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Three plays later, Texas was facing fourth-and-goal from the 8-yard line. The Longhorns’ scoring opportunity turned into a disastrous 14-point swing for Ohio State, as Jack Sawyer strip-sacked Quinn Ewers and returned the fumble 83 yards for a touchdown. It arguably was the most pivotal play in the Buckeyes’ 28-14 win.

The second-most pivotal play may have come two downs earlier. After all, how did the Longhorns move back seven yards after facing first-and-goal at the 1?

Texas and coach Steve Sarkisian dialed up a toss to the left sideline, which was run down by Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. Though he didn’t make the tackle, he forced Quintrevion Wisner back far enough that Ohio State was able to tackle him for the huge loss.

‘That’s one of those plays, if you block it all right, you get into the end zone,’ Sarkisian said after the game. ‘We didn’t, and we lost quite a bit of yardage.’ 

Here’s how social media reacted to Texas’ play call in the important moment:

Social media reacts to Texas’ toss play vs Ohio State

Here are the best reactions to Texas’ toss play call late in the fourth quarter against the Buckeyes on Friday night:

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

As 2025 kicked off, many Americans began their quest for a healthier year ahead by committing to more exercise, a renewed focus on mental well-being, a healthier diet, and ‘Dry January’ (that is, a month without alcohol consumption). Then U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released his latest advisory linking alcohol to an increased risk of cancer.  

Specifically, the advisory highlighted an increased risk in mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, breast (in women), liver, and colon and rectum cancers among those who consume any amount of alcohol. Further, the report states that alcohol consumption leads to 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer-related deaths in the U.S. each year, making it the third leading preventable cause of cancer after tobacco and obesity. 

I believe many of us have long suspected alcohol was not necessarily ‘good’ for us. But what I think we did not know – or perhaps did not want to fully acknowledge – was just how bad it could be for our health. In fact, 60% of Americans report being unaware of the relationship between alcohol and cancer. Hopefully, this advisory begins the process of educating the public of this important health-related link. 

Since the advisory’s publication, Americans have raised numerous questions about what the government may do next, what the findings mean for them, and how they should consider the findings in their daily lives.  

Here’s what to know and to keep in mind. 

How does alcohol cause cancer? 

From a 30,000-foot view, alcohol damages your DNA, which increases your cancer risk. This occurs through several different mechanisms. For example, our DNA can be damaged by acetaldehyde, the toxic metabolite alcohol is broken down to in our body, or by the oxidative stress alcohol causes.  

Alcohol also alters hormone levels in our body, such as estrogen, which likely explains alcohol’s relationship with increased breast cancer risk. Not only does alcohol directly damage our DNA, but it also increases the absorption of cancer-causing chemicals, or carcinogens, into the body. So, while we may think of a glass of wine or beer as calming or relaxing for our body, it – in fact – does the exact opposite, causing inflammation.  

What comes next? 

The advisory lays the groundwork for action – by the government, physicians and our fellow Americans. 

Murthy suggests that the surgeon general’s warning label on alcohol be updated to clearly note the link between alcohol and cancer. Such a labeling change would require an act of Congress, and I believe this should be done quickly on a bipartisan basis. What’s one thing we can all rally behind? Reducing cancer among our family, friends and neighbors. 

However, this is not a ‘silver bullet’ strategy. While one study assessing cigarette warning labels showed that more comprehensive, larger, and graphic labels better communicate health risks of smoking to the public, another suggested they did not have an actual effect on smoking behavior.  

So, if we extrapolate what this may mean for the future impact of an updated surgeon general’s warning label on alcohol, the effect may be nominal. Further, it is important to note that this was the result despite the cancer risk being substantially higher for cigarettes than alcohol when they’re consumed at comparable amounts. 

But updating the warning label is a start to the needed education to raise general awareness and physician ‘buy-in’ that Murthy also highlights are important ‘action items.’ We must work collaboratively to increase knowledge of the alcohol and cancer risk relationship, not only in the media but in more personal settings, such as doctors’ offices and across our local communities. A targeted strategy is needed to deliver on the potential of an education program to reduce alcohol consumption. 

Lastly, we must always make sure that policy follows the latest, up-to-date science. It’s OK to not know, but we need to be clear with the public when that is the case. For example, the current definition of moderate drinking (one drink or less per day for women and two drinks or less per day for men [one drink is 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor]) is relatively arbitrary and using it as a ‘scientific’ guide can be misleading and confusing. As Murthy noted, we must reassess these definition ‘cut-offs.’ 

