PROVO, Utah (AP) — Bear Bachmeier threw for 289 yards and a touchdown to help No. 11 BYU beat UCF 41-21 on Saturday.
LJ Martin added 95 yards and three touchdowns on the ground for the Cougars (11-1, 8-1 Big 12, No. 11 CFP) who clinched a spot in the Big 12 championship game next Saturday where they will face Texas Tech for a second time this season. Parker Kingston added 181 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.
BYU is playing in a conference championship game for the first time since battling Air Force for the WAC title in 1998.
“Last year, we were kind of feeling sad that we weren’t in this championship game because it came down to a tiebreaker and all that stuff,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “It just felt good to have this game and make sure that we lock it up. Now we can get back on the redemption trail and try to get back a game (where) we didn’t do so well in Lubbock.”
Tayven Jackson threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns to lead UCF. The Knights (5-7, 2-7) did not qualify for a bowl game for a second straight season after giving up 31 unanswered points to the Cougars and totaling just 154 yards over the final three quarters.
Jackson picked apart BYU’s secondary in the first quarter, throwing for 110 yards while completing 10 of his first 12 passes. He tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Wade to put the Knights on the board and followed with a 20-yard strike to Agyeman Addae, giving UCF a 14-0 lead. Both receivers were wide-open on their respective scoring plays.
“We just weren’t playing our best,” Bachmeier said. “We knew we had to bounce back and I thought we responded well.”
BYU rallied before halftime after allowing UCF to gain only 16 total yards during the second quarter. The Cougars forced an interception on a trick play and allowed only minus 4 yards on the ground.
Meanwhile, Martin punched it into the end zone twice from a yard out to level the score. Will Ferrin then gave BYU its first lead at 17-14, connecting on a 26-yard field goal right before halftime.
“I think we kind of surprised them with our energy and they settled into the game and probably overall have a better team than we have right now,” UCF coach Scott Frost said. “That’s where I want our team to be a little tougher. When we do get up 14-nothing, we get the next stop and we find a way to move the ball again.”
The Cougars extended their lead in the third quarter on Martin’s third touchdown carry. Martin dragged several would-be tacklers to the goal line with him on a 4-yard run off a direct snap. Kingston made it 31-14 midway through the third quarter after returning a punt 55 yards for a touchdown.
UCF: A second-quarter turnover and an inability to get stops siphoned away any momentum the Knights built from a pair of first-quarter scoring drives.
BYU: The Cougars once again rallied from a double-digit deficit to keep their slim CFP at-large hopes alive going into their first Big 12 title game. BYU has trailed by 10 or more points in four of its eight Big 12 wins this season.
BYU entered this week’s game against UCF as a long shot to claim an at-large CFP bid. The Cougars believe they’ve made a strong case to earn a spot in the 12-team playoff, regardless of the outcome in the Big 12 title game.
Out of 11 wins, BYU has beaten two ranked teams and four other bowl-eligible teams and has top-10 strength of record and top-30 strength of schedule rankings.
“We deserve to be in the CFP,” Bachmeier said. “We’ve got a great team. We’ve got a great culture. Everybody’s just bought in.”
Sitake echoed his starting quarterback’s sentiments
“I don’t know what the other teams are about because I don’t know enough about what they’ve been able to do,” Sitake said. “But I feel good about our resume and what we can accomplish. If we win the game next weekend, then there’s no doubt we belong in the playoffs.”
Ferrin went 2 of 4 on his field goal attempts. He missed from 40 yards and 48 yards but made a 50-yarder with 3:53 left for the only fourth-quarter points for either team.
BYU: Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship Game on Saturday.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Carson Beck passed for 267 yards with three touchdowns and an interception as No. 13 Miami beat No. 24 Pittsburgh 38-7 on Saturday to keep its slim hopes for a spot in the ACC title game alive, at least for a few hours.
The Hurricanes (10-2, 6-2 ACC) need several other outcomes across the league to go their way later Saturday to earn a spot in the conference championship next week in Charlotte.
The more long-range — and far more pressing — matter for Miami is whether it has done enough to earn one of the at-large berths in the College Football Playoff. The Hurricanes ripped off four straight wins by an average of 27.5 points to close the regular season.
Miami’s resume also includes a victory over No. 6 Notre Dame in the season opener. A lot has happened over the last three months, though the Hurricanes hope their play down the stretch puts them back in the position they thought they’d be to start the season: in the mix to play for a national title.
Beck connected on 23 of 29 passes to finish the regular season with a 74.7% completion percentage, tops in the FBS and a new program record.
The Georgia transfer added an exclamation point at the end, a 33-yard heave to CJ Daniels in the final minute with victory well in hand in hopes of adding some style points against a team ranked No. 22 in this week’s CFP rankings.
Malachi Toney caught 13 passes for 126 yards and added a 9-yard lob to Elija Lofton for a score in the second quarter that gave the Hurricanes a lead they never came close to squandering.
Pitt (8-4, 6-2) came in with its own hopes of reaching the ACC championship. They evaporated in the late November chill as Miami hounded Panthers freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel and wore Pitt’s defense down in the second half.
Heintschel, whose promotion to starter in early October coincided with the start of Pitt’s six-game ACC winning streak, was sacked on the game’s first play, and the Hurricanes never really let up. He shook off a leg injury late in the first half to return for the second but completed just 22 of 32 for 199 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Miami: The Hurricanes needed a “leave no doubt” performance to give the CFP selection committee something to think about. After a sluggish start, Miami had little trouble asserting itself, scoring the final 35 points of the game and keeping a Pitt offense that had 412 yards last week at Georgia Tech firmly in check.
Pitt: Heintschel’s overall play since taking over and Pitt’s impressive response to consecutive losses to West Virginia and Louisville to end September made 2025 a positive season overall. Yet, the Panthers were also outclassed at home by Notre Dame and Miami in November and the talent gap — particularly in the trenches — between Pitt and the nation’s elite remains sizable.
Miami: At least one more game this season, though the when, the where and the stakes are very much up in the air.
Pitt: A bowl game for the eighth time in Narduzzi’s 11 seasons with the program.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Julian Sayin threw three touchdown passes, including a 35-yarder to Jeremiah Smith on a fourth down in the second quarter, and No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 15 Michigan 27-9 in a dominant performance on Saturday.
The defending national champion Buckeyes (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten, No. 1 CFP) likely earned a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. They can keep their top seed with a win against No. 2 Indiana (12-0, 9-0, No. 2 CFP) in the conference championship game Saturday night in Indianapolis.
Ryan Day should sleep well, a year after losing The Game when his team was favored by about three touchdowns. The upset extended his losing streak in the series to four games and sparked speculation he might also lose his job.
“We’re going to win with humility,” Day said, choking up, on the field in an interview with Fox.
The Wolverines (9-3, 7-2) started strong with two field goals and an interception on the first three possessions of the game, but couldn’t generate pressure when Ohio State wanted to pass.
After throwing an interception on his second snap, the redshirt freshman took advantage of the time and space he had to throw.
Sayin was 6 of 6 for 68 yards with two touchdowns on third and fourth down in the first half, including a 4-yard throw to Brandon Inniss with 16 seconds left that made it 17-9 at the break. He finished 19 of 26 for 233 yards and threw for at least three touchdowns for the sixth time this season.
His clutch throw to Smith early in the second stirred some controversy.
Smith bobbled the ball as he went into the end zone and Fox’s officiating expert, Mike Pereira, questioned the call during the TV broadcast.
“They said that he had control of it — didn’t look like he had control of it,” coach Sherrone Moore said. “They told me that it was inconclusive.”
Michigan might have gotten a break early in the game when edge rusher Jaishawn Barham was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, but wasn’t ejected, after appearing to make contact with an official.
“The official grabbed him and he shouldn’t have reacted,” Moore said.
In the end, the calls were moot because Ohio State put together a convincing performance.
