Funkerstation » Connor McDavid and the rest of the blend of 23-and-under

Well start the second half of the 2016 college football season this week, and well finally begin to get serious about which four teams are going to play in the College Football Playoff.Over the next few weeks, well finally start to see some real clarity in the CFP race. No. 1 Alabama hosts No. 6 Texas A&M on Saturday, and No. 4 Clemson plays at No. 13 Florida State next week.Of course, we probably wont know the entire four-team field until the final Saturday of the season, when No. 3 Michigan plays at No. 2 Ohio State in what is shaping up to be one of the biggest games in the storied rivalrys history.For teams like Arizona State, Maryland, Ole Miss and Wake Forest, theres nothing left but consolation prizes and pride. The Eliminator eliminated those four teams from consideration for the playoff in what was a relatively quiet week.Through seven weeks, 104 of the 128 FBS teams have been eliminated from the College Football Playoff race, leaving 24 teams in contention for the four spots.Heres where the FBS stands after Week 7:Jump to sections: Whos in??| Still in contention | On the fence | Better luck next season | Previously eliminatedWhos in?Three of the top six contenders for the College Football Playoff didnt play this past weekend, but there was still plenty of drama. The top two teams in the rankings had impressive road victories over top-10 opponents, and two of the top three teams needed overtime to win. No. 1 Alabama still looks head and shoulders above everyone else after a 49-10 win at No. 9 Tennessee, its largest margin of victory over the Volunteers since 1906. No. 2 Ohio State won 30-23 in overtime at No. 8 Wisconsin, its 20th consecutive road victory under coach Urban Meyer. No. 3 Clemson struggled against NC State before finally winning 24-17 in overtime at Death Valley. Undefeated Michigan, Washington and Texas A&M all had the weekend off. Well give the fourth and final playoff spot to the Huskies for now because theyre overwhelming favorites to win the Pac-12.Still in contentionAlabama Crimson TideTrending: UPJust wait until Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin gives freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts the other half of the playbook.Baylor BearsTrending: EVENThe early leader for national comeback player of the year: Bears quarterback Seth Russell. Almost a year after breaking a bone in his neck against Iowa State, Russell is completing 57.1 percent of his passes for 1,470 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.Clemson TigersTrending: UPWhen Clemson coach Dabo Swinney freezes kickers, opponents need a microwave to thaw them out.Louisville CardinalsTrending: EVENCardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson has 15 rushing and 15 passing touchdowns in six games, the fewest games needed to reach each of those marks by a Power 5 player in the past 20 seasons. Hes on pace to join Texas A&Ms Johnny Manziel (2012), Auburns Cam Newton (2010) and Floridas Tim Tebow (2007) in the 20-rushing/20-passing touchdown club. All three were Heisman winners.?Michigan WolverinesTrending: EVENMichigan coach Jim Harbaugh spent his off week announcing the homecoming queen at a California high school and working the chains at another prep game. Talk about milking the attention.Nebraska CornhuskersTrending: EVENHaving an opponent miss a 33-yard field goal on the final play of regulation is good fortune. Scoring on a 72-yard touchdown pass because two opposing defensive backs collided is divine intervention.?Ohio State BuckeyesTrending: UPI wonder how many Michigan companies offered that windmilling referee a job Monday morning.Texas A&M AggiesTrending: EVENYou saw what I saw on Saturday, Aggies. It was pretty damn scary. Id probably buy a travel insurance policy before I left for Tuscaloosa, Alabama.Washington HuskiesTrending: EVENDont be surprised if the Huskies start to get a little tighter over the next few weeks. Its one thing when youre carrying the banner for the Pac-12. Its another thing when youre carrying the banner for an entire time zone.West Virginia MountaineersTrending: UPOur apologies for not noticing you sooner, Mountaineers. Anybody who holds Texas Tech to 17 points and limits Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes II to one touchdown pass must be for real.On the fenceAuburn TigersTrending: EVENThe Tigers had an open date before this weeks home game against No. 17 Arkansas. Theyll need the rest if its anything like last years game against the Razorbacks. After ending regulation tied at 24, the teams combined for seven touchdowns and 52 points in four overtimes in Arkansas 54-46 victory.Boise State BroncosTrending: EVENBefore Saturday nights game against Colorado State, Boise State honored its 2007 team, which beat Oklahoma 43-42 in the Fiesta Bowl. The Broncos even ran the same Statue of Liberty play they used to score the winning two-point conversion in their historic upset of the Sooners. It went for a 3-yard loss against the Rams.Florida GatorsTrending: UPFlorida should have replaced the LSU game with a doubleheader against Georgia.Houston CougarsTrending: EVENThe Cougars were literally inches away from losing consecutive games. With Saturdays game against Tulsa tied at 