Breaking
Wealth World News
Archive

2024

Browsing
Politics

Harris paid Oprah $1 million in failed bid to help campaign: report

Vice President Kamala Harris paid Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions $1 million, just one example of millions the campaign spent on various entertainers during the vice president’s failed bid for president.

The Harris campaign paid $1 million to Winfrey’s company on October 15, according to a report in the Washington Examiner, coming after a star-studded town hall that Winfrey hosted for the vice president in September.

Winfrey also appeared at Harris’ final rally in Philadelphia on the eve of Election Day, with the talk-show star offering a rare endorsement of a presidential candidate.

‘We’re voting for values and integrity,’ Winfrey said at the rally. ‘We’re voting for healing over hate.’

But Winfrey wasn’t the only star the Harris campaign spent big money on, with the Washington Examiner report also revealing that the campaign spent big on the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast. 

‘A source familiar with the matter told the Washington Examiner that the Harris campaign spent six figures on building a set for Harris’s appearance on the popular Call Her Daddy podcast with host Alex Cooper,’ the Examiner wrote. ‘The interview came out in October and was reportedly filmed in a hotel room in Washington, D.C.’

The campaign also spent up to $20 million on swing state concerns on the eve of the election, according to a report in the New York Post, a sum that could have been more if a planned performance by Alanis Morissette had not been scrapped.

The campaign had seven swing-state concerts on Monday, the report noted, including performances by Jon Bon Jovi in Detroit, Christina Aguilera in Las Vegas, Katy Perry in Pittsburgh and Lady Gaga in Philadelphia, and a 2 Chainz performance at a rally three days before the election in Atlanta.

‘Money can’t buy you love or a good candidate,’ Republican political strategist Brad Todd told the Examiner, with regard to the massive spending.

‘Advertising is a pretty important source of information for swing voters,’ Todd said. ‘It no doubt matters, but it’s not enough. It doesn’t matter if you have the wrong message and it’s not delivered in a compelling way. What her campaign was missing was any effort to break with the unpopular administration she has been a part of.’

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Utah athletics director Mark Harlan rips refs after loss to BYU

Utah athletics director Mark Harlan made a surprise visit at Saturday’s postgame press conference and made sure his feelings about the Utes’ 22-21 loss to No. 9 BYU were known.

Harlan complained about the refereeing in Utah’s 22-21 loss to rival BYU at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. The Utes AD, who has been in charge of running the Utes athletics’ since 2018, questioned the validity of his program’s loss and called into question the refs.

‘This game was absolutely stolen from us,’ Harlan said. ‘We were excited about being in the Big 12, but tonight I am not. We won this game. Someone else stole it from us. Very disappointed.

‘I will talk to the commissioner. This was not fair to our team. I’m disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew tonight.’

Utah joined the Big 12 as part of a mass exodus from the Pac-12 and the 2024 season is its first season as a member. Following his statement, Harlan did not take any questions from the media and did not elaborate on the calls he questioned.

A potential call in question could be when Utah cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn was called for a holding penalty on a fourth-down at the Cougars’ 1-yard line with 1:29 remaining. The penalty wiped out a sack of BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff that would have won the game for the Utes.

Following the first down on the penalty, BYU advanced the ball down the field, and kicker Will Ferrin hit a 44-yard field goal to clinch the rivalry win. With the win, the Cougars are now 9-0 and 6-0 in Big 12 play, keeping alive a chance at the 12-team College Football Playoff.

(This story was updated to change a video.)

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Elon Musk endorses Rick Scott for Senate majority leader

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Sunday endorsed lawmaker Rick Scott for Senate majority leader, joining a growing list of MAGA figures who are throwing their support behind the Florida Republican. 

‘Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader!’ Musk wrote in a post on X Sunday afternoon, days after Republicans won back control of the Senate on Election Day. 

Musk’s post came in response to a post from Scott, who was responding to President-elect Trump’s demand that ‘Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner.’ 

‘100% agree,’ Scott responded. ‘I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible.’ 

Musk is the latest Trump-ally calling for Scott to be the Senate GOP leader. Scott’s senate Republican colleagues, including Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, and Rand Paul of Kentucky have each pledged to vote for Scott. 

Scott, whose bid for the position is seen as a long shot by some observers, is up against fellow Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, and John Thune of South Dakota for the job McConnell has held since 2007. 

Scott has expressed hope that Trump will publicly endorse his bid for the top job, though some reports have indicated the president-elect has been hesitant to weigh in on the race. 

Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Will Tyson-Paul fight end with KO? Boxers send different messages

Jake Paul seems to be tired of the chatter about two-minute rounds and 14-ounce gloves that will be in use when he fights Mike Tyson Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

On Paul’s X account, in a post labeled ‘Official rules for #PaulTyson,’ he wrote: ‘Someone is getting knocked the (expletive) out. The end.’

Tyson has resisted predictions of a knockout, instead forecasting ‘a lot of pain’ or saying he has ‘bad intentions’ heading into a fight scheduled for eight rounds.

A KO likely would quiet ridicule over the shorter rounds and heavier gloves, that have been approved for the heavyweight bout, which will be livestreamed by Nexflix.

Oddsmakers give Paul a better chance than Tyson of ending the fight with a KO.

Paul is +110 on FanDuel and +115 on DraftKings to finish the fight by knockout. By contrast, Tyson is +290 on FanDuel and +350 on DraftKings.

Oddsmakers have cited Tyson’s age as the reason Paul, 27, is the favorite to win the fight, whether it’s by knockout or on points. But sportsbooks have reported more money is being wagered on Tyson, likely because of his fight history.

Tyson, who will be fighting in his first pro bout since 2005, is 50-6 with 44 knockouts. Paul is 10-1 with seven knockouts.

Tyson’s quickest knockout came against Marvis Frazier, who Tyson stopped by TKO 30 seconds into their 1986 fight. Tamyra Frazier, the daughter of Marvis Frazier, said she has advice for Paul.

‘Pray.’

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Report: Trevor Lawrence’s shoulder sprain could be season-ending

The Jacksonville Jaguars may not have quarterback Trevor Lawrence for longer than just this week.

Already ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, Lawrence could miss the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury he suffered last week.

The Athletic is reporting that Lawrence has a severe AC joint sprain and it could result in Mac Jones taking over at quarterback to finish the regular season for the 2-7 Jags.

Lawrence suffered an injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder in last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Lawrence was listed as a limited participant in practice this week, though Jones took all the snaps with the first-team offense.

Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft, has thrown for 2,004 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions this season.

All things Jaguars: Latest Jacksonville Jaguars news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Jones, also a first-round pick in 2021, played his first three years with the New England Patriots before joining the Jaguars this offseason. He’s taken just 16 snaps this season.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Scott touts ‘deal guy’ background in bid for Senate majority leader

Florida Sen. Rick Scott touted his experience in business when asked why his Republican colleagues should back him for Senate Majority Leader.

‘I built businesses all my life,’ Scott said during an appearance on ‘Sunday Morning Futures’ with Maria Bartiromo on Sunday. ‘I built the largest hospital company, I built a variety of manufacturing companies, I ran the state of Florida.’

The comments come as Scott finds himself in a three-way race to become the GOP Senate leader, battling fellow Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota for the job held by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., since 2007.

Scott, whose bid for the position is seen as a long shot by some observers, has earned the endorsement of Republican Sens. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Marco Rubio of Florida.

‘I will be voting for my Florida colleague @ScottforFlorida to be our next Senate GOP leader,’ Rubio said on X on Sunday.

But the Florida Republican is also seen by some as the friendliest candidate to President-elect Trump, something Hagerty noted when making his endorsement of Scott.

‘Any leader of this new majority must be able to work hand-in-hand with President Trump to advance his America First agenda,’ Hagerty posted to X on Sunday. ‘That’s why I want to see a Senate Majority Leader who can join me in embracing the Trump agenda, which will unify Senate Republicans. On Wednesday, I will be voting for Rick Scott.’

Scott himself hinted at the alignment with Trump during his appearance on ‘Sunday Morning Futures,’ arguing that the Republican Senate should reflect the will of the voters.

‘Washington ought to represent the Republican voters around the country,’ Scott said. 

‘We have a mandate for change … who is going to represent all the Republican voters? I ran two years ago because I knew we needed to make a change in the Senate.’ he continued, referring to his failed 2022 attempt to oust McConnell for the Senate GOP’s top job ‘I’ve talked to my colleagues, I think everybody realizes we need to make a change. So the question is going to be: Who is going to make sure we get those things done?’

Scott has expressed hope that Trump will publicly endorse his bid for the top job, though some reports have indicated the president-elect has been hesitant to weigh in on the race.

Thune, meanwhile, has encouraged Trump to stay out of the race.

‘Obviously, if he wants to, he could exert a considerable amount of influence on that, but honestly, I think my preference would be, and I think it’s probably in his best interest, to stay out of that,’ Thune, who has at times had a rocky relationship with Trump, said during an appearance on CNBC last week.

