Meet the Denver Broncos' new MVP

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Denver Broncos are a running team.

They’re not going to turn Peyton Manning into a game manager like Alex Smith or anything, and there might be a day or two left this season when the temperature is above freezing and Manning throws for 400 yards, but after a small slump the Broncos understand who they are. And that’s as a team that can win by relying heavily on running back C.J. Anderson, which the Broncos did again in a 29-16 win at Kansas City.

You probably didn’t know Anderson a month ago, unless you’re a Cal football fan. He was sitting on your fantasy football waiver wire without anyone dreaming of picking him up. Last week he rushed for 167 yards against the Dolphins. On Sunday he rushed for 168 yards against the Chiefs. He’s the first Broncos back in nine years to have back-to-back games of at least 150 yards. He had never had more than five carries in a game before November.

“C.J. was just a workhorse tonight,” Manning said. “C.J. was really special.”

That workload was by design. Manning, often labeled as someone only worried about his own stats, said the Broncos wanted to establish the run. It was 18 degrees at kickoff. The Chiefs’ crowd was loud, at least at the beginning. So the Broncos got the ball to Anderson 11 times in their first 17 plays. The 17^th play, a 15-yard touchdown catch by Anderson, put the Broncos ahead 14-0. The Chiefs never threatened after that.

The Broncos had to learn the hard way that they couldn't be an elite team with a one-dimensional offense. In a really disappointing loss to the Rams two weeks ago, the Broncos threw 54 times. Anderson had nine carries. The offense scored seven points.

Manning is great, but Manning on every play isn’t the Broncos’ best answer.

“I think it was a wake-up call,” Broncos coach John Fox said about the lack of balance in that game.

Anderson joked after Sunday’s game that he’d feel all 32 carries on Monday. The good news for the Broncos is that he’s feeling good. Before the Broncos kicked off against the Oakland on Nov. 9, Anderson had 24 carries in his two NFL seasons. He was your typical undrafted third running back, around in case anything happened. Then Montee Ball hurt his groin (twice) and Ronnie Hillman injured his foot. Against the Raiders, Anderson turned a short flare pass into a 51-yard score, making multiple defenders miss. Fox admitted that play opened some eyes. A light bulb came on. Anderson eventually became a go-to option in the offense.

A few weeks later, and Anderson might be the Broncos’ MVP. Not literally – it’s obviously Manning and the way he runs the offense – but in terms of giving the Broncos the balance that turns them back into a championship contender, he has been an enormous difference. The Broncos had lost two of three games and were in danger of losing to Miami last week before Anderson took over. With a new-look offense, the Broncos again look elite. And Anderson said he can continue this workload for as long as it's needed.

"I feel fresh," Anderson said. "I didn’t play seven, eight, nine weeks. I’m kind of like a pinch hitter."

Anderson was a virtual unknown a month ago. On Sunday night he was starring for the Broncos and getting interviewed by NBC afterward and getting the “Sunday Night Football” game ball.

“That was amazing,” Anderson admitted.

He said his life has been pretty normal despite the recent surge in production and attention, although that’s hard to totally believe. But he’s not worried about anything but continuing to churn out yards, because that’s how he’ll keep hold of this opportunity.

“I feel like (offensive coordinator Adam) Gase challenged me, he said I’m going to call this run and if you can give me 4, I’m going to call it again,” Anderson said. “So I felt like if I can give him 4 – if I can give him 8 – then keep calling them.”

Like any city that won a championship once and hasn’t in a while, there are comparisons to the old title teams, and the parallel in Denver is hard to miss. John Elway was a 37-year-old quarterback in 1997. When the Broncos built their identity around running back Terrell Davis, they won a Super Bowl. And then another one. Those two seasons, Elway threw for less than 200 yards in four of their seven playoff wins. Davis had 100 yards in each of them.

Now Elway is the general manager of the Broncos, and he’s hoping 38-year-old Manning can get another Super Bowl championship at the end of his great career. Anderson isn’t Davis just because he has had two big games, and this Broncos offense is never going to entirely be handed over to the running game as long as Manning is around. But if nothing else, the Broncos know this young running back who was an unknown a month ago can give them a different way to win, especially in the playoffs.

“At the end of the day this game is only fun when you win,” Fox said, when asked if Manning is fine with the new run-heavy approach. “No matter how you do it.”

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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Sunday Scene, Week 13: Johnny Manziel finally joins the fantasy party

On a day when three different quarterbacks threw five or more touchdown passes, our headliner this week is a rookie backup whose team just lost 26-10. Such is the power of Johnny Manziel.

Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine pulled starter Brian Hoyer early in the fourth quarter on Sunday, his team trailing at Buffalo, 20-3. Hoyer had just thrown his second interception of the game and fifth in the past two weeks. Manziel's first series was crisp eight-play, 80-yard scoring drive, punctuated by this 10-yard touchdown scramble by Johnny himself . His second series was ... um ... somewhat less impressive. It featured this bit of hilarity , ruled an incomplete pass. Still, Johnny's final passing line was a perfectly respectable 5-of-8 for 63 yards, and he found Josh Gordon for his longest completion of the day.

So now the critical question is this: Who will get the start behind center for the Browns in Week 14?

Pettine declined to fully endorse either QB in his initial postgame comments:

Pettine won't name a starting quarterback for next game until he sees the tape of this loss. The door seems open for Manziel.

— Jeff Schudel (@jsbrownsinsider) November 30, 2014

Not much chance the coaching staff will enjoy this week's tape. Expect the quarterback debate to be settled by Wednesday's practice, but not long before.

Hoyer has been a rough watch over the past month, tossing just one TD pass and six picks over his last four games. He's completing just 56.2 percent of his passes for the year. It's been a nice enough seven-win ride so far this season, but the good times may have just ended. Hoyer was apparently shocked to be benched, but the rest of us weren't so surprised. The Browns are right there, still contending, and Hoyer has been a turnover machine.

If the Manziel takeover is indeed happening, he'll get a home matchup with Indianapolis next Sunday. The Colts just allowed 392 passing yards and three scores to a bad team's third-string quarterback, so we can't regard them as an impossible matchup. Manziel obviously has a rushing component to his game, which fantasy owners appreciate; there's no arguing with the quality of his receiving corps, now that Gordon is back in the mix (and with Jordan Cameron perhaps on the way). Cleveland will no doubt remain a run-heavy team moving forward, but Indy has a way forcing opponents to the air. Clearly, Manziel has deep-league fantasy appeal, and he's available in nearly 90 percent of the Yahoo universe. We know he's a fun improvisational player; we can't yet say if he's going to be an effective, winning pocket-passer at the pro level.

But Johnny is gonna be a fun watch, and probably a fun fantasy experience. If he's at the controls of the Browns offense in Week 16 — when fantasy titles are settled — he'd face a Carolina defense that ranks among the most generous to opposing QBs.

We've all enjoyed the Hoyer story, but, well ... c'mon. Johnny Football potentially making his first pro start in the opening round of the fantasy playoffs is pretty much the greatest.

I'm ready. Let's hope Johnny is, too.

• New Orleans and Pittsburgh combined for 67 points and over 900 yards of total offense on Sunday (685 via the pass), yet somehow Jimmy Graham caught nothin'. Zero targets, zero catches, zero fantasy goodness. Nine different Saints had receptions in Week 13, but not JIMMY [expletive] GRAHAM. That's, um ... wow. Unexpected. The silver lining here (which won't matter to you if Graham cost you a playoff berth) is that Jimmy isn't injured. The Steelers simply erased him...

#Saints TE Jimmy Graham explained that #Steelers were cutting in front of his routes, mostly Polamalu. Fine with it since it led to win.

— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) November 30, 2014

Drew Brees still managed to throw for 257 yards and five TDs, connecting five times with Kenny Stills for 162 yards and one score. (Stills basically owned Ike Taylor.) Pittsburgh received big days from everyone who routinely delivers them — Ben passed for 435, Brown had two scores, Le'Veon had a zillion yards — but the Steelers defense was barely a rumor.

• The Patriots and Packers gave us the high-level clinic we were all expecting, with twice as much Brandon LaFell as I'd projected (5-38-2). LeGarrette Blount out-carried Jonas Gray 10-to-1, while Brandon Bolden poached the rushing score. Welcome to the many-headed nightmare that is the New England backfield.

Not that you ever doubted him, but Aaron Rodgers remains sickeningly good. He passed for 368 and two scores in the win over New England, tossing his usual zero INTs. Davante Adams led the Pack in receiving (6-121-0), but he also dropped a sure TD. Jordy Nelson roasted Darrelle Revis for a long score in the final minute of the first-half, saving his fantasy day.

• Congrats to those of you who streamed the Minnesota D/ST in Week 13. Well played. The Vikes scored twice on blocked punts against Carolina, which we don't exactly see every week. Keep Minnesota on your roster for next week's date with the Jets. Cam Newton had yet another ho-hum day for the Panthers (194 pass, TD, INT) in an not-so-intimidating matchup, and Kelvin Benjamin did little with another dozen targets (5-56-0). Carolina has the Saints and Bucs upcoming, so at least there's hope if you're banking on Cats in the fantasy postseason. (It's fading, but it's still hope.)

