(Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the matchups this week. Lines according to FanDuel Sportsbook (O/U = over/under). Record last week 13-3 (.813); season 154-70 (.688). Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, the record against the spread last week would have been 9-7 (.563); season 120-102-2 (.541). Times Pacific. TV …

Here are three keys for No. 8 Ohio State against No. 9 Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff: Start fast The Buckeyes have hardly roared out of the gate this year. They last opened with a touchdown drive at Oregon in October. They have gone three straight games without reaching the end zone during the first …

The Week 15 schedule had a cluster of significant games at 4:25 p.m. ET. At the heart of the window was a showdown between CBS and Fox. In one corner, CBS had Bills-Lions. In the other, Fox had Steelers-Eagles. And the end result was a TKO. Via SportsMediaWatch.com, 23.3 million watched Bills-Lions and 16.4 million took in Steelers-Eagles. It works …

It’s going to be a mad dash to the transfer portal finish line for Arkansas football. As of Wednesday night, the Razorbacks had signed six players and lost 20 through the portal. The Hogs are slated to lose 15 starters from their 2024 team that finished 6-6 and will play Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl later this month. Sam …

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert returned to full participation in Wednesday’s practice and has no injury designation for Thursday Night Football. Herbert was listed as a limited practice participant Monday and Tuesday. He injured his left ankle in Week 14 and missed a practice last week and was limited in another before playing 51 of 52 snaps against the Buccaneers on …

SOUTH BEND — Nine days into the winter transfer portal window, just one Notre Dame football commitment had gone public: Alabama graduate transfer defensive back DeVonta Smith. The former La Salle High star from Cincinnati, where he was a year ahead of Notre Dame running back Gi’Bran Payne, entered the portal on Dec. 14 and picked the Irish two days …

Officially, the statistics from Sunday’s Steelers-Eagles game say the Steelers lost one turnover, a fumble by quarterback Russell Wilson. Anyone who watched the game knows that’s not what happened. The fumble came when Wilson pitched the ball to running back Najee Harris, who dropped the lateral, couldn’t pick it up, and watched as Philadelphia’s Darius Slay fell on it. The …

Josh Heupel has Tennessee football in the College Football Playoff in his fourth season as Vols coach. The No. 9 Vols (10-2) play at No. 8 Ohio State (10-2) on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC) in the first round of the CFP at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The winner will face No. 1 Oregon (13-0) at the Rose Bowl in …

As another disappointing New York Jets season nears its end, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has some thinking to do. Rodgers and the Jets have had a tough season, going 4-10 and struggling on both sides of the ball. When asked if the way he’s been playing has made him think ahead to next year, the 41-year-old quarterback told reporters on Wednesday …

SOUTH BEND − Welcome to their world. We’re hours out from witnessing college football history. It’s really happening. Soon. The sport’s first 12-team elimination playoff starts Friday (8 p.m., ESPN/ABC) when No. 7 seed Notre Dame (11-1) hosts No. 10 Indiana (11-1) in what promises to be a very cold and possibly very snowy Notre Dame Stadium. Three more games …

Patrick Mahomes seems like he’s on track to take the field on Saturday. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, who left during a win over the Cleveland Browns early last week and was later diagnosed with a “mild” high ankle sprain, was a full participant in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday. While things can still change, that’s a good initial sign …

TAMPA ― Florida football is taking a three-game win streak and a little swagger into its matchup with Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday at Raymond James Stadium (3:30 p.m., ESPN2). The Florida Gators (7-5) are vying for their first eight-win season since going 8-4 in 2020 and their first bowl win since beating Virginia 36-28 in the 2019 …

Minnesota’s Sam Darnold is just the third quarterback in NFL history to reach 3,500 passing yards, 29 TD passes and a 100-plus passer rating in his first 14 games with a team.Photograph: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images Before this season, Sam Darnold’s strongest contribution to the NFL canon was “seeing ghosts”. Darnold was one of several quarterbacks selected early in the first …

Ethan Grunkemeyer’s first pass as a Penn State football player could now be one of his most important. The true freshman suddenly appears to be the top backup to starting quarterback Drew Allar. It’s quite a shift for the always-promising, but now quickly-relevant, QB who has not yet played a snap in college. If he, indeed, is listed as the …

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes continues to trend toward playing in Saturday’s game against the Texans. For the second consecutive practice, Mahomes was a full participant despite suffering an ankle sprain during last Sunday’s win over the Browns. With Mahomes practicing fully for the first two days of the week, it appears that barring a setback, he will be on the field …