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ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) — Two-timeOlympic champion Michelle Gisinwas undergoing surgery on her back Thursday having been airlifted from the course by helicopter after crashing hard in a practice run for a World Cup downhill.

Gisin is the third current Olympic champion in the Switzerland women's Alpine ski team to be injured crashing in training in the last month, afterLara Gut-BehramiandCorinne Suter, just weeks before the Milan Cortina Winter Games.

The 32-year-old Swiss hit the safety fences racing at more than 110 kph (69 mph) on a cloudy morning at St. Moritz in practice for downhills scheduled Friday and Saturday, then a super-G Sunday.

Gisin "can move her arms and legs normally," the Swiss ski team said in a statement, but also has injuries to her right wrist and left knee.

She is having surgery in Zurich, where she was taken by an air ambulance service, and is in a stable condition, her team said.

One of Gisin's skis seemed to catch an edge approaching a fast left-hand turn and she lost control going straight on, hitting through the first layer of safety nets until being stopped by the second.

Television pictures showed Gisin conscious lying by the course with scratches and cuts on her face as medics assessed her.

Gisin, who won gold in Alpine combined at the past two Winter Games, is currently the veteran leader of the Swiss women's speed team because of injuries to her fellow 2022 Beijing Olympics champions.

Gut-Behrami's Olympic season was endedtearing the ACL in her left knee while crashing in practice last month at Copper Mountain, Colorado.

Suter is off skisfor about a month with calf, knee and foot injures from a crash while training at St. Moritz last month.

At the last Winter Games in China, Suter won the downhill, Gut-Behrami won super-G — where Gisin took bronze — and Gisin took the final title in individual combined. The Swiss skiers have seven career Olympic medals.

Gisin crashed Thursday whenUnited States star Lindsey Vonnwas already on the course having started her practice run. Vonn was stopped while Gisin got medical help and resumed her run later.

Vonn was fastest in the opening practice Wednesday.

The Milan Cortina Olympics open Feb. 6 with women's Alpine skiing race at the storied Cortina d'Ampezzo hill.

AP Winter Olympics athttps://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

TheHeisman Trophyis the most storied trophy not only incollege football, but perhaps all of American sports — an award that carries much more weight than its iconic bronze statuette.

For all the mythology and lure that surrounds the trophy, the guidelines for selecting its winner aren't always clear. According to the Heisman Trophy Trust,the honor is given out annually to"the outstanding college football player in the United States whose performance epitomizes great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work." But even that raises questions and leads to a variance in who receives first-place votes.

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Is the best player on the best team? Is it the player who's most valuable to their team, even if they're not necessarily the most productive or efficient? How much should a player's personal path to that point in their careers factor to a voter base that can be a sucker for a compelling story? Can it go to someone who doesn't regularly have the ball in their hands? (The answer to that last one is a resounding no based on the award's historical recipients).

Because of that, the results of Heisman voting are regularly among the most breathlessly discussed topics annually in college football, a sport that's fueled by no shortage of debates. Those intense arguments will wage on years and even decades after a given player triumphantly raises the 45-pound trophy in New York City. While someone may have made sense as the winner in the moment, the reasons for their victory can become more specious over time.

Heading into this weekend's Heisman Trophy ceremony, here's a look at USA TODAY Sports' ranking of the 10 biggest snubs in Heisman history:

Biggest Heisman Trophy snubs of all-time

10. Herschel Walker (1980)

Heisman winner: George Rogers

Walker is arguably the greatest college football player of all-time, a phenom who impacted the sport from the moment he stepped on a college field. As a freshman in 1980, he rushed for 1,616 yards and 15 touchdowns for a Georgia team that went undefeated and won the national championship. Nobody else on the Bulldogs rushed for more than 353 yards and the team's quarterback, Buck Belue, completed only 77 passes that season. Rogers had an excellent season for an 8-4 South Carolina team, but Walker's outsized role for a title-winning offense should have earned him the award.

9. Tommie Frazier (1995)

Heisman winner: Eddie George

Frazier was the offensive centerpiece for perhaps the greatest, most dominant team in college football history, a 1995 Nebraska squad that won its games by an average of 38.4 points per game on its way to a national title. While piloting an offense that averaged 52.4 points per game, Frazier threw for 1,362 yards, ran for another 604 yards and accounted for 31 total touchdowns.

