Maybe Wisconsin’s men’s basketball team – unranked entering Saturday – is exceptionally good.

And mentally tough.

The Badgers looked outstanding in building a double-digit halftime lead against No. 3 Marquette on Saturday at the Kohl Center.

They looked tentative and disjointed in the second half as Marquette roared back to within a point less than six minutes into the second half.

Greg Gard’s players then steadied themselves and made critical plays on both ends of the court take down the Golden Eagles, 75-64.

The Badgers never trailed in extending their winning streak to four games and opening their three-game gauntlet with an important victory.

Washington opens Big Ten play Tuesday at No. 25 Michigan State and faces No. 2 Arizona next Saturday in Tucson.

Max Klesmit, who hit the game-winning basket in Wisconsin’s overtime victory over the Golden Eagles last season, scored 21 of the Badgers’ 46 points in the opening half to help build a 13-point lead.

That topped Klesmit’s previous high of 19 points. He entered the day just 7 of 23 from three-point range (30.8%) but hit 5 of 8 attempts in the opening half.

Klesmit didn’t score after halftime but his teammates picked up the slack in recording the team’s best victory of the young season.

Steven Crowl and Tyler Wahl, averaging a combined 21.9 points and 13.3 rebounds per game, were terrific.

Crowl finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. He hit 5 of 6 shots and 6 of 8 free throws.

Wahl, who has won four of his five meetings with the Golden Eagles, left with 8:44 left in the first half after picking up his second foul.

Led by Klesmit, Wisconsin turned a 22-16 lead into a 46-33 halftime lead.

Wahl finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.

AJ Storr played sparingly in his two games against Marquette last season when he was a freshman at St. John’s.

Storr contributed 13 points and five rebounds Saturday.

Chucky Hepburn was outstanding in his first two games against the Golden Eagles (17.0 points, 67.0% shooting). He contributed nine points, six rebounds and four assists Saturday.

The Badgers came in shooting 73.9% from the free-throw line. They hit 17 of 19 attempts (89.5%) in the opening half and finished 24 of 28 (85.7%).

The Badgers won the rebounding battle, 38-23, and had a huge edge in second-chance points (18-2).

Kam Jones and Tyler Kolek led Marquette with 19 and 11 points, respectively.  

Klesmit was on fire in the opening half as he helped UW build a 46-33 lead.

UW finished the half 5 of 13 from three-point range. Klesmit wass 5 of 8. His teammates were a combined 0 of 5.

Klesmit scored on mid-range shots, hit 4 of 4 free throws and kept firing daggers from beyond the three-point line.

UW’s lead was 22-16 when Wahl exited with his second foul, with 8:44 left in the first half.

Klesmit responded with two free throws and a three-pointer to help push the lead to 27-16.

Down by 13 at the break and playing poorly, you knew the Golden Eagles would play better in te second half.

They did.

Jones opened with a corner three-pointer to spark a 9-0 run to cut UW’s lead to 46-42 with 17:19 remaining.

The Badgers missed 4 of their first 5 shots in the half and turned the ball over three times.

After Jones missed an open three-pointer with Marquette down by just a point, Crowl scored four points in an 8-2 run as Wisconsin pushed the lead to 60-53 with 8:56 left.

The Badgers led, 67-62, when Wahl was fouled on a drive with 3:22 left. Wahl, a 58.6% free-throw shooter but 3 of 3 from the line to that point in the game, hit 1 of 2 attempts.

Crowl was fouled going for a rebound on the other end and made 1 of 2 attempts for a 69-62 lead.

Klesmit came up with a loose ball after another Marquette miss and called a timeout with 2:53 left.

Storr followed with a baseline jumper for a 71-62 lead with 2:33 left.

Wisconsin had weathered the Golden Eagles’ second-half charge and had a huge victory.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas will exit the Big 12 in the same manner that it entered: As a champion.

Quinn Ewers threw for 452 yards and four touchdowns and No. 7 Texas stormed to a 49-21 win over No. 19 Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship game on Saturday. The Big 12 championship is Texas’ fourth. The Longhorns won the league’s inaugural title in 1996 and were crowned again in 2005 and 2009.

Texas is leaving for the Southeastern Conference next season.

“I know it’s been a long time coming. Everybody’s been starving for this championship,” third-year Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “To get it in our final game in the Big 12, I hope everybody enjoys it as much as we do.”

At one point during the postgame presentation, Sarkisian waved both of his arms trying to quiet the jeers toward Yormark, who before the season when addressing a crowd of Texas Tech supporters publicly rooted against the Longhorns, who are going with Oklahoma to the SEC next season.

“It’s all good, it’s all good,” Yormark said with a smile.

“An incredible season by the Texas Longhorns. You guys with today’s dominating performance deserve a ticket to the CFP for sure,” the commissioner said, adding it was an honor to present the trophy to Sarkisian and his team.

The 28-point rout at AT&T Stadium also keeps Texas in contention for a spot in the College Football Playoffs. The Longhorns will find out if they will make the field Sunday when the CFP committee announces the participants for the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl-hosted semifinal games.

If Texas doesn’t make that cut, it will find out which New Year’s Six bowl it is heading to later in the day.

But Texas left little doubt as to who the best team in the conference was this season, and the Longhorns made that crystal clear before Nelly took the stage for Saturday’s halftime show. After forcing a three-and-out on Oklahoma State’s game-opening possession, Texas scored on its first four drives.

