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It’s Georgia and Ohio State as No. 1 and 2

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DALLAS – Ohio State overtook Michigan to capture the No. 2 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, released Sunday, as the bitter rivals prepare to meet next weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich.

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The Wolverines, without suspended coach Jim Harbaugh, earned their 1,000th program victory on Saturday against Maryland but dropped one spot to No. 3.

Georgia, which has sat atop the poll all season, remained No. 1 and earned 61 of 62 first-place votes, with the remaining vote going to the Buckeyes.

Washington, after a 22-20 win over then-No. 10 Oregon State, rose a spot to No. 4, trading places with No. 5 Florida State. The Seminoles defeated North Alabama on Saturday but lost their starting quarterback, Jordan Travis, to an apparently serious left leg injury.

Each of the teams in the top five is 11-0. The College Football Playoff committee, which ultimately determines the four teams that will contest for the national championship, will issue its updated rankings on Tuesday.

This week, the CFP had Georgia at No. 1, followed by Ohio State, Michigan, Florida State and Washington.

The AP Top 25 ranking for the No. 6 through 9 teams remained unchanged Sunday, with No. 6 Oregon followed by Texas, Alabama and Louisville — a quartet of 10-1 teams.

Oregon State (8-3) plummeted five spots to No. 15.

Moving up one spot to No. 10 was Missouri, followed by Penn State, Ole Miss and Oklahoma, all 8-2. LSU (9-3) stands at No. 14.

With losses Saturday, James Madison (10-1) plunged six spots to No. 24, with Tennessee falling four positions to No. 25.

Clemson Wins, Top 25 College Football Round-up

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CLEMSON, SC – Cade Klubnik passed for a touchdown and ran for another as host Clemson took advantage of No. 20 North Carolina’s mistakes in a 31-20 victory Saturday, giving the resurgent Tigers their third straight win.

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Will Shipley rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown and Phil Mafah gained 84 yards and scored on a fourth-down play as the Tigers (7-4, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) completed their league schedule. Klubnik threw for 219 yards on 21-for-32 passing and rushed for 44 yards in a rematch of last year’s ACC title game.

North Carolina’s quest for a spot in the ACC Championship game was dashed earlier in the day when Louisville won at Miami. The Tar Heels (8-3, 4-3) have lost three of their last five games.

North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton ran for 178 yards on 19 carries, but he lost two fumbles after not fumbling in the team’s first 10 games. Quarterback Drake Maye was 16-for-36 for 209 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.

No. 1 Georgia 38, No. 18 Tennessee 10

Carson Beck completed 24 of 30 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns, and the Bulldogs cruised to a road win over the Volunteers in an SEC matchup in Knoxville, Tenn.

Georgia (11-0, 8-0 SEC) remained perfect and increased its winning streak to 28 straight games since the end of the 2021 campaign. The Bulldogs moved into a tie for the longest winning streak in SEC history. Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint had seven catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns to lead Georgia. Dillon Bell caught one touchdown and passed for another on a trick play, and Brock Bowers finished with seven catches for 60 yards and a score.

Joe Milton III completed 17 of 30 passes for 147 yards for Tennessee (7-4, 3-4). Jaylen Wright finished with 90 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Volunteers, whose 14-game home winning streak ended.

No. 2 Ohio State 37, Minnesota 3

TreVeyon Henderson ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns in less than three quarters when the Buckeyes defeated the Golden Gophers in Columbus, Ohio.

Next for the Buckeyes (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) is a trip to Ann Arbor on Nov. 25 to play No. 3 Michigan with a spot in the conference title game at stake as well as implications for the CFP. Henderson broke open a close game with a career-long 75-yard TD on the first play of the third quarter to make it 20-0. Marvin Harrison Jr. had a 4-yard TD catch to make it 27-0. Harrison, a Heisman Trophy contender, had three receptions for 30 yards and one score before being rested midway through the third quarter. Kyle McCord was 20 of 30 for 212 yards and two TDs for the Buckeyes.

