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Archives for November 2023

Georgia on CFP’s Mind

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Two-time defending national champion Georgia is back in the role of favorite after becoming the top team in the College Football Playoff rankings.

The Bulldogs (10-0) jumped ahead of Ohio State (10-0) in the latest rankings unveiled Tuesday night from Grapevine, Texas.

No. 3 Michigan (10-0) and No. 4 Florida State (10-0) remained in their previous spots.

The Buckeyes were the No. 1 team in both of the first two Tuesday rankings. However, the 13-person committee decided this time around that Georgia is the nation’s top team.

CFP committee chairman Boo Corrigan, the athletic director at North Carolina State, cited Georgia’s strong showings the past two weeks as big factors. The Bulldogs beat Missouri 30-21 two Saturdays and Ole Miss 52-17 last weekend.

“You look at the win last week over Missouri and the Mississippi game was tied 14-all and they go out on a 38-3 run and showed their dominance both on offense and defense,” Corrigan said. “Looking at the resume and everything combined, we thought Georgia was the best team this week.”

Washington (10-0) remains on the outside at No. 5 despite owning the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 17 games. Only Georgia (27) has reeled off more consecutive victories.

“Washington continues to win and had a really good defensive second half against Utah.” Corrigan said, referencing the Huskies’ 35-28 win. “But as we looked at it and evaluated … we ended up with Florida State at 4 and Washington at 5.”

Oregon (9-1) again checked in at No. 6 as its October loss to Washington remains the team’s lone blemish. The Ducks and Huskies could meet again in next month’s Pac-12 title game.

Texas (9-1) was again No. 7, just ahead of Alabama (9-1). The Longhorns defeated the Crimson Tide in September. Both teams need some of the teams ahead of them to lose contests.

Alabama will face Georgia in next month’s Southeastern Conference Championship Game, and a victory over the Bulldogs would greatly enhance the Crimson Tide’s resume.

Missouri (8-2) and Louisville (9-1) round out the top 10.

No. 11 Oregon State (8-2) is a real long shot but could create havoc if it upsets visiting Washington this Saturday.

Also this week, Georgia visits No. 18 Tennessee and Ohio State hosts Minnesota.

Michigan, without suspended coach Jim Harbaugh, will visit Maryland. Florida State hosts North Alabama of the FCS ranks.

Oregon visits Arizona State, Texas travels to Iowa State and Alabama will host FCS foe Chattanooga.

Tulane (9-1) of the American Athletic Conference is the only ranked team from a non-power league.

Penn State (8-2) is No. 12, followed by Ole Miss (8-2), Oklahoma (8-2) and LSU (7-3).

Iowa (8-2) sits at No. 16, followed by Arizona (7-3). Notre Dame (7-3) is No. 19, just ahead of North Carolina (8-2).

At No. 21 is Kansas State (7-3), ahead of Utah (7-3) and Oklahoma State (7-3). Kansas (7-3) is No. 25.

–Field Level Media

McIlroy Resigns from PGA Tour Board

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Former PGA Tour FedEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy unexpectedly resigned as a player director on the PGA Tour’s policy board on Tuesday.

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McIlroy, a four-time major champion who is the No. 2 golfer in the world, was set to serve in the position until 2024 after joining last year. But he announced his resignation in a letter to the entire board, stating that “professional and personal commitments” caused him to step down.

“Given the extraordinary time and effort that Rory — and all of his fellow player directors — have invested in the tour during this unprecedented, transformational period in our history, we certainly understand and respect his decision to step down in order to focus on his game and his family,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a memo sent to players.

McIlroy’s decision came one day after the board met to mull over alternate investment options since the Tour has yet to finalize a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which finances LIV Golf.

As one of the golfers who is against a merger with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, McIlroy had stepped into a leadership role after the Tour’s decision on June 6 to create a framework agreement that would establish a partnership between the two sides.

After the news of a potential partnership, McIlroy voiced his frustration during a news conference on June 7 at the RBC Canadian Open. He was informed of the Tour’s plan to buddy up with Saudi Arabia’s PIF just hours before Monahan made an official announcement.

