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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 18

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The Orlando Magic in Berlin

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – It’s been a little more than 40 years since the NBA China Friendship Tour, a six-week extravaganza when the NBA league office (the great Matt Winick, yours truly) and friends (Red Auerbach, Pete Newell, Ed Badger, Bill Blair) played host, coach, trainers and tour guides to the Chinese National Team as they visited the USA back in September of ‘85 in hopes of improving their game.

Long story short, as we say, the tour bounced from home base (Queens College, NY) to Princeton, NJ, Hempstead, NY, West Lafayette, Indiana, Beloit, Wisconsin, Lower Merion Township (Philly, PA),  Washington DC and Springfield, Massachusetts to take part in training camps underway for each NBA team bouncing basketball in close proximities to those towns. (That included: NJ Nets, NY Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Washington (then Bullets; now Wizards) and the Cleveland Cavaliers at the annual Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame game in Springfield.

It was at Beloit and the Chicago Bulls training camp where we first saw Michael Jordan in person.

That tour was the beginning of the modern day NBA “going global.” Yes, there were plenty of prior examples, like Auerbach taking teams to train in the former Yugoslavia, or the Bullets playing a pair of exhibition games in China in 1979 as a part of “Ping Pong Diplomacy, but the NBA China Friendship Tour was a true beginning to then-Commissioner David Stern’s “one day at a time” method of moving the NBA closer and closer to worldwide awareness and prominence in the sports world.

The reason this story is the lead item to this week’s missive?

The NBA continued its efforts with a pair of Global Games in Europe with the Memphis Grizzlies playing the Orlando Magic Thursday in Berlin, Germany (118-111, Magic) and then a game Sunday (Noon ET) at 02 in London. The game in Berlin allowed the Magic brotherly tandem of Franz and Moritz Wagner to play in front of their home country fans for the NBA’s first regular season game in Berlin.

What seemed like a mountain to climb in 1985 is now a full-speed global lay-up of regular season, preseason and summertime clinics, not to mention the FIBA and USA Basketball efforts all over the world. Nowadays, a quarter of the NBA rosters are filled by international players, and as you’ve read in this column before, many of those players are the very best in the league.

Come NBA All-Star Weekend, we’ll see a team of international All-Stars compete against a couple of USA-based All-Star squads in what could be the beginning of an improved All-Star Weekend. Come February 13-15, it’ll all be on display in Los Angeles (Intuit Dome).

In August 2027, the FIBA World Cup (32 teams) will be contested in Qatar and in 2028, the Olympic Games will be played in Los Angeles.

David Stern’s vision when he watched the 1985 Chinese National Team warming up at Queens College has been fulfilled ten times over, and in such a relatively short timeframe. It’s a damn shame Stern (passed away in Jan. 2020), and FIBA’s (Executive Directors) Stankovic (passed away March 2020) and Patrick Baumann (died suddenly in 2018, at age 51) aren’t around to see this day come.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The University of Miami will play Indiana University for the College Football national championship on Monday. As part of the alternate coverage of the event, the ACC Network will deliver extensive on-site studio programming surrounding the Hurricanes bid for the title, which coincidentally will take place at Hardrock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The pre-event coverage will be highlighted by appearances from North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick, who will join the network’s coverage as a special guest analyst.

Belichick will contribute analysis on ACC Network’s signature football studio show ACC Huddle, offering fans his unmatched perspective on championship preparation, in-game strategy and postseason success, complementing ACC Network’s established roster of analysts throughout National Championship weekend.

Sunday – Championship weekend coverage gets underway Sunday with the head coaches news conference, featuring Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti previewing the National Championship matchup.

At 8:00pm ET, ACC Huddle Championship Preview airs on ACC Network with anchormanTaylor Tannebaum being accompanied by analysts Mac Lain, Eddie Royal and Jimbo Fisher to break down every angle of the Hurricanes–Hoosiers showdown. Immediately following, a special edition of the ACC Network Football Podcast debuts at 9:00pm ET, hosted by former Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel and former Georgia Tech captain Roddy Jones.

Monday – On game day, ACC Network will celebrate with more than seven consecutive hours of live programming from Hard Rock Stadium. Coverage begins at 5:00pm with Inside ACCess at the National Championship, hosted by college football reporters and ACC insiders Andrea Adelson and David Hale.

ACC Huddle at the National Championship follows at 6:00pm ET, with over 90 minutes of in-depth pregame coverage. Tannebaum hosts alongside Huddle analysts Mac Lain—who played in the 2016 CFP National Championship with Clemson, Virginia Tech Hall of Famer Royal, 2013 national championship–winning head coach Fisher and eight-time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Belichick. The coverage also features ACCN host Kelsey Riggs Cuff, ACCN college football analyst Tom Luginbill, and College Football Hall of Famer Mark Richt, the legendary former Miami quarterback and head coach.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: With the Indiana Hoosiers and Fernando Mendoza making an unexpected journey to the CFP national championship game, the most frequent media day question was the typical “how does it feel” and “what about your return to Miami?” After three or four iterations of that subject came up on media day, the topic finally got around to tickets. With Miami playing a home game and Indiana fans traveling as if the game’s outcome depended on it, ticket prices are in the stratosphere – the $6,000 to $16,000 range.

Putting the questions together, Mendoza answered: “I would say it feels great. Tickets are definitely a problem because there’s so many family members that want to come to the game. However, I’ve attempted to not let it sink in so I can stay in the present moment.

I kind of stay in the football mindset that I want to stay in. Although that — there’s so many externalities to this game, playing Miami in Miami, that you can get wrapped up in all the emotion. However, I want to keep it focused on football and really kind of force it to not sink in,” he said.

It can sink in next week or the week after, but I just want to focus on football right now to give my team the best chance, and that’s the same with all my teammates.”

