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College Football Playoff semifinals preview: Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl take center stage

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College Football Playoff semifinals preview: Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl take center stage

It’s been a fascinating year in college football

Deion Sanders took over the sport for a few months before his Colorado Buffaloes lost eight of their last nine games to end the season, the “Conference of Champions” became the conference of just two teams, and Florida State became the first undefeated Power 5 conference champion to be left out of the College Football Playoff. 

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is shown prior to the game against UCLA at Rose Bowl Stadium, Oct. 28, 2023, in Pasadena, California. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

All of the storylines have led to the final edition of the four-team CFP, which has the potential to be the best semifinals in the 10-year history of the CFP. 

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Let’s take a look at the New Year’s Day matchups with the winners playing for the national championship in Houston on Jan. 8.

Rose Bowl – No. 1 Michigan vs No. 4 Alabama, 5 p.m. ET

It’s a matchup between two traditional powers at “The Granddaddy of Them All.” 

In what has the look of a classic, Michigan and Alabama will square off in the Rose Bowl with a 13-game and an 11-game winning streak on the line. 

Michigan is looking to bounce back from its performance in last year’s CFP after a tumultuous season. 

Rose Bowl Stadium is shown on Dec. 27, 2023, in Pasadena, California. (David McNew/Getty Images)

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Head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended by the school for the first three games of the season before missing the final three games of the year after the Big Ten came down on him over allegations of sign-stealing.

With or without Harbaugh, the Wolverines have been perfect, and they’ve gotten it done on the defensive side of the football. 

Michigan has allowed the fewest points per game (9.5) while holding opponents to just 239.7 yards per game. 

After starting off the year with a very soft schedule, Michigan finished the year against two top-10 teams before shutting out No. 16 Iowa in the Big Ten title game.

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They need quarterback J.J. McCarthy to have one of his better games to beat a red-hot Alabama team

J.J. McCarthy of the Michigan Wolverines (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

In Michigan’s first seven games of the season. McCarthy threw for 14 touchdowns with an average of 10.6 yards per pass attempt, according to The Athletic. In the final six games, McCarthy threw just five touchdowns and averaged 7.7 yards per pass attempt.

The Crimson Tide come into the CFP winners of 11 consecutive games, a winning streak that can mostly be attributed to quarterback Jalen Milroe’s play. 

Since sitting out against South Florida in Week 3, Milroe has been spectacular, throwing for 2,269 yards, 18 passing touchdowns and just four interceptions. 

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Milroe’s ability to make plays with his legs – 12 rushing touchdowns – makes the Alabama offense dangerous for Michigan as they prepare for a quarterback rarely seen in the Big Ten.

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“I don’t think we’ve seen a quarterback like this,” Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said, according to USA Today. 

The New Year’s Day matchup at the Rose Bowl will be one college football fans won’t want to miss.

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Sugar Bowl – No. 2 Washington vs No. 3 Texas, 8:45 p.m. ET 

Fans of the Longhorns can finally say that “Texas is back.” 

It’s been 13 years since Texas last played for a national championship, and Steve Sarkisian has his team on the doorstep of reaching the pinnacle of the sport. 

Texas entered the 2023 college football season as the villains of the Big 12 as they prepare to depart the conference for the SEC in 2024. After winning the program’s first conference championship since 2009, Texas has an opportunity for the ultimate exit. 

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“We have a chance to be legends,” senior linebacker David Gbenda said. “So why not go be great?”

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Quarterback Quinn Ewers of the Texas Longhorns (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

The Longhorns enter Monday’s game against Washington with an offense ranked in the top 10 in yards per game and a defense in the top 15 in points allowed per game.

The offense is led by quarterback Quinn Ewers, who has shown major improvements in his second season under Sarkisian. 

After missing two games due to injury, Ewers enters the CFP on a tear, throwing for 1,246 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions in the final four games of the year.

Ewers has thrown for 3,161 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2023, and the sophomore QB drastically improved his completion percentage, going from completing 58.1% of his passes in 2022 to 70.7% in 2023.

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The Texas defense has been elite at stopping the run, allowing just 80.3 rushing yards per game, fourth-best in the country. 

They’ll be facing a Washington team led by a Heisman Trophy finalist and an offense that can get up and down the field. 