‘These Senate secret ballot elections are probably best left to senators, and he’s got to work with all of us when it’s all said and done,’ Thune, who currently serves as Senate minority whip, added, ‘but whatever he decides to do, that’s going to be his prerogative, as we know.’

Cornyn, who also previously served as the Senate’s GOP Whip, has touted he held the role when Trump’s tax cuts were passed through the Senate, arguing he would once again be able to work with the president-elect to help pass his agenda.

Republicans return to Washington this week, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is expected to host a forum with the candidates on Tuesday. The election, which is done by secret ballot, will take place on Wednesday with incoming GOP Sens.-elect Bernie Moreno of Ohio, Tim Sheehy of Montana and Jim Justice of West Virginia also being able to participate in the vote.

Only a simple majority is required for a winner to be chosen. If no candidate achieves a simple majority in the first round of ballots, the candidate with the least number of votes will be eliminated and there will be another round of voting between the top two candidates.

Scott argued that a vote for him on Wednesday would be a vote for a candidate who could ‘bring people together.’

‘What it’s going to take is somebody is going to take the time to sit down and bring people together. We’ve got to get, for a lot of things, 60 votes in the Senate, so we’ve got to have somebody that’s going to sit down with Democrats and say, ‘How do we balance a budget? How do we do these things?’’ Scott said. ‘That’s all I’ve done. I’m a deal guy. That’s what I did all my life.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Byron Donalds unleashes on Dem Trump ‘lies,’ says there’s one metric he will use to lead

Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donald slammed Democrats for promoting and spreading ‘lies’ about what President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration will look like, saying that Trump is focused on creating ‘success’ for all Americans. 

‘For the American people who have been listening to these lies from the Democratic left: I will tell you, this is not something that Donald Trump has ever spoken to or he’s committed to whatsoever. There’s no enemies list. I mean, yeah, there are people who’ve been opposed to him, but he is focused on the American people,’ Donalds told Shannon Bream on ‘Fox News Sunday’ when asked about Americans who report being fearful of a second Trump administration. 

‘Job number one is securing our border and beginning the process of deporting illegal immigrants out of our country. Job number two is getting our economy thriving again, becoming energy dominant again. That’s his focus. His focus is the American people, not some enemies list that only gets talked about in the Daily Kos or Salon.com or any other place like that,’ he said. 

Trump locked down the presidential election in the early morning hours last Wednesday, after he won battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia. He ultimately secured 312 Electoral College votes to Harris’ 226, and also won the popular vote. Amid his campaign and afterward, Democrats and left-wing media pundits claimed that Trump would re-enter the Oval Office armed with an ‘enemies list’ of those he would allegedly target once inaugurated as president.

Donalds said that American success is Trump’s top concern, arguing that that metric will be used to demonstrate that Trump is ‘back in charge of running this nation.’ 

‘He’s focused on making our country great. And what will happen in our country is, success is going to be the measurements that he will use to demonstrate he’s back in the White House and back in charge of running this nation. The metric is success. There is no other measure,’ he continued. 

Donalds continued in his interview Sunday morning on Fox News that Trump’s victory had been aided by Black and Hispanic voters. Trump made substantial in-roads with minority communities this year over 2020, with a Fox News Voter Analysis finding he earned a six-point gain among Hispanic voters this year over 2020, and a seven-point gain among Black voters. 

‘What you heard from Black men, and you heard also from Hispanic men, you heard also from, in part, suburban women: They want a country that is safe. They want an economy that is thriving. And Donald Trump is going to deliver on all of those promises,’ he said. 

‘I heard the same thing talking to Black men that I heard talking to anybody across our country. How are we going to get ahead and make more money, be able to pass something on to our children? How are we going to secure this southern border? It’s not fair that you have illegals coming in, getting gas cards, getting hotel stays and all the like. That’s not right. And actually, you’ll notice that the city of New York is now announcing not giving out any more food cards, these food cards. That’s because of Donald Trump and the fact that he won,’ Donalds said. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Sanders doubles down on his criticism of Democrats, fires back at Pelosi’s pushback

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent who won a fourth six-year term last week, doubled down on his claim that the Democratic Party’ lacks appeal to the working class, and responded to pushback from Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. 

In appearances on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ and NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ Sanders was pressed about his statement, released after President-elect Trump decisively defeated Vice President Harris in the 2024 presidential election. 

The left-wing lawmaker, who is listed as a member of the Senate Democratic caucus, said Wednesday, ‘It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.’ 

