When the first round of this year’s NBA playoffs had just one seven-game series, with most of them ending in blowout fashion, you didn’t hear basketball fans lament the inclusion of the New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns or Miami Heat. 

When the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers got blown out of the NFL’s wild card round last year, you weren’t bombarded with complaints about how expanding the playoff to 14 teams had ruined the product. 

When runners from Peru and Uzbekistan failed to finish the Olympic Marathon earlier this year, there were no calls for more Kenyans and Ethiopians to take their place. 

Sometimes you wonder if people who follow college football know that it’s a sport. And what we do in sports is set the parameters for how you determine a championship and include teams or individuals based on a set of qualifications that are predetermined to honor the results of a regular season — not a recruiting class, a program’s brand name or what the bookmakers think about hypothetical matchups.

In other words, calm down everyone. As of Friday night when we watched the first game of a 12-team playoff, college football became a real, big-boy sport with an actual postseason.

When it’s real, you get what you get — and sometimes that’s a lopsided competition. 

Guess what? That was the case when the College Football Playoff was four teams. That often be the case now that it’s 12. And it will certainly be the case if it expands to 14, 16 or whatever number of teams you want to include. 

So why it does it seem like everyone’s so angry that Notre Dame was a lot better than Indiana, Penn State was a lot better than SMU and Texas was a lot better than Clemson?

BIG MISTAKE: Indiana should never have been in the playoff field 

By the way, those are all things we knew for weeks and weeks as this season unfolded. Really, what did you expect? 

If you have a grievance about the way teams were selected and the first-round mismatches that occurred as a result, the blame should not go to the selection committee. They were just doing their job, exactly the way the conference commissioners intended when they expanded the playoff. 

It included teams from five conferences, four time zones and 10 states. It highlighted some of the sport’s most elite and historic brands while also showing the country that there is value in rooting for schools that aren’t traditionally in the mix for national championships. And at the end of the day, as we get deeper in the playoff, the games are probably going to get tighter and the best team is going to emerge with the trophy. 

But more than all of that: This is all really good for college football. Why is that not enough? 

If the leadership of college football is going to take one weekend of blowout games and decide they’ve done this all wrong, then they don’t understand why they did this in the first place. 

There isn’t now, has never been and never will be 12 college football teams capable of winning a title. Who cares?

That is true of every great sporting event from the Kentucky Derby to Wimbledon to the World Cup. Not every entrant really has a chance, and many of them will get beat — badly. Why is it only a problem in college football? 

If it were up to Lane Kiffin, this would be a beauty pageant, not a competition. The Ole Miss coach spent part of his Friday evening and Saturday afternoon sending social media shots at the selection committee because the games weren’t good while his team that certainly had enough talent to participate will instead spend New Year’s in Jacksonville, Florida getting ready for Duke in a game nobody really cares much about. 

But Kiffin’s team went 9-3, was the only SEC team to lose to Kentucky and completely choked on Nov. 23 against a 7-5 Florida team when a playoff berth was within reach. 

All things being equal, would you pick Ole Miss to beat Indiana, SMU and maybe a few others who made the field? Probably so, and you’d likely have a whole lot of committee members agree with that. Same with Alabama, South Carolina and even Miami, which had arguably the best quarterback in the country and could have certainly put up some points against anyone who played a first-round game this weekend. 

But that’s not the committee’s job, and part of the confusion is a simple lingo problem. 

The CFP has always said they evaluate the season and pick the “best” teams, but that’s not exactly true. Their job is to take the criteria given to them by the conference commissioners and pick the teams that best meet that standard. 

Classic example: In the second year of the CFP, defending national champion Ohio State was clearly the “best” team in the Big Ten and would have been equipped to play against anybody in the field. But Ohio State’s only loss that season was kind of a fluky bad performance against Michigan State, so what was the committee supposed to do? Pick the “better” team or the team that won the game that mattered, even if we could reasonably predict that Ohio State would beat them the next five times they played?

Michigan State wasn’t even competitive in the semifinals that year, and Ohio State may well have won the national title if it got in. But there wasn’t room for the Buckeyes, so the committee honored the regular season — which is exactly what would happen in every other sport we have. 

No reasonable person would deny that the SEC is the best conference with the most talent. But when you don’t perform in 25 percent of your games — including some truly bad losses like Ole Miss’ toe stub against Kentucky or Alabama getting pounded by the worst Oklahoma team of the century — you don’t have much to complain about. 

College football’s leadership always talks about having the regular season in sports. If you take a team like Ole Miss and not an Indiana, which went 11-1 in the Big Ten without a bad loss, you aren’t preserving the sanctity of the regular season. You’re spitting on it. 

