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Wisconsin Football: 3 quick takeaways from the 38-14 loss to Alabama

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The Wisconsin Badgers had their first big test of the season, and it was a major disappointment on Saturday, as they lost 38-14 to the No. 19 Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Wisconsin was shut out in the first half and struggled throughout the afternoon defensively, giving up five straight touchdown drives and six consecutive scores overall. Overall, they conjured up just 209 yards of offense, and now fall to 2-1 on the season with conference play coming up next week.

Here are three quick takeaways from Wisconsin’s 38-14 loss to Alabama.

The Badgers constantly shot themselves in the foot early in Saturday’s game, starting from the opening drive.

Wisconsin went three-and-out to start the game, as an offensive pass interference penalty on third down wiped out a potential conversion, forcing the Badgers to punt after a third & long instead.

Getting great field position on the ensuing drive, Wisconsin immediately turned it over on a poor decision from quarterback Danny O’Neil. Targeting Vinny Anthony on a curl route, O’Neil just didn’t see safety Bray Hubbard in the flat in zone coverage, throwing the ball right at him for an interception.

Back-to-back sacks on second and third down killed their next drive, while a 15-yard penalty by left guard Joe Brunner near midfield killed Wisconsin’s following drive.

It seemed that Wisconsin would have a mental error, execution issue, or a combination of both, drive after drive, for the first half, leading to a scoreless 30 minutes.

Down 21-0 and in need of a serious spark, the Badgers had an opportunity for a two-minute drill with 45 seconds left in the half. It made sense to be aggressive, given how all the momentum had shifted to Alabama’s side and given that the Crimson Tide would start the second half with the ball. But, Wisconsin just ran the clock out, and was killed by a touchdown on the first play coming out of the half defensively.

In the second half, the Badgers finally got on the board with a Vinny Anthony kick return for a touchdown. And, they nearly reached the red zone on their first offensive drive with an 11-play drive. But, on 2nd & 6 at the Alabama 21-yard line, quarterback Danny O’Neil threw his second interception to safety Bray Hubbard. O’Neil was targeting tight end Lance Mason, who was jammed by Hubbard at the top of his stem and never got open. But, the quarterback threw the pass anyway, staring his tight end down and throwing his second pick of the day.

It was a rough day for the Badgers offense. There’s no way to put it. Some of the creativity and the vision were there, but Wisconsin just didn’t run the ball well enough, and never got the chance to commit to the run.

After recording 17 rushing yards in the first half last weekend against Middle Tennessee, Wisconsin had 15 rushing yards in the first half on Saturday. On designed runs (not including sacks/scrambles), the Badgers rushed for just 26 yards on eight carries.

Wisconsin is going to need to find some consistency on the ground if it’s going to be a successful offense in 2025. That starts with the offensive line, which is a clear work-in-progress at the moment with the youth and shuffling in the group.

At the moment, it’s also clear that the Badgers can’t run the full scope of their offense with O’Neil under center, especially their play-action stuff. The quarterback is still working on improving his processing speed and getting rid of the ball quickly. But, he’s also struggling to play behind a leaky offensive line that allows too much pressure.

Hopefully, the Badgers will get Billy Edwards back next week against the Maryland Terrapins. But, they’re going to need to improve the run game and get more consistency up front at the line of scrimmage.

It was a day to forget for the Badgers defense. After a 4th & 2 stop on their opening drive, Alabama scored on six straight drives, including five consecutive touchdowns.

The Crimson Tide especially had their way in the air, where Ty Simpson was automatic, throwing for 382 yards on 24/29 passing. If the Badgers were in man coverage, they couldn’t get much pressure on the quarterback, and receivers were consistently beating Wisconsin cornerbacks.

If the Badgers went to zone, Simpson took advantage of Wisconsin’s linebackers and soft zones, making throws between windows, in the intermediate part of the field, and at the sticks to move the chains.