The Longhorns entered halftime with a 35-14 lead and 422 yards of offense. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Texas is the only Power Five team in the last 20 seasons to record 400 yards and 35 pts in either half of a conference title game.

The star of the first half was Ewers, the third-year quarterback who went 23-for-31 for 354 yards and four touchdowns. His touchdown passes were spread out among four teammates, one of which was Big 12 defensive player of the year T’Vondre Sweat on a trick play.

“We are very, very versatile. We have extreme depth and we can win at the line of scrimmage and we can win at the skill position spots,” Sarkisian said, when asked about stating his team’s case. “This is maybe a little bullish for me saying. But we’ll play anybody in the country. We’ll find out if we’re good enough.”

Entering the game, the Big 12 record for passing yards in the Big 12 championship game was Sam Bradford’s 384 in 2008. Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Kansas State’s Ell Roberson had been the only other quarterbacks to throw four touchdown passes in this conference contest.

Ewers claimed the passing yardage record in the second half.

Despite having outscored its opponents by a 200-122 margin in the third and fourth quarters of its previous games this season, Oklahoma State was unable to cut into the 21-point deficit that it entered halftime with. Texas senior Keilan Robinson ran for two touchdowns in the second half to secure the most-lopsided score in a Big 12 Championship Game since 2008.

ATLANTA – Had to be Bama, didn’t it?

If Georgia’s run of terror was going to end, if its three-peat quest was going to fall short, of course Alabama had to be the one to stop the Bulldogs.

An old power restored its place on the SEC’s throne Saturday, when No. 8 Alabama stunned No. 1 Georgia 27-24 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Nick Saban still runs this town, and Alabama once again rules this conference.

This SEC championship ranks as Saban’s most surprising. Georgia entered as a 5 1/2-point favorite and owned a 29-game winning streak. The last time we saw Alabama, it needed a fourth-and-31 completion to beat a mediocre Auburn team.

And the craziest part of this upset? As of this filing, Alabama’s spot in the College Football Playoff isn’t assured. A Week 2 home loss to Texas continues to tug on the Tide like a lead weight.

While the playoff field remains a topic for debate, here’s what’s not in dispute: Saban retains the keys to the Benz, like the Georgia Dome before it.

Alabama improved to 18-1 in games played in this city under Saban.

How did Alabama football upset Georgia? Defense and Jalen Milroe

Georgia marched 83 yards with precision on its opening drive. If you’d turned off your television after that scoring drive, you would have figured figured Georgia won by three touchdowns.

But Alabama’s star-studded defense woke up. The NFL draft will prove how many talented defenders Alabama possesses. Georgia’s season-low 24 points also attests to it.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck had been almost robotically reliable all season, but he had more difficulty finding open targets working against Alabama’s blanketing secondary. Multiple times, Alabama defensive backs nearly intercepted Beck. It never picked Beck off but settled for more incompletions than Beck normally throws.

Georgia had ranked among the nation’s best teams converting third downs, but even moving the chains on third-and-short became a chore against an Alabama unit intent on gang tackling.

Quarterback Jalen Milroe gave the Tide defense just enough support. Alabama’s first-year starting quarterback began the season as a liability. Now, he’s a cool customer, a clutch performer.

Milroe endured a rocky first quarter before sparking Alabama throughout a game-altering second quarter. Milroe’s rope toward the sideline to find a diving Isaiah Bond on fourth-and-4 became the game’s biggest completion. Alabama scored two plays later.

Like the Iron Bowl, Milroe did his best work with the game on the line.

With Alabama clinging to a three-point lead in the fourth quarter, Milroe calmly completed four straight completions on a crucial drive that resulted in an insurance touchdown. Later, Milroe used his legs to run out the clock.

Toast to Minnesota Gophers, and toast to Nick Saban’s Alabama

The Bulldogs rarely beat themselves, but they contributed to their win streak ending Saturday. A penalty that backed up kicker Peyton Woodring 5 yards proved costly when Woodring’s 50-yard field goal clanked off the upright.

When Georgia lost a fumble inside the red zone, it gift-wrapped Alabama three points.

Alabama’s winning formula looked familiar to the height of Saban’s dynasty: Tough defense, no turnovers, limit mistakes and receive just enough clutch plays on offense.

I’ve said for a couple of years that I thought if Saban coached five more seasons, he’d win another national championship and add to his total of seven – but I didn’t think it would come this year. It still might not, but Alabama has become a more dangerous team than I ever thought it would just three months ago.

The offensive line matured. So did Milroe. Perimeter weapons emerged. And offensive coordinator Tommy Rees learned to play to Milroe’s strengths, which includes his running ability.

But, Alabama’s defense is foremostly responsible for this turnaround, and Saban’s decision to bring back a former sidekick, Kevin Steele, to run his defense paid off – never more than Saturday.

Someone should leave a glass of champagne and a cigar at the grave of Bernie Bierman. Georgia was trying to become the first team to three-peat since Bierman’s Minnesota Gophers achieved the feat in the 1930s.

Georgia’s aspirations of history appeared dashed after Milroe supplied his latest dose of fourth-quarter magic. He channeled Bryce Young when he bought himself time in the pocket and flicked a completion to move the chains on a third-down play during the fourth quarter.

Moments later, Alabama found the end zone, and “Sweet Home Alabama” played while fans chanted “Roll, Tide, Roll!”

