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GENEVA (AP) — Downhill skier Breezy Johnson is under investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and says she will not race during the case, which could lead to a two-year ban.

‘Out of respect for my fellow racers, I have decided not to compete until the matter is resolved,’ Johnson said in a statement on social media Saturday, after she did not start at a World Cup downhill in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

The 27-year-old Johnson has been one of the top U.S. downhillers in recent years with seven podium finishes in World Cup races. She placed seventh in the 2018 Olympics at Pyeongchang, South Korea, where teammate Lindsey Vonn took bronze.

Johnson said the investigation relates to ‘whereabouts’ rules − the obligation on all elite athletes to inform anti-doping authorities where they can be found for one hour each day to give a sample with no advance notice.

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Athletes have been banned for up to two years if they have three violations in a 12-month period, such as missed tests or failures to update accurate details of their location.

‘I am, and always have been, a clean athlete,’ said Johnson, who added that the USADA case is in its early stages.

She got immediate support from superstar teammate Mikaela Shiffrin, who won the downhill Saturday at St. Moritz.

‘We support you Breezy,’ Shiffrin wrote in a reply to Johnson’s social media post.

Bans of 18 months have been routine for American athletes in whereabouts cases.

Tennis player Jenson Brooksby was banned for 18 months in October and, in 2021, sprinter Christian Coleman got a reduction of a two-year ban on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Coleman’s ban meant he missed the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021 when he was the 100-meter world champion. He had been allowed to race at the 2019 worlds in Doha, Qatar, on a technicality after a previous investigation into his whereabouts compliance.

Johnson’s ski race career peaked in a one-year period through December 2021 when she had three runner-up finishes and four third-places in World Cup downhills.

She missed the 2022 Beijing Olympics due to a knee injury she picked up three weeks before the games opened.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Philadelphia Eagles (10-2), San Francisco 49ers (9-3) and Dallas Cowboys (9-3) each can secure playoff spots during Week 14.

The Cowboys host the Eagles on ‘Sunday Night Football’ in one of the season’s biggest games. While the Eagles had a five-game win streak snapped in a 42-19 loss to the 49ers, the Cowboys are riding a four-game winning streak. The Eagles have not won a road game against the Cowboys since 2017.

The 49ers have won four in a row coming off their Week 9 bye, and host the Seattle Seahawks (6-6) on Sunday.

NFL playoff clinching scenarios for Week 14

Cowboys clinch playoff berth with:

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Win, Vikings loss or tie, Packers loss or tie, Seahawks loss, Buccaneers loss or tie, Lions win or tie, Rams loss or tie (as long as Vikings and Packers both don’t tie)Win, Vikings loss or tie, Packers loss or tie, Seahawks loss, Buccaneers loss or tie, Lions win or tie, Saints loss or tie (as long as Vikings and Packers both don’t tie)Win, Vikings loss or tie, Packers loss or tie, Seahawks loss, Buccaneers tie, Lions win or tie (as long as Vikings and Packers both don’t tie)

Eagles clinch playoff berth with:

Win, Seahawks loss or tieWin, Rams loss or tieWin, Packers loss or tie, Vikings loss or tieWin, Packers loss or tie, Lions lossTie, Rams loss, Seahawks lossTie, Rams loss, Vikings loss or tieTie, Rams loss, Packers loss or tieTie, Seahawks loss, Vikings loss or tieTie, Seahawks loss, Packers loss or tieTie, Vikings loss, Packers loss

49ers clinch playoff berth with:

Win, Packers lossWin, Vikings lossWin, Packers tie, Vikings tie

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NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday he plans to meet with Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant next week as the star point guard prepares to return from his 25-game suspension.

Silver spoke at a press conference in Las Vegas before the final of the In-Season Tournament final between the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers.

‘I have been monitoring the situation closely, and him,’ Silver said. ‘In fact, we intend to have a check in this week directly, Ja and I. But folks in the league office together with Ja and his team and the players association, have been in regular contact, essentially weekly.’

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Silver said when the suspension was imposed that Morant would have to clear certain benchmarks in order to return. There were specifics given on what those benchmarks were and are, but Morant appears to be on track to return soon.

‘There have been those checkpoints,’ Silver said. ‘We, together, laid out a program for him over the last several weeks, and to the best of my knowledge he’s complied with everything he’s been asked to do. As I said, we’re going to talk directly once. At least this week, before he comes back I think we’ll review the program and just make sure the conditions are in place for him to be successful going forward.’

