Sports
College football rankings: Georgia tops RJ Young’s top 25
By RJ Young
FOX Sports College Football Writer
Following an entertaining Week 1 in college football, the question I most want answered is this: Who is going to beat this Georgia team?
On Saturday, the defending champs opened their season by throttling the Oregon Ducks, a team that’s not only ranked No. 11 in the AP top 25, but which is led by former Bulldogs defensive coordinator Dan Lanning. Not only that, the Dawgs made it look easy.
Perhaps 2022 won’t look that dissimilar from 2021 after all.
1. Georgia (1-0)
Defeated Oregon, 49-3
The Bulldogs took this moment to remind us all that they’re the defending national champs, notching the most lopsided win by one ranked opponent over another all weekend. While the focus for a Kirby Smart team is usually on the defense, quarterback Stetson Bennett was the star, completing 25 of 31 attempts for 368 passing yards and accounting for four total TDs before getting the hook late in the third quarter.
2. Alabama (1-0)
Defeated Utah State, 55-0
Reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young recorded five TDs in the first half against the Mountain West champion Aggies, and Pete Golding’s defense gave up absolutely nothing. Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide might well be on course for another SEC and national title tilt against UGA.
3. Ohio State (1-0)
Defeated Notre Dame, 21-10
The Buckeyes showed tremendous heart coming back from a 10-7 halftime deficit to win at the Shoe against a top-10 Notre Dame. Without star wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba for most of the game, quarterback CJ Stroud formed a partnership with Emeka Egbuka that allowed the Buckeyes to move to 1-0.
No. 2 Ohio State outlasts No. 5 Notre Dame
RJ Young breaks down Ohio State’s 21-10 victory over Notre Dame. C.J. Stroud was huge for the Buckeyes, completing 24 of 34 passes for 223 yards.
4. Texas A&M (1-0)
Defeated FCS Sam Houston State, 31-0
The Aggies look like they’ll be keeping pace with Alabama in the SEC West with a 31-0 win against a Sam Houston State program in transition. After beating out quarterback Max Johnson for the starting job, Haynes King completed 20 of 31 attempts for 364 yards, with three TDs and two INTs.
5. Notre Dame (0-1)
Lost to Ohio State, 21-10
I think Ohio State could end up playing in the College Football Playoff — if not the national title game — and Notre Dame had the Buckeyes on the ropes in the third quarter. The Irish gave up two TDs and were held scoreless in the second half, but covered the spread (17 points) and threatened the Buckeyes both offensively and defensively.
6. Michigan State (1-0)
Defeated Western Michigan, 35-13
With Kenneth Walker III in the NFL, Spartans coach Mel Tucker needed to find a new bell-cow back in the offseason. He found two. Wisconsin transfer Jalen Berger and Colorado transfer Jarek Broussard combined for 174 rushing yards on 26 carries.
7. Baylor (1-0)
Defeated FCS Albany, 69-10
Bears quarterback Blake Shapen remains scarily efficient. He hit 17 of 20 passes for 214 yards and a TD, while the Bear rushing attack gained 259 yards in their season-opener.
8. Arkansas (1-0)
Defeated Cincinnati, 31-24
The Razorbacks earned their first Week 1 win against a ranked opponent since 1975. Quarterback KJ Jefferson posted 285 total yards and four TDs in the win.
9. Utah (0-1)
Lost to Florida, 29-26
The Utes came up just short in a game that was tight the whole way on the road against the second-best team in the SEC East. The Utes gave up 15 points in the fourth quarter after leading 19-14 to start the period.
Florida upsets No. 7 Utah
RJ Young breaks down the Florida Gators’ upset victory over No. 7 Utah, discussing the all-around great performance by QB Anthony Richardson.
10. Clemson
The Tigers are a 22.5-point favorite against Georgia Tech in their season-opener on Labor Day.
11. Oklahoma (1-0)
Defeated University of Texas El-Paso, 45-13
With Lincoln Riley at USC, many asked if Brent Venables could put together a staff that could score points. Not only did the Sooners put up 45 in Venables’ debut, they also did so without turning the ball over while limiting the Miners to just 316 total yards.
12. USC (1-0)
Defeated Rice, 66-14
The Riley era began with a lot of points on offense, and a defense that proved itself to be just as capable. Alex Grinch’s D took three INTs back for TDs against the Owls, including one by Alabama transfer and linebacker Shane Lee.
Quarterback Caleb Williams accounted for 317 total yards and two TDs in his debut at the Coliseum.
13. Oklahoma State (1-0)
Defeated Central Michigan, 58-44
The Cowboys opened the season with 44 points in the first half against Central Michigan, but gave up 44 points to the Chippewas at home. Pokes defensive coordinator Derek Mason needs to shore up his unit’s tackling before the conference slate kicks off, or it could be a long season.
