News sport : Boise State wins Mountain West, likely clinches New Years bowl berth

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Boise State quarterback Grant Hedrick (9) runs the ball past Fresno State defensive back Malcolm Washington (20) during the first half of the Mountain West Conference championship. (AP Photo/Otto Kitsinger) Boise State’s offense didn’t click like it had in recent weeks, but the Broncos, with a great effort from their defense, did enough to withstand a late rally from Fresno State and win the Mountain West championship, 28-14.


In addition to a conference title, the 22nd-ranked Broncos – in their first season under Bryan Harsin – will likely represent the Group of Five in a College Football Playoff bowl game.


Boise fifth-year senior quarterback Grant Hedrick completed 9-of-16 passes for 155 yards, but he also gained 81 yards on the ground and reeled off touchdown runs and 20 and 21 yards on the night. In addition to Hedrick, Tailback Jay Ajayi saw 22 carries for just 70 yards, but the 216-pound junior found the end zone on a 9-yard scamper in the second quarter.


Boise jumped out to an early lead, but Fresno made BSU earn the win down the stretch. Hedrick scored on a run on the Broncos’ first drive, and linebacker Tanner Vallejo picked off Fresno’s Brian Burrell later in the first quarter and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown.


Ajayi’s 9-yard score capped off an 11-play, 72-yard drive in the second quarter to give Boise a 21-0 lead at halftime. Then, Hedrick scored his second touchdown to open up the second half.


Up 28-0, the Broncos looked to be completely in control, but the Bulldogs managed to make things interesting.


Fresno first got on the board on a two-yard TD run by Josh Quezada late in the third. After the teams traded punts, Fresno cut the lead to 28-14 on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Burrell (30-of-45, 332 yards) to Greg Watson. The Bulldogs then managed to recover an onside kick with 5:31 left in regulation.


The Bulldogs worked their way into Boise territory after the kick recovery, but the Broncos forced Fresno to turn it over on downs. Fresno regained possession one last time, but an interception by Beau Martin – Burrell’s third of the game – sealed the win for the Broncos.


The win over Fresno is the eighth straight for Boise, now 11-2. With the Mountain West title in its back pocket, Boise will be the highest-ranked team from the Group of Five (AAC, C-USA, MAC, MWC, Sun Belt) conferences. That distinction earns the Broncos a spot in one of the six College Football Playoff bowl games.


Barring any unforseen circumstances, Harsin’s team should receive a bid to the Fiesta Bowl or Peach Bowl on Dec. 31 or the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1.


For more Boise State news, visit Blue-Turf.com.


For more Fresno State news, visit FSBulldogs.com.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Final 2014 Bowl Projections

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I do not envy the selection committee. They got no help from the games this weekend, as TCU, Baylor and Ohio State all won, with the Buckeyes looking great without J.T. Barrett at quarterback. Projections and explanations below, with a bolded name and # signifying an accepted bid:


New Years Six Games


Rose (January 1 in Pasadena, CA) [Semifinal]: #2 Oregon vs. #3 Florida State


Sugar (January 1 in New Orleans, LA) [Semifinal]: #1 Alabama vs. #4 TCU


Cotton (January 1 in Arlington, TX): Ole Miss (at-large) vs. Baylor (at-large)


Fiesta (December 31 in Glendale, AZ): Arizona (at-large) vs. Boise State (Group of 5 rep)


Orange (December 31 in Miami, FL): Georgia Tech (ACC) vs. Michigan State (highest ranked non-champ from Big Ten or SEC)


Peach (December 31 in Atlanta, GA): Ohio State (at-large) vs. Mississippi State (at-large)


· I’m sticking with TCU because the committee has been smitten with them all season and they put the appropriate level of beating on woeful Iowa State Saturday Baylor did their job against Kansas State but I have no idea if it’s enough to jump them that far. It’s incredibly weird that the playoff might come down to playing the Minnesota Golden Gophers instead of the Buffalo Bulls, but here we are. (And remember, Jeff Long said the last thing they’d look at would be head-to-head.) I think Ohio State’s loss to Va Tech takes them out of the conversation, even with the impressive title game win and how hard ESPN is pushing them. Also, it’s usually wise to trust Nate Silver’s math, even if even he thinks it’s tight.


· However, here’s the other angle: The committee is going to give too much weight to this weekend because of recency bias. Combine how good Ohio State looked with how easy it would be to exclude the Big 12 and blame them for not having a conference title game and you can start to see how the Buckeyes are in at number four. I’m not going to pretend to know how this is going to work out, but don’t disregard the idea of a group of powerful humans taking the easy way out. That would be a huge benefit to Ohio State.