31, Houstons Garrett Davis knocked the ball out of quarterback Dane Evans hands, and Emeke Egbule returned the fumble 24 yards for a touchdown with 1:21 left. Then Tulsa had a chance to tie the score, but Jesse Brubaker was stopped just short of the goal line on the final play of the Cougars 38-31 win.LSU TigersTrending: UPAfter setting a school record for total offense in an SEC game with 634 yards in a 42-7 rout of Missouri on Oct. 1, the Tigers averaged 10.9 yards per play in a 45-10 win over Southern Miss on Saturday night, their highest in a game since at least 1960.Miami HurricanesTrending: DOWNBack-to-back losses to Florida State and North Carolina all but ended Miamis playoff chances, but were going to keep them around for now. Hey, somebody has to win the ACCs Coastal Division.?North Carolina Tar HeelsTrending: UPAfter winning 20-13 at Miami on Saturday, the Tar Heels have a 65 percent chance to win the ACCs Coastal Division, according to ESPNs Football Power Index. Of course, the Tar Heels would need Virginia Tech to lose another ACC game, but the FPI likes UNCs chances over the Hokies (22 percent) and Hurricanes (7 percent).Oklahoma SoonersTrending: UPTexas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight, a former Oklahoma starter, attended the Sooners 38-17 victory over Kansas State on Saturday to cheer for his brother, OU senior Connor Knight. Kyler Murrays dad thought Trevor Knight was only the second-best quarterback standing on the OU sideline.Pittsburgh PanthersTrending: EVENBefore Pitt tailback James Conner played two snaps at defensive end during Virginias final drive in the Panthers 45-31 victory on Saturday, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi told an official that the Cavaliers couldnt block him. So the head linesman told the center judge to watch out for holding. On the second play, Conner put pressure on the quarterback. The official told Narduzzi after the game: Coach, you were right. He beat two people on that play.?Tennessee VolsTrending: DOWNThe Volunteers have made a lot of progress under coach Butch Jones, but there are still plenty of brick walls to topple. Tennessees 49-10 loss to No. 1 Alabama was its 10th consecutive defeat to the Crimson Tide, its 26th straight loss to a top-10 team and its 13th straight loss to an SEC West foe.?Utah UtesTrending: EVENIts amazing what bonbons and soap operas will do for the soul. Tailback Joe Williams left the Utes and retired from football in September because his body was fatigued. After a slew of injuries, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham persuaded Williams to return to the team last week. Five days after coming back, Williams ran for 179 yards and a touchdown in the Utes 19-14 win at Oregon State.Virginia Tech HokiesTrending: DOWNThe Hokies still have a faint pulse because they have a chance to win the ACC Coastal. But after losing at Syracuse 31-17, their playoff chances are mighty slim at best.?Western Michigan BroncosTrending: UPUndefeated Western Michigan plays Eastern Michigan (5-2) at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo on Saturday. Does the winner get to declare itself the second-best team in the state?Wisconsin BadgersTrending: UPThe Badgers lost at Michigan by a touchdown and lost to Ohio State by a touchdown in overtime. Cant we just name them SEC East champions?Better luck next seasonArizona State Sun DevilsTrending: DOWNSun Devils kicker Zane Gonzalez might have been the lone bright spot in a 40-16 loss at Colorado. He went 3-for-3 on field goals -- all of them from 51 yards or longer, which tied an FBS single-game record. His 59-yarder was also the longest in ASU history, and he broke the FBS record for career points.?Maryland TerrapinsTrending: DOWNAfter dropping back-to-back games against Penn State and Minnesota, the Terrapins might want to win at least one of their next two games against Michigan State (home) and Indiana (road) if they want to go bowling. A brutal three-game stretch against No. 3 Michigan (road), No. 2 Ohio State (home) and No. 8 Nebraska (road) awaits them in November before their Nov. 26 finale against Rutgers.Ole Miss RebelsTrending: DOWNHey, at least the Rebels didnt blow a 21-point lead in their 34-30 loss at Arkansas.Wake Forest Demon DeaconsTrending: DOWNWake Forest drove to Florida States 25-yard line four times but didnt score a touchdown in a 17-6 loss. In fact, the Demon Deacons havent scored an offensive touchdown in five straight games at Doak Campbell Stadium -- a span of 332 minutes, 38 seconds.Previously eliminatedEliminated in Week 6:?Air Force Falcons,?Arkansas Razorbacks,?Colorado Buffaloes,?Indiana Hoosiers,?Minnesota Gophers,?Stanford Cardinal,?Texas Tech Red Raiders,?UCLA BruinsEliminated in Week 5:?Arizona Wildcats, Cincinnati Bearcats, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Bulldogs, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Iowa Hawkeyes, Kansas State Wildcats, Memphis Tigers, Michigan State Spartans, Navy Midshipmen, Oregon Ducks, San Diego State Aztecs, TCU Horned Frogs, Texas Longhorns, Toledo RocketsEliminated in Week 4: Army Black Knights, Central Michigan Chippewas, East Carolina Pirates, Georgia Southern Eagles, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Oregon State Beavers, Penn State Nittany