College Football

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

California v UNLV – Art of Sport LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Despite losing its starting quarterback after three games and head coach 10 days ago, UNLV had its best season in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The 24th-ranked Rebels picked up their 11th win and first bowl victory in 24 years Wednesday night when they pulled …

. It was a crazy day in terms of transfer portal recruiting for Michigan football. The Wolverines had appeared to have gotten a commitment and a signing from former Belleville (Mich.) five-star defensive tackle Damon Payne — who has been at Alabama since 2021 — but that’s when things went haywire. Payne had signed with the Wolverines, it was reported …

Dec. 18—SEATTLE — Even with coach Jake Dickert leaving and players flocking to the transfer portal, Washington State will not opt out of the Holiday Bowl. WSU Athletic Director Anne McCoy confirmed as much Wednesday, indicating that the Cougars will be in San Diego to play Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl, set for 5 p.m. on Dec. 27. “We are …

Dec. 18—New Mexico’s most explosive rusher has found a new home. Former UNM running back Eli Sanders announced his commitment to USC on Wednesday via a post on social media. The 5-foot-11, Iowa State transfer rushed for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns in his lone season with the Lobos, earning an All-Mountain West honorable mention selection in the process. He …

As the Gordon football team set up for its team photo after winning the Class 1A Division I Championship game, the AT&T Stadium field crew was already hard at work on preparations for the first 11-man football game before the slated 7 p.m. kickoff. For those unaware of why there was a three-and-a-half-hour delay between the second and last games …

Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen called Abdul Carter the best defensive player in the country. SMU coach Rhett Lashlee described Carter as the “best defensive player we’ve played in my time (with the Mustangs).” Carter, the Nittany Lions’ imposing defensive end, went one better the other day. “I still feel like I’m the best defensive player,” he said, “but …

MADISON – Antarron Turner has a nose for the ball. The Ocala, Florida, native racked up 104 tackles as a high school senior. When he earned the chance to be a regular on the Western Carolina defense this season, he tied for the team lead with 61 tackles. His next challenge will be to carve out a role for himself …

Can the No. 4 Arizona State Sun Devils become arguably the most unlikely national champion in college football history? Led by running back Cam Skattebo, who rushed for 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns, the Sun Devils have won six straight games, including a 45-19 Big 12 Championship Game win over Iowa State. Skattebo is also a force in the passing …

Penn State coaches and players have described SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings as dynamic, dangerous and special. He’s also fearless. He’s not afraid of the Nittany Lions’ nationally ranked defense. “They’re a very talented group,” Jennings said Wednesday. “They play hard. They have really good D-linemen. Their front seven is pretty great. “If we execute the way we’re supposed to execute …

When No. 9 seed Tennessee (10-2) meets No. 8 seed Ohio State (10-2) on Saturday night in the Shoe, it will look more like an old-school Big Ten game than you may expect given the skill on the field for Ohio State’s offense and the reputation Tennessee’s offense has under Josh Heupel, too. It will be cold and defenses should …