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NCAAF : College Football Playoff Rankings Unveiled
On Oct. 1, Penn State fans had to be thinking: Why us? The Nittany Lions were 2-2 and getting drubbed at home by Minnesota.
On Nov. 1, as in Tuesday night, those fans had to be asking: Why not us?
The first release of the College Football Playoff rankings didn"t bring any major surprises, but it did bring hope to Nittany Lion fans. The selection committee ranked Penn State 12th eight slots higher than its (insignificant) AP ranking.
What that means is that Penn State, even at 6-2, has a puncher"s chance of making the playoff. The Nittany Lions would need to: a) win out (Iowa, at Indiana, at Rutgers, Michigan State) and b) have Michigan lose twice (Maryland, at Iowa, Indiana, at Ohio State) to reach the Big Ten title game, where a victory could vault them into the final four.
Climbing from 12 to 4 still would be no cinch, but consider this: The CFP committee ranked Ohio State 16th in the first-ever rankings in 2014. The Buckeyes rose to No. 4 before taking down Alabama and Oregon to win the national title.
The other Big Ten teams still alive for a playoff spot Michigan (3), Ohio State (6), Wisconsin (8) and Nebraska (10) were all ranked about where they were expected.
Michigan and Nebraska control their own playoff destiny, as everyone likes to say. Nebraska (7-1) would surge with a victory Saturday at Ohio State and a victory in the Big Ten title game.
Wisconsin needs to win out (at Northwestern, Illinois, at Purdue, Minnesota) and have Nebraska lose at least another game (at Ohio State, Minnesota, Maryland, at Iowa).
Ohio State needs to win out (Nebraska, at Maryland, at Michigan State, Michigan) and either have Michigan win its next three games (Maryland, at Iowa, Indiana) or Penn State lose one of its next four.
If all that is too much to digest, then just focus on the top of the rankings for now: Alabama is No. 1, followed by Clemson, Michigan and Texas A&M.
The Aggies got drilled by the Crimson Tide, 33-14, but they"re ranked one spot ahead of 8-0 Washington because of more quality victories. Louisville is lurking at No. 7.
Washington is the Pac-12"s only real hope, and the Big 12 is all but dead. Its highest entrant is No. 14 Oklahoma, and the league has no title game.
Think about this: Five Big Ten teams are ranked higher than the best of the Big 12.
If you heard some fireworks go off Tuesday night, they were coming from Big Ten headquarters in Rosemont, not Wrigley Field.
WALTHAM, Mass. -- How should we describe Ray Allen"s legacy with the Boston Celtics? Well, it"s complicated.
No one could credibly deny Allen"s impact on the success of Boston"s most recent Big Three era, especially the team"s 2008 title. But while Paul Pierce"s No. 34 and Kevin Garnett"s No. 5 seem certain to hang in the rafters at TD Garden, the same cannot be said for Allen"s No. 20 jersey.
Allen, who announced his retirement after 18 seasons on Tuesday, logged three All-Star appearances in five seasons with Boston. If not for his arrival in a trade on draft night in 2007, the Celtics probably wouldn"t have had enough talent to convince Garnett to accept a trade from Minnesota. Without Allen"s shooting, the Celtics don"t hang Banner 17.
Yet for all of Allen"s memorable moments, some fans recall only his struggles. Such as his inconsistencies in the 2010 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, which included an 0-for-13 performance in Game 3 (he scored 2 points in 42 minutes) and a 3-for-14 night in Game 7 (13 points in 45 minutes).
When Allen"s ankles balked in 2012, he was replaced in Boston"s starting lineup by second-year guard Avery Bradley. Allen only got his starting spot back when Bradley"s shoulder injuries forced him out of the playoffs, and Allen struggled again in a postseason that saw LeBron James and the Heat rally from a 3-2 deficit in the conference finals. For Boston"s Big Three, it would be the team"s final run as a true title contender.
And many Celtics fans will simply never forgive what happened next. That summer, little more than a month removed from the sting of that Game 7 loss, Allen signed with the rival Heat, taking the backup role that seemed to bother him so much in Boston.
Boston"s Big Three brought a 17th banner to Boston, but Ray Allen"s departure left hurt feelings.Fernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images
"I look back at all our time spent in Boston ... we had a lot of disappointments, but we shared a lot of thrills," Allen said when he was introduced in Miami. "It is sad to me that I"m not going to be with those guys anymore. But I look forward to being here."