8. Jerry Rhome (1964)

Heisman winner: John Huarte

In two seasons at Tulsa, Rhome set virtually every NCAA passing record that existed at the time, with the star quarterback capping his career off with 2,872 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and just four interceptions as a senior. Mind you, he was putting up these numbers in the mid-1960s, long before more modern, pass-centric offenses became common. His numbers were much better than those of Huarte, a Notre Dame quarterback who threw for half as many touchdowns and nearly three times as many interceptions.

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7. Larry Fitzgerald (2003)

Heisman winner: Jason White

The highlight-reel-worthy catches Fitzgerald made throughout his decorated NFL career were on full display as a redshirt sophomore at Pitt, when he had an FBS-leading 1,672 receiving yards and 22 touchdown catches despite regularly facing double and triple coverage throughout the season. White put up eye-popping numbers in a prolific Oklahoma offense and had the kind of compelling backstory of overcoming adversity — in his case, season-ending knee injuries in each of the previous two seasons — to win over voters. In a narrow loss, Fitzgerald was hurt by his youth and the position he played, as no wide receiver would win the award between 1992 and 2019.

6. O.J. Simpson (1967)

Heisman winner: Gary Beban

In 1975, Archie Griffin became the first and only two-time Heisman Trophy winner. It's an honor that should have been claimed seven years earlier by Simpson, who took home the award in 1968, but very easily could have won it in 1967. That season, he rushed for an FBS-leading 1,415 yards while averaging 5.3 yards per carry for USC. Beban, the quarterback at crosstown rival UCLA, performed heroically in a season-ending loss to the Trojans, throwing for 301 yards, but he had just eight touchdowns to seven interceptions that season and had fewer yards through the air (1,359) than Simpson did on the ground. Though given some of what allegedly transpired after his USC career, and with the Heisman's longtime emphasis on rewarding "the pursuit of excellence with integrity," Simpson should probably be thankful he was able to hold on to the one Heisman he did win.

5. Greg Pruitt (1971)

Heisman winner: Pat Sullivan

Pruitt had a strong case for the Heisman in 1972, as well, when the Oklahoma running back narrowly lost out to Big Eight rival Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska. His third-place finish in 1971 is more egregious, though. That season, Pruitt rushed for a conference-leading 1,665 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging an astonishing 9.4 yards per carry. Pruitt was likely hurt by his quarterback, Jack Mildren, finishing sixth in Heisman balloting that year, presenting a situation in which the two stars split votes.

REQUIRED READING:How will CFP play out? Predicting every round of College Football Playoff

4. Marshall Faulk (1992)

Heisman winner: Gino Torretta

Torretta was the star quarterback of a Miami team that was No. 1 for most of the 1992 season, giving him the best-player-on-the-best-team resume that has paved the way for many a Heisman winner. His numbers that year, though, were slightly worse than his ones from the previous season — and Faulk was simply better, anyway. The San Diego State standout and future NFL MVP had an FBS-best 1,630 yards while averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Two things hurt Faulk's case, though: his team playing in the WAC and the Aztecs' 5-5-1 record that season.

3. Ndamukong Suh (2009)

Heisman winner: Mark Ingram

Like Torretta, Ingram was the most decorated offensive player on the country's best team. But unlike the 1992 race, it was actually the fourth-place finisher who was most deserving of the Heisman. Suh was as dominant of a defensive player as there has been in modern college football history, a force of nature along the defensive line for a Nebraska team that had the nation's top scoring defense that season. He had 82 tackles, 12 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in the regular season despite often being double- and sometimes triple-teamed. Suh's distant spot behind Ingram and second-place finisher Toby Gerhart only reinforced that a defensive player likely needs other contributions (either as an offensive player or returner) to win the Heisman.

2. Chuck Muncie (1975)

Heisman winner:Archie Griffin

Griffin remains the only two-time Heisman winner ever, but the second of his two trophies was more than a little questionable. Muncie ran for 103 more yards on 17 fewer carries than the Ohio State superstar and had 13 rushing touchdowns while Griffin had just four. Though Muncie's Cal team didn't have the same success as Griffin's 11-1 Ohio State squad, the Golden Bears' eight wins that season were their most in 24 years.

1. Jim Brown (1956)

Heisman winner: Paul Hornung

Hornung is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, but he has one of the flimsiest Heisman wins in the award's lengthy history. That season, he threw three touchdowns to 13 interceptions, underwhelming numbers that weren't merely a product of a bygone era (in 1956, 26 quarterbacks threw at least six touchdowns). Even his raw passing production, with 917 yards, ranked him behind 11 other players. He threw an interception once every 8.5 passes. He didn't even play for a great Notre Dame team, as theFighting Irishwent just 2-8 that season.

