The CFP committee watched Georgia trample Alabama and then pretended it never happened.
CFP committee deploys chicanery to reach the bracket destination it desired.
Alabama and Miami in, Notre Dame out. That’s fine, but process so messy.

I swear the SEC championship game happened. More than 77,000 fans attended it. I covered it. Millions more watched on TV as Georgia body slammed Alabama and sucked out the Tide’s soul.

If only we had known we were watching a pointless scrimmage.

The College Football Playoff committee watched that 28-7 trampling, and it didn’t move either the victor or the loser an inch in its final rankings.

It’s as if the game never happened.

I swear, it did. I swear Georgia put Alabama in a vise and limited the Tide to negative-three rushing yards.

The committee saw it, evaluated it, and decided it meant nothing.

Georgia enters the bracket at No. 3.

Alabama goes in at No. 9.

Same as they were ranked before the game.

In ranking Georgia and Alabama this way, the committee declared the SEC championship game a glorified exhibition.

SEC championship game has never meant less than it does now

The late commissioner Roy Kramer’s revolutionary brainchild of a conference championship game has never been more meaningless than it became this weekend.

It’s a cash grab. Nothing more. A once-great idea, it no longer offers utility to the current playoff structure.

You’re familiar with trophies awarded for rivalry games and bowl games. Now, we’ve got a trophy awarded to the winner of a scrimmage at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The committee’s seeding decision revealed that, no matter what the playoff’s rules say, the SEC receives two automatic bids to the bracket: One for its conference champion and another for its runner-up.

“We evaluated all of those conference championship games,’ CFP selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek explained on ESPN, ‘and felt like, in the end, regardless of Alabama’s performance yesterday, their body of work in those first 12 games” was sufficient for selection.

Coincidentally — or maybe not — Yurachek is the athletic director at Arkansas, an SEC member.

Let me translate Yurachek’s quote: No matter the result, the committee never had any intention of rejecting the loser of the SEC championship game from a 12-team bracket.

Maybe, you think that’s the way it should be, but that opinion doesn’t change that the committee told you this game was a meaningless exercise, at least in terms of playoff selection and seeding.

CFP selection committee devalues SEC Championship

You’ll hear the argument that, if the committee had booted Alabama after its woeful performance, that would devalue conference championship games. That’s a false narrative.

In fact, the committee devalued the SEC championship by pretending it never happened.

Again, maybe you’re OK with that. You can make the case Alabama shouldn’t drop in the rankings for getting blown out by one of the nation’s best teams, while Notre Dame and Miami sat at home.

But, then, why did Brigham Young drop behind inactive Miami in the rankings after the Cougars were blown out by one of the nation’s best teams in the Big 12 championship?

If the committee wants to pretend the SEC championship didn’t happen and that Alabama didn’t get blown out, shouldn’t they also pretend the Big 12 Championship didn’t happen and BYU didn’t get blown out?

We know the reasoning behind this.

The committee believes the SEC’s runner-up deserves an automatic bid, even if the bracket rules don’t specify this. That preservation of a bid for the SEC’s runner-up does not extend to the Big 12.

This seeding tells us Alabama had qualified for the CFP before it stepped onto the field in a rematch against Georgia.

Alabama already had suffered two losses, one of which came against a bad ACC team that finished 5-7. The Tide advanced to the SEC championship game thanks in part to the conference’s tiebreaker rules. Reaching Atlanta required Alabama to play only 50% of the conference’s membership.

Then, Georgia carved out the elephant’s eyes in delivering a third loss.

But, presto! It never happened!

Alabama becomes the first three-loss at-large qualifier in CFP history. Two years ago, the 12-1 Tide displaced undefeated Florida State, marking the first and only time a 13-0 Power Four champion didn’t make the four-team playoff.

By not dropping Alabama after this blowout loss, the committee avoided the blowback that would have erupted from Greg Sankey’s powerful “It Just Means More” pulpit.

Do ends justify means of reaching this CFP bracket?

I won’t argue the committee’s selections of Alabama and Miami or its omission of Notre Dame.

Alabama touted the best strength of schedule metrics of that bubble trio. It also owns the best win, by beating Georgia on the road in September.

Alabama possessed the same record as Miami and Notre Dame through 12 games. The Hurricanes and Irish didn’t play a 13th game. So, I understand the Tide’s case, bad though they looked Saturday.

I also understand choosing Miami over Notre Dame. They own identical records, nearly identical metrics, and Miami won a head-to-head matchup.