The first game he’s eligible to return in is on Dec. 19 on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Friday he expects Morant to be ready to return for that game.

The Grizzlies (6-15) have struggled without Morant to start the season but have also dealt with a slew of injuries to key players while he’s been out.

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The Jersey City brewing company released Tommy Cutlets Italian-style pilsner in time for their Pints with Santa event on Dec. 2.

Tommy Cutlets comes in at 4.8% ABV and can be purchased in a bright blue, New York Giants-themed can which features DeVito’s trending Italian hand gesture. The can also has the phrases, ‘This one is for QB1. The Jersey guy. The underdog story.’ 902 posted a reel showing off the can on Instagram to the tune ‘Woke Up This Morning’ by Alabama 3, famously known as ‘The Sopranos’ theme song.

They even sent some beer to the Giants locker room for the team to try.

DeVito said he was surprised when the ‘Tommy Cutlets’ beer showed up in the Giants’ locker room after practice late Wednesday afternoon. He was unaware of how this came about, but figured punter and teammate Jamie Gillan at the very least had a hand in it. Gillan previously brewed his own beer, ‘Hammer Lyte.’

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DeVito handed out six packs to teammates, and wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Isaiah Hodgins immediately praised him on social media.

Fans and customers responded on social media saying, ‘Looks like I’m buying a pack tomorrow!’ and ‘Love it!’

902 Brewing responded saying, ‘We feel like everyone could use a nice, thin chicken cutlet with vodka sauce and a #TommyCutletsPils to wash it down.’

With another one of their beers being called ‘Brady’s Nightmare,’ it seems likely that 902 Brewing Co. is a New York Giants fan.

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NBA commissioner Adam Silver opened up about why the league has allowed Oklahoma City Thunder star Josh Giddey to continue playing despite being accused of having an improper relationship with a minor.

“I can’t think of many circumstances where we’ve suspended a player based on an allegation alone,” Silver said on ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Friday.

Last month, the league opened an investigation into the 21-year-old Giddey after viral photos posted on social media by an anonymous user connected the 21-year-old Australian native with an alleged underage female. The Newport Beach (Calif.) Police Department opened an investigation into the allegations shortly after.

In late November, social media posts showed a man who appears to be Giddey with a female in photos and video, but it is unclear when or where they were taken. The anonymous social media users who originally posted the images deleted them, but not before they were saved by others.

Giddey – who is averaging 11.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists and has played in all 20 games this season for the Thunder, including six since the allegations surfaced online – declined to comment on the matter, as did Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, who called it ‘a league matter.’

On Friday, Silver explained that the league is following normal protocols in allowing Giddey to play while dual investigations are ongoing. He told ESPN’s Malika Andrews that the NBA was notified by the Newport Beach Police Department of their independent investigation.

“I’m not going to say never ever, but I think this is the path we’ve consistently followed in the past,’ Silver said. “In this case, so we have an allegation and then you have a police investigation and then a parallel league investigation. I also add that, where there is a criminal investigation, we take a back seat… that impacts how the players and players association can work with us because of course the player needs to protect his rights.’

Giddey is a third-year guard for the Thunder and was the No. 6 pick in the 2021 draft. He made the All-Rookie second-team in 2021-22 and has emerged as one of the game’s top do-everything young players. Giddey was born in Melbourne, Australia, and participated in the NBA’s Global Academy before playing for Adelaide in Australia’s pro league.

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The greatest free agent in baseball history has made up his mind.

Shohei Ohtani announced on his Instagram account Saturday that he was signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a 10-year deal worth $700 million according to his agent Nez Balelo.

Relocating in Southern California from the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani’s new deal smashes the record for North American pro sports contracts and is thought to be the largest overall deal in global sports history.

The two-way Japanese superstar won the American League MVP award in 2023 – his second in three years – slugging 44 home runs with an MLB-best .654 slugging percentage and 1.066 OPS. As a starting pitcher, Ohtani went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts, before undergoing September elbow surgery that will keep him off the mound until the 2025 season.

Mike Trout’s 12-year, $426.5 million extension with the Angels before the 2019 season was the biggest deal in baseball history. As for free agents, Aaron Judge’s nine-year, $360 million contract with the Yankees last winter was the richest.

HOT STOVE UPDATES: MLB free agency: Ranking and tracking the top players available.