The Indiana issue is symbolic of what’s happened to college football. A year ago, you’d have looked at a Big Ten schedule that included Michigan, Washington, Ohio State and Nebraska and said that was as tough a run as just about anyone in the country. How could you possibly have accounted for the two teams that played for last year’s national championship falling apart?

With an 18-team Big Ten, a 17-team ACC and a 16-team SEC, there will probably always be a team or two that runs off a great record because by random chance they avoided some of the better teams in their league. 

And guess what? That team is almost always going to make it in because that’s how playoffs work. 

If you can’t live with that — especially in a 12-team model that ensures the participation of every true contender — maybe you don’t love this sport as much as you think.In the first decade of the CFP, 19 of the 30 games were blowouts or mismatches. But if you set up a narrative where every team that got smacked around by a better team didn’t deserve to be there, then let’s just go back to the BCS. 

It wouldn’t be good for the sport of college football, but it would certainly save the middling and underachieving like Ole Miss and Alabama from a nasty case of FOMO. 

How ’bout them … Buccaneers?

That’s a remixed question some will be asking when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to face the Dallas Cowboys on ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 17.

Tampa Bay is trucking along in the sluggish NFC South, following up a four-game losing streak with a four-game winning streak. The latest win was something of a statement: The Bucs put up a 40-spot against the tremendous Los Angeles Chargers defense in Week 15, with 506 yards of total offense. It was a well-balanced attack, too: Baker Mayfield threw for 288 yards while four rushers combined for 223 yards on the ground.

That type of success against a top-flight defense should have the Mayfield and Co. salivating as they enter AT&T Stadium on Sunday night. While the Cowboys are winners of three of their last four, their defense remains subpar, and is now without cornerback Trevon Diggs.

Dallas’ playoff hopes might be on life support, but they can keep the playoff window open and throw a monkey wrench into the Buccaneers’ plans with a win Sunday night.

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USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates, highlights and more from the Week 16 ‘Sunday Night Football’ matchup below.

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Cowboys vs. Buccaneers start time

Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET (7:20 p.m. CT)

The Cowboys and Buccaneers are set for kickoff for 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday night.

Cowboys vs. Buccaneers TV channel

TV channel: NBC

NBC is the broadcast home of ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Mike Tirico will be on the call, and he will be flanked by Cris Collinsworth (play-by-play).

Cowboys vs. Buccaneers live stream 

Live stream:  Fubo | Peacock 

For cord cutters looking for a live stream for the matchup, you can turn to Fubo. Fubo carries NBC, as well as CBS, FOX, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch NFL action through the remainder of the season. 

Peacock, the proprietary streaming service of NBC, will also carry the game. 

Buccaneers inactives vs. Cowboys

Pro Bowl safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee) is inactive for a second straight week. Tampa Bay also will be without the services of tight end Cade Otton (knee).

LB K.J. Britt
DL Earnest Brown
OG Royce Newman
TE Cade Otton
LB Jose Ramirez
S Antoine Winfield Jr.

Cowboys vs. Buccaneers predictions, picks

Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the ‘SNF’ tilt between the Cowboys and Buccaneers will play out:

Tyler Dragon: Buccaneers 27, Cowboys 20
Jordan Mendoza: Buccaneers 31, Cowboys 20

Cowboys  vs. Buccaneers odds, moneyline, over/under 

The Buccaneers are favorites to defeat the Cowboys, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week. 

Spread: Buccaneers (-4) 
Moneyline: Buccaneers (-210); Cowboys (+170) 
Over/under: 47.5    

Which NFL team has the most Super Bowl wins? 

The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are tied for the most Super Bowl wins with six. 

The Dallas Cowboys and Steelers have the unique distinction of playing each other more than any other team combination in Super Bowl history with three matchups. 

The Cowboys have appeared in eight Super Bowls (that’s tied with three other teams for the second-most ever), but have not played in a Super Bowl since the 1995 season. In all, the Cowboys have won five Super Bowl wins. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have appeared in two Super Bowls, winning both. The Buccaneers’ most recent Super Bowl win came during the 2020 season in Super Bowl 55.

NFL franchises with most Super Bowl wins:

New England Patriots — 6
Pittsburgh Steelers — 6
Dallas Cowboys — 5
San Francisco 49ers — 5
Green Bay Packers — 4
Kansas City Chiefs — 4
New York Giants — 4

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The Eagles are in the midst of a magical season, but the magic could run out quickly without their star quarterback.