But, my goodness, the chicanery deployed to achieve this destination was all so ridiculous and unnecessary, and it makes this whole process look like a clown act.

Yurachek is no magician deftly operating smoke and mirrors to pull the wool over fans’ eyes. He’s just an awkward AD. He’s fooling nobody.

Alabama stayed at No. 9 because the committee wanted to preserve a spot for the SEC’s runner-up. Meanwhile, BYU dropped one spot, because the committee decided to push Notre Dame and Miami next to each other in the rankings and finally acknowledge Miami’s head-to-head advantage.

Selecting Miami gave the ACC a playoff representative after five-loss Duke won the conference and foiled the ACC’s automatic bid. In an odd twist, Virginia losing to Duke probably delivered a fatal blow to the Irish. The committee couldn’t justify taking Duke, so it created a spot for Miami and booted Notre Dame.

Here’s how it should have went down, to avoid this messy eyesore: The committee should have ranked Alabama No. 9 and positioned Miami at No. 10 in the penultimate rankings. That would have given advance notice that the committee no longer would pretend the Irish didn’t lose to Miami.

Then, after Georgia trounced Alabama, the committee could have moved Miami up to No. 9, dropped Alabama to No. 10 and not acted as if the SEC championship game didn’t occur.

Instead of doing that, the committee head-faked for a month that it preferred Notre Dame to Miami, only to realize the stupidity of that, because Miami beat Notre Dame and they owned matching 10-2 records and similar metrics.

There’s logic in the final at-large choices, but there’s no lucidity in the path the committee charted to reach this destination.

Facing a tough decision, the committee chose to pretend the SEC championship game didn’t happen. In doing so, it devalued a once-revolutionary contest that used to mean so much.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

The bowl system around which the college football postseason has been built for decades has encountered a bit of a problem this year.

It’s having trouble finding teams that want to participate.

On Sunday, Dec. 7, one day after conference championship weekend officially wrapped up, the College Football Playoff revealed its 12-team field while the non-playoff bowl games began announcing what teams had accepted invitations.

The matchups have been set for all the bowl games — all of them but one, that is.

The Birmingham Bowl is still looking for a team to play Georgia Southern in the game on Monday, Dec. 29 in Birmingham, Alabama, with a number of potential suitors having turned down the bowl’s overtures.

Several bowl-eligible teams have turned down the opportunity to continue their seasons. Shortly after being surprisingly left out of the playoff field, Notre Dame opted against taking part in a bowl game. Iowa State and Kansas State, both of which are undergoing coaching changes, have also declined the chance to play in a bowl, with the Big 12 fining each school $500,000 for their decisions.

Shortly after the inception of the four-team playoff during the 2014 season, bowl games have taken on a decreased importance and are now widely viewed as glorified exhibitions. Previously, their diminished role was largely limited to high-profile, NFL-bound players opting out of the games to focus on their draft preparation and avoid the risk of a serious injury.

Now, that trend is extending to teams choosing not to play, often due to player defections to the transfer portal, a coaching change, some combination of both of those factors or, as Notre Dame showed Sunday, a lack of a desire to play in a game with no path to the national championship.

Here’s a look at the teams that have turned down bowl invitations this season:

Which college football teams declined to play in a bowl?

With every bowl eligible team with a 6-6 record already accounted for, the Birmingham Bowl has had to turn to 5-7 teams to play against Georgia Southern.

Unfortunately for the bowl and its representatives, several of those teams with losing records have said no to the opportunity.

At least seven teams that finished 5-7 have declined a bowl bid, per college football insider Brett McMurphy. That group includes:

Florida State
Auburn
UCF
Baylor
Kansas
Rutgers
Temple

Teams opting out of bowl games

Three bowl-eligible teams — Notre Dame, Iowa State and Kansas State — have opted against playing in a bowl game this season.

All three teams finished the season with at least a 6-6 record, with Iowa State at 8-4, Kansas State at 6-6 and Notre Dame at 10-2. 

The Cyclones and Wildcats have lost their coaches in the past week, with Matt Campbell leaving Iowa State for Penn State and Kansas State’s Chris Klieman retiring. The Fighting Irish chose not to play in a bowl game after being left out of the College Football Playoff. Coach Marcus Freeman’s team dropped a spot to No. 11 in the final playoff selection committee rankings, making it the first team to miss the 12-team cut (No. 20 Tulane and No. 24 James Madison automatically made it as conference champions).

Can 5-7 teams play in bowl games?

