Alabama
What to watch: Georgia, Alabama can clinch spots in SEC title game, No. 2 Michigan at No. 9 Penn St
It’s that time of the college football season when clarity arrives for many of the conference races.
No. 1 Georgia and No. 8 Alabama can clinch spots in the SEC title game on Saturday, No. 13 Utah is fighting for survival in its bid for a third straight Pac-12 title and No. 9 Penn State needs a win against No. 2 Michigan in the Big Ten East.
Georgia hosts No. 10 Mississippi at night and will go into the game as East champion if No. 16 Missouri beats No. 14 Tennessee earlier in the day. Otherwise, the Bulldogs win the East by beating the Rebels.
If Tennessee wins and Georgia loses — which would end its 37-game regular-season win streak — it would set up a huge East showdown in Knoxville next week.
Alabama visits Kentucky and will win the West if it beats a Wildcats team that has dropped two straight home games.
No. 5 Washington can take a big step toward its first Pac-12 championship game (and title) since 2018 with a win over No. 13 Utah in Seattle. The Utes would be out of the race with a loss. No. 6 Oregon, which hosts Southern California, has the inside track for the second spot in the Pac-12 title game.
If No. 11 Louisville beats Virginia at home Thursday, the Cardinals will move closer to a matchup with No. 4 Florida State in the ACC championship game. The Seminoles host Miami, which would be eliminated with a loss or a Louisville win.
No. 7 Texas and No. 15 Oklahoma State, the Big 12 co-leaders, both have manageable remaining games and are on a collision course to meet for the championship. The Longhorns visit TCU and the Cowboys are at UCF.
No. 2 Michigan (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) at No. 9 Penn State (8-1, 5-1), Saturday, noon ET (Fox)
This top-10 matchup is part of the three-team round robin that will decide the East champion, assuming there are no upsets.
Michigan has kept rolling off wins amid the sign-stealing scandal threatening to blow up its season. This will be the toughest test to date for the Wolverines, whose best-in-the-nation defense will be tasked with stopping an offense averaging better than 40 points per game.
If Michigan wins, the East would come down to the Wolverines’ home game against No. 3 Ohio State on Nov. 25. If Penn State wins and Ohio State beats the Wolverines, the Buckeyes win the division outright.
If Penn State wins out and Michigan beats the Buckeyes, the three teams would be tied and the East representative in the Big Ten title game would be determined by a comparison of non-divisional opponents’ conference records. Penn State currently holds that tiebreaker.
The top five contenders are all quarterbacks: Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Oregon’s Bo Nix, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Florida State’s Jordan Travis and Georgia’s Carson Beck, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Penix (plus-140) and Nix (plus-200) are the top betting favorites by a wide margin. All five play key games this week and will have ample opportunities to make impressions.
1/133 — Air Force is first in the nation in rushing. Hawaii, its opponent, is last.
4 — Navy’s starting quarterbacks this season, most in the nation.
30 — Texas has scored at least this many points in each of its first nine games, a program first.
100 — Years since Pittsburgh and Syracuse met in the first college football game in Yankee Stadium. The teams square off in the new Yankee Stadium on Saturday.
188 — Consecutive pass attempts without an interception by Florida’s Graham Mertz, 15 behind Tim Tebow’s school record (2007-08).
Duke (6-3, 3-2) at North Carolina (7-2, 3-2), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (ACC Network)
Both are among the five teams tied for fourth in the ACC and likely playing for a best possible bowl.
It’s an intriguing quarterback matchup. Drake Maye is projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, so this likely will be the third-year sophomore’s last Victory Bell Game. True freshman Grayson Loftis, who led Duke to a win over Wake Forest last week, is in line to start again in place of the injured Riley Leonard and Henry Belin IV.
Jimbo Fisher’s seat at Texas A&M could become intolerably hot if the Aggies don’t beat Mississippi State at home. Texas A&M was less than five minutes from pulling out a huge road win against Mississippi but lost 38-35 after giving up a late touchdown and having a field-goal try partially blocked.
The Aggies’ best win is against Auburn and those close losses to Alabama and Tennessee are still losses. Here come the Bulldogs, who are 1-5 in the SEC.
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Alabama
2024 Alabama High School Back and Lineman of the Year Finalists
Winners, Super All-State and Mr. Football to be revealed Jan. 28 at a luncheon banquet at the Montgomery Renaissance.
Class 7A
Back of the year
Anquon Fegans, Thompson
Trent Seaborn, Thompson
Daylyn Upshaw, Central-Phenix City
Lineman of the year
Malik Autry, Opelika
Zion Grady, Enterprise
Jared Smith, Thompson
Class 6A
Back of the year
Corey Barber, Spain Park
KJ Lacey, Saraland
Na’eem Offord, Parker
Lineman of the year
Keenan Britt, Oxford
Jourdin Crawford, Parker
Anthony Jones, St. Paul’s
Class 5A
Back of the year
Conner Nelson, Leeds
Cam Phinizee, Russellville
Jotavion Pierce, Catholic-Montgomery
Lineman of the year
Jabarrius Garrar, Vigor
Kentonio Kelly Jr., Vigor
Ellis McGaskin, Williamson
Class 4A
Back of the year
EJ Crowell, Jackson
Landon Duckworth, Jackson
Gunner Rivers, St. Michael
Lineman of the year
Tristan Brown, Cherokee Co.
