When the 12-team College Football Playoff was announced, it came with a couple of key goals. Among them was to reframe the focus on conference championships and truly reward teams that reach the pinnacle. Five conference champions are guaranteed spots in the field, after all.  In the first year of the system, conference championship games have delivered in a big …

The Vikings will not have one of their key defensive players when they play the Falcons on Sunday. Head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters in his Friday press conference that cornerback Stephon Gilmore is out for the Week 14 matchup. Gilmore (hamstring) did not practice all week. Starting all 12 games this season, Gilmore has recorded seven passes defended with …

Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian walks into the stadium ahead of the Longhorns’ game against the Florida Gators, Nov. 9, 2024 at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. Thanks to the huge Friday morning signing of 5-star Georgia DT Justus Terry, the Texas Longhorns have secured the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation according to 247Sports. …

Rams outside linebacker Jared Verse popped up on the practice report Thursday with limited work. Coach Sean McVay revealed Friday that Verse tweaked an ankle in practice. The Rams will list Verse as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Bills. Los Angeles has only one other player who will have a designation. Offensive lineman Alaric Jackson (foot) also will have …

Some were surprised Boise State ran a Heisman campaign for running back Ashton Jeanty before the season. Jeanty was a good player, but his chances of winning the award seemed unrealistic. His preseason Heisman odds were +20000 and no player from a non-power conference school has captured the award since BYU quarterback Ty Detmer in 1990.  Of course, Jeanty then …

The Steelers made a notable change to their final injury report of the week. Wide receiver George Pickens was a limited participant in Friday’s practice session. Pickens, who was not on the report at all on Wednesday or Thursday, is listed as questionable to play against the Browns on Sunday. Pickens had four catches for 48 yards against the Browns …

Here are the Upstate’s top performers from the high school football Upper State championships Friday in the SCHSL state semifinals. Marquise Henderson, Belton-Honea Path: Henderson ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-22 win against Mountain View Prep in the Class AAA Upper State championship. Henderson had TD runs of 81 and 32 yards. He also returned a …

The 49ers are targeting Week 15 for Dre Greenlaw’s return. San Francisco plays the Rams in Thursday Night Football next week. “Hopefully, he just keeps getting better,” General Manager John Lynch said Friday on his weekly radio show on KNBR, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “We’ve had that Thursday night game against the Rams as that target date. Hopefully, we …

The college football transfer portal is already active, with notable players entering in search of greener pastures. Some high-quality quarterbacks have announced entry into the portal ahead of its official opening on Dec. 9. Texas A&M’s Conner Weigman is the top-ranked quarterback currently available, earning a 91 grade, followed by USC’s Miller Moss. Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold also entered the portal …

The Buccaneers got running back Bucky Irving and wide receiver Mike Evans back on the practice field on Friday, but they have different outlooks when it comes to playing against the Raiders on Sunday. Irving is listed as questionable to play due to hip and back ailments. He was a limited participant in Friday’s practice after missing the first two …

Four Orlando area teams, including two facing each other, played FHSAA football state semifinal games Friday night. The area matchup pitted Dr. Phillips against Lake Mary in a Class 7A rematch. Undefeated Jones and Kissimmee Osceola are the others seeking invites to next week’s state championship games in Miami. Lake Mary, Jones and Osceola all won to make 2024 only …

The Bengals placed linebacker Logan Wilson on injured reserve Friday, the team announced. Wilson underwent a surgical procedure on his knee on Thursday and is expected to miss the rest of the season. A fifth-year player, Wilson has played 11 games this season and totaled 104 tackles, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one pass defensed. The Bengals made …

USATSI Determining winners and losers early in the portal cycle is often a fruitless exercise. There are moves to come and roster reverberations that are not yet felt. However, it’s hard not to view Kentucky as one of the early losers of the winter window. The loss of starting nose tackle Keeshawn Silver is a significant blow. With his departure, …

The Seahawks may not have their top running back when they face the Cardinals on Sunday. Kenneth Walker (ankle/calf) has been listed as questionable for the contest. Walker was limited in Wednesday’s practice before he did not participate on Thursday. In 10 games this year, Walker has recorded 542 yards rushing with seven touchdowns. He’s also caught 38 passes for …

UNLV “held” Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty to 128 yards in their first meeting. The Rebels had no such luck in the rematch, The Heisman Trophy candidate had a 75-yard TD run as part of a 209-yard performance in the Broncos’ 21-7 win in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game on Friday. Maddux Madsen threw two touchdown passes in …