Sayin helped the Buckeyes pull away with a perfect pass to Carnell Tate for a 50-yard touchdown in the third quarter, lofting a ball over the receiver’s shoulder after he got past Michigan’s secondary.
That put the game out of reach for the Wolverines, who couldn’t catch up after being relegated to kicking three field goals in the first half and failing to get their defense off the field in the second half.
The Buckeyes removed all doubt with a field goal midway through the fourth quarter, capping a 20-play, 81-yard drive that took nearly 12 minutes off the clock.
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood, the nation’s No. 1 recruit a year ago, was 8 of 13 for a season-low 63 yards with an interception late in the game.
The Wolverines ran for just 100 yards on 24 carries against the nation’s top-ranked defense.
“It’s got to be better,” Moore said. “I put it on me.”
Ohio State: Day earned a win he desperately needed and improved to 2-4 against the Wolverines, quieting any critics that were not convinced by the national championship he won.
Michigan: Underwood’s uneven season as a passer proved to be costly because it limited big-play potential against a defense that didn’t give up a touchdown for the fifth time this year.
The Buckeyes will face the Hoosiers for the first time since beating them 38-15 a little more than a year ago.
Michigan will find out next Sunday where it play in a bowl game with just pride at stake.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas beat Texas A&M again in a bitter rivalry. And while any loss to the Longhorns stings, this one is likely to stick with the Aggies for a long time.
But the playoffs and a chance to play for a national title still await.
“There’s (still) a lot right now to be proud of,” Reed said, noting the Aggies won 11 games in the regular season for the first time since 1992. “There’s still a lot to work for … I think we believe that we can make it to the national championship. And so we’re just going to put our heads down and grind.”
The Aggies (11-1, 7-1 SEC, No. 3 CFP) are a solid bet to make the playoff for the first time. But a special season has definitely been saddled with a sour note after a second straight loss to the Longhorns after the rivalry resumed following a decade-long break.
“We’re just thinking about not getting the job done tonight,” Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said. “Maybe coming out of this weekend, maybe we’ll regroup and figure out moving forward what the positives are of 11-1. Right now it just hurts that we lost to our rival.”
The Aggies had never been to the SEC title game since joining the league in 2012. Texas made it last season in its first year in the conference.
Texas started this season No. 1 and the Aggies had a chance to bury the Longhorns’ playoff hopes once and for all. By winning, the Longhorns can start lobbying to be let in.
“We want to go to the SEC championship. We’re tired of losing to the same team back to back years, tired of not winning that trophy,” Texas A&M linebacker Taurean York said. “ But, you know, (the playoffs), that’s the bright side, so we’ll look at it that way.”
Reed had a chance to solidify his Heisman resume, and looked like he might do it when he shook off an early ankle injury scare and led the Aggies to a 10-3 halftime lead.
But he was ultimately outplayed by his Texas counterpart Arch Manning. It was Manning who started the season as the Heisman favorite only to go through a stretch of poor games at the beginning of the season.
Reed’s star rose when he led the Aggies to a shock comeback against South Carolina two weeks ago. There was no rally in A&M this time.
The Aggies cut the Texas lead to 20-17 before Manning scored his clinching touchdown. Reed then threw two late interceptions that sealed it. He finished with 180 yards passing.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
STAKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin sighed and leaned forward in his chair when asked, after a 38-19 victory over Mississippi State, whether he still planned announce his future coaching plans by Saturday, as Ole Miss had promised he would.
“I feel like I’ve got to,” Kiffin said, adding that making such an announcement is “not as enjoyable as people think.”
Kiffin could remain with No. 6 Mississippi (11-1, 7-1 SEC, No. 7 CFP), which is now a virtual lock for a spot in the College Football Playoff — even likely to host a first-round game.
Asked if he thought Ole Miss had earned a first-round home game in the CFP, Kiffin said, “I would think absolutely. … You go 11-1 and in the SEC, that should be obvious.”
LSU and Florida have two of the highest-profile coaching vacancies in the nation. Throughout the Egg Bowl on Friday, and particularly in the second half, Mississippi State fans chanted the names of both schools during timeouts and other stoppages.
“I haven’t made a decision,” said Kiffin, who did not refuse to answer questions during his approximately 20-minute postgame media session, but did not extol the values of any of the possible choices.
“I’ve got some praying to do to figure this thing out,” Kiffin said. “I’m living one day at a time. I know that doesn’t help you, but it helps me.”
Kiffin hurried out of Starkville and headed back to Oxford to watch his son, Knox, the starting quarterback in Friday’s night’s Mississippi High School Class 7A North Half title game against top-ranked Tupelo.
“Tonight, I’m going to be a dad,” Kiffin said. “If (Oxford) could find a way to win, that would be an awesome day.”
Kiffin did not provide a specific time frame regarding Saturday’s decision or the time of the announcement, “it’s a fair question, but I really don’t know. That’s not my call.”
The most emotional moment came when Kiffin considered which sources he would seek for a final consultation.
“I miss my dad,” he said, before clearing his throat and naming former Southern California coach Pete Carroll and Alabama coach Nick Saban. Kiffin served on the staffs of both coaches and often refers to them as his mentors.
Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter has asked Kiffin to decide by Saturday so the Rebels would know if they need to look for a new coach before it’s too late to attract a preferred candidate.
Carter attended Kiffin’s postgame media conference, as is his usual custom, but did not make himself available for comment.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys still face long odds in trying to rally for a spot in the playoffs.
They won’t be short on confidence with a win over last season’s Super Bowl runner-up just four days after beating the defending champs.
Prescott threw for two touchdowns, Malik Davis sprinted 43 yards for a score and the Cowboys overcame two fourth down TD throws from Patrick Mahomes in a 31-28 Thanksgiving Day victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday.
The Cowboys (6-5-1) have won three straight and dropped the defending AFC champion Chiefs (6-6) back to .500 in a matchup of playoff-chasing teams.
Dallas is 3-0 since 24-year-old defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was found dead of an apparent suicide during the club’s open week. The Cowboys came back from the emotion-filled break with a 33-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
“On top of where we put ourselves right before these games and just the place that we’re in, having to get these wins against two elite teams,” Prescott said. “I mean, two teams that played in the Super Bowl last year. Last year’s last year, but you’re talking about two organizations that obviously know how to win and we just beat them both in two great games.
“On top of everything that we’ve been through.”
Mahomes had four touchdown passes in his first professional game at the home of the Cowboys, where he played three times for Texas Tech not far from his East Texas roots.
“They’re the same desperation that we are and they play better over four quarters than we did,” said Mahomes, who threw for 261 yards and was sacked three times, twice by Jadeveon Clowney. “So even though we have good plays here and there, we have be more consistent at the end of the day.”
Travis Kelce caught Mahomes’ first fourth-down TD toss on a 2-yarder, and Rashee Rice’s second scoring catch came on fourth-and-3 early in the fourth quarter.
Kansas City was down 10 when Mahomes was almost tripped in the backfield by Quinnen Williams but kept his feet and found Xavier Worthy wide-open down the field for 42 yards, setting up a 10-yard scoring toss to Hollywood Brown with 3:27 remaining.
Prescott and company didn’t give Mahomes another chance.
After two pass interference penalties gave Dallas first downs, Prescott hit George Pickens for 13 yards and a clinching first down at the two-minute warning. Prescott knelt three times after that.
The Chiefs had five pass interference penalties, one that was declined, and another defensive holding that gave Dallas a first down. Kansas City finished with 10 penalties for 119 yards.
“Bottom line is we’re having too many penalties, and we have to make sure to take care of that,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “No excuses with it. We’re going to clean it up.”
Rice had eight catches for 92 yards, his first score coming on a 27-yard catch-and-run on the sideline two plays after Prescott was intercepted by Jaylen Watson on the first Dallas possession.
Davis had just three carries, but his long run gave Dallas its first lead at 17-14 late in the second quarter. Lead running back Javonte Williams scored on a 3-yard catch early in the fourth quarter, and Pickens’ catch on a 2-point conversion put Dallas back in front 28-21.