Pelosi shot back against the criticism of her party on Saturday, telling The New York Times’ ‘The Interview’ podcast that while she has ‘a great deal of respect’ for Sanders, ‘I don’t respect him saying that the Democratic Party has abandoned the working class families.’ 

‘Under President Biden, you see the rescue package, money in the pockets of people, the shots in the arm, children in school safely, working people back to work,’ Pelosi said. ‘What did Trump do when he was president? One bill that gave a tax cut to the richest people in America.’

NBC’s Kristen Welker played the podcast clip on NBC and asked Sanders to respond. 

‘Nancy is a friend of mine,’ Sanders said. ‘But here is the reality. In the Senate in the last two years, we have not even brought forth legislation to raise the minimum wage to a living wage despite the fact that some 20 million people in this country are working for less than $15 an hour.’ 

The progressive senator listed his grievances with the Democratically controlled Senate, saying that in the past two years the chamber failed to pass legislation to make it easier for workers to join unions. He also claimed that the Senate has not been talking about benefit pension plans ‘so that our elderly can retire with security,’ and that Democrats are ‘not talking about lifting the cap on Social Security so that we can extend the solvency of Social Security and raise benefits.’

‘Bottom line, if you’re a working person out there, do you really think that the Democratic Party is going to the max, taking on powerful special interests and fighting for you? I think the overwhelming answer is no,’ Sanders said.

‘Look, the working people of this country are extremely angry,’ Sanders told Welker earlier. ‘They have a right to be angry in the richest country in the history of the world. Today, the people on top are doing phenomenally well, while 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Millions of families worry that their kids have actually got to have a lower standard of living than they do.’ 

‘You got the top 1% owning more wealth than the bottom 90%. We’re the only major country not to guarantee health care to all of our people. Twenty-five percent of our seniors are trying to live on $50,000 a year or less. We have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on earth. And the gap between the people at the top and everybody else is getting wider and wider. And then, of course, that on top of all of that, we’ve got a corrupt campaign finance system which allows billionaires to buy elections. So if you’re an average worker out there, you’re saying, ‘Hey, I’m working longer and longer hours, go nowhere in a hurry, worried about my kids.’ And yet the people on top, ‘I’ve never had it so good.” 

Arguing that Biden had followed through on his promise to be the most progressive president in terms of domestic policy, Sanders lodged a dig at Trump regarding the Republican’s success in reaching working-class voters. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Sports

NASCAR Championship race live updates: Cup title on the line at Phoenix

Four drivers – Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick – will race against each other and the rest of the field at Phoenix Raceway, hoping to capture the ultimate prize.

While every driver in the field will be aiming to take the checkered flag and win the race, the goal of the final four drivers is much simpler: finish better than the other three championship contenders, and the title is yours.

USA TODAY Sports is covering all the action in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship race. Follow along for updates, highlights and results from Phoenix Raceway:

What time does the NASCAR Championship race start?

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship race starts at 3 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local) on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.

What TV channel is the NASCAR Championship race on?

NBC is broadcasting the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race and has a pre-race show beginning at 2 p.m. ET (noon local).

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Championship race?

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship race can be live streamed on the NBC Sports website, the NBC Sports app and Peacock. The race is also available to stream on Fubo, which is offering a free trial.

Which drivers will race for 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship? 

Team Penske put two drivers – Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney – in the Championship 4, while Hendrick Motorsports has William Byron and 23XI Racing has Tyler Reddick. 

Blaney is the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, while Logano won titles in 2018 and 2022. Byron and Reddick are each seeking their first Cup championship. 

Get more information, career and season statistics on all four championship contenders here. 

Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at Phoenix? 

Christopher Bell led 50 laps, including the final 41, before cruising to a win over Chris Buescher by 5.465 seconds on March 10, 2024. 

And one year ago in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship race, Ross Chastain led 157 laps, including the final 31, before holding off Ryan Blaney by 1.230 seconds. Since Chastain was not a Championship 4 driver, Blaney’s runner-up finish was enough to win the 2023 title. 

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Georgia’s humbling loss leads Week 11 winners and losers

Playing for the SEC championship, winning the SEC, even reaching the College Football Playoff: Nothing is certain for No. 2 Georgia after losing 28-10 to No. 12 Mississippi.

Now with two losses in SEC play, the Bulldogs will need help elsewhere in the conference to finish in the top two. While possible, focus should instead shift to securing one of the league’s at-large bids.