Jalen Hurts is one of the Eagles players that Philadelphia can least afford to lose. That is exactly what happened on Sunday, as the quarterback left the team’s Week 16 matchup with a head injury.

The Eagles are hoping to clinch the NFC East with a win while keeping pace in the race for the NFC’s top seed. Now, they’ll instead have to worry about the health of a quarterback they don’t have the ability to replace.

Here’s the latest on Hurts.

Jalen Hurts injury update

Hurts has been ruled out with a concussion.

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He will now enter the league’s concussion protocol and has to clear the five-step process before returning to game action. The Eagles have just two games left in the regular season, with a matchup against the Cowboys looming in Week 17. They will close the season against the Giants.

Hurts was evaluated for a concussion, per the Eagles, after his head was slammed onto the turf during a first quarter scramble against the Commanders.

Kenny Pickett is in to replace Hurts and capped off his first drive with a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown. Pickett was also in on the ensuing Eagles offensive possession and will lead the team the rest of the way today.

Hurts, after entering the blue medical tent, appeared briefly with his helmet on, appearing to come back into the game. However, he was then taken into the locker room for further evaluation.

What is concussion protocol in the NFL?

The NFL’s concussion protocol is designed to ensure a player’s safety after suffering a head injury. It’s a five-step process that a player has to clear before they can return to play. Those steps are, as defined by the NFL:

Symptom limited activity
Aerobic exercise
Football specific exercise
Club-based non-contact training drills
Full football activity/clearance

Before a player enters the protocol, they are evaluated on the sideline. The tests are conducted by the team’s physician and unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant. The evaluation includes observing any ‘no-go’ symptoms, which are things like loss of consciousness, confusion, amnesia and more, in addition to history of concussions, other signs/symptoms and video review.

At that point, a neurological exam is conducted and the player is escorted to the locker room if the sideline evaluation leaves any doubt. Since Hurts was taken to the locker room, we can assume that he didn’t meet all the criteria and required the more in-depth assessment.

Now in the protocol, Hurts will have to complete those five steps in order to receive medical clearance before being able to play again.

Eagles QB depth chart

Here’s a look the Eagles remaining quarterback depth chart without Hurts:

Kenny Pickett
Tanner McKee (emergency QB)

McKee is the designated emergency quarterback on Sunday, meaning he will only enter the game if both Hurts and Pickett are forced out of action.

Jalen Hurts stats

Hurts was only 1-for-4 passing before exiting, completing his only pass for 11 yards. He also added three carries for 41 yards.

(This story has been updated.)

And it’s starting to seem – once again, after the team’s largely torrid start hit a lull around Thanksgiving – like that could be true all the way into Super Bowl week.

The Ravens officially clinched a playoff berth on Saturday, which doubled as the winter solstice, by pummeling the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-17 at M&T Bank Stadium – their first victory at home over their archrivals in almost exactly five years. In the process, Baltimore pulled into a first place tie atop the AFC North with Pittsburgh, though the Steelers still own a very narrow tiebreaker advantage (by virtue of a better conference record after the teams split their season series, among other factors).

You might think that would be reason to celebrate, but …

“I was mad until the game was over,” said Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson. “I’m still mad. The game (is) over. I’m still hot.” 

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That was the postgame reaction of the Ravens superstar, who’s very much in the running for his third league MVP award, after throwing a rare interception (just his fourth of the season) a minute into the fourth quarter. His teammates didn’t have to dwell on it long given cornerback Marlon Humphrey turned the tables back on the Steelers two plays later, swiping a Russell Wilson pass and taking it 37 yards for a touchdown and 31-17 lead that effectively ended the game.

Yet Jackson’s mindset is indicative of a team that’s hardly complacent. It’s also readily apparent that the Ravens, who have won three of four since a Week 11 loss at Pittsburgh and been largely dominant in the two games since their Week 14 bye, might be the classic case of a team that may not – currently – be perceived as the best in the NFL but could be catching fire and peaking at the right time of the season.

Here are six reasons, for those who might need a reminder or lost track of them amid the attention afforded to the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, why Baltimore should be considered a bona fide Super Bowl contenders:

1. Duh, Lamar Jackson

Sure, he threw that (ultimately inconsequential) pick Saturday. Sure, he may have fallen too far behind Bills QB Josh Allen perception-wise to win back-to-back MVP awards. But Jackson is a weapon nonpareil in this league.

Despite the mistake, he still had another highly efficient night against the Steelers, completing 15 of 23 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns. His 37 TD passes on the season are a new personal high and single-season team record.