• Ryan Fitzpatrick throwing six touchdown passes is just everything that's great and terrible and unknowable about the NFL. Can't say I considered that within the range of possible outcomes. Never overestimate Tennessee, I guess. Fitz needed only 33 pass attempts to produce 358 yards and a half-dozen scores, as DeAndre Hopkins had a monstrous day (238 yards, 2 TDs).

For planning purposes, here's the rest-of-season schedule for the Titans: NYG, NYJ, at Jax, Ind. Tennessee lost Zach Mettenberger to a right shoulder injury and Justin Hunter to a lacerated spleen (yikes), adding injuries to the day's various insults.

• So are there any Doug Martin owners still alive in fantasy at this late date? Anyone? No? Well, Martin visited the end-zone on Sunday, for the first time since September. He finished with 61 scrimmage yards on 19 touches versus Cincy. Andy Dalton was breathtakingly bad in the first-half at Tampa (three INTs), but the Bucs did very little with the opportunities, ultimately losing 14-13. Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard again split the backfield touches, but neither found the end-zone. Let's all just try to forget this game ever occurred, agreed? Great.

• Keenan Allen and Torrey Smith opened the 2014 season as two of the league's most maligned and disappointing receivers, but they've surged in recent weeks. Those two combined for 186 receiving yards and four spikes at Baltimore on Sunday, in a thriller of a game, marred by a dubious PI penalty. (As I now understand the call, Ravens DB Anthony Levine was flagged for illegally using his neck and face to interfere with Malcom Floyd's forearm. Or something like that.) Philip Rivers was terrific, finishing with 383 passing yards and three scores. Baltimore entered the day allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, you'll note. The Ravens aren't necessarily a matchup to avoid.

• In an otherwise productive afternoon against Washington, Coby Fleener was responsible for one of the ugliest drops in the history of professional football thrown objects. Just look at this thing . It should have been like fielding a short punt — and Fleener had a fair chance to stumble across the goal-line, too. Brutal. Fleener's fantasy owners can only complain so much, however, because the oven-mitted tight end still finished with 127 yards and two scores (the first was laughably open). Dan Herron outproduced Trent Richardson by a mile this week, not that you expected anything else. Herron gained 88 yards on eight carries, breaking the plane from the distance in the first-half on a 49-yarder. (Richardson, in case you were wondering, has never had a 40-plus yard carry or catch in the NFL. He had eight totes for 12 yards this week.) Donte Moncrief added a pair of long second-half touchdowns for the Colts, who embarrassed Washington early and often.

Colt McCoy had a huge day in relief of RG3, passing for 392 yards and three TDs. And it wasn't nearly enough, because his team's defense was miserable. (Also, Andrew Luck can play a little.) DeSean Jackson limped away from Week 13 with a leg injury/bruise of as-yet-unknown severity, so we'll need to monitor that situation throughout the week ahead.

• Matt Ryan and Julio Jones shamed the Cardinals defense on Sunday, and Steven Jackson topped the 100-yard plateau against Arizona's normally stout run D. Julio hauled in 10 of his 12 targets for 189 yards and one score. Harry Douglas added nine catches for 116, delivering a pretty fair Roddy White impression. All things considered, a good day for the dome birds, an awful day for the desert birds. And Andre Ellington (hip) added his name to the long list of injured Cards, so that's another worry.

• Oakland got its win last Thursday, so the team apparently decided to treat Week 13 as a bye. The Raiders were mauled in St. Louis on Sunday, losing 52-0. Tre Mason had a huge afternoon for the Rams, totaling 164 yards and three scores on just 17 touches. Scott Pianowski told the tale earlier in the day, right here. Give it a read. Mason had been plenty impressive in degree-of-difficulty matchups this season, so the explosion against Oakland wasn't completely unforeseeable.

• I'm not sure that Sunday's loss at Jacksonville was a new low for the New York Giants, but it was certainly a shockingly low low. The Giants raced to an early three-touchdown lead, yet somehow coughed up the game to a one-win team. Rashad Jennings ran for two TDs against the Jaguars, and it wasn't enough. Blake Bortles made it through an entire game without turning over the football, so congrats to him. We can't say the same for Eli, I'm afraid.

