LOS ANGELES: Notre Dame is heading to the Bowl Championship Series championship game to play a South East Conference team to be determined.
The Fighting Irish downed Southern California 22-13 on Saturday to finish a perfect season and lock up a spot in the national championship game.
The SEC title game next Saturday in Atlanta will most likely determine Notre Dame’s opponent. No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Georgia will play in that game, though Florida will make a case that it deserves to be playing the Fighting Irish.
In Tallahassee, Florida, the fourth-ranked Gators scored 24 straight fourth-quarter points behind Mike Gillislee and a hard-hitting defense to beat No. 10 Florida State 37-26.
The Gators (11-1) needed a USC upset of the Irish to work their way into the BCS championship game, because their loss to Georgia shut them out of the SEC title.
Ohio State (12-0) finished its bowl-banned season by beating rival Michigan 26-21. NCAA college sanctions will keep the Buckeyes out of the postseason and might have cost Urban Meyer’s first Ohio State team a shot at the national championship.
No. 1 Notre Dame 22 USC 13: At Los Angeles, Theo Riddick ran for 146 yards and a touchdown, Kyle Brindza kicked five field goals, and Notre Dame earned a chance to play for its first national title since 1988.
Everett Golson passed for 217 yards as the Fighting Irish (12-0) completed their first perfect regular season since that title campaign.
Although they did little with flash on an electric night at the Coliseum, the Irish woke up more echoes of past Notre Dame greats with a grinding effort in this dynamic intersectional rivalry with USC (7-5), which has lost three of four.
Notre Dame’s hard-nosed defense appropriately made the decisive stand in the final minutes, keeping USC out of the end zone on four plays from the 1 with 2:33 to play.
No. 2 Alabama 49 Auburn 0: In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, AJ McCarron passed for four touchdowns and Eddie Lacy ran for 131 yards and two scores in the most lopsided Iron Bowl in 64 years.
The Crimson Tide (10-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) clinched the Western Division title outright and a spot in the conference title game against No. 3 Georgia.
None of that will come as easily as this one. Auburn (3-9, 0-8) completed the worst season for any team within two years of winning an Associated Press national title in what might have been the last game for embattled coach Gene Chizik.
The biggest Iron Bowl margin was Alabama’s 55-0 victory in 1948.
No. 3 Georgia 42 Georgia Tech 10: At Athens, Georgia, Aaron Murray threw two touchdown passes, Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall each ran for a pair of TDs, and Georgia stayed right in the thick of the national championship race.
The Bulldogs (11-1) extended the domination of the Yellow Jackets, beating their state rival for the 11th time in 12 meetings. This one was a laugher from the start as the home team scored just over a minute into the game, built a 28-3 halftime lead and was up 42-3 before Georgia Tech (6-6) scored its lone TD.
No. 4 Ohio State 26, No. 20 Michigan 21: At Columbus, Ohio, Carlos Hyde ran for 146 yards and Ohio State’s defense shut out Michigan in the second half to complete a 12-0 season.
It was a sweet win for the Buckeyes, just 6-7 last season with a loss to their archrivals in a transitional year in which they were facing heavy NCAA penalties. After Urban Meyer took the job as head coach a year ago, they were socked with a bowl ban after this season — and still ran the table.
Ohio State (12-0, 8-0 Big Ten) is ineligible for a BCS national title but still has an outside shot at finishing No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 if other contenders lose. Michigan (8-4, 6-2) will now await a minor bowl bid.
No. 5 Oregon 48 No. 16 Oregon State 24: At Corvallis, Oregon, Kenjon Barner ran for 198 yards and two touchdowns despite leaving the game for a time with an injury and the Ducks kept alive their hopes for a spot in the Pac-12 title game and even an outside chance at the national championship.
De’Anthony Thomas, who helped picked up the slack while Barner was on the sidelines, ran for 122 yards and three scores for the Ducks (11-1, 8-1).
After Oregon’s undefeated season was thwarted by a 17-14 overtime loss to Stanford last weekend, the Ducks had to wait for UCLA’s game against the Cardinal later Saturday to see who would be headed to the conference championship game.
No. 6 Florida 37 No. 10 Florida State 26: At Tallahassee, Florida, Mike Gillislee ran for two touchdowns and the Gators beat their rivals to stay in the national title hunt.
Florida regained the lead 23-20 on Gillislee’s 37-yard run with 11:01 left in the final period on the first play after Florida State’s EJ Manuel fumbled, his fourth turnover of the game. Gillislee finished with 140 yards rushing.
Florida (11-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) came into the game fourth in the BCS standings Florida State (10-2, 7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) was hurt by five turnovers in the game. The Seminoles will play Georgia Tech next week in the ACC title game.
No. 9 Texas A&M 59 Missoui 29: At College Station, Texas, Johnny Manziel threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more scores in his last chance to make a Heisman statement.