The Cowboys were 10th in the NFC entering the game, same as the Chiefs in the AFC coming off nine consecutive AFC West titles. The schedule doesn’t get much easier, although two of the next four opponents — all playoff teams from a year ago — aren’t in the postseason picture at the moment.
“We’ve got to continue with the same mentality,” Lamb said. “Obviously it’s been a short week. Now we get a little time to rest, a regular week so to speak. We get our bodies back, relax, build, grow, get better and on to next week.”
Injuries
Chiefs: The Chiefs lost two offensive linemen to injuries after beginning the game without RG Trey Smith, who was inactive because of an ankle injury. RT Jawaan Taylor injured an elbow, and rookie LT Josh Simmons went out with a wrist injury. … S Bryan Cook injured an ankle in the first half.
Cowboys: CB Caelen Carson, who had started the previous two games, was inactive after being listed as questionable. He was added to the injury report during the week. … CB DaRon Bland injured a foot in the second half.
Up next
Chiefs: Play host to Houston in prime time on Dec. 7.
ATLANTA (AP) — Nate Frazier ran for 108 yards, Gunner Stockton threw a scoring pass to Zachariah Branch for the only touchdown of the game and No. 4 Georgia retained its hold on its state rivalry with another close win by holding off No. 23 Georgia Tech 16-9 on Saturday.
The Bulldogs (11-1) set a record with their eighth straight win in the rivalry. Georgia Tech (9-3), which moved its home game from its campus stadium to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, closed the regular season by losing three of four games.
Gunner Stockton’s 7-yard scoring pass to Branch gave Georgia a 10-3 lead in the second quarter. Peyton Woodring of Georgia and Aidan Birr of Georgia Tech each kicked three field goals.
Woodring kicked a 50-yarder early in the fourth quarter for a 16-6 lead. Birr’s 41-yarder with 3:30 remaining again trimmed the deficit to seven points.
With only 14 seconds remaining, Georgia Tech took its last possession at its 20. Haynes King completed two passes to the Georgia 44 for a final snap with a second remaining. and his final pass was batted down in the end zone.
The low-scoring game was a contrast to last year when the Bulldogs outlasted the Yellow Jackets 44-42 in eight overtimes in Athens.
Each team needs help to play in its conference championship game.
Georgia would advance to the Southeastern Conference championship game if Texas A&M loses to Texas Friday night or Alabama loses to Auburn on Saturday night.
Georgia Tech’s path to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game is more difficult. The Yellow Jackets need Miami, Virginia and SMU to lose on Saturday.
Georgia Tech linebacker Tah’j Butler’s interception of a Stockton pass in the first quarter set up Birr’s 30-yard field goal to give the Yellow Jackets a 3-0 lead. It was only Stockton’s fifth interception of the season.
King completed 19 of 26 passes for 181 yards with an interception. King threw two picks in last week’s 42-28 home loss to Pittsburgh that cost the Yellow Jackets an opportunity to clinch a spot in the ACC championship game.
Georgia: The Bulldogs posted a 7-1 SEC record despite trailing in seven of those games. They were resilient again Friday, recovering quickly after falling behind 3-0. The win should allow the Bulldogs to protect their No. 4 spot — and position for a first-round bye — in the College Football Playoff ranking. … Stockton completed 11 of 21 passes for only 70 yards.
Georgia Tech: Special teams were a problem as Shane Marshall fumbled the opening kickoff, forcing the Yellow Jackets to start at their 3. Punter Marshall Nichols had another field-position blunder with a shanked effort that traveled only 22 yards in the second quarter, giving the Bulldogs the ball at the Georgia 44 and setting up Stockton’s go-ahead touchdown pass to Branch. … Birr’s three field goals gave him 25, a school single-season record.
Georgia: Hoping for a return trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium if it earns a spot in SEC championship game.
Georgia Tech: Needs losses by Miami, SMU and Virginia on Saturday to earn a spot in ACC championship game.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Whether you prefer something naughty, like the animated movie “Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer” or nice, like classics “The Sound of Music” and “Home Alone,” streamers, cable and broadcast networks offer up festive choices in December.
Highlights this year include music specials with Derek Hough and Jimmy Fallon, the Rockefeller Tree lighting hosted by Reba McEntire, Lacey Chabert’s latest Hallmark Channel movie, NFL games and even cozy mysteries with a Christmas theme.
Here are some highlights.
Dec. 1
— “Dancing with the Stars” judge Derek Hough hosts the annual “The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular” on ABC. Popular recording artists including Nicole Scherzinger, Gwen Stefani, Trisha Yearwood and Mariah the Scientist put their own spin on Christmas classics. Streams next day on Hulu and Disney+.
Dec. 3
— Reba McEntire hosts NBC’s annual “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” which culminates in the lighting of the giant Christmas tree in New York’s Rockefeller Center. This year’s tree is a Norway spruce from Greenbush, New York. It has more than 50,000 colored lights and is topped with a Swarovski star that weighs 900 pounds. The special will also stream live on Peacock.
(Jake Rosenberg/Netflix via AP)
(Jake Rosenberg/Netflix via AP)
— Some people find holiday prep daunting. It comes naturally to Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, whose life seems to be a Pinterest page. She’s got ideas to share in a special episode of Netflix’s “With Love, Meghan” lifestyle series. In “With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration,” Meghan taps guests including Naomi Osaka and Tom Colicchio to bake, make treats with holiday flair and craft. “Being a hostess or a host, it’s about making people feel comfortable,” the royal says.
Dec. 5
— In the new Apple TV special, “The First Snow of Fraggle Rock,” the Fraggles are anxiously waiting for snow to kick off their festive season. Instead, a single snowflake falls, leaving Gobo, feeling uninspired to write an annual holiday song. For the first time, he ventures into the human world to seek out ideas. The special is a reminder that unplanned moments can also come with their own magic.
— Roku Channel has a follow-up to the holiday romance “Jingle Bell Love” starring Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block and Michelle Morgan. In “Jingle Bell Wedding,” Jack and Jessica are engaged and looking forward to a New Year’s Eve wedding. They’re also in charge of organizing an annual Christmas concert. Will all the planning derail their relationship?
Dec. 6
(Roku/OWN/Hallmark Channel via AP)
(Roku/OWN/Hallmark Channel via AP)
— Lacey Chabert works for Santa Claus in the new Hallmark Channel movie “She’s Making a List.” Chabert plays Isabel, whose job is to track kids’ behavior throughout the year. Isabel’s strict rules lighten up a bit when she’s assigned to report on an 11-year-old whose father Jason (Andrew Walker) is a widower. Chabert and Walker previously co-starred in a Valentine’s Day movie for Hallmark in 2018. “She’s Making a List” also streams on Hallmark+.
— The OWN original, “The Christmas Showdown,” reunites Amber Stevens West and Corbin Reid from the acclaimed Starz comedy “Run the World.” They play former besties competing for the same job who learn it’s better to work as a team. Loretta Devine also stars.
Dec. 7
— How about a cozy mystery this Christmas? UPtv offers the new film “A Christmas Murder Mystery.” Vera Vexley is a puzzle editor for her local newspaper who also has a side-gig as a detective. When Vera’s invited to spend the holidays with family friends, a murder launches her into investigative-mode and everyone is a suspect.
Dec. 9
— A new two-hour, faith-based special tells the story of Mary, Joseph and the birth of Jesus in “Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas” for ABC. The Oscar winner serves as host and narrator.
Dec. 10
— Zooey Deschanel and Charlie Cox co-star in a new holiday rom-com called “Merv” for Prime Video. The pair play exes who share joint custody of their dog Merv. When Merv is visibly depressed because his human parents are no longer together, they take him on a trip to cheer him up.
