Two of the best teams in the country met over the weekend and it certainly won’t be the last time we see Michigan and Michigan State clash.

Right now, it feels like the road to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas runs through the Great Lakes state and it would be no surprise to see these two bitter rivals battle for the Big Ten crown, as well (though Wisconsin might have something to say about that).

Speaking of the Badgers, they are one of a number of major teams – Penn State being another example – who have already started long holiday breaks. This provides a bit of a conundrum for the purposes of power rankings, but I’m going to consider Wisconsin in neutral for now: Hot teams can pass them, but I also don’t want to negate what the Badgers have accomplished. So let’s take a look at who some of those squads may be.

College hockey power rankings

1. Michigan Wolverines (16-4-0)

We saw two of the best go at each other over the weekend and, poetically, it ended up with a split. That’s not going to hurt the Wolverines’ standing, as we once again saw an excellent outing from Will Horcoff (Pittsburgh draft pick), who is making a serious case for the Hobey Baker right now.

2. Michigan State Spartans (12-4-0)

The Spartans took out Michigan in the second game of their series, with Ontario Hockey League transfer Anthony Romani doing the key goal scoring. Porter Martone (Philadelphia) had the empty-netter to salt things away, while Trey Augustine (Detroit) shut the door in net, allowing just one goal in the 3-1 victory.

3. Dartmouth Big Green (10-0-0)

Still the only undefeated team in the nation. I lauded the Big Green for their team defense last week, so now it’s time to give some love to the Dartmouth offense, which put up a total of 13 goals in wins over Brown and Yale on the weekend. Netminder Emmett Croteau (Montreal) has a beguiling .965 save percentage right now.

4. Denver Pioneers (11-5-1)

The NCHC is always a dogfight and the Pioneers have proved to be a championship outfit for a number of years now. In sweeping a surprisingly good Miami, Denver now has won eight of its past 10 games after some early wonkiness this year. Defenseman Eric Pohlkamp (San Jose) is up to 19 points through 17 games.

5. North Dakota Fighting Hawks (12-4-0)

Flip-flop North Dakota and Denver if you wish; the two teams are both hot right now. The Fighting Hawks have won nine of 10, but had an easier draw over the weekend in St. Cloud State. Nonetheless, this is a team in its prime with a balanced attack. Will Zellers (Boston) has points in four in a row.

6. Wisconsin Badgers (12-2-2)

As mentioned, the Badgers were idle and will be until the end of the month when they play Lake Superior State at the Holiday Face-Off in Milwaukee. They get either Boston College or Western Michigan in the second game – a great test in both scenarios.

7. Boston College Eagles (10-5-1)

After a spotty start to the season, the Eagles are, ahem, soaring. Boston College has won eight of 10 and most important, star center James Hagens (Boston) is hot. The NHL first-rounder is up to 18 points through 16 games and will be a crucial part of Team USA’s world junior squad.

8. Western Michigan Broncos (10-6-0)

The defending national champs have pushed through some key injuries and a tough schedule so far and splitting with Minnesota-Duluth is no easy feat. The fact that they kept the Plante brothers off the scoresheet in Saturday’s overtime win is impressive. William Whitelaw (Columbus) has been hot of late.

9. Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (13-5-0)

Splitting with Western Michigan gets the same positive nod for the Bulldogs as the other way around. UMD draws Arizona State next and those games against the Sun Devils will be very intriguing. Goaltender Adam Gajan (Chicago) is rocking a beautiful 1.80 goals-against average.

10. Northeastern Huskies (10-5-0)

In a wild Hockey East, the Huskies continue to punch above their weight and it will be interesting to see how long they can stay there, especially with a very winnable January schedule. Dylan Hryckowian continues to pace the offense with more than a point per game.

She was back at Lambeau Field on Sunday, Dec. 7, but on the other side of the rivalry.

And Biles had another fit to show off on the field ahead of Owens’ game for the Bears against the Packers.

Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history with 41 medals between world championships and Olympics, sported an all-gray look with a shirt that featured Jonathan Owens’ name and then a beanie that had his No. 36 number.