GOTTA HAVE HEART: Golfing legend Sir Nick Faldo is heading home, from Cleveland to England after successful open heart surgery. Said Faldo in a January 16 social media post: “Headed home. After two weeks in Cleveland, Nick Faldo, and his wife, Lindsay, are on their way home following a successful, scheduled preventative open-heart surgery to repair his enlarged aorta, performed by world-renowned cardiac surgeon Dr. Lars Svensson at The Cleveland Clinic. We are deeply grateful for Dr. Svensson and his exceptional medical team. Nick is now looking ahead to returning to his golf course design work and to the Masters Week in Augusta, GA, where he will be celebrating “Six back in ‘96.” Home never felt so good.

Sam Coffey (Manchester City file photo)

THIS JUST IN: From The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry to Boston College to Penn State to the professional NWSL’s Portland Thorns to the USA Women’s National Team to – now – Manchester City, Sam Coffey (daughter of former NY Daily News columnist Wayne Coffey) is getting better and better to the point where she’ll be a team leader for both Man City and the USWNT. From Man City’s (Swedish-born) manager Andree Legertz: “There’s something with American players which I really like,” he said. “Their energy. [Sam Coffey] has leadership in her, an intensity in how she’s playing and training. That is something that can help us grow. She’s a great passing player, covering a lot of ground in defending. Aggressive. There’s a lot of things in her that will fit well in our team.”

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: This week, world No.1 pickleball player Anna Leigh Waters announced she was joining Nike, making Swoosh history as the 18-year-old is the brand’s first sponsored pickleball athlete. Get ready for Air Lob Anna Leigh.

PARTING WORDS & MUSIC: Last week, just before post time, the world learned of the passing of Grateful Dead guitarist/vocalist/legend Bob Weir. I placed two of his songs from his final appearance (60 year anniversary at Golden Gate Park) in the main section of last week’s missive.

This week, I’ve had a little time to process Weir’s passing and wanted to put one more music post up in memory of Weir, Jerry Garcia and the Band. This acoustic clip is from 1987. It was a seven song set (all online) and it concluded with Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door the Bob Dylan song that seems so fitting. Joan Baez joined Garcia and Weir on stage and I make note, she just celebrated her 85th birthday on January 9th.

Indiana Earns Its Championship

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MIAMI GARDENS – (Staff and Wire Service Report0 – Fernando Mendoza rushed for a touchdown, Mikail Kamara had a key blocked punt and Indiana won its first football national championship with a 27-21 victory over Miami in the College Football Playoff title game on Monday night in South Florida.

Miami native Jamari Sharpe intercepted the Hurricanes’ Carson Beck with 44 seconds left as the top-seeded Hoosiers (16-0) put an exclamation point on their rags-to-riches story.

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Indiana went 9-27 over a three-season span earlier this decade, but the Hoosiers are 27-2 in two seasons under coach Curt Cignetti.

Riley Nowakowski rushed for an Indiana score, and Isaiah Jones fell on the blocked punt in the end zone. Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, completed 16 of 27 passes for 186 yards for the Hoosiers, who were the designated home team despite the contest being in the Hurricanes’ stadium.

Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries for 10th-seeded Miami (13-3). Beck connected on 19 of 32 passes for 232 yards, one touchdown and the costly interception, while Malachi Toney made 10 catches for 122 yards and a TD.

Miami trailed 10-0 before Fletcher ran wide of right tackle and scurried 57 yards for a touchdown with 11:06 left in the third quarter. It was the longest run of Fletcher’s career.

Later in the quarter, the Hurricanes were in punt formation and Kamara got his left hand on the slow-moving boot from Dylan Joyce. Jones recovered the ball in the end zone to give Indiana a 17-7 lead with 5:04 left in the period.

The Hurricanes responded from that blow with a 10-play, 81-yard drive. Fletcher scored from the 3 on the first play of the fourth quarter to pull Miami within three.

Indiana then twice converted on fourth downs on the next drive to push its lead back to 10.

On fourth-and-5 at the Miami 37-yard line, Mendoza hit Charlie Becker for 19 yards and a first down.

Then on fourth-and-4 from the 12, Indiana called on Mendoza to keep the ball and he secured the first down, broke a tackle and then lunged into the air and across the goal line to make it 24-14 with 9:18 remaining in the game.

Miami answered with an eight-play, 91-yard march. Toney took a reverse 22 yards for the score to trim Indiana’s lead to three with 6:37 left.

Mendoza completed third-down throws to Omar Cooper Jr. for 14 yards and Becker for 19 yards on the ensuing drive, setting up Nico Radicic’s 35-yard field goal with 1:42 left.

The Hoosiers limited Miami to 69 yards and three first downs while taking a 10-0 halftime lead.

Indiana got on the board on Radicic’s 34-yard field goal with 2:42 left in the opening quarter.

The Hoosiers increased their lead to 10 with a 14-play, 85-yard drive. Nowakowski bulled in from the 1 with 6:13 left in the half.

–Field Level Media

The “U” – Visitors in Name Only

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MIAMI GARDENS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – It’s a technicality, but Miami will be the visitors in every meaning of the word when it faces Indiana in Monday night’s College Football Playoff national title game. The top-seeded Hoosiers are 8.5-point favorites over the No. 10 Hurricanes despite the game being played in Miami’s home stadium in South Florida and the Hurricanes will be placed on the visiting sideline and wearing white uniforms.

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In other words, not the usual “home” environment at the stadium in which Miami is 13-1 over the past two seasons.

“I’m sure some guys might get confused and start running to the other sideline mid-game,” Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck said, laughing. “But at the end of the day, once you step on the lines, between the field, it’s the same size end zone, same 100 yards, and it’s going to come down to the execution.”

Hurricanes star running back Mark Fletcher Jr. can feel the oddness of standing on the opposite sideline.

“I know that’s probably going to feel a little weird,” Fletcher said. “But just spot the ball. We play on that grass.”

