Arizona
Ohio State, Arizona State get good news in College Football Playoff bracket projection
CFP Rankings: Alabama barely hangs on, Miami on outside looking in
There is big movement in the final College Football Playoff ranking before the conference championships and Dan Wolken is here to break it down.
Sports Pulse
Ohio State stays in the field after losing to Michigan and Arizona State steps up to win the Big 12 and earns an opening-round bye in the final USA TODAY Sports College Football Playoff bracketology of the regular season.
The nine Bowl Subdivision conference championship games set to be played on Friday and Saturday will settle the debate once and for all before the playoff selection committee unveils the final rankings early on Sunday afternoon.
The Buckeyes’ fourth loss in a row to the Wolverines sends them from a potential top-four seed to a rematch with Indiana in the opening round. Ohio State is projected to be one of four host teams in this first round, joining Notre Dame, Georgia and Penn State.
SMU winning the ACC would be great news for Alabama, which is poised to be the last team in the field should the Mustangs beat Clemson. That would send the Crimson Tide into a must-see matchup in South Bend against the Fighting Irish.
And in the Big 12, Arizona State is projected to beat Iowa State and rise above Boise State in the final rankings. The Sun Devils would then finish among the top four conference champions and have a bye into the quarterfinals.
WINNERS AND LOSERS: Ohio State, Alabama boosted by CFP committee
BOWL PROJECTIONS: Alabama joins playoff, while Texas, SMU move up
College Football Playoff bracket projection
The Big Ten and the SEC lead the way with four teams in the bracket: Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State and Indiana from the former and Texas, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama from the latter.
A ninth spot goes to Notre Dame, which has won 10 in a row and is playing by far the best football of the program’s Marcus Freeman era. Rounding out the field are SMU, Boise State from and Arizona State.
As noted, a Clemson win against SMU would very likely knock out Alabama. While Arizona State is projected to pass Boise State with a win, the same can’t necessarily be said of Iowa State should it top the Sun Devils.
Four teams to watch
Army
The Black Knights’ odds of reaching the playoff low given the ranked matchup between Boise State and UNLV to settle the Mountain West. Army could’ve moved into the lead in the Group of Five by upsetting Notre Dame two weeks ago. Another avenue closed when Tulane lost to Memphis, robbing the Black Knights of a potential ranked win.
South Carolina
In the end, the Gamecocks will be unable to overcome losses to the Alabama and Mississippi. Those head-to-head results overshadowed a torrid run through the second half of the regular season that included three wins against ranked competition.
Miami
Miami’s chances of reaching the playoff come in somewhere between slim and none after losing to Syracuse to fall out of the ACC title game. That erased one question that loomed over the conference: Could the Hurricanes get into the playoff at 11-2 with a loss to SMU? Obviously, any chance the ACC had of sending two teams into the bracket were evaporated by Miami’s second loss.
Indiana
The Hoosiers benefited from some anarchy in the SEC to stay a rock-solid playoff pick even after November’s one-sided loss to Ohio State. But Indiana also earned this chance by dominating nearly every team on this year’s schedule, closing things out with a 66-0 rout of rival Purdue.
Arizona’s natural wonders: See the state’s most iconic sites
Arizona’s diverse geography has created some incredible features. Take a look at the best, including Sedona’s red rocks and the Grand Canyon, of course.
The Republic
Despite its desert reputation, Arizona has several exciting roller coaster attractions that make it a fun destination for thrill seekers. One of the best-known rides is the Desert Storm coaster at Castles N’ Coasters in Phoenix.
Arizona is also home to two popular mountain coasters located in the cooler mountain regions of the state.
Mountain coasters are gravity-powered rides built along hillsides or mountains. Riders sit in individual carts attached to a track and control their own speed using hand brakes. Unlike traditional roller coasters, mountain coasters often wind through forests and natural scenery, creating a mix of adventure ride and scenic experiences.
And Arizona is lucky enough to have two mountain coasters. Here’s how to visit.
What roller coaster is in the mountains in Arizona?
There are two mountain coasters in Arizona: the Canyon Coaster Adventure Park in Williams and the Sunrise Apache Alpine Coaster at Sunrise ski resort.