Zooey Deschanel, left, and Charlie Cox in a scene from “Merv.” (Wilson Webb/Amazon Content Services via AP)
Zooey Deschanel, left, and Charlie Cox in a scene from “Merv.” (Wilson Webb/Amazon Content Services via AP)
— The animated movie “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” is an adaptation on the farcical song of the same name. In the special, airing on The CW Network, a boy sets out to find his missing grandmother on Christmas Eve.
Dec. 11
— The Dolly Parton song, “Coat of Many Colors” comes to life in a TV movie airing for the first time on the CW. Set against the Smoky Mountains in the 1950s, it’s about the Parton family and how their love, faith — and a patchwork coat — help them to move past tragedy. Alyvia Alyn Lind plays young Dolly and Jennifer Nettles and Rick Schroeder portray her mom and dad. “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors” originally debuted in 2015.
Alyvia Alyn Lind in a scene from “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors.” (The CW Network via AP)
Alyvia Alyn Lind in a scene from “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors.” (The CW Network via AP)
— Jimmy Fallon’s musical comedy special from last year gets a repeat. In “Jimmy Fallon’s Holiday Seasoning Spectacular,” the “Tonight Show” host searches a New York apartment building for the holiday spirit and encounters different celebrity guests behind each door. Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake, LL Cool J, the Roots and “Weird Al” Yankovic all appear.
Dec. 12
— AMC’s annual holiday programming includes a marathon of Will Ferrell’s “Elf” beginning at 6 p.m. It broadcasts back-to-back for eight-hours.
— In “A Suite Holiday Romance” for Hallmark Channel, Jessy Schram stars a ghostwriter who checks-in to a fancy New York hotel for a job writing a memoir. She meets a handsome Brit (Dominic Sherwood) and the two experience a series of misunderstandings until they realize they’re meant to be.
Dec. 14
— HGTV returns to the White House at Christmas for a one-hour special that goes behind-the-scenes of its decorating transformation at the holidays. It also streams next day on HBO Max and Discovery+.
— On the first night of Hanukkah, Hallmark Channel premieres the new movie “Oy to the World!” When the pipes burst at a local synagogue, a church opens its doors for an interfaith service. Brooke D’Orsay and Jake Epstein play choir directors who were also rivals in high school that must work together to put on a successful event for all.
Dec. 15
— Acorn TV has a two-part Christmas special of “The Madame Blanc Mysteries” airing Dec. 15 and Dec. 22. British actor Sally Lindsay plays antique dealer Jean White, who visits the France museum Maison Sainte-Victoire on Christmas Eve to authenticate an Ormolu box once owned by Marie Antoinette. It’s discovered that the box contains a ticking time bomb and Jean and her team have just 90 minutes to diffuse it.
Dec. 16
(Johan Persson/PBS via AP)
(Johan Persson/PBS via AP)
— “The Nutcracker” ballet is a Christmas classic, and PBS is offering a reimagined version taped at the London Coliseum. Still set to Tchaikovsky’s score, this version centralizes Clara’s story and is set in Edwardian London where a street scene has dancing chimney sweeps and suffragettes. “Great Performances: Nutcracker from English National Ballet” will also be available for streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app.
Dec. 20
— Lifetime is jumping on the pickleball popularity bandwagon with the new movie “A Pickleball Christmas.” It stars James Lafferty as a tennis pro whose family’s racquet club is on the brink of closing its doors. He and a tennis instructor take part in a holiday tournament to save the day.
Dec. 21
— Tate Donovan and Jillian Murphy star in a new Christmas movie for Great American Family called “Mario Lopez Presents: Chasing Christmas.” In the film, Donovan plays a morning show host and Murphy a designer who team up to make a child’s Christmas wish come true. Lopez’s son Dominic also has a role.
— The Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer classic “The Sound of Music” airs on ABC.
Dec. 24
— “Home Alone” airs on ABC. The film made Macaulay Culkin a child star for playing a boy whose parents accidentally leave him home when their large family hurries off on a Christmas vacation. He’s left to defend his house against two clumsy burglars.
Dec. 25
— Netflix is gifting us with football on Christmas again this year. The Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders game is at 1 p.m. Eastern followed by the Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns, Malik Davis sprinted 43 yards for a score and the Dallas Cowboys overcame two fourth down TD throws from Patrick Mahomes in a 31-28 Thanksgiving victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday.
CeeDee Lamb scored the first Dallas touchdown and finished with 112 yards on seven catches four days after drops plagued the star receiver in a victory over defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.
The Cowboys (6-5-1) finished a sweep of last season’s Super Bowl teams in the past two games with their third consecutive win while sending the defending AFC champion Chiefs (6-6) back to .500 in a matchup of playoff-chasing teams.
Mahomes had four touchdown passes in his first professional game at the home of the Cowboys, where he played three times for Texas Tech not far from his East Texas roots.
Travis Kelce caught Mahomes’ first fourth down TD toss on a 2-yarder, and Rashee Rice’s second scoring catch came on fourth-and-3 early in the fourth quarter.
Kansas City was down 10 when Mahomes was almost tripped in the backfield by Quinnen Williams but kept his feet and found Xavier Worthy wide open down the field for 42 yards, setting up a 10-yard scoring toss to Hollywood Brown with 3:27 remaining.
Prescott and company didn’t give Mahomes another chance.
After two pass interference penalties gave Dallas first downs, Prescott hit George Pickens for 13 yards and a clinching first down at the two-minute warning. Prescott kneeled three times after that.
Rice had eight catches for 92 yards, his first score coming on a 27-yard catch-and-run on the sideline two plays after Prescott was intercepted by Jaylen Watson on the first Dallas possession.
Davis had just three carries, but his long run gave Dallas its first lead at 17-14 late in the second quarter.
Chiefs: The Chiefs lost two offensive linemen to injuries after beginning the game without RG Trey Smith, who was inactive because of an ankle injury. RT Jawaan Taylor injured an elbow, and rookie LT Josh Simmons went out with a wrist injury. … S Bryan Cook injured an ankle in the first half.
Cowboys: CB Caelen Carson, who had started the previous two games, was inactive after being listed as questionable. He was added to the injury report during the week. … CB DaRon Bland injured a foot in the second half.
Chiefs: Play host to Houston in prime time on Dec. 7.
Cowboys: Visit Detroit next Thursday.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The College Football Playoff rankings placed the spotlight on, where else this year, “6-7″ — flip-flopping Oregon and Ole Miss in those spots while keeping their top five teams the same in Tuesday night’s reveal.
Oregon’s impressive victory over Southern California in one of last week’s few games between ranked teams accounted for the biggest change, moving the Ducks ahead of Mississippi, which didn’t play.
The other meaningful shift was Miami’s move to No. 12, in a switch with Utah after the Utes gave up 472 yards rushing in a tight win over Kansas State.
There are two more rankings to be revealed — next Tuesday, then Dec. 7 when the final top 25 will set the bracket for the 12-team playoff to start Dec. 19,
Pitt’s return to the rankings — at No. 22 — after falling out for a week impacts the meaning of its key Atlantic Coast Conference game this week against the Hurricanes, who need a win and some help to make the conference title game but still have hopes of grabbing one of the playoff’s seven at-large berths.
“Miami is a team that it really appears is starting to look like the Miami team that started 5-0,” said Hunter Yurachek, the chair of the selection committee.
Following the Buckeyes for the fourth time in four rankings were fellow undefeated teams Indiana and Texas A&M. Georgia stayed at No. 4, followed by Texas Tech. After Oregon and Mississippi came Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Alabama and BYU at No. 11 and first team out on this week’s proverbial bubble.
Ohio State and Indiana will play in what should be a 1 vs. 2 Big Ten title game if both win rivalry showdowns on the road over Thanksgiving weekend. Ohio State’s task is more difficult — against Michigan, which moved up three spots to No. 15. Indiana plays Purdue.
No. 10 Alabama plays at Auburn with a spot in the Southeastern Conference title game on the line. The Tide’s opponent would be Texas A&M if the Aggies win at No. 16 Texas.