She then declared in a video on her TikTok: ‘Go Bears. Bear Down, baby.’

Biles and Owens shared a kiss with each other before the game as well, something they did throughout his time with the Packers.

Jonathan Owens and Simone Biles

Biles and Owens, then with the Houston Texans, connected during the early days of COVID and were engaged in 2022.

They married at a courthouse in Texas in 2023 and had a destination wedding in April of that year in Mexico. Owens signed with the Packers days later and flew in from his honeymoon to make it official.

Owens and Biles are often at each others’ sporting events – Owens was in attendance for Biles’ triumhant return to the Olympics in 2024 – and support each other on social media as well.

Simone Biles’ husband Jonathan Owens

Owens, a safety, played one season with the Packers in 2023. As a free agent, he then signed with the Bears in 2024 and has spent the last two seasons with the Packers’ biggest rival.

He played in all 17 games last year and has played in all of the Bears’ 12 games this season. Owens has 17 tackles in 2025.

The NCAA volleyball tournament field has been narrowed to 16 teams.

Fifteen of the top 16 seeds advanced over the first and second rounds and will begin Sweet 16 play on Thursday, Dec. 11 or Friday, Dec. 12.

Cal Poly produced the lone upset, taking down No. 4 seed USC in the Lexington regional. The Mustangs will face Kentucky, the No. 1 seed in the region, on Thursday.

No. 1 overall seed Nebraska advanced by sweeping Kansas State and Long Island University in the first and second round, respectively. The Huskers face Kansas in the round of 16 on Friday. No. 1 seed Pittsburgh will be in action Thursday, and No. 1 seed Texas opens Sweet 16 play on Friday.

The 2025 NCAA women’s volleyball Final Four will be held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s the third time since 2010 that the venue has hosted the volleyball national championship.

When is NCAA women’s volleyball Sweet 16?

Date: Dec. 11 and 13 or Dec. 12 and 14
Time: Four matches each day, beginning at 1 p.m. ET Thursday and noon ET Friday. Match-by-match times below.

How to watch NCAA volleyball tournament

Streaming: ESPN+ ∣ Fubo (free trial)

The 2025 NCAA women’s volleyball tournament will air across the ESPN and ABC family of networks. Games can be streamed ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Watch NCAA volleyball tournament on Fubo

NCAA volleyball Sweet 16 schedule: Times, TV

All times Eastern

Thursday, Dec. 11

No. 2 Arizona State vs. No. 3 Creighton, 1 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 1 Kentucky vs. Cal Poly, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 2 SMU vs. No. 3 Purdue, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Friday, Dec. 12

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Indiana, 12 p.m. | ESPN
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 2 Stanford, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN
No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Louisville, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 4 Kansas, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2

NCAA volleyball second-round results

Lexington bracket

No. 1 Kentucky 3, No. 8 UCLA 1 (30-28, 25-16, 28-30, 25-17)
No. 3 Creighton 3, No. 6 Northern Iowa 1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21)
No. 2 Arizona State 3, Utah State 1 (25-15, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15)
Cal Poly 3, No. 4 USC 2 (25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 15-7)

Austin bracket

No. 4 Indiana 3, No. 5 Colorado 0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-23)
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, North Carolina 0 (25-14, 25-21, 27-25)
No. 1 Texas 1, No. 8 Penn State 0 (25-16, 25-9, 25-19)
No. 2 Stanford 3, Arizona 1 (25-16, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20)

Pittsburgh bracket

No. 3 Purdue 3, No. 6 Baylor 1 (25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20)
No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, Michigan 0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-18)
No. 2 SMU 3, Florida 0 (25-11, 25-21, 26-24)
No. 4 Minnesota 3, No. 5 Iowa State 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-14)

Lincoln bracket

No. 4 Kansas 3, No. 5 Miami 1 (25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 27-25)
No. 2 Louisville 3, Marquette 2 (21-25, 25-11, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12)
No. 1 Nebraska 3, Kansas State 0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-16)
No. 3 Texas A&M 3, No. 6 TCU 1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 29-27)

