and Zac Tandy will join the Paralympic Futures Academy.

Five European U23 Championships medallists will also be supported by the new Olympic Confirmation level of the WCP, including 100m champion Jeremiah Azu and heptathlon bronze medallist Holly Mills.

In total, 61 athletes are on the FAP for the 2021/2022 season.

A full list, of the athletes are listed below:

Olympic Futures Transition

Joshua Lay (Anthony Love, Rugby & Northampton) [Year 1]

George Mills (Jon Bigg, Brighton Phoenix) [Year 1]

Tade Ojora (Joanna Hayes, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow) [Year 1]

Jake Smith (James Thie, Cardiff) [Year 1]

Amber Anning (Dennis Shaver, Brighton and Hove) [Year 2]

Cameron Fillery (Benke Blomkvist, Woodford Green Essex Ladies) [Year 2]

Lucy Jane Matthews (Benke Blomkvist, Birchfield) [Year 2]

Ben Pattison (Dave Ragan, Basingstoke & Mid Hants) [Year 2]

Max Burgin (Ian Burgin, Halifax) [Year 3]

Alastair Chalmers (Matt Elias, Guernsey) [Year 3]

Charlie Dobson (Benke Blomkvist, Colchester) [Year 3]

Lucy Hadaway (Matt Barton, City of York) [Year 3]

Amy Hunt (Joe McDonnell, Charnwood) [Year 3]

Jade O’Dowda (John Lane, Newham and Essex Beagles) [Year 3]

Divine Oladipo (Ashley Kovacs / John Hillier, Blackheath and Bromley) [Year 3]

Erin Wallace (Andy Young, Giffnock North) [Year 3]

Isabelle Boffey (Luke Gunn, Enfield and Haringey) [Year 4]

Jake Norris (Paul Dickenson, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow) [Year 5]

Olympic Futures Academy

Sophie Ashurst (Andy Ashurst, Sale Harriers Manchester) [Year 1]

Sam Brereton (Fuzz Caan, Birchfield Harriers) [Year 1]

Charlie Carvell (Stuart Hamilton, Telford) [Year 1]

Kane Elliott (William Sharp, Falkirk) [Year 1]

Joy Eze (Mike Donnelly, Gateshead) [Year 1]

Ed Faulds (James Wright, Rugby & Northampton) [Year 1]

Ethan Hussey (Andrew Henderson, Leeds) [Year 1]

Mary John (Alan James, Woodford Green Essex Ladies) [Year 1]

Derek Kinlock (Nat Senior, Croydon) [Year 1]

Toby Makoyawo (Peter Griffiths, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow) [Year 1]

Henry Mcluckie (Geoff Watkin, Shaftesbury Barnet) [Year 1]

Temi Ojora (Daniel Sawyers, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow) [Year 1]

Abi Pawlett (Joe Frost, Trafford) [Year 1]

Anna Purchase (Mohamad Saatara, Notts) [Year 1]

Tara Simpson-Sullivan (Robert Halliwell, Wigan & District) [Year 1]

Kelechi Aguocha (Fuzz Caan, Blackheath and Bromley) [Year 2]

Daniel Falode (Guy Spencer, Cambridge) [Year 2]

Thomas Keen (Mark Vile, Cambridge and Coleridge) [Year 2]

Khahisa Mhlanga (Mick Judd, Herts Phoenix) [Year 2]

Charlotte Payne (Paul Dickenson, Reading) [Year 2]

Jodie Smith (Laura Turner-Alleyne, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow) [Year 2]

Josh Zeller (Adrian Brown, Bracknell) [Year 2]

Olympic Futures Relay

Success Eduan (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers Manchester)

Sophie Walton (Trevor Williams, Horwich)

(These athletes have been retained from 2021 and further athletes will be selected in due course)

Paralympic Futures Academy

Steven Bryce (Allan Bryce, Victoria Park City of Glasgow) [Year 1]

Barney Corrall (Chris Sinclair, Charnwood) [Year 1]

Prince Reid (Mike Utting, Blackheath and Bromley) [Year 1]

Segun Samuel (Jeffrey Lawal-Balogun, South London) [Year 1]

Jade Smith (David Evans, Liverpool) [Year 1]

Emily Stewart (Richard Kaufman, Gateshead) [Year 1]

Zac Tandy (Nathan Stephens, DSW Para Academy) [Year 1]

Fabienne Andre (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) [Year 2]*

Hetty Bartlett (Denis Costello, City of Norwich) [Year 2]

Victoria Baskett (Katie Jones, University of Sheffield) [Year 2]

Lydia Church (Jim Edwards, Peterborough & Nene Valley) [Year 2]*

Bethan Griffiths (Shelley Holroyd, Cheltenham) [Year 2]

Ethan Kirby (Nick Harris, Newton Abbot) [Year 2]

Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker (Joe McDonnell, Newham & Essex Beagles) [Year 2]

Daniel Sidbury (Christine Parsloe, Sutton & District) [Year 2]*

Kirsty Soutar (John Owens, Red Star) [Year 2]

Steven Stone (Laurence Bissett, Forth Valley Flyers) [Year 2]

Alexander Thomson (Chris Baillie, Victoria Park City of Glasgow) [Year 2]

Melanie Woods (Rodger Harkins, Red Star) [Year 2]*

*These athletes are on the Paralympic World Class Programme but will have access to educational support from the Paralympic Futures Academy Programme.

US Open champion Emma Raducanu will end her season with an exhibition match against Elena-Gabriela Ruse in front of home fans in London later this month.

The pair practised together at last month's Transylvanian Open.

British number one Raducanu heads to the event with new coach Torben Beltz, whom she appointed last week.

The Champions Tennis event runs from 25 to 28 November.

It will be the first time Raducanu has played in the UK since September's dream run in New York, where she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam.

An emotional Matteo Berrettini withdrew from the ATP Finals after failing to recover from an abdominal injury that forced him to retire from his opener.

"I thought, thought, cried and finally decided... my finals end here, I'm devastated," he posted on Instagram.

He will be replaced by compatriot Jannik Sinner, who is first alternate.

Britain's Cameron Norrie is the second alternate at the season-ending event for the year's leading eight men.

"I never thought I'd have to give up the most important tennis event ever held in Italy in this way," added Berrettini, 25.

The world number seven broke down in tears on Sunday when he had to retire from his opening ATP Finals match against Alexander Zverev early in the second set in front of a passionate home crowd.

"The truth is that as much as I wanted to play in front of you once again, I felt and therefore decided that my body is not ready to face the challenges that lie ahead," he said.

"To say that I am sad would not do justice to the state of mind that I am in, I feel robbed of something that I have conquered with years of effort and sweat. It was not an easy decision, but I am convinced that it is the best for me and for my career."

Berrettini's withdrawal puts defending champion Daniil Medvedev through to the semi-finals as group winner.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Russian beat third-ranked Zverev, the 2018 winner from Germany, 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (8-6) in an absorbing encounter.