Notre Dame and Miami were compared this week
After some confusion last week about the weight given to Miami’s opening-week win over Notre Dame, Yurachek said those teams were, indeed, close enough in the rankings this week to be compared head-to-head. But still, that victory was not enough to push the Hurricanes past Notre Dame.
“We compare a number of things when looking at teams closely ranked together,” Yurachek said. “We’ve got some teams ranked between Miami and Notre Dame, such as Alabama and BYU, who we’re also comparing Miami to.”
Could Kiffin’s job status impact Ole Miss?
Among the factors the committee can consider is the availability of players and coaches, which has potential to bring Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s job status into play.
Word from Oxford is that a decision will come on Kiffin’s potential move to LSU or Florida after this week’s game against Mississippi State. An Ole Miss team without one of the most sought-after coaches in the game wouldn’t seem as good as one with him.
Still, Yurachek wouldn’t tip his hand on how that evaluation might go.
“We’ll take care of that when it happens,” Yurachek said. “We don’t look ahead. The loss of player, loss of a key coach, is in the principles of how we rank teams, but we don’t have a data point for how we look at Ole Miss without their coach.”
Ducks move to ‘where they need to be’
After Oregon’s 42-27 win over USC, coach Dan Lanning said his team deserves credit for the schedule it plays — which included a tough conference game during a week in which many in the SEC were going against non-ranked, double-digit underdogs.
The committee agreed.
“We’ve been waiting for them to have that signature win to really put them where they need to be,” Yurachek said.
Conference watch
ACC — No. 18 Virginia and No. 21 SMU are the favorites to reach the title game, which means one of them has an inside edge to be in the playoff. The Hurricanes are likely in an at-large showdown with the likes of BYU, Vanderbilt and maybe Alabama.
Big 12 — BYU is angling for another crack at Texas Tech in the title game. Hard to see the Cougars getting there, losing to the Red Raiders again and still making the playoff.
Big Ten — Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon are locks. Michigan’s move up three to No. 15 gives the Wolverines a chance at an at-large bid (or maybe the conference title) with a win this week over the Buckeyes.
SEC — Texas A&M, Georgia, Mississippi and Oklahoma should all be in. Alabama can’t really afford a third loss, but what if that loss comes in the SEC title game? The Tide makes it by beating Auburn. Vanderbilt would strengthen its case with a win at No. 19 Tennessee this week.
Group of 5 — No. 24 Tulane of the American is still the only team from a non-power conference in the rankings. One problem. BetMGM Sportsbook has North Texas as the favorite to win the league title. That, in turn, could bring someone like James Madison back into the conversation.
Projected first-round playoff matchups
No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Texas Tech: Could the Red Raiders, a deep-pocketed disruptor in the college football space, also turn into one of the sport’s powerhouses?
No. 11 Miami at No. 6 Oregon: The Mario Cristobal Bowl — Hurricanes coach left Ducks suddenly in 2021 to return home.
No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Mississippi: Kiffin, the old offensive coordinator at Alabama, is 0-4 vs. Tide with Ole Miss.
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma: Notre Dame’s first televised game was a 27-21 win over OU in 1952.
Former LSU coach Brian Kelly received a letter from LSU on Wednesday confirming that he was fired without cause and is owed “liquidated damages as required” under his contract of about $54 million.
The letter, obtained by The Associated Press, clears the way for Kelly to withdraw a Nov. 10 lawsuit against the university. Kelly said in the suit that LSU officials had suggested he could be fired for cause, which could have substantially reduced his buyout.
LSU spells out in Wednesday’s letter that Kelly has a legal obligation to make “good-faith, reasonable and sustained efforts” to get another job in football while he is still being paid by LSU.
Under Kelly’s contract, salary from a new football-related job would offset what he is owed by LSU. The 10-year contract, worth close to $100 million, runs through 2031, unless the two sides agree to a settlement severing their legal relationship before then.
Kelly’s lawsuit, filed in civil district court in Baton Rouge, alleged that LSU representatives had told Kelly’s attorneys that the coach was never “formally terminated” the day after LSU’s 49-25 loss to No. 3 Texas A&M on Oct. 25.
Additionally, Kelly’s lawsuit said that 15 days after he’d packed up his office and left his job, LSU representatives told the coach’s lawyers for the first time that the university intended to fire him for cause.
However, Kelly’s attorneys made a Nov. 19 offer to withdraw the lawsuit if the university provided written confirmation that the coach was fired without cause and still owed the full buyout. The offer came in a letter, also obtained by the AP, that was sent to LSU Athletic Director Verge Ausberry and LSU Board of Supervisors Athletics Committee chairman John Carmouche.
Wednesday’s response from LSU was signed by newly appointed university President Wade Rousse.
The 64-year-old Kelly went 34-14 with LSU, including three bowl victories. But the Tigers did not reach the College Football Playoff — which last year expanded to a 12-team format — during Kelly’s tenure.
Four days after Kelly had packed up his office at LSU’s football operations building and had been replaced by interim coach Frank Wilson, LSU athletic director Scott Woodard resigned under pressure from Gov. Jeff Landry and his appointees on LSU’s Board of Supervisors.
The day before Woodward resigned, Landry publicly slammed the then-athletic director, saying he would not be permitted to hire LSU’s next football coach. Landry also blamed Woodward for signing Kelly to a contract that became financially burdensome when the coach did not meet expectations.
According to Kelly’s contract with LSU, the school could have fired him for cause if it had cited “serious misconduct,” including NCAA violations, crimes or immoral behavior.
“Coach Kelly never engaged in any such conduct, and LSU never relied on any incident of cause” before firing Kelly, the coach’s Nov. 10 lawsuit stated.
Kelly has informed LSU that he was open to a settlement, but that it had to “make sense financially.” It is common for people owed money through a certain future date to settle for a “present value” derived from a number of variables, including recent and projected rates of inflation.
LSU initially offered to settle with a lump-sum payment of $25 million, which was raised to $30 million after Kelly rejected the initial offer, according to documents filed in Kelly’s case.
Kelly has rejected LSU’s settlement offers so far, “but stated he remained open to any additional offers that LSU would like to make.”
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — All indications since he joined the Raiders this year are that Geno Smith is popular and well-respected in the locker room, and his interactions with the media have mostly been positive.
But everyone has a breaking point, and Smith might have reached his on Sunday.
After he was sacked 10 times in a 24-10 loss to Cleveland and booed from the moment he was introduced, Smith was seen making an obscene gesture toward fans as he left the field. Shortly thereafter, his answers in the postgame news conference were uncharacteristically brief.
The Raiders pointed to a statement they issued to the Las Vegas Review-Journal regarding the incident with fans.
“We are disappointed in his actions and have discussed the incident with Geno,” the statement read. “We hold the Raider Nation in the highest regard and take this matter seriously.”
It’s understandable why Smith is frustrated. This isn’t the kind of season he and coach Pete Carroll envisioned when the Raiders traded with Seattle to land him. Both had success with the Seahawks and had every intention of translating that to Las Vegas.
But 11 games and an NFL-high 13 interceptions later, his business with the Raiders may be closer to finished. Judging Smith as the starting quarterback is tricky, however, given how inept the offensive line — coached by Carroll’s son, Brennan — has been.
Smith had virtually no chance against Myles Garrett and the Browns’ pass rush, and as Carroll said Monday regarding the offensive line, “We got the guys we got.”
But Smith will have a new offensive coordinator and play-caller in Greg Olson, the interim replacement for Chip Kelly, who was fired Sunday night. Maybe Olson, in his third stint as the Raiders’ OC, will find a way to help Smith play better than he has to this point.
That Carroll has fired two coordinators in the same month — special teams boss Tom McMahon was let go on Nov. 7 — is more than telling. Carroll had never fired a coordinator in-season before he got to Las Vegas.
