Three months later, Texas finally has that long-awaited win against a ranked opponent.

Beating Clemson 38-24 in the opening round of the College Football Playoff has the Longhorns in the Peach Bowl against Big 12 champion Arizona State. The Sun Devils are one of the great success stories in the Bowl Subdivision after winning just three games last season.

The final score is slightly misleading: Texas was firmly in control nearly throughout, ceding some ground in the second half as Cade Klubnik brought the Tigers within a touchdown but quickly answering with a long touchdown run to secure the win.

Clemson’s defense was unable to keep the Longhorns under wraps. Arizona State should have an even more difficult time.

But unlike the Tigers, Arizona State has the offensive firepower to go punch for punch with Texas and turn this into an up-and-down, high-scoring matchup.

Here are the keys to the Peach Bowl:

Can Arizona State stay hot?

The Sun Devils started to raise some eyebrows with a perfect run through non-conference play but lost some momentum with league losses to Texas Tech and Cincinnati. They haven’t lost since, rolling into the quarterfinals on a six-game winning streak that includes ranked wins against Kansas State, Brigham Young and Iowa State.

The Peach Bowl could help illustrate the value – or maybe the detriment – of advancing straight into the quarterfinals as one of the top four conference champions.

Will the layoff hurt Arizona State? Will playing in the opening round give Texas more momentum heading into New Year’s Day? Will watching from home force the Sun Devils to shake off some early rust and potentially fall behind in the first quarter or first half?

Would Quinn Ewers deliver in a shootout?

Arizona State ranks 31st in the FBS at 33.1 points per game, but that average has climbed since the start of November. The Sun Devils are averaging 37.2 points per game during this active winning streak, including a 45-point outburst to beat Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game.

Ewers averaged 8.4 yards per attempt against Clemson, his best single-game performance since averaging 12.3 yards per throw against Florida in early November. But he had another interception, giving him four in his last three games.

The Longhorns are at their best when the running game is rolling and taking pressure off Ewers’ shoulders, as in the win against the Tigers.

Arizona State will be in position to score the upset by removing the Texas running game from the equation. That’s easier said than done. The Sun Devils have held teams with a non-winning record to 3.6 yards per carry but allowed five opponents with a winning record to averaged 4.3 yards per carry with five touchdowns on 150 touches.

WHO WINS?: Expert predictions for Arizona State-Texas in Peach Bowl

Can the Texas defense clamp down?

Clemson was the first team to throw for more than 300 yards on Texas and just the third team to crack 200 yards. Klubnik threw for three touchdowns after the Longhorns allowed just four scores through the air during the regular season.

This defense remains one of the best in the FBS and a major reason why Texas could march all the way to the national championship.

Even including Clemson, the Longhorns have given up seven passing touchdowns against 20 interceptions while holding opposing quarterbacks to 5.4 yards per attempt. Against the run, Texas has allowed more than 150 yards only once and held seven opponents to under 100 yards.

Texas is also adept at forcing turnovers. The Longhorns are tied for first nationally with 29 takeaways and have forced multiple turnovers in all but three games.

LOS ANGELES — One of the most-anticipated College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchups is the Rose Bowl featuring Oregon and Ohio State − even though it’s a game we’ve already seen before.

More than two months ago, the Ducks and Buckeyes played a thriller at Autzen Stadium, a back-and-forth affair that went down to the final play and Oregon prevailing 32-31. The two sides have been on a collision course since and they’ll meet once again on New Year’s Day with a spot in the semifinals on the line.

Of the four quarterfinal matchups, Oregon and Ohio State are the only ones to have faced each other, so does that give either side an advantage or disadvantage?

‘I don’t know that I necessarily look at it that way, but playing a team that you’re familiar with, there’s certainly some advantages, too,’ said Oregon head coach Dan Lanning. ‘But on the same note they’re familiar with us as well. So I think all that stuff kind of goes to the side.’

Is rematch good or bad for Ohio State, Oregon?

The question of whether the rematch is good or bad was a constant theme for both teams. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said there’s a great chance his team will see the same things they faced against the Ducks, and others things they’ll be seeing for the first time.

‘I think when you’re late in this season there’s a combination of both. There’s a lot of overage that you have throughout the season that you have ready for teams, you have ready for the first game that you played against somebody, that you don’t quite get to but you practiced all year,’ Day said. ‘There’s also going to be change-ups along the way on both sides of the ball. So just like anytime of the year, you’ve got to adapt once you see something new.’

