Chris Callahan, we barely knew ye.
GADZOOKS.
MY HEAVENS.
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Thursday, January 1, 2015
Baylor kicker gets absolutely demolished on blocked field goal
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Missouri vs. Minnesota final score: Tigers win Citrus, 33-17
The Tigers had an impressive last three quarters in the win over the overmatched Gophers.
After struggling to get its offense going early on, thanks to two Maty Mauk interceptions, Missouri's offense settled down after the first quarter and methodically steam-rolled through a strong Minnesota defense to win 33-17.
Mauk shook off the slow start to throw two touchdowns, and running back Marcus Murphy was phenomenal, rushing for 157 yards on 12 carries (a very impressive 13.1 yards per carry). But the Missouri defense was the real story. The Tigers stifled David Cobb and Mitch Leidner, as Minnesota struggled to move the ball (except for when tight end Maxx Williams was hurdling defenders). Missouri owned the fourth quarter, and a late Minnesota comeback attempt wasn't enough.
This was Minnesota's first January bowl appearance in 54 years, and now, Minnesota must try to replace the production of Cobb and Williams — the latter of whom is leaving for the NFL — in order to make a repeat appearance in January next season. Meanwhile, Missouri looks to be in good shape to make a run at a third straight SEC East title in 2015.
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How the Cardinals can beat the Panthers
If the struggling Cardinals are going to beat the Panthers this weekend, they'll need to stop Cam Newton, says retired NFL defensive end Stephen White.
This weekend's Wild Card game between the Cardinals and Panthers is a clash between two teams going in opposite directions. Only in the sucktackular NFC South could a 7-8-1 team like the Panthers win the division with a win on the last day of the season. However, don't get it twisted, the Panthers are the hotter team of the two at the moment, winning their last four games to get into the playoffs.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, after a scorching hot 9-1 record and visions of a number one seed in the NFC, are now limping into the playoffs, having lost four of their last six games to end up at 11-5 and somehow a fifth seed and traveling to Carolina in the first round. It's not just the records that are at odds with each other, either. The lowly Panthers are finally getting healthy with the playoffs quickly approaching. The Cardinals are still trying to deal with starting quarterback Carson Palmer being knocked out for the year with a knee injury against the Rams in Week 10, followed by losing his backup, Drew Stanton, in Week 15 during their second game against the Rams.
Third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley just hasn't been the answer, and the Cardinals have looked out of sorts on offense in the last two games he started. Arizona still isn't sure whether Stanton will be available this weekend, but word of advice, this game is going to come down to Cam Newton, anyway. More specifically, whether the Cardinals will be able to get Newton on the ground for a sack at least twice on Saturday.
Newton's up-and-down play this season has been a direct result of dealing with nagging injuries all year. The ankle surgery that didn't heal as quickly as Newton thought it would, the cracked ribs suffered early on in the season, the broken bones in his back from a recent car accident ... Newton just hasn't had very many games where he looked healthy this season, until about four weeks ago against the Saints. Newton rushed for his second highest total of the season, 83 yards and a touchdown in that game, and it looks like he has that little extra pep in his step that had been missing up until then. Not coincidentally, it's suddenly hard to get the guy on the ground again, which means he is extending plays and making big ones even against big time pressure. In the his last three starts, Cam has only been sacked twice.
However, this is a very recent development. To put it in perspective, even with the improved sack numbers in his last three starts, the Panthers still only rank 20th in the league in sacks allowed (41). Keep in mind, this is from a ball control offense that doesn't throw all that much anyway. Newton has been sacked three or more times in seven of his 14 starts this season. Yeah, that's right, half of the games he's started. Two sacks doesn't sound all that much of an ask for the Cardinals.
However ...
The reason this will be such an important point this weekend is precisely because while the Cardinals will have a great opportunity to get after Newton on passing downs, they haven't been all that great at coming home with sacks this season. In fact, the Cardinals defense is only 24th in the league with 35 sacks all year. That isn't to say that they haven't had a few big sack days this season, but they had just one multi-sack game in their last three games of the season.
They say chop off the head and the body will die. If the Cardinals hope to win the game Saturday, they are going to have to cut off the head of the Panthers' offense, Cam Newton ... metaphorically of course. If they can get him on the ground at least twice, then they'll follow six of the other seven teams that did so and walked away with a win this season. If they can't, then odds are Arizona will join the three teams, out of four, that didn't and walked away with a loss this season (the fourth team, the Bengals, tied the Panthers this season).