Minnesota’s Athan Kaliakmanis completed 11 of 19 for 89 yards, an interception and a lost fumble.

No. 3 Michigan 31, Maryland 24

Blake Corum rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns as the Wolverines withstood the Terrapins’ upset bid and recorded their 1,000th program victory in College Park, Md.

Derrick Moore had a fumble return for a touchdown and Mike Sainristil and Darrius Clemons picked off Taulia Tagovailoa for Michigan (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten), which led by 20 points midway through the first half. J.J. McCarthy passed for 141 yards and was intercepted once.

Billy Edwards Jr. scored all three of Maryland’s touchdowns on 1-yard runs. Tagovailoa passed for 247 yards for the Terrapins (6-5, 3-5).

No. 4 Florida State 58, North Alabama 13

The Seminoles overcame a 13-point deficit and the early loss of Heisman Trophy candidate Jordan Travis to remain unbeaten with a win over FCS foe North Alabama in Tallahassee, Fla.

Backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker completed 13 of 23 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns for the Seminoles (11-0). Rodemaker could be their quarterback going forward after Travis left Doak Campbell Stadium via ambulance late in the first quarter after an ugly ankle injury at the end of a 16-yard scramble.

At that point, Florida State faced its largest deficit of the year. The Lions (3-8) got their attention with 86- and 80-yard touchdown drives to start the game. Noah Walters threw 13- and 6-yard strikes to Takairee Kenebrew and J.J. Evans, respectively. Walters finished the game 13 of 26 for 65 yards with an interception. Kenebrew’s scoring grab was the 26th of his career, a school record.

No. 5 Washington 22, No. 11 Oregon State 20

Michael Penix Jr. threw two touchdown passes and Dillon Johnson rushed for 89 yards as the Huskies survived a scare and edged the Beavers in Pac-12 play at Corvallis, Ore.

Rome Odunze caught seven passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns for Washington (11-0, 8-0 Pac-12), which clinched a spot in next month’s Pac-12 championship game. Penix was just 13-of-28 passing for a season-low 162 yards.

Damien Martinez rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns for Oregon State (8-3, 5-3). DJ Uiagalelei completed 15 of 31 passes for 166 yards and two interceptions for the Beavers, who gained 319 yards.

No. 6 Oregon 49, Arizona State 13

Bo Nix passed for 404 yards and tied a school record with six touchdown passes in a little over two quarters and the Ducks rolled over the Sun Devils in a Pac-12 matchup in Tempe, Ariz.

Nix completed 24 of 29 passes and matched the school record of six TDs. Ty Thompson then took over for Nix as the Ducks (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12) continued their march to the conference championship game Dec. 1 in Las Vegas. Thompson also threw a touchdown pass, giving the Ducks a team-record-tying seven for the game. Troy Franklin (eight catches, 128 yards) and Patrick Herbert (three, 78) had two touchdown receptions each, while Tez Johnson (six, 80), Gary Bryant Jr. (three, 82) and Casey Kelly (one, 19) each had one touchdown reception.

Trenton Bourguet was 20-of-37 passing for 142 yards for the Sun Devils, and Cam Skattebo and Jalin Conyers combined to go 5 of 10 for 63 yards.

No. 7 Texas 26, Iowa State 16

Quinn Ewers passed for 281 yards and two touchdowns, and CJ Baxter ran for 117 yards as the Longhorns overcame a slew of mistakes to beat the Cyclones in a key Big 12 Conference game in Ames, Iowa.

Texas (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) remained alone atop the league standings and all but clinched a spot in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 2 in Arlington, Texas. Ewers completed 23 of 33 passes and Xavier Worthy caught four of his throws for 77 yards. Baxter, playing in place of the injured Jonathon Brooks, had his first collegiate 100-yard rushing game.

Iowa State (6-5, 5-3) got 323 yards passing and two TDs from Rocco Becht. Jayden Higgins hauled in seven passes for 104 yards.

