The voters in the US LBM Coaches Poll have weighed in, and the argument over who belongs in the top four remains unsettled. We’ll know soon how the CFP committee resolves the issue.

Michigan will enter the postseason as the No. 1 team. The Wolverines received 51 of 62 first-place votes cast this week and hold the top spot in the coaches poll for the first time since Dec. 8, 1997. That was the same season they shared their last national championship with Nebraska. Washington is No. 2 with eight No. 1 votes. Florida State managed to stay unbeaten and is No. 3 in the poll, and Alabama and Texas are tied for fourth.

Georgia, the No. 1 team all season, tumbles to No. 6 after their loss in the SEC title game to Alabama, followed by Ohio State and Oregon. Missouri and Penn State continue to round out the top 10, as the teams in positions 9 through 13 remain unchanged.

There are in fact no new entrants into the Top 25 in the final poll of the regular season. SMU made the biggest move, jumping five places to No. 19 after beating Tulane in the American Athletic Conference title game. The Green Wave fall six places to No. 24.

Liberty checks in at No. 20, up two positions after winning the Conference USA title to remain the lone unbeaten team from outside the Power Five leagues.

Jim Leyland, who guided the Florida Marlins to their first World Series title and later won two American League pennants managing the Detroit Tigers, was elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame on Sunday night.

Earning 15 of 16 votes from a committee considering non-playing personnel whose careers stretched past 1980, Leyland, 78, won 1,769 games during a managerial career that began in Pittsburgh and included stops with the Marlins, Rockies and eight final seasons with the Tigers. He managed Detroit to the 2006 World Series in his first year with the Tigers, later advancing to the 2012 World Series and then to the 2013 AL Championship Series in his final season.

Only Lou Piniella — whose Reds defeated Leyland’s Pirates in the 1990 NLCS — also came close to earning election Sunday, as he garnered 11 votes from the 16-person committee; 12 were required for election. Former league executive Bill White earned 10 votes while managers Cito Gaston and Davey Johnson, umpires Ed Montague and Joe West and executive Hank Peters each received less than five votes.

Leyland, as gruff and old school a baseball man as one could imagine, was a true throwback whose penchant for smoking evoked visions of bygone eras. Yet Leyland consistently connected with and earned the trust of his players, all the way until his final season in Detroit, when he won 93 games at the age of 68. His 1,769 victories rank 18th all time and he won six division titles and three Manager of the Year awards.

His managerial stint helped fulfill a big league dream for a player who batted just .222 in a seven-league minor league career that peaked with a half-season of Class AA ball. Leyland never forget those humble roots, even as he managed a handful of all-time greats and future Hall of Famers, from Barry Bonds in Pittsburgh through Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander in Detroit.

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‘Being not a very good player myself, I realized how hard it was to play the game,’ Leyland said Sunday night on a video conference. ‘When you saw guys like Bonds and Cabrera and Verlander and (Max) Scherzer and (Gary) Sheffield, you marvel at how good these guys really are.

‘I tried to teach them how to be a professional early on. I think young people, young players, are really searching for discipline. We all have our insecurities. Sometimes players do. I think they’re always looking for that leadership. I tried to impress upon them what it means to be a professional and how hard this game is to play.

‘And how good they were.’

Leyland’s big league managerial career began with an 11-year stint in Pittsburgh, where he helped revive the moribund Pirates and claimed three consecutive NL East titles. But the Pirates found only heartbreak in the NLCS, losing in 1990 to the Cincinnati Reds and in 1991 and ’92 to the emerging Atlanta Braves powerhouse, the latter defeat coming on a crushing ninth-inning, Game 7 single.

His glory would come in 1997, when, frustrated by the Pirates’ low-budget bleeding of talent like Bonds and Bobby Bonilla, he leapt to the expansion Marlins, who splurged on a star-studded roster in their fifth year in existence. It was also the third year of the wild card, and Leyland’s Marlins upset the Braves in the NLCS before defeating Cleveland in the World Series — on a Game 7 ninth-inning single that eased some of the sting of Leyland’s near-miss with Pittsburgh five years earlier.

That Marlins team was emblematic of the good fortune Leyland had throughout his career, with talented stars like Sheffield, Bonilla and Moises Alou. Yet it also included key role players like Craig Counsell and Jim Eisenreich and emerging youngsters like shortstop Edgar Renteria, who got the game-winning single in Game 7.

All benefited from Leyland’s egalitarian approach.

‘I cannot treat you better than the 25th player on this ballclub,’ says Leyland of his approach toward star players. ‘I think veteran players respected that.’

The 16-person committee included Hall of Fame players Jeff Bagwell, Tom Glavine, Chipper Jones, Ted Simmons, Jim Thome and Joe Torre and former MLB commissioner Bud Selig.