Of course, both teams aren’t the same either. Day said one big change from Oregon is how quarterback Dillon Gabriel has gotten more comfortable in the offense, making the offense even more explosive than it was when it started the season. He also noted Oregon’s ability to ‘steal possessions’ on special teams with fakes. The Ducks didn’t say much about how different Ohio State is compared to the first matchup, but Lanning focused on ensuring his team’s mistakes from the last meeting don’t carry over.

‘There’s a lot of moments in those games that we could have been better,’ he said.

KEYS TO GAME: Breaking down the Ohio State-Oregon matchup

WHO WINS?: Expert predictions for Ohio State-Oregon in Rose Bowl

Ohio State, Oregon have evolved since early October

Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka believes it won’t be the same team he faces because making the playoff requires improving over the course and if ‘you’re not a different team by the time you face them again, then I think you’re shorting yourself.’

Still, some people in the matchup think the experience will help them, and offered some warnings to the other side. Oregon receiver Tez Johnson, who had seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting, said the Ohio State secondary is full of ‘all elite guys,’ but he pointed out one of the members: safety Caleb Downs.

‘He’s a really good corner, ranging corner, comes from the SEC. But we know his weaknesses. So we definitely going to be on high alert for that,’ Johnson said.

Ohio State ready to take its ‘shot’

Meanwhile there’s Ohio State freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith, who didn’t hold back on his warning. He had a team-high 100 yards and a touchdown on nine catches in the October meeting, and is coming off a big game in which he had 103 receiving yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee. The deep-threat said Oregon shouldn’t think about playing man defense on him.

‘I’m just laughing in my head. Why are y’all really playing man-on-man against us, or against me, I should say?’ Smith told ESPN. ‘And when we see man against any of our receivers, we’re going to take a shot down the field.

‘So I’m just letting everybody know right now that if you play man Wednesday, we’re taking a shot.’

Gabriel notes rematches will be a more common with the expanded playoff, and like the NFL, and there will always be good and bad points for it. Regardless, the college football world will see whether any team gains an advantage from seeing each other before, and it will happen in the sport’s best setting.

‘We’re excited for it,’ Gabriel said. ‘It’s at the Rose Bowl, so what better way to do it?’

The last College Football Playoff quarterfinal on the schedule could turn out to be the best one. Notre Dame and Georgia meet in New Orleans in the Sugar Bowl with the winner headed to the Orange Bowl.

The Fighting Irish, coming off their defeat of Indiana in the first round, have won 11 games in a row and appear to be peaking at the right time. The Bulldogs face some questions despite winning the SEC title against Texas with starting quarterback Carson Beck out for the season. Gunner Stockton played well in relief of Beck in that defeat of the Longhorns. But how he will fare against a defense as good as Notre Dame that has time to prepare for him? That remains to be seen.

With both teams appearing to have their strength on defense and lacking explosive passing games, this shapes up to be a defensive struggle. Who will prevail? Our experts give their picks.

Scooby Axson

The Irish will be missing their top pass rusher, and Georgia will be without its starting quarterback. Notre Dame will need to pound the rock early and often to open up the passing game, which the Bulldogs have been susceptible to at times. Gunner Stockton’s first career start is in the biggest spotlights, and a key turnover or special team play will let the Bulldogs escape and move on to the next round. Georgia 26, Notre Dame 24.

Jordan Mendoza

How much does the loss of Carson Beck impact Georgia? Notre Dame will be hunting Gunner Stockton all night against should be the best defense the Bulldogs have faced all season. Georgia is unable to stop the running game of the Fighting Irish and prevail in what will be a pro-Georgia crowd. Notre Dame 27, Georgia 23.

Paul Myerberg

The outlook is different if Georgia had Carson Beck under center. Life will become much more difficult with backup Gunner Stockton taking snaps against what may be the best defense in this field. Notre Dame will be able to run on Georgia and will need error-free play from Riley Leonard to score a minor upset. The Irish have what it takes to get this done. Notre Dame 24, Georgia 20.

Erick Smith

We’ve seen backup quarterbacks thrive in the College Football Playoff. The questions is whether Gunner Stockton is the latest. A solid performance in the second half against Texas in the SEC championship game brings optimism. Notre Dame needs this to be a breakthrough win in the postseason to establish its credentials. It’ll be a four-quarter fight that might come down to a kicker. Georgia 20, Notre Dame 17.

Eddie Timanus

One usually picks against Georgia in the College Football Playoff playoff at one’s own peril. Bearing that in mind, however, we like Notre Dame’s chances with its physical ability on both sides of the ball and the Bulldogs forced to rely on inexperienced quarterback Gunner Stockton to make critical plays. Notre Dame 27, Georgia 13.