What are some of the limits of what we know? 

While the current research overwhelmingly shows a link between alcohol consumption and cancer, the details of what we do not know also matter. The evidence suggests that cancer risk is directly proportional to the amount of alcohol consumed, meaning that if you drink more alcohol, your risk of cancer increases. This makes sense – alcohol is a toxin and the more toxins you put in your body, the worse it should be for you. 

But is it only the quantity that matters? Does the risk differ by alcohol ‘quality’ (for example, a natural wine or high-quality wine versus one with more additives) or type of alcohol? Is there a ‘safe’ limit? What role does genetics play? Do other preventative measures, such as healthy, clean eating and exercise, ‘offset’ your cancer risk from alcohol use, and – if so – by how much?   

These questions highlight only some of what we do not know, and it is important to note that they do not discredit the central fact – alcohol and cancer are directly linked. But what it does show is that there is more research to be done, especially to reduce some of the bias, or confounders, in the current data used to date. This makes sure the most complete evidence is available to guide education and policy making.

From a 30,000-foot view, alcohol damages your DNA, which increases your cancer risk. 

So, what does all of this mean for you? 

We should commend Murthy for bringing this information into the national spotlight. Information is empowering, and now – after reading this piece – I’m confident you can make a more knowledgeable decision for yourself about how much and how often to drink alcohol. 

From my perspective, I strongly believe that moderation is key, and I will continue to stress this as a physician and follow this approach in my own life. While many may stop drinking alcohol altogether after this advisory was published, I urge all others to strive to moderate their intake.  

Personally, I will still enjoy a social beer here or a glass of wine there. At the same time, however, I plan to decrease my alcohol consumption overall. It’s an individual decision, and as a cancer survivor (testicular cancer) myself, I still want to ‘live my life’. 

Ultimately, I challenge all of us to take a step each day to be a bit healthier – eat better, drink less, work out more and support our mental and spiritual health and well-being. 

The opinions, thoughts, and ideas expressed in this article are those of the author only and not necessarily those of any employers or institutions of which he is affiliated.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The stock market is in pullback mode with the S&P 500 EW ETF down 5.15% over the past month and down 1% year-to-date. This makes it a good time to monitor relative performance and create a relative strength watch list. Stocks and ETFs holding up best during pullbacks often lead when the market regains its footing. Today’s report will show a starter list and analyze the chart for an AI Robotics ETF.

The table below shows 1-month and year-to-date performance for a selection of industry group ETFs. With the S&P 500 EW ETF down on both timeframes, ETFs with gains are holding up well and ETFs with smaller losses show relative strength (less weakness). Five ETFs are up on both timeframes and holding up well in the face of broad market weakness.

Note that this list is simply the first cut. I would make a further cut by insuring that the ETF is in a long-term uptrend. For example, the Clean Energy ETF (PBW) is below its 200-day SMA and would not make the cut. The Medical Devices ETF (IHI) and Robotics AI ETF (ARTY) are in long-term uptrends, and make the cut. Let’s look at ARTY. A recent Chart Trader report/video highlighted the recent breakout in IHI.

The chart below shows ARTY hitting a new high in early December and price above the rising 200-day SMA. ARTY is in a long-term uptrend. There was a big breakout in mid October, an oversold reading in late October and then a 17% run to new highs. ARTY then formed a pennant and broke out with a surge earlier this week, only to fall back the last three days. Overall, I think the pennant breakout is still bullish and this is a throwback to the breakout zone. A break below the pennant lows would negate this pattern and argue for a deeper correction.

Chart Link

The middle window shows the price-relative (ARTY/RSP Ratio) breaking above its 200-day SMA in late November. ARTY shows relative strength and the price-relative hit a new high in early January. The lower window shows %B, which I use to identify oversold conditions within an uptrend. A dip below 0 means the close is below the lower Bollinger Band. This means there was a pullback within the uptrend, which is an opportunity.

I will be following ARTY and other leading ETFs closely in the Chart Trader reports and videos. Our reports warned of the breakout in the 10-yr Treasury Yield in before Christmas (HERE) and we also showed how to distinguish between a robust bounce and a dead cat bounce (HERE).

Click here to take Chart Trader trial and get immediate access.

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The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff bracket has been narrowed down to the final two teams.

The No. 7 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish will face off against the No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 20 after punching their tickets in the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl, respectively.

