The slow rollout of college football bowl season continues Thursday with just a single offering in the Big Easy. Admittedly, it won’t generate nearly the buzz that another contest in the Crescent City will create in a couple of weeks, but it will mark the postseason debut for one of the Football Bowl Subdivision’s newest additions.

Yes, we know that other pigskin league also has a game this evening, and we’re still waiting for the main event on the university side. But at least you won’t need a streaming device for this one. Here’s a quick look at the participants in the collegiate version.

New Orleans Bowl – Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston State

Time/TV/location: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2, New Orleans.

Why watch: These should be exciting times at Sam Houston State, playing in the program’s first bowl game after making the move from the Football Championship Subdivision. Unfortunately, success has come at a price with coach K.C. Keeler off to Temple and a slew of players transferring out. The Eagles by contrast appear to have kept most of their regular roster intact heading into the postseason. QB JC French, RB Jalen White and WR Derwin Burgess Jr. could all put up big numbers against the depleted Bearkats’ defense. Fortunately for Sam Houston, dual-threat QB Hunter Watson is still around, and his presence could keep things competitive.

ON THE MOVE: Ranking the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal

FINEST HOUR: Ohio State could have success or epic disaster in playoff

Why it could disappoint: As we said, Sam Houston is still new to this bowl experience, and interim coach Brad Cornelsen will have his hands full pulling together a game-day lineup.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix is on the verge of entering the most important stretch of his young career.

With three games left in the regular season, the Broncos (9-5) can clinch a playoff spot in Week 16 if they win Thursday night’s AFC West tilt versus the Los Angeles Chargers (8-6).

It’ll mark the Broncos’ first playoff berth since Von Miller and Peyton Manning led the franchise on a Super Bowl run in the 2015 season, when Nix was just 15 years old.

“We’ve talked about it all year. The next game is the most important game. Right now, this is what’s important to us,” Nix said. “This next one would put us on track for where we want to go. We have a lot of work to do. The job isn’t finished, so that’s what we’re gonna do.”

In Nix’s first season as starter, he’s already helped lead the Broncos to their first winning season since 2016. It wasn’t an easy ascent, though. Nix’s rookie campaign got off to a slow start: He threw no touchdowns to four interceptions in his first three games but he’s since settled in as Denver’s starter.

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

The Broncos are riding four-game winning streak. Nix tossed three interceptions in last week’s win against the Indianapolis Colts, but head coach Broncos head coach Sean Payton liked the rookie’s resiliency during the game.

“He’s played a lot of games. He knows how to win. He made some big throws for us there that we needed,” Payton told to reporters this week.

Through 14 contests, Nix has thrown for 2,972 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His 20 touchdown passes lead all rookie quarterbacks. He’s a candidate for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is the frontrunner to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, but Thursday’s primetime game under the national spotlight is the type of occasion that could propel Nix’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidacy.

Most importantly though, Nix and the Broncos have an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth. Denver currently owns the second AFC wild card spot. They are one game in front of the seventh-seeded Chargers. The winner of Thursday’s contest will take sole possession of the sixth seed with only two games remaining.

“We’ve all been on the other side of success. We understand what it’s like to be knocked down. We don’t want to be that again. So we want to continue to do what’s gotten us to this point and what’s allowed us to have success,” Nix said to reporters. “That’s working hard, showing up to practice (and) doing the dirty work, so we can go out there and play a good game.”

Los Angeles held the Broncos scoreless through three quarters and defeated the Broncos Week 6 in Denver. Both teams along with the Philadelphia Eagles allow 17.6 points per game, tied for the best in the NFL.

Thursday’s battle out west could be a low-scoring affair. It certainly has big AFC playoff implications.

“We got a big game Thursday. Another opportunity to step in the right direction and towards where we ultimately want to go. It’s so much more ahead of us. We have to finish the season strong,” Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton said this week. “I think coach (Jim) Harbaugh has them playing some really good ball right now. They are taking care of the ball (and) they are taking the ball away.

‘That’s the things I feel like these really good playoff teams do… We got to make sure we’re maximizing our opportunities when they do come.”