Dan Wolken

With some time to prepare for Gunner Stockton, Notre Dame’s defense has the advantage against a quarterback who doesn’t have a lot of experience under the bright lights. Maybe Georgia is good enough to overcome it, and maybe Stockton is a star in waiting. But until they prove it on the field, it’s safer to consider this version of Georgia as a downgrade from what they were earlier in the year. Notre Dame 23, Georgia 21.

We’ve had rematches in the College Football Playoff and Bowl Championship Series before, so Ohio State and Oregon facing in the Rose Bowl after an earlier meeting in the regular season isn’t breaking new ground. But given the drama and high-level play from that matchup won by the Ducks, there is a lot of expectation that the sequel could be as good as the original, if not better.

The Buckeyes are off an impressive win against Tennessee that helped calm things down a bit after a loss to Michigan dropped them out of the Big Ten title game. The defeat opened the door for Penn State to play Oregon for the conference title, the Ducks prevailed, sending them into the playoff as the No. 1 seed.

The earlier game between these two came down to an Ohio State offensive pass interference penalty that preceded a final play where time expired before a potential game-winning field goal. Could there be the same kind of drama Wednesday? Our experts off their predictions.

Scooby Axson

The only solace Oregon has is that they have already beaten the Buckeyes earlier this year, but if the Ohio State team that showed up against Tennessee makes a repeat appearance in this contest then Oregon, no matter how explosive their offense can be, will be going home early. Will Howard is the X-factor in this game and might be the single reason why Ohio State wins or loses. In this case, Howard’s’ supporting cast gives him plenty of help. Ohio State 37, Oregon 32.

Jordan Mendoza

The scoreboard will be doing plenty of work when both of these teams meet again. Ohio State’s offense should keep the momentum from the first round, but the Ducks are still a lethal team. Dillon Gabriel leads a game-winning drive in the final seconds of another instant classic between the Ducks and Buckeyes. Oregon 38, Ohio State 37.

Paul Myerberg

An instant classic from the regular season gets a highly anticipated rematch. As in October, this one should plenty of scoring on both sides and potentially come down to which team has the final possession. While the Ducks are the no-doubt No. 1 in the playoff field and more than capable of running the table to become the first 16-0 team in modern Bowl Subdivision history, the way Ohio State played in the opening round against Tennessee makes it hard to pick against the Buckeyes. Ohio State 32, Oregon 31.

Erick Smith

Was that the Ohio State we will see the rest of the playoff or was the win against Tennessee just the Buckeyes taking advantage of a favorable matchup? It’s easy to overreact, especially with Oregon being much more capable of moving the ball here. This should come down to the quarterbacks and whether Dillon Gabriel or Will Howard perform the best. We’ll go with Gabriel to come out on top. Oregon 28, Ohio State 24.

Eddie Timanus

One was left with the impression after the first meeting that the Buckeyes would have stolen the victory if they’d had just a few more seconds. That might translate to this rematch, but the Ducks have also improved. Oregon will have made enough adjustments from the first meeting to answer all the Buckeyes’ talent. It’ll happen again. Oregon 38, Ohio State 28.

Dan Wolken

The Buckeyes nearly won in Eugene earlier in the season, and it’s extremely hard to beat a team of that quality twice. Oregon would be a worthy national champion, but it feels like the Ducks just caught a bad draw here. Ohio State 38, Oregon 35.

The quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff on New Year’s Day start with an early matchup at the Peach Bowl.

Arizona State enters the game as the No. 4 seed off a bye after to winning the Big 12. While the Sun Devils were getting more than three weeks of preparation, No. 5 seed Texas was defeating Clemson in its first-round game. The Longhorns will have the benefit of being in familiar territory as they lost to Georgia in the SEC title game in Atlanta. That loss cost them a bye but might work in their favor as they won’t have a long layoff to deal with.

There are starts on both sides of the ball with running back Cam Skattebo, who finished fifth in the Heisman voting, leading the Arizona State ground attack. Texas will counter with a host of skill people behind quarterback Quinn Ewers. It shapes up to be a game that could produce fireworks.

Who will emerge victorious and head to the Cotton Bowl? Our experts weigh in.

Scooby Axson

The Sun Devils have been yapping a lot in the week before the game, and while they do not lack confidence, they will run into the same problem that Clemson did against the Longhorns. Texas is too deep and talented, and its defense will make life hell for Arizona State, and won’t let Cam Skattebo beat them. So, Sam Leavitt must prove he is a better quarterback than Quinn Ewers, at least for one game. Texas 35, Arizona State 23.