‘I felt for all the managers not getting in,’ says Leyland. ‘I’m hoping that their day comes.

‘Today, I was the fortunate one.’

The College Football Playoff had a true conundrum.

Leave out an undefeated ACC champion in Florida State or leave out a one-loss SEC champion, Alabama, that had just defeated the No. 1 team in the country?

CFP committee chair Boo Corrigan appeared on ESPN after the announcement on Sunday to explain the decision. He emphasized Florida State losing quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending injury late in the season.

‘Florida State is a different team than they were the first 11 weeks,’ Corrigan said. ‘Coach Norvell, their players, their fans, an incredible season. But if you look at who they are as a team, right now, without Jordan Travis, without the offensive dynamic that he brings to it, they are a different team. And the committee voted Alabama four and Florida State five.’

ESPN’s Reece Davis asked Corrigan what moved the people in the room with football-coaching backgrounds to pick Alabama over Florida State.

‘It’s one of the questions we do ask, from a coaching standpoint, who do you want to play and who do you not want to play?’ Corrigan said. ‘As we go through that, looking at where we are today, not where we were three weeks or eight weeks ago. Who do they want to play, who do they not want to play? They’ve got a significant voice in the room.’

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ pursuit for a playoff spot hit a significant speedbump on Sunday. 

Starting quarterback Kenny Pickett suffered a left ankle injury during the Steelers’ 24-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals that could cause him to miss multiple weeks. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Sunday night that Pickett is expected to have surgery and could miss 2-4 weeks.  

Pickett escaped the pocket in the red zone and tried to run for a touchdown with 5:32 left in the second quarter, when his left foot was caught under a tackle from Cardinals defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter. Pickett’s head also hit the field after the play. He was able to leave the field on his own. 

Steelers backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NFL draft, replaced Pickett and would be Pittsburgh’s likely starter in his absence. 

The Steelers also have a quick turnaround as they host the 2-10 New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football in Week 14. 

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Trubisky led a touchdown drive during Sunday’s game, but the 2-yard pass to receiver Diontae Johnson in the fourth quarter came well after the Cardinals held a comfortable lead. 

Despite the loss to Arizona, Pittsburgh outgained its opponent for the second consecutive week. The Steelers gained the distinction of winning games this season while being outgained in yards. 

The Steelers fell to 7-5 and maintained the No. 5 seed among seven teams in the AFC playoff race. The Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans — also at 7-5 — are behind the Steelers in the playoff picture.

The Philadelphia Eagles might still have the best record, but they are no longer the best team in the NFL.

The San Francisco 49ers have established themselves again as the team to beat.

And it sets up an exciting final month in the NFL season in the NFC standings.

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw four touchdowns, including two to receiver Deebo Samuel, and the 49ers beat down the Eagles 42-19 at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a touchdown and rushed for another, but Philadelphia was outmatched and outclassed.

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The Eagles led 6-0 in the first quarter, before the 49ers ran away with a dominant victory in a rematch of the NFC championship game from last season.

Here are the winners and losers from the 49ers’ dominant victory.

WINNERS

Brock Purdy

After injuring his elbow on this same field in the NFC title game, Purdy was stellar and effective running the 49ers offense to a convincing win. He completed 19 of 27 passes for 314 yards, four touchdowns and a 148.8 quarterback rating. This performance should silence any doubt of Purdy or the 49ers’ ability to win big games with him. 

Kyle Shanahan

The 49ers coach called a masterful game offensively, while his defense was up to the task in slowing down the Eagles. Shanahan deserves credit for putting up more than 40 points against the defending NFC champions. It may not be a win in the NFC title game, but it’s a nice consolation. 

Christian McCaffrey

The NFL’s best running back found the end zone again, scoring his 12th rushing touchdown of the season. McCaffrey paced both Shanahan and Purdy with his performance, finishing with 133 total yards on 20 touches, including 93 rushing yards.

Deebo Samuel

If McCaffrey stirred the drink, Samuel threw it in the Eagles’ face. No one on Philadelphia’s defense could catch Samuel in open space as he scored touchdowns of 48 and 46 yards in the second half to turn this game into a blowout. And both of those receiving touchdowns came after Samuel scored on a 12-yard rush in the third quarter.

Dallas Cowboys

The Eagles’ two-game lead over the Cowboys in NFC East has shrunk to one with Philly heading to Dallas in Week 14. If the Cowboys hope to win their division, next week is their best chance. 

Detroit Lions

The Lions can look beside them and thank the 49ers for leveling the conference standings. Detroit and San Francisco are both 9-3 and a game behind the Eagles for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. 

