New England Patriots down New York Giants to extend NFL-best win streak to 10 games

It's a good time to be aNew England Patriotsfan.

Monday night saw a continuation of the team's impressive season as the Patriots brushed aside the New York Giants 33-15 to record their 10th consecutive victory.

Quarterback Drake Maye led the way as the franchise recorded its longest win streak since also winning 10 straight back in2015.

Maye threw 24-of-31 for 282 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions on a night that saw the Patriots move atop the AFC.

New England also became the first team in theNFLto record 11 wins this season, improving its record on the year to 11-2.

"Just trying to be the face, trying to be the conductor," Maye said postgame. "Trying to want the pressure. You want the ball in my hands."

In truth the game went as many had expected, with the Giants coming up short on the day in almost every facet of the game – New England had 395 total yards compared to New York's 239 – and the contest was effectively out of reach by halftime with the Pats up 30-7.

New York has now lost seven consecutive games and even returning rookie QB Jaxson Dart couldn't turn the miserable tide for the franchise.

Dart had missed the previous two games with a concussion and tried to breathe a bit of life into the team on his return – he finished 17-of-24 for 139 yards and a touchdown.

"We were just scratching and clawing. You're trying to find any way to catch up," Dart said after the game.

The rookie though was clear about the result despite his solid performance: "Not good enough because we lost."

For the Patriots, things are looking much brighter.

Head coach Mike Vrabel was full of praise for his team, notably the consistent performances from Maye.

Heading into the Patriots' bye week, the 23-year-oldleads the NFLin passing yards (3,412), completion percentage (71.5%) and passer rating (111.9) and sits fourth with 23 touchdown passes. It's the type of play that has put him in contention for the MVP award in just his second season in the league.

"I think he's realizing what he can be and the impact that he makes on this offense being the conductor," Vrabel said, perNFL.com.

"He's hard on himself. I think that he challenges himself, as well as his coaches. He means a great deal to this football team."

A win in their next game against Buffalo would clinch the AFC East for the Patriots, snapping the Bills' run of five straight division titles.

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byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

December 02, 2025

New England Patriots down New York Giants to extend NFL-best win streak to 10 games

It's a good time to be aNew England Patriotsfan. Monday night saw a continuation of the team's impressive season as the Patriots b...

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College football bowl projections: CFP race, postseason lineup down to final weekend

We know the 82 teams that will participate in the college football postseason. What we don't know is where they will play with theCollege Football Playoffrace entering the final weekend of the regular season.

The questions that remain revolve aroundthe conference championship gamesthat feature playoff contenders, including games in the American and Sun Belt that will decide the Group of Five representative of the field.

It appears eight or nine teams are locked in. The playoff rankings Tuesday might adjust this perspective, but it's fair to assume Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia, Texas Tech, Oregon, Mississippi, Texas A&M and Oklahoma are locks. Notre Dame appears in good shape with its season complete but that could change after the final weekend.

The fun begins withAlabama, which was ranked No. 10 by the committee last week. Should the Crimson Tide - currently in the final at-large spot, - fall from the field with a loss to Georgia in the SEC title game? The nature of the loss will have an impact, as could the result of Texas Tech and Brigham Young in the Big 12 title game. Should the Cougars beat theRed Raiders, they'd be in the field and likely knock out a three-loss Alabama. The Crimson Tide could be out even if BYU loses with Miami, Utah and Vanderbilt sitting behind the Cougars.

The winner of North Texas and Tulane will be in. But a second Group of Five contender could disrupt things. If James Madison wins the Sun Belt, the Dukes could claim a spot if five-loss Duke wins the ACC title game against Virginia.

Further down the postseason, there were exactly 82 teams finishing with the six wins needed for bowl eligibility. Two of those came from transition teams Missouri State and Delaware that would not allowed to participate in the postseason unless there were open spots. Welcome to the party, fans of theBearsand Blue Hens.

