Sports
Fox News Digital Sports' college football winners and losers: Conference championship weekend
The 12-team College Football Playoff bracket was officially revealed on Sunday as the season begins to wind down with the bell ringing in the fight for the national championship.
Conference championship weekend proved out whether teams belong in the playoffs. Clemson surprised SMU with a win in the ACC Championship, which ended up keeping Alabama out of the field. Georgia stunned Texas to win the SEC Championship, earning the Bulldogs a bye into the quarterfinals.
Boise State also earned a bye into the quarterfinals behind another Heisman Trophy-worthy performance from running back Ashton Jeanty.
So, with the meat of the season finished, who were the winners and losers from the weekend this time? Read below to find out.
Winners
Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers speaks to his team during the first half of the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium on Dec. 7, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (David Jensen/Getty Images)
Clemson: After losing to South Carolina in the regular-season finale, the Tigers needed to beat SMU to clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff. After giving up a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, Clemson nailed a 56-yard field goal to win the ACC championship. After all the talk of Dabo Swinney not making another CFP run in the near future, he now has his team playing for a national championship. A wild end to the season for Clemson, and they needed a monster FG to finish it off.
SMU: A close loss may never feel so good for SMU as it did as their ferocious comeback in the ACC title game made the case for their spot in the College Football Playoff. Now they get a matchup against a Penn State team with a small bump in momentum and a dream.
Oregon: What an introduction to the Big Ten for Oregon. In year 1 in the conference, the Ducks ran a dominate campaign, culminating with a convincing yet competitive victory over conference staple Penn State.
Ashton Jeanty: Did the Boise State running back solidify the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night in the Broncos’ Mountain West Conference victory? The winner will be announced later this week, and Jeanty or Colorado’s Travis Hunter are expected to be the frontrunners to win the prestigious award. Jeanty, though, had his sixth 200-yard rushing game with 209 on 32 carries with one touchdown in the 21-7 win over UNLV. Jeanty finished the regular season with 2,497 yards on 344 carries (7.3 per carry) in one of the most impressive seasons for a running back in college football history.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty pushes away from the arms of UNLV defensive lineman Tatuo Martinson on a run in the first half of the Mountain West Championship NCAA college football game, Dec. 6, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Steve Conner)
Cam Skattebo: Never doubt the Arizona State running back’s confidence after he helped lead the Sun Devils to a Big 12 title on Saturday night. Skattebo had 170 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns in ASU’s beatdown of the Cyclones, which capped an impressive season for him. He had 1,398 rushing yards with 19 rushing touchdowns during the regular season, and there will be a national title to fight for as the Sun Devils get a bye as the No. 4 seed.
Timothée Chalamet: College football fans were not pleased with ESPN’s decision to host Hollywood A-list actor Timothée Chalamet as the special guest picker on “College GameDay” for conference championship weekend. But the “Dune” actor left those same fans speechless with his seemingly expert analysis, leaving even his co-hosts for the day in awe. For what it’s worth, he was the only one to predict Ohio’s 38–3 rout over Miami-Ohio.
Losers
Alabama: The College Football Playoff committee decided that wins outweighed strength of schedule when giving SMU a spot in the playoffs over Alabama on Sunday. The Mustangs lost to Clemson on the final play of the ACC championship game, but the Crimson Tide’s losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma proved to be too costly. Penn State is set to host the Mustangs in the first round.
Texas: Look, I know that Quinn Ewers passed for over 350 yards against Georgia in the SEC title game, but those two interceptions were brutal. The biggest win of the regular season came against Texas A&M, and while their defense is good enough to help lead this team to a playoff win, the offense is also hit-and-miss. Even when Carson Beck was injured before halftime, the Longhorns could not take advantage of a wounded Dawgs team. It’s going to be fascinating to see if Steve Sarkisian gets Arch Manning more involved when the playoff begins.
Iowa State: Just when you thought Matt Campbell could lead this Iowa State team to a Big 12 title and get over the hump, they ran into Arizona State in the championship game. Not only that, the defense was abysmal, losing by 26 points in a game that was over by the third quarter. They had a shot at the playoff but will now be bowling somewhere, most likely in warm weather, but obviously not for a national championship. A missed opportunity for the Cyclones.
UNLV: UNLV was heavy underdogs against Boise State in the Mountain West championship. It appeared UNLV went through the motions of a Boise State blowout for much of the first half, then took an opening to make the score a bit more cosmetic when Boise State took its foot off the gas.
Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (Dale Zanine-Imagn Images/File)
Carson Beck’s draft stock: Would the Bulldogs have won the SEC Championship over Texas with Beck quarterbacking in the second half? Beck was hurt on the final play of the first half, which was supposed to be a Hail Mary, but his arm was hit while attempting to make the throw, and he went down in immediate pain. Then, his backup, Gunner Stockton, sent a jolt of life into the Bulldogs’ offense, which eventually scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime to seal the victory. Beck was 7-of-13 for 56 yards, though he does have time to rest up to be ready for the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, where Georgia is the No. 2 seed.
The Fox News Digital Sports college football winners and losers were compiled by the Fox News Digital Sports staff and the OutKick.com staff.
Sports
Golf star records lowest round in LPGA major history with astounding performance at Evian Championship
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There are good days on the golf course, and then there is what Haeran Ryu just did on Saturday.
Ryu, 25, recorded the lowest round in LPGA major history on Saturday with an 11-under 60 at the Evian Championship. With the South Korean golfer’s historic round, she holds a three-stroke lead.