“Ever since I’ve been here with Lamar, it just feels like every year he can be the MVP,” fullback Patrick Ricard told USA TODAY Sports.

“That’s just kinda the player he is.”

Yet, aside from the myriad highlights, Jackson has also continued his stratospheric progression as a passer, reliably making accurate reads, sustaining drives and serving up dimes.

“Clutch throws, especially against (man-to-man and) tight coverage,” said head coach John Harbaugh.

“Dotting people on the run in man coverage. I thought Lamar was fantastic, and that’s no little bit of pressure. … He stood in there and made some throws. He always does.” 

2. They’re not forgetting to run the ball

Ravens fans are still bitter that their team’s top-ranked run game only attempted 16 rushes (six by running backs) in last season’s AFC championship game loss to the Chiefs. In the setback at Pittsburgh five weeks ago, Henry somehow became an afterthought (13 touches) in a game the Ravens only lost 18-16.

But that wasn’t the case Saturday, Baltimore rushing 38 times for 220 yards against a stout Pittsburgh defense. Henry finished with 162 yards on 24 carries, his biggest day in two months.

“Those 10-plus yards can really (pile) on, make it tough for a defense. So the more we can get that, the more it’s gonna wear on a team in the third and fourth quarter,” Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum told USA TODAY Sports.

“This time of year, whatever’s working, we’ve gotta roll with it. Certainly, if we’re running the ball effectively as a unit, we want to stay running the ball – because it opens a lot of other things up.”

Jackson wouldn’t necessarily say keeping Henry involved was a point of emphasis, but his impact was unmistakable.

“It starts right there with No. 22,” Harbaugh said, referencing Henry’s jersey number.

“So, it was just (a) really well-executed run game, and (Henry is) a hard runner – the best in the business right there.” 

And hopefully an offensive component Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Todd Monken won’t lose sight of next month, even if the Ravens are trailing by a reasonably margin.

3. Everyone else on the offense is involved

The offensive line was fantastic Saturday. Five different players caught passes. Wideout Zay Flowers reached 1,000 receiving yards for the first time. Pro Bowler Mark Andrews scored his first career touchdown against the Steelers (in his 11th appearance in the rivalry). Fellow tight end Isaiah Likely also scored. The distraction brought by midseason acquisition Diontae Johnson has been removed.

“I feel like we know the level that we can get to if we come to work every day and lock in,” said wideout Rashod Bateman, who had a 14-yard TD grab himself against Pittsburgh. “If we show up and do our jobs, we can go far – really far.”

4. Justin Tucker may be returning to form

The beleaguered All-Pro kicker, who has been enduring the worst season of his 13-year career, made all of his kicks (2 FGs, 4 PATs) Saturday, including a 51-yard field goal shortly before halftime.

“For what it’s worth, I still have the exact amount of confidence I did a week ago or two weeks ago or three weeks ago,” said Tucker, who’s missed a career-high 10 kicks in 2024.

“I’m glad to have gone out there and played well.”

It may be worth noting that the Ravens have lightened the veteran’s load a bit by shifting some of the kickoff responsibilities to third-year punter Jordan Stout.

5. The defense is back

A unit that appeared to be Baltimore’s Achilles earlier in the campaign may be reverting into the strength it’s typically been for this organization.

In addition to Humphrey’s game-sealing pick-six, safety Ar’Darius Washington dislodged the ball from Wilson at the end of a 19-yard breakaway in the second quarter when it appeared the quarterback was headed for the end zone – but, at minimum, was going to set the Steelers up inside the Ravens’ 5-yard line. 

“Obviously, we were not playing good football at the beginning of the year,” said Humphrey.

“I think (we’re) playing more sound defense, getting turnovers here and there. If you can get two a game, you’re going to be really successful.”

And that’s to say nothing of the steady contributions from players like linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who reached double-digit sacks Saturday for the first time in his 11th NFL season, or third-year linebacker David Ojabo, who pressured Wilson on Humphrey’s pick – the 2022 second-round draft pick finally making an impact in a career that’s been disrupted by injuries.

“The bar is set really high, and I feel like, obviously, we dropped it earlier,” added Humphrey.

“So, the adjustment has really kind of been simple – just 11 guys are now doing their job, and the success has been coming.” 

6. Confidence

The Ravens must play again on Wednesday, Christmas Day, at Houston before getting a break. Yet you can sense this is a team regaining its mojo.

“Trending in the right direction, we’ve just gotta keep it rolling – snowball effect,” said Linderbaum. “And trust our guys and our operation, our coaches, and carry this on.”