NCAA volleyball first-round results

Lexington bracket

No. 1 Kentucky 3, Wofford 0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-12)
No. 8 UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2 (24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18, 15-10)
Cal Poly 3, No. 5 BYU 2 (25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10)
No. 4 USC 3, Princeton 0, (25-19, 25-12, 25-13)
No. 3 Creighton 3, Northern Colorado 2 (12-25, 25-23,25-23,17-25, 8-15)
No. 6 Northern Iowa 3, Utah 2 (15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10)
Utah State 3, No. 7 Tennessee 2 (25-19, 25-15, 19-25, 25-18, 15-11)
No. 2 Arizona State 3, Coppin State 0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-12)

Austin bracket

No. 1 Texas 3, Florida A&M 0 (25-11, 25- 8, 25-14)
No. 8 Penn State 3, South Florida 1 (25-23, 12-25, 25-21, 25-19)
No. 5 Colorado 3, American 0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-16)
No. 4 Indiana 3, Toledo 0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-17)
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0 (25-11, 25-6, 25-19)
North Carolina 3, No. 6 UTEP 1 (24-26, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21)
Arizona 3, No. 7 South Dakota State 1 (25-21, 22-25, 25-15, 25-15)
No. 2 Stanford 3, Utah Valley 1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-14)

Pittsburgh bracket

No. 1 Pitt 3, UMBC 0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-13)
Michigan 3, No. 8 Xavier 0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-23)
No. 5 Iowa State 3, St. Thomas-Minnesota 2 (21-25, 25-13, 25-16, 21-25, 15-8)
No. 4 Minnesota 3, Fairfield 0 (25-12, 25-7, 25-13)
No. 3 Purdue 3, Wright State 0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-19)
No. 6 Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2 (23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10)
Florida 3, No. 7 Rice 0 (27-25, 25-23, 25-19)
No. 2 SMU 3, Central Arkansas 0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-13)

Lincoln bracket

No. 1 Nebraska 3, Long Island 0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-17)
Kansas State 3, San Diego 2 (21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 25-22, 15-12)
No. 5 Miami 3, Tulsa 1 (25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20)
No. 4 Kansas 3, High Point 0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-18)
No. 3 Texas A&M 3, Campbell 0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-13)
No. 6 TCU 3, Stephen F. Austin 0 (25-8, 26-24, 25-20)
Marquette 3, Western Kentucky 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-16)
No. 2 Louisville 3, Loyola (Illinois) 0 (25-17, 25-9, 25-12)

NCAA volleyball tournament rounds

Regionals: Dec. 11 and 13 or Dec. 12 and 14
Semifinals: Thursday, Dec. 18, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. ET
National championship: Sunday, Dec. 21, 3:30 p.m. ET

NCAA volleyball tournament automatic qualifiers

Here’s a look at the 31 teams that earned automatic berths to the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament by virtue of winning their conferences:

ACC: Stanford
American: Tulsa
American East: UMBC
Atlantic Sun: Central Arkansas
Atlantic 10: Loyola (Illinois)
Big East: Creighton
Big Sky: Northern Colorado
Big South: High Point
Big Ten: Nebraska
Big 12: Arizona State
Big West: Cal Poly
CAA: Campbell
Conference USA: Western Kentucky
Horizon: Wright State
Ivy: Princeton
MAAC: Fairfield
MAC: Toledo
MEAC: Coppin State
Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa
Mountain West: Utah State
NEC: Long Island
Ohio Valley: Eastern Illinois
Patriot: American
SEC: Kentucky
SoCon: Wofford
Southland: Stephen F. Austin
SWAC: Florida A&M
Summit: St. Thomas
Sun Belt: Arkansas State
WAC: Utah Valley
WCC: San Diego

When is the NCAA volleyball Final Four in 2025?

Dates: Thursday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 21

The two semifinal matches in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will take place on Thursday, Dec. 18 and will be broadcast on ESPN. The national championship game is Sunday, Dec. 21 on ABC.

NCAA volleyball tournament champions

Penn State is the reigning NCAA volleyball champion, having defeated Louisville in four sets last year in the national title game. It was the Nittany Lions’ eighth volleyball championship since 1999.