Toast to Bierman’s Gophers, and toast to Saban’s Tide – once again, the SEC’s ruler.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

Duke basketball’s Tyrese Proctor was injured in the first two minutes of the Blue Devils’ 72-68 loss at Georgia Tech in the ACC opener on Saturday in Atlanta.

While driving to the basket, Proctor appeared to roll his left ankle with 18:44 left in the first half.

The sophomore guard, who was unable to put weight on his left ankle, was helped off the court by teammates Stanley Borden and Neal Beogvich. Proctor didn’t return to the game.

“We’ll get an X-ray this weekend and we’ll see,’ Duke coach Jon Scheyer said after the game. ‘But no update.”

Following Proctor’s injury, Georgia Tech went on a 14-1 run to take an 11-point lead with just under 15 minutes left in the first half.

“It was a tough day for us,’ Scheyer said. ‘One, losing Tyrese right away is a thing you have to react to in real time.’

One of three captains for the No. 7 Blue Devils, Proctor entered Saturday’s game averaging 11.7 points, 5.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-5 Aussie leads the ACC with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.75. Proctor was in the starting lineup for each of Duke’s seven games this season, dropping a career-high 22 points against Bucknell.

Duke is 5-3, including 0-1 in the ACC. The Blue Devils return to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 9 to play Charlotte (2:15 p.m., CW Network).

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

ATLANTA — Alabama has won the most improbable of its nine SEC titles under Nick Saban, defeating No. 1 Georgia, 27-24, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

But there’s a larger issue that will spark a significant national debate over the next several hours: Is it enough to get the Crimson Tide into the College Football Playoff?

Alabama is far from a perfect football team, but it did enough when it had to Saturday to beat Georgia. Alabama struggled to run the ball, and quarterback Jalen Milroe completed just 13-of-23 passes for 192 yards. But the Crimson Tide’s defense was able to stop Georgia when it mattered, created a key turnover in the second half and committed just three penalties.

Alabama had a 10-point lead at halftime but gained just 36 yards on its first four drives of the second half, allowing the Bulldogs to climb back within 20-17.

Then, almost out of nowhere, Milroe led Alabama on a nine-play, 75-yard drive to re-establish a 10-point cushion with 5:47 remaining.

Georgia came right back down to score with 2:52 left, meaning Alabama needed a few first downs to ice the game. Milroe responded with a 30-yard carry up the middle on the first play from scrimmage, then used his legs to get another first down that effectively ended Georgia’s chances of getting the ball back.  

Alabama has beaten the No. 1, No. 11 (Ole Miss), No. 13 (LSU) and No. 21 (Tennessee) teams in the CFP rankings. But its only loss, by 10 points to Texas back on Sept. 9, is complicating matters.

That’s because Texas is also 12-1 and the Big 12 champion.

If Michigan defeats Iowa later Saturday, it will join Washington as unbeaten power conference champions in the playoff field. That would leave three teams for two spots: Unbeaten Florida State (which plays Louisville for the ACC title later Saturday), Alabama and Texas.

The Seminoles’ situation is complicated because starting quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a horrific leg injury in the second-to-last game of the regular season and will not return for the Playoff. But typically, the CFP selection committee has honored unbeaten power conference champions.

So if the decision comes down to Alabama vs. Texas, does the committee go for an Alabama team with a stronger overall résumé or a Texas team that won the head-to-head matchup? Either way, that would mark the most controversial decision in the entire history of the 10-year playoff. — Dan Wolken

Alabama vs. Georgia highlights

Alabama 27, Georgia 24: Bulldogs respond again

It’s getting late, but Georgia is still alive, as the Bulldogs responded to an Alabama score with a fourth-down touchdown to make it a 27-24 Alabama lead with just under three minutes left.

The Bulldogs faced a fourth-and-inches early in the drive, but Daijun Edwards was able to run for 11 yards to extend the drive. On the next play, Jaheim Oatis sacked Carson Beck but he grabbed his facemask in what was a huge mistake for the Crimson Tide.

Georgia then rolled the next three plays to get to the 1-yard line, but the Bulldogs couldn’t punch it in on second or third down. On fourth-and-goal, with the heavy offensive line in, Kendall Milton was able to find the hole and punch it in to make it a three-point game. Georgia was able to go 75 yards down the field in 2:55 and only used one timeout.

With two timeouts left, the defense will need to get the ball back to the offense if Georgia wants to pull off the comeback win. — Jordan Mendoza

Alabama 27, Georgia 17: Crimson Tide take another double-digit lead

Alabama answered right back with a score of its own to extend its lead back to double-digits. 

Jalen Milroe opened Alabama’s drive with a 21-yard completion to Isaiah Bond, followed by a 9-yard run by Roydell Williams to get the Crimson Tide to midfield. The drive looked like it was about to stall on third-and-3 before a shifty Milroe avoided a sack and completed a 13-yard shovel pass to Bond to move the sticks. The nine-play, 75-yard drive was capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Williams. 

Bond accounted for 57 of the 75 yards on the touchdown drive. He’s up to five receptions for 79 yards on the night. 

Alabama is up 27-17. — Cydney Henderson

Alabama 20, Georgia 17: Bulldogs get crucial fourth quarter touchdown

It looks like the SEC championship – and perhaps a spot in the College Football Playoff – will come down to the final minutes.