It really is that simple.
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Auburn loses Outback Bowl on game-ending #doink
Tough way to lose.
Auburn and Wisconsin went to OT in the Outback Bowl. Wisconsin's Rafael Gaglianone hit his field goal. Auburn's Daniel Carlson did this:
What a rough way to lose. He had the distance on the 45-yarder and aaaaaallllllmooooost got the accuracy, but, you know, doink.
Carlson was a solid kicker all year, going 17-for-21, but missed two of three attempts during a game they lost in OT by three points. Carlson also serves as the team's punter.
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Auburn-Wisconsin final score: 3 things we learned from the Badgers' 34-31 OT Outback win
Wisconsin took down Auburn in an exciting Outback Bowl.
After lackluster offensive performances from both Auburn and Wisconsin in the first half of this year's Outback Bowl, the Badgers and Tigers turned on the offense in the second half, leading to a back-and-forth shootout that went all the way to overtime, which ended in a 34-31 Wisconsin win. As so many college games do, this one ended on a missed field goal, as Auburn couldn't punch one in from 45 yards.
Wisconsin pounded the ball behind a stellar offensive line and the outstanding play of running backs Melvin Gordon and Corey Clement. However, a balanced Auburn attack and some big plays from the Tigers' passing game helped Gus Malzahn's team stay within striking distance.
It was 14-7 in favor of Auburn at halftime, but Wisconsin battled back behind Gordon, who it surprisingly used on only 12 carries in the first half. With the Badgers leading 28-24 with three minutes left, Malzahn opted to go for it on fourth-and-11 from the Wisconsin 13-yard line, and he was rewarded with a pass interference call in the end zone, which ultimately led to a touchdown.
Wisconsin marched down the field behind a big fourth down conversion from none other than struggling quarterback Joel Stave, and a late Badgers field goal sent this one to overtime.
3 things we learned
1. Wisconsin is a quarterback away from being elite
If Wisconsin had any semblance of a passing game, this one could have been a blowout in favor of the Badgers. However, quarterback Joel Stave struggled, just as he has all year, and threw three interceptions, which ultimately let Auburn stay in the game throughout. Though the Badgers were dominating in the trenches, all-time coach/AD/emperor Barry Alvarez chose to keep going back to the air, and it hurt Wisconsin greatly.
The Badgers have some talent coming up at quarterback. Four-star quarterback D.J. Gillins is redshirting, while three-star Austin Kafentzis will be coming in next season, but young talent hasn't always panned out for UW's quarterbacks. Wisconsin is set up to be a yearly contender in the Big Ten West, but it needs to figure out its quarterback situation to ever be nationally elite.
2. The Auburn defense needs Will Muschamp
Just as it has all season, Auburn's run defense really struggled against Wisconsin. The Badgers' offensive line manhandled the Tigers' defensive front all game, and it showed in the running game.
Matt Millen, who is not one to be critical of other coaches, even noted during the game that Auburn can't get Will Muschamp to join the team soon enough. Landing Muschamp was a coup for the Tigers, who have the talent but gave up big yardage totals to their best opponents. Malzahn-coached teams are always good on offense, but with Nick Marshall leaving, the defense is going to need to be better next year than it was against Wisconsin, and for much of 2014.
3. Wisconsin heads into the Paul Chryst era pretty well off
The quarterback struggles are documented above, but Wisconsin certainly should be the favorite in the Big Ten West once again. Defensive coordinator Dave Aranda did a very good job transforming this defense, and he's back next year under new head coach Paul Chryst. Corey Clement is a very capable running back and the offensive line has shown its prowess and depth.
Given how weak the rest of the division appears to be, Wisconsin is the favorite heading into next year. The quarterback thing still needs to be figured out, but as the team enters the era of a new coach yet again, it appears set to be the class of the Big Ten West again in 2015.
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Minnesota receiver hurdles 2 defenders on his way to a touchdown
Why hurdle once, when you can hurdle twice?
Admittedly, the second hurdle wasn't as majestic as the first hurdle, but we won't hold that against him.
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2015 NHL Winter Classic: Brandon Saad ties game for Chicago
Toews is the best scorer in Winter Classic history.