‘To all Dodgers fans, I pledge to always do what’s best for the team and always continue to give it my all to be the best version of myself,’ Ohtani wrote on Instagram. ‘Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers but for the baseball world.’

Ohtani joins a star-studded Dodgers lineup that also features past MVPs in Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.

‘Shohei is thrilled to be a part of the Dodgers organization. He is excited to begin this partnership, and he structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success,’ Balelo said in a statement Saturday.

Ohtani is the first reigning MVP to sign with a new team since Barry Bonds left the Pittsburgh Pirates to join the San Francisco Giants after the 1992 season.

Ohtani never reached the playoffs in six seasons with the Angels.

‘I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process,’ Ohtani said in his Instagram post.

‘Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, you guys’ support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever.’

When will Shohei Ohtani pitch again?

After undergoing elbow surgery in September, Ohtani is not expected to pitch again until 2025.

Ohtani last pitched on Aug. 23, when he left a start early and later was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Ohtani suffered the same injury in 2018 and underwent Tommy John surgery that kept him off the mound for all but two games of the following two seasons – but it’s unclear on whether the most recent procedure was Tommy John.

In 74 starts over the past three seasons, Ohtani was 34-16 with a 2.74 ERA and 542 strikeouts.

Projected 2024 Dodgers lineup with Shohei Ohtani

Mookie Betts, 2BShohei Ohtani, DHFreddie Freeman, 1BWill Smith, CMax Muncy, 3BJames Outman, CFChris Taylor, LFJason Heyward, RFGavin Lux, SS

Biggest contracts in MLB history by total value

Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers – 10 years, $700 millionMike Trout, Angels – 12 years, $426.5 millionMookie Betts, Dodgers – 12 years, $365 millionAaron Judge, Yankees – 9 years, $360 millionManny Machado, Padres – 11 years, $350 millionFrancisco Lindor, Mets – 10 years, $341 millionFernando Tatis Jr., Padres – 14 years, $340 millionBryce Harper, Phillies – 13 years, $330 millionGiancarlo Stanton, Marlins – 13 years, $325 millionCorey Seager, Rangers – 10 years, $325 millionGerrit Cole, Yankees – 9 years, $324 millionRafael Devers, Red Sox – 10 years, $313.5 million

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The college football regular season is over. Bowl season awaits, including the highly-anticipated (if controversial) College Football Playoff.

Now, though, it’s award season.

The big one was handed out Saturday night, with LSU’s Jayden Daniels taking home the Heisman Trophy. Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. came in second, Oregon’s Bo Nix came in third and Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. finished fourth. But plenty of other hardware was awarded Friday night during the College Football Awards on ESPN.

Here’s a look at who took home the major individual awards for the 2023 college football season:

Heisman Trophy

Winner: Jayden Daniels, quarterback, LSU

Daniels led the nation in total offense, passing efficiency, points responsible for, and rushing yards per carry, and tied the lead in touchdown passes (40) with Nix. He completed 72.2% of his passes for 3,812 yards and had 1,134 rushing yards and 10 more scores on the ground.

The focal point of LSU’s offense, Daniels’ steady hand and calm demeanor under pressure guided the Tigers as they led the FBS in scoring offense (46.4 points per game), total offense (547.8 yards per game), and third down conversions, averaging an absurd 8.53 yards per play.

Against Florida on Nov. 11, Daniels became the first player in FBS history to throw for 350 yards and rush for over 200 yards in a single game. He finished with 606 of LSU’s 701 total yards in a 52-35 victory. — Scooby Axson

Walter Camp Player of the Year

Winner: Jayden Daniels, quarterback, LSU

Davey O’Brien Award (best quarterback)

Winner: Jayden Daniels, LSU

Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (best upperclassmen QB)

Winner: Jayden Daniels, LSU

Maxwell Award (best player)

Winner: Michael Penix Jr., quarterback, Washington

Penix powered the Pac-12 champions to a 13-0 record and spot in the College Football Playoff with his pin-point passing. He threw for a nation-leading 4,218 yards and added 33 touchdowns to nine interceptions. He completed 65.9% of his passes.

Biletnikoff Award (best receiver)

Winner: Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State

The son of the Pro Football Hall of Famer is pegged to be one of the top picks in next year’s NFL draft, and it’s easy to see why. Harrison earned top receiver honors after pulling down 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Doak Walker Award (best running back)

Winner: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State

Gordon led the nation with 1,614 rushing yards, and his 20 rushing touchdowns was second behind Michigan’s Blake Corum.