· Florida State is probably going to be third.


· Ole Miss takes the spot projected to go to Wisconsin.


· Staying with Alabama over Oregon as number one, but don’t be surprised if the Ducks jump. The important thing for both is that the Tide will be relatively close to home in New Orleans while Oregon stays out west in Pasadena.


· Michigan State is a lock for the Orange as the highest ranked non-champion from the Big Ten or SEC. Because of this, the Big Ten loses its spot in the Citrus Bowl. The biggest gift the committee could give the Big Ten would be to move Mississippi State ahead of Michigan State, but considering they were both idle and the Spartans were two spots ahead of the Bulldogs, that seems improbable.


· Arizona and Boise State seem like Fiesta Bowl locks due to geography.


· I think the Big 12 team that isn’t in the playoff (whether it’s TCU or Baylor) is a lock for the Cotton, meaning Ohio State would head to the Peach. Ole Miss and Mississippi State will be their opponents and could swap spots, but considering the Rebels started their season in Atlanta, we’ll project them to go to the Cotton and Mississippi State to the Peach. If Ohio State makes the playoff, we’ll have a pair of Texas vs. Mississippi games.


The Rest


GoDaddy (January 4 in Mobile, AL): Northern Illinois (MAC) vs. Arkansas State# (Sun Belt)


Birmingham (January 3 in Birmingham, AL): Memphis (American) vs. Arkansas (SEC)


Alamo (January 2 in San Antonio, TX): Kansas State (Big 12) vs. UCLA (Pac-12)


Armed Forces (January 2 in Fort Worth, TX): Houston (American) vs. Western Kentucky* (C-USA alternate for Big 12)


Cactus (January 2 in Tempe, AZ): Oklahoma State (Big 12) vs. Washington (Pac-12)


TaxSlayer [Gator] (January 2 in Jacksonville, FL): Minnesota (ACC/Big Ten) vs. LSU (SEC)


Citrus (January 1 in Orlando, FL): Clemson (ACC over Big Ten) vs. Missouri (SEC)


Outback (January 1 in Tampa, FL): Wisconsin (Big Ten) vs. Auburn (SEC)


Belk (December 30 in Charlotte, NC): NC State (ACC) vs. South Carolina (SEC)


Music City (December 30 in Nashville, TN): Notre Dame (ACC or Big Ten) vs. Georgia (SEC)


Foster Farms (December 30 in Santa Clara, CA): Iowa (Big Ten) vs. Stanford (Pac-12)


Liberty (December 29 in Memphis, TN): West Virginia (Big 12) vs. Tennessee (SEC)


Russell Athletic (December 29 in Orlando, FL): Louisville (ACC) vs. Oklahoma (Big 12)


Texas (December 29 in Houston, TX): Texas (Big 12) vs. Texas A&M (SEC)


Holiday (December 27 in San Diego, CA): Nebraska (Big Ten) vs. USC (Pac-12)


Independence (December 27 in Shreveport, LA): Miami (FL) (ACC) vs. Florida (SEC/C-USA)


Military (December 27 in Annapolis, MD): Cincinnati (American) vs. Virginia Tech (Navy)


Pinstripe (December 27 in New York, NY): Duke (ACC) vs. Penn State (Big Ten)


Sun (December 27 in El Paso, TX): Boston College (ACC) vs. Arizona State (Pac-12)


BitCoin (December 26 in St. Petersburg, FL): Central Florida (American) vs. North Carolina (ACC/C-USA)


Quick Lane (December 26 in Detroit, MI): Pittsburgh (ACC/MAC) vs. Maryland (Big Ten)


Heart of Dallas (December 26 in Dallas, TX): Rutgers (Big Ten) vs. Rice (C-USA)


Bahamas (December 24 in Nassau, BS): Marshall (C-USA) vs. Toledo (MAC)


Hawaii (December 24 in Honolulu, HI): Louisiana Tech (C-USA) vs. Utah State (MWC)


Boca (December 23 in Boca Raton, FL): Middle Tennessee (C-USA) vs. Central Michigan (MAC)


Poinsettia (December 23 in San Diego, CA): San Diego State (MWC) vs. Navy# (Navy)


Miami Beach (December 22 in Miami, FL): East Carolina (American) vs. BYU# (BYU)


Camellia (December 20 in Montgomery, AL): Western Michigan (MAC) vs. South Alabama# (Sun Belt)


Las Vegas (December 20 in Las Vegas, NV): Colorado State (MWC) vs Utah (Pac-12)


New Mexico (December 20 in Albuquerque, NM): UTEP (C-USA) vs. Fresno State (MWC)


New Orleans (December 20 in New Orleans, LA): Louisiana-Lafayette# (Sun Belt) vs. Air Force (MWC)


Potato (December 20 in Boise, ID): Bowling Green (MAC) vs. Nevada (MWC)


· Oklahoma State is a surprising entrant to the conversation with their Bedlam upset in Norman, heading to the Cactus and bumping someone else out.