Both teams benefitted from the expanded playoff field. Instead of a four-team playoff format that was used the last decade, the CFP bracket officially expanded to 12 teams this season. Despite Notre Dame suffering an early loss to Northern Illinois and Ohio State dropping two games – to Oregon and rival Michigan – both teams’ playoff hopes remained alive. Now, they are one win away from their ultimate dream.

ORANGE BOWL: Notre Dame edges Penn State to reach CFP title game

COTTON BOWL: Ohio State upends Texas to reach CFP title game

Ohio State is looking for its first national championship since 2014, while Notre Dame is vying for its first national championship since 1988. Here’s everything you need to know about the CFP national championship game:

When is the CFP national championship game?

The College Football Playoff national championship game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

How to watch the CFP national championship game?

The national championship game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes will broadcast nationally on ESPN.

The game can also be live streamed on ESPN+, the ESPN app and Fubo, which is offering a free trial.

Watch the CFP national champioship game on Fubo

CFP national championship game: Date, time, TV

Date: Monday, Jan. 20
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN

College Football Playoff scores

How did we get here? Here are the scores from all the College Football Playoff games leading up to the championship, from semifinals to quarterfinals and first-round games:

College Football Playoff semifinals

Thursday, Jan. 9

Orange Bowl: No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 6 Penn State 24

Friday, Jan. 10

Cotton Bowl:No. 8 Ohio State 28, No. 5 Texas 14

College Football Playoff quarterfinals

Tuesday, Dec. 31

Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State 31, No. 3 Boise State 14

Wednesday, Jan. 1

Peach Bowl: No. 5 Texas 39, No. 4 Arizona State 31 (OT)
Rose Bowl: No. 8 Ohio State 41, No. 1 Oregon 21

Thursday, Jan. 2

Sugar Bowl:No. 7 Notre Dame 23, No. 2 Georgia 10
The Sugar Bowl was postponed one day as a result of the deadly attack in New Orleans.

College Football Playoff first round

No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Boise State and No. 4 Arizona State all had first-round byes.

Friday, Dec. 20

Game 1: No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 10 Indiana 17

Saturday, Dec. 21

Game 2: No. 6 Penn State 38, No. 11 SMU 10
Game 3: No. 5 Texas 38, No. 12 Clemson 24
Game 4: No. 8 Ohio State 42, No. 9 Tennessee 17

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There is something incredibly satisfying about watching the Washington Commanders’ resurgence and knowing that, somewhere, it’s got to be driving Dan Snyder nuts.

For almost a quarter of a century, that miserable, misogynistic and mean-spirited man owned one of the NFL’s crown jewels and for almost that entire time, the team was as awful as he was. Six playoff appearances in 24 years, and only one postseason win this century. Just two seasons with double-digit wins. Scandal after scandal after scandal after scandal.

Snyder finally sold the team in the summer of 2023 and, lo and behold! Two seasons later, the Snyder-less Commanders are back in the playoffs. With the fourth-best record in the NFC, no less.

“Thank you guys for everything,” current Commanders owner Josh Harris told his team after it clinched a playoff berth. “Playoffs!”

Having a winning team in Washington is good for the NFL, which has seen big ratings for Commanders games this year. It’s good for the long-suffering fans of the franchise, too, who endured one embarrassment after another from Snyder.

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

Mostly, though, it’s good for all of us, who needed to believe that karma would eventually get its due. Who needed the reassurance of knowing you cannot get away with being a garbage human.

Sure, Snyder is still a very wealthy man, thanks to the $6 billion Harris and his fellow investors paid for the Commanders. He escaped appropriate punishment for a laundry list of wrongdoings, which included sexual harassment of employees and fostering a toxic and abusive workplace.

But the Commanders were Snyder’s lifelong love, his fandom dating back to when he was a kid and he’d go to games with his dad. Now that the Commanders are finally enjoying success, when they’re no longer among the NFL’s pariahs and pathetics, Snyder has no claim to it.

He can’t strut into the box reserved for the opposing team’s owner or hold court on the field ahead of Sunday’s wild-card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Should he turn up at Raymond James Stadium, his demand to be recognized as “Mr. Snyder” will be greeted with the eye roll it always deserved.

The Commanders are somebody else’s team now, and the glow of their accomplishments this season is reflecting on someone else. It’s schadenfreude that was long overdue.