No. 8 Alabama 66, Chattanooga 10

Jalen Milroe passed for 197 yards and three touchdowns in one half as the Crimson Tide rolled to a victory over the Mocs at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Milroe completed 13 of 16 passes before exiting and helping the Crimson Tide (10-1) win their ninth consecutive game. Justice Haynes rushed for two scores and Jase McClellan, Roydell Williams and Richard Young each added one for Alabama.

Luke Schomburg completed 10 of 21 passes for 107 yards and one interception for the Mocs (7-4), who are ranked 16th in the FCS Coaches Poll. Chattanooga starting quarterback Chase Artopoeus missed the game with a shoulder injury.

No. 9 Missouri 33, Florida 31

Harrison Mevis kicked a 30-yard field goal with seven seconds left to lift the Tigers past the Gators.

Mevis also kicked field goals of 22, 38 and 24 yards as the Tigers (9-2, 5-2 Southeastern Conference) furthered their bid for a New Year’s Six bowl bid. Missouri moved 62 yards to set up Mevis’ winning kick, with Brady Cook completing a 27-yard pass to Luther Burden III on fourth-and-17 to extend the drive. Cook passed for 331 yards and one touchdown and ran for another. Cody Schrader rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown, and Burden caught nine passes for 158 yards.

Backup Florida quarterback Max Brown rallied the Gators from a 30-21 fourth-quarter deficit to a 31-30 lead. Trey Smack kicked a go-ahead 35-yard field goal with 1:36 left. Trevor Etienne gained 119 total yards and scored two touchdowns for Florida (5-6, 3-5). Graham Mertz completed 14 of 21 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns before suffering an apparent collarbone injury in the third quarter.

No. 10 Louisville 38, Miami 31

Jack Plummer’s 58-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman Jr. with 4:17 left in the game proved to be the winning score for the visiting Cardinals, who held off the Hurricanes in South Florida.

Louisville (10-1, 7-1 ACC) will face No. 4 Florida State for the conference title in Charlotte, N.C., on Dec. 2.

The victory marks the first double-digit-win season for the Cardinals since 2013, their lone campaign in the American Athletic Conference. Meanwhile, Miami (6-5, 2-5) will finish with a losing record in conference play for the second straight season.

No. 12 Penn State 27, Rutgers 6

Kaytron Allen rushed for two touchdowns and Demeioun Robinson made a big defensive play to lead the Nittany Lions over the Scarlet Knights at University Park, Pa.

Alex Felkins kicked two field goals and Kevin Winston had an interception for Penn State (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten), which defeated Rutgers for the 17th consecutive time. The Nittany Lions are 32-2 all-time against the Scarlet Knights.

Jai Patel kicked two field goals for Rutgers (6-5, 3-5), which lost its third straight contest. Gavin Wimsatt completed 10 of 16 passes for 130 yards and one interception.

No. 13 Ole Miss 35, UL Monroe 3

Jaxson Dart passed for 310 yards and three touchdowns to lift the Rebels over the Warhawks in a nonconference game in Oxford, Miss.

Dart threw all of his touchdown passes during a third-quarter blitz that enabled the Rebels (9-2) to finish 7-0 at home. They visit Mississippi State on Thanksgiving night to complete the regular season.

Jiva Wright passed for just 56 yards and the Warhawks (2-9) totaled just 258 yards.

No. 14 Oklahoma 31, BYU 24

After quarterback Dillon Gabriel was injured, freshman Jackson Arnold proved to be a steady hand, guiding the Sooners over the host Cougars at Provo, Utah.

Taking over after Gabriel went down with a head injury late in the first half, Arnold was 5 of 9 for 33 yards passing and rushed for 24 yards on eight carries as Oklahoma (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) won its second consecutive game after back-to-back defeats. Gavin Sawchuk scored the go-ahead score for the Sooners midway through the fourth quarter.

Jake Retzlaff was 15-of-26 passing for BYU with 173 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Aidan Robbins had 182 yards rushing for BU (5-6, 2-6), which lost its fourth consecutive game and has dropped five of their last six in conference play.

No. 15 LSU 56, Georgia State 14

Jayden Daniels threw six touchdown passes and ran for two more scores as the Tigers routed the Panthers in their nonconference mismatch in Baton Rouge, La.