Notes: Not all conferences will fulfill their bowl allotment. An asterisk represents a replacement pick.Legacy Pac-12 schools in other conferences will fulfill existing Pac-12 bowl agreements through the 2025 season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College football bowl projections for CFP, postseason lineup

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

December 02, 2025

College football bowl projections: CFP race, postseason lineup down to final weekend

We know the 82 teams that will participate in the college football postseason. What we don't know is where they will ...

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NFL's biggest field goal fails: Where does Younghoe Koo rank?

TheNew England Patriots routed the New York Giantsin front of a national television audience on"Monday Night Football"at Gillette Stadium on Monday, Dec. 1.

The win was the streaking Patriots' 10th in a row as New Englandowns the NFL's best recordafterWeek 13.

However, what fans might remember most from the Patriots'33-15win over the Giants might bea real unfortunate moment for New York's kicker, Younghoe Koo. It is arguably the biggest blooper of the2025 season, and among the NFL's biggest field goal blunders.

Here we've listed some of the all-time NFL field goal fails:

Week 5: Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel makes a catch against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium. The Bills wore their new "Rivalries" uniform for the "Sunday Night Football" game, which the Patriots won, 23-20.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield awaits the snap against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Both teams wore throwback uniforms in the Buccaneers' 38-35 win. The Buccaneers and Seahawks entered the NFL together as expansion teams in 1976.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 4: Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) hands the ball off to running back J.K. Dobbins during the "Monday Night Football" game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos wore their "Midnight Navy" uniforms for the 28-3 win.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 4: Miami Dolphins running back De'von Achane rushes the ball against the New York Jets during a 27-21 win on "Monday Night Football" at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins wore their new their Nike "Rivalries" uniforms – the team version dubbed "Dark Waters."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 4: The Arizona Cardinals defense tackles Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) during the first quarter of a "Thursday Night Football" game at State Farm Stadium. The Cardinals became the first NFL team to wear the new Nike "Rivalries" uniform in a game. The Seahawks won the game, 23-20.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 3: New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (5) stiff arms Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. The Saints wore their all-white uniform and helmet combo for the first time in the 44-13 loss.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 3: San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey carries the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers wore throwback jerseys - an homage to the team's 1950s look, as well as its 1994 Super Bowl-winning season - in the 16-15 win against the Cardinals.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 2: Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) runs the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. Sporting "The Vikings Classic" throwback uniform inspired by the team's look during the 1960s and '70s, Minnesota was defeated, 22-6.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Can't-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season

11. Younghoe Koo kicks FieldTurf

Down 17-7, the Giants already were in a bad way at Gillette Stadium against the Patriots. Koo lined up for a 47-yard attempt that could have trimmed New England's lead down to seven. Instead, Koo's boot came up short. Literally.He kicked into the artificial surfaceinches behind the ball. Giants holder Jamie Gillan had to pick up the ball and scramble. He was tackled for what will go into the record books as a sack.

The football follies-worthy momentwas embarrassing for the Giants kicker, but ultimately did not factor into the game.

10. Joe Nedney vs.Bearsin 2005

They don't call it the Windy City for nothing. On a mid-November afternoon at Soldier Field, Chicago lived up to its moniker as high winds wreaked havoc on the Bears' matchup with theSan Francisco 49ers.

Sporting a 3-0 lead in the final seconds of the first half, 49ers head coach Mike Nolan sent Joe Nedney out to attempt a 52-yard field goal. What the heck, right? What's the worst that can happen? Well, the worst did happen. Nedney's kick into a stiff wind pushed the ball well off target and into the arms of the Bears' Nathan Vasher. Vasher collected the ball 8 yards deep in the end zone, eluded 49ers pursuers andscampered for an unlikely touchdown. After Vasher had one of the longest plays in NFL history, the Bears would go on to win,17-9.

9. Lane Kiffin has Sebastian Janikowski attempt 76-yarder

Kiffin has been in the news latelyforyet another ugly coaching exit. Two days before Al Davis had seen enough from his young head coach, the polarizing Kiffin sent Sebastian Janikowski out to attempt a 76-yard field goal during a game in Week 4 of the 2008 season.It did not go well.Davis fired Kiffin, and who can forget the press conference announcing the dismissal in whichDavis used an overhead projectorlike a 1980s-era science teacher?