John Mackey Award (best tight end)

Winner: Brock Bowers, Georgia

Another player who will likely hear his name called high in the 2024 NFL draft, Bowers takes home the Mackey Award for the second consecutive season. Bowers battled through injury this season, which cost him a few games, but he still finished with 56 catches for 714 yards and six touchdowns.

Outland Trophy (best interior lineman)

Winner: T’Vondre Sweat, Texas

The 6-foot-4, 362-pound Sweat was a standout on the Longhorns’ defensive line. Texas allowed just 80 rushing yards per game, third-best in the nation.

Bronko Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player)

Winner: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish safety led the nation with seven interceptions.

Chuck Bednarik Award (best defensive player)

Winner: Payton Wilson, North Carolina State

Wilson stuffed the stat sheet for the Wolfpack this season. He finished fifth in total tackles (138) and tied for sixth in tackles for loss. He added six sacks and hauled in three interceptions.

Butkus Award (best linebacker)

Winner: Payton Wilson, North Carolina State

Lombardi Award (best lineman)

Winner: Laiatu Latu, UCLA

Latu had a nation-leading 21.5 tackles for loss and tied for fourth with 13 sacks. The Bruins allowed the fewest rushing yards in the nation this season.

Ted Hendricks Award (best defensive end)

Winner: Laiatu Latu, UCLA

Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back)

Winner: Trey Taylor, Air Force

Taylor picked off three passes, taking one to the house, and made 71 tackles.

Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player)

Winner: Travis Hunter, Colorado

The former top recruit followed coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State to Boulder, and he really did it all for the Buffaloes. Hunter played both ways, finishing with 57 catches for 721 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver and three interceptions as a defensive back in nine games.

Rimington Trophy (best center)

Winner: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon

Powers-Johnson was the man in the middle for the nation’s No. 2 offense.

Lou Groza Award (best kicker)

Winner: Graham Nicholson, Miami (Ohio)

Nicholson was nearly perfect this season, connecting on 26 of his 27 field goals (and 35 of his 36 extra-point tries).

Ray Guy Award (best punter)

Winner: Tory Taylor, Iowa

Taylor excelled this season, which was good for Iowa since the Hawkeyes’ awful offense gave him plenty of opportunities. He punted 11 more times than the next-closest punter and is on the verge of an NCAA record with 4,119 punting yards. His average of 47.9 yards per punt was third-best in the nation.

Burlsworth Trophy (best player who began career as walk-on)

Winner: Cody Schrader, Missouri

The Tigers’ running back rushed for 1,499 yards, third-best in the nation, and 13 touchdowns. He walked on at Mizzou in 2022 after playing at the Division II level.

William V. Campbell Trophy (top scholar athlete)

Winner: Bo Nix, Oregon

The Ducks quarterback shined on and off the field, finishing with 4,145 yards and 40 touchdowns to just three interceptions. He completed 77.2% of his passes.

Wuerffel Trophy (community service)

Winner: Ladd McConkey, Georgia

McConkey, an underrated piece of Georgia’s back-to-back title teams, had 29 catches this season in eight games. He finished with 456 yards and two touchdowns.

Home Depot Coach of the Year

Winner: Kalen DeBoer, Washington

The second-year Huskies coach guided his team to a perfect regular season and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Broyles Award (top assistant coach)

Winner: Phil Parker, Iowa

The Hawkeyes’ defensive coordinator did yeoman’s work guiding his top-five unit, which helped Iowa win 10 games despite fielding the worst offense in the country.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The NFL has determined that the Cincinnati Bengals were in full compliance with the league’s injury report policy after quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a wrist injury against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 16.

Following the game when the team announced Burrow would undergo surgery, there were plenty of questions about if he was injured coming into the game because of the brace he was spotted wearing.

Burrow insisted the injury that ended his fourth season in the NFL had nothing to do with why he was wearing a compression sleeve on his wrist prior to the game. He said it’s not “uncommon for guys to wear a compression sleeve on a plane because when you go up to that altitude, things can swell up.”

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The NFL has a strict injury report policy in place. All 32 teams are mandated to release a practice report and it is to provide an accurate description of a player’s injury status and his level of participation during the practice week. All players who have reportable injuries must be listed on the practice report, even if the player takes all the reps in practice, and even if the team is certain that he will play in the upcoming game.

Violations of this rule are taken very seriously. If the Bengals were to have been found in violation, the franchise would have been handed a hefty fine and could have lost a draft pick.