But after another flat Saturday in a season littered with less-than-impressive performances, Georgia can’t be seen as a sure thing to win out the rest of November given matchups with No. 6 Tennessee and rival Georgia Tech. Remarkably, the defeat snaps the Bulldogs’ 52-game winning streak against teams other than Alabama.

No team can compare with Florida State for the title of this season’s biggest disappointment. Another loss would put Georgia in that conversation, though, which speaks to both the program’s immense expectations under coach Kirby Smart and the way the Bulldogs have ceded away control of the SEC across the last month.

What has been most concerning is the continued ineffectiveness of senior quarterback Carson Beck, who began the year as one of the leading Heisman Trophy favorites. Mired in a constant battle with turnovers, Beck won’t even earn all-conference accolades in December.

He went 20 of 31 for 186 yards and an interception in the loss. After tossing six interceptions in 417 attempts last season, Beck now has 12 in 321 throws this year. He was also sacked and stripped with three minutes left, ending any chance of a late comeback.

Coinciding with Beck’s struggles has been the disappearing act of the running game. Last year’s team averaged 5.3 yards per carry with 40 rushing touchdowns and cracked the 180-yard mark eight times. This year’s squad went into Saturday averaging 4.5 yards per carry with a season high of 169 yards. On Saturday, the Bulldogs ran for 59 yards on 33 carries.

These aren’t the only problems for Georgia. Another has been the defense, long an area of total strength under Smart. This year’s defense has had moments of dominance, including in a vintage performance against No. 6 Texas last month, but was unable to stop Jaxson Dart and the Rebels.

Despite injuring his ankle early in the game, Dart returned and threw for 199 yards with a touchdown and ran for 50 yards. Overall, Ole Miss had 132 yards on the ground on 3.7 yards per carry.

This second loss will dump Georgia down the US LBM Coaches Poll and raises some serious doubts across the board. The Bulldogs lead Saturday’s winners and losers:

Winners

Alabama

No. 11 Alabama lost twice in October but looks like a different team in November. The Crimson Tide rode a brilliant game by Jalen Milroe and a suffocating defense to a 42-13 win at No. 13 LSU, landing the sort of victory that could ultimately land this team in the playoff. Milroe threw for just 109 yards but was unstoppable on the ground, racking up 185 yards and four scores on a whopping 15.4 yards per carry. On defense, the Tide had two interceptions and held the Tigers out of the end zone until a garbage-time score against the backup defense with just 11 seconds left. While there’s a logjam of two-loss teams in the SEC, Alabama made a statement in Death Valley and should see a major bump in Tuesday’s playoff rankings.

Army

No. 19 Army passed another test with a 14-3 win at North Texas that secures an unbeaten record heading into a neutral-site matchup in two weeks against No. 8 Notre Dame. The victory is only the Black Knights’ second against an opponent currently with a winning record, joining East Carolina. To combat the Mean Green’s high-powered offense, Army ran a ball-control offense that held possession for nearly 42 minutes while limiting North Texas to a season-low 55 plays. The Black Knights ran for 293 yards and have gained at least 288 yards on the ground in all but one game this season.

Kansas

This type of game had been brewing for Kansas. Every one of the Jayhawks’ six losses coming into Saturday was winnable, to put it lightly; several, including a recent loss to No. 21 Kansas State, was only made possible by unforced errors and turnovers in the fourth quarter. Against No. 18 Iowa State, the Jayhawks looked like the team that began the year in the Coaches Poll by taking a 31-13 halftime lead and weathering the Cyclones’ comeback attempt for a 45-36 win. While a bowl bid will take a borderline miracle — Kansas hasn’t taken four conference games in a row since 2007 — the win is a reminder of how good the Jayhawks can be when they get out of their own way.

Colorado

Iowa State’s loss simplifies the math for Deion Sanders and No. 24 Colorado. After beating Texas Tech 41-27 behind 293 passing yards from Shedeur Sanders and 99 receiving yards and a score from Travis Hunter, the Buffaloes can reach the Big 12 championship game and play for a playoff berth by winning out against Utah, Kansas and Oklahoma State. Given how things started this season, with an ugly win against North Dakota and a brutal loss to Nebraska, that Colorado has climbed knee deep into this conversation should put Sanders near the top of the list for national coach of the year.

Penn State

The No. 7 Nittany Lions were held without an offensive touchdown a week ago against No. 3 Ohio State but rebounded in a big way against Washington, rolling up 485 yards of offense and dropping Washington 35-6. Drew Allar had 220 passing yards and a score but Penn State did most of its damage on the ground, with a combined 193 yards from Kaytron Allen and Corey Smith and 266 yards and four scores overall. Avoiding a letdown after last week’s emotional loss keeps the Nittany Lions on track for the playoff.