Here’s a look at the past 10 NCAA volleyball champions:

2024: Penn State
2023: Texas
2022: Texas
2021: Wisconsin
2020: Kentucky
2019: Stanford
2018: Stanford
2017: Nebraska
2016: Stanford
2015: Nebraska

For the full list of champions, click here.

Every week for the duration of the 2025 regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the NFL’s ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting Sunday afternoon and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. And, when the holidays roll around, we’ll be watching then, too).

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Here’s where things stand with Week 14 nearly complete:

AFC playoff picture

1. Denver Broncos (11-2), AFC West leaders: They beat the Raiders on Sunday, winning their 10th in a row, matching New England’s victory total and overtaking the Patriots for possession of the top seed by virtue of a conference record (7-2) that is a half-game better. Remaining schedule: vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers

2. New England Patriots (11-2), AFC East leaders: The first team in the league to reach 11 wins thanks to Monday night’s rollover of the Giants, the Pats remain in a very tight race with Denver, the teams’ airtight tiebreakers now in effect with the Broncos playing their 13th game Sunday. Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4), AFC South leaders: They claimed first place outright by smashing the depleted Colts on Sunday in Duval County. Remaining schedule: vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6), AFC North leaders: They jumped up nine spots, from out of the field back into the division lead by winning at Baltimore on Sunday. Remaining schedule: vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

5. Buffalo Bills (9-4), wild card No. 1: Massive win over Cincinnati solidifies their playoff standing heading into a notable showdown at Foxborough in Week 15 to face the AFC East-leading Pats. Remaining schedule: at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

6. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4), wild card No. 2: Facing the NFC’s Eagles on Monday night basically won’t serve them well in tiebreaker department even if Bolts win. Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos

7. Houston Texans (8-5), wild card No. 3: They’ve won six of seven, including five in a row. Beating the Chiefs at Arrowhead moved Houston into a wild-card slot by virtue of their Week 13 defeat of Indianapolis. Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts

8. Indianapolis Colts (8-5), in the hunt: They’ve dropped four of their past five and lost QB Daniel Jones to an Achilles injury Sunday in Jacksonville. Houston’s win Sunday night dropped Indy from the projected field entirely. And the schedule doesn’t let up the rest of the way. Remaining schedule: at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans

9. Baltimore Ravens (6-7), in the hunt: Consecutive losses − and to AFC North foes (Bengals, Steelers) − has them on the outside looking in. A 4-5 record in AFC games places them ahead of K.C. and Miami. Remaining schedule: at Bengals, vs. Patriots, at Packers, at Steelers

10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-7), in the hunt: Their chances to win a 10th straight AFC West title are officially null and void. And Sunday night’s loss to Houston means they’ll likely miss the postseason for the first time since 2014 − Andy Reid’s second year in K.C. And don’t forget they’ve lost to the Broncos, Chargers, Bills, Texans and Jags, who are all ahead of them. Remaining schedule: vs. Chargers, at Titans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders

11. Miami Dolphins (6-7), in the hunt: They probably need to win the remainder of their games to even have a shot at postseason qualification but notched another one Sunday in New York. Remaining schedule: at Steelers, vs. Bengals, vs. Buccaneers, at Patriots

12. Cincinnati Bengals (4-9), in the hunt: They basically need to win the remainder of their games to even have a shot at postseason qualification … though they probably have a better one than Miami by virtue of living in this year’s surprisingly subpar AFC North. Remaining schedule: vs. Ravens, at Dolphins, vs. Cardinals, vs. Browns

NFC playoff picture

1. Los Angeles Rams (10-3), NFC West leaders: They regained the inside track for home-field advantage and a first-round bye by demolishing the Cardinals and benefiting from Chicago’s loss to Green Bay. The Rams’ Week 11 defeat of Seattle remains pivotal. Remaining schedule: vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals

2. Green Bay Packers (9-3-1), NFC North leaders: They got the best of the archrival Bears, consequential win that put the Pack back on top of the division and just a half-game off the conference pace. Remaining schedule: at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings

3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4), NFC East leaders: Two losses in a row not only mean a lot more scrutiny but − beware − a team that could still fall into the Cowboys’ clutches in the division if it’s not careful. Remaining schedule: at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6), NFC South leaders: They remain in first place despite a damaging loss to New Orleans. The Bucs currently have a one-game lead over Carolina in the common-games tiebreaker department. Remaining schedule: vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers

5. Seattle Seahawks (10-3), wild card No. 1: Sunday’s rout of Falcons moved them atop the conference … for a few hours. But the Rams’ win at Arizona pushed Seattle back to the wild-card echelon. All three of the ‘Hawks’ losses are against NFC opponents, including two in the division − defeats that don’t serve them well in the tiebreaker department. Remaining schedule: vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers

6. San Francisco 49ers (9-4), wild card No. 2: They’re in a precarious spot given their pursuers, yet are just behind the Rams and Seahawks for the NFC West lead. Off this weekend, the Niners were in no danger of vacating the field. Remaining schedule: vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks

7. Chicago Bears (9-4), wild card No. 3: How tightly packed is the NFC? One narrow loss dropped the Bears from first place in the conference to seventh, just a game ahead of the division rival Lions. Remaining schedule: vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions

8. Detroit Lions (8-5), in the hunt: Huge win over Dallas on Thursday night. It brought the Lions within a game of the NFC’s final wild card and helped them in the division standings given Chicago’s Sunday reversal. Remaining schedule: at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears

9. Carolina Panthers (7-6), in the hunt: Though Carolina is off this week, the Panthers basically pulled even atop the NFC South. Remaining schedule: at Saints, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers

10. Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1), in the hunt: Crippling loss Thursday in Motown. Dallas’ best bet now is probably to hope the Eagles continue to struggle and leave the NFC East in play. Remaining schedule: vs. Vikings, vs. Chargers, at Commanders, at Giants

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025

The football seemingly bounced the Kansas City Chiefs’ way all of last season as they won 11 one-score games. The football is continuously bouncing in the opposite direction this year.

Kansas City’s 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans was emblematic of their season.

Whether it’s a 43-yard Harrison Butker field goal that doinked off the upright, a football that slipped through Rashee Rice’s hands on fourth down or a Travis Kelce drop that lands in the hands of Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.

The Chiefs aren’t the recipients of footballs bouncing their way in 2025.  

Chiefs pass catchers had six drops in their loss to Houston. Six drops factored into Patrick Mahomes passing for a season-low 160 yards.

“They are upset. They put it all out there and it didn’t work out for them,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters postgame. “The guys that had some mishaps, they are upset. These guys take responsibility for things.”

Injuries have also hurt Kansas City.

The Chiefs were down three starting offensive linemen (Josh Simmons, Trey Smith and Jawaan Taylor) in Week 14. Their banged up offensive line took another hit when tackle Wanya Morris injured his knee on the very first snap of Sunday night’s game and was ruled out for the rest of the contest.

Mahomes was under pressure on 50% of his dropbacks versus Houston, according to Pro Football Focus. He finished with a career-worst 19.8 passer rating.

Standout cornerback Trent McDuffie sustained a knee injury after he gave up a long 46-yard reception to Texans wideout Nico Collins in the first quarter and didn’t return.

Collins tallied a game-high 121 receiving yards on four catches.

When “mishaps” as Reid labeled it and injuries start to mount, one must wonder if it’s just not the Chiefs’ year.

Kansas City’s playoff probability decreased to 15% following its Week 14 defeat, per Next Gen Stats. They are in the 10th position in the AFC.

The Chiefs (6-7) have appeared in five Super Bowls over the past six seasons, including three Super Bowl victories. They’ve won the AFC West title for nine consecutive seasons during their dynasty. But the Chiefs’ latest loss could be a sign that their reign is beginning to falter.

If the Chiefs want to preserve their dynasty, they definitely need to undergo a retooling around Mahomes during an offseason that appears to have a start date earlier than expected.

“We know the (playoff) chances are getting lower and lower,” Mahomes said. “But I know the guys on this team are going to give everything they have every opportunity we get.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

Mike Macdonald called on Rashid Shaheed to provide a spark for the Seahawks in Sunday’s game against the Falcons.
Shaheed delivered with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that broke open the game.
The Seahawks are leaning on complementary football while discovering different ways to win.