In 2019, the NFL fined the Pittsburgh Steelers $75,000 and coach Mike Tomlin $25,000 for violating the injury report policy by not accurately listing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for one practice report before their game against the Seattle Seahawks.

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NEW YORK – Bo Nix stood confidently amongst the three other Heisman finalists, smiling and politely taking questions, but not forgetting the adversity he has gone through along the journey and now being in the spotlight as one of the nation’s best quarterbacks.

As his whirlwind career winds down, Nix will try to become Oregon’s second Heisman Trophy winner on Saturday night. Washington quarterback Michael Penix, Jr., LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison are the other finalists for the award.

But all that smiling was a far cry from the mood three years ago when he was essentially run out of Auburn, falling out of favor amongst a rabid fan base that expects to compete and win championships.  Turmoil amongst the administration and coaching staff did Nix no favors, seeing the firing of Gus Malzahn, who was replaced by Bryan Harsin, and Nix having three different offensive coordinators in three years.

In his 34 games as a starter with the Tigers and 26 more with Oregon, every snap was judged on whether he produced the desired results on the field. It was either “Good Bo” or “Bad Bo” and his career has gone along those lines.

He has thrown 91 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a 167.1 rating in his team’s wins. In his career losses, Nix has 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, and a rating of 50 points fewer.

Following father’s footsteps

Bo Nix grew up in essential football royalty in Alabama, as his father Patrick starred for Auburn in the mid-90s.  The younger Nix’s prep career was as good as advertised. 

He played varsity as an eighth-grader, and when he attended Pinson Valley (Alabama) High School, he torched the competition, winning back-to-back Class 6A state championships.  He was named Mr. Football and Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior in 2018 after racking up 12,505 yards in total offense and accounting for 161 touchdowns.

He chose Auburn over offers from Florida, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Ohio State as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the nation. He signed that December and enrolled in classes in January, winning the starting quarterback job out of fall practice.

His first start came against Oregon and capped off a stellar game by throwing a 26-yard touchdown pass with 9 seconds remaining to complete the 27-21 win. His freshman campaign also included a victory over rival Alabama.

The Tigers went 6-5 during the 2020 COVID season after being ranked in the top 10 in preseason polls, which led to the firing of Malzahn. His final season ended when he broke his ankle in a November 2021 game against Mississippi State.

After entering the transfer portal as a graduate transfer, Nix quickly set his sights on a university that is roughly a seven-hour flight from Auburn, Alabama.

His first game with the Ducks in 2022 turned into a referendum on what their opponent, Georgia, turned out to be, instead of Nix’s ability moving forward. Georgia moved up and down the field at will, scoring touchdowns on each of its first seven possessions, amidst a 49-3 rout. Nix threw for just 173 yards and was picked off twice, leading many to bring up memories of “Bad Bo.”

Nix says he didn’t care about the talk surrounding his play and tried to focus on the job at hand.

‘It’s whatever. If they are talking about you, that’s a good thing,’ Nix told USA TODAY Sports. ‘All that’s just a narrative and a made-up story anyway. I think that’s what makes sports great, the good or bad narratives. We make college football bigger than life sometimes. I don’t necessarily take it into each week, I just know what I am capable of doing.’

The confidence in his head coach Dan Lanning never wavered and the Ducks won 10 games, ending with a bowl victory over North Carolina.

‘I have always been confident and I have always believed in myself,’ Nix said. ‘It was just another game. I have been there before and lost before. I just had to bounce back and not let it define your season and not let it ultimately dictate how you measure yourself. You just have to continue to move forward and get better.’

This season, Nix completed a nation-leading 77.2 percent of his passes for, 4,145 yards with 40 touchdowns and three interceptions, while also topping the FBS in completions and tied for the lead in touchdown passes. He didn’t peg his chances at winning the Heisman when asked.

‘I think that award goes beyond numbers,’ Nix said. ‘What you do on the field and with your team. Just to be a finalist is a tremendous accolade. With it being a team game, it’s just all about winning football games. But it is fun to have success for your teammates and put them in a good position. Fortunately, for me, I was around a really good team.’

Why Bo Nix decided to return to the Ducks in 2023

He says his decision to return to Oregon for the 2023 season was not taken lightly. With name, image, and likeness dominating the sport, Nix says the opportunities to stay in Eugene far exceeded any monetary value that he could have received.