LOSERS

Eagles defense

A unit that played its part in Philadelphia’s 10-2 start, the Eagles defense was shredded by the 49ers. The 49ers averaged 8 yards per play and ran for 146 yards, and Purdy threw for 314 yards. San Francisco also converted on 8 of 11 third-down attempts and its only fourth-down try. 

Eagles rushing offense

Jalen Hurts had to do most of his work through the air because of a lack of help from the run game. Sure, the Eagles scored a touchdown from their tush push play, but they only mustered 46 rushing yards. DeAndre Swift wasn’t a factor with 13 yards rushing, while Hurts added 20 yards on the ground.

Eagles’ path to the No. 1 seed

The Eagles still have the NFL’s best record, but the 49ers and Lions pulled one game behind them. If Philly and San Francisco finish the season tied, the 49ers would have the edge by virtue of this win. There’s still plenty of season left for either team to win the conference and home-field advantage that could aid a Super Bowl run. It proved significant for the Eagles last season. 

49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw and Eagles chief security officer Dom DiSandro

Greenlaw and DiSandro were ejected after a skirmish in the third quarter. Greenlaw bodyslammed Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith, then made contact with DiSandro’s face after getting pushed by DiSandro as referees tried to diffuse the situation. Guess which one got a rousing ovation from Eagles fans as they left the field? It wasn’t Greenlaw.

Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh returned to the sideline Saturday night from a three-game suspension and walked off field with $1.5 million in bonuses, as the Wolverines defeated Iowa 26-0 in the Big Ten Conference championship game in Indianapolis.

But for a third consecutive year, the Wolverines marched past Ohio State for first place the Big Ten East Division and won the conference title with an overall season record (13-0) that surely will put them in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Harbaugh gets $1 million for winning the Big Ten championship and he’ll get $500,000 when the team is selected for the playoff, which won’t become official until Sunday’s selection committee announcement.

Those amounts will go with the $500,000 that Harbaugh claimed with last week’s division-deciding win over Ohio State, and make this the third year in a row in he will be entitled to at least $2 million in bonuses. There are at least 52 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches who were set to make less than that amount this season in basic annual pay from their schools, according to USA TODAY Sports’ annual compensation survey.

According to Harbaugh’s contract, he will not be able to add to his bonus total for this season unless the Wolverines win the national championship, an achievement that would give him another $1 million. He could, however, get up to $150,000 more at athletics director Warde Manuel’s discretion depending on the team’s NCAA Academic Progress Rate scores. (Harbaugh is contractually eligible to get bonuses for coach-of-the-year awards, but the Big Ten prize went to Northwestern’s David Braun, and it seems unlikely that Harbaugh will win a national honor.)

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The origin of Harbaugh’s bonus setup

During his first six seasons as Michigan’s coach, Harbaugh worked under a seven-year contract that gave him an average of more than $7.6 million in basic annual pay from the school and included a set of incentive bonuses that annually had a maximum total of $1.325 million.

After the Wolverines went 9-4 in 2019 and 2-4 in the pandemic-affected 2020 season, Harbaugh and the school agreed to a new, five-year deal that dropped his pay from the school to $4 million, but increased his maximum bonus total to $3.475 million.

That set of bonuses included $500,000 for winning the Big Ten East outright, $1 million for winning the Big Ten title, $500,000 for a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance and $1 million for winning the national championship.

Harbaugh’s current contract

In 2021, Michigan won the Big Ten title for the first time in 17 seasons and advanced to the CFP semifinals. Harbaugh ended up redirecting about $1.5 million of his bonus money to members of the Michigan athletics department who had taken pandemic-related pay cuts during an 11-month stretch of 2020 and 2021 and had remained on the payroll.

After that season, Harbaugh and Michigan again renegotiated their contract. His basic pay from the school was increased to $8.05 million, but the package of incentives was kept almost intact, dropping only to $3.275 million.

He is scheduled to make nearly $8.2 million from the school for this season.

ATLANTA — As one would expect, Kirby Smart pivoted quickly to make his case Saturday night on why Georgia football should be in the College Football Playoff.

It came after the No. 1 Bulldogs’ 27-24 loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game and before two other pivotal conference championship games — the ACC and Big Ten — even kicked off.

He quoted the CFP executive director from earlier this week.

“Bill Hancock said, it’s not the most deserving,” Smart said in his postgame press conference in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. “He said simply it’s the best four teams. So you’re going to tell me somebody sitting in that committee room doesn’t think that Georgia team (is) one of the best four teams? I don’t know if they’re in the right profession. It’s a really good football team. It’s a really talented football team, it’s a really balanced football team. So they have to make the decision, but it’s the best four teams. That’s critical.’