Jordan Mendoza

On paper, Texas is far better than Arizona State. But the Sun Devils ended the season red hot, and Cam Skattebo is a force to be reckoned with. The Longhorns are too sloppy offensively, and the Sun Devils pull off the upset. Arizona State 24, Texas 20.

Paul Myerberg

Texas has the firepower, athleticism and depth to make things very difficult on the Big 12 champs. For Arizona State to score a significant upset would demand an edge in the turnover margin and a herculean effort from Cam Skattebo and the running game. If that doesn’t get going, look for the Longhorns to score another double-digit win and cruise into the semifinals. Texas 36, Arizona State 24.

Erick Smith

This has the perfect storyline you would see in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament where a Cinderella makes an incredible run to the Final Four. That’s effectively what Arizona State is trying to do in reaching the semifinals with a win Wednesday. But a good fairy tale has to come to an end at some point. And it’s Texas that will be the spoiler. Just too much talent on defense for the Longhorns in this one to created a dramatic finish. Texas 31, Arizona State 14.

Eddie Timanus

The Longhorns enter their 15th game of the season, and the impact was starting to show in a late swoon of the Clemson win. Look for the rested Sun Devils and running back Cam Skattebo to take advantage and come out on top. Arizona State 27, Texas 20.

Dan Wolken

Despite persistent questions about the Longhorns offense, this seems like another cruise control game against an overmatched team. Arizona State is going to have to play perfect football to hang, and it doesn’t help that top receiver Jordyn Tyson is out with an injury. Texas 27, Arizona State 6.

Some things didn’t really change at Colorado in Deion Sanders’ second year as head football coach.

His running game finished the 2024 season ranked dead last nationally in yards per game, same as it did in 2023. His offensive line still struggled to block. And penalties still were a problem. The Buffaloes ranked eighth nationally in most penalties committed this season with 100.

But in the bigger picture, Colorado undeniably took a huge step forward by finishing 9-4 in 2024 after a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl Saturday. Sanders deserves credit for that, along with some blame for what went wrong.

Here are the biggest hits and misses of his second year after improving from a 4-8 season in 2023 and a 1-11 finish before his hiring in December 2022.

Big success No. 1: Rebounding after Nebraska

Colorado’s 28-10 loss at Nebraska on Sept. 7 looked ominous for the Buffaloes. They fell into a 28-0 hole at halftime, gave up six quarterback sacks and managed just 16 yards rushing in their second game of the season. In other words, they looked a lot like Sanders’ first Colorado team in 2023.

But Sanders recognized this and helped prevent the Buffs from falling apart down the stretch like they did last year. He made it the theme of the week that followed: “How do you respond?”

This time they responded by winning three straight games before finishing in a four-way tie for first place in the Big 12 Conference. Last season, they lost eight of their final nine games. That’s coaching.

Big miss No. 1: The letdowns

This happens to every team to different degrees, but the Buffs seemed like two different squads at times: one with lots of firepower and one that disappeared for long stretches like they did last year.

Besides falling behind 28-0 at Nebraska, the Buffs fell behind 17-0 against Kansas and 20-0 by halftime in the Alamo Bowl.  And don’t forget that time they came from behind to take a 28-24 lead late in the fourth quarter against Kansas State only to give up big plays of 34 and 50 yards right after that to fall behind for good.

They lost each of those games because of those letdowns and it’s on Sanders to smooth out that choppiness in 2025.

Big success No. 2: Letting Travis Hunter be Travis Hunter

Colorado won its second Heisman Trophy in school history because Sanders let Travis Hunter do what he wanted to do at the fullest extent: play both ways as a cornerback and receiver. Not many other coaches, if any, would allow this, simply because they’d see it as unnecessary, or as too big of an injury risk, or just too unconventional to be considered.

Not Sanders. He played both ways himself as a player and has shown he’s willing and eager to think outside the box in the quickly changing landscape of college football.

Big miss No. 2: The running game (again)

Having a quarterback as good as Shedeur Sanders made this issue less of a problem than it could have been. But it would help take the pressure off of next season’s quarterback if the Buffs don’t finish last in the nation for the third season in a row in rushing yards per game. The Buffs actually averaged fewer rushing yards this year (65.2) than last year (68.9)

Why is this problem so hard to fix? The answer relates to another big miss for Deion Sanders in 2024.