‘Mine (decision) was completely based on wanting to come back and maximize my time in college and have a chance to go for a championship, which is an opportunity we had this year. At the same time, I just didn’t want to just chase the league and go just to be drafted. I thought there was still some potential left in college and I think I set myself up for a good situation moving forward.’

Nix’s college career is not finished. He will play in the Fiesta Bowl against Liberty and then decide his future from there.

‘I wanted another opportunity to play with my teammates and for Oregon,’ Nix said. ‘After Friday (the 34-31 loss to Washington in the Pac-12 Championship), I don’t want to end the season like that.’

‘I can’t believe I have been able to represent Oregon the way that I have. It is truly an honor to me. I know a lot of guys wish to be here so I don’t take that lightly. ‘

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Dozens of practices, three and a half months of games, and countless hours of film study have all led to four college football stars vying for the sport’s highest individual award: the Heisman Trophy.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will all head to New York City for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony Saturday night.

Those four have been high up the Heisman odds for much of the season. Penix Jr., Nix, and Daniels all led the Heisman rankings at some point in 2023, with Harrison Jr. making his way into the top four before rivalry week.

Heisman voting closed Monday night for the 928 votes and the Heisman odds closed in most sportsbooks after that. Here’s how the Heisman odds looked at closing Monday ahead of Saturday night’s Heisman Trophy ceremony, per odds information provided by BetMGM:

1. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU (-1400)

Daniels completed an all-time season in 2023. The Tigers’ quarterback has an FBS-best 4,946 yards through LSU’s 12 games. That raw total is good enough for 31st all-time in college football history. But only three players have had more yards than Daniels in 12 or fewer games:

BYU quarterback Ty Detmer (5,022 yards in 12 games in 1990)Houston quarterback David Klingler (5,221 yards in 11 games in 1990)Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes (5,337 yards in 12 games in 2016)

If you look at per-game yardage totals, Daniels is 11th all-time at 412.2 total yards.

He’s the quarterback of the most productive offense in the country. He finished the regular season with 50 total touchdowns, a 208 passer rating, and 8.4 yards per rushing attempt, all the top marks in the FBS despite not playing in a conference championship game.

No. 13 LSU didn’t have the same team success as the others represented in the top four. But it’s undeniable that Daniels has had an outstanding 2023 season.

2. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington (+900)

Penix Jr. led the Heisman odds for much of the season thanks to a high-flying Huskies offense that came out of the gate strong. He had at least 300 yards passing in each of No. 2 Washington’s first six games and threw at least four touchdowns in four of those six matchups.

His production tailed off in the second half of the season, though, and he slipped behind in the Heisman rankings. Through the first six games of the season, he averaged 383.5 passing yards and just over three touchdowns per game; those averages dropped to 266.3 and two over the last six games of the regular season.

But Penix Jr. and Washington came up big as underdogs in the Pac-12 championship game against Oregon. The fifth-year quarterback had another 300-yard game and the Huskies took care of business. That decisive victory guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff, and the Huskies will play No. 4 Texas in the Sugar Bowl Jan. 1.

3. Bo Nix, QB, Oregon (+2200)

Nix was the Heisman odds favorite ahead of the Pac-12 title game and looked poised to take it with a win over Washington. But No. 8 Oregon couldn’t pull through and will play in the Fiesta Bowl against No. 20 Liberty.

Daniels has put up incredible numbers in 2023 but Nix has been right there with him for most of the season. He finished the 2023 regular season leading the FBS in completion percentage (77.2), tied for first in passing touchdowns (40), and second in passer rating (186.2) and passing yards (4,145).

Oregon finished the season right behind LSU in total offense and points scored per game. The Ducks likely fell one game short of making Nix the second Heisman Trophy winner in program history.

4. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State (+20000)

Harrison Jr.’s the only player among the Heisman candidates to not lead the odds in 2023. The Ohio State receiver saw a big bump in odds after an incredible performance against Michigan State − seven catches, 149 yards, and two touchdowns plus a 19-yard rushing touchdown − but the No. 6 Buckeyes couldn’t get past Michigan in rivalry week.

He finished ninth in the FBS in receiving yards (1,211) and tied for second in receiving touchdowns (14). Harrison Jr. couldn’t match the likes of LSU wideouts Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. in those categories, respectively. This nomination is more of a nod to his impact on the game and how opposing defenses played the Buckeyes.

His odds reflect the low likelihood he’ll be the fifth wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy ever and the first to win since DeVonta Smith in 2020 but he’s rightfully in New York as a Heisman candidate.

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