Some might say it’s petty to revel in Snyder’s disappointment but … too bad. Team owners are, often, a pretty shameful bunch. In the NFL alone, Jimmy and Dee Haslam broke the bank to sign an unrepentant sexual predator, then tried to justify it by smearing the women. Houston Texans owner Cal McNair used a racist slur at a team golf outing. Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke, Los Angeles Chargers owner Dean Spanos and Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis gave their loyal fans the middle finger when they left town to chase shiny new stadiums.

But Snyder was in a class by himself, the worst owner in all of sports.

He clung to his team’s former racist nickname for years, despite overwhelming sentiment against it. Only after sponsors started distancing themselves from the team did he finally relent. He couldn’t get a stadium deal done in Virginia, Maryland OR the District of Columbia.

He was ordered by the NFL to pay $60 million following an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and financial improprieties against him. This is not to be confused with the $10 million fine the Commanders had to pay after a previous investigation found a toxic and misogynistic culture permeating the team.

And let’s not forget the Congressional investigations of both Snyder and his franchise!

“The Commanders can’t have it both ways,” U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said during the House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s June 2022 hearing on allegations of a toxic workplace. “You can’t be constantly asking the public for subsidies and investment, and then not observing basic laws that govern the workplace.”

But Snyder had long acted as if he were above reproach, be it from the NFL, the fans or outside investigators. He didn’t care if he rubbed everyone the wrong way or that he was doing damage to both the franchise and league he claimed to love so much. Snyder was the owner of Washington’s football team, and he was going to do as he damned well pleased.

Except win. That he could never manage, and the Commanders’ quick turnaround under Harris is a further indictment of Snyder’s incompetence.

Getting back to the playoffs is a triumph for the Commanders. Doing it without Snyder gloating and getting the credit makes the resurgence that much sweeter.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – With a first name one letter longer than a key character in “The Wire,” the HBO classic show set in Baltimore, perhaps Marlon Humphrey was long destined to play for the Ravens. 

The fictional Marlo Stanfield was a cold-blooded killer who wore the crown as the city’s drug kingpin in the second half of the five seasons the show ran. Humphrey, the cornerback commonly referred to as “Marlo” by teammates and coaches, won’t win NFL Defensive Player of the Year, though he did earn an All-Pro selection to complement his third Pro Bowl appearance. But no Ravens defensive player came up big when it mattered most more than Humphrey during the 2024 regular season. 

There was the interception of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in Ravens territory with Baltimore trailing by three points and three minutes remaining (Baltimore went on to win in overtime). He had two interceptions in front of a national “Monday Night Football” audience against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who scored 21 points in the fourth quarter after he left with a knee injury that kept him out of the Ravens’ next game, a loss to the Cleveland Browns. 

There was a pick-six, the first of his career, in Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers – the Ravens’ AFC North rival and wild-card round opponent Saturday night (8 p.m. ET, Amazon) – that gave the Ravens a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter. Earlier in the season, he picked off a pass in the end zone in an 18-16 loss to Pittsburgh in which the defense did not allow a touchdown. Quarterback Lamar Jackson said Humphrey’s strip of Bengals running back Chase Brown on “Thursday Night Football” “woke us up” with the team trailing 21-7 on the way to a 35-34 comeback win. 

And he does it all with a personality untypically found in most NFL locker rooms.

All things Ravens: Latest Baltimore Ravens news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

“He’s one of a kind, man,” Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens told USA TODAY Sports. “He comes with energy every day, just a high-energy guy. I don’t know another Marlo besides Marlo.” 

Who else journals before a game while leaning against the goal post in frigid temperatures? Or reveals that he’s gone to Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti for advice on his love life?

During the offseason, a Bleacher Report story called Humphrey the most overrated defensive back in the NFL. His statistically improved season is not only a testament to his talent, Stephens said, but also how he approaches every day of work. He’s focused inside the building and puts even more time in outside of it. 

“His personality is unique to him,” wide receiver Nelson Agholor told USA TODAY Sports. “He has a unique personality – charismatic, outgoing, definitely a team guy. So all in all, respect it and (got) love for the guy.” 

That personality is on display in front of the team every single day, said Aghlor, who has had scores of teammates across the four different organizations he’s played for in 10 seasons. 

“But he’s consistent with it. So it’s not really a show, it’s who he is,” Agholor said. “At first, it was hard for me to understand. I thought he was joking, but that’s really him. That’s his personality.” 

Humphrey finished the season with 15 passes defended, a career-high six interceptions (the same number he had from 2020-23) and 50 solo tackles. The 2019 season was Humphrey’s first Pro-Bowl nod, and he was also named to the AP’s All-Pro first team. 