Daniels added to his Heisman Trophy-worthy resume by passing for 413 yards and rushing for 96 for the Tigers (8-3). He tied Joe Burrow’s school record with eight touchdowns in one game.

Darren Grainger passed for 179 yards and a touchdown and Marcus Carroll rushed or 87 yards and a score on 15 carries to lead the Panthers (6-5), who lost their fourth consecutive game.

No. 16 Iowa 15, Illinois 13

Kaleb Johnson’s 30-yard touchdown run with 4:43 left lifted the Hawkeyes over the Illini that clinched the Big Ten West Division title at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.

Quarterback Deacon Hill completed 19 of 29 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown while Iowa’s defense forced a safety and broke up 13 passes — four by cornerback Jermari Harris — to take Iowa (9-2, 6-2) to its second Big Ten championship-game appearance in three years.

Illinois quarterback John Paddock, the Big Ten’s reigning Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 507 yards against Indiana, hit 22 of 47 passes for 215 yards. Reggie Love III rushed 18 times for 64 yards and the lone touchdown for Illinois (5-6, 3-5), which must win Saturday against Northwestern at home to claim a bowl berth.

No. 17 Arizona 42, No. 22 Utah 18

The Wildcats raced to a 28-point lead, including scoring on a blocked punt return, to win their fifth consecutive game by beating the Utes in Tucson, Ariz.

Arizona (8-3, 6-2 Pac-12) kept alive hopes of reaching the conference championship game by defeating its fourth ranked team during its winning streak, which is the school’s longest since starting the 2014 season with five consecutive wins.

Noah Fifita passed for 253 yards and two touchdowns for the Wildcats, who led Utah (7-4, 4-4) by four touchdowns one play into the second quarter. But the Utes, playing without three key defenders, battled to within 28-10 before Arizona’s Treydan Stukes intercepted a pass from Bryson Barnes with 11:22 left.

No. 19 Notre Dame 45, Wake Forest 7

Sam Hartman threw for 277 yards and four touchdowns and the Fighting Irish pulled away to trounce the visiting Demon Deacons in South Bend, Ind.

Hartman, a transfer from Wake Forest, completed 21 of 29 passes without a turnover against his former team. He was intercepted seven times in his previous four games. Audric Estime led the ground attack for Notre Dame (8-3) with 115 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown, and Rico Flores Jr. caught eight passes for 102 yards.

Wake Forest quarterback Michael Kern completed 11 of 20 passes for 80 yards, and running back Justice Ellison had 63 yards on 15 carries.

No. 21 Kansas State 31, No. 25 Kansas 27

Will Howard accounted for three touchdowns as the Wildcats scored 15 unanswered points to defeat the host Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kan.

Kansas State (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) won its 15th straight game in the rivalry. Howard was 13 of 24 passing for 165 yards and two touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown.

Freshman Cole Ballard, who was making his first career start for Kansas (7-4, 4-4), completed 11 of 16 passes for 162 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Devin Neal, a native of Lawrence, Kan., ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries.

No. 23 Oklahoma State 43, Houston 30

The Cowboys scored 27 unanswered points spanning the halves to rally past the host Cougars.

Oklahoma State (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) posted 501 yards of total offense. Alan Bowman finished with 348 yards passing and two touchdowns against an interception, a pick-six. Ollie Gordon II rushed for 164 yards and had three TD runs, and Brennan Presley had 15 catches for 189 yards for the Cowboys.

Donovan Smith went 17-of-29 passing for 235 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for Houston. Along the way, he hit Jonah Wilson with a 60-yard TD bomb. Smith also caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Joseph Manjack IV.

No. 24 Tulane 24, Florida Atlantic 8

The Green Wave held serve in their battle for the American Athletic Conference crown, defeating the host Owls in Boca Raton, Fla.

Michael Pratt threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns for Tulane (10-1, 7-0 AAC), which kept pace with UTSA (7-0) atop the conference. The leaders will meet in New Orleans on Friday.