The Steelers appear to have a tougher stretch drive, with what appear like important games against the Chiefs and (currently) desperate Cincinnati Bengals. The Ravens will host the Cleveland Browns in Week 18, a game they should win if need be and maybe a de facto bye week depending on the circumstances – and that’s after the post-Yuletide break.

Regardless, Baltimore is talented, explosive, surging and focused on the details that could very well be the difference in a successful Super Bowl push even though the Chiefs and Bills currently seem like the AFC’s odds-on favorites.

“It’s just us really just focusing on the little things that have been stopping us – penalties, turnovers, just missed assignments in blocking,’ said Ricard.

‘As long as we deal with those things, we know we can move the ball and score points.”

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

PHOENIX — Former Oakland Athletics great Dave Stewart was exhausted, his voice raspy and eyes watery, as his mind drifted over all of the memories.

This didn’t seem real.

Sure, Rickey Henderson, one of his best friends in life – not just baseball – wasn’t feeling the best. Henderson was asthmatic, endured ongoing sinus problems that required surgery last year, and often was fatigued.

Still, that was Rickey, always on the go, refusing to let his body slow him down.

“When I heard he was sick,’ Stewart told USA TODAY Sports Saturday, “I wasn’t surprised. He doesn’t know how to slow it down. He doesn’t give himself a chance not to be 100%.

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“Him having asthma, him being sick, it never stopped him. He was always on the go. He had these rental properties in Oakland, and I’d get these calls saying they saw Rickey out cutting the grass. I’d say, ‘What do you mean?’ They told me he actually out there with a lawn mower doing work on his property.

“He was always go-go-go. He loves to fish. He just took up hunting. On his first hunt, he’s out there hunting wild boar. That’s not the animal you hunt on your first hunt.’

ONE OF A KIND:There will never be another Rickey Henderson
GOAT STATUS: Beloved Rickey Henderson was MLB’s stolen base king

Stewart called Henderson on Friday afternoon to remind him they had a business call scheduled for Saturday. Henderson’s daughter, Alexis, answered the phone. They were in an Oakland hospital where Henderson was scheduled to undergo surgery.

Later, Stewart got a call from Alexis telling him that her father didn’t make it.

He was gone, at the age of 65, five days before his 66th birthday on Christmas Day.

“I couldn’t believe it,’ Stewart said, “I still can’t. I can’t wrap my heard around it. We’ve known each other practically our entire lives.

“That was my dude.’

They first met as teenagers in Oakland, playing against one another in the Babe Ruth League. The circuit was full of future major league and minor league players. There was Rupert Jones. Glenn Burke. Gary Pettis. Lloyd Moseby. Tack Wilson. Cleo Smith. Stewart.

And of course, the greatest of them all: Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson, who would become baseball’s all-time stolen base leader and runs leader.

“Growing up, he wasn’t that good of a baseball player,’ Stewart said. “He had great ability. He could run and do things. But he would probably admit that of three major sports, he was best at football, then baseball, then basketball. He had a lot to learn because his first choice was to be a great running back.’

Henderson used to say that he could have been Bo Jackson before Bo, a two-sport All-Star and All-Pro, but the Athletics weren’t about to let him play in the NFL.

The two best friends, with Stewart drafted in 1975 by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Henderson drafted a year later by the Athletics, played against one another in the Mexican winter leagues. They faced each other in the minors with Stewart pitching for Albuquerque, N.M. and Henderson for Ogden, Utah.

“So, the night before I faced him, he tells the story that I had a lot of friends who took him out to the wee hours of the morning,’ Stewart said. “So I strike him out the first two times up. He comes to bat the third time with a lighter bat.

“And he takes me deep.’

Henderson still laughed four decades later telling the story.

They finally got to play together with their hometown Oakland Athletics in 1989 when Henderson was traded from the Yankees and Stewart was in the midst of his third consecutive 20-win season.

“It was a thrill of a lifetime to sit back and watch with that kind of ability,’ Stewart said. “That talented. That once-in-a-lifetime thing. There will never be another player like him.’

Together, they led the Athletics to the 1989 World Series championship over the San Francisco Giants, which will forever be remembered by the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake before Game 3, postponing the World Series for 10 days.

Henderson, who hit .400 and stole eight bases, was the MVP of the ALCS, with the A’s beating the Toronto Blue Jays to reach he World Series.

Henderson hit .474 in the World Series, but the MVP went to Stewart, who went 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in the four-game sweep.

“When I won the MVP,’ Stewart said, laughing, “Rickey kept saying the trophy really was his. He told me the only reason I won it is because of all the stuff I did during the earthquake. He told me, ‘If you didn’t all of that stuff, helping people, it was mine. You got sympathy votes.’