As for being home underdogs, standout defensive end Akheem Mesidor says to bring it on.

“I’ve been an underdog my whole life, so being an underdog in this last game — being an underdog in every game we played in the playoffs — really doesn’t mean anything to me,” Mesidor said. “It might fuel me a little bit, but at the end of the day, I just want to play football and show that we are the best team in the nation.”

Star defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. said the general sentiment that Miami faces long odds is providing big-time fuel.

“Motivated by being an underdog is a lot,” said Bain, the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year. “I feel like that’s been our whole journey, the whole story of the whole playoffs. We like it. We don’t want nobody to believe in us. The people that believe in us is just the program, and that’s all we need.

“Everybody in that room putting on pads is helping us try to get to our better goal and that’s all we need. It’s going to be a little different not having the same sideline and things like that, but no matter where we at, we going to get the job done.”

Miami reached the final with wins over No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 6 Ole Miss. The Hurricanes are seeking their sixth national crown, last won in the 2001 season.

Indiana, which received a first-round bye, has walloped No. 9 Alabama and No. 5 Oregon by a combined 94-25 in its first two playoff games. The Hoosiers are looking for their first national title.

–Field Level Media

$4,000 “Get In” Price for CFP

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MIAMI GARDENS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Monday night’s title game between Miami and Indiana will be the most expensive ticket in the history of the College Football Playoff.

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The get-in price for two seats together at the 65,000-seat Hard Rock Stadium as of 5 p.m. ET on Monday was more than $4,000 across several secondary ticketing platforms.

  • SeatGeek: $4,109
  • Ticketmaster: $4,080
  • Vivid Seats: $4,028
  • StubHub: $4,217

Premium services were even more, topping out at $16,000+ for a single seat.

The get-in price at SeatGeek had risen approximately $900 from just a few hours earlier on Monday afternoon, according to tracking on the platform by Field Level Media.

That is on pace to smash the previous high on record of $1,830 on TickPick for last year’s title game between Notre Dame and Ohio State, according to Front Office Sports.

Contributing factors to the record price include Miami playing in its home stadium, which is also the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, and that Indiana boasts the largest living alumni base in the United States at more than 800,000.

The No. 1 Hoosiers are seeking their first national title in program history while the Hurricanes are seeking their first since the 2001 season. Indiana is a consensus 7.5-point favorite.

–Field Level Media

The Mendoza Line

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -Two years ago, nobody would have believed Indiana could win a national championship. Now, it would be considered a surprise if the Hoosiers don’t win it all.

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No. 1 Indiana (15-0), the nation’s worst team in college football history entering the 2025 season, is a win away from its first title after dismantling No. 5 Oregon 56-22 in a College Football Playoff semifinal game in the Peach Bowl on Friday night.

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza threw for 177 yards and five touchdowns and Indiana scored 21 points off three Oregon turnovers, as the program advanced to the CFP national championship game against No. 10 Miami on Jan. 19.

When head coach Curt Cignetti told the world that he wins and to “Google him” after his hiring in 2023, he was met with doubt from nonbelievers. After the Hoosiers arrived on the national scene a season ago, making their first CFP, there was some thought that they were a flash in the pan. Week after week, Cignetti just keeps proving himself right.

“There was a lot of skepticism after last year that we were a fluke,” Cignetti said. “That team did a lot of great things and got it all started. I think a lot of that negative stuff in the media fueled the guys returning to this team. We added some really key pieces. Great leaders, great players and we’ve just built off our successes.”

Elijah Sarratt had seven receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns for the Hoosiers, who have won their two playoff games by a combined 69 points. There will be no shortage of story lines next Monday when Indiana faces the Hurricanes in their home stadium. For one, Mendoza returns to his hometown with a chance to lead the Hoosiers to college football’s first 16-0 season since the 1894 Yale Bulldogs.

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“I think playing a national championship would get anybody fired up and definitely stir up some emotions,” Mendoza said of returning to Miami. “I believe it’s going to be a great game. The Hurricanes are a fantastic team, led by a great coach in Coach (Mario) Cristobal. Even though it is the national championship, we don’t have to do anything that is out of character. We just gotta play our brand of football, and that’s what has led us to this point and 15 wins this season.”

Dante Moore threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns for Oregon (13-2), which outgained Indiana 378-362 despite being outmatched throughout the lopsided affair. Moore threw an interception and lost two fumbles for the Ducks, who came up short on their quest for the program’s first national championship.

“First thing is first, the quarterback has to protect the football,” Moore said. “They have a great defense, great disguise and different looks, but you can’t win football games if you’re causing turnovers. It’s something of course I need to work at. It comes with just reps. But overall, Indiana’s defense is great, but at the end of the day, we beat ourselves.”

Leading 35-7 at halftime, Indiana tacked on with Mendoza’s 13-yard touchdown pass to E.J. Williams Jr. with 8:52 left in the third quarter. After Dierre Hill Jr.’s 71-yard rush, Oregon stopped the bleeding with Jay Harris’ 2-yard rushing score and Moore’s two-point conversion pass to Jamari Johnson to make it 42-15.

Less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, Indiana blocked a punt and three plays later Mendoza threw his fifth touchdown pass, this time a 3-yarder to Sarratt with 11:36 remaining. Kaelon Black then scampered for a 23-yard rushing score to extend the lead to 41 on the Hoosiers’ next drive.

Moore’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Roger Saleapaga with 22 seconds left finished the game’s scoring.

Friday marked the end of another Oregon season that saw head coach Dan Lanning’s team falter against a fellow Big Ten foe. Last year, the Ducks were discarded by Ohio State by 20 points in the quarterfinals. Lanning, now 48-8 in four seasons at the helm, didn’t lose any pride in his team in Atlanta.