Georgia has cut the deficit down to three points, as a 1-yard rushing touchdown from Carson Beck has made it a 20-17 game with 10 minutes left.

The Bulldogs got off to a great start on the drive after Anthony Evans III returned a punt 28 yards to give the offense great field position. On a third-down play, Alabama’s Terrion Arnold was called for pass interference on Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint to keep the drive alive. 

On the following play, Carson Beck found one of his favorite targets in Ladd McConkey for a 15-yard pass to get it to the 1-yard line before the quarterback punched it in. Now the Bulldogs defense will look to shut down the Alabama offense again and get the ball back with a chance to tie or go ahead. — Jordan Mendoza

Alabama 20, Georgia 10: End of third quarter

ATLANTA — The third quarter ends pretty much how it began: With Alabama holding a 10-point lead. But boy, was it ever a wild ride to get there. Alabama leads 20-10, and Georgia is going to need something very special to win this game and keep its hopes alive for the College Football Playoff. Frankly, the Dawgs are lucky not to be down more after a horrific turnover late in the quarter when quarterback Carson Beck and receiver Dillon Bell didn’t execute a clean handoff on the end-around after some misdirection intended to get Alabama’s defense going the wrong way. Alabama got the ball at Georgia’s 11-yard line but couldn’t punch it in, settling for a field goal.

Will Alabama’s failure to score a touchdown open the door for Georgia? Does Georgia have enough offense to come back?

This is a pretty fascinating game all around, but so far there’s no question Alabama has been the better team. Georgia has out-gained the Tide, 240-189, but Nick Saban’s team has played cleaner football. Neither team has run the ball effectively. Beck and the Georgia passing game has been limited with Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey basically non-factors.

I think Georgia is going to have to change that in order to come back in this fourth quarter. — Dan Wolken

Alabama extends lead after Georgia QB Carson Beck fumbles

The Georgia Bulldogs coughed up the first turnover of the game.

With the Bulldogs pinned at their own 17-yard line, QB Carson Beck attempted to hand the ball off to Dillon Bell, but Bell never received it. Instead, the ball was fumbled and recovered by former Bulldog Trezmen Marshall at Georgia’s 11-yard-line. 

Despite recovering the ball in the red zone, Alabama wasn’t able to find the end zone. The Crimson Tide settled on a 28-yard field goal to extend their lead over Georgia to 20-10. — Cydney Henderson

Controversial sack call ends Alabama drive

A sack that maybe wasn’t a sack stopped a potential Alabama scoring drive.

On third-and-3 from the Georgia 33-yard line, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe looked to be sacked by Jalon Walker, but Milroe immediately got up and continued to run past the first down line before the referees blew the play dead.

On replay, it looked like Milroe was wrapped up by Walker and landed on his body, but it wasn’t super obvious if he hit the turf at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. CBS Sports rules analyst Gene Steratore said Milroe’s leg did hit the turf via his shin, and it appeared to be the correct call — but it’s still a call fans will be talking about. — Jordan Mendoza

Georgia field goal makes it a one-score game

After giving up 17 straight points, Georgia is finally back on the board. 

The Bulldogs punted on their opening drive of the second half, but were able to generate some momentum on their next drive thanks to a big 51-yard catch as Carson Beck connected with Arian Smith to get the offense in the red zone.

The next three plays weren’t much, and on third down, Beck nearly threw an interception that was dropped. Peyton Woodring then came in and knocked in a 34-yard field goal to make it a 17-10 deficit. Georgia went more than 29 minutes of game time without scoring. — Jordan Mendoza

Controversial Alabama catch sets up touchdown

Was it a catch?

Before Alabama made it a 17-7 game just before halftime, the Crimson Tide got a big fourth-down conversion with Jalen Milroe finding Isaiah Bond for a 22-yard pass. Two plays later, Alabama was in the end zone.

But a replay of the pass from Milroe to Bond showed the receiver got his hands under the ball before the ball hit the ground. The ruled completed catch was never reviewed, and certainly had fans debating whether or not it was indeed a catch. — Jordan Mendoza

Analysis: Jalen Milroe, Alabama take halftime lead; time for Georgia to step up

ATLANTA — Well, well. I expected this to be a good game, and unlike some people, gave Alabama a decent chance at pulling the upset. But I did not think this first half would go the way it has gone. The Crimson Tide heads into halftime with a 17-7 lead, and frankly has been the much better team after Georgia’s opening drive. Since taking a 7-0 lead, Georgia has just 60 yards on 20 plays. Meanwhile, Jalen Milroe is starting to figure some things out and the Georgia pass rush hasn’t been enough of a factor. Just a messy half from Georgia overall, including the false start penalty it took before what would have been a 45-yard field goal attempt to tie the score at 10. Instead, the 50-yarder was missed and that gave Alabama a huge shot of momentum late in the half.

Milroe hasn’t been perfect and has missed some makable throws (6-for-12, 110 yards), but give him a ton of credit for a terrific 4th-and-4 completion to find Isaiah Bond dragging his defender to the sideline and making a really tough catch against good coverage. That’s a game-changing play right before halftime that set up Milroe for a touchdown with 48 seconds left in the half.