The Huskies finished the year 13-0 for the first time in program history as they prepare to depart the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024. 

Michael Penix Jr. led the top passing offense in the country (343.8 yards per game) while throwing for 4,218 yards, 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions. 

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Michael Penix Jr. of the Washington Huskies (Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)

While the Washington offense slowed in the second half of the season, the Huskies found a way to win close games, winning their last four games by a combined 15 points. 

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Their receiving core is elite, led by two 1,000-yard wideouts in Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk. 

“It’s the touchdowns. It’s the moving of the chains in the big, big moments. There’s been so many we forget about a lot of [them] and you take it for granted the gaudy stats that he has,” Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer said of Odunze. “Just over and over again, think about how many times he’s come through when you really needed it. A lot of times you think about when you lose football games or you didn’t come through in the big moment. You remember those. I can’t remember Rome not coming through.”

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And while Washington is known for its passing attack, running back Dillon Johnson has come on strong in the second half, averaging 136.6 yards per game in the last five contests, including a 256-yard performance against USC

With a secondary allowing 263.2 passing yards per game (120th in the country), college football fans could be in for a high-scoring affair in New Orleans. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Auburn fans shower officials with debris after wild buzzer-beater gets overturned

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Auburn fans shower officials with debris after wild buzzer-beater gets overturned

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A chaotic scene unfolded at Auburn University on Tuesday night as a wild buzzer-beater was waved off well after the Tigers had celebrated on their own court.

With 0.6 seconds remaining and Auburn trailing 90-88, KeShawn Murphy, somehow left wide open, caught an inbounds pass and nailed a long 3-pointer for what was thought to be the game-winner.

However, officials went to the scorer’s table to review the play, which was awfully close.

 

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Auburn Tigers players watch the replay of a possible game-winning shot that was called back as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Jake Crandall/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Ultimately, officials ruled that the shot had not gone off in time, ending the Tigers’ celebration and prompting one from Texas A&M.

The officials quickly made themselves public enemy number one and were showered with debris from fans on their way off the court. At least one referee needed his head to be covered.

One fan sitting courtside even turned his back and threw his drink over his shoulder aimed at an official.

“They didn’t say a word. They just said it was no good and ran off the floor. I probably wouldn’t want to talk to me in that moment, anyway,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl, who took over for his dad, Bruce this season, said after the game. “So, I get why they’d run away from me. Just from the angles that I saw, it looked like it was off his fingers. But that was just, I don’t have all the same angles they have.”

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Texas A&M Aggies players celebrate victory as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Jake Crandall/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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It is now six losses in their last 10 games for the Tigers after starting 5-1. They lost in the Final Four last year to Florida, who won the national championship over Houston.

Auburn (9-6, 0-2) led 47-37 at halftime and extended the margin to 61-45 with 12:29 remaining.

KeShawn Murphy of the Auburn Tigers reacts after officials ruled that his last-second shot did not beat the shot clock to win the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena on Jan. 6, 2026 in Auburn, Alabama. (Stew Milne/Getty Images)

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Texas A&M answered with a steady run fueled by outside shooting, taking its first lead at 8:42 when Pop Isaacs buried a 3-pointer. The Aggies followed with back-to-back triples from Isaacs to open a five-point cushion that they would not relinquish, by the skin of their teeth.

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Former NFL player Jordan Shipley is in critical condition after accident on his ranch

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Former NFL player Jordan Shipley is in critical condition after accident on his ranch

Two-time All-American wide receiver and prominent Outdoors Channel host Jordan Shipley is in critical condition after an accident on his ranch in Texas, his family said in a statement.

Shipley, 40, was described as stable after remaining hospitalized Tuesday night in Austin. The statement said a machine that he was operating near his hometown of Burnet caught fire. The former Texas great suffered “severe burns on his body.”

Shipley abruptly retired in 2012 after three NFL seasons primarily because of persistent concussion issues and chronic knee problems. He quickly transitioned to television shows that showcased his passion for deer hunting, co-hosting “The Bucks of Tecomate” and “Tecomate Whitetail Nation.”