Before the Celtics and Heat met on opening night of the 2012-13 season, Garnett said he "lost" Allen"s phone number. Then in a national TV game in Miami, Garnett gave Allen a cold shoulder when he tried to dap him up while entering the game.
Outside TD Garden, vendors sold "Judas Shuttlesworth" T-shirts -- a play off of his character of Jesus Shuttleworth in the 1998 Spike Lee film "He Got Game" -- and Allen became a villain for defecting to the enemy rather than trying to help Boston recover. It didn"t help that Allen went on to produce the biggest play of the 2013 NBA Finals with his miracle 3-pointer in Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs, and the Heat won Game 7, giving Allen the second championship ring that has evaded Pierce and the now-retired Garnett.
When Allen noted this fall that he had conversations with the Celtics and Bucks about a possible return, the reception was lukewarm at best from Boston fans. Some were intrigued by Allen serving as a veteran presence to a young team looking to take the next step in its playoff journey, while others wondered if his playing time would be better served for players who had a better chance to impact the Celtics" title hopes moving forward.
No Celtic has worn Allen"s No. 20 in Boston since his departure. But early returns on our informal Twitter poll suggests that Celtics fans have no desire to see it go out of circulation.
Asked during a recent appearance on Boston sports radio 98.5 the Sports Hub whether the team would retire Allen"s jersey, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge was noncommittal.
Ray Allen announced Tuesday on the Players" Tribune that he is retiring from the NBA, writing that he is "completely at peace with himself" after a record-setting 18-year career.
In ESPN The Magazine"s Interview Issue, Heat and Spurs players relieve the 28 seconds during Game 6 that changed the legacies of both teams.
What"s the difference between holding on for one more year and retiring in the NBA? Sometimes it"s as simple as demand.
2 Related
"I don"t know. I"m not sure. Time heals, and I think that he was a great player for us," Ainge told the "Toucher and Rich" program. "I love Ray, and I"m grateful for Ray. And I"m grateful for all that he brought to us in the five years he played here. He was a fantastic player. Time will tell on all those."
Ainge, who has not so subtly hinted that Pierce and Garnett"s numbers will hang in the rafters, said Celtics co-owners Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca and team president Rich Gotham would huddle someday to explore the possibility of Allen"s number being retired as well. Pressed on which way he"d vote, Ainge said simply, "I"m going to stay away from that vote right now, kinda like I"m staying away from the presidential election."
Time might very well heal all wounds. We are two years away from Boston celebrating the 10th anniversary of the 2008 title team, and Allen"s presence in those moments might help thaw any icy feelings that remain.
For now, things remain a bit awkward for Allen in these parts.
NFL Network"s Eric Davis on where the Vikes "O" following Norv Turner"s resignation - 11/2/16
USA TODAY Sports" Lorenzo Reyes looks at the three biggest story lines heading into this week. USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford (8) sits on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.(Photo: Jeremy Brevard, USA TODAY Sports)
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. There was a sense within the Minnesota Vikings organization dating back to at least January that this might be Norv Turners final season in coaching.
That was around the same time the Vikings hired Pat Shurmur to coach tight ends, giving the appearance and there was a lot of truth to it that Shurmur was the likely offensive coordinator in waiting whenever Turner, 64, or the team moved on.
What nobody anticipated was the succession plan would take hold now, with the Vikings coming off consecutive ugly losses, but still owning the NFCs second-best record at 5-2 as they prepare on a short week for Sundays divisional home game against the Detroit Lions.
Turners resignation not a retirement, at least not yet early Wednesday morning was a shock to everybody, including Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, Shurmur and players, most of whom found out about the move from media reports before they arrived at the facility.
Know this about Zimmer: Hes a defensive-minded coach whos as hands-off with his offense as anybody. Every head coach makes recommendations during the week, as they should, but Zimmer stays out of it on game day, doesnt overrule play calls, etc.
I would say that since Norv has been here, I"ve given him almost 100%, total free will in everything that they"ve done offensively, Zimmer told reporters.
Its clear there were differences of opinion about how the Vikings offense could get back to playing the way it was before duds the past two weeks at Philadelphia and Chicago. Injuries have decimated the O-line, leaving little way to solve the problems through lineup changes.
But differences arent unusual in the NFL, especially when things arent going well. Its just rare they run off a coach as accomplished as Turner, who told NFL Media: I dont want anyone to think I am bailing. It just wasnt working.
Frankly, the whole thing is bizarre. But if Turner reached a point he didnt feel he could be all-in on the Vikings direction, he was right when he said (in Zimmers recounting of their lengthy meeting) this was the best thing for both Turner and the team.
Know this about Shurmur: He was one of the key voices in the Vikings discussion about a potential trade for Sam Bradford, who had Shurmur as his coordinator for stretches in both St. Louis and Philadelphia, at times calling plays in place of Chip Kelly with the Eagles last season.
The Vikings watched all of Bradfords tape after Teddy Bridgewaters devastating knee injury late in the preseason. But it was Shurmurs knowledge of Bradfords strengths and weaknesses, and in turn how to tailor the offense accordingly, that buoyed the Vikings confidence they could make things work with virtually no preparation time.
The Bradford trade was bizarre by NFL standards, too, but it seemed to be working pretty well until the O-line issues really caught up to the Vikings the past couple weeks. They havent been able to run the ball all season, even before former MVP Adrian Peterson (and, more recent, Jerick McKinnon) went down, which only exacerbates things in protection.
I think that no matter what the scheme is, we have to go out there and we have to execute, Bradford said.We have to be better than what we have the last couple weeks.
Shurmur doesnt have time to overhaul Turners Air Coryell derivative offense, but he figures to put his own spin on it that reflects his roots in the short passing game of the West Coast offense and Kellys up-tempo, diverse run scheme.
The Vikings were probably going this direction eventually. The only difference is theyre doing it at an abnormal time, but then again, what about their season has been normal?
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Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero
PHOTOS: Best individual performances of NFL season
Your World 11/01/16 FBI surprises again, shares files on Bill Clinton pardon of Marc Rich
The FBI unexpectedly released 129 pages of documents related to an investigation closed without charges in 2005 into President Bill Clintons pardon of Marc Rich, who had been married to a wealthy Democratic donor.
The file was posted online Monday but received little attention until the FBI noted it in a tweet on Tuesday afternoon. It comes as Director James Comey faces fire from Democrats and even some Republicans for releasing information about his renewed investigation into Hillary Clintons use of e-mail.
Ronda Rousey Discusses Retirement From UFC 11/3/2016 12:45 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
EXCLUSIVE
Ronda Rousey"s MMA career is almost over, but her PRO WRESTLING career could just be getting started -- because Stephanie McMahon says she"s got her sights set on the UFC legend.
Vince"s daughter -- who also happens to be a minority owner and a HUGE honcho with the company -- was in NYC when we asked if the WWE had already begun the courting process.
FYI, Rousey is a BIG pro wrestling fan -- and not only made a cameo last year -- but regularly attends pro wrestling events around the country.
And with Stephanie telling us the WWE is setting a goal to have an all-women"s main event at WrestleMania one day ... we can"t think of a better headliner.
FC Barcelona training ahead of Manchester City - FC Barcelona
Barcelona: FC Barcelonas first team will travel to India in order to play friendly matches, according to club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
While cricket still remains the main sport in India, a number of top European football clubs have taken an interest in the South Asian nation, due to the growing popularity of football in the country.
The likes of Atletico Madrid and Liverpool FC have already made joint ventures with local sides.
Atletico Madrid have bought a stake in Indian Super League (ISL) side Atletico de Kolkata. The Kolkata-based franchise conducts their pre-season training in Spain with the help of the Rojiblancos.
Meanwhile, Liverpool FC have a joint venture with I-League side DSK Shivajians, to give technical help to their youth academy Liverpool International Academy.
German giants Bayern Munich have an academy in India, and have even taken promising 11-year-old Chandan Nayak to Germany for further training. Bayern have also played a few friendlies in India, with the most prominent of them being legendary German goalkeeper Oliver Kahns farewell match against local giants Mohun Bagan, in 2006.
Following the success of these two clubs, Barcelona are also ready to increase their presence in India. According to reports, the Blaugrana are also eager to bring their first team squad to India, in order to play a few friendly matches during the off-season.
However, Barcelona already have a packed schedule, and would only be able to come to India after a couple of years.
The Barca president also revealed that the club spends around 20 million on their famous L Masia academy, every year.
