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bet99ph Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday vowed to name a new prime minister in the coming days to prevent France from sliding deeper into political turmoil, rejecting growing pressure from the opposition to resign. Macron adopted a defiant tone in an address to the nation, seeking to limit an escalating political crisis after Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government was ousted in a historic no-confidence vote. Contemporary France's shortest-serving premier, Barnier resigned after Wednesday's parliamentary defeat in a standoff over the budget forced his government to step down, the first such toppling of a French administration in over 60 years. Macron now faces the task for the third time this year of selecting a new prime minister and did not come up with a name in his address. "I will appoint a prime minister in the coming days," he said, adding this person would be charged with forming a "government of general interest" with a priority of passing a budget. He also lashed out at the French far right and hard left for uniting in an "anti-republican front" to bring down the government. He said lawmakers had "knowingly" chosen "to topple the budget and the government just days before the Christmas holidays." The French presidency said earlier that Barnier and his ministers would remain "in charge of daily business until the appointment of a new government". Limiting any impression of political chaos is all the more important for Macron given that on Saturday he will host world leaders -- including US President-elect Donald Trump -- for the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris after a devastating 2019 fire. Pointing to how the edifice was rebuilt within the five-year timeline he had set, Macron said: "It's the proof we're able to do great things, that we can do the impossible." In an unusual move, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, France's top diplomat for just two-and-a-half months, urged unity in a message on social media, saying "instability is vulnerability" at a time of international uncertainty. A majority of lawmakers on Wednesday supported the no-confidence vote proposed by the hard left and backed by the far right headed by Marine Le Pen. Barnier's ejection in record time came after snap parliamentary elections in June resulted in a hung parliament. No political force was able to form an overall majority and the far right held the key to the government's survival. The trigger for Barnier's ouster was his 2025 budget plan, including austerity measures unacceptable to a majority in parliament, but which he argued were necessary to stabilise France's finances. On Monday he forced through a social security financing bill without a vote, but the ousting of the government means France is still without a budget. New legislative elections cannot be called until a year after the previous ones in summer 2024. But while Macron has more than two years of his presidential term left, some opponents are calling on him to resign to break the deadlock. According to a poll by Odoxa-Backbone Consulting for Le Figaro daily, 59 percent of French want the president to step down, while a survey by Harris for RTL put the figure even higher, at 64 percent. Bur Macron said: "The mandate that you gave to me democratically (in 2022 elections) is a five-year mandate and I will exercise it fully, right up to the end." "The 30 months we have ahead of us must be 30 months of useful action for the country." But he admitted his decision to call snap parliamentary elections this summer that resulted in a hung parliament "was not understood". "Many have blamed me for it and I know, many continue to blame me. It's a fact and it's my responsibility," he said. Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said that Macron was the "cause of the problem" in France "and would go due to the force of events" before his term ends. Barnier is Macron's fifth prime minister since coming to power in 2017. Each successive premier has served for a shorter period and, given the composition of the National Assembly, there is no guarantee that Barnier's successor would last any longer. Loyalist Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Macron's centrist ally Francois Bayrou have been touted as possible contenders, as has former Socialist premier and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve. Bayrou, who leads the MoDem party, had lunch with the president at the Elysee, a source close to him told AFP. sjw/ah/gv