Ultimately, Wisconsin was manhandled at the line of scrimmage. They couldn’t generate much push rushing the passer, and Alabama even had quality success running the ball. But, the Badgers just couldn’t adjust at all.

As I mentioned in this week’s preview, Wisconsin’s defense has required quite a lot from its secondary to hold up in coverage this season. They couldn’t keep up on Saturday, and it didn’t help that Simpson had clean pockets for much of the afternoon.

As the second half went along, Wisconsin’s defense was clearly tired and the effort level diminished, which led to even more explosive plays for the Crimson Tide.

Defensive coordinator Mike Tressel is going to need to figure things out with this group and find a way to make in-game adjustments. Because Saturday’s game was embarrassing on all fronts defensively.

Wisconsin has had an issue with slow starts under Luke Fickell.

After the head coach stressed the importance of playing better in the first half last Saturday, the Badgers struggled to start fast yet again.

Now, it wasn’t all bad for the Badgers. They had a fourth-down stop and fought hard on their second defensive drive, albeit still giving up a touchdown.

But, Wisconsin continued to make mental errors that you absolutely cannot make against an opponent of Alabama’s caliber. They had a (controversial?) offensive pass interference that killed their first drive. Danny O’Neil had a poor interception that killed their second drive. And sacks and penalties hurt their chances for the rest of the first half.

After that first drive defensively, Wisconsin proceeded to give up five straight touchdown drives, including three in the first half.

Whether it’s an execution issue, a preparation issue, an effort issue, or a combination of certain factors, Wisconsin continues to dig itself into holes early in games, making it tougher for them to be competitive, especially against tougher opponents.

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Where to watch 2025 WNBA playoffs: TV channel, live stream, bracket, schedule, scores after four games Sunday

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The first day of the WNBA playoffs didn’t see any real upsets, but it was certainly not uneventful. The Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream took 1-0 leads in their respective series with decisive victories at the start of Sunday’s quadruple-header. Then we got our first overtime of this postseason as the New York Liberty pulled off a win over the Phoenix Mercury, and later in the evening the Las Vegas Aces put on a defensive clinic against the Seattle Storm. 

The action will resume on Tuesday with the first batch of Game 2s.

The Minnesota Lynx entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed after being the WNBA’s most dominant team throughout the 44-game regular season. The Lynx, looking for the fifth championship in team history and their first since 2017, will have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. 

The New York Liberty, the reigning champs, will have no such luxury as injuries and inconsistency led them to the No. 5 seed in the bracket. They are facing the Phoenix Mercury in the first round, who won’t be an easy opponent as Alyssa Thomas fights to extend her outstanding season. 

Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Aces were not playing like a championship contender early on, but A’ja Wilson made a strong push for her fourth MVP award by leading her team to a 16-game winning streak to close out the regular season with the No. 2 seed. Becky Hammon’s group is chasing its third championship in four years.

The Atlanta Dream have also exceeded expectations with successful offseason moves that included the addition of star veteran players Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner. As for the Indiana Fever, they reached the playoffs last year for the first time since 2016 and are back again despite multiple injuries to key players — including 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, who only appeared in 13 games in 2025 before announcing her season was over earlier this month.

Below is a look at the first-round matchups and the full schedule for the 2025 playoffs.

WNBA playoff bracket


Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports

The full playoff bracket was set after the action on Thursday. Here are the four first-round matchups:

  • No. 1 Lynx vs. No. 8 Valkyries
  • No. 2 Aces vs. No. 7 Storm
  • No. 3 Dream vs. No. 6 Fever
  • No. 4 Mercury vs. No. 5 Liberty

Teams will play a best-of-three series in the first round, a best-of-five series in the semifinals, and — in a new change this year  — a best-of-seven affair in the Finals.

In 2024, the first round had a 2-1 format, which meant the higher seed got the first two games at home, while the lower seed only got to host if they made it to Game 3. This year it will be a 1-1-1 format, with Games 1 and 3 hosted by the higher seed while the opponent hosts Game 2.