· Wisconsin’s loss was very bad news for the Big Ten, as it leaves the conference with more teams than bowl agreements. Illinois and Penn State are 6-6 but are coming off bowl droughts and have massive alumni bases. Maryland and Rutgers are 7-5 but are newcomers to the league. I’m projecting Illinois to be left out but the Quick Lane may elect to take the Illini due to their geographic advantage over the Terps, who could also end up in the Pinstripe.


· The only bowl with a spot open is the Armed Forces, and they have a secondary agreement with Conference USA. This means Western Kentucky (or whichever C-USA team is left out of their primary agreements) will rise above Texas State, Ohio, Temple and the leftover Big Ten team unless there is some wiggle room in the contract to allow a local team (Texas State) or Power Five team (Illinois?) to enter.


· Shuffling the Pac-12 because apparently the Foster Farms is all in on taking Stanford. The big loser here is Arizona State, who having recently played in the Holiday slips all the way down to the Sun. These things can happen when you end the season on a two-game losing streak.


· Boston College to the Pinstripe Bowl makes a lot of sense but there are reports the Blue Devils are a sure thing to head to Yankee Stadium.


· Pitt ends up going to Detroit for the second consecutive postseason. Sorry, Panthers, I just think the Military Bowl is going to go with relatively local Virginia Tech.






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News sport : Florida State, the nation's only undefeated team, should be in the playoff

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Florida State just completed its second consecutive undefeated season, won its third consecutive ACC title and it’s going to spend the next 12 hours sweating about whether or not it’s going to be able to play for a national championship.


The College Football Playoff committee has been steadily downgrading the Seminoles for their close wins against what is perceived to be inferior competition. Consequently, the nation’s only undefeated team came into the night ranked No. 4 and its 37-35 win against Georgia Tech in the ACC title game might have done it few favors.


It’s the fourth consecutive game the Seminoles have won by five or fewer points. The difference in this contest is that Florida State actually held onto a lead instead clawing back from a deficit in the second half.


Still, with No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Oregon seemingly entrenched in their playoff spots, the Nos. 3 and 4 spots are creating the biggest mystery. No. 3 TCU thrashed Iowa State in its finale. No. 5 Ohio State dismantled Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game and No. 6 Baylor beat Kansas State. One could argue that each of those wins was better than Florida State’s.


It’s hard to fathom the committee leaving out the nation’s lone undefeated team, but it’s clear that it put the Seminoles on notice by dropping them to No. 4 and promoting TCU two spots to jump them.


It’s unfortunate Florida State is at the mercy of a committee that doesn’t think very highly of it because despite the score, Saturday’s ACC title game was the best offensive game the Seminoles have had in weeks. And while the defense was abused by the Yellow Jackets in the first half, it clamped down in the second half and helped secure the win.


By leaving the only undefeated team out of the playoff, if such a thing comes to pass, the College Football Committee risks setting a dangerous precedent. It’s essentially saying that no matter the result of a contest, teams are subject to the whimsy of the committee and how it feels a team should have played versus how it did play even if it won.


Winning is hard and no one has done it more consecutive times than Florida State. At some point, regardless of how the committee thinks about the way Florida State should have won, just winning has to count for something.


For more Florida State news, visit Warchant.com.


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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!


And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook






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News sport : Ohio State destroys Wisconsin to win Big Ten, but will the Buckeyes crack the Top 4?

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Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones throws during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship NCAA college football game against Wisconsin Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) On the outside of the College Football Playoff rankings and looking in, Ohio State needed to make a statement against No. 13 Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday night.


Mission accomplished; but will it be enough to crack the Top 4?


The Buckeyes annihilated the Badgers in all phases en route to a resounding 59-0 victory – and they did so with third-string quarterback Cardale Jones making his first career start. Jones’ inexperience didn’t matter, though. Jones played a fantastic game, completing 12-of-17 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Each of those scores were on deep balls to Devin Smith (four catches, 137 yards) of 39, 44, and 42 yards.


Sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott had a huge game for the Buckeyes as well. On 20 carries, Elliott racked up 220 yards and two touchdowns. His 81-yard score in the first quarter was the first indication that the Badgers were in for a rough ride.