U.S. women’s national team star Trinity Rodman opened up about her relationship with her father, criticizing Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman for not being a presence in her life.

In an interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast released on Wednesday, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist accused the former Chicago Bulls legend of being an erratic factor throughout her youth and up to today. Per the Washington Spirit forward — who had previously characterized her relationship with her father as strained — the five-time NBA champion would barely see his children a handful of times in a given year, then insist on being in control.

‘He’s not a dad. Maybe by blood, but nothing else,’ the 22-year-old said of one of basketball’s biggest names from the 1990s. ‘We were getting enough money to pay rent, barely. And then we were just, I don’t even know how we made it work, but somehow we were making it happen.’

Here’s what to know about Trinity Rodman’s comments on her relationship with her father.

Trinity Rodman: ‘We were living in a car’

Dennis Rodman became one of the NBA’s biggest stars, playing a key role on the Chicago Bulls ‘three-peat’ team built around Michael Jordan. Between Rodman’s rebounding prowess — the New Jersey native lead the league in rebounding for seven straight seasons, and is considered one of the all-time greats in the category — and his outlandish personality, ‘The Worm’ had a big-time NBA contract, endorsements, and even branched into acting.

Per his daughter, who just helped the Washington Spirit to this year’s NWSL championship final, that money didn’t go toward supporting his children.

‘We had [a Ford] Expedition, and we kind of lived in that for a little bit,’ explained Rodman. ‘I think this is when we were at…Ensign by Newport Harbor. So we were still in Newport [Beach]. So imagine living in a car, going to a rich [high] school. It’s the most weird thing, but we were living in a car, but then we could afford to stay in a motel for a little bit. So we were kind of back and forth, what nights we could pay for, how many nights we could pay for.’

Rodman said that over the years, Dennis would drop in ‘once, two, three, four times a year,’ and that those moments often involved a clash over whether her father was doing enough to look after the family financially.

‘That was all the fight [between her parents] was ever about in front of us, at least. It was just the money part, and helping your children,’ explained the 2024 NWSL Best 11 forward. ‘My dad, he likes to be in control. So, he would take us shopping, get us phones, do this, do that. ‘Oh, I’m gonna take you and your brother shopping,’ and me and my brother are like, ‘We don’t want to go shopping. We don’t want to go shopping!’ We just want money to go get In-N-Out after school with our friends.’ So it was like, he wouldn’t give us money to do that.

‘He needed to have the control, of bringing us shopping and swiping his own card. But if we asked, ‘Hey, could we have $100 to go get food, go to Claire’s to get my ears pierced?’ Just little stuff like that, he was like, ‘No, you’re using me.”

Trinity Rodman on Dennis Rodman: ‘I don’t know where he is’

For the USWNT attacker, life as Dennis Rodman’s daughter has been complicated. Trinity has shown up for Washington Spirit games wearing shirts recalling some of her father’s most notorious looks, but noted in the interview that she has had to be very intentional about what she does and doesn’t discuss when he comes up.

‘I think with the dad situation — in terms of what I’ve filtered and what I’ve talked about — I feel like me and my brother have been very generous with the way that we’ve talked about it, and very unselfish,’ explained Rodman. ‘I think we never want to make him look bad, and that is at the cost of kind of holding in a lot, and a lot of issues that we’ve gone through, and just like trauma, per se.

‘I just feel like I’ve been in a place of going through interviews where people are like, ‘Is your dad there? What’s your dad feeling?’ And I feel like I’ve tried to make it obvious that I don’t know. I don’t know how he’s feeling. I don’t know where he is. So for my own sanity, getting those questions, it frustrates me.’

Benching a good quarterback is a tough call to make, but Nick Saban embraced bold moves. Steve Sarkisian should consider the same.
Juggling Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning a blessing, not a nightmare, for Texas.
Heisman Trophy drama continues after Travis Hunter wins award.

Saban benched a quarterback who had a 25-2 record as his starter at halftime of the national championship game against Georgia at the end of the 2017 season.

Winning move.