Georgia is definitely in some trouble here, but the Dawgs will get the ball first coming out of halftime. Let’s see how they respond now, knowing their playoff hopes are likely done if they don’t win this game. — Dan Wolken

Alabama extends lead over Georgia after fourth-down conversion

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe connected with receiver Isaiah Bond for a 22-yard completion to convert on 4th-and-4. The reception set up Alabama at Georgia’s 15-yard line. Milroe found receiver Jermaine Burton in the end zone on a 15-yard touchdown pass, capping a nine-play, 69-yard drive.

Alabama has scored 17 unanswered points since Georgia’s dominant opening drive touchdown. The Crimson Tide lead 17-7 heading into halftime. 

Milroe has six completions for 110 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to 12 rushing yards. — Cydney Henderson

Georgia field goal no good after it hits upright

It’s a game of inches.

Georgia was driving and looked to take the lead back from Alabama, but a tackle for loss and sack put Georgia way back in Alabama territory.

Peyton Woodring came in to attempt a 45-yard field goal, but a false start pushed the Bulldogs back. Woodring was now set for a career-long 50-yard field goal. It looked good off Woodring’s foot, but the ball continued to push right and hit the upright. It then bounced into the end zone, and Alabama retains its 10-7 lead. — Jordan Mendoza

Alabama takes the lead after fourth-down conversion

After two three-and-outs to start the game, the Alabama offense has found its stride by taking its first lead of the SEC title game, 10-7.

The defense forced Georgia into another three-and-out and got the ball at their own eight-yard line, but made it all the way into Bulldogs territory. Just outside the red zone, Alabama faced a fourth-and-one, and Nick Saban decided to go for it. The call worked with Roydell Williams getting the first down.

On the next play, a holding call pushed Alabama back 10 yards, but it was no problem, as Jalen Milroe found Jam Miller on a wheel route to go 28 yards untouched into the end zone. The touchdown capped a 10-play, 92-yard drive that took four and a half minutes. Williams paced the offense with 41 yards on the drive. — Jordan Mendoza

Analysis: Are Jalen Milroe, Alabama up to the task offensively?

ATLANTA — Things have settled into more of the type of game I expected as the first quarter comes to a close. Alabama seems to have found its footing defensively after Georgia marched down the field without much resistance on its opening drive. The Tide was able to flip the field toward the end of the first quarter and got a field goal out of it to at least put some points on the board. But I still don’t see a lot of signs yet that Alabama is up to the task offensively. Georgia seems content to play a lot of zone and see if Jalen Milroe is good enough to pick it apart. So far, at the end of the first quarter, he’s not doing it: Just 1-for-6 passing for 9 yards and hasn’t come close on the three deep shots he’s attempted. — Dan Wolken

Will Reichard, Alabama get on the board with record-breaking field goal

After coming up empty-handed following back-to-back 3-and-outs, Alabama finally got on the board with a 43-yard field goal from kicker Will Reichard. With the field goal, Reichard broke the NCAA all-time points record with 533 career points. 

Reichard pointed to the sky following his successful field goal, a nod to his late father and former kicking coach, according to the CBS broadcast. 

Alabama trails Georgia 7-3. — Cydney Henderson

Alabama can’t get offense going

Alabama’s offense has yet to get going. The Crimson Tide opened Saturday’s SEC championship game against Georgia with back-to-back 3-and-out drives. Alabama has -1 total yard of offense through two drives.

RB Roydell Williams opened the Crimson Tide’s second drive with a six-yard run, but quarterback Jalen Milroe couldn’t connect with receivers Malik Benson and Jermaine Burton on the next plays to move the sticks. 

Alabama trails Georgia 7-0. — Cydney Henderson

Analysis: Alabama must manage down, distance

ATLANTA — Hello from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Georgia is out to a 7-0 lead over Alabama. Frankly, it looked a little too easy as Georgia went 83 yards in eight plays. The one thing the Tide couldn’t afford to do here is fall behind because their offense is just not built to start going score-for-score. I was a bit surprised to see Alabama throw a deep shot on its first play from scrimmage, which is not Jalen Milroe’s strong suit. That put Alabama behind the sticks right away, and it was a quick three-and-out as Milroe got sacked looking for an opening on third down. Alabama is going to have to be a little more careful about managing down and distance today because 2nd and 10 is going to be difficult to overcome in my opinion. Let’s see how Alabama responds here. — Dan Wolken

Georgia scores on first drive

The Bulldogs came to play in Atlanta.

After forcing a three-and-out on Alabama’s opening drive, Georgia marched 83 yards down the field in eight plays and just under four minutes to get in the end zone to start the scoring in the SEC championship game.

Carson Beck was perfect on his four pass attempts on the drive, including the first two plays that resulted in 37 yards gained. Kendall Milton then broke through the right side of the line for an easy score to take the lead 7-0. — Jordan Mendoza

What college football games are on today? 

Here are the kickoff times and TV info for conference championship games.  

Conference USA Championship: No. 22 Liberty 49, New Mexico State 35Pac-12 Championship: No. 3 Washington 34, No. 5 Oregon 31Big 12 Championship: No. 7 Texas 49, No. 19 Oklahoma State 21MAC Championship: Miami (Ohio) 23, Toledo 14 Mountain West Championship: Boise State at UNLV, Fox, 3 p.m. SEC Championship: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama, CBS, 4 p.m. AAC Championship: No. 25 Southern Methodist at No. 18 Tulane, ABC, 4 p.m. Sun Belt Championship: Appalachian State at Troy, ESPN, 4 p.m. ACC Championship: No. 9 Louisville vs. No. 4 Florida State, ABC, 8 p.m. Big Ten Championship: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 19 Iowa, Fox, 8 p.m. 