EARLY ADDS FOR WEEK 14

all players available in 50 percent of Yahoo leagues

QB Johnny Manziel, Cle (Ind, Cin, at Car)

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Hou (at Jac, at Ind, Bal)

QB Teddy Bridgewater, Min (NYJ, at Det, at Mia)

RB Doug Martin, TB (at Det, at Car, GB)

RB Daniel Herron, Ind (at Cle, Hou, at Dal)

RB Roy Helu Jr., Was (STL, at NYG, Phi)

WR Kenny Stills, NO (Car, at Chi, Atl)

WR Greg Jennings, Min (NYJ, at Det, at Mia)

WR Donte Moncrief, Ind (at Cle, Hou, at Dal)

DEF Minnesota (NYJ, at Det, at Mia)

DEF Green Bay (Atl, at Buf, at TB)

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Titans receiver Justin Hunter hospitalized with lacerated spleen

Tennessee Titans receiver Justin Hunter was shaken up on a first-quarter interception, and while it was a pretty hard hit, it didn't seem out of the ordinary. When Hunter returned to the game, it didn't seem like anything to worry about.

But it was obviously not routine, as Hunter started complaining of stomach pains in the second half. He had a lacerated spleen.

Hunter will remain hospitalized overnight in Houston, according to The Tennessean. The newspaper reported that surgery is not being considered, but it's still a scary injury.

"It was a surprise to us that he was taken to the hospital," Titans receiver Nate Washington said, according to The Tennessean. "This is a situation where football goes out the window. He has internal bleeding. … Any time a guy is spitting up blood you have to be concerned. This is bigger than football. I just hope that everything is all right. ... Justin is like a brother to me, and I want to make sure he is OK."

Hunter stretched out for a pass, and was wide open for a big hit to the midsection from Texans safety Danieal Manning. The pass was intercepted after the hit, and Hunter immediately doubled over on the ground in pain.

The injury doesn't sound as serious as when Buccaneers quarterback Chris Simms ruptured his spleen during a 2006 game, and had emergency surgery to remove it. He was told that had he gone another 45 minutes without being treated, he could have died from internal bleeding. Even though Hunter's injury doesn't appear to be that bad, the Titans will obviously be careful with Hunter and make sure he's fully healthy before he returns, even if that's not until next season.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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AFC and NFC races tighten with Packers' win over Patriots

Come on, it’s more fun this way.

Who really wanted to watch the New England Patriots run away with the NFL this season? The Green Bay Packers’ 26-21 win over the Patriots makes the AFC more interesting. It makes the NFC more interesting too.

And, it’s possible we’ll be revisiting this matchup after both conference championship games in January. That would be fine, because the teams played an entertaining game that lived up to the "Super Bowl preview" hype.

The Patriots fell to 9-3 with the loss. They’re still in great shape to win the No. 1 seed in the AFC, thanks to wins over the Bengals, Colts and Broncos, but it doesn’t seem like such a lock anymore.

The Packers improved to 9-3 and with Arizona looking very vulnerable after a loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the race for playoff positioning in the NFC is wide open. The Packers are tied for the best record in the conference and obviously nobody wants to come to Lambeau Field in January.

The Patriots found out how hard it is to win in Green Bay. New England has been clearly the best team in the NFL since the end of September, but the Packers are fantastic at home. Aaron Rodgers seems to be under the spell of the invincibility star at Lambeau Field. He was 24-of-38 for 368 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against a very good Patriots defense, extending an unbelievable streak: Rodgers hasn’t thrown an interception at home since Week 13 of the 2012 season. No kidding.

The Packers got great contributions from several receivers and 98 rushing yards from Eddie Lacy. Still, the Patriots had a chance to take a late lead, but Mike Daniels and Mike Neal came up with a huge third-down sack in the final minutes. Stephen Gostkowski missed a field goal and the Patriots never got the ball back.

Fortunately for the Patriots, the Super Bowl won’t be in Green Bay. It’s in Glendale, Ariz. this year. There’s no telling what will happen in the playoffs, but it wouldn’t be a big surprise if these two teams meet again there. And wouldn’t that be fun?

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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Tom Brady's on a literal short leash

We're not quite sure what's going on here, but there is very clearly someone on the New England Patriots sideline leading Tom Brady around via a leash. We presume this is a training aid of some sort, but we prefer to think of it as the way that Bill Belichick keeps Brady housebroken.

Your theories, quips, and one-liners are welcome.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.

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from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/tom-brady-s-on-a-literal-short-leash-234343730.html

Auburn parts ways with DC Ellis Johnson

Auburn has fired defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson.

According to AuburnSports.com, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn informed Johnson of the decision on Sunday.

"At this time I felt it was best for our program to make a change with our defensive coordinator," Malzahn said in a statement. "Ellis is a true professional and I would like to thank him for his contributions at Auburn."

The Tigers' defense gave up 55 points to Alabama on Saturday night in a 55-44 Iron Bowl loss. It was the fifth straight SEC game that Auburn had given up more than 30 points to an opponent.