Jalen Hurts watched from the sideline while true freshman Tua Tagovailoa rallied Alabama past a 13-point halftime deficit in that title tilt against Georgia. The Crimson Tide won 26-23 in overtime when Tagovailoa made one of the most memorable throws in Alabama history, a 41-yard touchdown strike on second-and-26.

Steve Sarkisian was still a year away from becoming Saban’s offensive coordinator when the GOAT made that quarterback decision, but surely Sark knows the story, and the Texas coach would do well to remember it as his fifth-seeded Longhorns set off on their College Football Playoff course.

Like Alabama in that 2017 season, the Longhorns are blessed with two talented quarterbacks. And, like Saban, the time might come when a situation calls for Sarkisian to trigger a change. Will he dare be as bold as his former boss?

Quinn Ewers brought Texas to the dance, although Texas needed an assist from Arch Manning while Ewers missed two games in September with an abdominal injury. Manning, in two seasons as a backup, has amassed more experience than Tagovailoa had before he rescued Alabama.

It didn’t take a genius to recognize Tagovailoa’s talent, but coaches tend to detest quarterback changes. It’s easier to bench a quarterback when he stinks. Hurts didn’t stink. He’d done almost nothing but win for two seasons, but Saban recognized his team needed a spark and probably would lose if he didn’t make a change.

Ewers finished the regular season playing on a bum ankle, but even when he’s full speed, Manning offers more mobility.

Because of his surname, Manning creates a unique quarterback controversy – one that Sarkisian attempts to ignore. The Texas coach said recently on “The Rich Eisen Show” that he’d experience an “emotional nightmare” if he paid attention to media’s views on Texas’ quarterback situation.  

“I’m not really one to buy into the opinions of others or the criticism of others that I would never ask advice from,” Sarkisian said during that interview.

Certainly, it’s fine – recommended, even – that Sarkisian tune out us hacks, as long as he doesn’t tune out reality, too, if Texas finds itself needing a spark the playoff.

With Ewers taking most of the snaps, Texas twice lost to Georgia, the only playoff team it faced all season. Those losses should not be pinned squarely on Ewers. He had plenty of help in losing to Georgia in the SEC championship game. Ewers played splendidly throughout the first half, but too many drops by his receivers and an onslaught of penalties limited Texas to just a three-point halftime lead. Ewers didn’t play as well after halftime, and Georgia rallied behind backup quarterback Gunner Stockton and a committed ground attack after losing starter Carson Beck to injury.

Might the Longhorns have won that game if Sarkisian had benched Ewers in the second half in favor of Manning? Maybe, maybe not, and it really doesn’t matter, because the selection committee awarded Texas an enviable avenue toward the semifinals.

Sarkisian built trust in Ewers the past three seasons. He’s a good quarterback who sometimes plays great. The point here isn’t to bash a quarterback who’s expected to be selected in the first or second round of the NFL draft in the spring.

Turning to Manning if Texas stalls wouldn’t bury Ewers, just as Saban benching Hurts didn’t doom Hurts.

Hurts, after transferring from Alabama, finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up for Oklahoma in 2019, and he’s enjoyed a standout NFL career, while Tagovailoa is also an NFL starter.

Possessing two good quarterbacks on the same college roster should be a blessing, not a nightmare, but it only helps if a coach will trigger a quarterback change if the situation calls for it.

If Ewers struggles, Sarkisian must take inspiration from Saban.

The playoff favors the bold.

Here’s what else I’m mulling in this “Topp Rope” view of college football:

Email of the week

Gary writes: Another ‘Heistman Award’ has been given, as it hardly means anything anymore. Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels and Travis Hunter all have something in common: ‘Heistman Winners’ with three LOSSES! Absurd.

My response: It’s an individual award, not a team award, and, anyway, I wonder what Colorado’s record would have been without Hunter? 

Two years ago, Colorado won one game. Hunter helped spearhead a program turnaround, and he uniquely starred at multiple positions. Regardless of whether one thinks Hunter was most deserving of the Heisman, he’s undeniably a special talent who helped turn a laughingstock program into a playoff contender, at warp speed.