The Aggies (10-2, 6-2 SEC) scored touchdowns on their first six drives to build a 42-7 halftime lead and coast to their first 10-win season since 1998.
About the only drama in this one came when Manziel was shaken up on a tackle at the end of a run in the first quarter.
But Johnny Football missed just four plays before returning with a brace on his left knee. And it didn’t seem to slow him down one bit.
Manziel added 67 yards rushing and completed 32 of 44 passes on Saturday. He has thrown for 24 touchdowns and ran for 19 this season.
The win snaps A&M’s three-game losing streak to Missouri (5-7, 2-6 SEC), and kept the Tigers from becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2004.
No. 11 Stanford 35 No. 15 UCLA17: At Pasadena, California, Stepfan Taylor ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns, Kevin Hogan passed for 160 yards and another score, and Stanford won the Pac-12 North and a rematch with the Bruins in the conference championship game.
The Cardinal (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12) found out about 10 minutes before the opening kickoff that No. 5 Oregon (11-1, 8-1) had beaten No. 16 Oregon State 48-24, meaning they had to win to qualify for another shot at UCLA — a game Stanford will host next Friday.
The Cardinal, who have three straight 10-win seasons for the first time, beat Oregon 17-14 in overtime last weekend.
Notre Dame beats USC to clinch spot in BCS championship game
Notre Dame beats USC to clinch spot in BCS championship game
Verstappen refuses to be drawn on future ahead of British GP
“There are always rumors, but only one who decides and that is me and the team“
SILVERSTONE, UK: Max Verstappen on Thursday refused to be drawn on questions about discussions with Mercedes and exit clauses in his Red Bull contract when he spoke to reporters ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
Facing a succession of questions about his future, following reports in Italy that he had agreed to join Mercedes next year, the Dutchman was polite, but evasive in his answers, stressing that for him it would be ideal to complete his career with one team — Red Bull.
“I am happy where I am,” he said. “There are always rumors, but only one who decides and that is me and the team. I control my own destiny and I am happy and in control of where I’m at.”
Sky Sport Italia on Wednesday reported that he had agreed to join Mercedes, sparking speculation that he was set to replace arch-rival George Russell, but the Briton earlier stated he was confident of keeping his seat.
He said he expected to confirm his new contract with Mercedes — the team believed to be best prepared for the regulation changes next year — within a few weeks.
“I’ve nothing to add to last week,” said Verstappen. “Of course, other people write stuff and that’s great but it’s not me... Happy with my team? In life, you can always see other things and think, as they say, the grass is greener on the other side.
“But I think it is best to stay calm and up to now we have had success except for some time this season and this can happen and you have to accept it.
“I know what I have and what we can do and that’s fine, but, to be honest, I have nothing to add to last week. I am focussed on the team and to improve.”
Asked if he felt he needed to be in the fastest car to win races and titles, Verstappen said it is “difficult in F1 to be in the fastest car... Who would know that two years ago who will be fastest?
“I don’t focus much on it, I just try to improve my own situation and where we want to be next year. If you chase the fastest car now it may not be the fastest car next year. Sometimes you can luck in and then win four, or five or six titles...”
The 27-year-old shared that being a one-team man was an interesting prospect for him, while stating that he had never been tempted to leave Austrian constructor Red Bull.
“I’m going to say no...” he said on the questioning of ever having felt tempted to take a seat elsewhere in the paddock.
“I don’t want more headlines. It would be ideal to finish my career at Red Bull with one team. That would be something amazing and I am still trying to achieve that.
“We are fighting for podiums now and that’s not too bad!“
Reports suggested Verstappen’s contract contained exit clauses that could be activated if he is not in the top three in the drivers championship at the end of July.
But the four-time world champion bluntly refused to reveal any details about his deal with Red Bull.
“To be honest, I am not speaking about my contract. It’s easier like that,” he said.
From Grand Slam to grand struggle, Krejcikova lives to fight on
- There was zero champion’s polish on show as the Czech creaked her way into the third round
- The pair exchanged errors and breaks of serve throughout
LONDON: Barbora Krejcikova’s Wimbledon defense is still alive — but only just. The Czech squeezed past American Caroline Dolehide 6-4 3-6 6-2 in a second-round tussle that was all grind and no grandeur.
There was zero champion’s polish on show as the Czech creaked her way into the third round, surviving a match as scrappy as a Henman Hill picnic after a seagull raid.
“A huge relief,” she said afterwards to polite applause from the crowd. “Really up and down points, turning one way and the other ... I am so grateful I can keep going.”
Court Two spectators, many blissfully unaware that they were watching the reigning champion, might be forgiven — Krejcikova herself barely looked the part.
A season dogged by back and thigh niggles has left the 29-year-old short of sharpness, and her patchy 4-3 record for the season coming in was on full display in a match strewn with errors.
Spraying foreheads wide of their mark and dumping backhands into the net, nothing suggested a twice Grand Slam champion was holding court.