“You hurt for those guys because the world is going to judge everybody in that room based on the result tonight,” Lanning said. “I’m going to judge those guys on the kind of fathers they become some day, the kind of husbands they become some day. But in this moment you feel like a failure, and they’re not. They’re not failures. These guys won a lot of damn ballgames. They’ve had a lot of success. They’ve changed some peoples’ lives, but right now, that moment is going to hurt.”

After Oregon returned the opening kick to its 20-yard line, D’Angelo Ponds picked off Moore and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage, giving the Hoosiers a 7-0 lead just 11 seconds in.

The Ducks answered with a 14-play, 75-yard scoring drive, stamped with Moore’s game-tying 19-yard scoring pass to Johnson at the 7:11 mark of the first quarter.

On Indiana’s first offensive possession, Mendoza completed each of his four passes for 41 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. with 40 seconds left in the first.

After the teams traded punts, Moore committed his second turnover as he had the ball knocked out of his hands inadvertently by Hill. Indiana’s Mario Landino recovered the fumble at Oregon’s 3-yard line, leading to Black’s 1-yard rushing score with 8:17 remaining in the first half to make it 21-7.

Moore took sacks on second and third down of Oregon’s ensuing drive, leading to another Ducks punt. Four plays later, Mendoza connected with Charlie Becker for a 36-yard touchdown strike to extend the lead to 28-7. Moore’s nightmarish first half continued on the next drive, as Daniel Ndukwe’s strip sack was recovered by Landino at the 21.

The Hoosiers took a 28-point lead on Mendoza’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Sarratt with 59 seconds left before halftime. Oregon’s Atticus Sappington came up short on a 56-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the first half.

– Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 4

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – There are some really tough jobs in the sports industry. They are often thankless and low paying in comparison to what someone would make in a similar position “in the real world.” So many of the jobs in sports require extra long hours, working every weekend and holiday and being away from family on important dates (graduations, weddings, birthdays) and many of the holidays.

That is the price you pay for a challenging job in sports, hearing the “roar of the crowd,” and you usually know the job description and travel requirements before you sign up.

To be successful on the job, you need a tremendous support system behind the job and that is the family – a very understanding family to say the least.

Looking at tough jobs, there’s Charlie Baker of the NCAA.

Baker is the former Governor of Massachusetts and current president of the NCAA. He served two terms in the Commonwealth and signed up with the NCAA in March, 2023. He has an impossible job – the kind that has zero chance of being 100% successful as he serves far too many constituents in the world of collegiate athletics.

Simply put, Baker has too many mouths to feed. He also has four Power 4 obstacle courses to navigate (remember when it was Power 5 – a la the Pac 10-12)? Yes, the commissioners of the Power 4 football conferences, along with the newly created hierarchy of the College Football Playoffs, undermines the power of the NCAA. And, it’s getting worse by the day, by the season – across more sports than just football.

Local Boston sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy had a chance to sit down with the former Guv’nah and asked about the thankless job Baker endures: “There’s a lot about it that’s frustrating,” Baker said to Shaughnessy over lunch last week. “But I spent most of my career in healthcare and government, and those can be frustrating environments, as well. OK?“

Shaughnessy also sought insight from Peter Roby, a lifelong sports administrator as A.D. at Northeastern and Dartmouth who spent a five-year stint on the NCAA committee for men’s basketball and Roby did not disappoint: “No one talks about education or personal development at the highest levels. It’s about transfer portal, NIL revenue sharing, and the need for congressional intervention. Schools continue to complain about rising costs and the need for more revenue, yet they are paying out multimillion-dollar buyouts for fired coaches and hiring coaches at $12 million per year.

“The way things are trending, the NCAA will not exist in its current form in the next few years. It will only manage sports championships. All the legal settlements have resulted in billions of dollars being paid out over the next 10 years, and that money is coming from the NCAA and member schools. This has resulted in (fewer) programs being offered to students, coaches, and administrators by the NCAA, while rendering the NCAA powerless to pass overarching legislation or enforce current rules for fear of more litigation. All of this comes as a result of the failure of (University) presidential leadership and overreach by boards of trustees,” said Roby.

As the NCAA has morphed into a championship event organizing company – and a good one at that – the rest of the US collegiate sports industry turns its lonely eyes to yesteryear, seeking some common sense rules and general leadership. But, with the landscape and mega-dollars going the way they’re going (straight up – 📈), Baker has no chance to succeed as the head of a true national governing body for college sports.

Caught directly in the crosshairs is Division I collegiate basketball. They’re playing at the mercy of the big brother and major money-maker of football and the power has been slip-sliding away. Only the commissioners of the Power 4, the BIG EAST and West Coast Conferences stand a chance at carving out some reasonable existence in this big, bad world of footy-driven administration.

What does that leave to the (formerly) powerful National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)?

It leaves them to do what they do best – Complain but do nothing.

The complainer-in-chief is Coach John Calapiri, the head coach of Arkansas (after see-saw stints as head coach at UMass, Memphis, Kentucky and a pro try-out with the (then) New Jersey, now Brooklyn Nets franchise.

Typing a transcript of Coach Cal’s December 29 beef would not do it justice, so here it is to watch and listen ‘til your heart’s delight:

Isn’t that fabulous? Calipari turned a Fayetteville, Arkansas post-game press availability into a cry for help at the U.S. Capitol or Arkansas State House. While some called it a tirade or rant, I’d label it as pleading for help, for leadership in athletics and guidance to police the college coaches from themselves.

You really have to agree with Coach Cal or UConn Coach Danny Hurley who suggested college basketball “could really use a commissioner.” A commissioner for college basketball (one job) would need to hire a No. 2a and 2b to oversee the men’s and women’s divisions, while also needing a top-notch labor lawyer. Properly done, college basketball could then former a Labor Relations Board who could hammer-out a common sense, reasonable Collective Bargaining Agreement which would even the playing field and account for USA citizens and international students. (Note: Calipari kept singling out European players, but there’s talent coming from every corner of the globe and most have never heard of an NCAA handbook.