Full House Resorts CFO Lewis Fanger sells $230,460 in stockNetflix continues to express confidence that its streaming platform is prepared to handle the massive audiences expected for a pair of Christmas Day NFL games along with the start of its live coverage of the World Wrestling Entertainment's "Raw" next month. Concerns were raised after users experienced issues with buffering and low quality feeds during the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing match last month. Netflix has exclusive rights to stream NFL games on Christmas Day between the Kansas City Chiefs at the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens at the Houston Texans. Beyonce is scheduled to perform during halftime of the Ravens-Texans game, which could create more server traffic Netflix must take into account. It's a major test after the company reported an average global live audience of 108 million viewers for Paul's victory over Tyson in Arlington, Texas. Downdetector.com , which tracks service outages, announced that there were 90,000 issues reported at one point. "It was a big number, but you don't know, and you can't learn these things until you do them, so you take a big swing," Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria told Front Office Sports. "Our teams and our engineers are amazing, moved super quickly, and stabilized it, and many of the members had it back up and running pretty quickly. But we learn from these things. "We've all obviously done a lot of stuff to learn and get ready for the NFL and Beyonce, and so we're totally ready and excited for WWE." WWE president Nick Khan told FOS that Raw's tone and content will not change as it moves to the streaming service, with its first event of 2025 scheduled for Jan. 6. "There's some online chatter about, ‘oh, it's going to be R-rated, or for us old folks, X-rated.' That's definitely not happening," Khan said. "It's family-friendly, multi-generational, advertiser-friendly programming. It's going to stay that way. I would look for more global flair, especially as the relationship continues to develop." --Field Level MediaFogging Machine Global Market Predicted to Exceed $12.7 Billion by 2028

Lea Miller-Tooley hopped off a call to welcome the Baylor women’s basketball team to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, where 80-degree temperatures made it easy for the Bears to settle in on Paradise Island a week before Thanksgiving. About 5,000 miles west of the Caribbean nation, similar climes awaited Maui Invitational men's teams in Hawaii. They’ve often been greeted with leis, the traditional Hawaiian welcome of friendship. College basketball teams and fans look forward to this time of the year. The holiday week tournaments feature buzzworthy matchups and all-day TV coverage, sure, but there is a familiarity about them as they help ward off the November chill. For four decades, these sandy-beach getaways filled with basketball have become a beloved mainstay of the sport itself. “When you see (ESPN’s) ‘Feast Week’ of college basketball on TV, when you see the Battle 4 Atlantis on TV, you know college basketball is back,” said Miller-Tooley, the founder and organizer of the Battle 4 Atlantis men's and women's tournaments. “Because it’s a saturated time of the year with the NFL, college football and the NBA. But when you see these gorgeous events in these beautiful places, you realize, ‘Wow, hoops are back, let’s get excited.’” The Great Alaska Shootout was the trend-setting multiple-team event (MTE) nearly five decades ago. The brainchild of late Alaska-Anchorage coach Bob Rachal sought to raise his program’s profile by bringing in national-power programs, which could take advantage of NCAA rules allowing them to exceed the maximum allotment of regular-season games if they played the three-game tournament outside the contiguous 48 states. The first edition, named the Sea Wolf Classic, saw N.C. State beat Louisville 72-66 for the title on Nov. 26, 1978. The Maui Invitational followed in November 1984, borne from the buzz of NAIA program Chaminade’s shocking upset of top-ranked Virginia and 7-foot-4 star Ralph Sampson in Hawaii two years earlier. Events kept coming, with warm-weather locales getting in on the action. The Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Cancun Challenge in Mexico. The Cayman Islands Classic. The Jamaica Classic. The Myrtle Beach Invitational joining the Charleston Classic in South Carolina. Numerous tournaments in Florida. Some events have faded away like the Puerto Rico Tipoff and the Great Alaska Shootout, the latter in 2017 amid event competition and schools opting for warm-weather locales. Notre Dame takes on Chaminade during the first half of a 2017 game in Lahaina, Hawaii. Marco Garcia, AP File Miller-Tooley’s push to build an MTE for Atlantis began as a December 2010 doubleheader with Georgia Tech beating Richmond and Virginia Tech beating Mississippi State in a prove-it moment for a tournament’s viability. It also required changing NCAA legislation to permit MTEs in the Bahamas. Approval came in March 2011; the first eight-team Atlantis men’s tournament followed in November. That tournament quickly earned marquee status with big-name fields, with Atlantis champions Villanova (2017) and Virginia (2018) later winning that season’s NCAA title. Games run in a ballroom-turned-arena at the resort, where players also check out massive swimming pools, water slides and inner-tube rapids surrounded by palm trees and the Atlantic Ocean. “It’s just the value of getting your passport stamped, that will never get old,” Miller-Tooley said. “Watching some of these kids, this may be their first and last time – and staff and families – that they ever travel outside the United States. ... You can see through these kids’ eyes that it’s really an unbelievable experience.” ACC Network analyst Luke Hancock knows that firsthand. His Louisville team finished second at Atlantis in 2012 and won that year’s later-vacated NCAA title, with