Auburn, 8-4, ranks No. 57 in total defense, giving up 389 yards per game and 5.60 yards per play. The yardage numbers are actually improvements from last season, as Auburn's defense gave up six yards a play and over 420 yards a game in 2013. However, the Auburn offense wasn't as electric as it was in 2013 when the Tigers made it to the BCS Championship Game.

"This is part of the business and I totally understand," Johnson said in the same statement. "I did think we were good in several areas, but overall it wasn't good enough. I’m disappointed for our players, but this is a results business. I want to thank Coach Malzahn and Auburn for the opportunity the last two years."

Johnson was hired by Malzahn when the former Auburn offensive coordinator took over as head coach of the Tigers before the 2013 season. Before joining Auburn, Johnson served as the head coach at Southern Miss for a season after Larry Fedora went to North Carolina.

Auburn is the second SEC team to fire its defensive coordinator (while keeping its head coach) and the school will be mentioned along with Texas A&M as a possible destination for former Florida coach Will Muschamp if Muschamp wants to be a coordinator in 2015. Before becoming Florida's coach and Texas' defensive coordinator before Florida, Muschamp served as defensive coordinator for Auburn in 2006 and 2007.

For more Auburn news, visit AuburnSports.com.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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Janay Rice on Goodell: 'I can't say he's telling the truth'

Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice won his disciplinary appeal against the NFL earlier this week, making him immediately eligible to play football. In the wake of that reinstatement, his wife Janay has begun speaking to the press about the chain of events that led to Rice's suspension and release, as well as what may lie ahead for the couple. Pointedly, Janay Rice has denied NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's version of the discussion that led to Rice's suspension.

Rice had knocked his wife unconscious in an Atlantic City casino elevator in February. Speaking to the "Today" show in an interview to be aired Monday and Tuesday, Janay Rice took issue with Goodell claiming that Ray Rice had been "ambiguous" in describing the altercation. The NFL initially suspended Rice for two games, then extended that suspension indefinitely after the September release of a videotape that showed the entire altercation.

"I know for a fact ... that Ray told the honest truth that he's been telling from February," Janay Rice said, adding that in regard to Goodell, "I can't say he's telling the truth."

Goodell's honesty, or lack thereof, has come under considerable scrutiny and criticism in recent months, with many NFL observers and players taking issue with the commissioner's authoritarian style of discipline and management. That method had served the NFL well for many years, but discipline seen as inconsistent or insufficient forced the NFL to scramble in an attempt to justify its way of handling punishment. That inconsistency was a key reason behind the invalidation of Rice's indefinite suspension.

Former U.S. Judge Barbara Jones, assigned to handle Rice's appeal, deemed Goodell's decision to extend Rice's suspension an "abuse of discretion," and like Janay Rice, disputed Goodell's version of events. "Because Rice did not mislead the commissioner and because there were no new facts on which the commissioner could base his increased suspension, I find that the imposition of the indefinite suspension was arbitrary," Jones wrote in rendering her verdict. "I therefore vacate the second penalty imposed on Rice."

"Ray told the commissioner, and his colleagues, everything that happened," Janay said in an interview with ESPN.com's Jemele Hill. "There was no reason to lie because we knew that there was a video and we assumed the NFL knew what was in it, even though we didn't know whether or not they saw it ... They asked Ray how long we had been in counseling and if we were going to continue. When Ray mentioned that we were drinking that night, the commissioner asked if that was something we were working on, too. They didn't ask too many questions. They just wanted Ray to explain everything that went on that night."

Interestingly, the NFL apparently showed little desire to get Janay Rice's side of the story. "I really didn't think they would ask me any questions, but I was asked one," she said. "I was surprised I was asked anything at all. One of the NFL executives asked me how I felt about everything. And I broke down in tears. I could hardly get a word out. I just told him that I was ready for this to be over."

At the time, it was only just beginning. The "Today" interviews with Matt Lauer will air on Monday and Tuesday morning.

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from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/janay-rice-on-goodell---i-can-t-say-he-s-telling-the-truth-231435505.html

A feisty Kevin Garnett pretends to bite Joakim Noah's hand (Video)

Basketball legend Kevin Garnett and Chicago Bulls All-Star Joakim Noah have a marvelous history. Since Noah was drafted into the league in 2007, the same summer Garnett was dealt to the Boston Celtics, the two have gone back and forth as combatants, fueled equally by f-bombs and sharp elbows.

A relatively anonymous Sunday afternoon game between KG’s Nets and Noah’s Bulls wouldn’t seem to bring out that sort of back and forth once again, not with it still being November and with the Nets underperforming, but that didn’t stop Noah from endlessly jawing and Garnett from, well, pretending to bite the dude’s hand:

Garnett’s early foul trouble had, prior to this fourth quarter move, kept him on the bench for most of the contest as Noah’s Bulls rolled, but by the time KG returned to live action it was all nastiness all the time. Garnett and Noah both scored on each other, Noah talked and talked away, and KG both head-butted Noah’s chest and tried the bite routine.