“It’s such an incredible sport,” said Hurley. ““We’ve got the greatest sport(ing) event that this country has on a yearly basis that catches the imagination of the whole country, casuals, non-sports fans. Everyone’s got a bracket. You’ve got this incredible product that’s marketed horribly outside of March. It’s an incredible sport. We need a commissioner.

“A (Roger) Goodell or a David Stern. Somebody that’s gonna make decisions and start making moves that are in the best interest of college basketball, not just having coaches and players do what’s in the best interest of them,” said the outspoken Hurley.

Upon further review, it must be said that the college football and “Olympic sports” side would be much tougher to resolve than the problems of basketball and it’s not realistic to name a “Commissioner” for every sport, all reporting into Baker and it’s quite evident, in football, no one is going to give up power and that includes the highly paid commissioners of the Power 4, Notre Dame (as a whole), the TV industry (with existing or future contracts in hand), school presidents and athletic directors and a growing breed of player agents. All have their piece of the pie and aren’t planning to give up a slice.

Plus: what’s good for college football or basketball won’t work for baseball or softball and rules for all of the sports above (football, baseball, basketball, and softball) might not be good for college soccer or tennis or lacrosse or swimming or volleyball and so on. And, what’s great for the Big 12 might not work in the Atlantic 10.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few went so far as to suggest Congress weigh-in on the issue, saying, “Our lack of leadership has really shown,” Few said last Sunday after his team beat Pepperdine University 96-56. “Now it’s probably time to get some help from Congress, but they’re more screwed up than the NCAA.”

As it relates to Baylor’s signing of James Nnaji, the NCAA issued a prepared statement to college basketball site “Field of 68″,” declaring: “Schools are recruiting and seeking eligibility for more individuals with more international, semi-pro and professional experience than ever before and while the NCAA members have updated many rules following the House injunction, more rules must likely be updated to reflect the choices member schools are making. At the same time, NCAA eligibility rules have been invalidated by judges across the country, wreaking havoc on the system and leading to fewer opportunities for high school students, which is why the Association is asking Congress to intervene in these challenges.”

Congress considered one small slice of the debate earlier this year, as the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsement (SCORE) Act fractured the Republican side of the aisle and garnered opposition from Democrats. Earlier this month, House leadership canceled a vote on the SCORE Act, which would have regulated compensation student-athletes receive from NIL deals.

Earlier, the College Athletics Reform Act (CARA) was introduced by Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-Mass-5th), and the bill attempted to protect athletes’ rights and create a sustainable system for college sports. It included provisions to establish federal standards for NIL rights and enhance opportunities for women’s and Olympic sports. It went nowhere.

So much for Congressional relief.

What’s the solution?

Here’s WWYI’s take for a road map to sanity:

  1. Take Hurley’s recommendation and hire a Commissioner for NCAA Basketball.
  2. That job should go to Joel Litvin, former President of Basketball for the NBA.
  3. Allow Litvin to hire any combination of labor lawyers, advisors and “basketball people” to become his Labor Relations Board (include Jim Tooley/Sean Ford of USA Basketball, Tommy Amaker, head coach at Harvard, retired Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Stu Jackson, Commissioner of the West Coast Conference. An advisor named Russ Granik would chair the meetings and head up the Labor board for both men and women.
  4. Prompt the basketball players (both men and women) to hire labor lawyers.
  5. Negotiate a fair Collective Bargaining Agreement to govern the sport(s).
  6. Prompt the NABC to form a labor division.
  7. Negotiate a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the coaches.
  8. Name Dan Gavitt as the head of NCAA men’s basketball championships, a job he’s done quite well with since 2012.
  9. Continue with Amanda Braun, director of athletics at Milwaukee, to chair the women’s committee for championships.
  10. In addition to her role as Commissioner of the BIG EAST, ask Val Ackerman to chair the Labor Relations Board for women’s basketball.

Executing the items from the Top Ten list will take some serious doing and it would be followed by months and months of very hard work and lengthy negotiations, but it will set a firm, new path to actual sanity for the sport of college basketball. It would set clear-cut rules for basketball operations, the signing of players and payment structure. It would address incoming players, both transfers and first-year (domestic and international). It would institute a maximum team salary cap for schools to operate and abide by, and that could be done conference-by-conference with different salary levels for Div. II and III. It’s not a cookie cutter approach.

Once negotiated, Litvin would oversee the entire legal, basketball and business operation of the NCAA division for basketball on an on-going basis with the staff of his choosing to govern both men’s and women’s basketball

The Patriots parted with Bill Belichick, giving Jerod Mayo a one-year audition as head coach before firing him and hiring Mike Vrabel in January 2025 (file)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Two pro teams faced two tough decisions. The New England Patriots fired their coach, popular former player Jerod Mayo, after only one season when he finished with a 4-13 record. The firing came about a year ago. Mayo was the hand-picked successor to the great Bill Belichick and New England Patriots team owner Bob Kraft has a few years to consider his choices as the Belichick era of Patriots football limped to a close after 24 seasons, six Super Bowl titles, nine AFC championships and 17 AFC East titles, including 11 consecutive division crowns.

Last January, Kraft pulled the trigger on Mayo’s firing and the hiring of Mike Vrabel on January 12, 2025 – possibly Kraft’s best move since writing his name on contracts addressed to Belichick and retired quarterback Tom Brady, a.k.a. – The Franchise. Vrabel had played linebacker for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008 and was an integral member of three of the six Super Bowl championship teams. After retiring as a player, he served as Tennessee Titans coach from 2018 to 2023, posting a 54-45 regular-season record and 2-3 mark in the NFL Playoffs, including a trip to the AFC Championship Game in 2019.

It was a tough decision to pull the rug out from under Mayo after only one year at the helm, but hiring Vrabel was the right decision at the key time and Vrabel proved Kraft right by leading the Patriots to a surprising AFC East Division title in 2025-26, and there might be more to come.