Overall, the Buckeyes registered 558 yards of total offense against the nation’s second-ranked defense that allowed an average of only 260 yards per game all season.


While the offense continued to tack on points, the Ohio State defense was arguably even more impressive. It limited Wisconsin’s offense to just 258 yards (many of which came in garbage time) while running back Melvin Gordon, the nation’s leading rusher, was held to just 76 yards on 26 carries – a 2.9 yard average compared to the 8.0 yards per carry average he put up through the regular season. With Gordon getting consistently swallowed up, the Badgers had to go to the air more than they hoped. That didn’t work either.


It was a complete and thorough beatdown for 60 minutes.


There were no signs of any nerves for Jones despite making his first start on a huge stage. He completed his first three passes of the game – the third of which went to Smith for a 39-yard touchdown. If that didn’t settle him in, Elliott’s 81-yard scamper off a read option certainly did.


While the defense continued to stymie the Badgers, Jones and the offense scored points on their next three drives via a field goal and two touchdowns to go up 31-0 with 6:36 left in the first half.


The defense capped off the perfect half when defensive end Michael Bennett forced a Gordon fumble and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Joey Bosa returned it four yards for a touchdown to make it 38-0.


Ohio State took its foot off the gas pedal a bit in the second half. Jones hit Smith for a third time early on in the third quarter, but the Buckeyes mainly kept the ball on the ground and chewed up clock on the ground with Elliott and Curtis Samuel, who added two late touchdowns.


The win improved Ohio State’s record to 12-1 on the season, but will that one loss – a week two home setback to 6-6 Virginia Tech – end up costing the Buckeyes a spot in the College Football Playoff?


The four teams ahead of Ohio State in the CFP rankings – Alabama, Oregon, TCU and Florida State, along with No. 6 Baylor – all took care of business this weekend. The fourth-ranked Seminoles completed an undefeated season with a close win over Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship.


It’s hard to see the committee keeping the defending national champions out of the playoffs, so that final spot probably comes down to Ohio State and the Big 12 co-champions, TCU and Baylor.


Baylor beat TCU 61-58 on Oct. 11, and committee chair Jeff Long said Saturday morning that head-to-head wins and losses have not been factored into the rankings yet. With Sunday’s final rankings coming, that comment makes it sound like Baylor would be ranked higher than TCU with both teams finishing the season at 11-1 and the Bears winning the head-to-head matchup.


At that point, does Ohio State and its 11-game winning streak, capped off by Saturday night’s statement over Melvin Gordon and the Badgers, have a better resume than the Bears? The argument certainly can be made and the committee will have a hard time keeping the Buckeyes out of that No. 4 spot.


Luckily, we won’t have to wait too long to find out.


For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.


For more Wisconsin news, visit BadgerBlitz.com.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : CM Punk signs multi-fight deal with UFC

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Phil “CM Punk” Brooks has signed a multi-fight deal with Ultimate Fighting Championship and will make his octagon debut in 2015, the promotion announced Saturday night.


The UFC teased a big announcement following the first match of the UFC 181 pay-per-view portion and delivered. Joe Rogan interviewed Brooks cageside at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Brooks sounded excited about his new venture and while he wasn’t sure of a weight class yet, he said middleweight is an option.


The former WWE champion has made headlines the last week for a series of podcast interviews where he ripped Vince McMahon’s company for how he was treated during his eight years as a performer. The WWE fired Brooks earlier this year and has now stated on multiple occasions that he had no intentions of ever returning.


That opens the door for mixed martial arts, a sport that Brooks has followed closely while competing in the WWE. He’s no stranger to UFC pay-per-views and has made several “Gracie Breakdown” cameos alongside friend and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu instructor Rener Gracie.






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News sport : Josh Samman obliterates Eddie Gordon with one of year's best KOs

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LAS VEGAS -- Josh Samman didn't have a very good first round against Eddie Gordon. The middleweight winner on Season 19 of "The Ultimate Fighter," Gordon used his strength and his wrestling to control Samman in the first.


But Gordon was loading up on every punch he threw, throwing from left field, and it guaranteed him a spot in the highlight reels for years to come.


As Gordon appeared to wind back to fire a right hand, Samman blasted him along the side of the face with a head kick during their bout at UFC 181 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Gordon went down as if he'd been shot and the fight was over in an instant.


It was unquestionably one of the best and most vicious knockouts of the year, but it also ranks up there with the sport's best head kick knockouts ever. It was reminscent in many ways of a head kick knockout on TUF by Uriah Hall, who coldcocked Adam Cella.