Stewart laughed for nearly 30 seconds telling the story.

That was Rickey.

Stewart was honored by the Athletics in 2022 when they retired his jersey in a ceremony, the first time the A’s retired a number since Henderson in 2009. Their numbers stayed together in the upper deck, and they were the two former A’s players chosen to throw out the ceremonial first pitch in the team’s final game at the Coliseum in September.

“I respected and loved Rollie [Fingers] and Reggie [Jackson] and Catfish [Hunter], but when my number was retired by the A’s, too, alongside Rickie,’ Stewart said, “that was a big, big deal for me.

“I still remembered when I decided to retire in 1995, he didn’t talk to me for two, maybe three weeks. He kept telling me I should retire when he retired. He wanted me to keep playing as long as he did [2003].

“So, when my number was retired, what made it so special is that he and I were together, two kids from Oakland, and having our numbers retired together by the organization we loved.’

Now three months after the Athletics played their last game in Oakland, Rickey is gone too.

“When Rickey passed, things started circulating [Friday] night on social media,’ Stewart said. “Word got out, but the family asked all of us not to say anything. We respected that until they were ready.

“I looked through some of the stuff on X, and what people were saying, wondering whether Rickey was really gone, and I thought one tweet said it best:

“If something happened to Rickey, Rickey would say, Rickey is gone,’ Stewart said, reading from his phone. “That’s how great Rickey is.’

Stewart laughed: “Now, ain’t that the truth.’

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The new-look College Football Playoff debuted with four opening-round games decided by a combined 77 points. This wasn’t an instant-classic weekend, to be sure.

Notre Dame opened the 12-team format with Friday night’s 27-17 win against Indiana. That was followed by another two duds on Saturday afternoon. Penn State breezed past SMU 38-10 behind a dominant performance on defense. Texas allowed Clemson to draw within a score in the fourth quarter but was in control for most of a 38-24 win.

The nightcap seemed headed in the same direction, with Ohio State storming out to a 21-0 lead against Tennessee and threatening to put the game away in the second quarter. An interception in the end zone gave life to the Volunteers, who made it 21-10 at the break. But the Buckeyes responded with a score early in the third quarter to get back on track for an eventual 41-17 romp.

The playoff now turns to the quarterfinals, set for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Notre Dame will face Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Penn State will take on Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl and Texas will meet Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. The Buckeyes will play Oregon in a highly anticipated rematch in the Rose Bowl.

After coming under fire for making SMU the final at-large playoff team over three contenders from the SEC, the playoff selection committee will face another round of controversy following lopsided losses by the Mustangs and Hoosiers.

In that sense, the 12-team tournament has something in common with the four-team era. Blowouts were common in the national semifinals, leading to round after round of debate over which teams actually deserved to make the playoff. The one major difference is that there’s still three weeks of football left to be played before crowning the national championship.

Ohio State, Texas, SMU and the committee lead the winners and losers from the opening round:

Winners

Ohio State

In terms of quality of competition and performance, no double-digit win from the opening round will move the needle more than the Buckeyes’ showing against Tennessee. Last seen getting bullied by Michigan, Ohio State’s rebound shows why this team may be the favorite to win the national championship despite failing to even play for the Big Ten crown. Will Howard played extremely well outside of that interception in the first half, finishing with 24 completions in 29 attempts for 311 yards with two scores while focusing on receiving Jeremiah Smith (103 yards) and Emeka Egbuka (81 yards). Defensively, OSU lost track of Nico Iamaleava at times but benefited from Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson’s apparent hamstring injury, which limited him to just two carries. Overall, the Buckeyes outgained Tennessee by more than 200 yards.

REVIVAL: Ohio State, Ryan Day rebound and show championship ability

CALM DOWN: Critics of the College Football Playoff routs should relax

Ryan Day

Day continues to prove he’s one of the best coaches in the country — as long as the Buckeyes aren’t playing Michigan. Freed from the stress and mental strain of that rivalry, Ohio State looked comfortable and energized by the chance to play at home against one of the best teams in the SEC. While the idea that Day might’ve lost his job had the Buckeyes lost was never rooted in reality, a loss on Saturday definitely would’ve put his job security on notice heading into next season. Now, after the way Ohio State looked against Tennessee, Day might take his team all the way to the national championship.

Texas

The Longhorns were knocked back by Clemson on the game’s opening drive and nearly coughed up a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter. That Cade Klubnik was able to work himself into a rhythm and throw for 336 yards and three touchdowns was surprising, given how the Longhorns’ pass defense was by far the best in the FBS during the regular season. Otherwise, the defense was able to control the line of scrimmage, holding the Tigers to 76 yards on 24 carries; the offense ran for 292 yards and four scores on 6.1 yards per carry.