At times the contest resembled less a Grand Slam match and more a practice session between two very rusty players — Krejcikova produced 39 unforced errors, while Dolehide got fewer than half her first serves in all match.
The pair exchanged errors and breaks of serve throughout — Dolehide trying to power her way into the contest while Krejcikova sought to claw her way to victory on the back of slow, sliced forehands whispering back to a gentler age.
Scarcely can a champion have produced such a lukewarm performance on the Grand Slam stage but it would be fair to say the Czech blows hot and cold on the tennis court.
French Open champion in 2021, she has followed that title run with three first-round defeats and one second round showing at Roland Garros in the years since.
Her form can read like a nursery rhyme. When she’s good, she’s very, very good — Grand Slam good. But when the gears don’t quite catch, when timing slips or confidence wavers, she can unravel just as spectacularly.
As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 19th-century American poet and nursery rhyme writer, had it: when she is good, she is very, very good — but when she is bad, she is horrid.
Still, the 17th seed did just enough to scrape through to gentle applause and a sterner test ahead: 10th seed Emma Navarro, who won’t be quite so generous. (Reporting by Ossian Shine; Editing by Christian Radnedge and Ken Ferris)
US fans can learn from unbelievable Guatemala supporters, Pochettino says
- “The fans of Guatemala, I need to say, wow, unbelievable. It was like, to play there,” Pochettino told reporters
- “An unbelievable energy. That is football, that is football”
MEXICO: United States coach Mauricio Pochettino said Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Guatemala in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals felt like a game on the road, adding that the spirit of the opposing fans was something American supporters could learn from.
Over 22,000 spectators attended the match in St. Louis and the majority were Guatemala supporters, loudly backing their team throughout the game even as Diego Luna’s early brace helped the US reach the final, where they face Mexico on Sunday.
“The fans of Guatemala, I need to say, wow, unbelievable. It was like, to play there. And that was good for our players because it was an atmosphere we didn’t expect,” former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager Pochettino told reporters.
Argentine Pochettino said he hoped to see the same passion from American fans when the World Cup takes place in the US next year.
“An unbelievable energy. That is football, that is football. When we say, the connection between the team and the fans, that’s the connection we’d like to see at the World Cup. The connection that makes you fly,” he said.
“When we talk about culture, that is culture ... to see (Guatemala), how they fight, how the fans behave, that is an important thing that we need to learn in this country.”
Pochettino said that in many countries, soccer matches were seen as much more than sporting spectacles.
“In a different country, you play (to) survive. You play for food. You play for pride ... it’s not to enjoy, go home and laugh, that’s it,” he said.
“The moment that we, this roster, start to live in this way, I think we have big room to improve.”
Motor racing-Mayer set to stand against Ben Sulayem for FIA presidency
- Mayer would announce on Friday he was standing against Ben Sulayem
- A press conference was called at a venue outside the Silverstone circuit
SILVERSTONE, England: Mohammed Ben Sulayem will face a challenge to his bid for re-election as president of the FIA, motorsport’s world governing body, after a rival candidate emerged on Thursday.
The BBC reported American Tim Mayer, a former Formula One steward and son of former McLaren principal Teddy Mayer, would announce on Friday he was standing against Ben Sulayem.
A press conference was called at a venue outside the Silverstone circuit ahead of British Grand Prix practice.
Ben Sulayem, an Emirati, is scheduled to attend the race which marks the midpoint in the Formula One season. He has already announced he is seeking a second term.
The FIA is the governing body for F1, the world rally championship and Formula E among other series.
Klopp ‘heartbroken’ by Diogo Jota’s death
- “This is a moment where I struggle!” Klopp posted on Instagram
- “I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre”
MUNICH: Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he was “heartbroken” to learn Diogo Jota, who he signed in 2020, had died with his younger brother Andre in a car crash on Thursday.
Diogo Jota, 28, died alongside Andre after their vehicle veered off a motorway in northern Spain before bursting into flames.
Klopp, who is Red Bull’s “head of global soccer,” persuaded the Liverpool board to pay £45 million ($62 million) for Diogo Jota after he impressed at Wolves.
“This is a moment where I struggle!” Klopp posted on Instagram.
“There must be a bigger purpose! But I can’t see it! I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre.
“Diogo was a not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father!
“We will miss you so much! All my prayers, thoughts and power to Rute, the kids, the family, the friends and everyone who loved them! Rest in peace — Love.”
Diogo Jota was labelled an “exceptional player, exceptional boy,” by Klopp early on in the player’s spell at Liverpool.
Jota took little time to deliver some return on Liverpool’s investment, becoming the first player in the club’s history to score in his first four home games.
He was a key part of Klopp’s side that won the League Cup and FA Cup in 2021/22, narrowly missing out on the Premier League and Champions League for what would have been an unprecedented quadruple.