Josh Samman lands a massive kick to the head of Eddie Gordon. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)





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News sport : Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy shows off his dance moves after beating Oklahoma (Video)

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Oklahoma State scored 24 of the game’s last 31 points to upset in-state rival Oklahoma in overtime, 38-35. Part of that comeback was an explosive 92-yard punt return for touchdown by Tyreek Hill with just 45 seconds remaining to force overtime.


The win clinched bowl eligibility for the Cowboys and the post-game locker room was a joyous scene. It even featured head coach Mike Gundy showing off some wild dance moves.



We’ve seen Gundy’s dancing skills a few times in the past, but you know he had to bring out something special after beating the Sooners.


After the game, Gundy also cleared up some rumblings that he may be looking to take another job.



Hopefully that means we’ll get more videos of Gundy dancing in the future.


For more Oklahoma State news, visit OStateIllustrated.com.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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United out to add to Saints misery

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Southampton will be hoping Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal does not pair Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie together in attack for Monday night's Premier League fixture at St Mary's.


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London - Southampton will be hoping Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal does not pair Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie together in attack for Monday night's Premier League fixture at St Mary's.


Van Gaal said on Friday that Rooney would return from the knee injury that ruled him out of Wednesday's 2-1 home win over Stoke City.


The United captain and Dutchman Van Persie have enjoyed a lot of success against Southampton in the past and may team up again, although Van Gaal can also call upon fit-again Colombia forward Radamel Falcao.


Rooney has struck five goals in as many starts for United against the south-coast club and Van Persie has also scored five against them including a hat-trick at St Mary's two years ago.


Third-placed Southampton have lost their last two games, against Manchester City and Arsenal, but Van Gaal believes they can wind up in the Champions League qualifying positions at the end of the season.


“They have a very good squad,” the Dutchman told a news conference on Friday.


“I think they are able to finish in the first four but that's also because I believe in the manager, in Ronald Koeman. I believe the cohesion there is good.”


The pair were involved in a high-profile bustup when they were at Ajax Amsterdam a decade ago.


“My relationship with Ronald Koeman doesn't have to be described, that's private,” said Van Gaal.


“We play against Southampton and we should talk about the team rather than the coach. After the game we can reflect on the relationship.”


United, one point behind Southampton in fourth spot, will be without Argentina winger Angel Di Maria because of a hamstring injury. Reuters






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News sport : After rolling Missouri, Alabama should stay at No. 1 in playoff rankings

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We now know Alabama will be in the College Football Playoff. The only question is if the Tide will remain as the No. 1 seed.


And all signs point to yes after Alabama's 42-13 win over Missouri in Saturday's SEC Championship Game.


The Crimson Tide controlled the game basically from start to finish. While Alabama made a few unforced errors, it got away with them. And besides, with the way the game unfolded, it never felt like Missouri could capitalize anyway.


The Tigers pulled within 21-13 in the third quarter after the Tigers discovered that the best offense was a Maty Mauk scramble and deep heave to Jimmie Hunt. Twice it set the Tigers up for scores, but the second one only produced a field goal. At 21-17, perhaps it would have been a different ballgame. But instead, Missouri only got to within eight with an Andrew Baggett field goal.


As soon as Alabama got the ball back, it was an exercise in offensive efficiency. The Tide traversed 64 yards in 10 plays and Christion Jones capped the drive with a six-yard touchdown catch. After Missouri punted, Alabama was in the end zone again just over seven minutes later. The rout was on.


Missouri defensive end Shane Ray, a possible top-10 pick in the 2015 NFL draft if he declares, was ejected in the first half for targeting on a late hit on Alabama quarterback Blake Sims after Sims threw a TD pass to DeAndrew White. While Ray's absence certainly didn't help a Missouri defense that's incredibly reliant on the excellence of its front four, it wasn't a turning point in the game.


Before Ray left, Alabama spread Missouri out and used quick throws to the edges for big gains. The trend continued after Ray left with some strong running mixed in as well.


While Oregon looked incredibly impressive in exacting revenge on Arizona on Friday night in the Pac-12 Championship Game, Oregon's display shouldn't be enough to unseat Alabama at the top of the College Football Playoff committee's final rankings on Sunday.


Sure, you can nitpick with the Tide's deep pass defense, which was exploited for the second straight game, but the exploitations on Saturday only came after Mauk had been dispersed from the pocket and was freelancing. The play of Alabama's defensive front, which completely stopped Missouri's running game, is why Mauk was out of the pocket in the first place.