Jonathan Toews accomplished two tasks with one pass in the second period of the 2015 Winter Classic.
As the Capitals tried to circle the puck behind the net while retreating into their own zone, Marian Hossa jumped the pass and created a turnover.
The Blackhawks' veteran immediately fed it to Jonathan Toews in front, who then fed it to Brandon Saad speeding into the play.
And at that range, there was no way Saad would miss.
With the assist on that game-tying goal, Toews became the all-time leader in Winter Classic points with two goals and five points in three games played.
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2015 NHL Winter Classic: Blackhawks on board with Patrick Sharp goal
Chicago won't go quietly in the first period.
The good thing about the Washington Capitals taking an early two-goal lead is that we're guaranteed to have a high-flying 2015 Winter Classic.
The Chicago Blackhawks own one of the most potent offenses in the league, so it was only a matter of time until they cashed in. Niklas Backstrom went off with a penalty midway through the period, and Patrick Sharp took advantage on the power play.
You have to imagine the sun affected Holtby's vision on that shot. The sunshine betrayed the home team!
Scoring on the man advantage has been an issue for both teams over the last month or so, but the Blackhawks sure picked the Caps apart quickly there. Celebrate your heart out, Sharp.
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2015 NHL Winter Classic: Alex Ovechkin gives Capitals two-goal lead
You just knew Ovi would score at at some point.
Whether Alex Ovechkin would score in the Winter Classic was just a matter of if, not when.
He didn't make his home fans wait long. Nationals Park erupted when Ovi scored in the first period to give the Caps an early 2-0 lead over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Capitals fans continued to chant Ovi's name for about a minute after the goal. The Classic couldn't have started any better for Washington.
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FSU fans at the Rose Bowl are tailgating in a 'duck blind'
Because they are playing the Oregon Ducks, of course.
It's not only Oregon fans at the Rose Bowl: Florida State fans tailgating in a "duck blind." http://ift.tt/1Ba0tCD
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) January 1, 2015 This is not the first hypothetical duck murder acted out by FSU and its fans before the Rose Bowl -- they also made a Duck Hunter video game.
We're not fully sure why they needed to cross out the "duck" -- what are they hunting if not duck? -- but whatever.
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Watch the awesome 2015 Winter Classic introductions
Skating in through the Capitol Building is so cool.
Nationals Park might not be the storied venue we're used to seeing during the Winter Classic, but there's no question the nation's capital provides a unique opportunity for grand pageantry.
The NHL took full advantage of this for the 2015 edition of the Winter Classic, creating one of the coolest introduction ceremonies in recent memory. First, fireworks!
That was the signal for the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals to emerge from a model Capitol Building and skate in on the "reflecting pool".
Then a gigantic flag was unfurled, as is the custom for important events.
The national anthem was sung by a chorus of military men.
Which was then followed by the customary flyover.
Overall, it was perhaps the best pregame ceremony in years for this marquee event. Kudos, NHL.
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Baylor hits a double pass trick TD on Michigan State in Cotton Bowl
Two scoring plays on two long passes for the Bears.
Thursday's matchup between Baylor and Michigan State brings two of the best units in the country head-to-head. Baylor's deep and talented wide receiving corps is going up against Michigan State's great secondary, and the early results are pointing towards the Bears.
After Baylor's first touchdown saw Bryce Petty throw 49 yards to true freshman KD Cannon (over all-conference corner Kurtis Drummond), the Bears struck again on this trick play.
via ESPN
That's wide receiver Jay Lee completing the perfect throw to an open Corey Coleman. Baylor and Michigan State are tied, 14-14.
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The Outback Bowl has shrimp and onion mascots now
My body is ready.
If Auburn wins Thursday's Outback Bowl, Outback Steakhouse will give away free Bloomin' Onions nationwide on Jan. 2. If Wisconsin wins, the free appetizer in question will be Coconut Shrimp. The restaurant chain knows you're picking sides and they have ANTHROPOMORPHIZED FOOD MONSTERS to help you root.
So...who do you have winning the #OutbackBowl? Coconut Shrimp or Bloomin' Onion? http://ift.tt/1vKJscB
— Kimmie (@kimmiexj) January 1, 2015 Well played, Outback. We shall eat your free appetizers.