14. Brigham Young (1-0)
Defeated South Florida, 50-21
BYU led 35-0 with 7:19 left in the second quarter. That’s who the Cougars have become, and it’s a reason to be wary if they’re on your team’s schedule this season.
15. Minnesota (1-0)
Defeated New Mexico State, 38-0
Mo Ibrahim stepped back onto the field for the first time since Week 1 of 2021 and picked up where he left off, notching his 10th consecutive 100-yard rushing performance. The Gophers can go.
16. Florida (1-0)
Defeated Utah, 29-26
Led by quarterback Anthony Richardson, the Gators rushed for 283 yards against the Utes in Billy Napier’s debut as head coach — giving him his first win against a top-10 opponent as an SEC head coach.
17. Michigan (1-0)
Defeated Colorado State, 51-7
This was Michigan’s largest season-opening win since 2016. While the jury is still out on who the starting quarterback will be, Wolverines defensive coordinator Jesse Minter answered the question of who will fill the void left by EDGE players Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo with former five-star Eyabi Anoma and Mike Morris showing up in a big way on Saturday.
Anoma officially joined the team just three weeks before the season began and recorded his first sack as a Wolverine on Saturday. Meanwhile, Morris is so athletic at 6-foot-6, 292 pounds, that Minter had him in a stand-up, foot-nine-technique — an outside linebacker position — at times during the game.
Michigan, Oklahoma roll in Week 1
RJ Young discusses Brent Venables winning in his Oklahoma Sooners’ debut, as well as Michigan’s Week 1 romp.
18. Iowa (1-0)
Defeated FCS South Dakota State, 7-3
Iowa has never suffered from an identity crisis, and its season-opener against the No. 3-ranked team in the FCS was no different. The Hawkeyes became the first team since at least 2000 to win 7-3 without scoring a TD — two safeties and a field goal is all Kirk Ferentz’s team needed.
If you’re gonna beat Iowa this year, pack a lunch and bring a rock to fight with.
19. Mississippi (1-0)
Defeated Troy, 28-10
The Jaxson Dart era was a bit underwhelming with the USC transfer completing just 18 of 27 passes for 154 yards with one TD and an INT. However, Lane Kiffin will certainly take the win to open the weekend.
20. North Carolina State (1-0)
Defeated East Carolina, 21-20
After jumping out to a 21-7 lead at half, the Wolfpack narrowly held off a double-digit comeback attempt from ECU after kicker Owen Daffer missed a game-tying extra point and then a potential game-winning field goal. N.C. State coach Dave Doeren will hope this game is an aberration and not a sign of what’s to come.
The Wolfpack is 29-0 when leading by 14 or more since 2015.
21. Miami (1-0)
Defeated FCS Bethune-Cookman, 70-13
The Hurricanes scored at least 14 points in every quarter — including 28 in the second — in their win. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke completed 13 of 16 passes for 193 yards with two TDs before calling it a day.
22. Houston (1-0)
Defeated the University of Texas-San Antonio, 37-35 in 3OT
The Cougars scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Quarterback Clayton Tune finished with 257 total yards and four total TDs in the thriller.
23. Texas (1-0)
Defeated Louisiana-Monroe, 52-10
Quarterback Quinn Ewers’ debut featured him completing 16 of 24 passes for 225 yards with two TDs and one silly INT.
24. Wisconsin (1-0)
Defeated Illinois State, 38-0
Braelon Allen is still a dude. He rushed for 148 yards with two TDs on just 14 carries.
25. Tennessee (1-0)
Defeated Ball State, 59-10
The Vols led 52-3 after three quarters. Quarterback Hendon Hooker completed 18 of 25 passes for 221 yards with two TDs.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young and subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury in U.S. District Court ordered the NFL to pay nearly $4.8 billion in damages Thursday after ruling that the league violated antitrust laws in distributing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games on a premium subscription service.
The jury awarded $4.7 billion in damages to the residential class and $96 million in damages to the commercial class. Since damages can be tripled under federal antitrust laws, the NFL could end up being liable for $14.39 billion.
The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses in the United States who paid for the package of out-of-market games from the 2011 through 2022 seasons on DirecTV. The lawsuit claimed the league broke antitrust laws by selling its package of Sunday games at an inflated price. The subscribers also say the league restricted competition by offering “Sunday Ticket” only on a satellite provider.
The NFL said it would appeal the verdict. That appeal would go to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and then possibly the Supreme Court.
Should the NFL end up paying damages, it could cost each of the 32 teams approximately $449.6 million.