Hancock as the Final Four's most outstanding player. “I remember (then-coach Rick Pitino) saying something to the effect of: ‘Some of you guys might never get this opportunity again. We’re staying in this unbelievable place, you’re doing it with people you love,’” Hancock said. “It was a business trip for us there at Thanksgiving, but he definitely had a tone of ‘We’ve got to enjoy this as well.’” Maui offers similar vibes, though 2024 could be a little different as Lahaina recovers from deadly 2023 wildfires that forced the event's relocation last year. North Carolina assistant coach Sean May played for the Tar Heels’ Maui winner in 2004 and was part of UNC’s staff for the 2016 champion, with both teams later winning the NCAA title. May said “you just feel the peacefulness” of the area — even while focusing on games — and savors memories of the team taking a boat out on the Pacific Ocean after title runs under now-retired Hall of Famer Roy Williams. “Teams like us, Dukes, UConns – you want to go to places that are very well-run,” May said. “Maui, Lea Miller with her group at the Battle 4 Atlantis, that’s what drives teams to come back because you know you’re going to get standard A-quality of not only the preparation but the tournament with the way it’s run. Everything is top-notch. And I think that brings guys back year after year.” That’s why Colorado coach Tad Boyle is so excited for the Buffaloes’ first Maui appearance since 2009. “We’ve been trying to get in the tournament since I got here,” said Boyle, now in his 15th season. And of course, that warm-weather setting sure doesn’t hurt. “If you talk about the Marquettes of the world, St. John’s, Providence – they don’t want that cold weather,” said NBA and college TV analyst Terrence Oglesby, who played for Clemson in the 2007 San Juan Invitational in Puerto Rico. “They’re going to have to deal with that all January and February. You might as well get a taste of what the sun feels like.” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo argues a call during the first half of a Nov. 16 game against Bowling Green in East Lansing, Michigan. Mi zzo is making his fourth trip to Maui. Carlos Osorio, Associated Press The men’s Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, got things rolling last week with No. 11 Tennessee routing No. 13 Baylor for the title. The week ahead could boast matchups befitting the Final Four, with teams having two weeks of action since any opening-night hiccups. “It’s a special kickoff to the college basketball season,” Oglesby said. “It’s just without the rust.” On the women’s side, Atlantis began its fourth eight-team women’s tournament Saturday with No. 16 North Carolina and No. 18 Baylor, while the nearby Baha Mar resort follows with two four-team women’s brackets that include No. 2 UConn, No. 7 LSU, No. 17 Mississippi and No. 20 N.C. State. Then come the men’s headliners. The Maui Invitational turns 40 as it opens Monday back in Lahaina. It features second-ranked and two-time reigning national champion UConn, No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 Iowa State and No. 10 North Carolina. The Battle 4 Atlantis opens its 13th men’s tournament Wednesday, topped by No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 16 Indiana and No. 17 Arizona. Michigan State Hall of Famer Tom Izzo is making his fourth trip to Maui, where he debuted as Jud Heathcote’s successor at the 1995 tournament. Izzo's Spartans have twice competed at Atlantis, last in 2021. “They’re important because they give you something in November or December that is exciting,” Izzo said. Any drawbacks? “It’s a 10-hour flight,” he said of Hawaii. Mike Tyson, left, slaps Jake Paul during a weigh-in ahead of their heavyweight bout, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Julio Cortez In this image taken with a slow shutter speed, Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal serves during a training session at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, in Malaga, southern Spain, on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Manu Fernandez A fan takes a picture of the moon prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Uruguay and Colombia in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Santiago Mazzarovich) Santiago Mazzarovich Rasmus Højgaard of Denmark reacts after missing a shot on the 18th hole in the final round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) Altaf Qadri Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (1) fails to pull in a pass against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford (20) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/ Brynn Anderson) Brynn Anderson Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, top right, scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) Nam Y. Huh India's Tilak Varma jumps in the air as he celebrates after scoring a century during the third T20 International cricket match between South Africa and India, at Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Themba Hadebe Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski warms up before facing the Seattle Kraken in an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Lindsey Wasson Kansas State players run onto the field before an NCAA college football