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Michigan State is preparing for Baylor by eating Texas-shaped waffles
@joerexrode @HondoCarpenter Breakfast this morning. You could say we ate Baylor for breakfast. http://ift.tt/1Hin5CH
— Fr. Joseph Krupp (@Joeinblack) January 1, 2015
Michigan State chaplain Fr. Joseph Krupp believes in eating the competition before the Cotton Bowl -- literally. Do you think someone at the school was tasked with buying Texas-shaped waffle makers solely for this purpose? Or was this a gift?
There's nothing wrong with Texas, but all those odd-shaped pockets are really going to mess up your waffle/syrup ratio.
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Does Nationals Park look better as a baseball field or a hockey rink?
The NHL has taken over Nationals Park, which is usually home to MLB's Washington Nationals. Here's what it looks like as a winter wonderland, side-by-side with what it looks like on a typical baseball afternoon. Slide the image back and forth to compare.
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Let's talk New Year's college football, from the Cotton Bowl to the Sugar Bowl!
Happy New Year!
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Winter Classic 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Blackhawks vs. Capitals online
The new year begins with an outdoor matchup between the Blackhawks and Capitals from Washington, D.C.
The NHL starts off 2015 with a bang as the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals meet outdoors for the league's annual Winter Classic matchup on New Year's Day. This year's game is being played at Nationals Park, the home of MLB's Washington Nationals, and features two high-scoring teams looking to put on a show for nationally televised audiences.
Entering the new year, the Blackhawks are currently second in the Western Conference with a 25-10-2 record and 50 points, while the Capitals are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 18-11-7 record and 43 points. Both teams feature high-level offenses -- Chicago is third in goals per game, Washington is seventh -- and that means we should be in store for some exciting, back-and-forth action.
On the defensive end, however, the Blackhawks hold the advantage, both in terms of shot suppression and goaltending. Chicago is easily the best possession team in the league, boasting the league's best overall Corsi and Fenwick numbers, and the combination of Corey Crawford, Antti Raanta and Scott Darling has delivered the best save percentage in the NHL.
So the Capitals will need to depend on their talented group of forwards, especially Alex Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom, to keep up in this one. It may need to happen at even strength, though, since the Capitals' power play -- usually an advantage -- goes up against Chicago's league-best penalty kill.
These two teams have already met once this season, a 3-2 Capitals victory back on Nov. 7. That loss dropped the Blackhawks to 7-6-1 on the season -- since then, the team has gone 18-4-1. If the Capitals can muster a victory in the cool D.C. breeze, it'll be an impressive one.
Game Information
Time: 1 p.m. ET (with possible delays due to sun glare)
Location: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
TV: NBC (U.S.); CBC, TVA (Canada)
Online: NBC Sports Extra (U.S. only)
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College football schedule: TV/streaming for 5 New Year's Day bowls
The semifinal round of the playoff arrives.
The inaugural College Football Playoff is here, with both semifinal matchups kicking off Thursday. There are three other exciting bowl games taking place first, however, with all five of the day's games available to watch on TV and streamed on WatchESPN. Full schedule below.
The day starts off with three matchups featuring Big Ten schools, beginning with Auburn-Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. The game will feature two very different approaches to run-based offenses, while the Badgers will be playing without head coach Gary Andersen (now with Oregon State) or offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig (Vanderbilt).
The second top-10 matchup of the postseason kicks off soon after, when Michigan State and Baylor face off in the Cotton Bowl. This game will be a clash of styles, with the Bears' dangerous vertical attack countered by the Spartans' dominating defense. This will be the final game at Michigan State for defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, who has accepted the Pitt job.
SEC East champion Missouri will take on Minnesota in the Citrus Bowl, the last game before the playoff starts. The first playoff game will pit Oregon against Florida State in the Rose Bowl, while the second will see Alabama square off against Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.
| Time | TV | Streaming | ||
| 12 p.m. ET | Auburn | Wisconsin | ESPN2 | WatchESPN |
| 12:30 p.m. ET | Michigan State | Baylor | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 1 p.m. ET | Missouri | Minnesota | ABC | WatchESPN |
| 5 p.m. ET | Oregon | Florida State | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 8:30 p.m. ET | Alabama | Ohio State | ESPN | WatchESPN |
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Winter Classic 2015: Capitals, Blackhawks take the outdoor ice in Washington, D.C.