8. Cody Parkey double-doink in 2018 playoffs

NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth made "double doink" part of NFL lexicon after the Bears' Cody Parkey missed a 43-yard field goal attempt in an NFC wild-card playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Parkey's kick hit the uprights, then the crossbar before landing in the end zone.

"The Bears' season is going to end on a double doink,"Collinsworth said during the game broadcast.

Parkey had made a habit of hitting the uprights,including four timesin a game against the Detroit Lions.

7. Blair Walsh in 2015 playoffs

Walsh – who was a Pro Bowl kicker during the 2012 season – was put on the spot in a 2015 wild-card playoff game against theSeattle Seahawks. The game was played outdoors at TCF Bank Stadium – normal home to theMinnesota Golden Gophers football team– in the season before the team's new stadium, TCF Bank Stadium, opened. In below-zero temperatures, the Seahawks and Vikings had played a low-scoring game. Minnesota, however, managed to get Walsh into position to move the team onto the divisional round, setting up the kicker for a game-winning 27-yard field goal attempt. Instead,Walsh missed badlyand Seattle prevailed,10-9.

6. Mike Vanderjagt in 2005 playoffs

The2005 Indianapolis Coltswere on a real heater. The team opened the season 13-0 before finishing 14-2. TheColtshosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC divisional playoff game at the RCA Dome in what would bea memorable playoff showdown. After falling behind 21-3 to the Steelers, the Colts had rallied and down 21-18 had put kicker Mike Vanderjagt into position to tie the game. Instead, Vanderjagt missed badly ona 46-yard field goal attempt, and to top it off got penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play.

Nearly three years earlier, Vanderjagt went on a cable TV show in Toronto and criticized future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and Colts coach Tony Dungy for a lack of competitiveness.Asked about Vanderjagt's comments, Manning said "our idiot kicker who got liquored up and ran his mouth off."

The 2005 playoff was Vanderjagt's last game with the Colts. The Steelers, meanwhile, went on to winSuper Bowl XL.

5. Tony Romo botches snap in 2006 playoff

The Seahawks defeated theCowboys, 21-20, inan unforgettable wild-card playoff gamein Seattle. The game is known primarily for a botched hold by Tony Romo on what would have been a go-ahead field goal in the game's final minute. Cowboys kicker Martin Gramatica lined up for a 19-yard field goal with 1:19 remaining in the game. Romo was the holder (back when quarterbacks would occasionally take part in such plays). The snap from center slipped through Romo's hands. The quarterback then picked up the ball and attempted to scramble for the end zone, but was tackled for no gain on what was a fourth-and-1 play.

4. Garo Yepremian in Super Bowl VII

About the only imperfect aspect of theMiami Dolphins' perfect 1972 season wasa crazy playon a blocked field goal attempt by kicker Garo Yepremian in Super Bowl VII against Washington at the L.A. Coliseum. Yepremian lined up for an attempt that if made, would have put the Dolphins up 17-0 in a 17-0 season. Instead, the kick was blocked, Yepremian picked up the football and tried to throw a pass. It was instead deflected into the hands of Washington's Mike Bass who raced 49 yards for a touchdown. The Dolphins still won,14-7, but Yepremian's play lives in pro football infamy.

3. Billy Cundiff in 2011 AFC title game

TheBaltimore Ravensand New England Patriots met in a hotly contested AFC championship game that came down to the final seconds. Trailing 23-20 with 15 seconds remaining in the game, the Ravens sent kicker Billy Cundiff out for a game-tying 32-yard field goal attempt.Cundiff missed badlyand the Patriots would go on to play inSuper Bowl 46.

Adding to Baltimore's misery was that Cundiff's kick didn't even need to happen. Two plays earlier, Ravens receiverLee Evans couldn't hold onto a Joe Flacco passin the end zone. After Evans' drop, Cundiff sealed the Ravens' fate at Gillette Stadium.