Big success No. 3: Hiring Robert Livingston

A good head coach knows how to delegate and find top assistant coaches. In this case, after last year’s defensive coordinator left for Auburn, Sanders turned to Robert Livingston, the defensive backs coach of the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals. Livingston had never run a defense before. He’s young and wasn’t exactly a “name” hire.

But he coached up some transfers and returning players, who combined to help lead the Big 12 Conference in quarterback sacks (39) and fumbles recovered (12).

Big miss No. 3: The offensive line

Much of the trouble with the running game and in the Alamo Bowl involved blocking. Deion Sanders made it an obvious priority to overhaul his offensive line after his team gave up the second-most quarterback sacks in the nation in 2023 (56). He brought in nine transfers and the top offensive tackle recruit in the nation as a freshman: Jordan Seaton, who started every game at left tackle and will only get better as a sophomore in 2025.

But the Buffs still gave up 43 sacks, the most in the Big 12. Of those nine transfers on the offensive line, few panned out over the course of the full season because of injuries or substandard play. They had to reshuffle their line often because of that, raising questions about whether Sanders can solve this issue with more newcomers and reshuffling in 2025.

He’s got time to try to figure it out. The Buffs open their third season under Sanders Aug. 30 at home against Georgia Tech.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

(This article was updated with new information)

If Penn State advances past Boise State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, the Nittany Lions may have to do so without their best defensive player.

In the second quarter of the Fiesta Bowl, star Penn State defensive end Adbul Carter went down with an apparent upper-body injury following an incompletion on third down. Carter would exit the game at that moment with the Nittany Lions then-up 14-0.

He returned briefly in the first half but then left the game again.

Carter made an early presence on the field in the first quarter when the Nittany Lions dialed up pressure against the Broncos, as he got to Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen rather quickly from the edge. The Philadelphia native had 60 total tackles, 11 sacks, three broken-up passes and two forced fumbles on the season.

Here’s the latest on Carter’s injury from Tuesday’s College Football Playoff quarterfinals game vs. Boise State:

Abdul Carter injury update

Carter appeared to have sustained an injury at the start of the second quarter of Tuesday’s Fiesta Bowl against Boise State following a completion. He did not return to the game for the Nittany Lions, who advanced to the CFP semifinals with a 31-14 win over Boise State.

During Penn State’s Fiesta Bowl trophy presentation ceremony, Carter was seen using his right arm to hoist the Fiesta Bowl trophy and not his left.

As noted by the York Daily Record’s Frank Bodani, Carter was seen on the stationary bike for the remainder of the second quarter vs. Boise State.

When the Nittany Lions headed out onto the field to start the second half, Carter was seen with his left arm wrapped.

ESPN’s cameras showed Carter on the sidelines and near the bike in the third quarter as it went to sideline reporter Tom Luginbill for a report.

The United States won the world junior hockey championship near the beginning of the 2024 calendar year.

It took a big step toward a repeat by beating rival Canada 4-1 on the final day of 2024 to claim the top seed in its group at the under-20 tournament that features hockey’s top drafted and draft-eligible players.

The USA, which has never won back-to-back titles, will face Switzerland (2:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network) in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Canada dropped to third place and will face Czechia. Sweden-Latvia and Finland-Slovakia are the other quarterfinals.

The Americans took advantage of Canada’s undisciplined play to score three power-play goals. Boston University defenseman Cole Hutson, a Washington Capitals draft pick and brother of Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, had a goal and an assist to take the U.S. scoring lead with eight points.

The United States went with Trey Augustine in net and he rewarded the decision with a 38-save victory after he had given up eight goals over his first two games.

Highlights from the U.S. win against Canada at the world junior hockey championship:

Canada pulls goalie, Ryan Leonard scores

Canada needs to get to overtime to avoid finishing third so it has pulled goalie Carter George for an extra skater with minutes left. USA captain Ryan Leonard scores into the empty net after a Canada turnover to make it 4-1.

Cole Eiserman gives USA two-goal cushion

Canada is getting undisciplined and taking unnecessary penalties. Cole Eiserman makes the Canadians pay with a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle for a 3-1 USA lead. Every goal in this game has been scored on the power play.

USA connects on power play, goes ahead

The Americans get their second power-play goal of the game. Cole Hutson takes the puck behind the net and passes to Danny Nelson, who scores from the slot for a 2-1 lead.

Canada ties the game on the power play

Bradly Nadeau scores on a one-timer with two seconds left in a Ryan Leonard penalty. Brayden Yager finds Nadeau with a nice seam pass.