The 7th version of the Winter Classic is an outdoor battle between two of hockey's better teams, the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
This time-lapse video showing how the NHL is converting a baseball field into a rink for the big game is amazing. If nothing else, it'll get you amped for the Winter Classic between the Blackhawks and Capitals. It's objectively one of the coolest (no pun intended) sporting events of the year.
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2015 Citrus Bowl schedule and coverage: Minnesota vs. Missouri
Can the vaunted Tigers defense stop David Cobb at 1 p.m. ET on ABC? Visit Mizzou site Rock M Nation and Minnesota site The Daily Gopher.
It was never a BCS bowl game and it was passed over as one of the national semifinal sites for the new College Football Playoff, but there is no denying that the Citrus Bowl, which is returning to its old name after a stint as the Capital One Bowl, is one of the most anticipated bowl games of the season each year.
With the Big Ten and SEC meeting up in Orlando, there is almost always a terrific crowd and plenty on the line as teams look to end their seasons with a bang and gain some momentum heading into the offseason. The SEC has owned the bowl in recent years, winning four in a row and five of the last six. Last year, Connor Shaw and the South Carolina Gamecocks picked apart Wisconsin's defense in a 34-24 victory. This year, it will be Minnesota vs. Missouri.
Here is everything you need to know for this year's game.
Date and time, ET: Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, 1 p.m. ET
TV channel: ABC
Location: Orlando, Fla.
Stadium: Florida Citrus Bowl, 70,000
Last year's score: South Carolina 34, Wisconsin 24
Last year's attendance: 56,629
Last year's TV rating: 6.6
Last year's payout for each school: $4.55 million
Team with the most all-time appearances: Georgia, 6
Team with the most all-time wins: Georgia and Tennessee, 4
Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-4, 5-3 Big Ten)
Any doubts as to the staying power of Jerry Kill in the Big Ten were answered with Minnesota’s rise to second place in the Big Ten West, ahead of traditional power Nebraska and rival Iowa. Kill earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors for the feat, and make no mistake: keeping a team like Minnesota in division contention until the final week of the season is a feat.
The Gophers used a bruising rushing attack featuring second team All-Big Ten David Cobb and dual-threat QB Mitch Leidner to wear opponents down, and their ability to limit turnovers kept them in most games and helped secure a win at then-No. 23 Nebraska in the season’s penultimate game.
Last bowl game: 2013 Texas Bowl, 21-17 loss vs. Syracuse
All-time bowl record: 5-11
Head coach's bowl record: Jerry Kill, 0-4
Missouri Tigers (10-3, 7-1 SEC)
Missouri brought home the SEC East crown for the second straight year. This year, they managed to do so while losing to Indiana, being shutout by second-place Georgia and not winning a single game against a ranked opponent. The Tigers were able to feast on some of the lesser teams in the SEC before beating a hot Arkansas to clinch the division title, and were summarily dispatched by Alabama in the conference title game.
The Tigers once again made their mark on defense, with defensive ends Shane Ray and Markus Golden combining to form one of the more fearsome duos in the country. Quarterback Maty Mauk has big-play potential at times, while running backs Russell Hansbrough and Marcus Murphy can be a dangerous combination.
Last bowl game: 2014 Cotton Bowl Classic, 41-31 win vs. Oklahoma State
All-time bowl record: 14-16
Head coach's bowl record: Gary Pinkel, 6-4
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2015 Cotton Bowl schedule and coverage: Baylor vs. Michigan State
The Cotton Bowl will see a clash of styles as the vertical Bears will face the defensive-minded Spartans at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Visit Baylor site Our Daily Bears and Michigan State site The Only Colors.
The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic always seems to be one of the better bowl games each season, and it was a surprise to few people when it was included in the new College Football Playoff. While the Cotton Bowl won't host one of the national semifinals in the playoff's debut season, we should be in for a terrific game once again at AT&T Stadium.
This year's Cotton Bowl will pit two at-large teams, as it's one of the three major New Year's Day bowls that no longer has conference ties. It's a bit of a change from the Big 12-SEC matchup the bowl has had for a few years now, but we're living in a changing college football world.