I’m of the mind that, between Hunter and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, there was no wrong choice for Heisman winner. That didn’t make it an easy choice. I found Jeanty’s season to be most spectacular.  

My Heisman ballot went as follows:

1. Ashton Jeanty

2. Travis Hunter

3. Dillon Gabriel 

While I considered Jeanty most deserving, Hunter delivered a remarkable season, as well, and I have no significant objection to him winning, other than it’s too bad Jeanty couldn’t be honored, as well, for his historic exploits.

ON THE MOVE: Ranking the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal

LOSER’S TAX: Norvell, Gundy lead coaches with pay cuts bankrolling teams

Three and out

1. Speaking of slight disagreements on award voting, I would have gone in a different direction for SEC coach of the year. The SEC’s coaches chose Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea as the award winner. Understandable, after Lea uplifted Vanderbilt from basement projections into a 6-6 record and an upset of Alabama. However, I considered South Carolina’s Shane Beamer even more deserving. The Gamecocks, picked to finish 13th in the 16-team SEC, went 9-3 against a tough schedule, beat Clemson, and got left on the playoff’s doorstep. I’m surprised Vanderbilt won six games. I’m more surprised South Carolina won nine.

2. Consider this: Just four playoff qualifiers beat at least one playoff team. Those teams are Oregon, Georgia, Ohio State and Clemson. The selection committee valued win-loss record and teams that reached the conference championship games, but the playoff becomes a test of teams’ ability to beat premier opponents. Georgia and Oregon achieved that most often throughout the regular season.

3. Amid reports that Tennessee fans are gobbling up tickets on resale markets for the team’s first-round game at Ohio State, some prankster briefly got Ohio Stadium renamed as ‘Neyland North’ on Apple Maps before it got corrected. There’s probably an Ohio congressman planning to make such a stunt a felony.

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

A 40-year-old man has pled guilty to charges of stalking and harassing UConn women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers, ESPN reports.

Robert Cole Parmalee, of Grants Pass, Oregon, entered a guilty plea in Connecticut’s Rockville Superior Court on Wednesday and was handed a one-year suspended sentence and three years’ probation after he was arrested and charged with breach of peace, electronic stalking and harassment in September. A protective order put in place in September will remain in effect until Jan. 4, 2064.

According to the plea agreement, Parmalee will be prohibited from entering the state of Connecticut, in addition to arenas, hotels and practice facilities that the UConn women’s basketball team is using. He will also be barred from all WNBA arenas and facilities, the State’s Attorney told ESPN.

Connecticut State Police arrested Parmalee on Aug. 27 as he was walking along the highway near Bradley International Airport after he flew cross-country to Hartford, Connecticut. When asked by police what brought him to Connecticut, Parmalee told authorities that he was going to see Bueckers, claiming she was a ‘friend.’

Parmalee would also post threatening messages on his social media pages, with one post on his TikTok reading, ‘And if I cannot live with a woman of my choosing, (Bueckers), then I will choose to die, and I will choose to take all of you that (op)pose me, oppose us, to hell, and return, king…’

In court on Wednesday, Parmalee apologized to the state of Connecticut and UConn. He’s set to leave the state for Washington Wednesday evening, his lawyer said. ‘My client had requested that (Parmalee) return home, get the evaluation and treatment that he needs, and that she be left alone,’ Robert Britt, who represented Bueckers in court on Wednesday, told ESPN. ‘We’re very happy with that.’

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Less than a day after asking for sports media members to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination information, Aaron Rodgers is making news once again.

The four-time NFL MVP and New York Jets quarterback told The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt on Wednesday that he will take some time after the end of the season to decide on his future ‘unless [he gets] released right away.’

This is nothing new for Rodgers. After the 2022 NFL season, his last with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers spent four days in a ‘darkness retreat’ to decide whether to return for a 19th NFL season or retire.

Rodgers is the oldest player in the NFL and just turned 41 years old on Dec. 2. He had one of his best games of the season in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but is having one of his worst seasons as a full-time NFL starter. He’s on pace for a career-worst passer rating and close to career-lows in completion percentage and yards per game.