Georgia vs. Alabama bold predictions

It will be a meeting of familiar foes in the SEC championship game with No. 1 Georgia facing No. 8 Alabama in a game that has major College Football Playoff implications.

The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide have met four times in Atlanta during the past seven seasons. Three matchups decided the SEC title. A fourth in the 2017 season decided a national title. The two national powers also met in Tuscaloosa in 2020 and the 2021 playoff championship game in Indianapolis. Alabama won the first five of the six meetings, but Georgia did win the last one that was the first of its consecutive national titles.

The Bulldogs will assuredly be back in the playoff with a victory this season and be two wins from a historic third championship in row. The Crimson Tide will be looking upend their neighbors to the east and also earn their own semifinal berth if things break right on the final weekend.

The stage is set for a dramatic finish to the SEC’s last season before expansion brings in Oklahoma and Texas. Here are our picks for the game.

College football conference championship picks

Here are our college football conference championship expert picks: 

College Football Fix 

The final College Football Playoff rankings reveal on Sunday can go two ways. There could be no drama if all the four remaining unbeatens win their respective conference championship games and earn spots in the semifinals. There could also be chaos should one or more of Georgia, Michigan, Washington and Florida State lose. 

Lots of questions would arise. How would each scenario shake out? Could Georgia get left out with a loss? Is there still a path for Ohio State to back its way into the field for the second year in a row? 

Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports discuss these topics and more in this week’s version of the College Football Fix. 

SEC championship College Football Playoff implications 

As has been the case since the College Football Playoff debuted in 2014, the SEC championship game will impact the conference’s representative in the playoff. 

It’s simple for Georgia: win and in. A win will likely put the Bulldogs at the No. 1 spot in the playoff and see them playing a semifinal game at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.  

Things get more complicated if Alabama wins. While every SEC champion has made it to the playoff, a Crimson Tide win doesn’t guarantee a playoff spot with several other undefeated teams left and Texas above them. Alabama would need a win and some help in other conference championship games to get in. Alabama enters ranked No. 8 by the College Football Playoff committee — no team ranked higher than sixth entering conference championship week has made it in. 

If Alabama wins, things could get murky for Georgia. No longer undefeated, the Bulldogs could be left out of the playoff if other undefeated teams win. However, they could still make it as a No. 3 or No. 4 seed. Georgia could follow a similar path TCU did last season. The Horned Frogs lost their first game in the conference championship but still made it into the playoff. 

Georgia-Alabama series history 

The founding SEC schools don’t play each other in the regular season often, but both teams’ recent success has put this rivalry at the forefront of one of the biggest college football conferences. 

Alabama leads the overall series 42-26-4, but the past five meetings have been some of the biggest college football games in recent memory. Alabama has won four of the past five meetings, which includes a national championship win in January 2018 and two SEC championships in December 2018 and 2021.  

However, Georgia ended a seven-game losing streak to Alabama in the most recent meeting, beating the Crimson Tide in January 2022 to win the national championship in Indianapolis.  

In that timeframe, the teams have combined for five SEC titles and four national championships. 

How did Alabama get to SEC championship? 

After a concerning start that included a home loss to Texas and quarterback issues, Nick Saban has the Crimson Tide rolling into Atlanta with an 11-1 record and a perfect SEC record.  

Ever since making Jalen Milroe the permanent starting quarterback against Ole Miss, Alabama hasn’t missed a beat. The Crimson Tide have won 10 in a row, capturing the SEC West title after defeating LSU and blowing out Kentucky. In the final full week of the regular season, Milroe found Isaiah Bond in the back of the end zone for a miraculous touchdown to beat Auburn. 

How did Georgia get to SEC championship? 

At 12-0, Georgia has dominated its way to another conference championship game appearance, staying at No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches Poll for the entire season. The Bulldogs have been pretty convincing, with 10 of their 12 wins coming by two scores – the lone exceptions being road victories against Auburn and Georgia Tech. 

Georgia has beaten four ranked opponents this season, all coming in SEC play. They have wins against Kentucky, Missouri, Ole Miss and Tennessee, with a combined win margin of 27.5 points a game.  

Pat McAfee trolls Georgia fans on ‘College GameDay’

What a twist it was ahead of the SEC championship game. 

“College GameDay” was in Atlanta for Georgia vs. Alabama, and when it came time to make picks for conference championship Saturday, Pat McAfee had the best lead-up to his selection. 

The ESPN analyst began his pick by starting “Who’s That Comin’ Down The Track?”, a popular chant among Georgia fans. It felt like every Georgia fan in attendance took part in the chant with McAfee, all the way down to the Bulldog bark.

Then came the stunner.

“Give me Alabama to break all their hearts!” McAfee said.

The ‘GameDay’ crew and crowd were shocked, and McAfee then did the “Roll Tide” chant in one of the best moments from Saturday’s show. — Jordan Mendoza

College football Week 14 odds

The top college football betting apps favor Georgia in their SEC title game against Alabama. The Bulldogs are 5.5-point favorites over the Crimson Tide, according to the BetMGM college football odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering college football betting promos in 2023.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck and Alabama QB Jalen Milroe are both +15000 longshots among players with the best odds to win the Heisman in 2023.