2. Gary Anderson in 1998 NFC title game

TheMinnesota Vikingswere up 27-20 against the surprising Atlanta Falcons inthe NFC championship game, and were in position to ice the game. With just over two minutes remaining, Vikings kicker Gary Anderson lined up for a 39-yard field goal attempt that would have given the Vikings a 10-point lead and nearly assured the team's first trip to the Super Bowl since the mid-1970s. Instead, Anderson – who had made 39 consecutive field goals before this kick (no missed field goals or extra points during the entire 1998 season) –missed wide left. The Falcons had new life, marched down the field and scored the game-tying touchdown. In overtime, the Falcons kicker – Morten Andersen – booted the winner (a 38-yarder) and the Falcons were a stunning Super Bowl entrant.

1. Scott Norwood in Super Bowl 25

One of the greatest Super Bowls ever played ended on a missed field goal. Scott Norwood's miss is a tempting butterfly effect debate. What would have happened had he made the kick? Instead, theBuffalo Billswent on to lose four consecutive Super Bowls. In an epic clash with theNew York Giants, the Bills moved into position to win the game in the final seconds. Norwood's 47-yard attemptsailed wide rightand the Giants held on fora hard-fought 20-19 win.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Where Younghoe Koo ranks among NFL's worst field goal fails

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

December 02, 2025

NFL's biggest field goal fails: Where does Younghoe Koo rank?

TheNew England Patriots routed the New York Giantsin front of a national television audience on"Monday Night Footbal...

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US escalation with Maduro halts deportation flights to Venezuela

Recent U.S. military escalations involving Venezuela have halted flights carrying unlawful migrants from the United States back to the South American country, Venezuela's foreign ministry said, prompting criticism from anti-intervention voices.

PresidentDonald Trumpwarned pilots Saturday that the airspace "above and surrounding" Venezuela should be "closed in its entirety" as his administration weighs potential strikes on targets in and around Caracas.

"Through this action, the United States government has unilaterally suspended the Venezuelan migrant flights that were being carried out regularly and weekly as part of the repatriation of Venezuelans through the Plan Vuelta a la Patria (Return to the Homeland Plan)," the ministry said in a statement.

The deportation flights had been one of the only areas of cooperation between Washington and the government ofNicolás Maduro. Venezuelan officials say nearly 14,000 nationals have been returned on twice-weekly charter flights in recent months.

Venezuela Agrees To Resume Deportation Flights In Response To Pressure From Trump

At the same time, the Trump administration has continued moving forward with plans to end temporary protected status for roughly 600,000 Venezuelans living in the United States.

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"Genius. Enough with this immigration enforcement nonsense. Let's get back to True MAGA — neocon wars that exacerbate and cause migration crises. About darn time," said Curt Mills, executive editor of The American Conservative, criticizing the shift toward military action.

So far, U.S. strikes have targeted alleged narco-traffickers operating in theCaribbean near Venezuela. But officials have signaled that operations could expand to land-based targets as Washington increases pressure on Maduro to relinquish power.

Venezuela Will Face 'Severe, And Escalating Sanctions' If It Doesn't Accept Its Citizens, Rubio Says

Dozens of U.S. bombers have deployed to the region alongside the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, underscoring the scale of the buildup. With U.S. bombers and the Ford already positioned in the region, much of the world is waiting to see whether Trump will green-light the next phase ofstrikes against Venezuelan targets.

Trump confirmed he spoke with Maduro by phone recently.

"I wouldn't say it went well or badly. It was a phone call," he told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday.

Trump presented Maduro with an ultimatum — step down or face potential U.S. military action. Maduro, theMiami Herald reported,sought global amnesty for himself, demanded to retain control of the military and resisted an immediate exit from power.

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Restraint-minded foreign policy analysts have sounded the alarm against a regime-change-driven intervention in Venezuela, arguing such a move could make migration patterns worse.

"Escalatory dynamics could trigger regional instability and hostility, with migration flows among the most predictable consequences," a report by Stimson Center analysts Evan Cooper and Alessandro Perri claimed. "Absent a credible transition structure inside Venezuela, external pressure is far more likely to deepen chaos — driving more Venezuelans to flee — than to produce political change."