“I’m really surprised as well that this has happened, but I think our players deserve it, and our fans deserve that we give them our best shot, and that’s what competing is all about,” Carroll said. “It’s just a very difficult time to have to do this … but we’re 2-9. So, unfortunately, that’s where we are.”
What’s working
DE Maxx Crosby. When is he not? Crosby always brings it, in practices or games. He was sensational even by his standards against the Browns, recording a personal-high five tackles for loss. His 19 tackles for loss this season are on pace to surpass the 23 he registered in 2023, when Crosby led the league in that category for the second year in a row. He trails only the 26 by Browns superstar Myles Garrett.
What needs help
The offensive line. If T Kolton Miller returns from injury at some point, it will get at least a little better. But any true improvement will have to occur in the offseason. This line might be the NFL’s worst and will need an overhaul. Giving up 10 sacks even to a stellar Browns defensive front is inexcusable, but the lack of pass protection and run blocking is not new.
Stock up
Move up the boards. The Raiders are up to fifth in next year’s draft order, and there’s a real chance they won’t win again this season. If Las Vegas loses out, the Raiders could put themselves in line to draft Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and maybe find the franchise quarterback they so desperately need.
Stock down
Job security. With two coordinators gone already, no one can feel too comfortable about their future in Las Vegas. That includes Carroll. Massive change figures to come in the offseason, and given how this season is playing out, it would be difficult to argue for the status quo.
Injuries
The Raiders got some rare good news with RB Ashton Jeanty (ankle) avoiding serious injury. He is not expected to miss any time. …There is still hope Miller (ankle) will return by the end of the season, but Carroll said his situation was “more week to week” than day to day.
Key number
8 — The number of play-callers the Raiders have had since October 2021, including Olson twice.
Next steps
The Raiders visit their AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham issued an apology to BYU and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Monday for derogatory chants by fans at Nippert Stadium during the Bearcats’ game against the Cougars.
“The use of offensive or religiously derogatory language by a group of fans during Saturday’s game was unacceptable and does not reflect our values,” Cunningham wrote in a post on X. “We remain committed to creating an environment at Nippert Stadium where every visiting team and its supporters are treated with dignity and respect.”
BYU is the flagship school for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.
Videos shared on social media showed fans repeatedly chanting “(expletive) the Mormons” as No. 11 BYU was on its way to a 26-14 win. The game was played a day after the church community delivered a truckload of 27,000 pounds of food to the UC campus pantry, which provides students, staff and faculty assistance for food insecurity.
Cincinnati was the second school this season to apologize for fan behavior during a game against BYU. In September, Colorado coach Deion Sanders issued the apology shortly before the Big 12 Conference reprimanded the Buffaloes and issued a $50,000 fine for similar chants.
The Big 12 did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment on possible disciplinary action against Cincinnati.
BYU closes the regular season at home against UCF on Saturday and Cincinnati visits TCU.
Shedeur Sanders isn’t fixated on the attention his relationship with coach Kevin Stefanski is receiving or the applause expected from fans when he takes the field Sunday against San Francisco.
Instead, the rookie Cleveland Browns quarterback made it clear Wednesday his only focus is preparing for the 49ers.
“I’m in grind mode, mentally understanding how to attack this defense that we’re going against. That’s where I am right now,” Sanders said on Wednesday.
Sanders’ staunchest supporters have put more scrutiny on his relationship with Stefanski after he became the first Browns rookie quarterback since Eric Zeier in 1995 to win his first NFL start.
After Sanders had Cleveland’s two longest pass plays of the season en route to completing 11 of 20 for 209 yards with a touchdown and an interception, claims of Stefanski trying to sabotage Sanders’ season by not giving him a chance earlier and not giving him snaps with the first-team offense until last week intensified.
Stefanski has defended his handling of Sanders’ development since the start of training camp.
“What people do outside the building isn’t really in my control. It’s not in my power. It’s not like I can go out there and tell ’em to do whatever,” Sanders said. “Coach Stefanski, he’s been coaching since I got here, and we’ve been doing a very great job with everything that’s going on. He tells me what I need to do on and off the field. We’ve definitely grown, our relationship and everything has grown.”
Sanders also provided some fuel for his supporters when he said, “wait until I get a full offseason” after the Raiders game.
“Yeah, that was just jokes, man. That was jokes. A lot of people took that out of context,” he said on Wednesday. “But you have to understand, the past six, seven months have been hard. So I want to definitely be thankful that I am able to work out with those guys, knowing I have a great defense and that I have come this far. I was truly amazed.”
There was also criticism of Stefanski after he didn’t give Sanders a game ball during a postgame speech in the locker room after the 24-10 victory over the Raiders.
‘We spent time this morning as well, pointing out all of our guys and the jobs they did. Obviously, a rookie starting his first game on the road and getting a win is huge. So you acknowledge all that with your team,” Stefanski said.
Even as Sanders gains rapport with receivers and the offensive line, he admitted he’s not yet comfortable and is seeking weekly improvement. A win over the 49ers would make him the first Browns rookie QB in the Super Bowl era to win his first two starts.
Besides the big plays, Sanders’ most significant improvement was reducing sacks, as he was only sacked once. The 49ers rank last in the NFL with just 13 total sacks after losing Nick Bosa and Fred Warner for the season.
Sanders has thrown two interceptions in his first two games, while San Francisco has picked off four passes over the past two weeks.
“He was climbing. He was trying to escape out the left side. So, yeah, I think it was great improvement,” guard Joel Bitonio said.
Utah’s path to the College Football Playoff narrowed on Tuesday night when the Utes dropped from 12th to 13th after rallying last week for a 51-47 home win over Kansas State.
To earn a spot in the Big 12 Conference title game and a potential berth in the CFP, Utah will have to win Friday at Kansas and then get help from three other Big 12 teams.
Even if the Utes (9-2, 6-2) take care of business in Lawrence against the Jayhawks (5-6, 3-5), they’ll require an Arizona victory at No. 20 Arizona State on Friday night, a West Virginia upset of No. 5 Texas Tech on Saturday in Morgantown, and a UCF stunner at No. 11 BYU that same day.
Those are some long odds but at least Utah still has a chance, thanks to Devon Dampier’s 1-yard touchdown run with 56 seconds left last week that salvaged a win on a day when it allowed a whopping 472 rushing yards.
‘There’s no real easy explanation to it,’ Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said about his defense’s poor performance. ‘We just did not play the run game in any way, shape or form with any consistency. It just wasn’t good. Everything we could do wrong, we did.’
Fortunately for Utah, its offense picked up the defense by amassing 32 first downs and 551 total yards. Dampier passed for 259 yards and ran for 94 to continue another banner season. He has thrown for 1,927 yards and rushed for 637 while accounting for 26 touchdowns (19 passing).
His performance has helped the Utes go from being one of the weakest attacks in FBS to one of strongest. They rank in the top 10 nationally in four categories — points per game (42.0), yards per game (484.5), rushing (279.6) and third-down conversions (53.1).
‘Outstanding,’ Whittingham said of Dampier’s latest effort. ‘Settled in and really played an excellent game.’
While Utah tries to maintain its slim chances of a CFP berth, Kansas needs the win to become bowl-eligible. The Jayhawks missed on a chance to do that last week with a 38-14 loss at Iowa State.
Kansas trimmed a 17-0 halftime deficit to get within 24-14 but wasn’t able to get a stop when it really needed one, which has been an issue most of the season. Its defense has allowed at least 37 points in five of the six losses.
Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold is stressing the need for his players not to try to do too much with bowl hopes on the line.
‘It really goes for everyone in the building,’ he said when asked if he had to deliver that message to specific players. ‘As coaches, that’s our responsibility to help our players. There’s times when a guy tries to go make a play that’s out of his responsibility. We want to make sure we play our best football.’
Kansas will need a big game from quarterback Jalon Daniels, who has thrown for 2,344 yards and 21 touchdowns with just four interceptions. The absence of Utes pass rusher John Henry Daley, whose 11 1/2 sacks are tied for second in FBS, should help Daniels. Daley is out for the season with a leg injury.