Not interested in this game? Our college football betting guide can help you get started.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Trinity Rodman found herself in a bit of a predicament. But it’s a good thing she can think quickly on her feet. 

After scoring a goal and assisting two others in the U.S. women’s national team’s 3-0 win over China on Saturday, Rodman gave away her jersey to a fan inside Inter Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium. 

Here’s the problem: Retired tennis star Serena Williams wanted to meet Rodman. And she wanted her jersey, too. 

“I walked over there, and she was like, ‘Can I have your jersey?’ I was like, ‘Oh my god, no!” Rodman said with a gasp. “So, I dug in the dirty bag from beginning of the half to find mine, and I got it to her.” 

Williams met with several USWNT players after their victory, collecting jerseys alongside her husband and kids.

Even USWNT interim coach Twila Kilgore made sure she didn’t leave the pitch without meeting Williams.

“I sure did,” Kilgore said, of meeting Williams. “I made sure I got in there.”

“She was very sweet, very humble, which was refreshing and amazing,” Rodman added. “And obviously, we all look up to her, one of the greatest female athletes in the world. To meet her in person and see how she was, was incredible.”

Sophia Smith scored eight minutes into the match, U.S. captain Lindsey Horan scored in the 58th minute, and Rodman added her own goal in the 77th minute as Team USA ended their week-long camp in Fort Lauderdale this week.

They will play China PR again at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET to round out this series of friendlies to end the calendar year.

The U.S. women began the week meeting new coach Emma Hayes, the six-time Super League champion with Chelsea. Hayes will take the reins in May when Chelsea’s season is over, while Kilgore is in charge until then.

The U.S. dominated possession against China, maintaining control for at least 60 percent of the match. Early on, it felt like much more. While they capitalized with three goals, the USWNT could’ve blown out their opponents in the first half alone.

“My eyes are immediately on the next game, but I think one thing today is just we’re happy that we’re playing in such a way that’s given us these repeated moments that we’ve identified as a team that are predictable for us and not for the opponent,” Kilgore said.

“But we have to be more clinical in our finishing. I was disappointed that we didn’t have more goals going into the half. I felt like that was a standard we didn’t achieve.”

After Smith’s first goal, she missed two other attempts in the first 20 minutes, and two others before halftime. Rose Lavelle missed two attempts in the first 15 minutes. Savannah DeMelo missed a shot in both halves. Mia Fishel missed two attempts after coming on in the second half. And Rodman missed a header, too.

Still, it was an ideal start to the new phase of U.S. women’s soccer, where Hayes and Kilgore are tasked with leading the squad back to its gold medal glory.

Team USA has won four of five matches (with one draw) in friendlies since their early World Cup exit against Sweden in early August.

“It’s building out through the last few camps that we’ve had, and just pulling all the pieces together, getting on the same page and playing good football, and capitalizing on chances,” Horan said.

When does USWNT play next?

USWNT will play China PR again at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas on Tuesday night at 8 ET.

The game will be broadcast by TNT, Telemundo, Universo, Max, Peacock and Fútbol de Primera Radio.

Highlights from USWNT’s 3-0 win over China on Saturday

Sophia Smith scored eight minutes into the match with an assist from Trinity Rodman.

Lindsey Horan scored in the 58th minute with an assist from Rodman.

And Rodman added to the score with a goal of her own in the 77th minute.

Trinity Rodman goal: USWNT 3, China PR 0

Trinity Rodman can Milly Rock with the best of them.

Rodman took Jaedyn Shaw’s pass in the middle of the goal box, and finished it easily into the back of the net to give Team USA a 3-0 lead against China in the 77th minute.

Midge Purce’s pass to Shaw started the sequence, which ended with Rodman and Mia Fischel doing the Milly Rock dance to celebrate.

It’s Rodman’s seventh international goal this year.

Lindsey Horan goal: USWNT 2, China PR 0

Lindsey Horan tried to pass the ball into Jaedyn Shaw.

Instead, Horan found herself celebrating a goal in the 52nd minute.  

Horan, the U.S. captain, scored her fifth goal of the year for the Americans. And the U.S. women have taken a 2-0 lead here against China PR.

Trinity Rodman, who assisted on the first goal, also assisted on Horan’s score.

Halftime: USWNT 1, China PR 0

The U.S. Women’s National team scored eight minutes into the match, but have been unable to convert on any of their other opportunities in a one-sided first half.

The U.S. dominated possession, but have not celebrated since Sophia Smith’s goal early on.

Smith had several other shots on goal, including one that hit off the left side of the goalpost and two others.

The U.S. women had a prime opportunity when Casey Kruger’s outlet pass found Smith in stride, but Smith’s kick went wide of the net.

China has zero shot on goals, because they have zero shot attempts. They’ve controlled only 33 percent of possession in the first half, and are luckily down just 1-0 at halftime.

The Americans have 10 shot attempts and five on goal in this one, and controlled possession 67 percent of the first half.

Sophia Smith goal: USWNT 1, China 0

It only took eight minutes, and the U.S. Women’s National team is on the board.

Sophia Smith trekked down the middle and received an assist by Trinity Rodman to help the U.S. women take a 1-0 lead in the 8th minute of the match against China PR.

Smith playfully danced and celebrated with teammates after the score, her 15th in international play.

Rose Lavelle missed a shot that soared over the net one minute later.