If there aren’t enough teams with a 6-6 record or better to fill out all of the available bowls, then those games turn to teams with 5-7 records to try to complete their matchups.

The order in which 5-7 teams are given opportunities to accept bowl invitations is based on a program’s Academic Progress Report (APR) score. This year, Auburn, Florida State and Rice had the highest APR scores of 5-7 squads. Florida State and Auburn have reportedly turned down bowl bids, while Rice has accepted a spot in the Armed Forces Bowl, where it will take on Texas State.

College football bowl schedule 2025

The Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineup was back at full strength with the return of LeBron James and Luka Dončić. And the superstar duo played a big part in the team’s 112-108 road win against the Philadelphia 76ers.

James was back on the court after missing the Lakers’ previous game due to his ongoing sciatica and a new injury: left foot joint arthritis. He had already missed the first 14 games of the season and all of the preseason while dealing with the sciatica.

James entered Sunday’s game averaging 14 points, 7.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game in his first six games played this season. With the win in Philadelphia, he moved ahead of Robert Parish (1,014) for second place on the NBA’s all-time list for regular-season career wins.

Dončić became the eighth player in the Lakers’ history to record a 30-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double performance.

He returned to the team following a trip to Slovenia for the birth of his second daughter. Dončić was originally listed as out earlier in the week and missed the last two games due to ‘personal reasons.’

LeBron James stats vs. 76ers

Points: 29
FG: 12-for-17 (4-for-6 from 3-point line)
Free Throws: 1-for-2
Rebounds: 7
Assists: 6
Steals: 1
Blocks: 1
Turnovers: 2
Fouls: 1
Minutes: 34

Luka Doncic stats vs. 76ers

Points: 31
FG: 9-for-24 (2-for-9 from 3-point line)
Free Throws: 11-for-14
Rebounds: 15
Assists: 11
Steals: 0
Blocks: 2
Turnovers: 5
Fouls: 1
Minutes: 39

This marks the longest active playoff absence among all major men’s sports leagues in North America.
The Jets lost 34-10 to the Miami Dolphins after starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor left the game with an injury.

The New York Jets’ new regime now officially finds itself in the same spot where so many of the franchise’s other recent leadership groups have ended up.

With a 34-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the Jets were officially eliminated from playoff contention, extending their NFL-worst active postseason drought to 15 seasons.

New York broke its tie with the Buffalo Sabres (14 seasons) for the longest ongoing playoff absence among the major men’s sports leagues in North America. The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are the next closest NFL teams with seven consecutive years without a postseason appearance.

On Sunday, there was little doubt as to whether the Jets would meet the same fate as they did in previous years. The Dolphins raced out to a 21-0 advantage in the first quarter, when New York also lost starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor to a groin injury. Undrafted rookie Brady Cook took over leading the offense, which would post just 207 total yards on the day.

“I didn’t have them ready to play,’ Jets coach Aaron Glenn said after the game. ‘That was obvious.”

When the Jets hired Glenn in January, the former franchise standout told fans to ‘expect a winning team that you will be proud of.’ Tensions grew after an error-filled 0-7 start, which left New York as the last team in the league to register a victory.

After scoring their first win, the Jets opted to trade two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner (to the Indianapolis Colts) and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (to the Dallas Cowboys). The moves significantly altered the organization’s outlook for both the near and long term, as they returned three first-round picks over the next two years while stripping the roster of two of its top performers.

‘I want this to be a team that the fans are proud of, but again, I never said they were going to be proud of them right now,’ Glenn said in November after the trades.

The Jets would go on to win two additional games after their Week 9 bye that preceded the trade deadline deals, helping them remain alive longer than five other teams that had already been eliminated entering Sunday. But with the defeat against the Dolphins sealing their fate, New York crept closer to the New Orleans Saints’ mark of 20 seasons for the longest NFL playoff drought in the Super Bowl era.

NFL’s longest active playoff droughts

1. New York Jets – 15 seasons
2t. Atlanta Falcons – 7 seasons
2t. Carolina Panthers – 7 seasons
4t. Chicago Bears – 4 seasons
4t. Indianapolis Colts – 4 seasons
4t. New Orleans Saints – 4 seasons

The Baltimore Ravens lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-22, dropping them a game out of first place in the AFC North.
A controversial replay review overturned a potential go-ahead touchdown catch by Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely.
Baltimore had several missed opportunities, including a dropped pass by Mark Andrews and inefficient clock management.

The Baltimore Ravens had their dreams of leading the AFC North title race ripped away like Isaiah Likely had his go-ahead touchdown taken off the board in a 27-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 7. 