Brown, meanwhile, rushed for 986 yards, had an FBS-high 13 rushing touchdowns and averaged 6.2 yards per carry for Syracuse. Brown wasn't even close to Hornung, either, finishing in fifth place (second-place Johnny Majors of Tennessee and third-place Tommy McDonald of Oklahoma were both more productive than Hornung, as well).

Given the time in which he played, some of the reasons for Brown's distant finish aren't much of a mystery. It wouldn't be until 1961 that another Syracuse running back, Ernie Davis, became the first Black player to win the Heisman. In January 2020, an ESPN-commissioned panel of 150 media members, college administrators, former coaches and former playersvoted Brown as the greatest player in college football history.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ranking 10 biggest Heisman Trophy snubs of all-time

Jared Goff's 2021 trade from the Los Angeles Rams to the Detroit Lions came as a shock. Los Angeles wasn't far removed from a Super Bowl appearance, and Goff had flourished under Sean McVay after a rocky rookie season.

Despite that, McVay wanted more at the position andboldly decided to swap Gofffor Matthew Stafford. The move didn't just surprise football fans and analysts, it also shocked Goff, who said he wasblindsided by the dealat the time.

Goff will square off against his former team and coach in Week 15, as the Lions travel to Los Angeles to play the Rams. But if you think Goff is still harboring any ill will toward the Rams over that trade, that's not the case.

Goff downplayed the contest Wednesday, saying the trade was "a long time ago" and that he's spent an equal amount of time in Detroit now. When asked whether he would feel "an emotional charge" from playing his former team, Goff said, "No, not so much anymore."

The Lions quarterback noted he's played his former team a few times since leaving Los Angeles. The two teams have met twice in the regular season and once in the playoffs. Goff is 1-1 vs. the Rams in the regular season. He did manage to beat the team in the playoffs in 2024.

As Goff was being asked another question about playing against the Rams, he quipped, "We're still talking about this? All right, go ahead."

The Goff-Stafford trade was a win-win for both teams. In his first year with the Rams, Stafford led the team to a Super Bowl win. He's proven to be a great fit for McVay's offense and is still putting up tremendous numbers in 2025, earning MVP consideration.

Goff has taken a step forward with the Lions and is a big reason why the team has been a powerhouse in the NFC over the past few years. While Detroit hasn't won the Super Bowl with Goff, the team has put up some eye-popping offensive numbers with him under center.

Goff may not feel any extra motivation against the Rams on Sunday, but there is a lot at stake for Detroit. At 8-5, the team finds itself just outside of the playoff picture. The Lions are still very much in the hunt to punch a ticket to the playoffs, and beating thecurrent top seed in the NFCwould go a long way toward Detroit securing its third straight postseason appearance under Goff.

After escaping her country in secret,Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machadosaid Thursday that she received help from the United States government to leave hiding in Venezuela andcollect her award.

Machado, 58, credited President Donald Trump's "decisive" actions in making the Venezuelan regime "weaker than ever," her latest show of support for the White House as it builds military pressure against Caracas. And she vowed she would do her best to return home to end the "tyranny" of President Nicolás Maduro.

"Yes, we did get support from the United States' government," Machado told a news conference in Oslo, Norway, speaking about the journey from her homeland that was fraught with risk and shrouded in secrecy.

NBC News has reached out to the White House for comment on Machado's statement that the U.S. helped her.

She won the Peace Prize in October for being one of the most prominent opponents of Maduro's regime. She has been in hiding for most of this year and is under a decadelong travel ban.

"I cannot give details, because these are people that could be harmed," she said of those who helped her. "Certainly, the regime would have done everything to prevent me from coming. They did not know where I was in hiding in Venezuela, so it was hard for them to stop me."

She called the operation to get her out "quite an experience" and said she hadn't seen her children in two years, describing the reunion as "one of the most extraordinary spiritual moments of my life."

Though Machado failed to reach the Norwegian capital in time for Wednesday's official ceremony —her daughter collecting it in her stead— she appeared hours later on the balcony of Oslo's Grand Hotel, where she waved to crowds and joined them singing the national anthem.

On Thursday she vowed to take the prize back to her homeland.

"I came to receive the prize on behalf of the Venezuelan people and I will take it back to Venezuela at the correct moment," she said while leaving the Norwegian parliament. "Of course I will not say when that is."

