For years, a hallmark of Arizona State’s contracts with its highest profile athletics coaches has been to provide basic annual pay that is healthy but not near the top of its conference’s market — and to offer incentive-bonus packages that are among the most lucrative in college sports.

No one has come close to taking advantage the way football coach Kenny Dillingham has this season. And on Saturday, he likely added just over $1.5 million to his total as the Sun Devils defeated Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 Conference championship game in Arlington, Texas.

Dillingham — who has multiple bonuses based on a percentage of his basic annual pay from the school for the given season — will get $395,000 (10% of his $3.95 million in basic pay) for winning the Big 12 championship. And because that all but assures Arizona State a place in the 12-team College Football Playoff, he’ll get another $1.135 million for that achievement. (That’s 30% of his basic pay, less the $50,000 he already had secured for the Sun Devils being assured of an appearance in a non-playoff bowl game.)

While it builds on a season’s work, the $1.53 million total is the largest same-season bonus payout for winning a game since USA TODAY Sports began tracking these amounts on a weekly basis in 2019, working from documents it obtains from schools through open-records requests. It surpasses the $1.5 million that Jim Harbaugh reached in 2021, 2022 and 2023 when he led Michigan to Big Ten championship game victories that led to appearances in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Altogether for this season, Dillingham now has accumulated $2.525 million in on-field bonuses, although he has chosen to divide $200,000 among 20 off-the-field staff members. There are at least 63 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.

Dillingham is assured of additional money for Arizona State’s final ranking, as he gets a payment if the team appears in the final top 25 of the CFP rankings, or of the US LBM Coaches Poll or AP media poll. The Sun Devils entered Saturday’s game at No. 15 in the CFP rankings, the final version of which will be announced Sunday. They also are in the poll rankings, but the final versions of those won’t be decided until postseason play is complete. The amount of the final-rankings bonus depends on whether the team is No. 25 through No. 11, No. 10 through No. 6 or among the top five.

Dillingham’s $3.95 million in basic annual pay from the school this season ranks 11th among the Big 12’s 13 public schools.

He began his current contract year with a possible bonus maximum of nearly $5.4 million, a figure that includes $945,000 based on team academics. That’s the largest possible maximum for a Bowl Subdivision coach at a public school by nearly $1.6 million. (Texas A&M’s Mike Elko could have totaled $3.8 million.)

Since 2013, not adjusting for inflation, Arizona State’s head football coach has never had single-year bonus maximum of less than $3.1 million. Herm Edwards began the 2022 season with a maximum of nearly $5.6 million. The most he ever actually received in a year was $662,500.

Arizona State men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley last season had a bonus maximum of $2.055 million, the third-highest among coaches at Power Five public schools. He has been eligible for at least $1.9 million in bonuses in each of the past seven seasons.

Dillingham’s total so far for this season also includes amounts for the team’s ninth regular season win ($200,000), 10th regular season win ($300,000), reaching the Big 12 title game ($395,000) and being voted Big 12 coach of the year ($50,000).

He would pick up an additional amount if the Sun Devils play in the playoff semifinals and other amounts if they kept winning.

In addition, he will be getting $100,000 based on the team’s recently published NCAA Graduation Success Rate, and his contract includes bonus provisions for other team academic achievements that could give him several hundred thousand dollars more.

Update: Gunner Stockton rallied the Georgia Bulldogs to a 22-19 overtime victory against Texas. Kirby Smart said the Bulldogs believed in Stockton. ‘He’s a winner.’

Georgia football received quite the spark to open the second half of Saturday’s SEC championship game, as the Bulldogs looked to fight back from a 6-3 halftime deficit.

And it came from its backup quarterback.

Bulldogs backup quarterback Gunner Stockton started the second half of Saturday’s game against No. 2 Texas at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for injured starting quarterback Carson Beck.

Beck sustained an injury to his hand in the final play of the first half when he took a hit from Longhorns defensive edge Trey Moore. Here’s what you need to know about Stockton as he looks to lead Georgia to its first SEC championship title since 2022:

Who is Gunner Stockton?

Stockton is a redshirt sophomore backup quarterback on Georgia.

Stockton led the Bulldogs down the field for an opening touchdown to begin the second half. He later led a field goal drive to give Georgia a 13-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Gunner Stockton stats

The 6-foot-1 quarterback out of Tiger, Georgia, appeared in four games last season for the Bulldogs as a backup, completing 12 of 19 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his touchdowns last season came in the second half of the Bulldogs’ Orange Bowl win vs. Florida State, a 4-yard pass to Lawson Luckie and a 14-yard pass to Anthony Evans III.

Here’s a look at Stockton’s stats this season:

vs. Tennessee Tech: 10 of 12 (83.3%) passing for 90 yards
vs. UMass: 3 of 4 (75%) passing for 45 yards

Gunner Stockton 247 rating

Star rating: Four stars
National rating: No. 124 overall
Positional rating: No 7 quarterback
State rating: No. 12 player from state of Georgia

He committed to the Bulldogs on Jan. 28, 2021, over the likes of Alabama, Appalachian State, Arkansas, Auburn and Florida, among others.

(This story was updated with new information)

No. 5 Georgia football found itself with a deficit at halftime in Saturday’s SEC championship game against No. 2 Texas.

The Georgia quarterback was hurt in the final seconds of the first half as he was hit by Longhorns defensive edge Trey Moore. He was on the sidelines to start the second half but is unable to return to the game with a hand injury according ESPN’s Holly Rowe.

Celebrate Georgia’s SEC title with exclusive keepsakes

Going into halftime, Georgia coach Kirby Smart told Rowe that he hurt his hand as the ball was knocked out by Moore. Smart continued by saying Georgia will look at Beck during halftime.

‘He should be. I don’t know. We’ve got to go look at him,’ Smart told Rowe going into halftime.

Beck struggled in the first half against Texas’ offense, as he finished 7 of 13 passing for 56 yards in the first 30 minutes. The Bulldogs are looking for their SEC championship title since 2022.

Here’s the latest on Beck’s injury in the SEC championship game:

Carson Beck injury update

Beck returned on the final play of the game in overtime for Georgia after Gunner Stockton left the field following a hard hit that saw his helmet pop off. Beck handed the ball off to Trevor Etienne for the game-winning play.

Rowe reported at the start of the second half that Smart told her that Beck was unable to return to Saturday’s game. Georgia backup Gunner Stockton started the second half for the Bulldogs. Following Georgia’s touchdown drive to start the second half, ESPN cameras showed Beck getting his right elbow wrapped in ice by a member of Georgia’s medical staff.

Beck sustained an injury during the final play of the first half in Saturday’s SEC conference championship game when he was hit by Moore.

He lay down on the turf at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for several moments before he was tended to by members of the Georgia medical staff.

ESPN’s broadcast showed Beck walking off the field with members of the Georgia medical staff.

What is Carson Beck’s injury?

As noted by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Smart told reporters in Atlanta after the game that Beck has an upper-body injury. Smart said that Beck will go for an MRI to see what the Bulldogs are dealing with, as they go into their CFP first-round bye.

This story will be updated as new information comes out

On Saturday afternoon, Arizona State left little doubt about who the best team in the Big 12 was during the 2024 college football season.

The Sun Devils punctuated an 11-2 regular season with a dominant 45-19 win against Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, riding 208 total yards and three touchdowns from Cam Skattebo on their way to a lopsided victory.

It was an exclamation point on one of the best stories in college football this season, with Arizona State winning a conference in which it was picked to finish in last place in the league’s preseason poll.

Forks Up! Arizona State captures Big 12 title; celebrate with new book!

Though coach Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils will spend much of their Saturday basking in their accomplishment, questions still linger for them that won’t be answered until Sunday. The win against the Cyclones earned Arizona State a spot in the College Football Playoff as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions.

But once in the 12-team field, where will it be?

Here’s what you need to know about Arizona State and where it might end up in the College Football Playoff bracket:

Is Arizona State in the College Football Playoff?

Technically, no. For all intents and purposes, though? Yes, the Sun Devils are in.

The College Football playoff reserves spots for the five highest-rated conference champions. Arizona State was nine spots higher than Army, the next-highest-ranked conference champion, in the most recent playoff selection committee rankings, which were released last Tuesday. While Army drubbed Tulane 35-14 to win the American Athletic Conference Friday night, it won’t be enough to vault it past the Sun Devils.

Will Arizona State get bye in College Football Playoff?

The 12-team College Football Playoff guarantees the four highest-rated conference champions a first-round bye and an automatic spot in the national quarterfinals. With four major conferences — the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC — the widely held assumption was that in most years, those four byes would be earned by the champion of each of those leagues.

In the new format’s first year, that might not be the case. 

In the most recent rankings from the playoff selection committee, Boise State was No. 10, while Arizona State was five spots behind at No. 15. The Broncos, who won the Mountain West championship game against UNLV on Friday night, were the fourth highest-rated conference champion, with the Sun Devils fifth. Barring a shakeup, Boise State is in a position to earn that fourth and final bye while Arizona State would have to play a first-round game, likely on the road.

The question now is whether it will remain that way.

The Sun Devils’ margin of victory against Iowa State, a fellow top-20 team, was impressive. It also capped off a six-game stretch in which Arizona State was among the most impressive teams in the sport. During that time, it went 6-0 and beat three teams that were ranked in the top 20 at the time of the matchup.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark was quick to make note of that during the post-game trophy presentation.

‘The last six weeks, there has not been a better team in college football than ASU,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, you’ve punched your ticket to Tempe.’ (one of the playoff quarterfinal games is the Fiesta Bowl in nearby Glendale, Arizona, where the Sun Devils would likely end up if it gets a bye.)

The question is whether they have done enough to jump Boise State and get that coveted fourth first-round bye.

The Broncos impressed in their Mountain West championship victory, beating a top-20 UNLV team by 14 points for their second win of the season against the Rebels. Ashton Jeanty bolstered his already robust Heisman Trophy resume with 209 rushing yards and a touchdown.

As eye-opening as Arizona State’s win against Iowa State was, will it be enough to push the Sun Devils up six spots and past a team that also won during conference championship week? Entering this week, Arizona State had the No. 16 strength of record in ESPN’s Football Power Index, five spots behind Boise State. The Sun Devils had the No. 72 strength of schedule, putting it 10 spots ahead of the Broncos.

There’s one other scenario that could benefit Dillingham’s team. If Clemson beats SMU in the ACC championship game, the Tigers would be one of the five top conference champions (at the expense of the Mustangs, the projected No. 3 seed, no less). But at No. 17 in the most recent playoff committee rankings, it’s almost certain they Tigers finish behind Arizona State, which would make the Sun Devils the No. 4 conference champion, at worst.

Even if SMU wins, it’s possible that the Sun Devils could fail to earn a first-round bye, but at least avoid being the No. 12 seed, which they would have been based on the most recent committee rankings. The thumping of the Cyclones may have been enough to move Arizona State past the final at-large team in the field, which is currently Alabama.

College Football Playoff projected bracket

Here’s the projected College Football Playoff bracket as of 5:45 p.m. ET, with the Big 12 championship result taken into consideration and the results of the Big Ten, SEC and ACC championships based on the higher seed winning:

Oregon
Texas
SMU
Boise State
Notre Dame
Penn State
Georgia
Ohio State
Tennessee
Indiana
Arizona State
Alabama

The Chargers found themselves a good Ladd in the 2024 NFL Draft. Now, they’ll need him for Sunday.

Ladd McConkey is making the Chargers front office look like geniuses for investing the No. 34 overall pick on him last spring, as the receiver is enjoying plenty of success in his rookie season. However, the receiver has been no stranger to picking up some bumps and bruises along the way, which now threaten his Week 14 status.

With the practice week in the books and kickoff fast approaching, it’s a wonder whether the former Georgia Bulldog will be able to suit up for the AFC West division clash.

Here is the latest on McConkey ahead of ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 14.

Chiefs have become NFL equivalent of Ohio State for Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Ladd McConkey injury update

McConkey finds himself listed as questionable ahead of the Chargers’ Week 14 matchup against the Chiefs. The rookie receiver was a limited participant at practice all week, dealing with knee and shoulder injuries.

He has yet to miss a game this season, typically playing through whatever is ailing him that week.

Considering the receiver’s toughness, it would be hard to imagine McConkey sitting out in what is a big game for the Chargers. His practice week also lends itself to him being closer to probable than doubtful.

While the team will likely make the final determination, McConkey appears optimistic about his ability to play.

‘Shoot, if I can play, I’m gonna play,’ he said Thursday, via The Athletic’s Daniel Popper. ‘At the end of the day, I’m gonna do whatever I need to do to get out there.’

Not only would McConkey be hard to replace, the Chargers offense would take a massive hit without their budding star.

LA Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs odds, picks and predictions

Chargers WR depth chart

If McConkey can’t play on Sunday night, here’s what the Chargers would be working with at wide receiver:

Quentin Johnston
Joshua Palmer
Jalen Reagor
Derius Davis
D.J. Chark Jr.

While there are plenty of bodies that can replace McConkey for the Chargers, none of them can replicate the rookie’s impact. Wide receiver remains a major weakness on L.A.’s roster, something that will surely be addressed in the offseason.

Johnston and Palmer figure to slot in as the top-two pass-catchers alongside tight end Will Dissly. Reagor, Davis and Chark would likely be deployed in a committee approach to filling the WR3 role.

Ladd McConkey stats

McConkey has broken out over the last six weeks, finishing with at least 100 receiving yards in three of those outings. In 12 games, the rookie has caught 58-of-81 targets for 815 yards and four touchdowns. His 67.9 yards per game average ranks 19th in the league and third amongst rookies, while the 815 receiving yards is good enough for 13th-most and second for rookie pass-catchers behind the Raiders’ Brock Bowers.

This story has been updated with new information.

San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins is lighter in the wallet after flipping off a referee following his ejection.

Collins was ejected from Friday night’s 140-113 loss to the Sacramento Kings after picking up his second technical foul, but it’s what he did afterward that drew the ire of NBA disciplinarians. After being ejected, Collins didn’t immediately leave the court, instead flipping off Michael Smith, who has spent more than three decades as an NBA referee.

On Saturday, the NBA announced that Collins has been fined $35,000 for making an ‘obscene gesture.’

Collins, who played nine minutes and scored two points starting for injured star Victor Wembanyama, was tossed with 9:07 left in the second quarter when he protested a foul call, his third of the game, on Kings All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis. Collins was then checked out of the game and continued to bark his objections to the officials on his way to the bench, leading to two quick technicals and an automatic ejection.

All things Spurs: Latest San Antonio Spurs news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Following the Spurs’ loss on Friday, Mitch Johnson, who is serving as the Spurs’ interim head coach in Gregg Popovich’s absence, said he didn’t see or hear the commotion involving Collins.

‘I didn’t know what was said,’ Johnson said. ‘There was enough going on. We just moved on and tried to hold the fort together.’

Collins, a seven-year veteran, is averaging six points and 3.3 rebounds in 23 games this season.

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The Heisman Trophy race is seemingly down to two true contenders entering Saturday’s conference championship slate.

Colorado star Travis Hunter and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty have held on to the top two spots in recent weeks and both will almost certainly receive invitations to New York.

Those invitations will officially be sent Monday when the Heisman Trophy finalists are announced.

Here’s a look at the top four players in the Heisman odds entering Saturday morning:

Odds via BetMGM as of 1 a.m. ET on Saturday:

RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (+1500)

Jeanty rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries as Boise State beat UNLV 21-7 to win the Mountain West championship on Friday night. Jeanty was named the game’s offensive MVP while on a stage at midfield surrounded by a sea of fans chanting his name.

Jeanty is 132 yards away from breaking Barry Sanders’ FBS single-season rushing record. He has rushed for over 200 yards in six of 13 games played (he played in just the first half of two of those games as a result of blowouts).

WR/DB Travis Hunter, Colorado (-5000)

Hunter is the heavy favorite but he isn’t playing this week as Colorado did not qualify for the Big 12 championship game. Hunter has not announced a decision on whether he will play in the Buffaloes’ bowl game (which will take place after the Heisman has been voted on and awarded).

QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (+25000)

Gabriel is the other Heisman contender to watch this weekend as he leads Oregon into the Big Ten championship game against Penn State on Saturday.

Gabriel completed 16 of 23 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-21 victory over Washington last week. He also rushed for 20 yards and a touchdown on three carries.

QB Cam Ward, Miami (+25000)

Like Hunter, Ward will not play this weekend. Miami missed an opportunity to reach the ACC championship game by losing to Syracuse last week and appear set to miss the College Football Playoff barring some surprises. Miami is still bowl-bound, but Ward’s status for that game is unknown.

Timothée Chalamet is an Oscar-nominated actor who has brought to life a diverse set of characters such as Willy Wonka, space saga messiah Paul Atreides in the ‘Dune’ films, and even an embodiment of Bob Dylan in ‘A Complete Unknown,’ coming to theaters later this month.

But he’s not really known as much of a sports fan – evidently he follows the New York Knicks and Mets, The Sporting News says – so his selection as a panelist on ESPN’s College GameDay Saturday may have seemed somewhat softball. Wrong. Add football analyst to Chalamet’s resume because he wowed not only fellow panelists but also viewers with his picks and reasoning.

Chalamet quickly got fellow panelists Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit’s attention with his first pick: Jackson State over Southern in the Southwest Athletic Conference championship. ‘I’m going Jackson State. Eight wins in a row. 11 all-conference players. It should be a comfortable easy win for them,’ Chalamet said.

‘This guy’s a great actor,’ declared panelist Desmond Howard.Referring to Chalamet, Herbstreit added, ‘He said, ‘I only got six picks. I’m bringing the heat.”

College GameDay’s X account posted a highlight reel of Chalamet’s picks and analysis on games ranging from the SWAC Championship to the SEC title game.

‘ELITE BALL KNOWLEDGE,’ the account noted.

The actor maintained his moxie with his assessment of the Mid-American Conference championship matchup: Ohio University Bobcats vs. Miami (Ohio) RedHawks.

‘These teams are 2-2 in the last four matchups. The RedHawks’ defense looks good but I’m looking at 4th year Bobcats quarterback Parker Navarro (who has a) 65% completion rate,’ Chalamet said. ‘If he can get going it will tilt this in favor of the Bobcats. I’m going underdog Bobcats here.’

Chalamet references ‘movie dad’ Matthew McConaughey

Chalamet upset University of Georgia fans crowding around the GameDay set in Atlanta ahead of the afternoon’s SEC Championship game when he chose the University of Texas Longhorns over the Bulldogs. ‘You know it’s hard to beat the same team twice,’ he said, referring to Georgia’s 30-15 win over Texas two months ago.

‘Adjustments are made. It’s like a game of chess,’ Chalamet continued. ‘(Former Alabama) Coach (Nick) Saban knows this better than anyone on this dais. Listen, I’m going with my movie dad (and ‘Interstellar’ co-star Matthew) McConaughey,’ a noted Longhorns fan who often prowls the Texas sideline during games.