End of second period: USA 1, Canada 0

The Americans can’t capitalize on three power plays and now will be short-handed at the start of the third when captain Ryan Leonard is called for roughing at time runs out in the period. U.S. goalie Trey Augustine has made 27 saves.

USA on power play again

Canada has killed off the last two U.S. power plays but needs to be more disciplined. Sam Dickinson is called for holding. Canada kills if off and rides the momentum with a flurry in the U.S. end.

USA back on power play

Carson Rehkopf gets a second consecutive penalty, this time for tripping Zeev Buium. Canada kills this off, too. Still 1-0 USA.

USA goes on power play

Canada’s Carson Rehkopf knocked Trey Augustine’s dropped goalie stick away from him and is called for interference. Canada kills it off. USA moves it around well but gets only one shot.

USA goal waved off

Gabe Perreault appears to score, but it’s waved off because James Hagens knocked the puck out of the air with a high stick.

Canada goes on power play

USA’s Logan Hensler is called for holding. Canada goes on its first power play of the game. Goalie Trey Augustine has to come up big in close to kill off the penalty.

End of first period: USA 1, Canada 0

Cole Hutson scores at 13:02 for the lone goal of the first period. After Cole Eiserman tips a Canadian clearing attempt on a power play, Hutson beats a defender to the puck, skates in and rips a shot past Carter George. It was the first goal allowed by George in the tournament. Hutson leads U.S. scorers with seven points.

The USA went with Trey Augustine in net and he has shut down Canada through one period with 11 saves.

Today’s world juniors hockey results

Switzerland 3, Kazakhstan 1 Switzerland clinches a quarterfinal berth. Kazakhstan will play Germany in a relegation game at 11 a.m. ET Thursday
Finland 3, Latvia 0
Sweden 4, Czechia 2 Sweden wins Group B
United States 4, Canada 1 USA wins Group A

World juniors hockey playoff round

All times Eastern

Jan. 2

Sweden vs. Latvia, noon, NHLN, TSN
United States vs. Switzerland, 2:30, NHLN, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5
Finland vs. Slovakia, 5, NHLN, TSN
Czechia vs. Canada, 7:30, NHLN, TSN

Jan. 4

Semifinal 1 3:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN
Semifinal 2 7:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN

Jan. 5

Third-place game, 3:30, NHLN, TSN
Championship game, 7:30, NHLN, TSN

When is USA vs. Canada world juniors hockey game?

The USA and Canada will play at 8 p.m. ET at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.

How to watch USA vs. Canada world juniors hockey game

The game will be aired on NHL Network in the United States and on TSN in Canada.

USA vs. Canada players to watch

USA: James Hagens, the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft, leads the Americans with six points. He plays on a line with Boston College teammates Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault. Defenseman Cole Hutson also has six points. He’s the brother of Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson. Michigan State’s Trey Augustine (1-0-1) is getting the start against Canada.

Canada: Canada has no scorer in the top 25 at the tournament. Easton Cowan leads the team with three points. Gavin McKenna (one goal) is the early front-runner for the 2026 draft. Goalie Carter George has two shutouts.

World juniors hockey scores

Dec. 26

Sweden 5, Slovakia 2
United States 10, Germany 4
Czechia 5, Switzerland 1
Canada 4, Finland 0

Dec. 27

Slovakia 2, Switzerland 1
Finland 3, Germany 1
Sweden 8, Kazakhstan 1
Latvia 3, Canada 2 (SO)

Dec. 28

Czechia 14, Kazakhstan 2
United States 5, Latvia 1

Dec. 29

Sweden 7, Switzerland 5
Finland 4, United States 3 (OT)
Czechia 4, Slovakia 2
Canada 3, Germany 0

Dec. 30

Slovakia 5, Kazakhstan 4 (OT)
Latvia 4, Germany 3 (OT)

Tuesday’s Winter Classic was supposed to be Connor Bedard’s time to shine but St. Louis Blues defenseman Cam Fowler had a grand time.

The Blues defenseman had a big performance in his 1,000th career with two goals as St. Louis routed the Chicago Blackhawks, 6-2, at Wrigley Field. He’s the lone player in NHL history to reach that milestone in an outdoor game.

Fowler opened the scoring 100 seconds into the game and also scored in the final minutes of the second period for his second and third goals of the season. That gives him seven points in nine games since he was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in a Dec. 14 trade.

St. Louis’ Jordan Kyrou scored his third goal in two Winter Classics and Justin Faulk (three points), Dylan Holloway and Alexandre Texier also scored for the Blues. Jordan Binnington had several impressive saves among his 28 stops.