While Mauk ended up throwing for 272 yards, Missouri only ran for 41. Alabama compiled 504 total yards by averaging nearly 10 yards per pass and five yards per rush against one of the best defenses in not only the SEC, but the entire country.


The Tide may not be perfect, but no team is. Since Alabama entered Saturday at No. 1, there's no reason it should leave it anywhere else.


For more Alabama news, visit TideSports.com.


For more Missouri news, visit PowerMizzou.com.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer has throat surgery

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Virginia Tech announced Saturday that coach Frank Beamer had throat surgery but is expected to be ready for the Hokies' bowl game.


“We waited until the end of the regular season to surgically address an issue with Coach Beamer’s throat,” Virginia Tech head physician Dr. Gunnar Brolinson said in a statement. “The procedure went as planned, without complications, and he simply needs some rest before he returns to his normal routine. He’s been cleared to continue his game planning and film study and will return to the practice field as soon as possible. I fully expect Coach Beamer to coach in his 22nd consecutive bowl game.”


Beamer has coached Virginia Tech since 1987 and to get to his 22nd bowl, his team had to beat Virginia in its last game of the season to go to 6-6. The Hokies will find out their bowl destination on Sunday.


The school also said that Beamer was at home and resting comfortably in Blacksburg, Va.


For more Virginia Tech news, visit HokieHaven.com.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Ohio State's Michael Bennett to Kosta Karageorge's number (Photo)

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Ohio State defensive end Michael Bennett will honor fallen teammate Kosta Karageorge in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday night.


Karageorge, a walk-on senior defensive tackle, was found dead last Sunday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, four days after he was reported missing. Per the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Bennett will wear Karageorge’s No. 53 instead of his usual No. 63.



As you can see above, Ohio State tweeted out a photo of its locker room in Lucas Oil Stadium with Bennett’s locker on the left.


According to the Plain-Dealer, Bennett, a senior with 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, was one of the pallbearers at Karageorge’s funeral on Wednesday.


“We knew he had a lot of concussions. But you never knew he was depressed or anything like that,” Bennett said earlier this week. “I think he was one of the most positive out of everybody, which goes to show you can’t tell when something sneaks up. There’s no way to notice it.”


The Buckeyes will also wear a helmet decal in Karageorge’s honor.


For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Marshall comes from behind to beat La. Tech for C-USA title

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HUNTINGTON, WV - DECEMBER 06: Rakeem Cato #12 of the Marshall Thundering Herd looks to pass during the first quarter against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Joan C. Edwards Stadium during the Conference USA championship game on December 6, 2014 in Huntington, West Virginia. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) Marshall could not get out of its own way for most of the Conference USA Championship Game against Louisiana Tech, but when it mattered most, Rakeem Cato and the Thundering Herd got the job done to win the conference crown.


Cato, Marshall’s senior quarterback, threw a late fourth quarter touchdown pass to freshman Deon-Tay McManus to give the Thundering Herd a come-from-behind 26-23 win over an undermanned Louisiana Tech team that played without five starters.


When McManus hauled in that game-winning catch with 1:50 left on the clock, it marked Marshall’s first lead of the game.


Despite playing at home, the Herd didn’t do much to help itself, turning the ball over four times and having a punt blocked late in the third quarter. Still, when a missed Tech field goal allowed Marshall to take over from its own 32-yard line down 23-19 with 5:01 to go, Cato, who finished with 308 yards passing, dinked and dunked his way down the field on an 11-play, 68-yard drive to win the game.


Playing at a rainy Joan C. Edwards Stadium, play favored the Bulldogs early on. Junior tailback Kenneth Dixon established his presence on the ground on La. Tech’s first drive, breaking off a few hard runs en route to a 26-yard field goal to open the scoring.


On the other side, Cato struggled to get anything going against a stout Bulldogs’ defense. The Herd came up empty on its first two drives, then on the third drive, an exchange between Cato and running back Steward Butler was fumbled and recovered by the Bulldogs. Dixon reeled off a 33-yard touchdown run on the very next play to give Tech a 10-0 lead late in the first quarter.


Marshall responded on a Cato-to-McManus touchdown on the next drive, but later on in the half, Marshall made another mistake – this time on special teams. A bouncing Bulldogs’ punt deflected off of Marshall’s Michael Johnson and Tech recovered. Four plays later, Dixon scored again – this time from 30 yards – to extend the lead to 17-7.


Marshall’s defense was able to keep Cody Sokol and the Bulldogs in check for the rest of the half and senior kicker Justin Haig hit two field goals to keep the Herd within striking distance at half, 17-13.