First-round schedule, scores (best-of-three)

All times Eastern

Sunday, Sept. 14

Tuesday, Sept. 16

  • Game 2: No. 3 Dream at No. 6 Fever, 7:30 p.m. — ESPN/fubo
  • Game 2: No. 2 Aces at No. 7 Storm, 9:30 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Wednesday, Sept. 17

  • Game 2: No. 4 Mercury at No. 5 Liberty, 7:30 p.m. — ESPN/fubo
  • Game 2: No. 2 Lynx at No. 7 Valkyries, 9:30 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Thursday, Sept. 18

  • *Game 3: No. 6 Fever at No. 3 Dream, TBD — ESPN2/fubo
  • *Game 3: No. 7 Storm at No. 2 Aces, TBD — ESPN2/fubo

Friday, Sept. 19

  • *Game 3: No. 7 Valkyries at No. 2 Lynx, TBD — ESPN2/fubo
  • *Game 3: No. 4 Liberty at No. 5 Mercury, TBD — ESPN2/fubo

Semifinals schedule (best-of-five)

Sunday, Sept. 21

  • Game 1: TBD vs. TBD, 3 p.m. — ABC/fubo
  • Game 1: TBD vs. TBD, 5 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Tuesday, Sept. 23

  • Game 2: TBD vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. — ESPN/fubo
  • Game 2: TBD vs. TBD, 9:30 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Friday, Sept. 26

  • Game 3: TBD vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. — ESPN2/fubo
  • Game 3: TBD vs. TBD, 9:30 p.m. — ESPN2/fubo

Sunday, Sept. 28

  • *Game 4: TBD vs. TBD, 1 or 5 p.m. — ESPN/fubo
  • *Game 4: TBD vs. TBD, 3 p.m. — ABC/fubo

Tuesday, Sept. 30

  • *Game 5: TBD vs. TBD, TBD
  • *Game 5: TBD vs. TBD, TBD

Finals schedule (best-of-seven)

Friday, Oct. 3

  • Game 1, 8 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Sunday, Oct. 5 

  • Game 2, 3 p.m. — ABC/fubo

Wednesday, Oct. 8 

  • Game 3, 8 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Friday, Oct. 10

  • Game 4, 8 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Sunday, Oct. 12

  • *Game 5, 3 p.m. — ABC/fubo

Wednesday, Oct. 15

  • *Game 6, 8 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Friday, Oct. 17

  • *Game 7, 8 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

* If necessary





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Emmys Red Carpet Photos: See Looks From Sydney Sweeney, Jenna Ortega, Adam Brody and More

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Stars have begun arriving at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles for the 2025 Emmy Awards.

Although the Creative Arts Emmys were held on last weekend, the biggest awards are yet to be given out during a live, prime-time ceremony hosted by the comedian Nate Bargatze. With 27 nominations — the most of any show this year — “Severance” is entering in a strong position, but HBO favorites like “The Pitt” and “The White Lotus,” as well as the “Star Wars” spinoff series “Andor,” are also strong contenders for recognition.

But before that gets underway, here’s what stars from the year’s buzziest shows wore to walk the red carpet on Sunday.

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Colman Domingo, nominated for “The Four Seasons.”

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Selena Gomez of “Only Murders in the Building” in Louis Vuitton.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

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Jenna Ortega, a presenter, in Givenchy by Sarah Burton.

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

A woman wears a beige dress with ruffles.

Michelle Williams, nominated for “Dying for Sex,” in Chanel.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press

Readers’ Top Looks

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Sydney Sweeney, a presenter.

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

A man wears a black suit.

Noah Wyle, nominated for “The Pitt,” in a custom Figs tuxedo.Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman wears a dark feathered gown.