If he takes time away to decide his future, the Jets could end up moving on. The team already have general manager and head coach vacancies to fill this offseason. Here’s what to know about their options for handling Rodgers’ future.

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

Can the Jets release Aaron Rodgers?

Yes, but at a high cost, per OverTheCap data. If the Jets release Rodgers before June 1, 2025, New York will carry $74.5 million in dead money on the salary cap. If they release him after June 1, 2025, that number goes down to $4.5 million.

Can the Jets trade Aaron Rodgers?

Rodgers has a no-trade clause in his contract. It’s a relatively common part of contracts for starting quarterbacks in the NFL. It means he has to agree to a trade and waive that clause before the Jets can deal him to a different team.

Aaron Rodgers contract

In 2025, here’s what Rodgers is set to make:

Base salary: $2.5 million
Signing bonus: $14 million
Other bonus: $7 million
Total cap hit: $23.5 million

There are four void years tacked onto the contract Rodgers signed with the Jets prior to the 2023 NFL season. As it currently stands, Rodgers will cost $63 million against the Jets’ salary cap in 2026. For 2027 through 2029, he will not count against the cap, but the team will owe him bonuses in this layout:

2027: $21 million ($14 million signing bonus, $7 million other bonus)
2028: $14 million ($7 million signing bonus, $7 million other bonus)
2029: $7 million (other bonus only)

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UNLV put a cap on what’s, officially, the school’s winningest season at the Division I level Wednesday night by defeating Cal 24-13 in the Art of Sport LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium.

The No. 24 Rebels finish the season 11-3 with their first bowl win in 24 years, matching the 1984 UNLV squad’s win total – though the 1984 team’s victories were eventually vacated, meaning this year’s Rebels stand alone in the NCAA’s eyes. UNLV won 12 games in 1974, when it was a Division II program.

UNLV only lost to two teams this year – Syracuse and Boise State on two occasions, including in the Mountain West title game. That success, in part, helped former coach Barry Odom get the Purdue job. UNLV will begin a new era in 2025 under Dan Mullen, the former coach at Florida and Mississippi State. (Mullen did not coach Wednesday’s game, though he did drop by the ESPN booth; interim coach Del Alexander handled bowl preparations.)

For Cal, Wednesday’s setback finished off a second consecutive 6-7 season. The Golden Bears were down to their fourth quarterback by the time their first season in the ACC officially ended.

Fernando Mendoza, Cal’s starter for the majority of the season, entered the transfer portal. Backup Chandler Rogers was injured and couldn’t go Wednesday. CJ Harris got the start but was eventually knocked out of the game, forcing Cal to turn to freshman EJ Caminong.

Offense was in generally short supply on both sides: Cal finished with 348 yards; UNLV had 291.

Cal vs. UNLV highlights

Final: UNLV 24, Cal 13

Big punt return helps UNLV take two-score lead

Jacob De Jesus’ 38-yard punt return in the fourth quarter put UNLV in position to add a critical field goal. The UNLV offense wasn’t able to do anything after De Jesus’ return — the Rebels actually lost yards on the ensuing drive — but Caden Chittenden knocked home a 48-yard field goal to give UNLV a 24-13 lead with 6:01 to go in the game.

Cal fumbles, Kylin James scores to extend UNLV’s lead: UNLV 21, Cal 13

We have points!

The seventh possession of the third quarter — coming after the teams combined for six punts — ended in disaster for Cal. Quarterback EJ Caminong’s backwards pass could not be corralled and UNLV pounced on the loose ball for the fumble recovery.

One play later, Kylin James took the ball and ran 23 yards into the end zone.

Caminong, a freshman, appeared to be in the game due to an injury to CJ Harris. ESPN showed Harris slowly walking to the locker room, a towel over his head.

The third quarter ends with the Rebels holding an eight-point lead.

Highlight: Fake punt helps UNLV take lead at half

The most exciting play of the first half came from special teams. UNLV punter Marshall Nichols’ push pass to Cameron Oliver gained 52 yards on a fourth-and-7 and set up a Rebels touchdown one play later.

HALFTIME: UNLV 14, Cal 13

UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams and the Rebels take the lead into the locker room. Williams completed 4 of 11 passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns.

