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🏈 Good morning to all, but especially to ...
THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES ...
After a nightmarish end to the regular-season game against Oregon, Will Howard delivered a dream performance at the Rose Bowl. Then again, it's any quarterback's dream to throw to freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith. Howard threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns -- 187 and two, respectively, going to Smith -- as Ohio State thrashed Oregon, 41-21, to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
- The Buckeyes led 7-0 one minute in on Smith's 45-yard touchdown catch, and they led 34-0 by late in the second quarter. That explosion included a 45-yard beauty from Howard to Emeka Egbuka, a 43-yard Howard pass to Smith and a 66-yard TreVeyon Henderson run.
- It's the first time this millennium that a team had four touchdowns of at least 40 yards against a No. 1 team. Overall, Ohio State racked up 500 yards of offense.
- Smith etched his name all over the record books.
- But it wasn't just the offense. The Buckeyes racked up eight sacks, leading to Oregon having -23 yards rushing. Yes, that's negative 23, the second-fewest by a No. 1 team this millennium.
This was Ohio State at its very best, and it came against the team we thought was the very best. Just over a month after losing to Michigan, Ohio State looks inevitable, Dennis Dodd writes.
- Dodd: "Ryan Day, the coach once in hot water if not ready to be boiled in it, suddenly deserves a contract extension. Or at least a day or two off from the constant sturm und drang from Buckeye Fan who can't win big enough. ... Post Michigan, the Buckeyes were questioning their own existence even when the mirror confirmed they were indeed … there. A Dec. 1 team meeting -- the day after the Michigan loss -- changed the trajectory of the team, several sources told CBS Sports."
... AND ALSO A GOOD MORNING TO THE TEXAS LONGHORNS
It's been a long, winding road to get here, but in the hugest moments of his career, Quinn Ewers made two plays that belong among the very best in Longhorn lore. Texas took down Arizona State, 39-31, in an epic double-overtime Peach Bowl to advance to the CFP semifinals, where it will face Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10.
Texas led 14-3 in the blink of an eye: a Ewers touchdown to DeAndre Moore Jr. on the Longhorns' second play from scrimmage and a Silas Bolden punt return touchdown a minute later. It looked like the teams were on two different speed settings.
But then came the Sun Devils, led by superstar/folk-hero running back Cam Skattebo. Trailing 24-8 halfway through the fourth quarter, Skattebo threw -- yes, threw -- a 42-yard touchdown to Malik McClain and then, after a Ewers interception, bulldozed into the end zone from two yards out and converted the game-tying two-point conversion. Two Texas missed field goals later, we headed to overtime.
That's when Ewers matched -- and outdid -- Skattebo's heroics. After Skattebo scored on the first possession of overtime, Ewers delivered a 28-yard dime to Matthew Golden against an all-out blitz on fourth-and-13. On the first play of double overtime, Ewers found Gunner Helm for a 25-yard touchdown. Andrew Mukuba then picked off Sam Leavitt to end things.
Those two touchdown throws, Chris Hummer writes, not only saved Texas' season but cemented Ewers' legacy in Austin.
- Hummer: "A player so criticized, so speculated about and so, frankly, unwanted by segments of the Texas fan base stepped up on the biggest possible stage and saved the Longhorns from what would have an embarrassing defeat ... Ewers came to Texas with expectations that he would be a generational talent at quarterback. He's failed to meet that lofty billing. And yet Ewers is still one of the greatest quarterbacks in program history. Vince Young, Colt McCoy or James Street, he is not. At least not yet. But he's right behind them for what he's done for a proud program that he rescued from the desert of Alamo Bowls and losing seasons."
😄 Honorable mentions
- On New Year's Eve, (6) Penn State thumped (3) Boise State, 31-14. Drew Allar threw for three touchdowns, including two to star tight end Tyler Warren, and the Nittany Lions racked up 217 yards rushing while holding Ashton Jeanty to 104. Jeanty finishes his remarkable season with 2,601 yards rushing, 28 shy of breaking Barry Sanders' record.
- We have resolutions for every NFL team and top storylines for 2025.
- The Lions could get a key defender back for their Week 18 showdown against the Vikings.
- Anthony Edwards believes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should be MVP.
- Cooper Flagg starred in No. 4 Duke's win over Virginia Tech.
- West Virginia stunned No. 7 Kansas 62-61, the Mountaineers' first win at Phog Allen Fieldhouse.
- Matt Norlander's Court Report and Isaac Trotter's 10 Trends will make you a smarter men's college basketball fan.
- Chuck Booth has USMNT players to watch in 2025.
💔 And not such a good morning for ...
THE OREGON DUCKS AND THE ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS
It didn't take long for things to go off the rails for Oregon. Yes, the Ducks gave up a touchdown one minute in, but we can even go earlier, when star wide receiver Evan Stewart got "banged up" in pregame warmups and ended up not playing.
But this was not a difference of one player or one play. This was a beatdown. In the trenches, at the skill positions, everywhere. And that's especially stunning considering how talented this Oregon team was: Heisman finalist Dillon Gabriel at quarterback and future NFLers up and down the roster. If this Ducks team couldn't break through, which one will?
Shehan Jeyarajah looked at the future, and while there's work to do, it's important to keep the faith.