To those that weren’t watching, this may come off as rather dirty on the 39-year old Garnett’s end and petulant on Noah’s end, but it wasn’t anything like that. In fact, it was entertaining as hell, and something I’m upset that Garnett’s foul trouble and Noah’s minute restriction got in the way of us watching for longer spells.

Noah scored three points but finished with 10 rebounds and three assists in his team’s 103-84 win, while Garnett ended the matinee performance with seven points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

(Thanks to For the Win for the heads up, and Ananth Pandian for the Vine.)

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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/a-feisty-kevin-garnett-pretends-to-bite-joakim-noah-s-hand--video-230141382.html

Ohio State's Kosta Karageorge found dead

Ohio State defensive tackle Kosta Karageorge was found dead.

Karageorge was reported missing on Wednesday by his family. A body was found Sunday afternoon near his apartment and Columbus (Ohio) Police confirmed it was Karageorge. He was 22.

Police confirm body found is OSU player Kosta Karageorge. Spokesman says appears he died of self-inflicted gunshot wound.

— Clay Hall (@claywsyx6) November 30, 2014

Karageorge died of a single gunshot wound that appears to be self-inflicted. Tattoos aided in identifying him.

— Bill Rabinowitz (@brdispatch) November 30, 2014

The gun was found in a dumpster with Karageorge.

— Bill Rabinowitz (@brdispatch) November 30, 2014

Karageorge was a walk-on for the Ohio State football team and also wrestled. According to a police report, Karageorge's mother said he struggled with sports-related concussions and his sister said he had suffered one a month prior. His mother said he texted her Wednesday referencing the concussions and apologized for being an "embarrassment."

Ohio State held a moment of silence for Karageorge before Saturday's game against Michigan and a missing poster was displayed on the scoreboard at Ohio Stadium. After the game, coach Urban Meyer called Karageorge's disappearance "unbelievable" and said "All you can do is grab a knee and play hard."

The school released a statement Sunday afternoon.

"The Ohio State University Department of Athletics was shocked and saddened to learn today of the death of student-athlete Kosta Karageorge, a senior from Columbus," the statement said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Karageorge family, and those who knew him, during this most difficult time."

Kostageorge's family became worried for him when he left his apartment without any identification at approximately 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning. He hadn't been seen since.

For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com

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from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/ohio-state-s-kosta-karageorge-found-dead-225631882.html

Report: Harbaugh could be traded

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh has been an undeniable success, taking his team to one Super Bowl and three NFC championships. But he's also a grinder who wears down his team, his fans, and most likely his own molars with unparalleled intensity.

So it's not surprising that Harbaugh and the 49ers may not be long for one another. What's surprising is that the Niners may well trade their head coach. ESPN's Adam Schefter offered this possibliity:

One NFL source convinced Raiders are the favorite to trade for HC Jim Harbaugh, but Jets also known to be keeping a close eye on situation.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 30, 2014

Going from a team with both a recent history and a lineage of success like San Francisco to either of the NFL's true compost plants would be quite the fall-off for Harbaugh. The Jets seem a long shot, but Harbaugh has roots in the Bay Area. Both teams would be in position to draft impact players next year, but would they have to give up those players to get Harbaugh?

Regardless, it appears that absent a dramatic turnaround in both the team's trajectory and management's attitude, Harbaugh's time in San Francisco is drawing to a close.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.

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from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/report--harbaugh-could-be-traded-223057628.html

SMU to introduce new head coach on Monday

SMU will introduce its new head coach in a press conference on Monday afternoon, the school announced on Sunday. Though the school did not specify who has accepted the position, multiple outlets are reporting that the Mustangs’ new coach is Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris.

Morris denied that he had finalized an agreement with SMU following Clemson’s win over South Carolina, but TigerIllustrated.com and the Dallas Morning-News reported Sunday morning that Morris will be introduced by SMU on Monday.

“I have not agreed to anything with SMU,” Morris said Saturday. “When the time comes, we’ll come out and say what needs to be said.”

According to the Dallas Morning-News, Morris’ contract with SMU is worth “about $2 million per year.”

The 45-year-old Morris is a Texas native who was a head coach at high schools in the state from 1994-2009. After a one-year stint as offensive coordinator at Tulsa in 2010, Morris was hired by Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney to be his offensive coordinator in 2011.

Morris’ reported hire comes less than three months after June Jones resigned two games into his seventh season with the program. With interim coach Tom Mason at the helm, SMU is 0-11 and has one game remaining this season at UConn on Saturday.