Analysts in the libertarian foreign-policy space have issued similar warnings.

Doug Bandow, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, argued that "U.S. militarized pressure on Venezuela is far more likely to worsen instability than to produce meaningful political change," adding that history shows "coercion in Venezuela leads to unpredictable outcomes and episodes of mass flight."

"Escalation without a stable political alternative inside Venezuela risks accelerating the very migration pressures Washington is trying to contain," said George A. López, a senior analyst at the Quincy Institute.

Original article source:US escalation with Maduro halts deportation flights to Venezuela

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

December 02, 2025

US escalation with Maduro halts deportation flights to Venezuela

Recent U.S. military escalations involving Venezuela have halted flights carrying unlawful migrants from the United State...

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‘Like a tsunami’: Asia reels from deadly cyclones and monsoon rains

Wassana Suthi spent last week trying to keep a nursing home running as the floodwaters rose around her in the southern Thai city of Hat Yai, cutting the home off from outside help, bar one helicopter dropping supplies on the roof.

Hat Yai city is one of hundreds of communities reeling from a combination of cyclonic storms and monsoon rains that have unleashed deadly flooding and landslides from Indonesia to Sri Lanka.

At least 1,250 people have been reported dead across the region, according to a CNN tally of national disaster agencies. Hundreds are still missing, and more than one million are displaced.

As rescuers dig through mud and debris and battle to restore links to communities cut off by the destruction, authorities say the death toll may rise.

Hat Yai, a major transport and trade hub in Thailand's Songkhla province, saw floodwaters as high as eight feet surge through its streets. The deluge left Suthi, her husband and 10 staff and patients – some of whom are bed-ridden – trapped inside, fearing the worst.

"It rained so much that you couldn't leave the house," said Suthi.

First, the rains flooded the ground floor, forcing Suthi and her husband to move their panicked residents upstairs. Then the flooding cut off the mains electricity supply, forcing them to switch to batteries to run the remaining oxygen tanks she had left.

Like others in Hat Yai, Suthi and her staff worked by candlelight for days to try and keep things running.

From the menacing, laden skies above, a Thai Army helicopter dropped food supplies onto their roof, their only contact with outsiders through the flooding ordeal.

When the waters finally receded over the weekend, they left behind streets slick with mud and with debris strewn everywhere.

"When I saw people on the street lining up to get food, some people were looking for their lost relatives, cars were left abandoned on the streets. It was almost like a movie scene like an apocalypse," Suthi said.

She and her staff are kept busy cleaning the debris, but one main worry preoccupies her.

"I am now more concerned about liquid food for my patients. Since we have to feed them through the noses, it is so difficult to find them (the liquid supplies) in my area right now."

Most of the 181 deaths Thailand has reported from the floods occurred in Hat Yai's Songkhla province.

Hundreds missing in floodwaters

Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia have also reportedmassive impactfrom the rains.

In Indonesia, 744 people were killed and 551 remain missing after Cyclone Senyar caused catastrophic landslides and flooding on Sumatra, an island renowned for its lush rainforests, active volcanoes and a critically endangered orangutan population.

Almost a thousand miles away on the other side of the Indian Ocean, the island of Sri Lanka is reeling from another cyclone, Ditwah, which brought the country's worst floods in a decade, Reuters reported.

Across the island famed for its beaches and popular with foreign tourists, the death toll has risen to 410 people, with 336 missing, according to the country's Disaster Management Center.

Military helicopters and ships have been deployed from neighboring India to assist in rescue operations and to distribute humanitarian supplies, India's foreign affairs ministry said on Monday.

Its Air Force had rescued nationals of Sri Lanka, India, Germany, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Poland, Belarus, Iran, Australia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, the statement said.

Indian arch-rival Pakistan has also dispatched a team from its military to assist in rescue efforts in Sri Lanka, according to Islamabad's National Disaster Management Authority.

Back in Thailand, Suthi is left to pick up the pieces and wonder how bad next season's rains could get.