Tae Diamond, Cherokee Co.
AJ Rice, Madison Academy
Class 3A
Back of the year
Caden Chandler, Mars Hill Bible
Kadyn Mitchell, Houston Academy
Rollie Pinto, Piedmont
Lineman of the year
Myles Johnson, T.R. Miller
Billy Neill, Bayside Academy
Tucker Wilks, Fyffe
Class 2A
Back of the year
Chris Clemons, Winston Co.
Luke Gilbert, Pisgah
Preston Lancaster, Tuscaloosa Aca.
Lineman of the year
JJ Faulk, Highland Home
Clete O’Bryant, Coosa Christian
Grayson Gulde, Vincent
Class 1A
Back of the year
Alvin Henderson, Elba
Ziquayvion Jackson, McKenzie
Jaquez Wilkes, Wadley
Lineman of the year
Fred Curry, Georgiana
Hayes Farrell, Donoho
Tim Parnell, Leroy
AISA
Back of the year
Julian Curry, Wilcox Academy
Gerrell Perry, Banks Academy
Luke Tarver, Chambers Academy
Lineman of the year
Jackson Boykin, South Choctaw Academy
Ashton Yelder, Lowndes Academy
Asher Young, Fort Dale Academy
The Alabama Sports Writers Association is a professional organization for sports writers and editors throughout the state, or any person involved in disseminating sports information or publicity in Alabama including but not limited to sports information personnel, publicists of professional organizations or facilities, or publicists of non-profit organizations sponsoring or governing sporting events. The ASWA is a non-profit organization.
The ASWA prep committee’s primary responsibilities include conducting regular top-10 rankings of a variety of high school sports, and select all-state teams in those sports as well. The committee will determine the winner of a variety of annual awards including the annual Mr. Football winner, and the Jimmy Smothers Courage Award. For more information, check out: ASWA
See Also 2024 Alabama High School All-State Football Selections
Alabama
3 former Alabama high school stars return to NFL rosters
Three Alabama high school alumni will wake up on Christmas morning on NFL rosters after starting Christmas eve out of the league.
On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills signed linebacker Nicholas Morrow (Huntsville High School) to their active roster, the Atlanta Falcons signed linebacker Rashaan Evans (Auburn High School, Alabama) to their practice squad and the Miami Dolphins signed defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr. (Murphy High School) to their practice squad.
Each of the players rejoined a team they had played for this season.
An eight-year veteran with 105 NFL regular-season games and 58 starts in his career, Morrow played in 11 games for Buffalo before the Bills released him on Dec. 7.
A seven-year veteran with 87 NFL regular-season games and 68 starts in his career, Evans played in two games for Atlanta before being waived on Saturday. This is the third time the Falcons have signed Evans for their practice squad this season. He joined the team on Oct. 1, was released on Oct. 12, re-signed on Oct. 21 and moved up to the active roster on Nov. 1.
A three-year veteran with 19 NFL regular-season games in his career, Farrell played in seven games for Miami before being waived on Saturday. Farrell joined the Dolphins’ practice squad on Sept. 26 and moved up to the active roster on Nov. 11.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.
Alabama
How to Watch the ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 11 Alabama vs. Michigan
Alabama and Michigan played in a bowl game on the first day of 2024 and will play in another on the final day of 2024, there’s just not as much as statke this time. The Crimson Tide and Wolverines are becoming familiar postseason foes, meeting in a bowl game for the third time in the last six seasons with this year’s matchup in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida.
Both teams will be without several players because of injuries and the transfer portal, but it will be another game between two of the most storied programs in college football history. Alabama and Michigan both had disappointing seasons relative to their standards but are coming off wins over bitter rivals in the final game of the regular season.
Here’s what you need to know about the seaon finale in Year 1 for Kalen DeBoer at Alabama:
Who: Alabama (9-3, 5-3 SEC) vs. Michigan (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten)
What: ReliaQuest Bowl
When: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 11 a.m. CT
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
TV: ESPN
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart, Color: Tyler Watts).
Sirius XM: Away 191, Home 372
Series: Tied, 3-3
Last meeting: The two teams met last postseason in the Rose Bowl as the semifinal for the College Football Playoff. Michigan won 27-20 in overtime and went on to win the national championship. Alabama led for almost the whole fourth quarter, but let Michigan go on a 75-yard drive in the final few minutes of regulation to tie the game up. The Wolverines got the ball first in overtime and were in the end zone two plays later. Jalen Milroe was stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 3 to give Michigan the win.
Last time out, Alabama: Alabama handled business in the Iron Bowl against Auburn with a 28-14 victory despite turning the ball over four times. Milroe had 256 yards through the air and another 104 on the ground with three more rushing touchdowns.
Last time out, Michigan: The Wolverines had one of the biggest upsets of the college football season, knocking off bitter rival No. 2 Ohio State on the road. Michigan stifled the Buckeye offense on the way to the 13-10 win. Dominic Zvada hit the game-winning field goal with 45 seconds left for the Wolverines.
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