Sarah Paulson, a presenter, in Marc Jacobs.Danny Moloshok/Invision, via Associated Press

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Pedro Pascal, nominated for “The Last of Us.”

Daniel Cole/Reuters

Hunter SchaferPatrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Javier Bardem, nominated for “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”Daniel Cole/Reuters

A woman wears a black suit with cutouts at the waist.

Cate Blanchett, nominated for “Disclaimer.”Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

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Lisa of “The White Lotus.”

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A woman wears a metallic dress in shades of light blue and peach.

Leighton Meester in Prada.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A man wears a blue suit with a ruffled white shirt.

Adam Brody, nominated for “Nobody Wants This,” in Prada.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A woman wears a black dress.

Leslie Bibb of “The White Lotus” in Giorgio Armani Privé.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press

A mean wears a white sleeveless T-shirt with black pants.

Bowen Yang, nominated for “Saturday Night Live,” in Ami Paris.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A man wears a black tuxedo.

Jude Law, a presenter.Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A woman poses with her mouth open and a hand lowering her sunglasses. She is wearing jeans and a white T-shirt and holding a bag that says "CEASE FIRE!" on it.

Megan Stalter of “Hacks.”Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A man wearing a black suit (left) holds hands with a woman wearing a black dress with a striped skirt.

Harrison Ford, nominated for “Shrinking,” and Calista Flockhart, in Giorgio Armani.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press

Scarlett Johansson in Prada.Amy Sussman/Getty Images

A man in a suit poses with his hands clasped.

Ben Stiller, nominated for his direction of “Severance.”Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press

A man wears a tuxedo with a cream jacket and black pants.

James Marsden, nominated for “Paradise,” in Ralph Lauren Purple Label.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press

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Parker Posey, nominated for “The White Lotus.”

Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated Press

A man wears a black suit.

Jake Gyllenhaal, nominated for “Presumed Innocent,” in Prada.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman is wearing a silver and black patterned dress.

Hannah Einbinder, nominated for “Hacks,” in Louis Vuitton.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press

A man wears a copper-colored suit.

Seth Rogen, nominated for “The Studio.”Savion Washington/Getty Images

A woman in a copper-colored dress poses with a hand in her pocket.

Britt Lower, nominated for “Severance,” in Calvin Klein Collection.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A man in a black suit and tie (left) stands next to a man in a navy tuxedo.

Colin Farrell (right), nominated for “The Penguin,” and his son Henry Farrell.Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A man wears a black suit and sunglasses.

Sam Rockwell, nominated for “The White Lotus,” in Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A woman wears a black dress with gold details.

Chloë Sevigny, nominated for “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” in Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

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Walton Goggins, nominated for “The White Lotus,” in Louis Vuitton.

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Colin Jost in Prada.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman wears a dress with a white sequined skirt and black strappy bodice.

Kristen Bell, nominated for “Nobody Wants This,” in Giorgio Armani Privé.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A man wears a navy suit coat and matching tie with gray slacks.

Adam Scott, nominated for “Severance.”Amy Sussman/Getty Images

A woman wears a black dress that ties at the front.

Rashida Jones, nominated for “Black Mirror,” in Dior.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press

Sheryl Lee Ralph, nominated for “Abbott Elementary.”Amy Sussman/Getty Images

A woman wears a black dress with a gauzy skirt and red flower at the waist.

Jenny Slate, nominated for “Dying for Sex.”Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman wears a red velvety dress.

Mariska Hargitay, a presenter, in Elie Saab.Savion Washington/Getty Images

A man is wearing a brown tuxedo.

Nate Bargatze, host of the 77th Emmy Awards and a nominee for best variety special, in Canali.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated Press

Brittany SnowPatrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A woman wears a black dress with a glittery silver lining peeking out.

Elizabeth Banks, a presenter, in Rabanne.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated Press

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Rita Ora in Miu Miu.

Savion Washington/Getty Images

A woman wears a black dress with sheer long sleeves.