Losers

Miami

After escaping upsets against California, Virginia Tech, Louisville and Duke, the No. 4 Hurricanes were upended by Georgia Tech in a 28-23 loss. Miami had a chance for more fourth-quarter heroics with two minutes left but quarterback Cam Ward was sacked and fumbled, securing the Yellow Jackets’ win. Miami has that head-to-head tiebreaker with Louisville and a comparative edge against No. 17 Clemson thanks to the Tigers’ loss to the Cardinals, so the loss alone won’t keep the Hurricanes out of the ACC championship game. But they’ll have to keep rooting against No. 23 Pittsburgh this month, since the Panthers could edge past Miami should both finish the year with the same number of conference losses. In addition, the loss to the Yellow Jackets means a loss in December to No. 15 SMU could knock Miami out of the at-large playoff mix.

Oklahoma

Hello, rock bottom. That’s where you’ll find Oklahoma after a stunning 30-23 loss to Missouri that got wild in the final minutes. The Sooners scored twice in 78 seconds to go up 23-16 with two minutes to play only to see Missouri respond to tie the score with a minute left. Then, Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold was sacked and fumbled, with the loose ball scooped up by defensive lineman Zion Young and returned 18 yards for the game-winning score. In a nightmare season, this is about as bad a loss the program has suffered in years and years and it’s likely to end without a bowl game for the first time this century.

Florida

A few days after announcing that embattled coach Billy Napier would return for his fourth season, the Gators took on No. 5 Texas without starting quarterback DJ Lagway and were blown off the field in a 49-17 slaughter. Starting in place of Lagway, former Yale transfer Aidan Warner completed 12 of 25 attempts for 132 yards and two interceptions. His counterpart, Quinn Ewers, had 333 passing yards with a career-best five touchdowns. Getting to six wins a bowl game for the first time under Napier demands an upset of either No. 13 LSU or Mississippi along with a win against rival Florida State in the finale.

Michigan

The Wolverines are putting together one of the worst seasons by the defending national champions in modern FBS history. Michigan is now 5-5 and in realistic danger of missing the postseason after losing 20-15 to No. 10 Indiana, which earned the first 10-win season in program history and made another statement to the playoff selection committee. While the first team to slow down the Hoosiers’ powerful offense, Michigan was once again stymied by one of the worst offenses in the Power Four. With the Buckeyes looming, the Wolverines will have to beat Northwestern in two weeks to secure a bowl berth. The only defending champion in the modern era to finish with a losing record was Michigan State in 1967.

Minnesota

Losing 26-19 to Rutgers is a major letdown for what had been one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten. Minnesota went into Saturday on a four-game winning streak against Southern California, resurgent UCLA, Maryland and Illinois. But the Gophers ran for just 35 yards ― the team’s third game this season with 41 or fewer yards ― and allowed former quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis to throw for 240 yards and three touchdowns. With his team down 26-16 with just over a minute left, P.J. Fleck opted for a field goal to make a one-possession game, but the Scarlet Knights were able to recover on the onside attempt and take a knee to snap their own four-game losing streak.

Florida State

Every week brings Florida State closer to a humiliating designation: the biggest flop in modern Power Four history. The Seminoles are down to 1-9 after an embarrassing 52-3 loss to No. 8 Notre Dame and will need to sweep Charleston Southern and Florida to avoid the program’s first 10-loss season since 1974. This was never competitive, as the score suggests: FSU had just 88 passing yards and Notre Dame had 453 yards of offense and 22 first downs. What happened to a team that nearly made last year’s playoff? Attrition is only part of the story. FSU also misfired badly in the transfer portal and are shockingly lacking in depth given that this is coach Mike Norvell’s fifth season, not his first.

Pittsburgh

Hours after Miami’s loss opened a path to the conference championship game, Pittsburgh lost quarterback Eli Holstein to injury and then lost 24-19 to Virginia. Holstein’s backup, Nate Yarnell, hit on 4 of 12 attempts for just 44 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, the second coming with under two minutes to go. The loss is great news for the Hurricanes, who are back to controlling their destiny in the ACC, and painfully bad news for the Panthers, losers of two in a row. Pittsburgh has some nice wins, including a rout of Syracuse, but the strength of schedule isn’t there to be a factor in the at-large picture.

(This story was updated with new information.)

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By