Canyon Coaster Adventure Park in Williams AZ
Canyon Coaster Adventure Park features the Canyon Coaster, which spans 1 mile with a scenic mountain backdrop. It has a peak height of 35 feet and is integrated into the natural curves of the landscape. The 13-acre park also offers tubing across 400 feet of track in summer and snow-covered slopes in winter, facilitated by two conveyor lifts. There’s also a restaurant and bar.
Where: 700 E. Route 66, Williams, Arizona.
When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-7p.m. Fridays-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday year-round.
Admission: The Canyon Coaster costs $20 per person per ride. Riders must be over 4 feet, 5 inches tall. Children who are at least 3 years old and 38-54 inches tall ride for $10 with a driver who is 18 or older. Visit the website for other attractions and pricing.
Details: 928-707-7729, canyoncoasteradventurepark.com.
Sunrise Apache Alpine Coaster at Sunrise ski resort
Spanning over half a mile with 3,287 feet of track, the coaster’s carts can reach up to 25 mph. Hand brakes let you choose a mellow or zippy ride. Sunrise Park has skiing and other snow activities in winter, plus mountain biking, scenic chair lift rides and more in summer. Dining options include a restaurant and pub.
Where: Sunrise Park Resort, 200 State Route 273, on the Fort Apache Reservation near Greer.
When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Sunday, closed Monday-Thursday. Open every day starting June 2026.
Admission: $19 per ride or buy two rides for $38 and get a third ride free. Tickets are available in person. See the Sunrise Park website for other seasonal activities and prices.
Details: 928-735-7669, sunrise.ski/apache-coaster.
Got a story you want to share? Reach out at Tiffany.Acosta@gannett.com. Follow @tiffsario on Instagram.
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Last night was the seventh consecutive game where the Diamondbacks were held to six hits or fewer. That ties a franchise record, last done in April 2022, and previously in August 2011. The team’s .477 OPS over that time is actually lower than either streak, though due to the efforts of the pitching staff, Arizona are actually 3-4 during the current run. They went 2-5 in 2022, and 1-6 in 2011. There hasn’t been a longer streak in the majors since the Angels went nine in April last year. In the National League, the Pirates went eight in June 2023. And in case you are wondering, the last team to reach a double-digit streak of games with 6 or fewer hits each time? The 1968 Astros reached 11, the year before the mound was lowered.
Let’s hope the D-backs render that moot and the offense comes to life a bit. The three runs added in garbage time last night, because one of the Rangers’ relievers couldn’t find the strike-zone, certainly padded Arizona’s resume. But they were more because of walks than hits. I’ve no doubt the team will hit better. They have batted .152 over the past week. It’s the second lowest in franchise history for a seven-game span. The only worse was April 7-15, 2022 when Arizona hit a remarkable .135, going 28-for-208 in that span. They actually scored three more runs than the current streak, mostly because they had twice as many home-runs (6-3).
Superintendent Tom Horne speaks at 2026 State of Education address
Arizona Superintendent Tom Horne spoke about controversial topics like DEI and ESAs at the State of Education address to the Legislature on Jan. 20, 2026.
Provided by Arizona Legislature
Democrats Brett Newby and Teresa Leyba Ruiz are set to make the argument to voters that they’re the best candidates to serve as Arizona’s top education official for the next four years.
The Arizona Republic will be streaming the Democratic debate for the Superintendent of Public Instruction race in partnership with the Arizona Media Association. The debate starts at 6 p.m. on May 13.
The office is currently held by Tom Horne, who will on May 14 face off in an Arizona Media Association debate against fellow Republican candidate Kimberly Yee, who currently serves as state treasurer.
Newby has worked as a behavioral analyst and professor, according to his campaign. He received a master’s degree in special education. His campaign has hinged on issues like downsizing the state’s controversial Empowerment Scholarship Program, retaining teachers and hiring more school counselors.
Ruiz attended Roosevelt Elementary School District and Phoenix Union High School District as a child before earning her Ph.D. from Arizona State University. She worked as a teacher at the middle and high school level before becoming president of Glendale Community College.
Like Newby, her campaign has also focused on the ESA program. She has also focused on advocating for more funding for public schools and supporting both rural and urban school districts. Ruiz has also spoken publicly about the teacher retention crisis as part of her campaign.
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