Likely, the Ravens’ tight end appeared to catch a pass from quarterback Lamar Jackson in the end zone that would have put Baltimore up 28-27 with 2:47 remaining. But officials ruled after a replay review that Likely did not possess the ball long enough before Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. wrapped him. As Likely tried to extend the ball away from his own body and away from Porter, the ball jarred loose. 

The result left the Steelers alone at the top of the division with four games remaining. The Ravens still have a chance to even the season series in two weeks at Pittsburgh, but they are currently outside of the AFC playoff picture. 

NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth said ‘we quickly looked at the play,’ according to the postgame pool report.

‘The receiver controlled the ball in the air, had his right foot down, then his left foot down. The control is the first aspect of the catch. The second aspect is two feet or a body part in bounds, which he did have,’ he said. ‘Then the third step is an act common to the game and before he could get the third foot down, the ball was ripped out. Therefore, it was an incomplete pass.’

Asked to elaborate on ‘an act common to the game,’ Butterworth replied: ‘For this play, it would be him completing the third step.’

That tracked with what Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters.

‘The explanation was that the third foot didn’t get down before the ball came out,’ Harbaugh said. ‘That’s what they said.’

Earlier in the game, in which Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers appeared to throw an interception and was ruled as such on the field. But replay ruled that Rodgers had possessed the ball with his knee on the ground amid the commotion following his pass that was batted at the line of scrimmage.

Harbaugh disagreed with the notion Rodgers had a knee down and possession of the football amid the mangle of limbs all trying to corral the pigskin.

‘It’s not an officiating issue. It comes from New York. But when you’re making a catch, you have to survive the ground. He didn’t survive the ground. He’s not down by contact. He was catching the ball on the way down with another person, so you gotta make a catch there and survive the ground,’ Harbaugh said. ‘I don’t know why it was ruled the way it was on that one. All of those things I’m sure they’ll explain it to us, but they had plenty of time to look at it and they’re the ones that are the experts on the rules.’

The Ravens could blame the officials, who turned a Steelers’ field-goal drive into a possession that ended in a touchdown, for saying Travis Jones rushed the long-snapper, which is against the rules, on Chris Boswell’s attempt.

Referee Alex Moore said the snapper is a defenseless player, and contacting him triggers an unnecessary roughness flag. Although Jones contacted a different member of the offensive line first, it appeared, he can still be flagged.

‘You cannot make any forcible contact to that player.,’ Moore said. ‘The calling official felt like the contact rose to the level of being unnecessary against a defenseless player.’

But blaming the stripes wouldn’t be a proper accounting of accountability. 

‘You can’t blame it one way or the other. we know even with those calls, we still should have made enough of a difference to win this game,’ left tackle Ronnie Stanley said.

Three plays after Likely’s non-catch, on a 4th-and-5 from the Pittsburgh 8-yard line, Jackson stepped up and had tight end Mark Andrews open with a step on the defender. The throw was not ideal but catchable, and the freshly paid, favorite target of Jackson could only paw it chaotically with his left hand.

Jackson had another chance to lead a go-ahead touchdown drive with no timeouts and 1:56 left. He got the Ravens to the 30-yard line, but he took a sack on a play that began with nine seconds remaining. Instead of having two shots at the end zone, Jackson lay on the ground as the clock hit zero. 

‘We have to finish and find a way to put some points on the board,’ Jackson told reporters in the locker room. ‘They beat us by five points. We have to find a way to get a touchdown on that last drive.’

Jackson was largely inefficient through the air, going 19-for-35 with 219 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception. 

The Ravens’ defense, for all of its improvement since the beginning of the season, had two free runners for walk-in touchdowns on what ended up being Jaylen Warren’s 38-yard touchdown dash. 

Pittsburgh’s offense is a known commodity by this point in the season. Rodgers, who looked every bit the 42-year-old he turned last week over the past month or so of the season, put up a gaudy stat line – 23-for-34, 287 passing yards with a rushing touchdown and passing score. 

Even with Jackson appearing to be a more willing runner (seven carries, 43 yards), Baltimore could not muster much against a Pittsburgh defense that was embarrassed by the Buffalo Bills in the rushing category a week ago. Derrick Henry (25 rushes, 94 yards) averaged 3.8 yards per carry. 

Rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed a kick. Harbaugh opted for field goals down the stretch at times a fourth-down conversion presented itself as the more analytically sound option. 