“It’s hard for me to not sit up here and feel somewhat like a sacrificial lamb and feeling like I’ve put myself out there and this is what happens,” McIlroy said at the news conference on June 7.

Then on Tuesday, Norther Ireland’s McIlroy told reporters that he wasn’t pleased with his position on the board.

“Not what I signed for whenever I went on the board,” McIlroy said ahead of this week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. “But yeah, the game of professional golf has been in flux for the last two years. Again, the overall game I think is in really good shape. But everyone focuses on this top level because it is what it is, and it’s an entertainment product and it’s a show, but the faster that it gets rectified, I think the better for everyone.”

Per tournament regulations of the PGA Tour, the other player directors still on the board must elect a golfer to serve out the rest of McIlroy’s term.

–Field Level Media

Sports Biz: The Pac-Two?

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WASHINGTON STATE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Oregon State and Washington State earned a legal victory on Tuesday that gives them control of what remains of the Pac-12 Conference.

Whitman County (Wash.) Superior Court Judge Gary Libey granted the schools’ request for a preliminary injunction that strips representatives of the conference’s other 10 schools — all of whom are leaving for other conferences next season — of votes on the Pac-12 board.

Libey said he made his ruling, after a 2 1/2-hour hearing, based on the fact that Oregon State and Washington State could experience “irreparable harm” if the exiting universities would remain in control of the Pac-12’s assets.

“Voting will be by the remaining two board members, but this is not a shutout,” Libey said, according to The Athletic. “The preliminary injunction will be modified or whatever you want to call it to make sure that the other 10 schools are still treated in a fair, open manner. Nobody is going to take advantage of somebody else. If that starts to happen, I’ll either hear about it here or somebody down the street will. I do not believe that the two plaintiffs here, the two members of the board that are left, will do anything directly to harm the other 10 members.”

Washington State president Kirk Schulz and athletic director Pat Chun said in a joint statement, in part, “It has always been our view that the future of the Pac-12 should be determined by the remaining members, not by those schools that are leaving the conference.”

Oregon State president Jayathi Murthy and athletic director Scott Barnes added in a statement, “We look forward to charting a path forward for the Pac-12 that is in the best interest of the Conference and student-athletes. Our intentions are to make reasonable business decisions going forward while continuing to seek collaboration and consultation with the departing universities.”

The schools departing the Pac-12 — Washington, Oregon, Cal, Stanford, Arizona State, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Southern California and UCLA — responded in a statement: “We are disappointed with the decision and are immediately seeking review in the Washington Supreme Court and requesting to put on hold implementation of this decision. As members of the Pac-12, participating in ongoing and scheduled competitions, we are members of the board under the Pac-12 bylaws.

“We have the right to the revenue earned by our schools during the 2023-2024 academic year, which is necessary in order to operate our athletics programs and to provide mental and physical health services, academic support, and other support programs for our student-athletes.”

According to CBS Sports, Oregon State and Washington State plan to compete as a two-team football league next year, though the two schools have contacted representatives of the Mountain West Conference, Sun Belt Conference, American Athletic Conference, Conference USA and Mid-American Conference as they seek games for 2024.

–Field Level Media

Hyde and Schumaker Honored by BWAA

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde ran away with the American League Manager of the Year honor on Tuesday, while Skip Schumaker won a close vote for the National League award in his first season managing the Miami Marlins.

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Schumaker is the fourth Marlins manager to win the honor from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, joining Jack McKeon (2003), Joe Girardi (2006) and Don Mattingly (2020).

He won a congested NL vote with 72 points — eight votes apiece for first, second and third place. Five points are awarded for first place, three for second and one for third.

Milwaukee’s Craig Counsell (now with the Chicago Cubs) was second with 51 points (five first-place votes), Atlanta’s Brian Snitker was third with 48 (eight first-place votes), Arizona’s Torey Lovullo was fourth with 42 (four first-place votes) and Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers was fifth with 41 (four first-place votes).