Date and time, ET: Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, 12:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Location: Arlington, Texas
Stadium: AT&T Stadium, 80,000
Last year's score: Missouri 41, Oklahoma State 31
Last year's attendance: 72,690
Last year's TV rating: 7.5
Last year's payout for each school: $3,625,000
Team with the most all-time appearances: Texas, 22
Team with the most all-time wins: Texas; 11-10-1
Baylor Bears (11-1, 8-1 Big 12)
Prior to 2013, Baylor had never won a Big 12 title. Now the Bears are fresh off their second in a row, but the season is not without regrets. A two-touchdown loss to West Virginia in Morgantown is all that kept Baylor from a perfect regular season, and they’ll have to try to redeem themselves with their postseason opportunity.
Baylor has perhaps the most explosive offense in the nation, led by a quartet of dangerous playmakers. Quarterback Bryce Petty is a dual-threat option, with receivers Corey Coleman and KD Cannon are both elite targets. Running back Shock Linwood often burns defenses up the middle that attempt to adjust to the Bears’ vertical passing game, making them a tough matchup for any defensive coordinator.
Last bowl game: 2014 Fiesta Bowl vs. UCF, 52-42 loss
All-time bowl record: 10-10
Head coach's bowl record: Art Briles, 2-5
Michigan State Spartans (10-2, 7-1)
If there’s a "best of the rest" competition in college football this year, Michigan State is a strong contender; the Spartans were beaten soundly by CFP contenders Oregon and Ohio State, but beat everyone else -- usually by double digits. The Big Ten opener against Nebraska ended up close at 27-22, but it was never in question who was winning that game.
MSU used a balanced offensive attack to average nearly 500 yards of offense per game, and the defense led by coordinator Pat Narduzzi (who is still somehow not a head coach) was its usual punishing self. DE Shilique Calhoun is a two-time first team All-Big Ten defensive lineman, and talented safety Kurtis Drummond received his second first-team All-Big Ten nod from the coaches as well (he was second-team in the media last year).
Last bowl game: 2014 Rose Bowl vs. Stanford, 24-20 win
All-time bowl record: 9-14
Head coach's bowl record: Mark Dantonio, 4-4
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Sugar Bowl Playoff semifinal schedule and coverage: Alabama vs. Ohio State
Ohio State made it into the playoff on the last day. What can they do at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN against the top-seeded Tide? The winner in New Orleans advances to the national championship. Visit Alabama site Roll Bama Roll and Ohio State site Land-Grant Holy Land.
The Allstate Sugar Bowl is always a spectacle. With more than 70,000 fans packed into the Superdome in New Orleans, there's always a raucous atmosphere down the street from the French Quarter.
This year, the game will take on an even bigger role in the college football world. Along with the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the Sugar Bowl will be one of the host sites for the 2014 College Football Playoff and one of its national semifinals games. The BCS had a good run, but it was time to give the people what they wanted: a playoff.
The game will still get to include its traditional regional ties, with SEC champion Alabama landing unofficial hosting duties due to the Playoff rankings. Here is everything you need for this year's Sugar Bowl:
Date and time, ET: Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, 8:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Stadium: Superdome, 72,000
Last year's score: Oklahoma 45, Alabama 31
Last year's attendance: 70,473
Last year's TV rating: 11.3
Last year's payout for each school: $17 million
Team with the most all-time appearances: Alabama, 14
Team with the most all-time wins: Alabama, 8
No. 1 Alabama (12-1, 7-1 SEC)
The Crimson Tide dropped the first game of October, but have been dominant since. The 23-17 loss to Ole Miss was the only blemish of the season for Alabama, as the team rolled to wins in the next eight games, including over Texas A&M, LSU, Mississippi State, Auburn and, most recently, Missouri.
The formula for the Nick Saban-coached team has typically been strong defense and grinding offense in the past, and the Alabama defense is an elite unit again in 2014. However, the explosive offense of the Crimson Tide under new offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin could make this Alabama team especially difficult to beat, as the team scored an average of 48.3 points in the last three games of the season.
Last bowl game: 2014 Sugar Bowl vs. Oklahoma, 45-31 loss
All-time bowl record: 34-23-3
Head coach's bowl record: Nick Saban, 8-7
College Football Playoff
No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1, 8-0 Big Ten)
Well, that’s one way to recover from a disappointing early season defeat! Ohio State suffered an embarrassing two-touchdown home loss to Virginia Tech in early September, but responded with 11 straight victories to put themselves back into the playoff hunt. The Buckeyes made relatively easy work of Michigan State (49-37) and blew out Wisconsin (59-0) en route to their first Big Ten title under Urban Meyer.