Down in New York, there was a tough coaching decision but it was at the opposite end of the spectrum of winning. The New York Knicks had eliminated the defending champion Boston Celtics in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals and NY advanced to the Conference Finals where they lost to the youthful Indiana Pacers, 4-2.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau completed his fifth season with the Knicks, improving each and every year since 2021-22 to a 50+ win season and New York’s best finish since losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 NBA Finals.

Knicks front office guru Leon Rose decided to make a change and dismissed Thibs and hired Mike Brown who has New York atop the NBA’s Atlantic Division whiel guiding them to an NBA Cup title in December.

Again, a very difficult decision, but the right one. A gutsy call by Rose.

Brown is playing a more open offensive style while utilizing more players in his rotation. The defense stressed by Thibodeau has not been forgotten by the same core crew to upend the Celtics last spring, but undoubtedly, the Knicks will have fresh legs and ample offense to take on all opponents come April.

Two difficult coaching decisions with two outcomes – both the best for each team.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The injury bug keeps biting the NBA. Aside from all-stars like Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton being out indefinitely, Dallas’ Anthony Davis being in & out of the lineup all season, the league took a major hit with the fact Denver’s incredible Nikola Jokić is out for some three-to-four weeks with a hyper-extended knee injury. The injury came days after Jokić posted a 56-16-15 line in a Nuggets victory over

A non-comprehensive list of players currently OUT or questionable because of injury include (Player, Team):

  • Trae Young, Atlanta
  • Jayson Tatum, Boston
  • Miles Bridges, Charlotte
  • Josh Giddey, Chicago
  • Coby White, Chicago
  • Larry Nance, Jr., Cleveland
  • Max Strus, Cleveland
  • Anthony Davis, Dallas
  • Dereck Lively, Dallas
  • Kyrie Irving, Dallas
  • Dante Exum, Dallas
  • Aaron Gordon, Denver
  • Nikola Jokić, Denver
  • Christian Braun, Denver
  • Seth Curry, Golden State
  • Fred Van Fleet, Houston
  • Obi Toppin, Indiana
  • Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana
  • Ivica Zubac, LA Clippers
  • Bradley Beal, LA Clippers
  • Rui Hachimura, LA Lakers
  • Austin Reaves, LA Lakers
  • Zach Edney, Memphis
  • Scottie Pippen Jr., Memphis
  • Ty Jerome, Memphis
  • John Konchar, Memphis
  • Tyler Herro, Miami
  • Taurean Prince, Milwaukee
  • Terrence Shannon Jr., Minnesota
  • Dejounte Murray, New Orleans
  • Mitchell Robinson, New York
  • Josh Hart, New York
  • Landry Shamet, New York
  • Jaylin Williams, OKC
  • Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC
  • Nikola Topic, OKC
  • Jalen Suggs, Orlando
  • Franz Wagner, Orlando
  • Kelly Oubre Jr., Philadelphia
  • Grayson Allen, Phoenix
  • Jalen Green, Phoenix
  • Jerami Grant, Portland
  • Scoot Henderson, Portland
  • Jrue Holiday, Portland
  • Damian Lillard, Portland
  • Zach LaVine, Scaramento
  • Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento
  • Devin Vassil, San Antonio
  • Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio
  • Jacob Poeltl, Toronto
  • Ace Bailey, Utah
  • Walter Kessler, Utah
  • Georges Niang, Utah
  • Cam Whitmore, Washington

That’s a major league list of injuries, but NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made note at his NBA Cup media availability that the number of injuries this season are down from a year ago.

“All I can deal with is the data itself, and the data we have so far this season is we have the lowest number of injuries in the last three years,” said Silver to a pointed question on league-wide injuries.

“I’ll stop there and say, regardless where the level of injuries stands versus prior years, of course the soft tissue injuries concern us. All injuries concern us, for that matter. The most frustrating issue right now, and the one that we have seemingly the least control over, is keeping star players on the floor.

“I think we have made progress. We’ve made adjustments in scheduling. We’ve made adjustments in the sharing of information among teams. We’ve made adjustments in the care of players. But there are no silver bullets here.

“I think we have to be true to the data. So when people say because of the Cup the season was denser leading up to now — it wasn’t, full stop.

“The level of density up until this point in the season is roughly what it’s been for the last decade. It’s just factually not true that, as a result of Cup scheduling, the first part of the season created a denser schedule.

“We are seeing an increase in pace of play. You could measure that in different ways. But measured by speed in which players are bringing the ball to half court — yes, that’s up. That may be causing some additional injuries. But what do you do about that? That’s something we’re looking at.

“Also part of your question, we’re very focused with our team doctors on the data we’re seeing and the evidence in terms of the wear and tear on players’ bodies when they get to the league. I think, as you said, we’re seeing young players now specialize at 10 years old and up as opposed to a generation before them that — I’m looking at James Jones — the top athletes played a different sport in every season and they developed their musculature in a different way.

“We think that’s preventative when you have a balanced system. Now it’s not even just that athletes aren’t switching from — young athletes aren’t switching from season to season, they’re literally playing year-round.

“Even modern NBA players, they finish the season, they take a day off and they’re right back in the gym. It may be that over time that with better data, this may be another area where AI can ingest enormous amounts of data and video and look at patterns, might be able to solve some of these problems.

“So the answer is it’s frustrating. It’s frustrating for our teams. It’s frustrating for our fans. But I do think we have to be true to what the evidence is as opposed to saying there’s a narrative out there that injuries are up or injuries are up because of scheduling. They’re not.

“But, we continue to slice and dice the data in every way we can, plus we look at qualitative information. People who have been around this game for a long time, what are they seeing? Are players training differently? Are there better techniques out there to keep players healthier? By the way, this is not a problem unique to the NBA. It’s tremendously frustrating in all sports to see star players in particular go down, but of course any player.