Winning tight contests is nothing new for Schumaker, whose Marlins compiled an MLB-best .702 winning percentage (33-14) in one-run games this season. Miami went 84-78 — a 15-game improvement from 2022 — in qualifying for the postseason for the fourth time in franchise history and the first in a non-shortened season since 2003.

The Marlins lost two straight to the Philadelphia Phillies in their NL wild-card series.

The Orioles went an American League-best 101-61 to win the East Division and were not swept in 52 series the entire regular season, becoming the first in club history and fourth in the MLB since 2000 to accomplish this feat.

Baltimore, among the youngest team in the majors, went down in a three-game ALDS sweep to the World Series champion Texas Rangers.

Hyde, who was runner-up to Cleveland’s Terry Francona in 2022, guided the Orioles to their 10th AL East crown and first since 2014, and their first playoff berth since 2016.

Hyde led the AL vote with 144 points, with 27 first-place votes and three for second place. He was the only manager named on every ballot.

Bruce Bochy of Texas was second with 61 points (three first-place votes), Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash was third (52 points), Minnesota’s Rocco Baldelli was fourth (eight) and Houston’s Dusty Baker was fifth (four).

Hyde, in his fifth season, is the fourth Orioles manager to receive the award, joining Buck Showalter (2014), Davey Johnson (1997) and Frank Robinson (1989). The awards for each league began in 1983.

–Field Level Media

Gunnar and Carroll Win Rookie Honors

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll were named the American League and National League Rookies of the Year on Monday night, both by a unanimous vote.

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Henderson and Carroll each received all 30 first-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

Henderson, 22, joined a litany of Orioles players to win the award that includes Eddie Murray (1977), Cal Ripken Jr. (1982) and, most recently, Gregg Olson (1989).

After appearing in 34 games in 2022, Henderson retained rookie status for 2023 and split his time between shortstop and third base. In 150 games, Henderson batted .255 with a .325 on-base percentage and a .489 slugging percentage. He hit 28 home runs, 29 doubles, nine triples and 82 RBIs en route to winning a Silver Slugger award.

Behind Henderson, Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee placed second in voting with 67 total points. Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas was third at 25 points.

Carroll is the first player in Diamondbacks history to win Rookie of the Year honors.

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Carroll, 23, also made his MLB debut in 2022 in a limited capacity before becoming an everyday player in 2023. Carroll batted .285 with a .362 on-base percentage and a .506 slugging percentage over 155 games for an Arizona team that reached the World Series.

Carroll hit 25 home runs, 30 doubles and 76 RBIs while stealing 54 bases. He was named to the NL All-Star team.

New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga finished second in voting (71 points) after his first MLB season since coming over from his native Japan. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder James Outman finished third with 20 points.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Waive Troubled CB Jack Jones

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New England Patriots are waived second-year cornerback Jack Jones, his agent confirmed.

“I certainly we want to thank the Patriots organization for drafting Jack,” J. Tooson said in a statement to NFL Network. “Jack is an immense talent and looks forward to making an immediate contribution on his next team as soon as Sunday.”

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A fourth-round pick out of Arizona State in 2022, Jones has played only 121 defensive snaps in five games (no starts) this season.

Jones reportedly missed a team curfew before the Week 9 game against the Washington Commanders and played only 10 snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany.

He has recorded 42 tackles, two interceptions and seven passes defensed in 18 career games (two starts).

Jones returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers Oct. 2, 2022, at Lambeau Field.

–Field Level Media

NHL: Bruins All About Execution

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BUFFALO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins play another Atlantic Division rival for the first time this season when they conclude a two-game road trip against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.

Even after being bolstered by defenseman Charlie McAvoy’s return from his four-game, NHL-issued suspension and Pavel Zacha scoring 36 seconds in, the Bruins suffered their second straight blemish against a divisional foe with Saturday’s 3-2 overtime loss at Montreal.

Although the loss was only Boston’s second in seven games (5-1-1), the effort led to a hard skate at Monday’s practice.

