INDIANAPOLIS – Penn State was seeded sixth and will face 11th-seeded SMU at Beaver Stadium in the first round of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, it was announced Sunday. The Nittany Lions (11-2) and the Mustangs (11-2) will play at noon on Saturday, Dec. 21, on TNT. It will be their first meeting since Penn State’s 26-21 win in …

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes under pressure from Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52). (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press) After rallying from a 13-point halftime deficit, the Chargers were left with a familiar, unwelcome sight. Patrick Mahomes leading a game-winning, clock-bleeding drive. The Kansas City Chiefs kicked a game-winning field goal off the upright to clinch their ninth consecutive AFC …

Dec. 8—Is intercollegiate football at the highest level worth continuing at the University of New Mexico? Probably not, but good sense has little to do with the politics of running an institution of higher learning. No university president wants to be remembered for disbanding the football team. No member of the board of regents can abide an angry earful about …

NFL power rankings: Where 49ers sit after thrashing of Bears originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area SANTA CLARA — Some of these teams still think they have a chance. That’s cute. As the fight for playoff seeding heats up, so does the not-so-elegant race to the bottom. With four weeks remaining in the 2024 regular season, there isn’t much …

Dec. 8—SOUTH BEND — For the first time since 1991, Notre Dame and Indiana will meet on the gridiron. In the final batch of College Football Playoff rankings, the Fighting Irish (11-1), seeded seventh, and Hoosiers (11-1), seeded 10th, were matched together and will meet on Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. The winner will get No. 2 Georgia (11-2) …

Purdy relishes Faithful’s support during 49ers’ win over Bears originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area If you ever wonder about the impact a fan can have from the stands, look no further than the rousing ovation the 49ers Faithful gave quarterback Brock Purdy in Sunday’s win over the Chicago Bears. During a second-half injury scare in San Francisco’s 38-13 …

Dec. 8—The Isleta New Mexico Bowl is celebrating its 19th season with a handful of firsts. TCU and Louisiana-Lafayette will meet for the first time in the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 28 at University Stadium, just the second time in the event’s history that a Mountain West team won’t be featured. TCU’s inclusion also represents the first time a …

Nate Tice & Charles McDonald fire up the Football 301 fifth quarter with a look at four excellent games from Week 14’s Sunday slate and one game that will have Chicago Bears fans wearing a bag over their heads. The guys kick things off with the epic 44-42 carnival show in Los Angeles where the Buffalo Bills fell narrowly to …

Alabama football has already lost its share of depth in its wide receiver room. Before the NCAA transfer portal window officially opens Monday, three wide receivers — Kendrick Law, Kobe Prentice and Caleb Odom — have each reportedly shared their interest in entering the portal and finding a new home for the 2025 season. When asked about those transfers Sunday …

Buffalo Bills @ Los Angeles Rams Josh Allen scored the most fantasy points by a quarterback ever during the highest-scoring NFL game this season. He recorded a career-high six touchdowns while becoming the first player in NFL history with three passing and three rushing TDs in the same game. Allen helped Buffalo nearly overcome a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit but ultimately …

Move over, brand recognition. Welcome, most-deserving team. The selection committee’s decision to sidestep Alabama (9-3) in favor of SMU (11-2) in the final College Football Playoff Rankings was a brave call — and the right decision — on Selection Sunday. The report card’s final grade is satisfactory after the committee avoided a disruptive precedent that would’ve been set had the three-loss …

The 49ers are dealing with yet another injury to a running back, which could be significant as the team gets ready to play the Rams on Thursday night. Isaac Guerendo had to exit Sunday’s win over the Bears with a foot injury. While the club called him questionable to return, there was no reason to put him back in the …

For some college football players, bowl games aren’t holding the same appeal as they used to. Teams have had to get used to players opting out or going in the transfer portal before the game, leaving some squads with depleted rosters. That’s especially true for SEC teams in lower-level bowl games, where the stereotype is that the teams don’t want …

Justin Herbert walked off the field following an injury scare, but returned to Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Justin Herbert is back after an injury scare vs. the Chiefs. The Chargers quarterback grabbed his left thigh after the hit and remained on the ground as trainers tended to him. He eventually got up and limped off the …

CBS Sports design The sixth and final edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings were released Sunday afternoon looking the same at the top as they have all season. Oregon ultimately went wire-to-wire maintaining its spot at No. 1 as has been the case in every set of rankings during this initial year of the expanded 12-team field. The only …