“We’re very focused on it. There’s no amount of money we’re not willing to invest in it to make those investments to see if there’s better resources out there. I would say also, Andre Iguodala and the Players Association have been tremendously cooperative, as well. We all have a common interest in keeping players on the floor.

MAKE NOTE: with Nikola Jokić of Denver and Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio injured and their February playing futures unknown, the International team at the NBA All-Star Game might take a major hit to its potential “Starting 5.” Initially looking like a lock to win the NBA’s new All-Star Classic, now, it’s a toss-up once again. The Internationals still have the advantage (think: Shai).

HOW MANY DAYS? Here’s a look-see at the number of days between January 4th and …

33 – Days Until Opening Ceremonies of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics

37 – Days Until Pitchers & Catchers Report for MLB Spring Training

49 – Days Until the Gold Medal Game for Men’s Ice Hockey at the Olympics

61 – Days Until the annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (Seaport)

70 – Days until NCAA Selection Sunday

81 – Days Until MLB Opening Day

89 – Days Until Red Sox Home Opener (vs. SD Padres)

106 – Days Until the Boston Marathon (Patriots’ Day)

Blood Bath in Pasadena

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PASADENA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Blue blood meets new blood and they’re both red bloods when Alabama and Indiana square off in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on Thursday in California. Though the ninth-seeded Crimson Tide have a storied history, they are the underdogs coming in with something to prove.

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The Hoosiers entered the season as the losingest program in college football history, but they assume the Goliath role as the No. 1 playoff seed and college football’s lone undefeated team, with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza in tow.

“I want to stop quarterbacks, whether they’ve won the Heisman Trophy or not,” Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said.

The Hoosiers-Crimson Tide winner will take on either No. 4 Texas Tech or No. 5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9 in Atlanta.

The Hoosiers (13-0) are not only trying to continue to break long-term precedent in continuing their best season in school history — ahead of 2024’s 11-2 mark — but also break recent precedent set last season in the first edition of the 12-team playoff.

All four first-round winners beat the top four seeds last season.

“Would I prefer to play earlier? Yeah, I probably would, to be quite honest with you,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. “But that’s not the case. We’re excited about playing.”

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Mendoza has thrown for 229.2 yards per game, with 33 total touchdowns and just six interceptions. He also has rushed for six touchdowns.

The Crimson Tide have had plenty of success slowing down quarterbacks this season, entering with the No. 10 passing defense in FBS at 168.4 yards allowed per game.

Alabama (11-3) is coming off a 34-24 road win over Oklahoma in the first round on Dec. 19.

Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson struggled late in the season but had a bounce-back game against the Sooners. He averages 250 passing yards per game and has tallied 28 touchdowns and five interceptions.

The biggest difference in the offenses comes in the ground game, where Indiana is in the top 10 nationally with 221.2 rushing yards per game, while Alabama has struggled with just 109.9 rushing yards per game (118th).

“I look at (the Hoosiers’) skill around the offensive line, they just all complement each other,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. “They go make plays. When the opportunities are there, they get it done.”

Indiana has been in the Rose Bowl just once before — losing to Southern California to end the 1967 season.

Alabama is in the game for the ninth time, going 5-2-1 with their most recent appearance coming in a 27-20 overtime loss to Michigan in the CFP semifinal two seasons ago. The Crimson Tide also won the 2009 national title with a win over Texas in the then-BCS Championship Game in the historic stadium.

Cignetti was Alabama’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator for that championship team.

While Cignetti has an appreciation for Alabama’s history, DeBoer also can recognize how far Indiana has come under Cignetti. DeBoer was the Hoosiers’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2019.

Mendoza figures to have one of his favorite targets back Thursday.

Hoosiers receiver Omar Cooper Jr., who suffered a right leg injury early in the Big Ten title game on Dec. 6, is cleared to play in the Rose Bowl. Cooper, a redshirt junior, leads Indiana with 58 catches for 804 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Alabama also figures to get a key piece back with the return of edge rusher LT Overton.

Overton, a senior, missed the Southeastern Conference championship game and the first-round win over Oklahoma due to an illness.

–Field Level Media

“U” Da Men

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ARLINGTON – (Wire Service Report) – Miami’s Carson Beck passed for 138 yards and a touchdown as No. 10 seed Hurricanes upset No. 2 seed and defending champion Ohio State 24-14 in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl in Texas on Wednesday night.

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Miami (12-2) will play either No. 3 Georgia (12-1) or No. 6 Ole Miss (12-1) in a semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz. The Bulldogs and Rebels meet on Thursday in the Sugar Bowl at New Orleans. In the two years of the CFP 12-team playoff, all five teams to receive first-round byes lost.

The Hurricanes stunned the Buckeyes (12-2) with a 14-0 halftime lead on the strength of a 9-yard touchdown catch by Mark Fletcher Jr. and a 72-yard pick-6 by Keionte Scott. Fletcher also ran for 90 yards in the game.

After Jeremiah Smith’s 14-yard TD catch on a pass from Julian Sayin made it 17-14 with 13:28 to go, the Hurricanes marched 70 yards to wrap it up when CharMar Brown ran in from the 5 with 55 seconds left. Sayin completed 22 of 35 passes for 287 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions while Smith made seven catches for 157 yards.

Alabama Shakes Off Oklahoma

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NORMAN – (Wire Service Report) – Ty Simpson threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns to overcome a slow start and help No. 9 Alabama rally for a 34-24 win over No. 8 Oklahoma on Friday in the College Football Playoff opener.

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Alabama trailed Oklahoma (10-3) by 17 points in the first half but roared back to tie it then controlled the second half to advance to the quarterfinals. The Crimson Tide became the first road team to win a CFP game on campus after all four home teams won in the opening round of last year’s inaugural 12-team field. Alabama took the lead early in the third quarter when Simpson hit Lotzeir Brooks for a 30-yard touchdown to make it 24-17. Brooks had five catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns.