“It was not hard at all,” Shipley said at the time of retiring at 27. “Only because I never saw myself as a football player first. Don’t get me wrong, I worked my tail off for football and I loved it but never saw that as my whole identity because I had such a big background in outdoors. Really, with this opportunity I had I was actually pretty excited about moving forward.”

Although he enjoyed a strong rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010 with 52 receptions for 600 yards and three touchdowns, he is best remembered as a record-setting player at Texas.

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Shipley starred as a receiver and a kick returner from 2006 to 2009, setting program single-season records in 2009 with 116 receptions and 1,489 yards. He also remains the career leader for receptions with 248 and ranks second in career receiving yards with 3,191, behind Roy Williams. Shipley also returned four punts or kickoffs for touchdowns.

After being drafted in the third round by the Bengals, he became one of the most popular players with Cincinnati fans, and his No. 11 jersey was worn by thousands. After a debilitating knee injury early in the 2011 season, he was never the same player, and he had short stints with Tampa Bay and Jacksonville before retiring.

According to his family, Jordan was operating a machine at his ranch when it caught fire. He managed to free himself from the machine, but “not before sustaining severe burns on his body in the process.” Jordan was airlifted to the hospital in Austin.

“He was able to get to one of his workers on the ranch, who drove him to a local hospital. He was then care-flighted to Austin, where he remains in critical but stable condition,” the statement said.

Shipley’s younger brother, former Texas wide receiver Jaxon Shipley, 33, asked for prayers in a statement on Instagram: “Please pray for full healing and no infections or other issues on his road to recovery. I don’t want to get into all the details, other than his life was spared today by the grace of God and the sheer will to live. I believe prayer is effective so I’m asking anyone and everyone to lift Jordan up in prayer.”

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Tom Izzo explodes on former Michigan State player in wild scene: ‘What the f— are you doing?’

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Tom Izzo explodes on former Michigan State player in wild scene: ‘What the f— are you doing?’

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Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo has been known to get visibly angry with his players over his years in East Lansing, but what happened Monday night against USC was different.

Izzo let loose his frustration on a former player.

During the Spartans’ blowout over the Trojans, 80-51, Izzo was spotted unloading on former Michigan State center Paul Davis, who played for the team from 2002-06, after he caused a disturbance in the stands.

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Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans reacts to a call during a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena Jan. 2, 2026, in Lincoln, Neb. (Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

Referees pointed out Davis, who was a spectator, from his courtside seat after he was among many in the building who disagreed with a call in the second half. Davis stood up and shouted at referee Jeffrey Anderson.

Anderson responded with a loud whistle, stopping play and pointing at Davis. Then, Anderson went over to Izzo to explain what happened, and the 70-year-old coach went ballistic.

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First, he was motioning toward Davis, and it was clear he asked his former center, “What the f— are you doing?”

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Davis was met by someone asking him to leave his seat, and that’s when Izzo went nuts. He shouted “Get out of here!” at Davis, who appeared to gesture toward Izzo, perhaps in apology for disturbing the game.

Izzo was asked about Davis’ ejection after the game.

“What he said, he should never say anywhere in the world,” Izzo responded when asked what happened. “That ticked me off. So, just because it’s 25, 20 years later, I’m going to have to call him tomorrow and tell him what I thought of it. And you know what he’ll say? ‘I screwed up, coach. I’m sorry.’”

Izzo quickly clarified that what Davis said “wasn’t something racial” and “it wasn’t something sexual.”

Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo protests a call that benefited the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center Dec. 2, 2025. (Dale Young/Imagn Images)

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“It was just the wrong thing to say, and I’ll leave it at that.”

Davis later met with reporters Tuesday, apologizing for his actions.

“I’m not up here to make any excuses. I’m up here to take accountability, to own it,” Davis said. It was a mistake that will never happen again. It was a mistake that’s not me, but, unfortunately, last night it was.”

Izzo said Davis was one of his “favorite guys” during his time playing for the Spartans. He had a breakout sophomore campaign with 15.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and two assists per game in 30 starts for Izzo during the 2003-04 season.

Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans reacts during a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena Jan. 2, 2026, in Lincoln, Neb.  (Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

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In his senior year, Davis averaged 17.5 points, a career-high, in 33 games.

He was taken in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. Davis played just four seasons in the league, his final one with the Washington Wizards.

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