"It was never this severe. But this year, everyone is saying the same thing: it was like a tsunami."

CNN's Sophia Saifi in Islamabad and Esha Mitra in New Delhi contributed reporting.

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byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

December 02, 2025

‘Like a tsunami’: Asia reels from deadly cyclones and monsoon rains

Wassana Suthi spent last week trying to keep a nursing home running as the floodwaters rose around her in the southern Thai city of Hat Yai...

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Texas college student Brianna Aguilera found dead after football game as heartbroken mother demands answers

The mother of a Texas college student is desperately searching for answers after her daughter was found dead near campus after attending a tailgate, according to reports and authorities.

Brianna Aguilera, a 19-year-old student at Texas A&M University, was discovered dead outside an apartment complex around 1 a.m. Saturday, just hours after she attended a tailgate for Texas A&M's football game against the University of Texas,KSAT reported.

Aguilera's mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, told the outlet that she has received inconsistent answers from the Austin Police Department after investigators said Aguilera likely died by suicide.

Detectives told her she had fallen from 17 floors, the mother recalled.

"There are a lot of inconsistencies with the story," Rodriguez said. "He told me they said she jumped, and then he told me that the friends said they didn't know her whereabouts."

The heartbroken mother said her daughter, a sophomore at the university, was not suicidal and was looking forward to her future as a lawyer.

Rodriguez called police after her daughter did not answer her phone after Friday's game, noting she saw Aguilera's phone pinging in Austin.

Cops then instructed her to wait 24 hours before filing a missing persons report, the outlet reported.

Officers later found Aguilera's cellphone on Saturday. However, Rodriguez was not told until 4 p.m. that day that her daughter was in the morgue, the mother recalled.

Rodriguez believes something more sinister could have been at play leading up to the fatal fall.

She maintained that one of the 15 people inside the apartment must know something about her daughter's death.

"There was a fight that happened between my daughter and another girl, and they were all staying in the same apartment that I have actual text messages of, and the detective just disregarded them," Rodriguez said.

Austin police said Aguilera's death is not being investigated as a homicide, as the investigation has not revealed any suspicious details, the outlet reported.

The Travis County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the aspiring lawyer's cause of death.

Aguilera hailed from Laredo, where she attended United High School. She was a "seasoned cheerleader" and received magna cum laude honors before graduating high school, according to a GoFundMe organized for her loved ones.

"She was pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer and was attending The Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M," the statement continued.

"The details surrounding what happened next remain unclear, and her mother is still awaiting answers," the fundraiser continued.

The GoFundMe has since raised over $28,000, more than double its $12,000 goal.

"Im so grateful for your love and support at this moment. The unexpected loss of my brie brie has been a tremendous challenge, but I find strength in the outpouring of kindness," Rodriguez said in a Monday message to the hordes of supporters.

"I've experienced every parent's worst fear, but I'm comforted by the knowledge that my brie brie touched so many hearts."

Texas A&M University did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

December 02, 2025

Texas college student Brianna Aguilera found dead after football game as heartbroken mother demands answers

The mother of a Texas college student is desperately searching for answers after her daughter was found dead near campus after attending a ...

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The 12-team College Football Playoff was supposed to eliminate chaos. Whoops.

When the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings are released Tuesday night, only one thing is for certain: People are going to be angry.

Since its inception in 2014, the CFP was meant to bring order and stability after the nebulous Bowl Championship System relied on a stew of polls and computer rankings to determine a national championship game. The playoff was supposed to bring a more traditional championship structure to college football, beginning with the four-team bracket in 2014 before it switched to the current 12-team format last season.

Except ... even with the expanded field, the decisions of the rotating 13-member committee have created a new set of problems — most notably, schools every year complaining vociferously about their exclusion.

This season is shaping up to be no different. With only the conference championship games left, Tuesday's rankings should reveal where the playoff is headed before the 12-team field is set on Sunday. Here are the biggest issues headed into the second-to-last rankings.