Lions, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, South Carolina Gamecocks, South Florida Bulls, USC TrojansEliminated in Week 3: Boston College Eagles, Duke Blue Devils, Illinois Fighting Illini, Marshall Thundering Herd,?Missouri Tigers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, Syracuse Orange, Texas State Bobcats, Vanderbilt CommodoresEliminated in Week 2: Akron Zips, Ball State Cardinals, BYU Cougars, California Bears, Connecticut Huskies, Eastern Michigan Eagles, Florida Atlantic Owls, Idaho Vandals, Kansas Jayhawks, Louisiana Monroe Warhawks, Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, Nevada Wolf Pack, New Mexico Lobos, NC State Wolfpack, Old Dominion Monarchs, Purdue Boilermakers, SMU Mustangs, South Alabama Jaguars, Texas San Antonio Roadrunners, Troy Trojans, Tulsa Golden Hurricane, UCF Knights, UNLV Rebels, Utah State Aggies, UTEP Miners, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Wyoming CowboysEliminated in Week 1: Appalachian State Mountaineers, Arkansas State Red Wolves, Bowling Green Falcons, Buffalo Bulls, Charlotte 49ers, Colorado State Rams, Florida International Golden Panthers, Fresno State Bulldogs, Georgia State Panthers, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Iowa State Cyclones, Kent State Golden Flashes, Kentucky Wildcats, Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajuns, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Massachusetts Minutemen, Miami (Ohio) RedHawks, Mississippi State Bulldogs, New Mexico State Aggies, North Texas Mean Green, Northern Illinois Huskies, Northwestern Wildcats, Ohio Bobcats, Rice Owls, San Jose State Spartans, Temple Owls, Tulane Green Wave, Virginia Cavaliers, Washington State Cougars Authentic China Jerseys . 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Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth. NFL Jerseys China . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game. Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Sunday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- LOS ANGELES -- The Rams host Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks in their first regular-season home game as the NFL returns to Los Angeles for the first time in nearly 22 years. Game starts 4 p.m.- MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings unveil U.S. Bank Stadium, their $1.1 billion new home, as another chapter in their rich rivalry with the Green Bay Packers is written. Game starts 8:30 p.m.- PITTSBURGH -- The Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers meet for the first time since an ugly 18-16 Pittsburgh win in the playoffs last January. Game starts 1 p.m.- Follows to various Top 25 college football games.- The AP releases its weekly Top 25 college football poll at 2 p.m.- NEW YORK -- A day after moving into a tie with San Francisco atop the NL wild-card standings, the New York Mets send rookie Gabriel Ynoa (1-0) to the mound in place of injured star Jacob deGrom in a series finale against the Minnesota Twins and Kyle Gibson (6-9). Game starts 1:10 p.m.- BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles, tied with Toronto top the AL wild-card standings, look to enhance their playoff position in the finale of a four-game series against the last-place Tampa Bay Rays. Wade Miley (8-13) starts for Baltimore while Jake Odorizzi (9-6) goes for Tampa Bay. Game starts 1:35 p.m.- SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants wrap up a four-game series with fellow NL wild-card contender St. Louis. Alex Reyes (1-2) starts for the Cardinals against Alberto Suarez (3-3). Game starts 4:05 p.m.- JOLIET, Ill. -- Defending champion Kyle Busch is tthe top seed and starts from the pole as NASCARs season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup championship kicks off at Chicagoland Speedway.ddddddddddddRace starts 2:46 p.m.- SONOMA, Calif. -- Simon Pagenaud tries to ward off teammate Will Power for the IndyCar title, while Team Penske goes for a 1-2-3 sweep of the championship standings. Race starts 4 p.m.- TORONTO -- All eyes are on the unknown Team North America in its first World Cup of Hockey game against Finland. Connor McDavid and the rest of the blend of 23-and-under U.S. and Canadian players bring speed, skill and excitement thats hard to find in international hockey. Game starts 8 p.m.- TORONTO -- Henrik Lundqvist and Sweden open the World Cup of Hockey against Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and high-powered Russia. Game starts 3 p.m.- INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Fever star Tamika Catchings says farewell to fans when she plays in her final regular-season game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. After 15 seasons, Catchings is retiring and her team is holding a farewell ceremony after the game. Game starts 4 p.m.- RIO DE JANEIRO -- After 1,192 days, Brazils run of mega-sports events comes to an end at the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games -- a musical tribute to Brazils diversity and 4,350 unique Paralympicans. It began with soccers Confederations Cup in 2013, extended to the 2014 World Cup, ran through IOC President Thomas Bachs goodbye speech last month at the Olympics and culminates as the Paralympics close before 45,000 at Rios Maracana stadium. Ceremony starts 6 p.m. ' ' '