ATLANTA – With his Seattle Seahawks clearly sputtering for the first half of the game on Sunday, Mike Macdonald had a suggestion he was compelled to share in the locker room.

Or maybe it was a Nostradamus moment.

Let Devon Witherspoon, the heart-and-soul of Seattle’s big-play defense, fill in the details.

“He said, ‘Kickoff team, let’s take one to the house, ‘Shid. Do what you do, make a block and don’t let your guy make a tackle,’ ” said Witherspoon, the star cornerback, after the 37-9 romp against the Atlanta Falcons. “And then those guys went out and did that.

“Shout out to special teams.”

“‘Shid” would be Rahsid Shaheed, the electric receiver-returner, who followed the orders from the Seahawks coach and took the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown that broke open a 6-6 game – and then some.

Talk about speaking something into existence.

“Coach Macdonald, he called that for sure,” Witherspoon marveled.

The kick return ignited a magnificent second half for the Seahawks (10-3), who not only exploded for 31 points after halftime but produced what was likely their most complete game of the season.

How complete was it? On top of Shaheed’s momentum-seizing return, consider this: Sam Darnold passed for three TDs and the Seahawks rushed for 129 yards. Rookie phenom Nick Emmanwori blocked a field goal. The defense collected three turnovers – Witherspoon had a pick and a fumble recovery, Emmanwori had an interception – and a week after shutting out the Vikings ran its streak of quarters without a touchdown allowed to eight.

Sure, they pummeled the feeble Falcons (4-9), who clinched the franchise’s eighth consecutive season. But no matter. In notching a 10th victory before January for the first time since 2000, the Seahawks illustrated why they might be the team that no one wants to face in the playoffs next month.

“We feel really good,” said star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who rebounded from his least productive game of the season a week earlier with seven catches, 92 yards and two TDs. “We feel confident. This is a big stretch for us. We know that. Championship football, heading into the playoffs. Just trying to keep building this mojo and win out.”

At the moment, the Seahawks hold the NFC’s top wild-card spot and fifth seed overall for the playoffs. Yet challenges await. After hosting the battered Indianapolis Colts next weekend (after a 7-1 start, the Colts have lost four of their past five games, and it is feared that quarterback Daniel Jones could be done for the season due to an Achilles injury), Seattle gets a visit from the Los Angeles Rams to likely determine first place in the NFC West. Then they close the regular season with road games at the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers – two teams locked in intense playoff bids of their own.

Yet complementary football might be Seattle’s secret sauce. The defense has been outstanding all season, with playmakers on every level. Shaheed’s punch in the return game adds to a unit that includes one of the league best kickers, Jason Myers, who booted three field goals on Sunday.

Then there’s the explosiveness. The roll at Mercedes-Benz Stadium marked the fourth time this season that Seattle has scored at least 30 points in a half. The rest of the NFL produced six 30-point halves, heading into Sunday.

Smith-Njigba, who leads the NFL with 1,428 receiving yards on 89 receptions, mentioned something else reflected with the latest triumph. He said, “We’re learning how to win different types of games.”

The sluggish start by Seattle’s offense against the Falcons should ensure that there will no complacency for coordinator Klint Kubiak’s unit. The Seahawks managed just two field goals from five first-half drives and, with a Darnold interception, were stung again by the turnover woes that have plagued them as they entered the game with the second-most giveaways (22) in the league. And another drive stalled deep in Falcons territory, leaving Darnold to lament a need to sharpen details.

“We’re able to go up and down the field,” Darnold said. “We’ve just got to finish our drives.”

Then again, when Darnold called it a “total team effort,” he was mindful of the support coming from the Seattle defense.

The past two games, the Seahawks have allowed 9 points and zero touchdowns while forcing eight turnovers.

“There are going to be opportunities that are representative of big plays made by defense, special teams and offense,” receiver Cooper Kupp said. “The opportunities to play complementary football. What that does in terms of momentum swings and being able to beat an opponent down….when you can do that, the psychological toll is a big deal.”

