Did a lopsided loss help the CFP selection committee solve its 'Alabama problem?'
It was no big secret that the College Football Playoff selection committee might have an “Alabama problem” by the end of the SEC title game, especially if the Crimson Tide lost. Turns out, they got whupped so badly by Georgia, they might have solved that problem themselves. Alabama’s third loss of the season was a 28-7 beatdown that wasn’t that close. And though it might seem unfair to penalize the program for playing in the SEC title game, there now seems to be a reasonable chance the Tide get passed over by Notre Dame and Miami when the brackets come out Sunday.
No. 2 Indiana beats No. 1 Ohio St. 13-10 to end Big Ten title drought, lock up top playoff seed
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Fernando Mendoza’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt gave No. 2 Indiana the lead midway through the third quarter and the Hoosiers' stingy defense pitched a shutout the rest of the way to beat No. 1 Ohio State 13-10 for their first Big Ten championship since 1967 while likely locking up the top seed in the College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers extended the best record in school history to 13-0, and are poised to claim the No. 1 spot in The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time ever. They did it by snapping a 30-game losing streak to the Buckeyes that stretched to 1988 and by ending major college football’s longest winning streak at 16 games. Ohio State dropped to 12-1 overall after missing a 29-yard field goal with 2:48 to play.
No. 3 Georgia ends No. 10 Alabama's hold on rivalry, beats Crimson Tide 28-7 to win SEC championship
ATLANTA (AP) — No. 3 Georgia has solidified its position for a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff by beating Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship game for the first time. The Bulldogs pounded the 10th-ranked Crimson Tide 28-7 on Saturday behind three touchdown passes from Gunner Stockton. Georgia had been 0-4 against Alabama in the SEC title game and 1-7 against the Crimson Tide under coach Kirby Smart. The Bulldogs earned their fourth SEC title under Smart and 16th overall. The lopsided loss means Alabama will have to worry about its standing with the College Football Playoff committee.
Fans of other schools rejoice at ACC title game as Duke win increases CFP uncertainty
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Duke's overtime win against No. 16 Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game attracted its share of curious onlookers, given the league's uncertain footing for College Football Playoff bids. The five-loss Blue Devils are unranked in the CFP. That raises at least the potential that the ACC could get shut out of the 12-team playoff. Sun Belt champion James Madison could secure the last automatic bid that goes to the five highest-ranked conference champions. ACC commissioner Jim Phillips had said this week that his league deserved two bids: one for No. 12 Miami as an at-large team and one for Saturday's title-game winner.
Texas Tech earns Big 12 title and likely first-round CFP bye with 34-7 win over BYU
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech linebacker Ben Roberts had two interceptions after halftime and the No. 5 Red Raiders won the Big 12 championship with 34-7 victory over BYU. The win Saturday almost certainly locks up a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff for the 12-1 Red Raiders, who entered the game No. 4 in the CFP rankings. Tech also has its first Big 12 title. Behren Morton, who didn’t play in Tech’s only loss at Arizona State, threw for two touchdowns to Coy Eakin. The only losses by 11-2 BYU are to the Red Raiders, but the 11th-ranked Cougars will not make the playoff after four turnovers in the second half.
Messi and Inter Miami have completed their journey. They win the MLS Cup, topping Vancouver 3-1
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have won their first MLS Cup, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 on Saturday. Messi, who joined the team 2 1/2 years ago, set up the winning goal with a 72nd-minute assist. This victory marks Inter Miami as the 16th franchise to win an MLS title in the league's 30-year history. The win also adds to Messi's impressive record, making it his 47th trophy for club and country. David Beckham, part of Inter Miami's ownership, expressed pride in the team's journey. Messi's arrival has transformed the team from last place to champions.
'It was an avalanche': No. 10 Iowa State blows out No. 1 Purdue in record-tying road win
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Milan Momcilovic scored 20 points and Iowa State sank 11 3-pointers to propel No. 10 Iowa State to a dominant 81-58 win over No. 1 Purdue. Momcilovic, Killyan Toure and Joshua Jefferson all hit three 3-pointers. Toure scored 13, Blake Buchanan 12, and Jefferson 11 for the Cyclones. Iowa State shot 59% in the second half. Leading 35-31 at halftime, the Cyclones used an 11-0 run to take a 48-33 lead with 17:17 left. Braden Smith led Purdue with 11 points and Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen each scored 10.
James Harden passes Carmelo Anthony to move into 10th place on the NBA's career scoring list
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden moved into 10th place on the NBA’s career scoring list Saturday, passing Carmelo Anthony in a game against Minnesota. Harden was 20 points behind Anthony’s 28,289 career points entering the game. Harden hit a pair of free throws in the third quarter to move ahead of the Hall of Famer. The 17-year veteran is averaging 26.5 points this season, his highest average since he led the league with 34.3 per game for the Houston Rockets in the 2019-20 season. Next on the list ahead of Harden is Shaquille O’Neal, who scored 28,596 points during his Hall of Fame career.
Nearly half the tickets for Milan Cortina Olympics still unsold with 2 months to go
ROME (AP) — Construction on the main hockey arena is still not finished. Spectator and media areas at the controversial sliding venue also need to be completed. And with exactly two months to go to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics there is another major area that local organizers are concentrating on. Only slightly more than half of the 1.5 million tickets for the games have been sold. As the torch relay began in Rome just over 850,000 tickets had been sold. Interest among Italians remains low. Local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier tells The Associated Press “that’s normal” and that “local fans get interested closer” to the games and the torch relay should help raise interest.
Tyler Adams sets bold goal of farthest US World Cup advancement
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tyler Adams has set a bold goal for the U.S. soccer team, aiming to reach the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 1930. The U.S. team, ranked 14th, will start Group D against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California. The Americans will then face Australia in Seattle six days later and conclude group play on June 25 against the winner of playoffs among Turkey, Slovakia, Romania and Kosovo. Defender Tim Ream emphasizes the team's desire to win the World Cup. Coach Mauricio Pochettino highlights the importance of choosing the right players to build a strong team.