“It was kinda quick to get accustomed to how he is,” said Stephens, who was drafted by Baltimore in 2021. “I think when I first got here I was like, ‘I didn’t know Marlo was like this.’

“You become accustomed to it.”

As the College Football Playoff continued, the Ravens offered a prompt for players to give their predictions to the camera while walking off the field. Humphrey stood there for minutes while everybody else quickly shouted their answers, and he gave an impassioned explanation of why he believed his Alabama Crimson Tide were jobbed. 

“We love Marlon. We want Marlon to be himself,” Orr said. “If he’s not himself, then something’s wrong. So, we want Marlon being his crazy self, and we appreciate it, and I think he appreciates us for letting him be himself.” 

Humphrey became a father in December and married earlier in 2024. He entered the season slimmed down (like quarterback Lamar Jackson), at about 190 pounds, after he spent the last few seasons around the 200-pound mark. 

“I got my grown-man weight on me, and it just never went off,” Humphrey said in camp. “It’s a young man’s game, so I decided to get a little lower.” 

During training camp, Humphrey offered some insight into how he wanted to approach the season. Offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris died suddenly at the age of 70 in August, and tight end Mark Andrews was involved in a car accident. That Orr had to retire from playing early due to a neck condition also affected him. 

“It’s helped me just be more calm as a player, just go into it, enjoy what I can enjoy, control what I can control, and I think that’s been the biggest difference, I would say,” Humphrey said in December. “And also, trying to eliminate unknown stress.” 

For example, Humphrey said, instead of being one of the last players to show up for the team plane on road trips, he beat the Amtrak train that took the Ravens to New Jersey to play the New York Giants in December. 

“This organization, these coaches – I’m just grateful. All of those little things have really helped me just take stress off the body,” Humphrey said. “And you put that in, and you can just be able to play more free, and I feel like it’s shown up this year.”

The Ravens’ first-round draft pick in 2017 (16th overall), Humphrey is in his eighth pro season but is just 28 years old. Orr said he’s stepped up his leadership skills this year because he has no choice as someone players with less experience look up to. 

“He definitely has a unique personality, but the thing I love about it is he’s gonna be himself and you’re gonna get Marlon, and he is going to tell you the truth,” Orr said. “He is going to tell you how he feels, and it’s always coming from a good place.” 

Since Week 11, the Ravens rank first in the NFL in expected points added (EPA) per dropback (-.15) They’ve surrendered 15.1 points per game in that span, a drop from the 25.3 they gave up over the first 10 games of the season. 

That coincided with Humphrey playing moving predominantly to the nickel corner spot, lining up opposite receivers in the slot, as rookie Nate Wiggins kept holding his own on the outside. Another key change was benching safety Marcus Williams and starting Ar’Darius Washington while moving Kyle Hamilton back to a traditional safety role. 

Playing nickel allows Humphrey to play more aggressively, and he can abandon the caution he holds onto as a corner. 

“I like hitting people,” Humphrey said during training camp. 

Humphrey entered this year with the goal of staying healthy, and outside of the minor knee injury he suffered against Tampa Bay, he did. 

“When Marlon’s healthy and playing at the level that he’s playing at, he makes us a better defense,” Ravens passing game coordinator/assistant head coach Chris Hewitt told reporters in December. “He brings that grit. He brings the energy, and that’s what this defense is made up of. He embodies everything that we talk about as far as being a Raven, so when he’s playing that way, we play better.” 

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The stage is set for one of the most highly anticipated national championship games in modern college football history.

You know the names. Notre Dame, perhaps the sport’s defining program, fresh off College Football Playoff wins against Indiana, Georgia and Penn State. Ohio State, another heavyweight, which has responded brilliantly to another loss to Michigan to end the regular season.

The Fighting Irish needed some help from Penn State to win 27-24 in the Orange Bowl. Down 10-0 late in the first half and 24-17 in the fourth, Notre Dame tied the game on a 54-yard touchdown pass with under five minutes to play and then took advantage of a costly interception by Drew Allar to hit the go-ahead field goal with 7 seconds remaining.

After rolling over Tennessee and Oregon, the Buckeyes’ 28-14 win against Texas in the Coton Bowl wasn’t put away until an interception by safety Caleb Downs late in the fourth quarter. Despite the unclean performance, Ohio State will be the favorite against the Irish.