The Buckeyes managed to do all this with multiple injuries at the quarterback position. Heisman contender Braxton Miller was knocked out for the year before the season started, and freshman star J.T. Barrett (who set school touchdown records this year) suffered a season-ending injury against Michigan. It proved not to matter, as third-stringer Cardale Jones threw for 15.1 yards per attempt and three touchdowns against the Badgers in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Last bowl game: 2014 Orange Bowl vs. Clemson, 40-35 loss
All-time bowl record: 19-24
Head coach's bowl record: Urban Meyer, 7-2
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Rose Bowl Playoff semifinal schedule and coverage: Oregon vs. Florida State
The high-flying Ducks take on the undefeated Seminoles at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN in Pasadena, California for a chance at the national championship. Visit FSU site Tomahawk Nation and Oregon site Addicted to Quack.
For the first time in history, the Rose Bowl will be one of two national semifinal host sites for the 2014 College Football Playoff. With the BCS coming to an end last year, in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl no less, the College Football Playoff begins in the same place Florida State was crowned a champion in January 2014. And again, the Rose Bowl will host the Seminoles as they face one of the bowls traditional ties: Pac-12 champion Oregon.
There was sure to be some controversy with the selection committee's list of four, though most feel this is ultimately for the best. Two games, 120 minutes (or potentially more), and one champion.
The Rose Bowl -- which is now officially The Rose Bowl Game Presented By Northwestern Mutual -- is one of six bowls that will take turns hosting the national semifinals. The Sugar Bowl is the other site this year, and the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange and Peach Bowls will handle those duties in coming seasons. Here is everything you need to know to get ready for this year's showdown.
Date and time, ET: Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, 5 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Location: Pasadena, Calif.
Stadium: Rose Bowl, 92,542
Last year's score: Michigan State 24, Stanford 20
Last year's attendance: 95,173
Last year's TV rating: 8.3
Last year's payout for each school: $23.9 million
Team with the most all-time appearances: USC, 33
Team with the most all-time wins: USC, 24
No. 2 Oregon Ducks (12-1, 8-1 Pac-12)
The College Football Playoff-bound Ducks won the Pac-12 Championship for the fourth time in the last six years, beating Arizona, 51-13, and avenging their only loss of the season. The October loss to the Wildcats was the only real hiccup for Mark Helfrich’s Ducks on their way to the inaugural Playoff.
The Ducks beat No. 7 Michigan State in a marquee non-conference matchup and have wins over ranked Utah and UCLA teams to go along with their championship game victory.
If you’ve watched even a minute of college football this season, you have seen a Marcus Mariota highlight, because the guy is a dang highlight factory. Mariota has put up video game numbers this year, amassing 3,783 yards through the air and 669 on the ground. While impressive, the yardage totals pales in comparison to the scoring numbers. Mariota threw for 38 TDs, to only two picks, and ran for an additional 14. The presumptive Heisman Trophy favorite had a monster season and will also be a high selection in the NFL Draft. Proving that it wasn’t all about the offense for the Ducks, senior defensive back Erick Dargan led the team in tackles with 81 and led the conference in picks, with six.
Last bowl game: 2013 Alamo Bowl vs. Texas, 30-7 win
All-time bowl record: 12-15
Head coach's bowl record: Mark Helfrich, 1-0
No. 3 Florida State Seminoles (13-0, 8-0 ACC)
Florida State went and did it again -- this time very differently. After blowing through their 2013 schedule en route to a national championship, the Seminoles went undefeated again in 2014. This time, their margin was significantly closer, with seven of their 13 victories coming by one score.
Jameis Winston was unable to repeat some of the highs of his Heisman-winning freshman campaign, but he’s still undoubtedly one of the most talented signal callers in the country. The Seminoles’ dominating offensive line has only gotten better as the season has progressed, and they’ve finally found a true feature back in true freshman Dalvin Cook.