game against Arizona State Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Charlie Riedel A fan rapped in an Uruguay flag arrives to the stands for a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) Matilde Campodonico People practice folding a giant United States flag before an NFL football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Julia Demaree Nikhinson Brazil's Marquinhos attempts to stop the sprinklers that were turned on during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Venezuela at Monumental stadium in Maturin, Venezuela, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Ariana Cubillos Georgia's Georges Mikautadze celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the UEFA Nations League, group B1 soccer match between Georgia and Ukraine at the AdjaraBet Arena in Batumi, Georgia, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Tamuna Kulumbegashvili) Tamuna Kulumbegashvili Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque, right, attempts to score while Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman (38) and Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) keep the puck out of the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Ellen Schmidt Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Julio Cortez Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Carolyn Kaster President-elect Donald Trump attends UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Evan Vucci Fans argue in stands during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between France and Israel at the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Thursday Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) Thibault Camus Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova hits a return against Danielle Collins, of the United States, during a tennis match at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Malaga, southern Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Manu Fernandez St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) falls after driving to the basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against New Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith) Pamela Smith England's Anthony Gordon celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between England and the Republic of Ireland at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Kin Cheung Katie Taylor, left, lands a right to Amanda Serrano during their undisputed super lightweight title bout, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Julio Cortez Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver DJ Turner, right, tackles Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington, left, on a punt return during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Lynne Sladky UConn's Paige Bueckers (5) battles North Carolina's Laila Hull, right, for a loose ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown) Ben McKeown Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during the final match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Italy's Jannik Sinner at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) Antonio Calanni Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario misses the third goal during the Nations League soccer match between Italy and France, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Luca Bruno

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Now Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens can rest a bit. They've certainly earned it. Baltimore's 31-2 rout of Houston on Wednesday capped a sweep of a grueling stretch of three games in 11 days. Baltimore looked like a Super Bowl contender while handling the Giants, Steelers and Texans. A win next week would give the Ravens the AFC North title — and a third MVP award for Jackson seems to be very much in play. "These guys took these three games in 11 days and smashed it, obliterated it, tore it up and made into a bunch of smithereens laying around everywhere," coach John Harbaugh said. "I'm proud of the guys (and) how they did it. They did a great job." Jackson's passer rating is up to 121.6 on the season. The NFL record is 122.5 by Aaron Rodgers in 2011. Derrick Henry has 1,783 yards rushing, the second most of his career. Justin Tucker, who has struggled to an alarming degree this season, made a 52-yard field goal that went right down the middle in the first quarter Wednesday. A win next week would be Baltimore's 12th of the season — only one behind the number that gave the Ravens the league's best regular-season record in 2023. They won't be the top seed this season, but a victory over Cleveland in Week 18 would mean a division title. Baltimore can also win the division if Pittsburgh loses to Cincinnati. "I believe how our season has gone — the regular season — it just explains how the NFL is. It really doesn't matter how you start off. It's about how you finish," Jackson said. "And I believe we're finishing pretty well right now." The Ravens lost their first two games of the season, but their open date came right before this tough 11-day stretch, which may have helped. Now they get some extra time to prepare for Cleveland. What's working The Ravens outrushed Houston 251-58, with Jackson scoring on a 48-yard run and Henry