“Energy, focus, we made mental and physical mistakes,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said when asked what was lacking against the Canadiens. “Our execution was not what we’ve become accustomed to.”

Brad Marchand led the Bruins with a goal and an assist, and Jeremy Swayman made several key stops among his 24 despite ultimately taking his first loss (6-0-1).

“I think we’re a team that needs to get two points almost every night,” Swayman said. “So, a lot of learning (from Saturday). Going to the third with a lead, you want to close that out. So, I want to have a couple more saves there and it’s just not good enough.”

As Boston continues a true goalie rotation, Linus Ullmark is in line to take the net on Tuesday.

The Bruins will need to give it a better 60-minute effort going forward, especially as a stretch of seven games in 13 days begins when Montreal makes a return visit to Boston on Saturday. The points will soon be coming faster.

“Our schedule has been a little unorthodox (with) a lot of spacing between games,” Montgomery said. “Last year, the spacing was time to rest. This year, we haven’t had as many 3-in-4s so far. … After this week, we’ll start to ramp it up.”

Tuesday will be a milestone night for Sabres captain Kyle Okposo, who is set to become the 46th active player to reach 1,000 career games.

“It’s a special day for everybody that helped me get to this point, for sure,” Okposo said. “For my family and the people behind the scenes that supported me throughout the whole way.”

The Sabres were shut out for the first time this season in Saturday’s 4-0 loss at Pittsburgh, playing without a key forward in Alex Tuch (upper-body), who head coach Don Granato said looks to be on target to return Friday at Winnipeg.

With Tuch’s injury and Matt Savoie being returned to juniors prior to Saturday’s game, Mattias Samuelsson played as a seventh defenseman after being activated from injured reserve.

No matter who’s in and who’s out, Granato is hoping to see a simpler game from the Sabres as they face one of the NHL’s top teams.

“Simplifying. It’s easy to say, a little more challenging to execute that,” Granato said on Saturday. “I thought we could have executed things a little bit more simple, more direct and when a puck is getting to the net, get there, get more traffic there. … There were moments we did, but not consistently enough. You don’t score, you don’t win.”

Goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi have alternated starts over Buffalo’s last five games.

If that trend holds, Levi would play his first career game against Boston, the team he shared a city with while playing at Northeastern University. Levi won the last two Mike Richter Awards as the top goalie in college hockey.

–Field Level Media

NFL Round-Up: Browns Win

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – PK Dustin Hopkins drilled a game-winning 40-yard field goal as time expired and the Cleveland Browns completed a stunning comeback for a 33-31 victory over the host Ravens on Sunday afternoon.

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Hopkins redeemed himself after missing the point-after following Greg Newsome II’s 34-yard pick-6 with 8:16 remaining that pulled Cleveland (6-3) within 31-30. Gus Edwards had provided Baltimore (7-3) with a 31-17 advantage with 11:34 to play when he scored on the ground from 1 yard out, but the Browns responded emphatically.

Deshaun Watson directed a six-play, 75-yard drive that took just 2:37, capping it with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Moore. Just 41 seconds after Moore’s scoring catch, Newsome came down with the pick, and Cleveland rode that momentum to the surprising victory.

Watson completed 20 of 34 passes for 213 yards with the TD and one interception for the Browns, who got 107 yards on 17 carries from Jerome Ford. Amari Cooper had six receptions for 98 yards. Lamar Jackson finished with 223 yards, a touchdown and two picks on 13-for-23 passing as the Ravens saw a four-game winning streak come to an end.

Lions 41, Chargers 38

Jared Goff passed for 333 yards and two touchdowns and Riley Patterson made a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give Detroit a wild win over Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.

David Montgomery rushed for 116 yards for the Lions (7-2), including a 75-yard touchdown. Jahmyr Gibbs added 77 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Justin Herbert passed for 323 yards and four touchdowns for the Chargers (4-5) in the back-and-forth affair. Keenan Allen caught 11 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Austin Ekeler added 115 scrimmage yards (67 rushing, 48 receiving) along with a rushing score.