Another source of pregame hype comes from the conclusion of the debut 12-team playoff format. While the new format has come under scrutiny for the selection and seeding process, the tournament has yielded a marquee matchup to decide the national championship — in other words, the playoff has been a success.

Here are the early keys and biggest storylines leading into the matchup on Monday, Jan. 20, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta:

Which Riley Leonard shows up?

For a time on Thursday night, Leonard was in line to shoulder the blame for a painful loss. His costly interception five minutes into the fourth quarter allowed the Nittany Lions to take a touchdown lead, though Leonard’s scoring pass to Jaden Greathouse on the ensuing possession evened the score.

That was one of two turnovers on the night for Leonard, who entered the Orange Bowl with only six interceptions in 349 pass attempts. Overall, he completed 15 of 23 throws for 223 yards and a score and added 35 yards on the ground, easily outplaying Allar.

The Irish will need more of the same from Leonard and then some against Ohio State, only without the giveaways, since feeding the Buckeyes additional possessions is the easiest way to ensure a Notre Dame loss.

Crucially, Leonard will have to be a hammer on third down. He’s converted on 11 of 13 third-down opportunities when the Irish need three or fewer yards. Given how Notre Dame typically struggles to find explosive plays downfield, extending drives on manageable third-down tries will be one of the biggest keys of the game.

GOING SOLO: Lucrative playoff run ensures Notre Dame independence

Who can stop Ohio State?

Not Tennessee, not Oregon, not Texas. Another win against the SEC makes this surge to the championship game even sweeter for the Buckeyes.

The Cotton Bowl win showed why Ohio State is so dangerous. While the offense was unable to get Jeremiah Smith involved, the defense forced two turnovers and held the Longhorns to 58 rushing yards and a combined 6 of 18 on third and fourth down.

This group also delivered the game’s defining moment. Down by a touchdown, Texas had first-and-goal at the Buckeyes’ 1-yard line with four minutes to play. After the Longhorns stumbled back seven yards on three plays, Quinn Ewers was sacked and stripped by Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer, who scooped up the loose ball and went 83 yards for a score.

It won’t take perfection for Notre Dame to beat the Buckeyes. But it may take something close to perfect, especially if the OSU defense keeps this up while the passing game gets back in rhythm.

Can the Notre Dame defense stop the run?

This hasn’t necessarily been an issue all season. While the Irish rank 41st nationally in rushing yards allowed per game, that total is inflated by two games against service academies; Navy and Army ran for a combined 429 yards but lost by a combined 72 points.

But the run defense really struggled out of the gate against Penn State. After giving up a combined 125 yards against the Hoosiers and Bulldogs, the Irish gave up 141 rushing yards to the Nittany Lions in the first half. That improved dramatically in the second half, however.

Ohio State presents a different type of threat the Nittany Lions’ duo of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The Buckeyes are less likely to make the running game the primary focus of offense but are more explosive. See TreVeyon Henderson’s 75-yard score late in the first half against the Longhorns as one great example.

It’s no coincidence that Notre Dame’s closest games — Texas A&M, Northern Illinois, Louisville and Penn State — have come when the opponent is successful running the ball.

But one thing to keep in mind if this game comes down which team can convert on third down. While Leonard and the Irish have been very good on short-yardage downs, Notre Dame’s defense has been very solid in the same situation: opponents have just 19 first downs on 42 carries when facing third down and three or fewer yards.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The last time most casual tennis fans saw Coco Gauff, her US Open title defense had ended in devastating fashion with a fourth-round loss to fellow American Emma Navarro, the same opponent who knocked her out at Wimbledon. 

But what a difference four months makes. 

After another change in her coaching team, some minor technical adjustments and a little bit of confidence, Gauff enters the Australian Open this week as one of if not the favorite to take home her second Grand Slam title. 

It’s been a fascinating journey for the 20-year-old Floridian. After a largely disappointing summer, including a medal-less trip to the Paris Olympics and several early-round losses, something clicked for Gauff last fall. She won the China Open, a prestigious WTA 1000 event, then backed it up by winning a record $4.8 million payday at the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia. 

More importantly, she finished the season with wins over her two biggest rivals in that event, beating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek, who had beaten Gauff in 11 of their previous 12 meetings. 

It wasn’t a fluke. 

At the United Cup a little more than a week ago to open the 2025 season, Gauff once again beat Swiatek, 6-4, 6-4, helping Team USA win the title and making a major statement that their previously one-sided rivalry had turned.

“Obviously this start of the season gives me a lot of confidence,” she told reporters. ‘I feel like when I’m playing confident tennis I’m playing great tennis.”

Everything about Gauff’s game looks improved since separating from ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert as her primary coach and adding Matt Daly, a former Notre Dame player who is known as a grip specialist. It has led to Gauff deploying a steadier and more punishing forehand, while fixing some issues with the serve that gave her so much trouble last year. 

Barring a pretty big upset in the early rounds, Gauff should be on for a semifinal showdown with Sabalenka, the two-time defending Australian Open champion. 

Here are four more things to know about the first major of the tennis season, beginning Saturday evening in the U.S.:

Carlos Alcaraz goes for the career Slam

You have to be a pretty special talent to win two majors in a season and the Olympic silver medal but still come out of 2024 feeling like it was a slight disappointment. But that’s kind of where Alcaraz found himself last year as he battled some injuries, inconsistent stretches and lost significant ground in the rankings to No. 1 Jannik Sinner. 

But after adding the Roland Garros title to his haul last spring, the 21-year-old Spaniard needs only an Australian title to complete the career Grand Slam. That’s something only eight men have done, and Alcaraz still has three more chances to displace Rafael Nadal (24 years, 102 days) as the youngest to pull it off.

Alcaraz has not had great success in Australia, but it’s probably just a matter of time. The question for 2025 is whether he’ll show improved proficiency on a fast hard court, where his inability to get easy points with the serve has put him at a slight disadvantage in the past. 

Novak Djokovic in the twilight

Djokovic had one major goal last year, and he checked it off the list by winning Olympic gold in an improbable and epic 7-6, 7-6 victory over Alcaraz. But other than that, Djokovic started to show more signs of his age (he’ll be 38 in May and needed surgery for a torn meniscus) and questionable motivation as he pared his schedule almost to the bare minimum. 

The most interesting offseason development for Djokovic was hiring his old rival, the recently retired Andy Murray, to help coach him in Australia and perhaps beyond. But it’s unclear what kind of form Djokovic carries into the major he’s won 10 times. At the warm-up event in Brisbane last week, he won two matches before losing 7-6, 6-3 to American Riley Opelka, who is ranked outside the top 200 after struggling with injuries for the past two years.

It would not be a surprise if this is Djokovic’s last year on tour, but you also can’t completely count him out from the possibility of adding a 25th Slam title. Seeded No. 7, he’ll probably have to do it the hard way here, with Alcaraz (quarterfinals), No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev (semifinals) and defending champion Sinner all in his potential path to the title. 

Doping controversies on center stage 

There’s a chance that Sinner, who is No. 1 by a mile after winning both hardcourt majors and eight titles overall in 2024, has to spend the meat of this season serving a suspension for a banned substance that became public right before the US Open last year. 

The ITIA, tennis’ integrity agency, decided not to suspend Sinner after traces of the steroid clostebal showed up in a drug test at a tournament last spring. Essentially, the ITIA agreed with Sinner’s explanation that the substance entered his system via his physical trainer, who had used a cream containing clostebal that is available over-the-counter in Italy to treat a wound on his hand before working on Sinner’s body. (There is photographic evidence, for what it’s worth, that the trainer had a bandage over his hand at the same tournament where the positive test occurred.)

But the World Anti-Doping Agency has challenged the ITIA’s decision and is seeking a one-year suspension, prompting a hearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport that will take place in April. If Sinner is suspended even for 90 days, it could take him out of the heart of Grand Slam season. 

Meanwhile, in November, the ITIA announced that Swiatek had tested positive for trimetazidine in August. Swiatek successfully argued that contamination in melatonin supplements was at fault, as she was able to present an unopened and partially opened package from the same batch that tested positive for the contaminants. She served a short provisional ban that forced her to withdraw from a couple of fall tournaments in Asia, but the reason for her absence wasn’t revealed until the ITIA announcement. 

At minimum, it’s not a great look for tennis to have two high profile players under a cloud of suspicion to begin the season. But legend John McEnroe, who will call the tournament for ESPN, told reporters that the positive tests had not been harmful because ‘tennis is cleaner than any other sport … but that doesn’t mean there are not issues.”

New names to watch

Looking for some up-and-comers to track in Australia and throughout the 2025 season? 

∎Start with Joao Fonseca, an 18-year-old from Brazil who will crack the top 100 soon and won the ATP’s “NextGen” event in December. He’s a big-time talent who already has won a couple titles on the Challenger Tour and gets a tasty matchup to open the Australian Open against No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev.