Cal cuts UNLV’s lead to one

Kicker Ryan Coe made a 30-yard field goal for Cal to cut UNLV’s lead to 14-13 with 1:50 left in the second quarter. Coe appears to have taken over the kicking duties after Derek Morris missed a 41-yard attempt on the previous scoring opportunity.

Cal misses field goal attempt

Cal missed an opportunity to cut into UNLV’s lead after Derek Morris missed a 41-yard field goal attempt. UNLV leads Cal 14-10 with 8:56 left in the second quarter.

UNLV refuses to back down

UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams finds Jacob De Jesus for the 9-yard touchdown. The score capped off a six-play, 75-yard drive. Chittenden’s extra point is good. UNLV leads Cal 14-10 with 13:17 left in the second quarter.

Cal answers back with a touchdown

Josiah Martin rushes 29 yards for the touchdown. Derek Morris’ extra point attempt was good. Cal leads UNLV 10-7 with 19 seconds left in the first quarter.

UNLV responds with a huge touchdown play

UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams found Kayden McGee for a 49-yard touchdown on third-and-10. Caden Chittenden’s extra point attempt was good and the Rebels moved ahead of the Golden Bears 7-3 with 5:04 left in the first quarter.

Cal leads UNLV in the first quarter

Kicker Derek Morris had a successful 43-yard field goal attempt to give the Golden Bears a 3-0 lead against the Rebels with 7:45 left in the first quarter.

Who is the California Golden Bears’ starting quarterback?

CJ Harris will serve as the starting quarterback for the Golden Bears tonight. Chandler Rogers will not play due to injury. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza started most of the season but entered the transfer portal after the regular season.

Harris was the 2022 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl MVP.

Will Ricky White III play for UNLV?

UNLV wide receiver Ricky White III is not suited up and will not play tonight.

When is the Art of Sport LA Bowl between Cal and UNLV?

The kickoff for the Art of Sport L.A. Bowl game between the California Golden Bears and the UNLV Rebels at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, is Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.

How to watch Cal and UNLV in the Art of Sport LA Bowl

The Art of Sport L.A. Bowl game between the California Golden Bears and the UNLV Rebels will be televised nationally on ESPN.

Live streaming is available on Fubo, which has a free trial.

Watch the California Golden Bears and the UNLV Rebels in the LA Bowl with a free Fubo trial

Cal vs. UNLV odds, line

The UNLV Rebels are the favorites to defeat the California Golden Bears in the Art of Sport LA Bowl, according to the BetMGM college football odds on Wednesday.

Spread: UNLV (-3.5) 
Moneyline: UNLV (-165); California (+135) 
Over/under: 46.5

Cal vs. UNLV all-time record 

Wednesday’s Art of Sport L.A. Bowl marks the second time that the California Golden Bears and the UNLV Rebels have faced off.

Cal is 1-0 in the series, beating UNLV 20-14 in a Sept. 10, 2022 game at Berkeley, California.

Cal vs. UNLV: Art of Sport LA Bowl predictions

USA TODAY: Most pick UNLV

Scooby Axon: UNLV
Jordan Mendoza: UNLV
Paul Myerberg: UNLV
Erick Smith: Cal
Eddie Timanus: UNLV
Dan Wolken: UNLV

College Football News: UNLV ‘playing with house money’

Pete Fiutak writes ‘This one is all about watching to make sure the top Rebels stick around. If so, the defense should dominate a banged up and pieced together Bear line that should be without a few starting parts.’

Sports Illustrated: Cal ML (-130)

Reed Wallach writes ‘Given the looming uncertainty for UNLV along the sidelines and on the field, I’m going with the more trustworthy product in Cal to win the LA Bowl.’

College Football Network: UNLV over Cal

James Fragoza writes, “While the Rebels face coaching uncertainties, their talent edge and high-powered playmakers should give them the upper hand.”

Picks and Parlays: Running with the Rebels

David Anicetti writes, “UNLV will win this matchup with a superior offense that scores an average of 36.2 points per game while its defense holds opponents to 21.9 points per game. California scores 26.1 per game but allows 22.2 per game.”