The list of reasons why the Ravens lost Sunday is plentiful. They are a game back in the division race because of it and remain alive to make the playoffs if they can retake the division lead and host a playoff game. They can pretend all of this was a blip on the radar. But the reasons why they trail in the division have plagued them all year. 

And that should encourage them to look beyond blaming the refs for their current stock.

Franz Wagner and the Orlando Magic suffered a 106-100 road loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday, Dec. 7. But the biggest loss for the Magic may have come when Wagner left the game with a lower left leg injury.

The German forward was attempting an alley-oop on a fast break but was fouled by Ariel Hukporti with 4:43 left in the first quarter.

Wagner’s knee appeared to buckle upon landing, and he lay on the court before he was helped off. He was seen limping back to the locker room and did not return to the game.

Franz Wagner injury update

Wagner is expected to undergo an MRI once the team returns to Orlando, according to the team.

‘You never want to see anybody go down, but that hurt my heart, watching him hit the floor,’ Magic coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters after the game. ‘Now I’m just praying that everything is going to be OK with him, but we just don’t like to see that happen to him, especially (Wagner), who does everything the right way at all times he’s on the floor.’

Franz Wagner stats

Wagner has averaged 23.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 23 games this season, while shooting .487 from the field and .354 from 3-point range. He leads the team in scoring, field goals made (8.0 per game), field goals attempted (16.4 per game) and minutes (34.5 per game).

He has spent his entire career with Orlando after the Magic selected him with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He made the All Rookie first team at the end of that season.

In 4-plus seasons in the league, Wagner is averaging 19.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals, while shooting .475 from the field, .324 from 3-point range and .852 from the free throw line.

Notre Dame football was controversially left out of the College Football Playoff bracket on Sunday, Dec. 7. In turn, the Fighting Irish’s season is over.

Notre Dame, despite finishing with a 10-2 record, four wins above bowl eligibility, announced it is declining a bowl invitation a few hours after Alabama and Miami took the final two at-large bids over the Fighting Irish.

‘As a team, we’ve decided to withdraw our name from consideration for a bowl game following the 2025 season,’ a statement posted on the team’s social media account read. ‘We appreciate all the support from our families and fans, and we’re hoping to bring the 12th national title to South Bend in 2026.’

Notre Dame finished the season with 10 consecutive wins after starting 0-2 after matchups with Miami and Texas A&M, both of which made the CFP. Ultimately, the Fighting Irish’s head-to-head loss was the deciding factor.

Notre Dame was ranked No. 10 in the final rankings reveal prior to the bracket being set on Tuesday, Dec. 2. The Fighting Irish were No. 9, one spot ahead of Alabama, for multiple weeks before the committee swapped the two teams on Dec. 2.

Miami rose from No. 11 to No. 10 despite not playing in the ACC Championship game. The Hurricanes jumped No. 11 BYU, who lost in the Big 12 Conference Championship to No. 4 Texas Tech, and Notre Dame.

Iowa State and Kansas State declined bowl invites as well and were fined $500,000 by the Big 12. Both Big 12 programs lost their head coaches, though, after Matt Campbell left for Penn State and Chris Klieman retired.

Then, his contributions and the Browns’ comeback bid came to an abrupt end.

After Sanders closed the Titans’ lead to 31-29 on his third touchdown pass of the day with 1:03 remaining, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski opted to take the rookie quarterback off the field for the potentially game-tying two-point conversion. Instead, rookie running back Quinshon Judkins took the snap in a Wildcat package and bobbled the ball right when it appeared as though a pitch would materialize. Judkins backtracked and tried to fire a pass to the opposite side of the field, but his attempt was broken up by a defender and fell incomplete, all but securing Tennessee’s second win of the season.

Afterward, Stefanski offered scant details on the strategy behind the call or the decision to take Sanders off the field, but said he deserved blame for the outcome rather than offensive coordinator and play-caller Tommy Rees.

‘Not gonna get into all the specifics, but obviously did not go as we thought it would,’ said Stefanski, later adding, ‘I’m responsible for all of it.’

Sanders, who finished with four total touchdowns (three rushing, one passing) and 364 yards on 23-of-42 passing, largely shrugged off being removed from the game.

‘If I’m out there any play, I wish I would always have the ball in my hand, but that’s not what football is,’ Sanders said. ‘Sometimes you got to run the ball, sometimes you got to kick a field goal. … I know we practiced something and executed in practice, and we just didn’t seem to execute it today. So I would never go against what the call was or anything.’