The teams are tied at 2-2 in their all-time series but this is their first meeting since 1996.
The Kansas City Chiefs saved their season. The Philadelphia Eagles gave critics more fuel. The Los Angeles Rams made a dominant statement.
There were more questions than answers Sunday in the NFL.
Patrick Mahomes did just enough to rally the Chiefs to a 23-20 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Kansas City’s dominant defense gave him the opportunity.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit forced the Colts to go three-and-out on their final four possessions. The Chiefs shut down the NFL’s leading rusher, holding Jonathan Taylor to 58 yards on 16 carries. Colts coach Shane Steichen inexplicably gave Taylor the ball only once on the last three drives of regulation.
Mahomes threw for 352 yards but didn’t have any touchdowns. He looked skittish at times under pressure, rushing his reads and hurrying his passes.
The Chiefs (6-5) couldn’t afford another loss as they fight to make the playoffs after winning nine straight AFC West titles, reaching eight consecutive conference championship games and winning three Super Bowls.
They’ve got a long way to go and a tough game at Dallas (5-5-1) coming up on Thanksgiving Day. Mahomes and the offense need to get in sync for Kansas City to have a shot.
“We’re still not where we want to be at but this was big,” Mahomes said. “Getting that win against a really good football team and kind of proving it to (ourselves) that we can play this kind of football game where it’s not always pretty. I think now we just have to build off that momentum. It’s going to be a short week. We’re playing a good team in the Cowboys, and they can score some points and they have a lot of great players. It’s about rebounding fast, trying to be better, even better this next week going into a big environment, big game and trying to get that win.”
The Colts (8-3) have gone from 7-1 to a team that is going to have to battle to win the AFC South. They’ll face division rivals Jacksonville (7-4) and Houston (6-5) four times over the remaining six games. Their other two opponents are Seattle (8-3) and San Francisco (7-4).
Steichen trusted Daniel Jones to win the game in Kansas City, electing to put the ball in his hands down the stretch instead of giving it to Taylor to protect a lead. Jones couldn’t deliver. He was 3 for 9 for 17 yards on the final four possessions.
“I felt there was a lot of stuff that I wanted to get called that I felt good about in the pass game and we just weren’t efficient doing it and it starts with me,” Steichen said.
Eagles collapse
The reigning Super Bowl champions built a 21-0 lead in Dallas and looked like they were on their way to snapping Dak Prescott’s 18-game winning streak at home against NFC East opponents.
Jalen Hurts was connecting with A.J. Brown and it seemed Philadelphia would quiet some of the drama surrounding the two superstars.
But the offense regressed, giving Prescott and the Cowboys an opportunity to come back and win 24-21.
The Eagles (8-3) have a comfortable lead over Dallas (5-5-1) and are in position to become the first repeat champion in the division in two decades. But Philadelphia fell behind the Rams (9-2) in the race for the No. 1 seed.
A sluggish offense isn’t playing up to its standard. Saquon Barkley ran for only 22 yards on 10 carries, and the passing attack just hasn’t found its rhythm.
Rams dominate
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were no match for Matthew Stafford and the Rams.
Stafford continued his MVP-caliber campaign with another stellar performance against an overmatched defense and Los Angeles cruised to a 34-7 victory over Tampa Bay.
The 37-year-old Stafford has thrown 30 touchdown passes and only two interceptions this season.
“I got great teammates. I get to throw to a bunch of great players, stand behind a good o-line and watch these guys hunt on defense,” Stafford said.
That defense overwhelmed the Buccaneers, knocking Baker Mayfield out of the game.
Jared Verse and Kobie Turner each had two sacks and Los Angeles is the team to beat in the NFC.
First to 10
Drake Maye and the New England Patriots are the first team to reach 10 wins this season after holding on for a 26-20 victory in Cincinnati.
The Patriots have a 2 1/2-game lead over Buffalo (7-4) in the AFC East with eight of their wins coming against teams that have a losing record.
With three of their last five games against teams that are currently 8-26 combined, New England is in position to win its first division title since Tom Brady left and has an inside track to earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
But the Patriots still have a lot to prove, especially against more experienced playoff teams.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Christian McCaffrey gained 142 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown in his first game against Carolina since he was traded away three years ago, leading the San Francisco 49ers to a 20-9 victory over the Panthers on Monday night.
McCaffrey’s big night helped the 49ers (8-4) overcome three interceptions in the first half by Brock Purdy to remain in playoff position headed into the stretch run of the season.
Bryce Young and the Panthers (6-6) struggled to take advantage of their opportunities a week after he threw for a franchise-record 448 yards in a win at Atlanta. Young threw for just 169 yards with one touchdown and one interception as Carolina missed a chance to move into sole possession of first place in the NFC South.
The 49ers went conservative in the second half after Purdy’s rough start to the game, relying mostly on McCaffrey and short passes. The strategy worked with McCaffrey scoring on a 12-yard run to make it 17-3 and the Niners adding a field goal by Matt Gay.
Young did connect on one big play, a 29-yard TD pass to Tetairoa McMillan, but Carolina couldn’t convert on 2-point try after a penalty moved the ball to the 1.
Young then threw his second interception of the game to Ji’Ayir Brown with Carolina in scoring position with a 20-9 deficit.
McCaffrey, who has transformed the 49ers’ offense since being acquired in October 2022, finished with 89 yards rushing and 53 receiving for his 10th 100-yard game of the season — two shy of the franchise record he set in 2023.
The 49ers gave the ball to McCaffrey on the first five plays of the game, leading to the first opening-drive TD of the season against Carolina. Purdy connected on a 12-yard pass to Jauan Jennings for the score.
The two offenses did nothing after that. Purdy became the first player to throw three interceptions — Jaycee Horn got two of them — in the first half all season, but the Panthers turned those into only three points. Young ruined one drive when he was intercepted by Brown on a first-down play from the 1.
The teams traded field goals and the Niners led 10-3 at the half.
Panthers: Horn and LB Claudin Cherelus left the game in the first half with concussions and didn’t return. … G Chandler Zavala (calf) and CB Corey Thornton (ankle) both left in the second half and didn’t return.
49ers: DE Sam Okuayinonu (ankle) left in the second half.
Panthers: Host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
49ers: Visit Cleveland on Sunday.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Fight songs, though, have withstood the test of time and still ring true.
From “Rocky Top” at Tennessee to “Fight On” at USC, school bands cranking up the familiar notes and rhythm and thousands of alumni joining the student body in belting out the long-familiar lyrics are a touchstone of the nostalgia surrounding the game itself. It’s a chance to cheer in common or at least try to shake off a disappointment.
Like the teams themselves, fight songs tend to spark much discussion on the topic of which one is the best of the bunch or at least the most familiar.
To Georgia Southern sport management Prof. Chris Hanna, “The Victors” at Michigan and “Notre Dame Victory March” are in the conversation for the mythical national championship of music.
“Those two have separated themselves,” said Hanna, who has studied and written about college fight songs. “Those are the two most popular, and well known.”
Michigan’s familiar fight song dates to 1898 when a music student at the school, Louis Elbel, wrote it following the Wolverines’ 12-11 win over the University of Chicago for their first Western Conference football title.
“Hail! Hail! to Michigan, the champions of the West!” Elbel wrote back when the Midwest was still more of a notion than the commonly known region it is now.
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Chad Smith, who grew up in suburban Detroit rooting for Michigan, used the fight song as part of his act when the Red Hot Chili Peppers made a tour stop near Ohio State’s campus just for laughs.
“At the end of the concert, I came out, I said, `Hey, I think we got time for one more song. You guys want to hear one more song?’ And they’re like, ‘Yay,’” Smith recalled. “I’m like, `It’s a really good song. I think you’re really going to like this one.’”
Then, Smith started signing “The Victors,” and heard a chorus of boos before dropping the microphone and walking off stage.