Ryu’s round comes just two weeks after winning her first major at the Women’s PGA Championship. On the 18th hole, Ryu left a 30-foot eagle putt a few inches short, and instead settled for a birdie.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea reacts on the 18th green after the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
She said after the round that she had no idea what she had done until she counted up her scorecard.
“But after the putt and I counted my score with my caddie,” she said. “Oh my God, it’s 11-under par today. It was so amazing. My caddie says, ‘Yep.’ I’m so happy right now.”
If Ryu had made the eagle putt on the 18th hole, she would have been just the second player to shoot a 59 in LPGA history.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea celebrates a birdie on the 15th green during the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 11, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Her 60 broke the record for the lowest round in an LPGA major by one shot. Leona Maguire and Jeungeun Lee6 in 2021, and Hyo Joo Kim in 2014, each shot 61 at the Evian Championship, which was designated as an LPGA major in 2013.
The lowest round in a men’s major is 62, which is shared by four players — Branden Grace at Royal Birkdale in the 2017 British Open, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler in the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, and Schauffele and Shane Lowry in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea and Lottie Woad of England interact after their round on the 18th green during the third round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Ryu hopes her historic third round can help propel her to a second major win in three weeks.
“That is amazing, amazing dream,” Ryu said. “So I just want that one to come true, but we have one more day.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Taylor Crabb is no stranger to South California beaches. The Long Beach State alum returns home this weekend to compete in AVP League matches.
It marks the first time AVP will compete in Long Beach since 2020 and allows players to compete at the 2028 Olympics beach volleyball venue.
Crabb, 34, made his AVP debut in 2013 with his brother, Trevor, and advanced from the qualifier in Manhattan Beach before finishing 25th in his first tournament.
After years of competing with various different partners, Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh have delivered the top performances this AVP season.
The following interview with Crabb has been edited for clarity and length.
Are you excited to compete in this weekend’s event at Long Beach?
Crabb: Very excited. A lot of my college teammates and part of the school have reached out, saying that they’re gonna come. So I’m excited to get a chance to play in front of them again.
When was the last time you were in Long Beach?
Crabb: I always try to go down there for alumni events or any big games they have. I went to UCLA against Long Beach last year, when it was No. 1 versus No. 2, so I always try to get down there and support them.
You missed out on the chance to compete in the 2020 Olympics because of COVID-19 restrictions and chose not to pursue a spot at the 2024 Olympics. Are you fired up to try to compete in the 2028 Olympics, knowing that Long Beach will host the competition?
Crabb: Yeah, it’s definitely an exciting time having the Olympics in Long Beach, and we kind of get to break it in this weekend. As you said, Tokyo didn’t go the way I wanted, but I’m going full force now. I have a great partner in Andy Benesh, who obviously went to the Paris Olympics, and if it weren’t for the Olympics being in Long Beach, and me getting a partner like Andy, I’m not even sure I’d be going for it, but because of those two things, I want to make the most of it.
You mentioned that if it wasn’t for a partner like Andy, you wouldn’t be going for it. What do you mean by that?
Crabb: I didn’t feel motivated by playing in all the international events, but now, I think, sitting out kind of lit the fire under me, and I’m really motivated now.
You’ve had different partners throughout your time. What other motivation does Andy give you?
Crabb: He’s been, in my mind, the top blocker for the U.S. the last four or five years. Seeing the professionalism he brings every day to practice, on and off the court, while traveling and when showing up to tournaments, it rubs off on you and that’s really motivating to see. And I just want to make him proud.
Why do you love volleyball?
Crabb: A lot of reasons, but it’s just a feeling I have when I’m out there on the court. It feels natural. It feels like home. I was born into a volleyball family. I had a volleyball in my hands my entire life, so I’ve always just enjoyed it.
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CM Punk appeared on “Friday Night SmackDown” ready to take on any challenger that was ready to step to him after winning the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn.
Punk entered the ring in Oklahoma City and called back to the “Monday Night Raw” after WrestleMania 42 when he told Cody Rhodes he’d be ready to deliver if a championship opportunity fell “out of the sky.”
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Cody Rhodes and CM Punk face off during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
“When championship opportunities fall out of the sky, CM Punk catches them,” he said.
Punk named potential SmackDown superstars he’d think might come for the title, including Gunther, Finn Balor, Royce Keys, Damian Priest and Trick Williams. He even said that Zayn could come back around and get his rematch if he wanted. He didn’t mention Rhodes’ name, but the “American Nightmare” came out uncalled and marched his way down to the ring.
“I don’t think you and I can run away from each other anymore,” Punk told Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes looks on during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
Rhodes agreed and mentioned that Punk would want a match with him, just “say when.” It was a quick retort from Punk, who said, “when.” SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis, who was in the ring for the segment, booked the match for SummerSlam.
Punk will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam, which takes place Aug. 1 and 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
First, however, Punk and Rhodes will be involved in a tag team match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in New York City next week. Aldis made the match after Gunther demanded that Aldis put him in a match against Punk. Gunther was hoping it would be for the championship. Instead, Gunther will tag with Zayn.
Gunther didn’t take too kindly to that and attacked Aldis. Rhodes came back out to break up the calamity. He wanted to take on Gunther after the show went off air but Gunther walked away.
Gunther makes his entrance during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images)
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Punk definitely has his hands full as he moves to SmackDown to become a fighting champion.
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