She said she hoped "we will turn the country into a beacon of hope, opportunity and democracy," thanking both her fellow activists in Venezuela and also the Norwegian people.

The choice of Machado has attracted significant criticism in addition to praise, after she dedicated her award to President Donald Trump,whose strategy on Venezuela she endorses.

Alongside the fans on Oslo's streets, there were also demonstrators outside the city's Nobel Institute, with placards including "No Peace Prize for Warmongers."

Hours before she spoke in Norway,the U.S military seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuelaas the administration continues to escalate military activity in the region.

At a news conference alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Machado was asked whether she would support a U.S. military intervention in Venezuela.

"People talk about invasion in Venezuela, the threat of an invasion in Venezuela. And I answer, Venezuela was has been already invaded," she said.

"We have the Russian agents, we have the Iranian agents, we have terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas operating freely in accordance with the regime," she said. "We have the Colombian guerrilla, the drug cartels that have taken over 60% of our populations, and not only involving drug trafficking, but in human trafficking, in networks of prostitution."

She said these networks had "turned Venezuela into the criminal hub of the Americas," with trafficking of drugs, arms and humans, alongside the oil black market, funding the regime's "repression system."

Without mentioning Trump by name she said, she had "asked the international community to cut those forces."

The protesters' criticisms are shared by the Venezuelan government, which denies any involvement in crime and the charges of authoritarianism.

Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Venezuelan parliament, said this week that giving the Nobel to someone "who calls for military action against Venezuela and celebrates the killing of human beings in the Caribbean" showed "the hypocrisy of peace organizations."

The U.S. oil tanker seizure was "blatant theft" and "an act of international piracy," Venezuela's foreign affairs minister, Yván Gil Pinto, said on social media.

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria's government resigned on Thursday aftermass protests gripped the countryand just weeks before the European Union nation is due to join the eurozone.

The resignation of the minority coalition, led by the center-right GERB party, was announced minutes before parliament was scheduled to vote on a no-confidence motion tabled by the opposition over economic mismanagement and supported by growing public anger with widespread corruption.

"Ahead of today's vote of no confidence, the government is resigning," Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told reporters in parliament.

The demonstrations on Wednesday came after last week's protests that were sparked by the government's budget plans for higher taxes, increased social security contributions and spending increases. The government later withdrew the contentious 2026 budget plan.

The protesters' demands had expanded to include calls for the center-right government to step down.

"The decisions of the National Assembly are meaningful when they reflect the will of the people," Zhelyazkov said, referring to the anti-government protests. "We want to be where society expects us to be."

Students from Sofia's universities had joined the protests, which organizers said outnumbered last week's rallies that drew more than 50,000 people. Media estimates based on drone visuals put the number of protesters at over 100,000.

At the core of the protesters' frustrations is the role of Bulgarian politician and oligarch Delyan Peevski, who has been sanctioned by both the United States and the United Kingdom, and whose MRF New Beginning party backs the government. Peevski has been accused by opponents of helping shaping government policy in line with oligarchic interests.

"We have no doubt that the government will receive support in the upcoming vote of no confidence. Regardless, the decisions of the National Assembly are important when they reflect the will of the sovereign," the prime minister said.

Zhelyazkov's government survived six votes of no confidence since it was appointed in January, but this time the large turnout of protesters on the streets was a game changer.

The resignation will be formally submitted to parliament on Friday, which must adopt a resolution to accept it. After this formal procedure, President Rumen Radev will give the biggest group in parliament the chance to form a new government. If it fails, the second-largest grouping will get a chance before the president choses a candidate.

If all attempts fail — which is likely — he will appoint a caretaker Cabinet until a new election is held. Political analysts expect that another vote — the eighth since 2021 — will likely produce a similar deeply fragmented parliament facing an uphill task to form a stable government.

The leader of the opposition We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria coalition called the government's resignation "the first step in making Bulgaria a normal European state." "The next step along this path is to conduct fair and free elections rather than elections compromised by vote manipulation as in the previous campaign," he added.

The Balkan country of 6.4 million people is due to make the switch from its national currency, the lev, to the euro on Jan. 1, to become the eurozone's 21st member. Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007.

Waymo is recalling 3,067 vehicles because of a software issue that led tomultiple incidentsin which the autonomous cars drove around stopped school buses.

The recall affects certain 5th-generation automated driving systems, according to a Nov. 8noticeposted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The software may cause vehicles to pass a stopped school bus even when its red lights are flashing or its stop arm is extended, increasing the risk of a crash with a pedestrian, the agency said.