“We are disappointed with the jury’s verdict today in the NFL Sunday Ticket class action lawsuit,” the league said in a statement. “We continue to believe that our media distribution strategy, which features all NFL games broadcast on free over-the-air television in the markets of the participating teams and national distribution of our most popular games, supplemented by many additional choices including RedZone, Sunday Ticket and NFL+, is by far the most fan friendly distribution model in all of sports and entertainment.
“We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit.”
The trial lasted three weeks and featured testimony from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
“Justice was done. The verdict upholds protection for the consumers in our class. It was a great day for consumers,” plaintiffs attorney Bill Carmody said.
During his closing remarks, Carmody showed an April, 2017, NFL memo that showed the league was exploring a world without “Sunday Ticket” in 2017, where cable channels would air Sunday afternoon out-of-market games not shown on Fox or CBS.
The jury of five men and three women deliberated for nearly five hours before reaching its decision.
Judge Philip S. Gutierrez is scheduled to hear post-trial motions on July 31, including the NFL’s request to have him rule in favor of the league because the judge determined the plaintiffs did not prove their case.
Payment of damages, any changes to the “Sunday Ticket” package and/or the ways the NFL carries its Sunday afternoon games would be stayed until all appeals have been concluded.
The league maintained it had the right to sell “Sunday Ticket” under its antitrust exemption for broadcasting. The plaintiffs said that only covers over-the-air broadcasts and not pay TV.
Other professional sports leagues were also keeping an eye on this case since they also offer out-of-market packages. A major difference though is that MLB, the NBA and the NHL market their packages on multiple distributors and share in the revenue per subscriber instead of receiving an outright rights fee.
DirecTV had “Sunday Ticket” from its inception in 1994 through 2022. The league signed a seven-year deal with Google’s YouTube TV that began with the 2023 season.
The lawsuit was originally filed in 2015 by the Mucky Duck sports bar in San Francisco but was dismissed in 2017. Two years later, the 9th Circuit, which has jurisdiction over California and eight other states, reinstated the case. Gutierrez ruled last year the case could proceed as a class action.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. Olympic team is one of a handful that will supply air conditioners for their athletes at the Paris Games in a move that undercuts organizers’ plans to cut carbon emissions.
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic CEO Sarah Hirshland said Friday that while the U.S. team appreciates efforts aimed at sustainability, the federation would be supplying AC units for what is typically the largest contingent of athletes at the Summer Games.
“As you can imagine, this is a period of time in which consistency and predictability is critical for Team USA’s performance,” Hirshland said. “In our conversations with athletes, this was a very high priority and something that the athletes felt was a critical component in their performance capability.”
The Washington Post reported earlier this month that Germany, Australia, Italy, Canada and Britain were among the other countries with plans to bring air conditioners to France.
Olympic organizers have touted plans to cool rooms in the Athletes Village, which will house more than 15,000 Olympians and sports officials over the course of the games, using a system of cooling pipes underneath the floors.
The average high in Paris on Aug. 1 is 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). The objective is to keep the rooms between 23-26 degrees (73-79 degrees Fahrenheit). The rooms will also be equipped with fans.
“I want the Paris Games to be exemplary from an environmental point of view,” Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has said about the plans for the Olympics.
According to the International Energy Agency, fewer than 1 in 10 households in Europe has air conditioning, and the numbers in Paris are lower than that. The study said that of the 1.6 billion AC units in use across the globe in 2016, more than half were in China (570 million) and the United States (375 million). The entire European Union had around 100 million.
The Olympics mark the most important stop on the athletic careers of the 10,500-plus athletes who will descend on Paris, which has led some high-profile countries to undercut environmental efforts for the sake of comfort.
“It’s a high-performance environment,” Australian Olympic Committee spokesman Strath Gordon explained to The Post.
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers seemed determined to keep playing. And playing. And playing.
The teams opened their Eastern Conference final playoff series with Florida’s 3-2 victory in four overtimes early Friday, with the game ranking as the sixth-longest game in NHL history.
Matthew Tkachuk’s goal came at the 19:47 mark of the fourth OT to end this one, which marked the 15th four-overtime game in NHL history and the longest game in franchise history for each team.
The longest game in NHL history came on March 24, 1936, when the Detroit Red Wings beat the Montreal Maroons 1-0 in the sixth overtime on Mud Bruneteau’s goal at 116 minutes, 30 seconds of extra play.
Florida’s previous record for longest game was 104:31 in Game 4 of the 1996 Stanley Cup final against Colorado. Carolina’s previous record was 114:47 for Game 3 of the 2002 Stanley Cup final.
The only good news for the teams is they had an extended break before this series began. Carolina closed out New Jersey exactly a week earlier, while Florida eliminated Toronto a day later.
But this game ended roughly six hours after Thursday night’s puck drop, and the teams have a Game 2 in less than 48 hours.
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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
