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Penultimate College Football Playoff Rankings Released

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Nick Saban on ESPN’s College GameDay, embracing his post-coaching chapter with insight and authority.

The Penultimate College Football Playoff rankings have just been announced and there are plenty of storylines and scenarios to talk about. But let’s start with the teams that have been pushing propaganda for their teams for weeks now.

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Texas & Miami

Texas and Miami your CFP hopes are dead. It was really nice how everyone of your fans, alumni and even prominent media members tried to push your case for the CFP. I mean Kirk Herbstreit made a sweeping proclamation on “X” today about the future of scheduling based on how “unfairly” Texas was being treated in all of this.

If you would like to see Miami’s case to be included it will be running for close to 48 hours straight on Thursday, December 4th and Friday, December 5th on the ACC Network. With that being the replay of the week one matchup between Miami and Notre Dame, a game Miami won 27-24.

Those efforts were futile at best as Texas sits at 13 and Miami is ranked 12th. Both of those ranking will leave them out of the CFP as the committee will have to include at least 2 conference champions not currently in the top-12.

Now we turn our attention to all of the different playoff scenario’s team by team

UPDATE: Miami is currently still alive in the playoff hunt. Last night, College Football Playoff Chairman Hunter Yurachek said two things that feel like Miami will be in if Texas Tech were to beat BYU Saturday. He alluded to that by saying idle teams are still moveable after this week’s results and that if two teams were to be ranked back to back (ex., Notre Dame at 10 and Miami at 11) that head head-to-head will play a stronger role. These words lead me to believe that they would move BYU back if they lost, putting Miami and Notre Dame next to each other, allowing Miami to sneak in.

James Madison

This is the one that will feel like a chaos scenario for a lot of people. What if we have 2 G5 teams in the playoff? We are not far away.

All JMU has to do is beat Troy in the Sun Belt Championship and then have Duke beat Virginia in the ACC Title game.

The odds on those happening are as follows, JMU is currently a 23.5 point favorite against Troy, while Duke is a 3.5 point underdog against Virginia.

North Texas & Tulane

Both teams will be coming into the AAC (American Athletic Conference) Title game with coaches that are headed elsewhere. Jon Sumrall Tulane’s Head Coach is set to be the Head man at Florida next year. As for Eric Morris North Texas’ Head Coach he recently accepted the Head job at Oklahoma State.

With that storyline out of the way the path for these two teams is simple: Win and you’re in.

North Texas is currently a 2.5 point favorite over Tulane. ESPN Analytics currently gives them a 58% chance to win.

Virginia

Same case as Tulane and North Texas. Beat Duke and you are in the College Football Playoff.

Whether they do or don’t win Tony Elliot deserves a lot of credit for the 2025 Cavaliers they have found ways to win all year.

Virginia is currently a 3.5 point favorite over the Duke Blue Devils. ESPN Analytics gives them a 56.3% chance to take home the ACC crown.

BYU

What a week it could be for the cougars. Today they were able to retain their Head Coach Kalani Sitake as he signed a long-term extension to stay with the Cougars and with comes a larger financial investment into the football program as a whole. That ended the period of time where he was believed to be the next Head Coach at Penn State.

Now for what lies ahead for Sitake’s Cougars. If they beat Texas Tech in the Big 12 Title game then they will be playoff bound. With a loss they will be on the outside looking in as they sit at 11 in the latest rankings meaning they would be bounced for the conference champions that must be included in the bracket.

But they now have the potential for head coach retention, Big 12 Title and CFP birth in the same week.

BYU are currently 12.5 point underdogs against Texas Tech this week. ESPN Analytics give the Cougars a 33.4% chance to beat Texas Tech

Notre Dame

Congratulations Notre Dame you beat all of the propaganda Miami had been throwing your way the last couple months. Bad news is that you’ll never be Alabama in the committee’s eyes. The Crimson Tide jumped the Irish after they beat Auburn 27-20 in the Iron Bowl. What did Notre Dame do to get jumped you might ask? They went on the road and beat Stanford 49-20.