Daniel Richardson completed 24 of 31 passes for 202 yards with one touchdown and one interception for Florida Atlantic (4-7, 3-4), which lost any hope of bowl-game eligibility. LaJohntay Wester, who entered leading the AAC in catches (93) and receiving yards (1,042), added 11 and 86, respectively.

-Field Level Media

St. John’s Wins Ugly

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CHARLESTON, SC – In the lone Thursday game on the BIG EAST schedule, St. John’s survived a first-round battle at the Charleston Classic by edging North Texas 53-52. Six BIG EAST Teams are in action on Friday, including the two that will complete this year’s Gavitt Tipoff Games.

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St. John’s led most of the way against North Texas before losing the lead with two minutes left. Joel Soriano made a pair of free throws with 1:11 remaining to grab the lead back for good. Soriano finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. Daniss Jenkins led the scoring with 17 points.

The Johnnies start the Friday BIG EAST schedule with a second-round game against Dayton at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

At 6 p.m., Providence meets Kansas State in the Baha Mar Hoops in the Bahamas on CBS Sports Network. The Friars are coming off a solid 72-59 win Tuesday against Wisconsin in theit Gavitt Games matchup.

FS1 will telecast a Gavitt Games doubleheader with Butler traveling to Michigan State at 6:30 p.m. The unbeaten Bulldogs lead the nation in field goal percentage defense, allowing only a 30.6 percent. Villanova hosts Maryland at the Finneran Pavilion at 8:30 p.m. Maryland coach Kevin Willard is most familiar with the Wildcats from his 12-year tenure at Seton Hall.

DePaul and Xavier have late starts. The Blue Demons play South Carolina in the Arizona Tip-Off in Glendale, Ariz., at 11:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. DePaul picked up its first win of the year on Tuesday, a 72-60 decision against South Dakota.

At midnight, Xavier battles Washington in the Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas, Nev., on ESPN2. Desmond Clau

Seton Hall Crushes Albany

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NEWARK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Both games involving BIG EAST Teams on Wednesday were played in New Jersey with Seton Hall cruising past Albany 96-71 in Newark and Georgetown losing to Rutgers 71-60 in a Gavitt Tipoff Games battle in Piscataway.

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The 96-points are the most by a Pirate team in four seasons. Seton Hall (3-0) gained a 54-39 lead at halftime by shooting 70 percent from the field. The Pirates finished with eight players scoring between 15 and nine points. Al-Amir Dawes netted 15 points in only 20 minutes of playing time. Kadary Richmond chipped in 13 points.

Down the New Jersey Turnpike at Rutgers, Georgetown was undone by 21 turnovers. The Hoyas (1-2) trailed 38-32 at the break when the home team opened the second half with a 16-4 spurt. The Scarlet Knights maintained a double-digit edge for the remainder of the contest. Hoya guard Jayden Epps scored a game-high 16 points and backcourt teammate Dontrez Styles added 15.

A light Thursday schedule shows only one game. At 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU, St. John’s meets North Texas in the Charleston Classic.

Most BIG EAST teams are headed to tournaments this weekend. The Gavitt Tipoff Games conclude Friday with Butler playing at Michigan State at 6:30 p.m. followed by Maryland at Villanova at 8:30 p.m. FS1 will televise both games.

 

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

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

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

Big East: Butler Cruises to “W”

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – All four BIG EAST teams in action Friday cruised to home victories and improved their records to 2-0. The closest margin of victory was 23 points.

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Butler scored 55 points in the first half in its 91-56 win over Southeast Missouri State. Guard Posh Alexander led five players in double figures with 15 points and went over the 1,000-point plateau for his career. The Bulldogs held SEMO to 29 percent shooting from the field.

No. 5 Marquette did not trail in its 95-65 victory against Rider. Kam Jones netted a team-high 23 points and added six rebounds, four assists, and four steals in 24 minutes of playing time. The Golden Eagles made 13 3-pointers.