Waymo didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

All 50 states have laws requiring vehicles to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and a deployed stop-arm signal,accordingto the NHTSA.

Waymo told CBS News last week that it was planning to issue a recall. At the time, a spokesperson said the company had identified the software issue that contributed to the school bus incidents and that it had repaired affected vehicles by Nov. 17.

The recall follows multiple reports that the company's self-driving cars drove around school buses stopped on the road in Austin, Texas.

As of Dec. 5, the Austin Independent School District said it was aware of 20 incidents this school year in which a Waymo vehicle illegally passed a school bus. JJ Maldonado, a communications specialist for the school district, told CBS News last week that a 20th citation was issued after Waymo said it had fixed the software issue.

NHTSA launched a probe into Waymo in October after a similar school busincident in Atlanta. The public school district there said it was aware of six cases as of Dec. 5 in which Waymo cars illegally passed stopped school buses.

Waymo, owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, offers hundreds of thousands of driverless rides each week in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Phoenix and Atlanta, and plans to expand to two dozen other cities.

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PARIS (AP) — Lens won its only French league title 27 years ago. But the northern club has confounded expectations this season and tops Ligue 1 ahead of defending champion Paris Saint-Germain.

Long known a coal-mining city, Lens has a passionate and loyal fanbase who ensure a passionate atmosphere at the 38,000-capacity Stade Bollaert-Delelis, and they've been treated to good performances so far.

Led by the flair of goal-scoring wingerFlorian Thauvin, Lens is one point ahead of PSG heading into the 16th round.

Key matchups

Lens is at home on Sunday against a Nice side intotal disarrayafter seven straight defeats.

Despite considerable backing from chemicals giant Ineos, which took over six years ago, Nice still seems unable to find the right formula and some fans haveturned on the players.

PSG plays on Saturday and travels to face a Metz side which is last place after three straight defeats.

Third-placed Marseille has drifted five points off the lead and can ill afford to drop points at home to Monaco on Sunday.

Fourth-placed Lille is level on points with Marseille and visits struggling Auxerre on Sunday.

Players to watch

Another Mbappé is starting to make a name for himself in French soccer.

Ethan Mbappé is the younger brother of France and Real Madrid strikerKylian Mbappé.

Unlike his superstar brother, the 18-year-old plays in a midfield role but nevertheless is finding the net for Lille. He scored the winning goal against high-flying Marseille last Friday, taking his league tally this season to three goals and one assist in just eight games.

He alsoscored the equalizeragainst his former club PSG earlier this season, showing his knack for big-game goals. Injuries have slowed down Ethan's career up but Lille coach Bruno Genesio is hopeful he can get a consistent run of games.

"If his body allows, he is a starter in the making," Genesio said. "I hope that he will continue to progress and train without niggles because he's a really interesting player."

Marseille forward Mason Greenwood showed his clinical finishing in a 3-2 win over Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League on Tuesday.

He is Ligue 1's top scorer with 10 goals and has netted 13 times overall in 20 games this season, after 22 in 36 games last season.

Désiré Douécould start for PSG after returning from injury.

The 20-year-old forward, who starred for PSG when it won the Champions League, came on a substitute on Wednesday against Athletic Bilbao. It was his first appearance sincetearing a musclein his right thigh on Oct. 30.

Out of action

Lens central defender Jonathan Gradit is a long-term absentee because of a shin fracture sustained in training.

Monaco is waiting on the fitness of goal-scoring wingerAnsu Fati, who has a minor hamstring injury.

PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier and right back Achraf Hakimi are nursing ankle injuries, while Marseille forward Amine Gouiri is recovering from a shoulder operation.

Off the field

Tensions are increasing between French soccer fans and the riot police.

Saint-Étienne fans denounced "police violence" after a 1-0 defeat at Dunkerque last Saturday.

"Saint-Étienne supporters were subjected to indiscriminate and exceptionally intense violence by the police officers present in the away section," the Green Angels supporters groupposted on X. "The police were ordered to charge in a confined space, even though no supporters were hostile towards them."

The Green Angels said some fans were hit with batons and others received flash-ball shots and were subjected to tear gas.

In September, Lens supporters said they were surrounded by aggressive riot police with baton shields raised when they arrived at a pre-designated area ahead of a game at PSG.

Lens supporters said they were prevented from leaving the bus by the riot police — known as the CRS — who were outside. Women on board were not even allowed to step out to use the toilet when they asked.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer