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Ohio State C Seth McLaughlin tears Achilles, likely out for season

No. 2 Ohio State’s pursuit of a college football national championship will have to continue without one of its starting offensive linemen.

As noted by the Columbus Dispatch, Buckeyes center Seth McLaughlin tore an Achilles tendon in practice on Tuesday, an injury that’s likely to sideline him for the remainder of the 2024 season.

An Alabama transfer, McLaughlin has been impressive in his first season with the Ohio State program. Last month, he was named a midseason all-American by the Associated Press and The Sporting News, among other outlets.

The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Buford, Georgia native has started in all 10 of the Buckeyes’ games this season. During that time, he played 565 snaps and had not allowed a sack, according to data from Pro Football Focus.

With McLaughlin anchoring the middle of the offensive line, Ohio State’s run game has improved considerably this year. The Buckeyes are averaging 5.25 yards per carry this season after averaging just 4.19 in 2023, though that figure has also been buoyed by the addition of standout transfer running back Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss to join TreVeyon Henderson in the team’s backfield.

McLaughlin is likely to be replaced by Joshua Padilla, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound redshirt freshman who has served as the backup center the past several weeks and played the final series of Ohio State’s 31-7 victory last Saturday against Northwestern after the starters had been removed from the game. Padilla was a four-star prospect and the No. 11 interior offensive lineman nationally in the 2023 recruiting class, according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings.

McLaughlin’s torn Achilles is the latest injury that has impacted the Buckeyes’ offensive line this season. Josh Simmons, the team’s starting left tackle, left Ohio State’s 32-31 loss at Oregon on Oct. 12 with what turned out to be a season-ending knee injury.

The injury comes at an inopportune time, as well, with the Buckeyes hosting No. 5 Indiana on Saturday in a matchup of top-five teams before turning their attention to archrival Michigan the following week.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Notre Dame bamboozles College Football Playoff committee with helmet magic

Notre Dame’s loss to Northern Illinois is the ugliest loss of any CFP contender, but Irish are positioned for an ideal playoff seed.
Should Notre Dame be in the playoff? No argument. But, hosting a first-round game? C’mon, that’s the persuasive magic of the golden dome at work.
Irish rank ahead of a glob of two-loss SEC teams in CFP rankings.

The golden dome works wonders on the College Football Playoff selection committee.

After Notre Dame lost on its home turf two months ago to an average MAC opponent, reasonable minds wondered whether that loss would eliminate the Fighting Irish from the playoff.

How would the committee assess a one-loss Notre Dame compared to a two-loss SEC team that played a more rugged schedule?

Well, we have our answer. The committee forgiveth the Irish. They’re ranked No. 6 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, ahead of a glob of two-loss SEC teams that play tougher schedules. It’s almost as if that 16-14 home loss to Northern Illinois never happened.

How stupid we were, to think the committee would get heavy-handed on the South Bend glory boys. I mean, c’mon, a lot of these committee members probably watched “Rudy.”

Touchdown Jesus has broad shoulders. He lifts a heavy load.

Beat a few meek opponents from the ACC, and presto! Not only are the 9-1 Irish positioned to the make the playoff, they’re being rewarded with the enviable spot to host a first-round game.

Based on what, exactly?

“The Irish have really, since that loss, performed very well,” said College Football Playoff selection committee chairman Warde Manuel, who is Michigan’s athletic director.

“Riley Leonard has come into his own. He’s really a dynamic runner. They had a great opening win against Texas A&M. … They had a dominant performance (against Navy), and so, we’ve been impressed at how Notre Dame has recovered since that loss to NIU at home.”

BIG BUCKEYES FANS: Why the SEC is rooting for Ohio State against Indiana

Put Notre Dame in CFP bracket, but host? Too much

Look, everything Manuel said is true.

Notre Dame swiftly and effectively recovered from that loss. The Irish defense is legit, and Leonard found his stride throughout his first season with a new squad.

I take little issue with Notre Dame being in the playoff, but rewarding the Irish with a first-round home game despite a loss to Northern Illinois and squishy strength of schedule is a step too far.

Consider, nobody else we’re discussing in serious playoff contention lost to a Group of Five team. Alabama losing at Vanderbilt is not equivalent to losing at home to NIU, but the Irish rank ahead of the Tide, courtesy of having one fewer loss thanks to a much easier schedule.

Every single Power Four team in playoff consideration scheduled a minimum of nine Power Four opponents. Notre Dame scheduled eight.

The Irish will play only three true road games. One of those came against Purdue, which is 1-9. Every other team in playoff contention will play more road games than Notre Dame.

Need I go on? OK, I will.

The seven Power Four opponents Notre Dame faced so far have a combined record of 30-40. Credit the Irish for blowing out mediocre and bad opponents.

Notre Dame’s road win at Texas A&M serves as its crown jewel, but the argument here isn’t whether Notre Dame should get in over the Aggies. Of course the Irish should be ahead of Texas A&M in the pecking order.

The issue here is not whether to admit Notre Dame, but whether a quality season-opening road win should be enough to power the Irish to host status. The Irish are ranked ahead of teams like Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia, when their strength of schedule trails every single SEC team in playoff contention.

Just how high can Notre Dame go in the CFP seeding?

If the playoff started today, Notre Dame would be seeded No. 8 and host the No. 9 seed, but at least one team ranked ahead of it is guaranteed to lose, because Ohio State and Indiana will play each other. Other teams ranked ahead of the Irish might lose in a conference championship game, a risk Notre Dame won’t take as an independent.

If you think I make too big of a deal about whether a team is seeded high enough to host a first-round game, as opposed to having to go on the road, talk to any coach. They’ll tell you seeding is critical. Those Nos. 5 through 8 seeds are coveted spots, because it ensures you’ll play every playoff game either at home or at a neutral site.

By playoff selection day, the Irish could climb all the way to the No. 5 seed and host the playoff’s worst team, while owning the most embarrassing loss of any team in the field and pinning its résumé to its helmets.

That’s quite a prize, considering a No. 5 seed is literally the best seed Notre Dame is eligible to receive. Top-four seeds are reserved for conference champions.

Let’s pause to say this could sort itself out on the field.

The Irish have games remaining against undefeated Army and at Southern California, two of their toughest tests. Lose one, and we won’t be debating whether Notre Dame should be a first-round host, because the Irish won’t be in the playoff at all. An Irish loss would unlock a playoff spot for Tennessee.

If the Irish win these next two, they’re on easy street.

They can sit back and relax on conference championship weekend, study a little film, and polish those golden domes that pulled one over on the selection committee.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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NBA MVP power rankings: Will Jokic performance test voter fatigue?

Voter fatigue will be tested in the NBA’s MVP race this season – as long as Denver Nuggets three-time MVP Nikola Jokic continues to play like he is right now.

Jokic, who may have just recorded another 30-point triple-double as you read this, is putting himself in position to win the award for the fourth time in five seasons. If that happens, he would be the first person to do that since LeBron James won four MVPs in five seasons (2009-2013) and just the third player in NBA history to do it, joining Hall of Famer Bill Russell (1961-1965).

Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar never did that with his six MVPs (though he collected the award five times in seven seasons), and Hall of Famer Michael Jordan won MVP five times but never four in five seasons.

In this space, we’re a bit weary (and leery, too) of the idea of voter fatigue. The job of MVP voters – a collection of 100 NBA writers and broadcasters – is to identify and select the best player that season regardless of past results.

If that’s Jokic, so be it. Voting for MVP also isn’t an exercise in adjudicating whether one player deserves to win the award four times in five seasons and how that will look in the future.

Now, we’re just one month into the season, and there have been some outstanding starts from several players. So the MVP race is just getting started.

Here are USA TODAY’s NBA MVP power rankings:

NBA MVP power rankings

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Jokic, 29, has been spectacular – even by his standards. He’s averaging 29.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, 11.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks and shooting 56.3% from the field, 56.4% on 3-pointers and 84.3% on free throws.

In 10 games (Denver is 7-3 in those), he has six triple-doubles and nine double-doubles, including four consecutive triple-doubles. He is one assist shy against Utah and one rebound short against Minnesota from seven consecutive triple-doubles. He has recorded a 30-point triple-double, 20-rebound triple-double and two 16-assist triple doubles this season. If he keeps this up, he’s putting together a career-year to his Hall of Fame résumé.

2. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

The reworked Lakers offense runs through Davis, who is one of only two players averaging north of 30 points per game. Davis, 31, was last a serious MVP contender in 2017-18, when he finished third in voting. His numbers then are similar — if not a tier below — his current production: 31.1 points, 11.2 rebounds, 10.8 field goals on 19.2 attempts per game. And, all this has come after Davis has battled ankle and eye injuries last week.

3. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Though the NBA later admitted he had traveled before hitting a game-winning 3-pointer against Toronto, Tatum nonetheless converted it and has asserted himself more this season on the offensive end. Tatum ranks third in scoring (29.7 points per game) and rounds out his game with 7.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. His case continues to be impaired by the overall talent that surrounds him in Boston — in a late October game against Milwaukee, he scored only 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting (including one-of-eight from 3), and the Celtics still won by 11. Still, Tatum remains one of the most balanced two-way players in the world.

4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Of all the players on this list, perhaps with the exception of Jokić, Gilgeous-Alexander is the most consistent. He has scored fewer than 25 points in just four of his 14 games this season — and each of those came in the Thunder’s first 10 games. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.3 points over the last seven and has taken on a bigger load with Chet Holmgren (hip) out indefinitely. Gilgeous-Alexander does it on both ends, too, excelling in Oklahoma City’s top-rated defense.

5. De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings

De’Aaron Fox scored 60 points Saturday and 49 points Sunday – 109 points in 24 hours! – raising his scoring average to 28.9 points. He also averages 5.6 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals and shoots 50.9% from the field and 34.5% on 3-pointers. Teammate Malik Monk has missed a week with a sprained ankle and is expected to miss another week, and Fox has increased his scoring in a time of need for the 8-6 Kings. Fox was an All-Star and All-NBA performer in 2022-23 but missed out on both last season – and he was right on the cusp. Playing like he is now puts him back in the running for those prestigious honors.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Speaker Johnson announces new Capitol bathroom policy in response to controversy over trans House member

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced a new bathroom policy for the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in response to controversy related to transgender Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Del.

‘All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings – such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms – are reserved for individuals of that biological sex,’ Johnson, R-La., said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. ‘It is important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol.’ 

‘Women deserve women’s only spaces,’ Johnson added. 

‘Like all policies, it is enforceable,’ Johnson later told reporters. ‘But we have single-sex facilities for a reason, and women deserve women’s only spaces. And we’re not anti anyone. We’re pro-women, and I think it’s an important policy for us to continue. It’s always been the, I guess, an unwritten policy, but now it’s in writing.’ 

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., earlier this week introduced a resolution that moves to prohibit members, officers and employees of the House from using ‘single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.’ 

Mace, who is a rape survivor, was derided by Democrats, including McBride, as a ‘right-wing extremist’ over the resolution, but the South Carolina congresswoman doubled down on Wednesday. 

She introduced another new bill to ‘ban biological men from using women’s private, protected facilities – such as bathrooms and locker rooms – on all federal property’ across the country. 

‘The radical Left would rather call me an extremist than admit they are wrong. The radical Left says I’m a ‘threat.’ You better believe it,’ Mace said in a statement. ‘And I will shamelessly call you out for putting women and girls in harm’s way. Women fought for these spaces, and I will not let them be erased to score political points with a small but loud activist class.’ 

Mace’s office added that ‘the vast majority of Americans recognize the importance of protecting women’s rights and privacy,’ while ‘the woke mob manufactures outrage.’ 

‘Women and girls shouldn’t have to give up their safety or privacy just because the Left wants to win points with their activist base,’ Mace continued. ‘This isn’t controversial – it’s common sense. I’m going to continue defending women and girls from these harmful, out-of-touch, and straight-up weird policies.’

Mace had said she received death threats for bringing the first resolution, sharing to X one social media video of a transgender individual threatening to beat and kill her.  

Johnson, who initially declined to respond to a question Tuesday on whether McBride was a man or a woman, made a definitive clarification later that day, telling reporters, ‘Let me be unequivocally clear: A man is a man, and a woman is a woman. And a man cannot become a woman.’ 

The speaker added: ‘I also believe that we treat everybody with dignity, and so we can do and believe all those things at the same time.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Lindsey Graham urges GOP not to form ‘lynch mob’ ahead of Gaetz confirmation

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C, on Wednesday urged his Republican colleagues not to form a ‘lynch mob’ to block President-elect Trump’s controversial choice of Matt Gaetz to be U.S. attorney general.

Neither should the GOP-controlled Senate give Gaetz a ‘rubber stamp,’ Graham said in a statement that called for a fair process after he met with the prospective nominee and Vice President-elect JD Vance.  

‘My record is clear. I tend to defer to presidential cabinet choices unless the evidence suggests disqualification,’ said the South Carolina senator.

‘I fear the process surrounding the Gaetz nomination is turning into an angry mob, and unverified allegations are being treated as if they are true. I have seen this movie before.’ 

Graham appears to be alluding to the 2018 confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which was rocked by unproven allegations of sexual assault made by Christine Blasey Ford. Kavanaugh emphatically denied Ford’s claims, and she was never able to identify the time and place of the alleged assault or provide corroborating witnesses to support her account. 

Kavanaugh was narrowly confirmed, mostly along party lines, after Ford provided emotional testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Graham served as chairman. 

Trump’s selection of his close ally Gaetz to lead the Justice Department caught many Republicans by surprise since he does not have prior law enforcement experience and also faces misconduct allegations. Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly after Trump made the announcement. 

Gaetz was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which subpoenaed him as recently as September for an ongoing investigation into alleged sexual misconduct with a minor. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and had told the panel he would ‘no longer voluntarily participate’ in its probe.

The firebrand ex-Florida lawmaker has not been convicted of any charges related to these allegations. He was previously under a yearlong investigation by the DOJ, but federal prosecutors ultimately decided against an indictment. 

Still, the allegations could make Gaetz’s confirmation more difficult even in the Republican-controlled Senate. A source familiar has told Fox News Digital that Gaetz is ‘working the phones’ to address concerns from GOP senators ahead of his confirmation hearings next year. He is also making the rounds with Vance on Capitol Hill to meet with senators directly. 

‘The meetings have been productive with AG nominee Gaetz listening to senators’ thoughts on the role of the DOJ and the confirmation process. Gaetz is looking forward to meeting with more senators throughout this process on the Hill,’ a Trump transition official told Fox News Digital. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said earlier this week that he had a ‘nice chat’ with Gaetz and that the congressman ‘wants to have the chance to clear his name in a hearing.’ 

Graham urged his colleagues to give Gaetz that chance.

‘I would urge all of my Senate colleagues, particularly Republicans, not to join the lynch mob and give the process a chance to move forward. After years of being investigated by the Department of Justice, no charges were brought against Matt Gaetz. This is something we should all remember,’ he said Wednesday.

‘I would also urge my colleagues to go back to a time-tested process, receive relevant information, and give the nominee a chance to make their case as to why they should be confirmed. This standard – which I have long adhered to – has served the Senate and country well.’

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Iran vastly increased nuclear fuel stockpile ahead of Trump return, UN agency finds

Iran has increased its nearly weapons-grade uranium, a United Nations watchdog found, defying international demands to rein in its nuclear program.

Iran now has enough uranium at 60% purity, just below the 90% purity needed for a weapon, to produce about four nuclear bombs, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report said. 

The report found Iran had about 400 pounds of uranium enriched to 60% as of Oct. 26, up 40 pounds from August. 

Around 92 pounds of uranium, enriched at 90%, is needed to make an atomic weapon. 

Iran’s overall stockpile of uranium enriched at any level reached about 14,560 pounds, up 1,880 pounds from August.

It comes as Iran has offered to cease enriching uranium beyond 60% – but only if the European Union and the United Kingdom cease their efforts to slap new sanctions on Iran and the IAEA drops a censure resolution it is pursuing.

During a meeting between IAEA general director Rafael Grossi and high-level Iranian diplomats, ‘the possibility of Iran not further expanding its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% U-235 was discussed, including technical verification measures necessary for the Agency to confirm this, if implemented,’ Grossi said. 

He added that Iran said it would consider accepting agency inspectors to conduct oversight of its nuclear materials. 

Experts say there is no credible use of 60% uranium at the civilian level. 

Concerns have swelled among Western nations that Iran could decide pursuing a nuclear bomb is its best deterrent, after Israel hollowed out Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran’s biggest proxies. U.S. intelligence suggests they’ve improved their manufacturing capabilities for doing so over the past year. 

It’s not yet clear whether President-elect Trump will come in with a combative or diplomatic tone toward Iran, but he’s promised to crack down on sanctions on the regime that he claims President Biden failed to enforce. 

The European Union on Monday widened sanctions against Iran for its alleged support for Russia in the war in Ukraine, including targeting the national seafaring company and ships used to transfer drones and missiles. Acting in tandem, the U.K. froze the assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied that Iran was aiding Russia and warned the sanctions would prompt Iran to retaliate. 

‘There is no legal, logical or moral basis for such behavior. If anything, it will only compel what it ostensibly seeks to prevent,’ Araghchi wrote on X.

‘Freedom of navigation is a basic principle of the law of the sea. When selectively applied by some, such shortsightedness usually tends to boomerang,’ Araghchi wrote.

The IAEA board is expected to move forward with a European-backed censure resolution, which could lead to the issue being escalated to the U.N. Security Council for possible measures against Tehran. 

That resolution would condemn Tehran’s lack of responsiveness and call for creating a comprehensive report of all open questions about Iran’s nuclear work. 

Iran has not formally decided whether to build a nuclear bomb, according to the latest available U.S. intelligence. But as of September 2024, Iran could produce weapons-grade uranium in about seven days and have enough for six to nine nuclear bombs within a month if it wanted to, according to David Albright at the Institute for Science and International Security.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Be ALERT for Warning Signs – S&P 500 Downturn

In this exclusive StockCharts video, Joe goes into detail on the S&P 500 ETF (SPY), sharing why using MACD and ADX together can be beneficial — especially in the current environment. He touches on Sentiment, Volatility and Momentum, pointing to reasons why we need to be on alert at this time for signs of a downturn. Joe covers the QQQ and IWM since both are at critical levels right now. Finally, he goes through the symbol requests that came through this week, including AMZN, CVNA, and more.

This video was originally published on November 20, 2024. Click this link to watch on StockCharts TV.

Archived videos from Joe are available at this link. Send symbol requests to stocktalk@stockcharts.com; you can also submit a request in the comments section below the video on YouTube. Symbol Requests can be sent in throughout the week prior to the next show.

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Comcast announces plan to spin off cable channels, including MSNBC, CNBC and USA

Comcast announced a plan Wednesday to spin off most of its cable television networks into a separate publicly traded company.

The new company will include the USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and the Golf Channel. Comcast will retain key NBCUniversal assets, including the NBC broadcast network, NBC News, NBC Sports, the streaming service Peacock and the cable channel Bravo.

“The transaction will be structured as a tax-free spin to existing shareholders,” Comcast President Mike Cavanagh said in an internal memo. “While we don’t have a precise timetable for completing the transition, we are estimating that it will take approximately a year.”

Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.

The move comes as the traditional cable television bundle faces stiff economic headwinds, most notably the rise of cord-cutting and the shift to streaming alternatives. Comcast’s cable portfolio still contributes to its financial bottom line and helps expand its cultural footprint.

“The well-capitalized, independent company will be positioned to lead in the changing landscape for cable networks given the strength of its portfolio and the quality and focus of its management team,” Cavanagh said. 

The new company, known for the time being as SpinCo, “will have significant cash flow, a strong balance sheet, and the financial flexibility to pursue growth opportunities, both organically and potentially through acquisitions,” Cavanagh added.

Cavanagh said the new company will be led by Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal’s media group. Anand Kini, NBCUniversal’s chief financial officer, will serve as the CFO and chief operating officer.

The plan was first reported by The Wall Street Journal and then confirmed to NBC News on Tuesday by two people familiar with the matter.

The new business structure is notable partly because it would separate MSNBC and CNBC from the central newsgathering operations of NBC News. It was not immediately clear whether the cable news channels and the network’s core news division would continue to share editorial resources.

Dan Ives, a managing director and senior equity research analyst covering the technology sector at Wedbush Securities, said in an email that the spinoff move is appealing to investors. Comcast’s stock price rose by about 0.5% in premarket trading Wednesday.

“The Street wanted to see this move and we believe it will be a smart strategic move for both Comcast and the new spinoff with golden jewel cable assets like CNBC and MSNBC,” he said. “The cord cutting dynamic is a headwind but we see brighter days ahead as cable defines a new monetization and streaming path with subscriptions and content to build on its strong advertising base looking forward.”

Rich Greenfield, a media and technology analyst who often criticizes media companies for what he views as a belated reaction to cord-cutting, framed the move in blunt terms in an appearance on CNBC: “This is sort of a very clear, direct statement by Comcast.”

“They are exiting the cable network business,” said Greenfield, a co-founder of research firm LightShed Partners. “This is them saying we don’t want to be in this business. This is no longer a growth business. It’s going to be around for a long time, but it’s just no longer a growth business.”

Cavanagh on Wednesday also announced a reorganized leadership team for NBCUniversal.

Cesar Conde will continue leading the NBCUniversal News Group as chairman. The division includes NBC News, the NBC News Now streaming product, Telemundo and the company’s owned-and-operated local stations. Cavanagh added Conde “will work closely with me on other growth opportunities for NBCUniversal.”

Donna Langley will become chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios, a role that will give her broad oversight over all entertainment programming and marketing across NBC, Peacock and Bravo, as well as the company’s film and television studios.

Matt Strauss will become chairman of the NBCUniversal Media Group. Mark Woodbury will continue in his role as chairman and chief executive officer of Universal Destinations & Experiences, the unit that runs the theme parks and global consumer products business.

Comcast agreed to buy a majority stake in NBCUniversal from General Electric in 2009, combining one of the country’s largest operators of cable TV with the sizable NBC media and entertainment operation. The cable channels were seen as a particularly lucrative acquisition.

Since then, the rise of streaming entertainment has eaten into the cable television business, leading to waves of consumers canceling their cable subscriptions in favor of platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

In this environment, many cable channels are still profitable businesses, with some continuing to generate strong cash flows for their corporate owners. But the media industry writ large considers the cable marketplace to be in decline.

Comcast, like other leading media conglomerates, has invested heavily in streaming. Peacock, home to a large library of NBCUniversal content and programming licensed from other studios, added 3 million subscribers during the third fiscal quarter, according to the company’s most recent earnings report. Comcast lost 365,000 cable customers during that period.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Grades, snubs for the latest College Football Playoff rankings

To the College Football Playoff selection committee: time to take a look at your report card.

Ever since the first set of rankings were released two weeks ago, there have been plenty of chaos in the sport to turn the rankings on its head and alter the course for the 12-team playoff. While some teams have deservingly moved up or down as a result of events, others have been left in questionable spots. That one squad that clearly belongs in the field has an uncertain path, or another is getting too much credit despite a lackluster resume.

There’s plenty of debate as to who is in the right spot and who is either ranked too high or too low, and the arguments will continue to heat up with only a few weeks left before the official bracket is revealed. As we head into the home stretch of the regular season, here are the grades for where every team is ranked in the latest College Football Playoff rankings:

1. Oregon: A+

Even with the shaky performance at Wisconsin, Oregon remains the top team in the country and is deservingly at No. 1.

2. Ohio State: A+

The Buckeyes can get a major boost to its resume by taking down Indiana this week, and should be behind a Ducks team it narrowly lost to.

3. Texas: A

The resume isn’t all that strong for the Longhorns, but they still have the inside track toward making the SEC championship game and getting the automatic bye.

4. Penn State: C+

The only loss is against Ohio State, but there aren’t many opportunities for Penn State to boast a good resume. Should Indiana also lose to Ohio State, what justifies Penn State likely being much higher than the Hoosiers?

5. Indiana: A

The ranking doesn’t really matter at this point since Indiana faces its biggest game of the season at Ohio State, with a chance to jump high in the rankings. In addition to the result, how the Hoosiers play will be a major emphasis for the committee.

6. Notre Dame: B

It must be nice that the loss to Northern Illinois isn’t being punished as much as it should be, but the Fighting Irish benefit from teams ahead of them falling. But a win against Army would be a big boost.

7. Alabama: B-

Alabama capitalizes on cupcake week and teams ahead of them falling. Georgia (a team it beat) winning likely is the reason why Alabama jumped Miami, but the Crimson Tide shouldn’t be rewarded for beating Mercer by jumping over Miami.

8. Miami: C-

The Hurricanes get to move up a spot after having the week off, but they have to be annoyed by Alabama leapfrogging them in the rankings.

9. Mississippi: A+

Mississippi gets a resume booster with Georgia beating Tennessee and rightfully is ahead of a Bulldog team it beat.

10. Georgia: A

Georgia gets into the projected playoff field with a win over Tennessee and shouldn’t be anywhere near jumping the two teams to beat them in Alabama and Mississippi.

11. Tennessee: B+

The Volunteers didn’t drop too far down after the loss to Georgia, even though they maybe should have gone down a bit further. The other loss this season came from a middling Arkansas team that doesn’t appear to be hurting as much as it should.

12. Boise State: C-

How about a first-round bye for Boise State? While projected to do so, it doesn’t look like Boise State will be able to hold it. IT doesn’t have any opportunity to move up as long as the SEC teams ahead of them win out, plus it appears the ACC and Big 12 champion will get a bigger boost to their rankings.