Seahawks 29, Commanders 26

Jason Myers kicked five field goals, the last a 43-yarder as time expired, as Seattle outlasted visiting Washington.

Geno Smith completed 31 of 47 passes for 369 yards and two TDs as the Seahawks (6-3) remained in a tie with San Francisco atop the NFC West. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 63 yards and scored on a 64-yard reception.

Sam Howell was 29-of-44 passing for 312 yards and three scores for the Commanders (4-6). Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for 38 yards and caught six passes for 119 yards and a TD.

Texans 30, Bengals 27

Matt Ammendola hit a 38-yard field goal as time expired to lead visiting Houston past Cincinnati. CJ Stroud followed up his record-setting rookie performance by throwing for 356 yards on 23-of-39 passing for Houston (5-4). He added a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Devin Singletary ran for 150 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries to lead the Texans, who blew a 10-point lead with three-plus minutes remaining, only to rescue the game at the end.

Joe Burrow completed 27 of 40 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. But he threw fourth-quarter interceptions on back-to-back drives before engineering a late rally. The Bengals (5-4) saw their four-game win streak come to an end.

Cardinals 25, Falcons 23

Matt Prater kicked four field goals, including the 23-yard game-winner, and Kyler Murray passed for 249 yards and ran for a score to spark Arizona to a home win over Atlanta in Glendale, Ariz.

A 9-yard touchdown run by Desmond Ridder with 2:33 remaining in the game put Atlanta up 23-22, but Murray, in his first game back since tearing his ACL, led the Cardinals (2-8) on an 11-play, 70-yard drive to set up Prater for the game-winning kick. James Conner had 16 carries for 73 yards after spending four games on injured reserve.

Ridder replaced Taylor Heinicke in the second half after he left with a hamstring injury and passed for 39 yards. He led the Falcons down the field midway through the fourth quarter but was stopped on a fourth-and-1 run at the Arizona 21-yard line with 8:01 to go. Heinicke passed for 55 yards and a score for the Falcons (4-6). Bijan Robinson added 22 carries for 95 yards and a score and Scotty Miller had a scoring reception.

Vikings 27, Saints 19

Joshua Dobbs passed for one touchdown and rushed for another in his first start with Minnesota, leading to a victory over New Orleans in Minneapolis.

Dobbs had another strong game after his performance off the bench in last week’s come-from-behind victory over Atlanta in his Vikings debut. On Sunday, he passed for 268 yards and rushed for 44 as Minnesota (6-4) won its fifth consecutive game. T.J. Hockenson had 11 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.

Saints quarterback Derek Carr left the game due to a third-quarter injury. Jameis Winston replaced him and threw two touchdown passes and two interceptions for the Saints (5-5).

Steelers 23, Packers 19

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren rushed for one touchdown apiece as Pittsburgh held on for a win over visiting Green Bay.

Kenny Pickett completed 14 of 23 passes for 126 yards for the Steelers (6-3), who won for the fourth time in their past five games. Warren finished with 110 yards from scrimmage (101 rushing, nine receiving), and Harris had 96 yards (82 rushing, 14 receiving). Pittsburgh won despite being outgained 399-324 by Green Bay.

Jordan Love completed 21 of 40 passes for 289 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Packers (3-6), who have lost five of their past six. Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed had one touchdown catch apiece. Damontae Kazee intercepted Love near the goal line on the final play of the game.

Cowboys 49, Giants 17

Dak Prescott threw for four touchdowns and rushed for another as Dallas steamrolled New York in Arlington, Texas.

Prescott completed 26 of 35 passes for 404 yards and was picked off once. He has thrown for at least 400 yards and four scores three times in his career, marking a franchise record for Dallas (6-3).

Brandin Cooks and CeeDee Lamb carved up the secondary, of the Giants (2-8), with Cooks grabbing nine catches for 173 yards and a touchdown. Lamb finished with 11 receptions for 151 yards and a TD. In his first career NFL start, New York quarterback Tommy DeVito threw for 86 yards with two touchdowns and an interception on 14-for-27 passing.