And Smith had two more shots minutes later: a kick that hit off the goalpost, and another defended by China’s goalie in the 12th minute.

How to watch: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. China PR on Saturday

The USWNT’s match against China PR on Saturday will be broadcast by TNT, Telemundo, Universo, Max, Peacock and Fútbol de Primera Radio.

Pregame reading

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – There’s a new energy surrounding the U.S. Women’s National Team. 

And they’ll have a chance to display it during Saturday’s match against China PR at DRV PNK Stadium – home to Lionel Messi and MLS squad Inter Miami. 

The match is set for 3 p.m. and will be broadcast by a variety of networks: TNT, Telemundo, Universo, Max, Peacock and Fútbol de Primera Radio.

USA TODAY Sports will be on-hand to deliver live updates here.

The U.S. women have already begun their rebuilding after their early exit in the 2023 World Cup earlier this year. 

New coach Emma Hayes, the longtime Chelsea coach who was FIFA’s coach of the year in 2021 and a six-time Super League champion, won’t begin her new role until next May when Chelsea’s season is complete.

But she spent four days with the squad this week in Fort Lauderdale to begin setting the foundation of a new direction back to glory with interim coach Twila Kilgore leading the day-to-day operations until then.

“The team and myself, we’re so very happy and honored to have Emma as our coach,” said captain Lindsey Horan, who plays for Lyon in France and scored in the last two World Cups for USWNT. 

“There’s so many great things that she’s done in the course of her career and with Chelsea as well … We don’t get her full time until May, but I think Twila is great with the team as well.”

Here’s the USWNT starting lineup and full roster for China PR match

Here’s the starting lineup for Saturday’s match:

And here’s the USWNT’s roster:

USWNT will play China twice this week

Saturday’s match will be the first of two exhibitions against China PR. Both teams will meet again on Tuesday at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas for an 8 p.m. ET match.

The goal against China is simple: USWNT wants to incorporate some of tactics they’ve been working on against an opponent, while seeing which players work well together in a live setting.

“Well, I want to win. We all want to win. And we want to see some different combinations of players, and players integrating into environment,” Kilgore said this week.

“I want to see a continued progression of some of the things that we’ve been working in within our group in terms of our possession, and also the freedom to try some new ideas.”

How has USWNT performed since the World Cup?

The U.S. Women have played in four matches since their World Cup exit in early August.

∎ Mia Fishel, Horan and Jaedyn Shaw scored in a 3-0 win over Colombia in San Diego on Oct. 29.  

∎ The U.S. Women played Colombia to a scoreless draw on Oct. 26 in Sandy, Utah.

∎ Trinity Rodman and Emily Sonnett scored in Megan Rapinoe’s last international match in a 2-0 win over South Africa in Chicago on Sept. 24.

∎ Lynn Williams scored twice, while Rodman added another goal in a 3-0 win over South Africa in Cincinnati, Ohio on Sept. 21.

How did the U.S. Women’s team perform at the World Cup?

The U.S. Women suffered their earliest exit at a major tournament when they were bounced by Sweden 5-4 in penalty kicks on Aug. 6.

But the downturn came much earlier for them, write USA TODAY columnist Nancy Armour.

More USWNT coverage from USA TODAY:

Formula 1 will be seeing the Stars and Stripes again next season as Logan Sargeant is staying with Williams Racing. The 22-year-old, who is the first American F1 driver since 2015, will retain his seat alongside Alex Albon in 2024, the team said in a statement Friday.

‘I am thrilled to be continuing with Williams Racing for the 2024 season,” Sargeant said in a statement. ‘It has been an incredible journey with the team so far, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue developing as a driver within such a talented and dedicated group. We have exciting plans for the future, and I can’t wait to contribute to the team’s success in the coming year.’

The American finished 21st in the drivers’ standings in his rookie campaign, last among drivers who were still active at the end of the season. He either did not finish or finished last in six races, including his home race, the Miami Grand Prix. He finished one point behind AlphaTauri driver Liam Lawson, who secured two points in five races filling in for an injured Daniel Ricciardo.

Sargeant got his lone point at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, in October. He finished 10th after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified when their cars did not pass post-race inspection. With the finish, he became the first American driver to earn a point since Michael Andretti’s third place finish at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix.

Williams Racing finished 2023 seventh in the constructors’ standings with 27 points from Albon and Sargeant’s one point.

Williams Racing team principal James Vowles explained the reasoning behind keeping Sargeant on the team:

“Logan has demonstrated immense skill whilst under the pressure of the world stage, making him a perfect fit for our team,’ Vowles said in a statement. “We have great confidence in his abilities and believe that together we can achieve even greater success in the upcoming season.’

Sargeant hails from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and moved to Europe as a child to chase his dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver. He climbed the Formula ladder and finished fourth in F2, earning him enough super license points to secure an F1 seat last October.

Sargeant joined the grid at a time when the sport expanded in the United States. There were three races in the United States this year for the first time, including the Miami Grand Prix and the Las Vegas Grand Prix. There hasn’t been an American race winner since Mario Andretti stood at the top of the podium at the 1978 Dutch Grand Prix.

“I want to be able to learn and adapt as quickly as possible to be at the top of my game,” Sargeant told USA TODAY Sports in May ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. “If I perform to the best of my ability, the results will come so it’s not something to really worry about. I just really want to enjoy it and take it all in.”