racing through big holes from the outset. Jackson passed Michael Vick to take over first place on the NFL's career list for yards rushing by a quarterback. The MVP odds at BetMGM on Thursday showed Buffalo's Josh Allen (-250) as the favorite, but Jackson (+160) was by no means a long shot. "I've seen a lot of great plays from Lamar Jackson," Harbaugh said. "I told him I was proud of him. I'm not just proud of him just because he makes great plays. I'm proud of him for all the things that go into making great plays and also for all the things he's overcome along the way." What needs work The Ravens have cycled through punt returners of late, and newcomer Steven Sims did not have much success in that area Wednesday. He was tackled at his 6-yard line on one return, and when a penalty made Houston do that punt over, the ball bounced inside the 10 and was downed at the 4, leading to a safety and the Texans' only points of the game. Stock up The Baltimore defense, such a liability at times earlier this season, held Houston without a point offensively. C.J. Stroud was sacked five times and threw an interception, and Joe Mixon rushed for only 26 yards. "I'd say we've come full circle," cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. "It's always good when you can have their offense not score. You've got to say you played pretty well. This is a testament to it all kind of coming together. I felt the coaching was there, and I just felt as players, 'What is the formula to continue to get high percentages of 11 guys doing 11 guys' jobs?'" Stock down Keaton Mitchell and Rasheen Ali managed only 17 yards on 12 carries. Justice Hill's absence following a concussion left Baltimore without an effective change-of-pace back to pair with Henry. Injuries Ali injured his hip in the third quarter and didn't return, another blow to Baltimore's running back depth. Key numbers After a 99-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter, the Ravens now have 10 TD drives of 90-plus yards this season. That's the most in the NFL since at least 2000. Up next The Ravens face a Cleveland team that has only three wins entering Week 17 — although one of those victories was against Baltimore. The Ravens allowed 401 yards in a 29-24 loss at Cleveland in late October.The SEC and Big Ten championship games are shaping up to be rematches from top-five matchups in the regular season. Oregon and Ohio State will revisit their 32-31 classic on Oct. 12 if the Buckeyes beat Michigan on Saturday. Georgia beat Texas 30-15 on Oct. 19, and they will have a rematch if the Longhorns beat Texas A&M on Saturday. How do we sell these matchups in terms of the College Football Playoff bracket? Honestly, we're not sure, and that is reflected in our Week 14 Bowl Projections. For now, we are picking Oregon and Texas to win those games. Look at our bracket . That means the SEC loser – Georgia – would fall to the No. 8 seed, where a win would earn a matchup against Oregon – the No. 1 overall seed in the bracket. That is not a favorable draw for either team. The SEC winner – Texas – would have a favorable draw as the No. 2 seed, but not as good as Ohio State – which could face No. 12 Boise State and No. 4 Arizona State – in either order depending on how those projected conference champions are seeded. The Buckeyes have the best draw of any of these teams, and it exposes the true value of conference championship games and the need to just seed these teams 1-12 the proper way. In the end, we think some combination of Oregon, Ohio State, Texas and Georgia will be the championship game, and perhaps Notre Dame gets in the way. MORE: SEC title game scenarios | Big 12 | Big Ten | ACC The third set of College Football Playoff rankings will be unveiled Tuesday. Sporting News will have weekly bowl projections leading up to the unveiling of the first 12-team playoff field on Dec. 8. The first round of the new CFP will have one game on Friday, Dec. 20, and three on Saturday, Dec. 21. The quarterfinals will be played at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (Dec. 31), Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Jan. 1), Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential (Jan. 1) and Allstate Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1). The semifinals will be played at the Capital One Orange Bowl (Jan. 9) and Cotton Bowl Classic (Jan. 10). The CFP national championship is Jan. 20 in Atlanta. Here are our bowl projections for Week 14. College football bowl predictions 2024 There are 35 bowls involving FBS teams outside the College Football Playoff this season. A look at our projections for those matchups: DATE BOWL MATCHUP Dec. 14 Camellia Bowl Ohio vs. James Madison Dec. 17 Boca Raton Bowl Arkansas State vs. South Florida Dec. 18 Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl Louisiana vs. Liberty Dec. 18 LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk UNLV vs. Kansas State Dec. 19 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Marshall vs. Jacksonville State Dec. 20 Staffdna Cure Bowl East Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina Dec. 20 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl UConn vs. Florida Dec. 23 Myrtle Beach Bowl Miami, Ohio vs. South Alabama Dec. 23 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Toledo