Sports
Latest College Football Playoff Rankings Adds Spice to November
Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks mascot The Duck in the middle of the crowd storming the field after the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images A wave of upsets and close calls in Week 11 led to dramatic changes in the second College Football Playoff rankings.
The evolving storylines heading into Week 12 include a former favorite to win it all in danger of missing the field, Nick Saban’s continued influence on the playoff even in retirement, and the intriguing race for the fifth automatic bid.
Big Ten and SEC Manifest Destiny Already Paying Dividends
Through the second week of rankings, the expanded playoff looks like an SEC vs. Big Ten invitational. The two leagues combine for eight of the 12 spots—four apiece—while no other conference has more than one.
The ACC has Miami in the field despite the Hurricanes’ Week 11 loss to Georgia Tech, and independent Notre Dame plays a schedule heavy on ACC competition as part of the Fighting Irish’s membership in the league for other sports.
This was very much the plan of both Big Ten and SEC brass when enacting aggressive expansion plans in recent years, and it’s perhaps fitting that the top-ranked teams representing each conference are newcomers. Texas sits in one of the coveted top-four spots as the SEC championship representative, and Oregon is again No. 1 overall as the Big Ten representative.
Week 12 is Make or Break for Georgia
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) throws a touchdown pass to Georgia wide receiver Rara Thomas (5) during the first half of a NCAA college football game against Kentucky in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. credits: Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK Not included among the quartet of SEC teams currently in the field is overwhelming preseason favorite Georgia—and with good reason. Ole Miss deservedly jumped the Bulldogs on the strength of its head-to-head win in Week 11, but just as significant is how lopsided the 28-10 contest played out.
Against Ole Miss, for a half at Alabama, and in lackluster wins over struggling conference opponents Kentucky and Mississippi State, Georgia has not looked like a national championship contender.
Quality wins over Clemson and Texas keep the Bulldogs in striking distance at No. 12 overall and as the first team out. However, the stakes for Week 12 and Tennessee’s visit Between The Hedges could not be higher.
A win gets Georgia back into the field, and presumably into a first-round home game. Another loss may not eliminate the Bulldogs entirely from consideration—but it should.
Is It About the Name on the Front of the Jersey?
Oct 19, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) walks off of the field after defeating the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images SMU is undefeated in the ACC with a Top 25 win—the same Top 25 win Miami (of the ACC) boasts, against Louisville. The Mustangs’ sole loss came to Big 12-leading BYU, which remained in the field after its incredible comeback and one-point win over rival Utah.
Miami’s loss, meanwhile, came against unranked Georgia Tech.
Warde Manuel, addressing reporters on behalf of the selection committee, said that they “looked at their body of work as it relates to who they played and how they played those games during the season.”
In other words, how SMU has won matters, and it’s weighed alongside how they’ve played. The same is true of Boise State, which Manuel cited specifically at No. 13 after having squeaked by a struggling Nevada team by seven points.
Coincidentally, SMU eked out a five-point win over Nevada back in Week 1. With the exception of an overtime win over Duke and a 34-27 defeat of Louisville—the same margin of victory against the Cardinals as Miami had—SMU has generally controlled its games.
“We’ve been impressed by both,” Manuel said when comparing SMU and Miami. “Just based on their body of work, the committee had the discussions, and the feeling was that Miami was ahead of SMU in terms of their performance this year.”
The good news for the Mustangs is that if they continue to win, they’ll get the opportunity to take the decision out of the subjective opinions of the committee and any influence program prestige might have.
What is Boise State’s Ceiling?
Nov 9, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs the ball against Nevada Wolf Pack safety Kitan Crawford (4) during the first quarter at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-Imagn Images Boise State’s only loss this season is to No. 1-ranked Oregon, and it came down to the wire. The Broncos also dominated in their sole Top 25 win, a 45-24 rout of No. 18 Washington State.
But with no other Mountain West Conference teams ranked in the Top 25, Boise State may not have an opportunity to add another resume-building win to bolster its current position as the last team in the field.
In fact, the Broncos are in a precarious spot as it stands, competing for the fifth automatic bid for conference champions. No. 24-ranked Army has eighth-ranked Notre Dame coming up on Nov. 23, as well as a potential American Athletic Conference championship matchup with Tulane, which debuted at No. 25.
In a scenario where Army upsets Notre Dame and wins the AAC title against a ranked Tulane team, could the Cadets jump the Broncos as the fifth-highest ranked conference champion? It doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility.
While focusing primarily on winning out, Boise State fans might also become vocal supporters of Oregon and Washington State to maintain their place—and for UNLV to win out and potentially crack the Top 25 for a ranked Mountain West championship rematch.
Alabama vs. Indiana Sets Up an Intriguing Saban Bowl
Aug 31, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) scrambles behind blocking by offensive lineman Elijah Pritchett (57) during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports It’s unlikely the matchups we see five weeks from now will resemble those set up in the final bracket. That said, a first-round pairing of Alabama and Indiana would be a fun matchup that makes Nick Saban’s presence felt even in retirement.
The coaching luminary restored Alabama to prominence during his tenure, along the way providing springboards for other head coaches. One of them is Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, although Cignetti took a unique route.
A member of Saban’s initial Alabama staff, Cignetti took the head-coaching job at Indiana… of Pennsylvania, a Division II program, in 2011. From there, he had immediate success at Elon and James Madison, and now has the perennially downtrodden Indiana on the cusp of an improbable Playoff berth.
Cignetti stepped into a much different position when taking over at a longtime bottom feeder than Kalen DeBoer did at Alabama. Succeeding arguably the greatest coach of all time is no easy task, and this hasn’t been an entirely smooth debut season for DeBoer, a coach who, like Cignetti, has small-school credentials from his tenure at former NAIA school Sioux Falls.
But the Crimson Tide are on course for a Playoff berth, and the contrast in facing off with Indiana would make for a fun matchup with Saban’s fingerprints all over it.
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