Georgia is now 12-1 heading into Selection Sunday after the two-time reigning national champions saw an SEC record 29-game winning streak snapped by the Crimson Tide, which also is 12-1 and has the best win of any playoff contender, but an early-season loss to Texas.

No. 2 Michigan (12-0) entered the Big Ten championship game as heavy favorites against Iowa and won 26-0. So, the Wolverines are in.

No. 4 Florida State carried a 12-0 record into the ACC championship game against Louisville on Saturday night but has quarterback injury issues.

The four-team playoff field will be announced at 12:15 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN.

“To go through an SEC schedule, 12 games and to win each and every one, it’s not something easy to do,” quarterback Carson Beck said. “Super proud of the guys. To not finish the way we wanted to and kind of leave the destiny in someone else’s hands rather than us handling it ourselves, that’s hard.

‘We fought hard throughout the season and showed we were a really dominant team.”

Smart said the “eye test,” shows Georgia belongs in the field.

“If you look at what we’ve done this season, to go on the road and play some of the teams we beat (Auburn, Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt in true road games) and the teams that in the top 20 we were able to beat (Missouri and Ole Miss),” Smart said.

He added “when you talk about the four best teams, watch the game. Go ask NFL talent evaluators, go ask NFL scouts, it’s about the best teams. I have no question we’re one of the four best teams, 100%.”

INDIANAPOLIS — The game seemed a formality from the beginning. At no point was there any doubt.

When Michigan football’s Semaj Morgan set a Big Ten-record with an 87-yard punt return late in the first quarter and Blake Corum was in the end zone two plays later, Lucas Oil Stadium felt more like Ann Arbor South than the league’s centrally located indoor stadium.

But the reality really set in early in the third quarter when a review determined Mike Sainristil had forced his second fumble of the game, and Michigan’s offense was again set up with first-and-goal.

Corum plowed his way into the end zone once more — the 55th time in his career to tie Anthony Thomas for the Michigan program record — as U-M suffocated Iowa, 26-0, to win the 2023 Big Ten championship on Saturday.

It’s the first time in 144 years of Michigan football that the Wolverines have won three consecutive, outright Big Ten titles.

While it certainly makes a statement about the past three seasons — Michigan is now 39-3 during that stretch, now in consideration for the program’s best era of all-time — it most importantly keeps the dream alive in 2023 as U-M is assured to be one of four teams in the College Football Playoff.

Where will Michigan play, and against who? That’s another, not-yet-clear, story, but a trip to Pasadena, California, and the Rose Bowl seems the most likely scenario. The College Football Playoff selection committee, which includes U-M athletic director Warde Manuel, will announce its decision at noon Sunday.

The Wolverines (13-0) won’t be sweating their spot in the field because they didn’t overlook the Hawkeyes. As ugly as it was, U-M put together a simple, yet effective (enough) game plan. J.J. McCarthy completed 22 of 30 passes for 147 yards and Corum added 16 rushes for 52 yards and two scores.

But the defense was the star of the day.

The unit forced more punts (seven) than it allowed first downs (five). It also forced two turnovers and three turnovers on downs and also came away with the first shutout in Big Ten title game history.

Contact Tony Garcia: apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him at @realtonygarcia.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It wasn’t pretty, but Florida State got it done. The Seminoles defeated Louisville, 16-6, in an offensive struggle, to win the program’s first ACC championship since 2014 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The offensive effort was highlighted by running back Lawrance Toafili, who had a career night recording 118 yards rushing on 10 attempts and the lone touchdown of the game. He was the beating heart of an offense that needed someone to step up. 

On defense, linebacker Tatum Bethune had the biggest play of the night, intercepting Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer in the end zone in the fourth quarter. The play came after punter Alex Mastromanno failed to get a punt off, setting the Cardinals up at the FSU 12-yard line.

FSU had seven team sacks. Patrick Payton and Fabien Lovett recorded a sack each. Braden Fiske had three sacks and Jared Verse had two sacks. It was a season-high team total in sacks for the Seminoles.

On special teams, kicker Ryan Fitzgerald was 3-of-4 on the night in field goals, hitting and missing from 45 yards. He later made a field goal from 33 yards and another from 40 yards in the fourth quarter. He improved to 18-of-20 on the year.

Mastromanno recorded 372 yards on nine punts, with a long of 49 yards. 

Freshman Brock Glenn earned his first start after Tate Rodemaker was ruled out due to concussion protocol. He completed 8-of-21 passes for 55 yards. 

FSU will find out its fate on Sunday at noon ET as the College Football Playoff selection committee will announce its final rankings and which teams will make the playoff. The Seminoles are currently 13-0 and one of three undefeated Power Five teams left in the country.

Jack Williams covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @jackgwilliams.