After the Crimson Tide extended their lead to 10, Oklahoma answered, cutting the deficit to 27-24 on Deion Burks’ 37-yard touchdown catch from John Mateer two plays into the fourth quarter. Alabama extended its lead, though, on Daniel Hill’s 6-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth. The score was set up by Germie Bernard’s 24-yard catch where he wrested the ball from the Sooners’ Jacobe Johnson at the Oklahoma five yard line. Oklahoma’s Tate Sandell missed a pair of field goals late, barely pushing the first wide, then finishing just short on a 51-yard try with just more than a minute remaining, ending the Sooners’ chances of a comeback.

Mateer finished with 307 passing yards and two touchdowns while Burks finished with seven catches for 107 yards as Oklahoma outgained Alabama 362-260. Mateer put Oklahoma on the board with an 8-yard touchdown run on the Sooners’ second drive, and Sandell’s 51-yard field goal made it 10-0 in the final minute of the first quarter. Sandell, the Lou Groza Award winner as the nation’s top kicker, tied an FBS record with his eighth field goal of 50 of more yards on the season.

The Sooners extended their lead to 17-0 less than five minutes into the second quarter on Mateer’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Sategna III.

To that point, the Crimson Tide didn’t have a first down, going three-and-out on each of their first three possessions. But then Alabama started turning the momentum. Simpson led a 75-yard touchdown drive, putting the Crimson Tide on the board with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Brooks on fourth-and-2. A blocked punt gave Alabama the ball at the Oklahoma 30, and the Crimson Tide made it a one-possession game with a 35-yard field goal by Conor Talty with just more than two minutes remaining in the half.

Alabama wasn’t done yet, as Zabien Brown picked off a Mateer pass to the flat and had plenty of clear space ahead of him, returning it 50 yards for a touchdown to tie the game heading into halftime.

–Field Level Media

CFP Rankings: Tuesday Night Reveal

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DALLAS – (Wire Service Report) – After 11 weeks of play, we finally get the first set of College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night.

When the first 12-team bracket is unveiled, it will include a number of teams who were expected to be firmly in the mix (hello, Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama) while other preseason favorites will be missing in action (goodbye, Penn State, Clemson and LSU).

Also in the CFP conversation will be a few teams that few projected to be there.

Here are three of those overachieving teams that should be in the first College Football Playoff bracket:

VIRGINIA

Losses by Georgia Tech and Miami on Saturday blew the race for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship wide open.

It’s no guarantee Virginia will be the highest-ranked ACC team in the initial CFP rankings, but the Cavaliers are the highest-ranked ACC team in the AP poll at No. 12. That’s two spots ahead of Louisville.

But considering Virginia is the lone unbeaten team in ACC play — the 35-31 Week 2 loss at North Carolina State counts as a nonconference clash — it should probably be the Cavaliers’ spot until (if) they lose a conference game.

Virginia is far and away the most surprising storyline in college football so far this season. The Cavaliers won 11 games in head coach Tony Elliott’s first three seasons. They haven’t made a bowl game since 2019, haven’t ranked among the AP’s top 12 since 2004 and haven’t started a season 8-1 since 1990.

And yet, here they sit at 8-1 (5-0 ACC).

There’s certainly been a bit of luck in Virginia’s last five games, which has included three overtime wins as well as needing a late safety to beat Washington State.

At what point does luck convert to a team simply being clutch? Virginia is very much testing that theory.

INDIANA

Maybe Indiana and coach Curt Cignetti should have been given a bit more benefit of the doubt entering Year 2.

After all, the Hoosiers came out of the parking lot beyond left field last season when they charged out to a 10-0 start after having zero 10-win seasons in the program’s forlorn past as the losingest team in college football history.

That Indiana team, while a remarkably impressive transformation by Cignetti, was not ready for prime time. In two games against big-boy programs (at Ohio State and at Notre Dame in the CFP), the Hoosiers lost both by a combined margin of 65-32.

That probably justified Indiana’s No. 20 preseason ranking to begin this season.

This fall, the second-ranked Hoosiers have shown 2024 was no fluke, jumping out to a 9-0 start after Saturday’s 55-10 win at Maryland. They’re No. 1 in scoring offense (46.4 points per game) and No. 3 in scoring defense (10.8), which leads to the nation’s best points differential (35.7 ppg).

Even more important, they’ve already done what they couldn’t a year ago — delivering a signature win when they went to then-No. 3 Oregon in Week 7 and became the first team to win there since 2022 with a 30-20 conquest.

With only Penn State, Wisconsin and Purdue left — a combined 0-16 in Big Ten play — not finishing the regular season undefeated would be a massive disappointment. A showdown with No. 1 Ohio State looms in the Big Ten championship game, but Indiana will be in the CFP regardless of that result if it’s 12-0.

BYU

For the second straight season, BYU will be firmly in the playoff mix when Tuesday’s initial rankings are released.

Last year’s team started 9-0 before fading with consecutive losses to fall out of the playoff picture. This year’s team was the first squad outside of the preseason AP Top 25 poll back in August.

Now the Cougars are in a remarkably similar place. When last year’s first CFP bracket dropped, BYU was 8-0, ranked ninth by the AP poll and alone atop the Big 12 standings. This time, the Cougars are 8-0, ranked eighth and alone atop the conference standings.

The Cougars are doing this with a true freshman quarterback in Bear Bachmeier (1,693 yards, 11 passing TDs, team-high nine rushing TDs), who arrived over the summer after initially enrolling at Stanford.

BYU ranks outside the top 25 in total offense and total defense, but it keeps finding ways to win.

The path home for the Cougars will be quite challenging. Two of their final four games are against the teams with one Big 12 loss: Texas Tech and Cincinnati.

But after exceeding expectations for the second straight year, can BYU navigate its way to its first playoff berth?

–Curt Weiler, Field Level Media