Bowl game picks  

Here are USA TODAY Sports’ expert picks for all of the college football bowl games. 

Gronk Bowl: What is Rob Gronkowski’s involvement with the LA Bowl?

The 2023 bowl season ushered in the era of Gronk as it pertains to the LA Bowl. Former NFL star tight end Rob Gronkowski signed a multiyear agreement to take on the mantle of the game’s host, replacing Jimmy Kimmel.

‘Jimmy was a fantastic host and brought a lot of elements to the game. But it’s my turn now, and I’m going to turn it up, that’s for sure,’ Gronkowski said at the time.

Cal vs. UNLV all-time record

Wednesday’s Art of Sport L.A. Bowl marks the second time that the California Golden Bears and the UNLV Rebels have faced off in their respective programs’ histories.

Cal is 1-0 in the series, beating UNLV, 20-14, in a Sept. 10, 2022 game at Berkeley, California.

College Football Playoff bracket: CFP schedule

The first round of the College Football Playoff will begin with one game on Friday, Dec. 19 and conclude with three games scheduled for Dec. 20.

All times Eastern

FRIDAY, DEC. 20

Game 1: No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Indiana, 8 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)

SATURDAY, DEC. 21

Game 2: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 SMU, noon (TNT)
Game 3: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 12 Clemson, 4 p.m. (TNT)
Game 4: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Tennessee, 8 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)

CFP quarterfinals schedule

The four quarterfinal games will be played on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, with one game on Dec. 31 and three on Jan. 1. All games will be televised by ESPN.

All times Eastern

TUESDAY, DEC. 31

Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Boise State vs. Penn State/SMU winner, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 1

Peach Bowl: No. 4 Arizona State vs. Texas/Clemson winner, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
Rose Bowl: No. 1 Oregon vs. Ohio State/Tennessee winner, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Georgia vs. Notre Dame/Indiana winner, 8:45 p.m. (ESPN)

CFP semifinals schedule

The semifinal games will be played on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10. Both games will be televised by ESPN.

All times Eastern

THURSDAY, JAN. 9

Orange Bowl: Fiesta Bowl winner vs. Sugar Bowl winner, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

FRIDAY, JAN. 10

Cotton Bowl: Peach Bowl winner vs. Rose Bowl winner, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

CFP national championship game schedule

MONDAY, JAN. 20

Game: Orange Bowl winner vs. Cotton Bowl winner
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN

Catch CFP games with Fubo

CFP rankings 

Oregon (Big Ten champion, No. 1 seed)*
Georgia (SEC champion, No. 2 seed)*
Texas (No. 5 seed)
Penn State (No. 6 seed)
Notre Dame (No. 7 seed)
Ohio State (No. 8 seed)
Tennessee (No. 9 seed)
Indiana (No. 10 seed)
Boise State (MWC champion, No. 3 seed)*
SMU (No. 11 seed)
Alabama
Arizona State (Big 12 champion, No. 4 seed)*
Miami
Mississippi
South Carolina
Clemson (ACC champion, No. 12 seed)**

*first-round bye; **automatic bid

How does College Football Playoff format work? 

The 12 participating teams in the College Football Playoff bracket are the five conference champions ranked highest by the CFP selection committee, and the next seven highest-ranked teams.

The four highest-ranked conference champions are seeded one through four and received a first-round bye. The fifth conference champion is seeded where it was ranked among the top 12 teams, or at No. 12 if it is outside the top 12 in the CFP rankings. Non-conference champions ranked in the top four will be seeded beginning at No. 5.

‘Because of this,’ the CFP warns on its website, ‘the seeding, 1 through 12, could look different than the final rankings.’

For the first round, the higher-ranked team in each pairing (5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, 8 vs. 9) will serve as host on campus. The winners advance to the quarterfinals and match up with the corresponding top-four conference champion based on seeding. Quarterfinal games will played at the Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The semifinals – played at the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl Classic – will take place Jan. 9-10.

The two semifinal winners will play for the national championship Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. — Mark Giannotto

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