“They screamed louder than they screamed all night,” said Smith, who announced earlier this month he’s gifting a need-based music scholarship to the University of Michigan. “It was great.”
“Notre Dame Victory March,” written by Notre Dame graduates and brothers, Michael and John Shea, was copyrighted in 1908 and became even more well known after the 1993 film “Rudy.”
“If you’ve ever seen ”Rudy,” they have it humming in the background at practice,” said Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright, a former Fighting Irish star. “It’s just kind of filled with rich tradition.”
USC’s “Fight On,” was born in 1922 after students Milo Sweet and Glen Grant teamed up to create the iconic song kicked off by trumpets. It makes Hanna’s list of top fight songs along with Oklahoma’s “Boomer Sooner,” and “On Wisconsin!”
“Fight songs ramp up your emotions because of the value you place on the connections to your school,” Hanna said. “These songs are passed down by generations and you learn them as kids.”
Michigan backup quarterback Davis Warren grew up in Los Angeles rooting for UCLA — which has “The Mighty Bruins” and “Sons of Westwood” for its fans to sing — but quietly digging USC’s fight song.
“It’s classic,” Warren said. “I think ours is the best, but that is one that you hear and it just sounds like college football.”
Bands in stadium from coast to coast used to get more air time, filling timeouts with fight songs and hit songs before, between and after whistles. In recent decades, piped-in music has become the norm while marching bands take a break whether they want one ore not.
House of Pain’s “Jump Around” at Wisconsin is now in its third decade of inspiring Badgers fans. “Mr. Brightside” at Michigan, “Callin’ Baton Rouge” at LSU and “Shout” at Oregon” are just a few that have become part of the gameday experience.
“Those are cool, obviously, but we don’t sing ‘Mr. Brightside’ after we win,” Davis said. “We sing ‘The Victors’ after we win. Even in the era of sound effects and music, having the band right there playing fight songs , when we’re home and away, I think is a really cool tradition in college football.”
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Associated Press Writer Mike Householder contributed. Follow Larry Lage on X
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The NCAA penalties from Michigan football’s sign-stealing operation will cost the school more than $30 million, athletic director Warde Manuel said.
Manuel recently spoke about the fines in a radio interview on The Big 1050 WTKA, saying “we’re going to find a way to deal with it.”
The NCAA announced in August a series of punishments for a sprawling scandal that has loomed over the Wolverines for two years, including during their run to the national championship in the 2023 season, and the fine was expected to be tens of millions of dollars.
Michigan initially appealed the ruling, and later withdrew last month.
Coach Sherrone Moore also withdrew his appeal in September after serving the school’s self-imposed, two-game suspension. He will also be suspended for the 2026 season-opening game.
The NCAA said it had “overwhelming” and concerning evidence of a cover-up by Wolverines staff and noted there were “sufficient grounds for a multiyear postseason ban” against a program now considered a repeat violator. The governing body stopped short of program-crippling punishments, though, saying a two-year postseason ban “would unfairly penalize student-athletes for the actions of coaches and staff” who were no longer there.
Jim Harbaugh, a former Michigan quarterback and now the coach of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, faces a 10-year show-cause order following the conclusion of his previous four-year order effective Aug. 7, 2028. Harbaugh has always maintained he knew nothing about the scheme.
Connor Stalions, a former low-level staffer who ran the scouting and sign-stealing operation, was issued an eight-year show-cause order, which effectively bans a person from college athletics for the period handed down.
The NCAA does not have rules against stealing signs, but prohibits schools from sending scouts to the games of in-season opponents and using electronic equipment to record another team’s signals. The scheme run by Stalions, the NCAA said, was elaborate and detailed.
New media center at North Dade Middle School marks milestone in initiative revitalizing learning environments to benefit the entire learning community
GREENVILLE, WI– November 21, 2025 –School Specialty and the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation today announced the completion of a media center makeover at North Dade Middle School, marking the 100th learning space transformed in collaboration with the Extra Yard Makeover initiative. As a part of their nationwide effort to enhance learning environments for students and educators alike, the two organizations have now invested over $5 million into reinvigorating classrooms across the country.
Miami will host the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship in January, and as part of its legacy work in the community, the CFP Foundation has committed to delivering more than 30 Extra Yard Makeovers alongside School Specialty to revitalize innovation spaces across schools in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. With this latest round of makeovers, the CFP Foundation will have helped enrich learning environments in every Miami-Dade middle school.
“Changing our middle school libraries into modern learning spaces has had a tremendous impact on engagement and learning outcomes,” said Dr. Jose L. Dotres, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. “In addition to renovation, the transformation is an investment in our teachers, our students and our future. These new innovative spaces support hands-on learning for students of today and tomorrow, so they can develop greater curiosity for learning and lifelong skills.”
These makeovers transform static spaces into flourishing learning environments, providing upgrades like flexible furniture, technology, supplies and even fresh paint or murals. Each school receives the School Specialty proprietary Projects by DesignⓇ experience, which includes comprehensive consultations to determine the type of space that best supports students, educators and the broader school community. Past rooms made over include STEM labs, broadcast classrooms, libraries, media centers, makerspace rooms, teachers lounges, wellness spaces, sensory rooms, multi-purpose rooms, an esports room and a mariachi room.
“The transformation of our media center is truly invaluable to our students and staff,” said Nicole Fama, Executive Director at Phalen Leadership Academies, which received a makeover in 2024. “We are profoundly grateful to the College Football Playoff Foundation and School Specialty for this investment. Before the media center, we lacked a space that truly fostered community. Now, everything happens here—from senior breakfasts and college athlete signing days to family game nights and teacher appreciation events. It has become the heart of our community, a space we didn’t realize we needed until it was here.”
These makeovers serve to benefit both students and teachers, allowing schools to improve their offerings, inspire innovation and modern learning, and directly counter some of the top issues in education today.
“Addressing teacher burnout and maximizing student engagement starts with the physical environment,” said Jeremy Westbrooks, Director of Strategic Account Development at School Specialty. “The physical classroom is an educator’s primary tool, and by modernizing these spaces, the CFP Foundation and School Specialty are delivering a critical resource that empowers teachers to stay focused on their students’ growth and long-term success.”
“We’re proud to work alongside School Specialty to bring these meaningful makeover projects to life,” said Britton Banowsky, Executive Director College Football Playoff Foundation. “Their expertise in the design of the spaces and incredible generosity make it possible for us to turn vision into impact for teachers and students.”
In addition to the CFP Foundation and School Specialty, these makeovers have been supported over the years by Bowl Games, Conference partners, Sponsors and host committees of each College Football Playoff National Championship. To date, makeovers have taken place in 18 states across 58 counties.
To learn more about the College Playoff Foundation’s Extra Yard Makeover initiative, click here.
With a 60-year legacy, School Specialty is a leading provider of comprehensive learning environment solutions for the infant-K12 education marketplace in the U.S. and Canada. This includes essential classroom supplies, furniture and design services, educational technology, sensory spaces featuring Snoezelen, science curriculum, learning resources, professional development, and more. School Specialty believes every student can flourish in an environment where they are engaged and inspired to learn and grow. In support of this vision to transform more than classrooms, the company applies its unmatched team of education strategists and designs, manufactures, and distributes a broad assortment of name-brand and proprietary products. For more information, go to SchoolSpecialty.com.
About the College Football Playoff Foundation
The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation is the 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving as the community engagement arm of the College Football Playoff and works in partnership with institutions of higher education, sports organizations, corporations and non-profits to support educators and improve student outcomes. The purpose of the CFP Foundation lies in supporting PK-12 education by elevating the teaching profession. The CFP Foundation inspires and empowers educators by focusing its work in four areas: recognition, resources, recruitment and retention, and professional development. To learn more, visit cfp-foundation.org and follow Extra Yard for Teachers (@CFPExtraYard) on social media.
Media Contact Jon Kannenberg SchoolSpecialty@finnpartners.com
eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.