- Jeyarajah: "Oregon has been through the wringer repeatedly under Dan Lanning and lived to tell the tale. By every conceivable metric, Oregon is one of the healthiest -- and wealthiest -- programs in the sport. The Ducks have a phenomenal 35-6 record through three seasons, including 24-3 against conference opponents. ... While Oregon must get better, much has gone right. Reaching the next level requires tweaks, not transformation."
Arizona State, on the other hand, was so much closer, which maybe makes it hurt so much more. A blocked field goal. Three failed fourth downs. A controversial ruling on potential targeting. A blitz that doesn't get home.
Teams emulate their leaders, and Arizona State had two of the very best in Skattebo and coach Kenny Dillingham. Hungry. Relentless. Undeterred. This is a program that was in shambles two seasons ago. Dillingham was a young hotshot coordinator at Oregon and Skattebo was an FCS player. But that exact duo led the comeback, over the past two years and again Wednesday, on their biggest stage yet.
Skattebo puked and rallied, literally, and finished with 143 yards and two touchdowns rushing, 99 yards receiving and 42 yards and one touchdown passing. He won game MVP in a losing effort! It was a comeback for the ages, as Shehan explains, and an appropriately legendary way for Skattebo to go out. Some NFL team is going to get an absolute dog. As for Dillingham, he's just getting started at his alma mater.
😔 Not so honorable mentions
- The Cowboys released Ezekiel Elliott. Here's why things didn't work out.
- Saquon Barkley won't go for the single-season rushing record as the Eagles plan to rest starters in Week 18. Here's how he feels about it.
- Jaire Alexander (knee) is likely out for the season.
- The Dolphins are preparing to be without Tua Tagovailoa in Week 18.
- Anthony Richardson has been battling debilitating back pain.
- So much for that "Alabama should have made the CFP" noise. The Crimson Tide lost to Michigan, 19-13, in the ReliaQuest Bowl, a mistake-filled performance that showed all those hypothetical debate points were always in bad faith, Shehan Jeyarajah writes. Tom Fornelli takes it a step further: Kalen DeBoer will never match Nick Saban or get particularly close. This is the new normal.
- South Carolina coach Shane Beamer had to be held back by his staff after Illinois coach Bret Bielema taunted the Gamecocks during the Citrus Bowl. Here's what both coaches said postgame.
- As it turns out, Cam Ward playing just one half in the Pop-Tarts Bowl was always the plan.
- Nick Emmanwori also sat out the second half of his bowl game, though this one was to the surprise of his South Carolina teammates.
- Jaden Ivey was stretchered off the court with a leg injury.
- Jimmy Butler was mum on whether he wants to stay with the Heat amid trade rumors.
- Amen Thompson and Terry Rozier were suspended and several players were fined for their roles in the Heat-Rockets scuffle.
- Miami fired defensive coordinator Lance Guidry.
Sugar Bowl postponed to today after New Year's Day truck attack
The Sugar Bowl, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup between (7) Notre Dame and (2) Georgia in New Orleans, was postponed from Wednesday night to Thursday afternoon after a deadly truck attack on Bourbon Street in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
- At least 15 people are dead and dozens are injured after a man, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove a truck into a crowd of revelers. The attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism, the FBI said.
- FBI special agent Alethea Duncan said investigators "do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible," and the FBI believes he may have had help carrying out the attack.
- Jabbar also got out of his vehicle and opened fire on police officers. He died at the scene after being struck by police fire. Two police officers were hit by gunfire, but they were said to be listed in stable condition.
- Weapons and two potential improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were found in the vehicle. At least one other IED was found in the surrounding French Quarter area.
- Tiger Bech, a 28-year-old former Princeton star wide receiver, was among those killed in the attack. He was the older brother of former TCU standout Jack Bech, who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft in December.
- Georgia and Notre Dame both issued statements in the aftermath of the attack, as did the Pelicans, whose coach, Willie Green, spoke on the attack.
- Here's how the Bulldogs and Fighting Irish -- and the fans -- spent the day.
Here is our preview of the game, as well as Brandon Marcello's feature stories on Gunner Stockton and Anthonie Knapp.
🏀 Bryce James commits to Arizona
Bryce James, the son of LeBron James and younger brother of Bronny James, committed to Arizona, picking the Wildcats over Ohio State and Duquesne.
James (6-foot-4, 190 pounds) is a three-star 2025 shooting guard at Sierra Canyon School, his other brother's alma mater. Here's part of 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein's scouting report of Bryce James from the 2023 summer:
- Finkelstein: "He may not be the dynamic athlete or playmaker some expect at first, but he is a fundamentally sound player with solid perimeter size and a good early skill-set. He possesses clear shooting potential with naturally soft touch, compact release, and the ability to make both 3s and pull-ups. His left hand is advanced for his age and he also has a good early understanding of the game."
📺 What we're watching Thursday
🏈 CFP quarterfinal -- Allstate Sugar Bowl: (7) Notre Dame vs. (2) Georgia, 4 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 2 South Carolina at Missouri (W), 7 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 Celtics at Timberwolves, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏈 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Duke vs. No. 14 Ole Miss, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 5 Texas at No. 9 Oklahoma (W), 9 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 No. 6 LSU at Arkansas (W), 9 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 76ers at Warriors, 10 p.m. on TNT
🏀 No. 22 Illinois at No. 9 Oregon (M), 10 p.m. on FS1