Haig hit his third 40-plus yard field goal to open the second half to cut the lead to one, but another Marshall miscue – a blocked punt – gave Tech great field position again. Dixon (20 carries, 156 yards) made the Herd pay again, scoring his third touchdown of the game from 19 yards out to open up a 23-16 lead (the extra point failed) heading into the fourth quarter.


Marshall’s first drive of the final frame ended in a lost fumble deep in Tech territory, but Tech could not capitalize this time around. Marshall got the ball back soon after and Haig hit his fourth field goal of the game, a 24-yarder, to cut the lead to 23-19.


Tech took over with 8:34 to go with a chance to eat up some clock, but its drive stalled when Marshall stuffed a 3rd-and-2 play from the Herd 28-yard line for a loss of four yards. Kyle Fischer then missed from 49-yards out, setting up Marshall’s game-winning drive.


Though its undefeated season was spoiled by Western Kentucky last weekend, Marshall’s C-USA title still gives it a shot to represent the Group of Five in a New Years bowl game. Of course, No. 22 Boise State would need to lose in the Mountain West title game Saturday night, but the chance is still alive.


If Boise does win, the 12-1 Herd, as league champions, will get to choose which C-USA bowl game it wants to play in.


The loss drops Louisiana Tech’s record to 8-5 heading in to a bowl game.


For more Marshall news, visit HerdNation.com. For more Louisiana Tech news, visit BleedTechBlue.com.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Greg Cosell's Look Ahead: The Denver Broncos' changing offense

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

There was a telltale sign on Sunday night that the Denver Broncos’ offense is changing. Two, actually.


First, the Broncos lined up with six offensive linemen in a heavy set on the first four plays of the game. Also, Virgil Green was at tight end, and his strength is run blocking. The Broncos ran it with C.J. Anderson on each of the first four plays out of that set. That's not what we've come to expect from the Broncos, with their wide array of weapons in the passing game.


The other shift is that quarterback Peyton Manning was under center a lot, and I don’t recall him being under center that much in a game with the Broncos. On the Broncos’ second possession of the third quarter, they ran the ball six straight times, all with Manning under center.


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Nobody knows what the Broncos’ plan is this week against the Buffalo Bills or the rest of the season, but over the last two weeks this offense looks a lot different.


Anderson has 335 yards on 59 carries the last two weeks, and 23 of those carries and 119 yards have come with six offensive linemen on the field. That’s a pretty significant 39 percent of his runs.


Anderson has a good skill set, so it's no surprise the Broncos want him involved. He’s a compact runner with a low center of gravity, with good lower leg strength and deceptive lateral agility and quickness. He has showed the ability to stop-and-start and jump cut.


The Broncos got a decisive win over the Chiefs, even without Manning throwing it well in the second half in bad weather. Manning was great on third-down conversions in the first half, which helped the Broncos get a big lead, but take those third-down conversions in the first half away and he was 10-of-25 for 71 yards.


The Broncos have made a strong commitment to the running game the last couple weeks, and you can tell that’s the plan based on their personnel decisions. Whether that continues remains to be seen (and some of it can be attributed to tight end Julius Thomas being out of the lineup), but it has been a different Broncos offense the last two weeks.


Dalton struggles


Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is not seeing things well right now, and he’s making throws that aren’t there but he tries them anyway. That led to some big mistakes last week. Let’s look at one of them.


With the Bengals in the red zone, the Buccaneers ran a “Cover 2” zone. Cornerback Brandon Gibson did an excellent job carrying receiver A.J. Green, because there was no threat in the flat. So the throw was not there, but Dalton turned it loose.


Dalton isn’t quickly eliminating what’s not there, which is a problem. This interception was even worse because it was in the red zone and took points off the board.



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Eagles vs. Seahawks


There’s one possible wrinkle to watch when the Seattle Seahawks play at the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.


The Eagles have completed a lot of short passes this season – a quick curl in which a receiver catches it and gains 7 or 8 yards. Then all of a sudden they’ve run eight of those plays in a row at a fast pace and the defense is gassed. That’s one way the Eagles sustain their offense, with those short throws.


I wonder if Seattle will play a little more man coverage to take away those quick throws. The Seahawks have played more man this season. That would make it harder on quarterback Mark Sanchez. The longer he is in the pocket with the ball, the harder it becomes for him.


If the Seahawks do play it this way, also expect strong safety Kam Chancellor to be the “lurk” defender, to sit in the middle and take away those throws. Or, if the Eagles complete them, Chancellor can do what he did in the Super Bowl and punish the receivers over the middle.