Buccaneers 20, Titans 6

Baker Mayfield threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns as Tampa Bay snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over visiting Tennessee.

Mayfield completed 18 of 29 passes with an interception and Mike Evans caught six passes for 143 yards and a touchdown for the Buccaneers (4-5).

Will Levis connected on 19 of 39 passes for 199 yards with an interception in his third NFL start for the Titans (3-6). Derrick Henry managed only 24 yards on 11 rushes.

49ers 34, Jaguars 3

Brock Purdy passed for 296 yards and three touchdowns and Deebo Samuel scored once in his return from injury as San Francisco ended host Jacksonville’s winning streak at five games.

George Kittle caught three passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, and Brandon Aiyuk and Kyle Juszczyk also had scoring receptions for the 49ers (6-3), who halted a three-game losing streak. Talanoa Hufanga and Fred Warner had interceptions and Nick Bosa and Ambry Thomas forced fumbles.

Trevor Lawrence passed for 185 yards and two interceptions for Jacksonville (6-3). Christian Kirk had six catches for 104 yards for the Jaguars, who were outgained 437-221.

Raiders 16, Jets 12

Aidan O’Connell tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie Michael Mayer early in the fourth quarter to fuel host Las Vegas to a victory over New York.

Las Vegas’ Josh Jacobs rushed for 116 yards, but his costly fumble set up New York’s penultimate drive in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Robert Spillane intercepted Zach Wilson with 1:14 remaining in the fourth quarter.

O’Connell completed 16 of 27 passes for 153 yards and Davante Adams had six catches for 86 yards for the Raiders (5-5), who have won four of their past six games. Wilson completed 23 of 39 passes for 263 yards. Garrett Wilson had nine catches for 93 yards and Greg Zuerlein made four field goals for the Jets (4-5).

–Field Level Media

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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Nov. 12

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While We’re Young (Ideas) Looks at Boston Common Golf

Georgia Tops CFB Playoff Poll

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IRVING – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Georgia is No. 1 — again — in the Associated Top 25 poll released Sunday, a spot the Bulldogs now have held for 22 straight weeks.

It is the second-longest stretch at No. 1 for any team, trailing Southern California, which topped the poll 33 straight weeks from 2003-05.

Georgia captured 54 of 62 first-place tallies from poll voters, who disagree with the College Football Playoff committee. For the second straight week, the committee put Ohio State at No. 1, followed by Georgia and Michigan in its standings.

The next CFP standings come out Tuesday.

The top eight in the AP poll remained unchanged this week. Michigan, with seven first-place votes, was No. 2, followed by Ohio State (one first-place vote), Florida State and Washington. Each team in the top five owns a 10-0 record.

No. 6 Oregon led a quartet of 9-1 teams and was followed by Texas, Alabama, Louisville and No. 10 Oregon State (8-2).

Louisville and Oregon State moved into the top 10 for the first time this season. Louisville last reached the top 10 in November 2016. The Beavers haven’t climbed that high since October 2012.

Moving out of the top 10 was Penn State, which fell three spots to No. 12, after its loss to Michigan on Saturday. Ole Miss also dropped three ticks to No. 13 after being beaten by Georgia.

Big losses on Saturday led Tennessee and Oklahoma State, both 7-3, to plummet in the poll.

The Volunteers fell seven spots to No. 21 after Missouri defeated them 36-7. The Cowboys dropped nine places to No. 24 after being manhandled by UCF 45-3.

Missouri’s win sent the Tigers up five notches to No. 11.

A trio of teams from non-power conferences — No. 17 Tulane (9-1), No. 18 James Madison (10-0) and No. 25 Liberty (10-0) — remained in the rankings.

Falling out was Kansas after being upset by Texas Tech. Kansas State (7-3) replaced them and landed at No. 23.

The two Kansas teams meet next Saturday on the Jayhawks’ home field in Lawrence.

–Field Level Media