Chicago got goals from Taylor Hall and Tyler Bertuzzi. Bedard, the 2023-24 rookie of the year and 2023 No. 1 overall pick, had a secondary assist in the third period when the game was out of reach.

‘Those tickets aren’t cheap for them to come and support us,’ Bedard told reporters, adding, ‘I feel bad for our fan base coming out to this and we kind of lay an egg.’

Highlights from the Winter Classic between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field:

Winter Classic final score: Blues win 6-2

The Blues improve to 3-0 at the Winter Classic while the Blackhawks fall to 0-5. St. Louis has outscored Chicago 10-3 in their two outdoor meetings.

Winter Classic score: Alexandre Texier makes it 6-2

Blues defenseman Justin Faulk picks up his third point of the game with an assist on Alexandre Texier’s goal at 16:18.

Winter Classic score: Tyler Bertuzzi gets power play goal

Tyler Bertuzzi fires in a shot from the left faceoff circle for the Blackhawks’ second power-play goal of the game. It’s 5-2 St. Louis. Connor Bedard gets the secondary assist for his first point of the game.

10 minutes left in game

Still 5-1 St. Louis. Blackhawks have only two shots in the period.

Cubs tradition at Wrigley Field hockey game

The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan plays the role of the late Harry Caray by singing, ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ in the third period. He shouts, ‘Let’s get some goals’ afterward.

Third penalty underway

5-1 Blues, but St. Louis’ Pavel Buchnevich is penalized 18 seconds in for tripping. The Blues kill it off.

End of second period: Blues 5, Blackhawks 1

St. Louis dominated the scoring with three goals. Chicago had 15 shots but Jordan Binnington made several tough saves. Blues defensemen have combined for three goals and two assists in the game. If the Blackhawks don’t stage a big comeback, they’ll fall to 0-5 at the Winter Classic.

Winter Classic fight: Nick Foligno vs. Brayden Schenn

As happens during a blowout, the game gets chippy. Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno and Blues captain Brayden Schenn drop the gloves off a faceoff and there’s some pushing and shoving later in the period.

Winter Classic score: Blues’ Cam Fowler scores again

He makes it 5-1 at 17:51 when his long wrist shot from the blue line floats past a screened Petr Mrazek. Another goal in his 1,000th career game.

Winter Classic score: Blues pulling away on Dylan Holloway goal

Dylan Holloway and Justin Faulk each pick up their second point of the game, when Holloway knocks in the rebound of a Faulk shot. He makes it 4-1 at 13:34 of the second period. The Blues landed Holloway last summer when St. Louis made offer sheets to Holloway and Philip Broberg and the Edmonton Oilers didn’t match. Holloway has seven points in his last four games.

Jordan Binnington make big save

Chicago’s Taylor Hall gets a breakaway after a Blues giveaway and Jordan Binnington robs him with a leg save.

Winter Classic score: Justin Faulk adds to Blues’ lead

The Blues score right off a faceoff win at 7:15 of the second period. Oskar Sundqvist wins the draw and Philip Broberg passes to Justin Faulk. His shot beats a screened Petr Mrazek for a 3-1 lead. It was the defenseman’s first goal since the second game of the season.

Blues on power play again

Taylor Hall, the Blackhawks’ goal scorer, is called for hooking Robert Thomas. Hall disagrees. Blues are 2-for-2 so far on the man advantage in this game. Make it 2-for-3 now. Thomas hits the post and the Blackhawks kill it off.

Second period underway

Score is 2-1 St. Louis.

End of first period: Blues 2, Blackhawks 1

Key to the second period: Stay out of the penalty box after three power-play goals were scored in the first period. St. Louis dominated play early but Chicago controlled play late and ended up with a 10-7 shot advantage. The light rain has stopped. Second period will start after a performance by Chance The Rapper.

Winter Classic score: Blackhawks’ Taylor Hall gets power-play goal

It’s looking like special teams will decide this game. Three power plays. Three power-play goals. Chicago’s Taylor Hall gets this one when a rebound of Ryan Donato’s shot comes to him in the right faceoff circle and he rips a shot past Jordan Binnington at 15:26. St. Louis’ lead is cut to 2-1.

Winter Classic score: Blues’ Jordan Kyrou scores on power play

The Blackhawks were short-handed again after Nolan Allan held Jordan Kyrou. Kyrou made them pay at 6:34 to make it 2-0. Kyrou set the Winter Classic record in 2022 with a four-point game. He’s up to five points now outdoors. Nice pass by Jake Neighbours. Score is 2-0 St. Louis.