"Triple A Gap" blitz


I wanted to point out a really well designed blitz/stunt from the Minnesota Vikings last week. Their coach, Mike Zimmer, is a master of the “Double A Gap” blitz, and the "Triple A Gap" too. On this one, on a third down early in the game, both linebackers Anthony Barr and Chad Greenway blitzed from the “A” gap alignment – one on each side of the center. But it became a “Triple A Gap” blitz when defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd got involved. He looped behind the linebackers as a third rusher up the middle, and his quick pressure made Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton rush an incompletion.



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NFL analyst and NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell watches as much NFL game film as anyone. Throughout the season, Cosell will join Shutdown Corner to share his observations on the teams, schemes and personnel from around the league.






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News sport : Cincinnati claims share of AAC title with win over Houston

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

There's a three-way tie atop the American Athletic Conference.


Cincinnati joined the party in first place with a 38-31 win over Houston on Saturday. The victory pushes the Bearcats to 7-1 in the conference and into a tie with Memphis and Central Florida, which clinched a share of the title on Thursday with a miracle Hail Mary touchdown to beat East Carolina.


Cincinnati's only loss of the season was to Memphis. But the head-to-head matchup doesn't matter. Since the AAC plays an eight-game schedule and there are 11 teams in the conference, not everyone plays each other. UCF, which lost to UConn, didn't play either Cincinnati or Memphis. The Tigers' only conference loss was to Houston.


The Bearcats were up 35-17 at the end of the third quarter on Saturday but things got a little dicey in the fourth. A horrific blown coverage on Houston WR Markeith Ambles resulted in an 89-yard touchdown as Houston cut the lead to 35-24.


Then, after the lead was sliced to 38-31 with over five minutes to go, Cincinnati had to weather a last-ditch drive by Houston. But three consecutive incompletions in the end zone ended the game and gave the Bearcats the win.


Quarterbacks Gunner Kiel and Munchie Legaux split time for Cincinnati and they were both effective. Kiel was 15-24 for 190 yards and two touchdowns and Legaux was 10-14 for 158 yards. RB Mike Boone had 17 carries for 85 yards and three touchdowns.


Though there are three co-champions, it's likely the AAC will be shut out of any chance at the New Year's Day Bowl spot that's given to the highest-ranked champion of the AAC, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West and Sun Belt. Boise State is a big favorite against Fresno State and Conference USA champion Marshall has just one loss. Each of the AAC's three teams has three total losses.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : TCU has done its job, now it's up to the College Football Playoff committee

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

TCU made its final statement by soundly defeating Iowa State 55-3 to notch an 11-1 record and claim a share of the Big 12 title.


But will it be enough to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff?


To this point, the College Football Playoff committee has been mostly pro-TCU, elevating it to No. 3, ahead of undefeated Florida State, after last week’s dominance of Texas. However, the Horned Frogs loss to No. 6 Baylor continues to be the elephant in the room.


Baylor and several pundits contend that because Baylor defeated TCU in their game this season, the Bears should earn a playoff spot over the Horned Frogs. The committee has contended that the two resumes have not been comparable up until this final point, so head-to-head has not come into play.


However, Baylor does face No. 9 Kansas State tonight, a game that many believe will level the playing field between TCU and Baylor.


But that doesn’t change the fact that TCU is ahead of Florida State and Ohio State, which also have games this evening. This isn’t just a matter of swapping one team for another, it’s a matter of saying Baylor is better than Ohio State and Florida State, or, at the very least, Ohio State if those teams win.


Also, there’s nothing that says Baylor and TCU can’t both be in the playoff if the scenario works out that way, though the Bears would almost assuredly need Florida State to lose.


The bottom line is that if TCU, which was in the playoff heading into the weekend and did more than enough to show it belongs in the playoff, is removed from the top 4 then the system needs an overhaul. What’s the point of ranking teams week-by-week if those rankings really mean nothing? All the committee is doing is giving teams false hope and then telling them that whatever they do on the field is at the mercy of the subjective criteria of 12 people sitting in a hotel boardroom.


All of this, of course, could be a moot point if Baylor loses or even plays a close game with the Wildcats. TCU beat Kansas State 41-20. All things considered, Baylor would probably have to have a similar victory to level the playing field if we’re to believe the committee’s logic in comparing these two teams.


From the time the playoff was announced, it was clear that no matter how it played out, someone was going to be upset. Whether it was four teams or eight teams, someone was going to feel cheated. There’s no perfect system and some team is going to fully understand that by the end of the weekend.


For more TCU news, visit PurpleMenace.com.


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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!


And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook






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