It’s a formula the Seahawks will be eager to try applying in the playoffs. Especially if they speak it into existence with undeniable action.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell

James Madison is in. Notre Dame is out.

The College Football Playoff saved the biggest drama for the final rankings, bumping the Sun Belt champions into the tournament over ACC champion Duke and Miami instead of the Fighting Irish for the final at-large spot.

In the end, the selection committee leaned on the Hurricanes’ head-to-head win against Notre Dame to open the season after ignoring that result throughout the rankings. This is a decision that ranks alongside Florida State’s exclusion in 2023 as the most controversial in playoff history.

The top four seeds are Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia and Texas Tech. The at-large picks are No. 5 Oregon, No. 6 Mississippi, No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 9 Alabama and No. 10 Miami. No. 11 Tulane and No. 12 James Madison round out the field.

If the favorites win at home in the opening round, the quarterfinal matchups would be Indiana against Oklahoma, Ohio State against Texas A&M, Georgia against Mississippi and Texas Tech against Oregon.

James Madison, Miami and the Irish lead the winners and losers from the bracket reveal:

Winners

Miami

The Hurricanes played their way into the field with a dominant four-game winning streak to end the regular season, which forced the committee to finally take into account the tiebreaker over Notre Dame. That they waited until this point will bring the committee under intense scrutiny, and deservedly so: Why not move Miami ahead earlier in the process to avoid this very situation? You have to think a major factor was Duke’s win and the possibility the ACC would be left out of the tournament entirely – even if the committee chairman said otherwise.

James Madison

James Madison was able to squeeze into the field after Duke beat Virginia in the ACC championship game, leading to a comparison of the one-loss Sun Belt champions against a five-loss Power Four winner. In the end, the Dukes lacked the Blue Devils’ résumé of wins, which included seven against Power Four competition, but had the record and level of game control to upend expectations and give the Group of Five two teams in the tournament.

Alabama

The Crimson Tide benefitted from the precedent set by the committee that says teams will not be docked for what happens in conference championship games. That’s obvious after Georgia handled Alabama with room to spare on Saturday night, avenging an earlier loss at home. While the Tide can exhale after a worrisome overnight wait, the bigger concern now is how this team has played since beating Tennessee early last month. Since then, the Tide haven’t looked the part of a playoff team, though the résumé was there to keep them in the bracket ahead of Notre Dame and Miami.

The Big 12

The conference couldn’t get two teams into the tournament after Texas Tech beat Brigham Young to knock out the Cougars. That’s the same as last season, when only Arizona State represented the Big 12. But this year feels very different nonetheless thanks to a deeper run of teams in the final rankings. In addition to the No. 4 Red Raiders and No. 12 BYU, the Big 12 placed No. 15 Utah, No. 17 Arizona and No. 21 Houston in the final top 25. The Big 12 had four teams in last year’s final rankings but only one inside the top 15.

Group of Five

This is a major look-at-us moment for the conferences that exist in the long shadow cast by the Power Four. While the American was assured of a playoff berth regardless of what happened in the championship game between Tulane and North Texas, there was little thought given to getting a second Group of Five team into the bracket until the final two weeks of the regular season. There needed to be a perfect storm of events to make this a possibility: JMU had to be perfect and the ACC had to be perfectly scrambled to open just the slightest path for another Group of Five team. While the Green Wave and Dukes will be underdogs in the opening round, this is a banner moment for the non-major conferences.

Losers

Notre Dame

There was almost no reason think Notre Dame would be the team left out after conference championship games, given Alabama’s pathetic showing against Georgia and the fact the Irish had been in front of Miami – as many as eight spots in front, in fact – throughout the entire ranking process. There’s also the idea that Notre Dame brings eyeballs and ratings to the playoff, making the Irish an even stronger candidate. That makes the fact they were bumped on Sunday extremely controversial, highly dramatic and definitely hard to explain. In the committee’s defense, the Irish did have a weaker résumé of wins than other at-large contenders. But Notre Dame was a powerhouse down the stretch and looked the part of a playoff team.