No. 22 Villanova used a 13-0 run midway in the first half to gain control of its 83-57 victory against LeMoyne. Justin Moore led the Wildcats with 21 points. Brendan Hausen came off the bench to connect on 6-of-8 from 3-point range and finish with a career-high 18 points.

Xavier handled Jacksonville 79-56 with grad transfer guard Quincy Olivari scoring a team-high 17 points. The Musketeers had six players score between nine and 17 points. An early 13-2 run gave Xavier control of the contest. Guard Desmond Claude, who had 12 points, was the only starter who was on the team last season.

Big East: Weekend Round-Up

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HARTFORD – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Connecticut, Creighton, Seton Hall and Providence notched double-digit wins while Georgetown and DePaul suffered close losses on a 4-2 Saturday for BIG EAST teams.

No. 6 Connecticut got out of the gate quickly and rolled over Stonehill 107-67 at XL Center. All five starters reached double figures led by Tristen Newton’s 22 points. He also had seven rebounds, four assists and five steals. Freshman Stephon Castle added 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

No. 8 Creighton opened the second half with a 26-5 run and knocked off North Dakota State 89-60. Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 11 of the Bluejays’ first 16 points in the second half. Trey Alexander scored a game-high 21 points and posted seven rebounds, five steals and four assists.

Seton Hall rolled over Fairleigh Dickinson 85-55 at Walsh Gymnasium. Kadary Richmond had his second straight quality stat line. He contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Grad transfer Jaden Bediako registered his fifth career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Providence was challenged by Milwaukee, picked second in the Horizon League, but nailed down a 79-69 victory. The Friars led 39-26 at intermission and were able to maintain a double-figure edge the rest of the way. Jayden Pierre scored a game-high 16 points. Transfer Josh Oduro added 13 points and 12 boards.

Georgetown led the entire second half but got caught in the final minute in its 68-67 loss to Holy Cross. The Hoyas led 57-46 with 8:35 remaining. Newcomer guards Jayden Epps and Rowan Brumbaugh led GU with 22 and 17 points, respectively.

DePaul fell behind 33-11 in the first half against Long Beach State, before a big second-half rally fell short in a 77-73 defeat. Transfer guard Elijah Fisher scored 20 of his team-high 25 points after the break.

The BIG EAST schedule continues tomorrow with the start of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. St. John’s hosts Michigan at Madison Square Garden at 6:30 p.m. ET followed by Xavier at Purdue at 8:30 p.m. Both games will be televised on FS1. Also, Villanova visits Penn on ESPN+ and Butler hosts East Tennessee State on CBS Sports Network. Both games tip at 7 p.m.

Big East: Johnnies Open Up

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JAMAICA ESTATES – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Three of the four league teams in action on Tuesday enjoyed season-opening wins at home. Creighton, St. John’s and Georgetown tasted victory. DePaul let a late lead get away and absorbed a loss.

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Creighton, ranked eighth in both national polls, used an early 19-2 run en route to a 105-54 win over Florida A&M. Guard Trey Alexander scored a game-high 20 points, which included 7-of-8 shooting from the field. Newcomer guard Steven Ashworth scored 17 points in 18 minutes. Center Ryan Kalkbrenner blocked his 200th career shot in his 100th career game.

The new coaches at St. John’s and Georgetown enjoyed their debuts. St. John’s beat Stony Brook 90-74 in Rick Pitino’s first game as the Johnnies’ headmaster. Familiar face Joel Soriano led the way with 22 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. He made 9-of-12 from the floor, including both 3-point attempts. Newcomer forward Chris Ledlum added 16 points, 14 boards and four assists.

Georgetown coach Ed Cooley liked what he saw in the Hoyas’ 94-57 victory over LeMoyne. Frontcourt newcomers helped pave the way. Supreme Cook paced five Hoyas in double figures with 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting. He also pulled down 13 rebounds. Dontrez Styles added 15 points and 10 boards.

Hosting Purdue Fort Wayne, DePaul recovered from a 41-33 halftime deficit to take a 68-62 lead with under four minutes remaining before losing 82-74. Guard Chico Carter Jr. shined in his DePaul debut with 18 points and eight rebounds.