Sports
Did the New College Football Playoff Help or Hurt the 2024 Regular Season?
The 2024 college football season has been one of the wildest, most unpredictable, and chaotic in recent memory. In the end, how much will it matter?
Rivalry Week saw No. 6-ranked Miami let a 21-0 lead slip away in a 42-38 loss at Syracuse, while No. 2 Ohio State showed more fight in the postgame brawl with Michigan than its offense could muster in a 13-10 loss.
With the teams involved, Week 14 draws a parallel to the final month of the similarly wild 2017 season. When Ohio State lost a stunning 55-24 November game at Iowa that year and Miami suffered another regular-season finale setback against Pitt, those outcomes helped effectively deny each a spot in the College Football Playoff.
But with the postseason tournament’s expansion to 12 teams this season, the 2024 Buckeyes and Hurricanes could very well still be slotted into bids when the Dec. 3 rankings are revealed. Each might even benefit from losing on Rivalry Saturday, as it puts conference counterparts—SMU in Miami’s case, Penn State for Ohio State—in a position to take detrimental losses in their league championship games.
Miami’s position is more tenuous than Ohio State’s, with the Hurricanes entering Week 14 lacking a consequential win. Ohio State, on the other hand, has victories over likely Playoff participants Penn State and a blowout of Indiana just one week ago.
That Ohio State could be, and likely is, insulated from falling out of the Playoff picture—but so are both Indiana and Penn State—suggests that the new postseason format has lowered the stakes of each college football Saturday compared to years past.
Among the qualities that made college football so unique compared to America’s other high-profile team sports was the specific lack of a postseason tournament. The absence of a Playoff before 2014 made college football’s “tournament” essentially begin on Labor Day weekend and run through Thanksgiving.
Even with the introduction of the Playoff, some of that aura remained—like in 2017, when Ohio State’s loss to Iowa or Miami’s loss to Pitt knocked each out of the national championship hunt.
The four-team Playoff wasn’t without its flaws, and 2017 again offers parallels to today. As contenders fell by the wayside throughout the season—USC to Notre Dame, Notre Dame to Miami, Miami to Pitt—the pathway for an outsider like UCF seemed open.
Instead, the undefeated Knights were passed over in favor of an Alabama team that failed to win its division, let alone its conference. While Alabama winning the national championship provided the selection committee with the confirmation bias necessary to justify the decision, UCF ran into the same glass ceiling that existed during the Bowl Championship Series era.
The 12-team Playoff provides a solution, with Boise State in line to get the title shot it was denied repeatedly throughout the BCS years. In past eras, a Week 2 loss to No. 1-ranked Oregon would have eliminated the Broncos, with the “every week is a playoff” mentality applying more literally to teams from outside the autonomy conferences.
Not even in the most egregious examples of outsiders being snubbed in the BCS or four-team Playoff eras were there 12 teams worthy of vying for the national championship by season’s end. It’s clear from the first regular season of the 12-team Playoff that there are not 12 teams that should be playing for a national championship now, either.
Take Alabama: Fresh off a 24-3 pasting at Oklahoma in Week 13, the Crimson Tide’s Iron Bowl win over a sub-.500 Auburn team, coupled with assorted bedlam around the nation, could position them to sneak into the field.
Does a 9-3 team with two double-digit-point losses and a defeat to Vanderbilt really deserve to play for the national championship? Or does that cheapen sports’ most exciting regular season?
Sports
Hannah Green wins her 2nd HSBC Women's World Championship
Aug 21, 2025; Mississauga, Ontario, CAN; Hannah Green plays her tee shot at the third hole during first round play at the CPKC Women’s Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Australia’s Hannah Green held off Auston Kim on Sunday to win the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore for the second time.
Green, the 2024 champion, balanced three birdies and three bogeys on an eventful back nine to finish with a 3-under 69 and a final score of 14-under at Sentosa Golf Club. The 2019 Women’s PGA Championship winner tapped in for bogey at the 18th for her seventh LPGA Tour title.
“When I did win Singapore two years ago, I went on to win two other tournaments that season and pretty much had my best season on tour,” said Green, 29. “So having a win so early in the season gives me a bit more flexibility with the tournaments that I can play. So I’m hoping that this puts me in good stead for the rest of the year.”
Green was at 16-under after birdies at the first, 11th and 13th holes and an eagle at the par-5 eighth hole. Her birdie at the par-3 15th helped her survive a bogey-bogey finish.
“I knew that I had enough of a lead to be able to get away with making mistakes coming down the stretch. But I think 15 was the real turning point,” she said.
First- and second-round leader Kim nearly chased down her first title, matching the low round of the day with a 67 to finish one shot behind Green in the 72-hole, no-cut tournament.
Kim carded six birdies and an eagle at No. 8, but a bogey at the par-3 15th proved costly for the 25-year-old American.
“Overall, I think it was a really solid week,” Kim said. “A great way to start the year. I hit a lot of bad shots but I also hit a lot of good ones, and it was really confidence boosting. I hit all these bad shots, and I didn’t feel like I had anything chose to my A game, but I was still able it pull off a result like this and play some really solid golf.”
Australia’s Minjee Lee (72 on Sunday), Angel Yin (71) and France’s Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (68) tied for third place at 11-under with South Korea’s Haeran Ryu (72) another shot back in solo sixth.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand finished with a 73 and tied for 31st at 2-under, one shot behind defending champion Lydia Ko (72) of New Zealand.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cards extend manager Oliver Marmol through '28 season
Feb 22, 2026; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) looks on from inside the dugout against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol received a two-year contract extension through the 2028 season, the team announced Sunday.
Financial terms were not disclosed by the team, which holds an option for the 2029 season.
“As I’ve gotten to know Oli, I’ve seen someone who cares about this organization and knows what has made the Cardinals special over time — and who understands that for us to get where we need to go, we must compete relentlessly to set new standards in everything that we do,” president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said.
“He is invested in the progress of our young core and is unafraid to challenge himself and to help those around him grow. I am energized to continue working with him towards the on-field success that we expect and that our fans deserve.”
Marmol, 39, has guided the Cardinals to a 325-323 record during his four seasons as the skipper. He led St. Louis to the National League Central title in 2022 before the team fell in the wild-card series to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Last season, the Cardinals posted a 78-84 record to finish in fourth place in the NL Central.
Marmol was a coach with St. Louis from 2017-21 under previous managers Mike Shildt and Mike Matheny.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tyler Reif treated for heat exhaustion after Trucks race
Oct 31, 2025; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Truck Series driver Tyler Reif (41) during the NASCAR Truck Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookie Tyler Reif was treated for heat exhaustion after Saturday night’s street race in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Reif, 18, was transported to an area medical facility after finishing 16th in the race in the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet. He was later released.
“Tyler and his family would like to express their gratitude to the NASCAR officials, track medical workers and the local medical facility staff for their care,” Niece Motorsports said in a release.
Reif made his debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series in 2025. Saturday’s race was just his third on the circuit, including a 17th-place finish at Atlanta on Feb. 21.
–Field Level Media
Hannah Green wins her 2nd HSBC Women's World Championship
Cards extend manager Oliver Marmol through '28 season