Winter Classic score: Blues’ Cam Fowler gets goal in 1,000th game

Blues defenseman Cam Fowler opened the scoring with a power play goal at 1:40. Chicago’s Louis Crevier was in the penalty box for delay of game.

Fowler got to celebrate his milestone in an iconic setting because of a trade. He had played his first 991 games with the Anaheim Ducks but he was traded to the Blues on Dec. 14 for minor league defenseman Jeremie Biakabutuka and a 2027 second-round pick. He had a goal and four assists in his first eight games with the Blues and now has his second goal with the team.

Who sang the National Anthem?

The Blackhawks had Jim Cornelison, their usual anthem singer, perform at the Winter Classic.

Players take the ice for Winter Classic

The Blackhawks and Blues are taking the ice for the game while The Smashing Pumpkins perform ‘Tonight, Tonight.’ Chance The Rapper will perform during the intermission.

What time is the Winter Classic today?

The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues will play at 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. local time) on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. The game is usually played on New Year’s Day, but there are three College Football Playoff quarterfinals on Jan. 1.

What channel is the Winter Classic on?

The game will be broadcast nationally on TNT and truTV. A pregame show will air at 4 p.m. ET.

Where to stream Winter Classic

The game can be streamed on Sling and on Max.

How have the Blackhawks, Blues fared in outdoor games?

The Blackhawks are 0-4 in the Winter Classic (2009, 2015, 2017 and 2019) and 1-1 in Stadium Series games. The Blues are 2-0 in the Winter Classic (2017, 2022), their only outdoor games.

Winter Classic coaches are in-season replacements

Neither coach was behind his respective bench at the start of the season. Chicago interim coach Anders Sorensen, the NHL’s first Swedish-born head coach, replaced Luke Richardson on Dec. 5. The Blues hired Jim Montgomery on Nov. 24 to replace Drew Bannister. Montgomery had been fired by the Boston Bruins five days earlier. He was the Bruins coach in the 2023 game in Fenway Park. It’s the first time the Winter Classic has featured two in-season replacement coaches.

Winter Classic weather update

There’s a light rain right now an hour before the start of the game. It might turn to snow.

Where is the next Winter Classic?

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said an announcement on the site of the next Winter Classic likely won’t happen until next week because not all of the agreements have been nailed down.

“It’s going to be unique. It’s going to be special, I promise that,’ he told NHL Network while standing under an umbrella to keep out of the rain. ‘People are going to think maybe we’ve lost our minds, but it’s going to be really good.”

Blues, Blackhawks players arrive: What they wore

The Blues and Blackhawks players showed up at Wrigley Field in coordinated clothes, in what’s becoming an outdoor game tradition. Here’s what they wore:

Blues players wore gray sweatshirts and ski caps with the No. 99 to honor Wayne Gretzky, the NHL all-time leading scorer who played for St. Louis for part of one season. He’s working the game broadcast as a TNT studio analyst.

Blackhawks players took the train to the game. They honored Chicago first responders on their sleeves and had the names of favorite charities on their hats. They carried their skates on their sticks.

Winter Classic projected starting goalies

Blackhawks’ Petr Mrazek: He’s 1-1 in outdoor games with a 3.55 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage. His 2024-25 numbers: 7-13-1, 3.09, .897.

Blues’ Jordan Binnington: He’s 1-0, winning the 2022 Winter Classic, with a 4.00 GAA and .879 save percentage. His 2024-25 numbers: 9-14-3, 2.93, .895.

Blues, Blackhawks played each other in Winter Classic before

The Blues beat the Blackhawks 4-1 in the 2017 Winter Classic at St. Louis’ Busch Stadium.

Winter Classic makes return trip to Wrigley Field

The Detroit Red Wings beat the Blackhawks 6-4 in the 2009 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. The Chicago Cubs stadium is not the first repeat venue. The 2010 and 2023 games were held at Boston’s Fenway Park.

Winter Classic weather update

There’s a chance of snow showers leading up to and including the first period, though the weather will be cloudy later in the game. The forecast calls for 37 degrees at puck drop, with temperatures dropping to 35.

Winter Classic performers

The Smashing Pumpkins are scheduled to perform before the game and Chance The Rapper is scheduled to perform during the intermission.

Winter Classic odds, moneyline, over/under

Odds are from BetMGM

Spread: Blues -1.5

Moneyline: Blues -140, Blackhawks +120

Over/under: 5.5

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