Penn State

The 38-10 win was over by halftime, after a pair of defensive touchdowns helped the Nittany Lions build a 28-0 lead. The most impressive aspect of the win was the way Penn State clamped down on SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings, who was harassed into three interceptions while averaging 5.4 yards per attempt. The next challenge will be even harder: The Nittany Lions will face off against Boise State running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty in the Fiesta Bowl.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame’s defense slammed the door on Indiana to score a 27-17 win that only looks respectable because of the Hoosiers’ two meaningless scores in the final two minutes. Mirroring the offense’s disappearing act in Big Ten games against Michigan and the Buckeyes, Indiana managed only 278 yards on 61 plays and averaged 2.3 yards per carry. Defensively, this was the Fighting Irish at their very best; if this continues, Notre Dame has to be seen as a strong contender to beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and reach the playoff semifinals.

Losers

Playoff selection committee

The committee might have thought the hard part was over after weathering the decision to choose SMU over Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina. But what unfolded in the opening round is a nightmare for the committee, since the series of double-digit losses threatens to define the new format while reopening the controversial decision to choose the second-place team from the ACC over any one of the three options from the SEC.

Indiana and SMU

By essentially getting locked into the bracket before the conference championship games, Indiana had largely avoided the same controversy that embroiled the Mustangs’ selection. The uncompetitive loss to Notre Dame feeds into the debate over the absence of a fourth team from the SEC. Worse yet for the Hoosiers, the way the Fighting Irish dominated threatens to overwrite the good vibes coming out of the most successful regular season in program history. While it was inevitable the Mustangs’ performance would be compared to the perception of how an SEC team would’ve fared against Penn State, the vitriol aimed at SMU will be even worse. By failing to mount a real challenge against the Nittany Lions, the Mustangs are is the biggest loser of the opening round.

Tennessee

Tennessee’s stock remains on the rise despite the early playoff exit. Looking ahead, this will be a crucial offseason for Iamaleava, who has to continue developing as a passer to bring more balance to this offense. The worst part about Saturday night was the rough start and the inability to capitalize on the strong close to the second quarter: Ohio State bloodied the Volunteers’ nose early and was clearly the more prepared team coming out of the gate.

Ohio State inspires new catchphrase for Ryan Day in rout of Tennessee
Buckeyes suffer no hangover from loss to Michigan. Instead, they come back defiant and strong.
Ryan Day and his staff cooked up a masterful plan against the Vols. Will Howard executed it to perfection.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The blowout had reached a crescendo inside Ohio Stadium when Ohio State senior leader Jack Sawyer pulled his coach close and shared some celebratory words.

“All ‘Day’ long,” Sawyer told Ryan Day, as the Buckeyes coach engineered a masterful resurrection, two weeks after suffering the most embarrassing defeat of his career.

Sawyer won’t claim ownership for the phrase. He credits Ohio State’s media relations manager Jerry Emig for using it first, days before the Buckeyes blasted Tennessee 42-17 on Saturday in the College Football Playoff’s first round.

“I kind of like that,” Sawyer recalls thinking when he heard Emig uncork the line.

Sawyer wants to make it stick. Ohio State’s performance against Tennessee gave that a chance of happening.

“I’d go to war with him any day,” Sawyer said of his embattled coach. “… I’d commit to him a hundred times over, if I could. This is a huge win for him.”

Maybe, you counted Day out after he lost again to Michigan, a gutting defeat that left Day subjected to some of the harshest criticism he’s ever faced.

Would Ohio State really fire a coach who’s won nearly 90% of his games and would be due a $37 million buyout? That question began around the time the Wolverines planted their flag inside the ‘O’ at midfield.

All one needed to do was observe Saturday’s crowd for a reminder of how some Buckeyes fans felt about Day. They no-showed. As Ohio State fans posted their tickets onto resale sites, eager Vols fans gobbled them up. Tens of thousands of fans wore orange to the stadium, creating a surreal environment. Tennessee fans even penetrated Ohio State’s team hotel before the game.

Vols fans were noisy at bars and tailgates, and they made their voices heard during Ohio State’s first drive, influencing a false start penalty.

That orange backdrop set up for Day to go out with a thud. Instead, he roared back. Ohio State’s players had the back of a coach who owns an .870 winning percentage.

Two plays after that early false start, Jeremiah Smith celebrated in the end zone after a beautiful pass from quarterback Will Howard.