Kathryn Hahn, nominated for “The Studio.”Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A man wears a navy suit and matching overcoat.

Ashley Walters, nominated for “Adolescence.”David Swanson/Reuters

A woman wears a black dress with a sheer lace bodice.

Catherine Zeta-Jones, a presenter, in Yara Shoemaker.Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman in a pink dress with red detail at the bodice smiles for the cameras.

Aimee Lou Wood, nominated for “The White Lotus.”Amy Sussman/Getty Images

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Quinta Brunson, nominated for “Abbott Elementary,” in Louis Vuitton.

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

A woman wearing a black sheer dress with cutouts poses with her hands clasped.

Sharon Horgan, nominated for “Bad Sisters.”Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A woman wears a black dress with long sleeves and a low scoop neckline.

Meghann Fahy, nominated for “Sirens.”Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A man wears a black suit.

Stephen Colbert of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” a nominee for best variety talk series.Amy Sussman/Getty Images

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Jennifer Coolidge, a presenter.

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A man wears a black suit.

Jason Isaacs, nominated for “The White Lotus,” in Giorgio Armani.Amy Sussman/Getty Images

A woman wears a green dress with balloon sleeves and a high neck.

Jean Smart, nominated for “Hacks.”Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A man in a maroon suit stands with one hand in his pocket.

Jason Segel, nominated for “Shrinking.”Amy Sussman/Getty Images

A woman wears a silver strapless dress.

Alexis Bledel in Marmar Halim.Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

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Kristen Kish, nominated for “Top Chef.”

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

A man in a blue suit (right) poses with a woman in a sheer mint dress and matching capelet.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach (right), nominated for “The Bear” and wearing Prada, and Yelena Yemchuk.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated Press

A man wears a white double-breasted tuxedo.

Tramell Tillman, nominated for “Severance.”Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press

A man is wearing a black suit.

Nathan Fielder, nominated for “The Rehearsal.”Daniel Cole/Reuters

A woman wears an off-white dress with painterly flowers on it.

Ruth Negga, nominated for “Presumed Innocent,” in Prada.David Swanson/Reuters

A man wearing a black tuxedo poses with his arms crossed.

Tyler James Williams of “Abbott Elementary” in Prada.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press

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Anna Sawai, a presenter, in Giorgio Armani Privé.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A man wears a tuxedo with a cream jacket and black pants and several strands of pearls clipped to his collar.

Brian Tyree Henry, nominated for “Dope Thief.”Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A woman wears an off-white gown with a high neck.

Leanne Morgan, a presenter.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Ted DansonRichard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman wears a maroon dress with beaded details.

Janelle James, nominated for “Abbott Elementary.”Savion Washington/Getty Images

A man wears a dark plaid suit.

Zach Cherry, nominated for “Severance.”Daniel Cole/Reuters

A woman wears a blush-colored, off-the-shoulder dress.

Jessica Williams, nominated for “Shrinking.”Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A man wears a black suit.

Rob Delaney, nominated for “Dying for Sex.”Danny Moloshok/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman wears a white, sheer dress with floral details and a black bow belt at the waist.

Abby Elliott of “The Bear” in Honor.Danny Moloshok/Invision, via Associated Press

A man wears a black suit.

Shawn Hatosy, nominated for “The Pitt.”Danny Moloshok/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman wears a silver dress.

Michelle Monaghan of “The White Lotus” in Rabanne.Daniel Cole/Reuters

Jesse Williams, a presenter, in Giorgio Armani.Danny Moloshok/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman wearing a black dress with a large skirt smiles over her shoulder.

Natasha Rothwell, nominated for “The White Lotus.”Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Liza Colón-Zayas, nominated for “The Bear.”Daniel Cole/Reuters

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Kaitlyn Dever, nominated for “The Last of Us,” in Michael Kors Collection.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A man wears a brown suit.