∎Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, a 6-foot-8 Frenchman, might already have the scariest serve on tour at age 21. And it’s not just his first serve – he regularly hits his second in the 120 mph range. He’s already bombed his way to a couple ATP titles and looks primed to make a dent in the Grand Slams soon. 

∎American Nishesh Basavareddy, a 19-year-old from Newport Beach, California, who won the 2022 US Open juniors, made a bunch of Challenger finals late last year to break into the top 150. He’ll get the opportunity of a lifetime in the first round against Djokovic. 

∎On the women’s side, don’t be surprised if Diana Shnaider ends up in a Slam final soon – or maybe even wins one. The 20-year-old Russian, who played one season at NC State, quietly took four WTA titles last season. More impressive, she won them on hard court, clay and grass. She’s up to No. 13 in the rankings and rising fast.

∎Iva Jovic, a 17-year-old American born to Serbian immigrants, won the Aussie and Wimbledon junior titles last year and beat seasoned pro Magda Linette in the US Open main draw. She could face No. 6 seed Elena Rybakina in the second round in Australia.

Follow Dan Wolken on social media @DanWolken

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He knew the house he was renting in the Pacific Palisades was destroyed in the devastating wildfires that have engulfed the Los Angeles area. But he needed to see the damage firsthand.

“I was not prepared for what I saw,” Redick told reporters Friday. “It’s complete devastation and destruction. I went through most of the village, and it’s all gone. And I don’t think you can ever prepare yourself for something like that. Our home is gone. And look, we were renting for the year to try to figure out where we wanted to be long term. And everything we owned that was of any importance to us almost 20 years together as a couple and 10 years of parenting was in that house.

“And there’s certain things that you can’t replace, that will never be replaced. And it’s like weird. My son did an art project last year at St. Anne’s in Brooklyn. And it was like a charcoal pencil painting of a lighthouse that we had framed above the stairs. And you can’t ever replace stuff like that. You know, memories. Eighteen years together now, Chelsea and I, certain things that were in that house that you can’t replace.”

The NBA postponed the Lakers’ game Thursday against Charlotte, and on Friday, the league announced it postponed Saturday’s San Antonio Spurs-Los Angeles Lakers game in Los Angeles and the Charlotte Hornets-Los Angeles Clippers game in Inglewood, California, “due to the ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area.’

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The Lakers practiced Friday and Redick met with reporters.

Redick said his wife, Chelsea, was apprehensive to leave Brooklyn for Southern California and an NBA coaching job.

“She said to me, ‘I was very hesitant to move out here. I was very hesitant for you to go into coaching. I’ve never loved living somewhere more than I’ve loved Brooklyn, and I’ve never loved the community more than I love the community I’ve had in Brooklyn. And then, you know, it’s like, we move out here and the Palisades community has really just been so good to us.’

“And that’s, I think that’s the part for us that we’re really struggling with is just the loss of community. And I recognize that people make up community, and we’re going to rebuild, and we want to help lead on that. But all the churches, the schools, the library, like it’s all gone.”

Redick divulged that he had planned to help coach his sons’ youth basketball team this winter and the Palisades Recreation Center was burned.

Multiple Lakers’ employees have been impacted by the wildfires. Redick said the team’s chief legal counsel, Dan Grigsby, lost his home, and the parents of the team’s videographer lost their home.

“We certainly want to do everything we can within the safety parameters of what’s going on in the city,” Redick said. “We obviously want to give people hope and we want to give … I don’t want to say a distraction, maybe an escape.

“We talked about it as a group before practice. It is our responsibility, everybody in this building, to lead on this and to help people. You never know what that’s going to look like. I think between myself, (executive vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka), I know the Buss family – Jeanie specifically – we’re prepared to do whatever it takes to help Los Angeles.”

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Bill McCartney, the Hall of Fame college football coach who won a national championship with Colorado in 1990, died Friday night in Boulder, Colorado. He was 84.

McCartney’s family said in a statement that he died ‘after a courageous journey with dementia.’

McCartney, hired in 1982, is the winningest coach in CU football history with a 93-55-5 record over 13 seasons in Boulder. He led the Buffaloes to the 1990 national championship after beating Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl and won three Big Eight titles.

He coached 1994 Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

After his coaching career, McCartney co-founded the Christian organization ‘Promise Keepers.’ He had four children with his late wife, Lynne.

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