For more SMU news, visit PonyPride.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/smu-to-introduce-new-head-coach-on-monday-221845318.html

UAB reportedly set to shut down football program

Not long after becoming bowl eligible for the third time in its existence, the UAB football program may be shutting down.

Per USA Today, the school "has given indications the program will shut down this week and that (athletic director Brian) Mackin is working on a separation agreement from the university."

SI.com also reported that Mackin is parting ways with the school and that an announcement would be made about the (lack of a) future of the football program on Thursday. Coach Bill Clark told ESPN that he feared the program would be shut down.

"I think it's going to happen," Clark said. "Unless something changes before the weekend ends, I think it's over. I think the odds are very high it ends this week. To shut the doors? That's sad."

On Saturday, UAB beat Southern Mississippi 45-24 to be 6-6 and eligible for a bowl for the first time since 2008. Clark was hired before the 2014 season and had signed a three-year deal.

There were indications that a possible shutdown has been in the works for a while. Some boosters, including Atlanta Falcons WR Roddy White, wrote in a letter earlier in November that trustees were looking at the possibility of shuttering the program.

The school, which is part of the University of Alabama system, plays football at Legion Field in Birmingham.

The last FBS-level program to drop football was Pacific in 1995. UAB started as a Division III football team in 1991 and moved up FBS in 1996. It joined Conference USA in 1999. Without a football program, the school's standing in Conference USA in other sports is tenuous.

For more UAB news, visit BlazerSportsReport.com

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/uab-reportedly-set-to-shut-down-football-program-220231657.html

Maybe Bengals-led AFC North isn't so amazing after all

Entering Week 13, the AFC North was everyone's darling division and the NFC South was everyone's dumpster division.

So what happened Sunday?

Entering the week, the AFC North had been 1-10-1 in games this season vs. the NFC South. But Sunday, the North looked quite ordinary — and in some cases bad — with the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers all losing and the Cincinnati Bengals barely escaping Tampa Bay with a win.

The Steelers and Ravens lost at home. That's twice now this season the Steelers have lost at home to an NFC South team with a sub-.500 mark, dropping this one to a New Orleans Saints outfit that had lost three straight (two at home) coming in. The Steelers grabbed an early 6-0 lead, but the Saints made it 21-6 and never looked back, leading by three scores in the fourth quarter.

The Ravens lost to a good San Diego Chargers team that has started to reassert itself, but blowing a 10-point lead at home with five minutes left really hurts in such a tight playoff race. A late pass-interference call against the Ravens was a killer, even if there was contact from both the DB and the receiver.

Meanwhile, Brian Hoyer had yet another forgettable game for the Browns, and his replacement — oh, you know him: Johnny Football — was not a lot better, at least not good enough to rescue the Browns from a 17-point hole in the final 12 minutes. It appears the Browns will make a QB assessment later this week, which is never a good thing when you're in the final quarter of the season and somehow still in the race.

So the Bengals stand on top, but how can they feel great about winning a game in which quarterback Andy Dalton threw three horrible picks and they won, essentially, on a 12-men-on-the-field call in the final minute?

Right now, the Bengals have a 1.5-game lead on the rest of the division at 8-3-1 compared to the other three teams' 7-5 records. But it's hard to feel as good about this division on Sunday as we did coming in to the weekend.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/maybe-bengals-led-afc-north-isn-t-so-amazing-after-all-215541461.html

Troy announces Neal Brown as its next head coach

Former Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown is Troy's new coach.

The school announced Brown's hire on Sunday and will host a Monday press conference to introduce him.

When Brown was asked after Kentucky's season-ending 44-40 loss to Louisville on Saturday, he said it wasn't his place to speak about the news. Well, because he knew it'd be official a day later.

Brown, 34, has been an offensive coordinator at 2008 and has served as an assistant previously at Troy. He was the Trojans' OC from 2009-2009 before spending three years at Texas Tech with Tommy Tuberville and two years at Kentucky.

"I am very happy for Neal to earn a head coaching job and believe Troy has made an outstanding hire," Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said in a statement. "Congratulations to Neal and his family and I appreciate his hard work at Kentucky."

Since winning the Sun Belt in 2010 and going 8-5, Troy hasn't had a winning record. After finishing 6-6 in 2013, the Trojans were 3-9 this season and ended the year with a 42-23 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette.