Cooper Koch, nominated for “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” in Calvin Klein Collection.Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated Press

HalseyFrazer Harrison/Getty Images

Evan Peters, a presenter, in Dior.Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman wears a black and white striped dress.

Lisa Ann Walter of “Abbott Elementary.”Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated Press

A man wears a black suit.

Jeff Probst, nominated for “Survivor.”Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Gayle KingDanny Moloshok/Invision, via Associated Press

A man wears a black suit.

Stephen Graham, nominated for “Adolescence.”Danny Moloshok/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman in a green floral dress waves at the camera.

Bridget Everett of “Somebody Somewhere.”Savion Washington/Getty Images

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Alan Cumming, nominated for “The Traitors.”

Daniel Cole/Reuters

A woman wears a bright fuchsia gown.

Julianne Nicholson, nominated for both “Hacks” and “Paradise.”Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Harry JowseyFrazer Harrison/Getty Images

A man wears a black suit.

Hiroyuki Sanada, a presenter, in Giorgio Armani.Jae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman wears a gray strapless dress.

Carrie Coon, nominated for “The White Lotus,” in Chanel.Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press

A man wears a brown suit.

Justin Hartley, a presenter, in Giorgio Armani.Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman wears a nude and black jeweled dress.

Jen Statsky, nominated for “Hacks.”Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated Press

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Jeff Hiller, nominated for “Somebody Somewhere.”

David Swanson/Reuters

Sarah Bock of “Severance.”Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Kathy Bates, nominated for “Matlock.”Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A woman in a pastel suit poses with a hand in her pocket.

Gwendoline Christie, nominated for “Severance,” in Haider Ackermann’s Tom Ford.Frederic J. Brown/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A woman wears a black floral dress.

Lauren Graham, a presenter.Amy Sussman/Getty Images

A man wears a black tuxedo.

Lorne Michaels, nominated for “Saturday Night Live.”Danny Moloshok/Invision, via Associated Press

A man wears a maroon suit with a feather at the lapel.

Michael Urie, nominated for “Shrinking.”Daniel Cole/Reuters

A man in a brown tuxedo with black details poses with his hand on his hip.

Matty Matheson of “The Bear.”Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A woman wearing an off-the shoulder black dress with exaggerated hips poses with her hands clasped.

Chase Sui Wonders of “The Studio” in Thom Browne.Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated Press

A man in a black lave tuxedo poses with his hands clasped.

Chris Perfetti of “Abbott Elementary” in Tanner Fletcher.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A woman wears a black strapless dress.

Lucia Aniello, nominated for her direction of “Hacks.”Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated Press

A woman wears a white dress adorned with a blue bow.

Katherine LaNasa, nominated for “The Pitt.”Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated Press

A man wearing a tuxedo and black ascot poses on the red carpet.

Paul W. Downs, nominated for “Hacks,” in Wales Bonner.Daniel Cole/Reuters

A woman wears a black dress.

Keri Russell, nominated for “The Diplomat,” in Giorgio Armani Privé.Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Jon Gries of “The White Lotus.”Savion Washington/Getty Images

A woman with a blonde bob wears a strapless champagne colored dress.

Phaedra Parks of “The Traitors.”Daniel Cole/Reuters

A man wears a black suit with a zip-up jacket.

Owen Cooper, nominated for “Adolescence,” in GapStudio.Savion Washington/Getty Images

A woman in a red ruffled dress and matching sheer shawl poses on the red carpet.

Keyla Monterroso Mejia of “The Studio.”Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A man in a black suit and red bowtie (left) poses with a woman in a black dress.

Gary Oldman (left), nominated for “Slow Horses,” and Gisele Schmidt.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A man in a tuxedo and sunglasses poses with his hands in his pockets.

Andrew Law, nominated for “Hacks.”Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Charlotte Le Bon of “The White Lotus.”Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press

A man in a navy suit waves at the camera.

Tayme Thapthimthong of “The White Lotus.”Danny Moloshok/Invision, via Associated Press

A man in a tuxedo with a floral vest poses with one hand in his pocket.