The Buckeyes kept coming, scoring touchdowns on their first three drives. They sent Tennessee supporters to the exits early, and Ohio State fans who booed the team two weeks ago mockingly chanted “S-E-C! S-E-C!” in the closing seconds of this triumph.

“They thought they were going to take over this place,” Howard said of Vols fans, “and we showed them pretty quick that we weren’t going to let that happen.”

Is this College Football Playoff set to be Ryan Day’s big moment?

Afterward, CFP executive director Rich Clark presented Day with a commemorative game ball. Day wore a tightlipped expression as he posed next to Clark for a photo. His players were all smiles, brimming with satisfaction.

“I love that coach to death. That’s my coach,” senior defensive end JT Tuimoloau said. “Best coach in the nation.”

OK, so that last part sounds like hyperbole.

Kirby Smart owns two national titles to Day’s zero, and Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs loom on the opposite side of the playoff bracket. Smart beat Day in the playoffs two years ago. Day also is 0-1 against Oregon’s Dan Lanning, the wunderkind he’ll face again in the CFP quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl.

But Smart is the only guy left in the bracket who’s won a national championship as a head coach, so it’s a good bet someone will win his first national title this season.

Why not the coach with the nation’s most talented roster?

“He’s the best coach in the country, in my eyes,” Sawyer said, “and it’s wins like this that prove that.”

Ohio State’s Will Howard relishes game plan against Tennessee

Against Tennessee, credit Ohio State’s staff for executing one of its most aggressive game plans of the season. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly called a woeful game against Michigan. He rebounded with a masterful plan to attack a Tennessee defense that had stymied so many opponents.

The Buckeyes boast a receiving core that’s the envy of college football coaches near and far, and Kelly positioned quarterback Howard to let it rip on a 25-degree night.

Howard, a Pennsylvania native who’s no stranger to tossing the pigskin in the cold, lit up Tennessee for 311 yards, his second-highest output of the season.

“We did some things in this game that maximized what we have in terms of our strengths and minimized our deficiencies,” Day said.

As Sawyer put it, losing to Michigan “sucked.’ Painful as the result felt for team and coach, it didn’t suck the life out of the Buckeyes.

“We’re a real team, and we can respond to adversity,” linebacker Cody Simon said. “I’m super proud of our guys, because it’s not easy to go through a loss like that.”

It’s a little easier, though, when you have someone to rally around, and the Buckeyes did just that.

Have a day, Buckeyes. Have your Day.

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

Christmas Day brings a doubleheader of NFL action. This will be the fifth consecutive season that games are played on the holiday and the second in a row that features both the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.

Their opponents will be the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers. All four teams have clinched a spot in the AFC playoff picture.

The Christmas NFL games will kick off at 1:00 pm EST and both matchups are potential previews of the playoffs.

Kansas City is the No. 1 seed in the AFC entering Week 17, and the Chiefs will face the Steelers in the opening game. Meanwhile, Baltimore will face the Texans in a rematch of the 2023 divisional-round matchup.

Here’s what to know about the two Christmas NFL games kicking off on Wednesday:

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

Christmas NFL games 2024

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Venue: Acrisure Stadium
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Streaming: Netflix
Channel: Local CBS affiliate (Pittsburgh, Kansas City markets ONLY)

All four teams played on Saturday in Week 16 and are playing on short rest. The defending champions have suffered no ill effects of a Super Bowl hangover.

The Chiefs are inching closer to clinching the AFC’s No. 1 seed after defeating Houston 27-19. Meanwhile, the Steelers fell to the Ravens on Saturday; a win would have given them the head-to-head sweep and the AFC North title. Instead, Pittsburgh hopes to bounce back and hold off Baltimore with two games remaining.

If Buffalo were to lose on Sunday in Week 16, the Chiefs would lock up the No. 1 seed, and they wouldn’t have anything at stake for this Christmas meeting. The Steelers are battling in the AFC playoff picture behind a reinvigorated offense with Russell Wilson at the helm.

Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens

Location: Houston, Texas
Venue: NRG Stadium
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Streaming: Netflix
Channel: Local CBS affiliate (Houston, Baltimore markets ONLY)

It’ll be time for egg nog when the second NFL game on Christmas kicks off. The Texans have claimed the AFC South title for the second consecutive season. The offense led by C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins and Joe Mixon will look to bounce back after losing to the Chiefs on Saturday.

Conversely, the Ravens are eyeing another deep run in January and hope to overtake the Steelers in the AFC North to guarantee themselves at least one home playoff game.