Friday kicks off college football’s conference championship weekend for NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools. Several of the games will determine who will be playing in this season’s College Football Playoff, while others are just for bragging rights of being their league’s top team. Many of the games feature local high school stars, most notably the MAC title game, …

Greg Auman NFC South Reporter ATLANTA — Falcons safety Jessie Bates had just run 92 yards for a pick-six, so he was far too excited and/or tired to contemplate a celebration, but teammate Bud Dupree made a suggestion. “We’ve been talking about doing a celebration all year: Throw the ball up like a bomb and everybody falls,” Bates said. “I …

When 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk became fully aware of his NFL talent originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area In his fourth NFL season, 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is continuing a strong 2023 campaign. Aiyuk is coming off the best season of his career and has been a pivotal piece to the 49ers’ success this season, but it wasn’t until …

Ahead of its date in the Big Ten Championship game versus Michigan, the Iowa Hawkeyes jumped up a pair of spots to No. 17 nationally in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll. It’s a season-high ranking for the Hawkeyes. Iowa enters Big Ten Championship week after a dramatic, walk-off win over Nebraska, 13-10. Backup Iowa kicker Marshall Meeder just cleared …

Getty Images Welcome to the Week 12 grades! It took 23 years as Patriots coach, but it appears that Bill Belichick has finally hit rock bottom in the NFL. The “Patriot Way” is now the “Wrong Way.” The Patriots suffered one of the most embarrassing losses of Week 12 in a 10-7 setback to the Giants.  If you’re wondering how …

Getty Images Travis Kelce has been moving up the all-time tight end marks at a record-setting rate, reaching another impressive mark for the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s divisional showdown with the Raiders. Kelce became the fastest tight end ever to 11,000 receiving yards, reaching the milestone in 154 games. Kelce, who passed Tony Gonzalez last game as the Chiefs’ …

One of the plays that set up the now iconic fourth-and-31 in the Iron Bowl was a mistimed snap from center Seth McLaughlin to quarterback Jalen Milroe. On second down, Milroe didn’t look ready for the snap and had to scramble backward to recover the football. He fell on it for a loss of 18 yards. That was a big …

Jonathan Taylor ran for two scores, Gardner Minshew added another and the Indianapolis Colts defense came up with a late turnover Sunday to preserve a 27-20 victory over Tampa Bay. Indianapolis (6-5) won its third straight and climbed above .500 for the first time since the end of September with its second home victory of the season. The two-time defending …

This stat highlights wild improbability of Patriots’ loss to Giants originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston You have to give the 2023 New England Patriots credit: They keep finding creative ways to lose. Despite owning a 2-8 record and a three-game losing streak, the Patriots were favored entering Sunday’s road matchup with the New York Giants, who had a 3-8 …

Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season has provided plenty of excitement, from the AFC South’s top two contenders going back and forth to the Packers stunning the Lions on Thanksgiving. But the latest round of action has also brought new injuries. Here’s a roundup of notable names forced off the field: QB Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers) briefly left Tampa Bay’s …

Mississippi State is set to hire Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby as its next coach, according to 247Sports. Lebby oversaw the Big 12’s top-ranked offense during the 2023 regular season, his second in Norman, as the Sooners posted a 10-2 record under second-year coach Brent Venables. Lebby is being hired on a five-year deal, according to ESPN.  Lebby, 39, will replace …

Ben Arthur AFC South Reporter After last week’s blowout victory of the Titans, Jaguars players discussed the Texans in the locker room, knowing that the critical showdown with the division rival was upcoming.  How it would be for first place in the AFC South. How Houston blew them out 37-17 in the first game, Week 3 in Jacksonville. How they …

USATSI The New England Patriots are off to a historically bad start … in a number of ways. The team is 2-9 for the first time since 1992, marking over three decades since the Patriots have seen such a rough season. On Sunday, New England lost its ninth game of the season, 10-7, to an also struggling New York Giants …

After Ohio State’s 30-24 loss to Michigan Saturday, many college football fans were wondering where Lou Holtz was. In his postgame interview after the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame 17-14 in South Bend, Indiana, Ohio State coach Ryan Day called out the former OSU assistant and Notre Dame head coach after Holtz questioned his team’s toughness, saying “I’d like to know …

Getty Images Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has made his mark in the NFL record books once again. The 2023 No. 2 overall pick passed Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert for most passing yards by a rookie in his first 11 games during the Texans’ 24-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Stroud entered the Week 12 AFC …