The ACC

While the ACC did get Miami into the tournament to avoid an embarrassing shutout, the conference also had just three teams in the rankings – Miami, No. 19 Virginia and No. 22 Georgia Tech – for the fewest of any Power Four league. The ACC is even lucky to a third team in the Yellow Jackets, who lost three of four in November and barely beat Boston College. Overall, Tech beat only three teams with a winning record and none with more than eight wins.

Brigham Young

The Cougars never factored into the at-large debate and were even dropped in the rankings after losing a second time to Texas Tech, even though a similar loss to Georgia didn’t move Alabama off of the No. 9 seed. BYU lost just twice, both to the Red Raiders, and had wins against East Carolina, Arizona, Utah, Iowa State, TCU and Cincinnati. That wasn’t enough to make the Cougars a legitimate contender.

Vanderbilt

The Commodores did their part, taking care of Tennessee in the season finale for the first 10-win finish in program history, but never came under any realistic consideration from the committee as an at-large candidate. Three teams would’ve earned the nod over Vanderbilt in Notre Dame, BYU and Texas. You can shift some of the blame to South Carolina, LSU and Missouri, which collapsed down the stretch after being ranked when meeting the Commodores. Still, look for quarterback Diego Pavia to be a Heisman Trophy finalist and potentially win the award, though he’s likely to finish second behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.

The clock is ticking – on the year and the 2025 NFL regular season.

It will soon be ticking at the 2026 NFL Draft, but who will own that top spot when the dust settles? There are only four weeks left after the Week 14 slate to determine the final order – at least until the inevitable trades shake it up even further.

Plenty of familiar teams headline the group again this time of year. The Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns all entered Week 14 in possession of a top-five pick. Will they be able to say the same after the week is over?

Here’s a look at the 2026 NFL Draft order as Week 14 results come in.

2026 NFL Draft order

Here’s a look at the updated first-round order as Week 14 results come in, according to Tankathon, which calculates strength of schedule differently from the NFL:

New York Giants: 2-11 record; .534 strength of schedule
Las Vegas Raiders 2-11; .548 SOS
Tennessee Titans: 2-11; .573 SOS
Cleveland Browns: 3-10; .486 SOS
New Orleans Saints: 3-10; .498 SOS
Washington Commanders: 3-10; .511 SOS
New York Jets: 3-10; .541 SOS
Arizona Cardinals: 3-10; .570 SOS
Atlanta Falcons (pick belongs to Los Angeles Rams): 4-9; .502 SOS
Cincinnati Bengals: 4-9; .523 SOS
Minnesota Vikings: 5-8; .523 SOS
Miami Dolphins: 6-7; .482 SOS
Baltimore Ravens: 6-7; .509 SOS
Kansas City Chiefs: 6-7; .511 SOS
Dallas Cowboys: 6-6-1; .447 SOS
Carolina Panthers: 7-6; .516 SOS
Detroit Lions: 8-5; .498 SOS
Indianapolis Colts (pick belongs to Jets): 8-5; .518 SOS
Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-6; .511 SOS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-6; .514 SOS
Houston Texans: 8-5; .541 SOS
Los Angeles Chargers: 8-4; .466 SOS
Philadelphia Eagles: 8-4; .489 SOS
Chicago Bears: 9-4; .448 SOS
Buffalo Bills: 9-4; .468 SOS
San Francisco 49ers: 9-4; .489 SOS
Jacksonville Jaguars (pick belongs to Browns): 9-4; .495 SOS
Green Bay Packers (pick belongs to Cowboys): 9-3-1; .475 SOS
Seattle Seahawks: 10-3; .484 SOS
New England Patriots: 11-2; .376 SOS
Los Angeles Rams: 10-3; .518 SOS
Denver Broncos: 11-2; .436 SOS

2026 NFL mock draft

This is how USA TODAY Sports’ Ayrton Ostly projected the top five picks in his latest mock draft:

Tennessee Titans: LB/Edge Arvell Reese, Ohio State
New York Giants: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
New Orleans Saints: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Las Vegas Raiders: QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
Cleveland Browns: QB Dante Moore, Oregon