Sanders’ outing was not without error, as he threw an ill-advised interception late in the third quarter that led to the Titans’ go-ahead touchdown. But Stefanski, who last week wouldn’t commit to Sanders starting beyond the game against the Titans, saw plenty of promising highs from the fifth-round draft pick.

‘He fought throughout the game, which we knew he would,’ Stefanski said. ‘Obviously with any young player, there’s going to be ups and downs, and I though there were some really, really, really good moments. He’ll keep learning from some of the plays he wants back, but (there were) some really good moments.’

The Kansas City Chiefs (6-6) host the Houston Texans (7-5) to cap off Sunday in Week 14.

It’s a rematch of the AFC divisional round playoff game from last season, which saw the Chiefs earn a 23-14 win. Kansas City has won the previous five meetings with Houston, but things look much more bleak for the reigning AFC champs entering tonight’s game.

If the season ended before Week 14, both the Texans and Chiefs would miss the playoffs. It’s rare territory for Kansas City who has won nine consecutive AFC West titles and has appeared in seven AFC championship games over that span.

Patrick Mahomes is playing at an MVP level, but his supporting cast has been inconsistent, and they have just five games left to qualify for the playoffs.

The visitors are in pursuit of the AFC South title, trailing the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts. They were in third entering Sunday and have won four straight, making a surge behind an outstanding defense.

Standout edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter are key players in tonight’s game as the Chiefs’ offensive line has numerous injuries. Left tackle Josh Simmons (IR), right tackle Jawaan Taylor, and guard Trey Smith are not expected to play. Mahomes has been sacked at least three times in five straight and will have his hands full against the NFL’s top-ranked defense.

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud has struggled at times this season behind his much beleaguered offensive line. Houston’s offense ranks 21st in points per game (21.9).

Despite its struggles, Kansas City has averaged 25.4 points per game (ninth-best in the NFL) and ranks second in offensive EPA per play, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

The Chiefs are in desperation mode, and Houston is playing with a ton of confidence. Both teams are looking to gain momentum in the AFC playoff picture with a win tonight.

USA TODAY Sports will provide updates, analysis and highlights from the Week 14 ‘Sunday Night Football’ matchup below. All times are Eastern.

What TV channel is Sunday Night Football? How to watch Chiefs-Texans

TV channel: NBC
Live stream: Peacock, NFL+

NBC is the broadcast home of ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Mike Tirico will be on the call alongside Cris Collinsworth. Melissa Stark will provide updates from the sidelines.

Watch ‘Sunday Night Football’ with Peacock

What time is the Chiefs vs. Texans game?

Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET | 6:20 p.m. MT

The ‘SNF’ matchup between the Chiefs and Texans will get underway at 8:20 p.m. ET, the customary start time for ‘SNF.’

Chiefs-Texans live stream

Live stream:Peacock, NFL+

Peacock, NBC’s proprietary streaming service, will broadcast ‘SNF.’

Watch ‘Sunday Night Football’ with Peacock

Chiefs vs. Texans picks, predictions

Here’s how the expert panel at USA TODAY Sports sees this game shaking out:

Jarrett Bell: Texans, 24-23
Nick Brinkerhoff: Texans, 27-23
Chris Bumbaca: Chiefs, 22-19
Nate Davis: Texans, 23-20
Tyler Dragon: Chiefs, 25-20
Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz: Chiefs, 24-23

Chiefs vs. Texans odds, moneyline, O/U

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list.

Moneyline (ML): Kansas City -185 (Bet $185 to win $100) | Houston +154 (Bet $100 to win $154)
Against the spread (ATS): Kansas City -3.5 (-110) | Houston +3.5 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U): 41.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

4th & Monday: Our NFL newsletter always brings the blitz 

Do you like football? Then you’ll enjoy receiving our NFL newsletter in your inbox.   

Get the latest news, expert analysis, game insights and the must-see moments from the NFL conveniently delivered to your email inbox. Sign up now! 

What time is the Chiefs game today?

The Chiefs vs. Texans game will kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 7. Kansas City will host the game at Arrowhead Stadium as both teams look to improve their position in the AFC playoff picture.

AFC West standings

The Chiefs enter ‘Sunday Night Football’ third in the AFC West.

Denver Broncos (10-2)
Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)

Chiefs schedule 2025

Chiefs vs. Texans injury report

Texans schedule 2025

AFC South standings

The Texans enter tonight’s game in third place in the AFC South:

Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4)
Indianapolis Colts (8-5)
Houston Texans (7-5)
Tennessee Titans (2-11)