Last bowl game: 2014 BCS National Championship Game vs. Auburn, 34-31 win
All-time bowl record: 26-14-2
Head coach's bowl record: Jimbo Fisher, 4-0
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Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch the EPL online
Top of the league Chelsea face a surging Spurs side at White Hart Lane
Just shy of a month ago Chelsea dismantled Tottenham at Stamford Bridge 3-0, handing Mauricio Pochettino's team a heavy-handed reminder of Spurs' place in the Premier League pecking order.
Rather than allowing that defeat to derail their progress, Spurs instead went on a five match unbeaten run that culminated in Sunday's scoreless draw against Manchester United. In fact, that Chelsea defeat is the only loss suffered by Spurs since November 9th, a run of eight matches that includes five wins and two draws. The general consensus is that Tottenham has begun to figure things out under first-year head coach Pochettino, but now they will have a chance to prove just how far they've come against the Blues.
Jose Mourinho's side is coming off a lackluster performance on Sunday that saw the Blues drop points in a 1-1 draw with Southampton. The last time the Blues played poorly and dropped points -- on November 29th against Sunderland -- they recovered with a convincing defeat of, you guessed it, Tottenham. There's no doubt that Mourinho will be demanding a similar positive response from his players on New Year's Day.
Neither team is dealing with major injury problems at the moment. Spurs defender Younès Kaboul is doubtful with a hip injury, though considering Federico Fazio has started the last eight league matches over Kaboul, he'd lost his starting job anyway awhile ago.
Chelsea could be without midfielder Oscar who is suffering from an illness. The Brazilian missed Sunday's draw against the Saints as well.
Tottenham injuries and suspensions
In Doubt: Younès Kaboul (hip).
Chelsea injuries and suspensions
In Doubt: Oscar (illness)
Match Date/Time: Thursday, 6:30 p.m. local, 1:30 p.m. ET
Venue: White Hart Lane, London, England
TV: NBCSN (U.S. - English), Telemundo (U.S. - Spanish), TSN/RDS (Canada), BT Sport 1 (U.K.)
Online: NBC Live Extra, Deportes Telemundo En Vivo Extra (U.S.)
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New Year's Day Premier League schedule and scores
Get over those hangovers quickly, because this is a really good set of games.
New Year's Day football is here, and the Premier League is doing it right again with their timing regarding their expansion into global markets. Even if you don't like soccer, you're probably watching soccer just so you can watch sports all dang day.
This is a really good slate of games, and it's a bit unfortunate that there's so much watchable stuff on at the exact same time. But the two games picked out for early and late timeslots are pretty great on their own, which was nice of the Premier League. We're not being forced to watch Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace in the early slot!
Weirdly, there are only two games on American TV on New Year's Day. That's because, in lieu of showing Arsenal vs. Southampton (a pretty important game!), NBC Sports Network is opting to show a multi-match thing in the vein of FOX's Champions League Multimatch or NFL RedZone. We'll see how it goes.
Stoke City vs. Manchester United
TV: NBCSN (U.S.), Sportsnet regional (Canada), Sky Sports 1 (U.K.)
Stoke are up to 11th after a couple of wins in a row, including a pretty impressive one away to Everton. As always, Stoke are formidable at the Brittania Stadium against high-level opposition, so this won't be a walk for the Red Devils. Even though United was a tad disappointing in their last game, a 0-0 draw at Tottenham, they're unbeaten in their last nine and have seven wins in that period.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea
TV: NBCSN (U.S.), TSN1 (Canada), BT Sport 1 (U.K.)
Now's the time of the year where Spurs fans get their hopes up about top four even though A. Their 0 goal differential reflects the kind of football they're playing and B. they're still Spurs. But predictable future collapses aside, they should be up for this game against Chelsea, who don't look like an unstoppable juggernaut anymore. They're still top and still title favorites, but they've failed to win a couple times in their last five, and drew Southampton in their most recent game.
Schedule (all times ET, scores will be updated as they come in)
Stoke City vs. Manchester United - 7:45 a.m.
Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace - 10 a.m.
Hull City vs. Everton - 10 a.m.
Liverpool vs. Leicester City - 10 a.m.
Manchester City vs. Sunderland - 10 a.m.
Newcastle United vs. Burnley - 10 a.m.
Queens Park Rangers vs. Swansea City - 10 a.m.
Southampton vs. Arsenal - 10 a.m.
West Ham United vs. West Bromwich Albion - 10 a.m.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea - 12:30 p.m.
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