vs. San Jose State Dec. 24 Hawaii Bowl North Texas vs. Colorado State Dec. 26 Detroit Bowl Western Michigan vs. Rutgers Dec. 26 Guaranteed Rate Bowl Oklahoma vs. Virginia Tech Dec. 26 68 Ventures Bowl Georgia Southern vs. Buffalo Dec. 27 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Army vs. Arkansas Dec. 27 Birmingham Bowl Kansas vs. Vanderbilt Dec. 27 Autozone Liberty Bowl TCU vs. LSU Dec. 27 SDS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl Colorado vs. Minnesota Dec. 27 DirecTV Holiday Bowl Cal vs. Texas Tech Dec. 28 Wasabi Fenway Bowl Tulane vs. Syracuse Dec. 28 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl North Carolina vs. Nebraska Dec. 28 Isleta New Mexico Bowl Western Kentucky vs. New Mexico Dec. 28 Pop-Tarts Bowl Pitt vs. Baylor Dec. 28 Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State Dec. 28 Go Bowling Military Bowl Navy vs. Boston College Dec. 28 Valero Alamo Bowl Washington State vs. BYU Dec. 28 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Memphis vs. Washington Dec. 30 Transperfect Music City Bowl Duke vs. Missouri Dec. 31 Reliaquest Bowl Michigan vs. Texas A&M Dec. 31 Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl Georgia Tech vs. USC Dec. 31 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Illinois vs. Alabama Dec. 31 Texas Bowl Iowa State vs. Ole Miss Jan. 2 Taxslayer Gator Bowl Louisville vs. South Carolina Jan. 3 Servpro First Responder Bowl UTSA vs. Texas State Jan. 3 Duke's Mayo Bowl Clemson vs. Iowa Jan. 4 Bahamas Bowl Bowling Green vs. Sam Houston College Football Playoff first-round predictions A look at the four College Football Playoff first-round matchups for the 2024-25 season. Those first-round games will be played on campus: DATE BOWL MATCHUP Dec. 20 First-Round CFP game No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State Dec. 21 First-Round CFP game No. 9 Indiana at No. 8 Georgia Dec. 21 First-Round CFP game No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Ohio State Dec. 21 First-Round CFP game No. 10 Tennessee at No. 7 Notre Dame The best matchup would be Tennessee at Notre Dame. Those schools have split eight previous meetings and have not played since a home-and-home the Irish swept in 2004-05. Georgia would be the lone SEC school to host a playoff game in this scenario, and if they win the SEC championship game then Texas would be in that spot. They can compare schedules with Indiana. Boise State (41.2 ppg.) and SMU (39.3 ppg.) rank in the top six in scoring offense this season. How would they fare at hostile 100,000-plus venues at Ohio Stadium and Beaver Stadium? College Football Playoff quarterfinal predictions A look at the College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchups for the 2024-25 season. Those games will be played at the traditional New Year's Day Six bowl sites: DATE BOWL MATCHUP Dec. 31 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (quarterfinal) No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Ohio State Jan. 1 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl (quarterfinal) No. 3 Miami vs. No. 6 Penn State Jan. 1 Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential (quarterfinal) No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 8 Georgia Jan. 1 Allstate Sugar Bowl (quarterfinal) No. 2 Texas vs. No. 7 Notre Dame Ignore the seeding and just look at the field. Would an eight-team playoff be better? The Sun Devils and Hurricanes would be underdogs against Big Ten teams, and that matchup between Oregon and Georgia was our pick for the CFP championship game in Week 1 1. College Football Playoff semifinal predictions A look at the College Football Playoff semifinal matchups for the 2024-25 season. Those games will be played at the traditional New Year's Day Six bowl sites: DATE BOWL MATCHUP Jan. 9 Capital One Orange Bowl (semifinal) No. 2 Texas vs. No. 6 Penn State Jan. 10 Cotton Bowl Classic (semifinal) No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 5 Ohio State Three Big Ten teams in the semifinals? A potential three-match between the Ducks and Buckeyes? That is in the cards in this week's projection. We considered picking Notre Dame against Texas, and we would not be surprised if the Irish could make it two straight victories against SEC teams. The Longhorns are the only team among these four that played in the four-team College Football Playoff last season. Would they take advantage of the close-to-home atmosphere at the Cotton Bowl? College Football Playoff championship pick A look at the College Football Playoff championship matchup for the 2024-25 season. That game is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. DATE BOWL MATCHUP Jan. 20 CFP National championship No. 2 Texas vs. No. 5 Ohio State Yes, we have changed our CFP championship pick the last four weeks. Some of that is dictated on how those matchups are playing out each week. The Buckeyes have been the constant the last three weeks, and they could lose the Big Ten championship game and we still see them making this run. Ditto for Texas. Quinn Ewers – who played one year at Ohio State – would be the focus of this matchup, which would be a blue-blooded classic befitting of the first 12-team championship game.

Macron Vows to Serve Remainder of Term as French President