12-team College Football Playoff bracket offers a new, imperfect way of picking a national champion
Over the decades, no sport has had more issues figuring out its national champion than major college football. The first 12-team College Football Playoff being announced Sunday is not the perfect fix. The 13-person selection committee has a number of big decisions before it. The biggest: Should Alabama or SMU get the 12th and final spot in the field?
AP Top 25: Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, Texas top poll going into playoff; Tide ranked ahead of SMU
Georgia moved up to No. 2 behind Oregon in The Associated Press college football poll. Texas and Penn State remained in the top five after losing conference championship games. Arizona State appeared in the top 10 for the first time in a decade. Oregon goes into the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 team for the eighth straight week and the unanimous choice for the sixth in a row. The poll was released shortly before the CFP rankings. Georgia's overtime win over Texas in the SEC championship game earned the Bulldogs a three-rung promotion. Notre Dame is No. 3.
Lando Norris wins season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to seal constructors' title for McLaren
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Lando Norris ended McLaren's 26-year wait for the Formula 1 constructors' title as he won the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Norris held on for the win with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. in second and Charles Leclerc surging up to third from 19th on the grid. Norris had to do it without help from teammate Oscar Piastri, who dropped down the field after colliding with Max Verstappen at the first corner. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was fourth in his last race for Mercedes before joining Ferrari next year.
Vonn finishes 24th in lower-level super-G race as she makes strides in comeback to ski racing at 40
COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) -- Lindsey Vonn finished in 24th place in the first of two lower-level super-G races as the 40-year-old dials in her equipment and technique during her comeback to ski racing. Vonn wound up 2.19 seconds behind the winning time of her American teammate Lauren Macuga, who flew down the course in 1 minute, 11.90 seconds. There were 31 racers who took the course on a frigid morning. After finishing, Vonn took a moment at the bottom of the hill to catch her breath before heading back up for another super-G race. She finished in the middle of the pack in two downhill races Saturday, her first races in nearly six years.
No. 1 Oregon outlasts No. 3 Penn State 45-37 for Big Ten title and 1st-round bye in playoffs
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Dillon Gabriel threw four touchdown passes and No. 1 Oregon outlasted No. 3 Penn State 45-37 on Saturday night in the Big Ten championship, giving the Ducks a first-round bye and almost certainly the top seed in the College Football Playoff. The Ducks (13-0, No. 1 CFP) nearly blew a 15-point lead in the final four minutes, ending the Nittany Lions' last gasp by picking off Drew Allar's pass with 1:54 left. Jordan James ran for for two scores to help Oregon win its first league title since 2020 in the Pac-12, this one coming in its first year in the Big Ten. Penn State (11-2, No. 3 CFP) also is expected to make the playoff field.
No. 5 Georgia pulls off another overtime stunner, beating No. 2 Texas 22-19 for SEC title
ATLANTA (AP) -- Gunner Stockton, a little-known backup who had barely played in his Georgia career, came off the bench after an injury to Carson Beck and led the No. 5 Bulldogs to an improbable 22-19 overtime victory over No. 2 Texas in the Southeastern Conference championship game. The Bulldogs won their third SEC title under coach Kirby Smart, but the trophy comes with an even bigger prize. They get a first-round bye in the new 12-team College Football Playoff. Georgia came into the game ranked fifth by the CFP, but now it is assured of playing in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal game on New Year's Day in pursuit of its third national title in four seasons
No. 18 Clemson beats No. 8 SMU 34-31 on last-second field goal for ACC title, berth in the CFP
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Cade Klubnik threw for 262 yards and four touchdowns, Nolan Hauser kicked 56-yard field goal as time expired and the No. 18 Clemson beat No. 8 SMU 34-31 on Saturday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff and position itself for a first-round bye. Bryant Wesco had eight catches for 143 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns for the Tigers, who needed a win to get into the expanded 12-team playoffs. Jake Briningstool added two short TD receptions as Clemson improved to 9-1 in ACC championship games under coach Dabo Swinney. Kevin Jennings was 32 of 51 for 310 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score for SMU.
Arizona State makes College Football Playoff with 45-19 win over Iowa State in Big 12 title game
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Big 12 newcomer Arizona State will represent the conference in the 12-team College Football Playoff. Cam Skattebo ran for 170 yards and two scores while adding a touchdown catch the 12th-ranked Sun Devils beat No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 championship game. The Sun Devils with 34-year-old head coach Kenny Dillingham are 11-2 after being the preseason pick to finish at the bottom of their new 16-team league. They have won six games in a row. Iowa State is 10-3, already the first 10-win season in the program's 133-year history.
Willy Adames agrees to $182 million, 7-year deal with the Giants, AP source says
Willy Adames has agreed to a $182 million, seven-year deal with San Francisco, providing the Giants with a power-hitting shortstop in the prime of his career, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical. ESPN first reported the move. The 29-year-old Adames is coming off his best offensive season in the big leagues after hitting .251 with a career-high 32 homers and 112 RBIs with the Milwaukee Brewers.
LA Galaxy strike early, hold off New York Red Bulls 2-1 to win their record 6th MLS Cup championship
CARSON, Calif. (AP) -- Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic scored in the first half, and the LA Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls. After striking twice in the first 13 minutes with goals from their star forwards, the Galaxy nursed a lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league's biggest trophy for the first time since 2014. Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable charge through the playoffs ended one win shy of the founding MLS franchise's first Cup championship.