13. Southern Methodist: B

Still on the outside of the projected field, SMU is now pretty reliant on winning the ACC title or a catastrophic downfall from one of the at-large SEC teams to make the playoff.

14. Brigham Young: C+

Sure Kansas is surging, but it’s still a team BYU should’ve beaten. However, the drop-off shouldn’t have put the Cougars behind an SMU team it beat. At the moment, BYU wouldn’t get a first-round bye − losing it to Boise State − even though it has better wins than the Broncos.

15. Texas A&M: A

Seemingly stuck in purgatory with the best win coming against a wrongfully ranked Missouri team, Texas A&M shouldn’t be moving up. It does have a chance to win the SEC, but the season rides on handling Auburn and upsetting rival Texas.

16. Colorado: C-

Colorado is red-hot, but moving up only one spot after dismantling Utah and stuck behind so many SEC teams shows there isn’t much chance for the Big 12 to get two teams into the playoff.

17. Clemson: B

Clemson should have lost to Pittsburgh but escaped with a victory and moved up three spots. An ACC title is still in reach, but it has to hope things swing its way. Plus, the Palmetto battle with South Carolina is in two weeks.

18. South Carolina: C+

A wild win over Missouri boosts South Carolina three spots in what has become an impressive season. However, South Carolina doesn’t have any shot of making the playoff unless some absolute chaos breaks out.

19. Army: B

After starting off low, Army got its biggest jump in these rankings so far. The resume is hurting the undefeated Black Knights, but the season rests on how Army does against Notre Dame. After this Saturday, Army’s ranking can really be assessed.

20. Tulane: A

With a spot in the American title game locked up, Tulane will be vying to be second Group of Five team to have an argument to make the playoff. The Green Wave should be behind Army since it has two losses.

21. Arizona State: A-

The Sun Devils are finally ranked after an impressive win over Kansas State and a Big 12 title within reach. However, Arizona State has a strength of record at 18th, which questions why they are still behind Tulane and perhaps Army.

22. Iowa State: B

Iowa State is back on the winning side after it lost two games in a row. The ranking is more a result of teams completely dropping out of the poll, even if there’s an outside shot the Cyclones win the Big 12.

23. Missouri: F

Lose and don’t move at all? Missouri not getting punished for losing to South Carolina is questionable and gives teams in Alabama, Texas A&M and South Carolina the chance to say they have a ranked win when they shouldn’t.

24. UNLV: C+

UNLV has been good this season with an 8-2 record, but this ranking is questionable since the Rebels don’t control their destiny in the Mountain West and their best win is against 5-5 Fresno State. It does add some intrigue to Boise State’s resume since they beat UNLV.

25. Illinois: B+

The Big Ten suddenly has another ranked team, which Oregon and Penn State are loving since they both beat Illinois. Watch how this team finishes the season and how high they can move to boost the Ducks’ and Nittany Lions’ resume.

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Podcast: Indiana leads playoff rankings controversy and Week 13 preview

Tensions are high and controversy is ramping up around the College Football Playoff rankings with less than three weeks left before the field is set on Selection Sunday.

Part of this week’s debate centered on the status of Indiana, which has a schedule short on quality opponents but long on victories. The Hoosiers are unbeaten heading into its showdown with Ohio State. But could the SEC earn a fifth spot in the field should they lose convincingly? How that shakes out could not just impact this year’s playoff but how the format is shaped in the future.

The other flash point comes with regard to the possibility of Boise State earning a first-round bye as one of the four highest-rated conference champions. The Broncos are currently ahead of every Big 12 team and in front of all but Miami from the ACC. Results in the coming weeks will decide how this all shakes out.

That leads us to Week 13. We already have the aforementioned Ohio State-Indiana showdown in the Big Ten that will bring more clarity to the conference race. Notre Dame and Army are playing at Yankee Stadium in a game nobody thought would have playoff implications. The Big 12 also will start to sort itself out after Brigham Young travels to Arizona State.

Who will emerge victorious? Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg address these topics and more in this week’s version of the College Football Fix.

BAMBOOZLED: Why is the playoff committee so enthralled by Notre Dame?

BIG BUCKEYES FANS: Why the SEC is rooting for Ohio State against Indiana

BOWL PROJECTIONS: Alabama, Colorado make major moves in playoff

CALM DOWN: The five biggest college football overreactions from Week 12

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