‘I’m sorry to everybody here (in predicting) a Longhorns victory,’ Chalemet said, but showed a Hook ’em Horns sign with his right hand.

Chalamet – who also put up $400,000 for the show’s field goal challenge – certainly didn’t disappoint viewers at home who quickly took to social media to pronounce the actor’s football knowledge.

Earlier this week when Chalamet’s appearance was announced, many were skeptical. ‘That man has never watched a college football game in his life …’ posted one person on X.

‘You couldn’t find a famous football fan that went to Georgia or Texas,’ another asked.

The fact Disney owns ESPN and Searchlight Pictures, which is releasing ‘A Complete Unknown,’ was brought up as the obvious connection.

‘LISAN AL GAIB!’ declared the College GameDay X account on Thursday. ‘Timothée Chalamet is joining us in Atlanta as this weekend’s guest picker.’

After Chalamet’s performance, many were happy to eat crow and Chalamet’s name became a trending topic on X.

‘I’ve never been more wrong about anything in my life than I was about Timothee Chalamet college football knowledge. Im speechless. This guy knows ball,’ one viewer posted on X.

Another noted that only Chalamet on the panel chose Ohio to beat Miami (Ohio) before the Bobcats went up big in the third quarter.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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Forget about random metrics and data points and the eye test, the prisoner of the moment a la carte for the College Football Playoff selection committee.

Boise State has nailed them all.

The No. 10 Broncos made it very easy for the committee with Friday night’s 21-7 victory over No. 19 UNLV for the Mountain West Conference championship. They left no doubt.

The Broncos have 12 wins. They’ve won a conference championship. Their two wins against the Rebels are more victories against College Football Playoff top 25 team than any of the four teams playing in the Big 12 and ACC championship games.

They’ve reached every moving metric of the committee – including the best loss of anyone in the field – and left no doubt: they deserve one of the four first-round byes for the highest-ranked conference champions.

Do the right thing, College Football selection committee. Give the Broncos a first round bye.

This isn’t about star tailback Ashton Jeanty’s remarkable, Heisman Trophy-worthy season. Or the biggest win in school history.

This is about a program that for the last two decades has been pressing the BCS and CFP postseasons, and for one reason or another, never reached it. Now that the Broncos have reached every moving CFP metric, there’s no avoiding it.

If by some chance Boise State doesn’t receive a bye, a ranking in the top eight – guaranteeing a first round home game – is a lock. At this point, it’s impossible for the committee to use Boise State’s conference schedule against it, when the committee hasn’t used Indiana and Penn State’s weak conference schedules against them. Or even SMU’s.

No matter what happens Saturday, Boise State will have more wins than the Big 12 champion (Arizona State or Iowa State), and only SMU can reach 12 wins from the ACC.

And since the CFP committee isn’t focusing on strength of schedule and has clearly favored wins above all else (hello, Indiana), we’re left with comparing losses. No one in the nation has a better loss than Boise State, which lost at No. 1 Oregon on the final play of the game.

The Ducks needed a punt return for a touchdown, a kickoff return for a touchdown and a game-winning field goal to secure a controversial victory. Officials stayed with the call on the field that Oregon’s Noah Whittington didn’t drop the football before crossing the end zone (when he clearly did) to tie the game at 34, and later in the fourth quarter, the game-winning drive included a questionable pass interference penalty moved the ball to the Boise State 28.

The best win among the other four teams from the ACC and Big 12 is a win over Brigham Young for Arizona State. That’s the only ranked win by the four schools. A win by the Sun Devils against Iowa State would equal Boise State’s two wins ranked victories.

Above all of those metrics and data points: Boise State began the week five spots ahead of No. 15 ASU, and six spots ahead of No. 16 Iowa State. Only SMU, at No. 8, is ahead of the Broncos — but SMU’s win over Clemson would be its first.

There’s no way out of this now for the committee. They’ve boxed themselves in.

The only answer is the easy one: give Boise State a first-round bye.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.