Miami vs. Notre Dame

The rivalry affectionately (and, uh, problematically) referred to as "Catholics vs. Convicts" has been as hot off the field as on it this season. In Week 1, the Hurricanes beat the Fighting Irish 27-24 on a late field goal. Miami had built a 21-7 lead before a furious comeback by Notre Dame.

The problem for the Hurricanes? Since the first ranking was released on Nov. 4, Miami has been rankedbehindNotre Dame every week. And it hasn't been close. The Hurricanes went from unranked to 15th to 12th to 11th before Tuesday. Meanwhile, after having started 10th, the Fighting Irish have been cruising at ninth the last three weeks.

That has happened even though the teams sport the same record (10-2) and Miami owns a head-to-head win. What has hurt the Hurricanes are their losses to SMU and Louisville, two schools the committee seems not to hold in high regard. To many, it seems as though Notre Dame is getting more credit for losing to Miami than the Hurricanes are getting for beating the Fighting Irish. (Notre Dame's other loss was a one-point defeat to then-No. 3 Texas A&M in Week 2. The Fighting Irish have won 10 in a row.)

After a win over Pittsburgh to end the regular season, Miami coach Mario Cristobal made it clear what he believes should separate his team from Notre Dame.

"You know what's the best part about football?" Cristobal said. "You get to settle it on the field, where head-to-head is always the No. 1 criteria for anything regarding athletics and football."

We'll see whether the committee feels the same way!

Don't forget those pesky auto-bids

The 12-team bracket was designed to fix hurt feelings by creating an automatic bid system for the five highest-ranked conference champions. That was clearly created to protect the Power Five schools, especially teams in the Big 12, the Pac-12 and the ACC, who were constantly concerned about SEC and Big Ten bias.

Of course, the automatic bids have set off a new round of chaos.

The first problem was when the Power Five became the Power Four after the Pac-12 almost entirely disbanded at the end of the 2024 season. The result is four unwieldy conferences with unbalanced schedules that make teams incredibly difficult to compare with one another.

Meanwhile, the ACC's byzantine conference tiebreaker system is playing a massive role this season. Duke is 7-5 but will play in the conference championship game over Miami, the highest-ranked ACC team in the CFP field. If the Blue Devils defeat Virginia in the ACC title game, there's a good chance the ACC is left out of the CFP fieldentirely. The committee is required to take the five highest-ranked conference champs ... which means the Sun Belt Conference's James Madison (11-1) could ultimately squeak in over the Hurricanes.

Ole Miss is definitely in, though, right?

It would be shocking if the committee added insult to injury and kept the Rebels out of the playoff after the departure of head coach Lane Kiffin, wholeft the school high and dryto take the same job at LSU.

Ole Miss is 11-1 and enters Tuesday seventh in the CFP rankings. But the committee has set a precedent that a team like the Rebels could be dropped from the field.

In 2023, Florida State was excluded from the four-team playoff even though it completed a 13-0 season and won the ACC. The main reason given was a season-ending injury to quarterback Jordan Travis, which he suffered during the ACC title game, with the committee saying that made the Seminoles "a different team."

The committee opted to put Alabama in over Florida State, a decision that drew widespread criticism. It would be shocking to see the same thing happen to Ole Miss, but if several coaches leave with Kiffin, is that all that different from why Florida State was left out a couple of years ago?

At least the conference championship games still matter?

In another world, this Saturday's Big Ten championship game between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana would be incredibly dramatic. In the BCS era, it would be a pseudo-semifinal. In the four-team era, it could knock one of the schools out of the playoff field.

The stakes are much lower this year, though, as both schools are all but assured of playoff spots regardless of the outcome.

The Big 12 (No. 11 BYU vs. No. 5 Texas Tech) and the SEC (No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 10 Alabama) could certainly prove to be consequential. But they carry different weights in the expanded field.

The field, by the way, is expected to expand even more beginning next season. Expect the complaints to grow along with it.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

December 02, 2025

The 12-team College Football Playoff was supposed to eliminate chaos. Whoops.

When the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings are released Tuesday night, only one thing is for certain: People are going to be an...

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