Sam Nivola of “The White Lotus,” in Dior.Daniel Cole/Reuters

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Twenty One Pilots: Breach Album Review

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This is Twenty One Pilots in its purest form. Opener “City Walls” is a five-minute litmus test, with gigantic “oh-woah” hooks, soaring choruses, fuzzy bass tones, overdriven drums, and yes, rapping. It’s also pure fan service; the deeply ludicrous $1 million music video frequently calls back to past work and the song itself interpolates their single “Holding on to You.” It’s fascinating to hear a Christian-adjacent band reprise the words “entertain my faith” as the video depicts Clancy’s submission to a religious cult, but this isn’t the band to handle those implications.

Having once contributed to the Suicide Squad soundtrack, Pilots now convey the bubbly energy of James Gunn’s Superman reboot. You don’t need to know about the Bishops’ necromancing powers to enjoy the frenetic snowboarding-game breakbeat and maniacal vocal processing of “The Contract.” There are dumb-clever antics throughout: “Garbage” teases an uplifting “Something Just Like This” piano part before Joseph blurts out “I feel like garbage!” The song “Rawfear” speeds up on the line “never slowing down,” then abruptly returns to the original tempo—because he can’t escape the cycle. There’s hardly a breather until “Cottonwood,” a loving tribute to Joseph’s grandfather, and the meditative closer, “Intentions.” There’s also “Downstairs,” a dolled-up demo from their pre-major label days, but the vestigial self-seriousness feels out of place on an album like this.

The most engaging motif in the Pilots catalog remains Joseph’s complex relationship with his fans. On Vessel standout (give or take a reggae break) “Guns for Hands,” he felt responsible for their mental health as his own deteriorated. On Trench ballad “Neon Gravestones,” he cautioned them not to glorify his death should he one day lose his battle with depression. The tension comes to a head on Breach. Earlier this year, somebody briefly stole a kick drum from Dun’s kit at a concert, and throughout “Center Mass,” the band samples another fan’s cautionary “I really don’t think you should take that!” On “Drum Show,” seemingly in response to this fiasco, Joseph pays tribute to his burnt-out bandmate, who’s “stuck between a rock and a home, two places he does not wanna go.” When Joseph says, “This has not been interesting in a while” on “One Way,” a fundamentally earnest band fully admits to disillusionment.

Twenty One Pilots’ pure pop songs—like Scaled and Icy’s “Shy Away”—are often their best, which makes their ongoing attempts at hip-hop all the more frustrating. Joseph once gave Zane Lowe a playlist of his greatest influences, and not only was Ben Gibbard on it twice, the only rapper was Matisyahu. On Breach, they sound like they maybe gave GNX a passing listen (the call-and-response on “Center Mass” is very “Reincarnated”), but their engagement with the genre remains shallow. No one has ever sounded less convincing than Tyler “gangstas don’t cry, therefore I’m Mr. Misty Eyed” Joseph singing about “empty Uzis” on “Rawfear.” But when they get the balance right, they wind up with some of their best material to date: “Mass” starts with a suitably moody verse over a two-chord vamp and ends with a genuinely exciting double-time outro.

Right now it’s hard to imagine a cultural re-evaluation for Twenty One Pilots, the way people who grew up in the ’00s eventually gave My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park (both obvious influences) their flowers. But seeing the likes of MGK attempt a similar style without the same ambition puts the duo’s merit into perspective, and at least Pilots are thoroughly committed to their uncool niche. They’d be more respected if they did away with the rapping entirely, but that would fundamentally change what this band is and why it got this far. As for poor Clancy, he fails to break the cycle and, in a Matrix Reloaded-esque twist, the rebels must find another “Clancy” to continue the fight. It’s a surprisingly sobering ending: No one here truly transcends their limitations, but it’s only a matter of time before they try again.

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Twenty One Pilots: Breach



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