Now I will make the concession that by the numbers this is a correct move. But if it was always right then why did the committee have them ranked behind the Irish after their loss to Oklahoma. If they believed that Alabama was better they should have put them there in the first place. Since they didn’t it opens the committee up to rightful criticism and more of the “SEC bias” argument.

But I digress. For Notre Dame they will have their guns up on Saturday in hopes that Texas Tech will handle their business in the BIG 12 Title game. The only way Notre Dame is on the outside looking in come Sunday is if BYU were to win.

Side note: I think there is a possibility that Alabama could be punished for losing the SEC Title only if Georgia were to run them out of the building. But based on precedent I’m still not sure that would do it.

Ole Miss

Congratulations Ole Miss, you survived the Lane Kiffin saga. Not only did you do that, you then survived the College Football Playoff committee. I’ll admit I was worried when Arkansas’ AD and current CFP committee chairman Hunter Yurachek hinted at punishing the Rebels if Kiffin were to leave. That did not happen and you will host a playoff game in a couple weeks

Rankings

1.Ohio State

2.Indiana

3.Georgia

4.Texas Tech

5.Oregon

6.Ole Miss

7.Texas A&M

8.Oklahoma

9.Alabama

10.Notre Dame

11.BYU

12.Miami

13.Texas

14.Vanderbilt

15.Utah

16.USC (Southern California)

17.Virginia

18.Arizona

19.Michigan

20.Tulane

21.Houston

22.Georgia Tech

23.Iowa

24.North Texas

25.James Madison





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Conference Championship Weekend is here

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college championship weekend The 2025 college football season kicks off with one of the most electrifying Week 1 slates in recent memory. With playoff contenders

Conference Championship weekend is here and it is the most decisive weekend has arrived, as the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12 Championships take center stage. Four conference championships titles will be contested, each carrying massive implications for the College Football Playoff.

MUST READS – Sports Talk Florida and Sports Talk NY Fans

Alabama and Georgia clash in Atlanta for SEC supremacy, Ohio State battles Indiana in Indianapolis for the Big Ten crown, Duke faces Virginia in Charlotte for the ACC title, and Texas Tech meets BYU in Arlington for the Big 12 championship. With playoff spots hanging in the balance, every snap this weekend will shape the national picture and determine which programs advance to the sport’s ultimate stage.

SEC Title Game

The 2025 SEC Championship Game features the Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2) against the Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff is set for Saturday, December 6 at 4:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. CT).

  • National Broadcast: ABC, ESPN+ streaming
  • Local Coverage: WSB-TV Channel 2 Atlanta, regional ESPN Radio affiliates

Alabama enters with momentum after a dramatic Iron Bowl win, while Georgia seeks revenge for its September loss to the Tide. The winner secures the SEC’s automatic bid to the College Football Playoff.

Big Ten Championship: Ohio State vs Indiana

For the first time, both teams enter undefeated (12-0). The Big Ten Championship Game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, December 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

  • National Broadcast: FOX, streaming via FOX Sports app
  • Local Coverage: Big Ten Network pregame, regional FOX affiliates in Ohio and Indiana

Ohio State’s elite defense faces Indiana’s high-powered offense led by QB Fernando Mendoza. The winner likely claims the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.

ACC Championship: Duke vs Virginia

The ACC Conference Championship Game pits Virginia (10-2) against Duke (7-5) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Kickoff is Saturday, December 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

  • National Broadcast: ABC, ESPN Radio
  • Local Coverage: Virginia Sports Radio Network, regional ABC affiliates in North Carolina and Virginia

Virginia dominated Duke earlier this season, but the Blue Devils, led by QB Darian Mensah, seek redemption. A Cavaliers win likely secures a College Football Playoff berth.

Big 12 Championship: Texas Tech vs BYU

The Big 12 Championship Game features Texas Tech (11-1) against BYU (11-1) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is Saturday, December 6 at 12:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. CT).

  • National Broadcast: ABC, streaming via ESPN app
  • Local Coverage: KSL-TV Utah, regional ABC affiliates in Texas

Texas Tech seeks to confirm its playoff spot, while BYU must win to secure the Big 12’s automatic bid. This rematch follows the Red Raiders’ November victory over the Cougars.

Bottom Line

Championship Weekend delivers four marquee matchups across the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12. With College Football Playoff bids on the line, fans nationwide can tune in via ABC, FOX, ESPN Radio, and regional affiliates to watch history unfold.





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India wants an Olympics

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Indian Olympic Association wants the 2036 Summer Olympics.

The IOC has a problem with tensions between India and Pakistan.

India wants to host the 2036 Summer Olympics and Paralympics events but there is a significant problem. India and Pakistan hostilities resurfaced following a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in late April. India blamed Pakistan for supporting the militants while Pakistan said don’t blame us. India’s government is planning to send a high-level delegation to the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland beginning on June 30th. India wants to continue talks with IOC officials in an effort to host the 2036 Games. GEO News has reported Pakistan is planning to challenge India’s bid to host the Olympics by formally objecting to the IOC, claiming that India has politicized international sporting events. The Indian Olympic Association has officially submitted a Letter of Intent to the IOC. India plans to spend around $7.5 billion on the Games if the country lands the event. India has never bid for the Olympics event. They have the largest population of any country in the world with an estimated 1.4 billion people. It is a market that the IOC probably wants to enter.

The IOC probably will not award the 2036 Games for a few years. India is just one of a number of countries that could bid for the 2036 Games. The IOC no longer wants areas to bid against one another for its crown jewel events, the Summer and Winter Olympics, with the thought that the losing bidders would be upset. The truth is many areas don’t want to put up billions in whatever currency for a money losing event. The IOC has watched bids evaporate in the United States, Europe and in Japan. There are a number of countries that might be bidding for the 2036 Summer Games and that group includes  Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Germany, South Korea, Hungary and Qatar. The race for the 2036 Games has begun.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191

Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com





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Exclusive: Lyon’s Moussa Niakhate Eyes Senegal’s Final Squad For AFCON 2025

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Lyon’s Senegalese defender Moussa Niakhate

Olympique Lyon defender Moussa Niakhate is setting his sights firmly on securing a place in Senegal’s final squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to kick off in Morocco on December 18.

Senegal have yet to unveil their provisional 55-man squad, but the 29-year-old remains optimistic about earning a call-up from head coach Pape Thiaw, who succeeded Alliou Cisse earlier this year.

Speaking about his ambitions during the AFCON trophy tour in Paris, Niakhate emphasised both his personal motivation and his pride in representing Senegal on Africa’s biggest football stage.

Niakhate told Sports Talk Florida: “My personal goal is to be in Morocco, especially because the official list has not been released yet.

“God willing, I will be healthy enough to attend and compete for the people of Senegal.”

Senegal’s Group D Challenge at AFCON 2025

Senegal have been drawn in Group D, where they will open their AFCON 2025 campaign against Botswana on December 23.

They will then face the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) before closing their group stage fixtures against Benin on Dececmber 30.

In anticipation of the battle ahead of the Teranga Lions, Niakhate insists the team must remain grounded.

“We all want it, and the Senegalese people want the AFCON title,” he said.

“The success in 2022 was exceptional, so we want to relive that feeling. But before anything, we have to take it one game at a time.” T

Senegal’s maiden AFCON triumph in Cameroon marked a historic moment for the country, with the team producing a remarkable campaign, going unbeaten in both the qualifiers and the main tournament.

Their victory sparked celebrations across the country and inspired a new generation of Senegalese footballers but they suffered a setback in the AFCON 2023.

After an unbeaten start to the tournament, they were eliminated in the round of 16 by host country and eventual champions Ivory Coast on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

With 2026 World Cup qualification already secured, Senegal now aim to cap off an impressive year with another deep run at this year’s continental fiesta in Morocco.

Niakhate’s form at Lyon

The 29-year-old defender joined Lyon from Nottingham Forest in 2024 and has become a leader in Paulo Fonseca’s squad with his crucial defensive performances.

Niakhate has been consistent in form, starting each of Lyon’s combined 19 matches in the French Ligue 1 and the UEFA Europa League so far this season.

In addition to his solid defensive displays, the centre-back has a contribution of a goal and two assists to his name in all competitions.





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