Larry Blakeney, Troy's coach for the previous 24 seasons as the school moved from Division II to eventually the FBS level, announced in October that he was retiring at the end of the season.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/troy-announces-neal-brown-as-its-next-head-coach-214534983.html

Astronaut watches NFL in space

So this is pretty sweet: NASA Capt. Barry Wilmore, on board the International Space Station, managed to get a feed of the Texans-Titans game sent up into space:

“Watching the game on live uplink” http://pic.twitter.com/tr5EmRcbEc

— NASA Astronauts (@NASA_Astronauts) November 30, 2014

The ISS orbits at about 260 miles above the earth, and circled the globe twice during the three-hour game length. Wilmore, a Tennessee resident, had asked earlier about getting NASA to arrange for an uplink of the SEC Network so that he could watch the Tennessee Volunteers play football.

Unfortunately, Houston proved to be a problem for Tennessee, defeating the Titans 45-21. On the plus side, though, Wilmore may be the only human being out of reach of JJ Watt.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.

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from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/astronaut-watches-nfl-in-space-211243535.html

Fantasy owners have spoken: Make J.J. Watt a tight end already!

Houston Texans defensive end/tight end/pizza delivery man J.J. Watt is bored again.

He's still not cool with just terrorizing quarterbacks; in order to stave off ennui, Watt has insisted his coaches use him in every way humanly (or inhumanly) possible.

Watt sacked, stripped and — of course — recovered a fumble against Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker, running it back 14 yards and setting up the Texans' offense in great shape at the Tennessee 24.

So naturally, Watt was rewarded on offense for his fine defensive work. The Texans brought him in on their goal-line package, sent him in motion, had him run an out route, and he beat tight coverage from Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard.

Wait, you put a linebacker on this guy?!

It was Watt's fifth score of the year and his third receiving touchdown of the season. It Watt had been designated as a tight end, only 15 NFL tight ends had more than that entering Sunday.

If fantasy owners get their way, Watt will become the first known DE/TE eligible to be drafted in 2015.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/fantasy-owners-have-spoken--make-j-j--watt-a-tight-end-already-205503500.html

Johnny Manziel enters, immediately leads Browns to TD

Finally, the Cleveland Browns let Johnny Manziel play.

Manziel, the Browns' first-round pick and the talk of the NFL through the offseason, had barely played through the first 12 weeks. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner had seen a handful of snaps in special situations, but Brian Hoyer's play and the Browns' winning ways with Hoyer had kept him off the field.

But with 12:01 left in the fourth quarter and the Browns in serious need of a spark on offense as they trailed Buffalo 20-3, Manziel got the call. The Browns benched Hoyer, who had just thrown an interception, and Manziel entered.

He didn't disappoint.

His first play was a play action bootleg to the right. He gained three yards. It was his first official NFL run. Then he hit Miles Austin for a 12-yard gain (his first completion), and threw a dart to Josh Gordon for 19.

He threw a pass that should have been intercepted but somehow got through to tight end Jim Dray for a long gain. Then to cap the drive, Manziel hit the final step of his drop, saw a big opening in the middle of the field and took off, diving into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown. It was his first NFL score.

Nothing against Hoyer, who has played very well this season, but those interested in seeing what Manziel can do in the NFL had been waiting for that for a long time. And a Browns team that had 14 yards in its previous seven drives, and three points all afternoon, had 80 yards and a score on a quick touchdown drive by Manziel.

The Browns put him in to spark the offense. And he did that. Now that the Browns have gone to that well, it will be tough for them to keep Manziel on the sideline if the offense struggles a bit again in December.

For those who were bummed we hadn't seen more of Manziel this season, Sunday's cameo made it seem worth the wait.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/johnny-manziel-enters--immediately-leads-browns-to-td-205211187.html

Colts' Mike Adams hits DeSean Jackson with fairly obvious cheap shot

Washington Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson caught a pass against the Indianapolis Colts, went out of bounds and that should have been that.

But Colts defensive back Mike Adams highly exaggerated being hit by Redskins running back Alfred Morris on a block and flung himself into Jackson after the 18-yard reception near midfield. After being hit by Adams, Jackson grabbed his lower left leg and came off the field.

Although replays showed Morris touching Adams, it did not appear that he pushed him hard enough for Adams to react the way he did. Simply put: It looks intentional.

Jackson's return was listed as questionable, but he came back into the game to catch a 42-yard touchdown pass from Colt McCoy.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/colts--mike-adams-hits-desean-jackson-with-fairly-obvious-cheap-shot-201804907.html

Ben Roethlisberger hits throwing hand on Saints player's helmet

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hit his throwing hand on the helmet of New Orleans Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton in the first quarter and was seen shaking his hand thereafter several times.

Roethlisberger connected with Antonio Brown on a 21-yard pass on 3rd and 8 in the first quarter but hit Lofton on the helmet on the play with his right hand. On the successive five plays, Roethlisberger handed off.

Although he remained in the game, Roethlisberger appeared affected by it. He completed 3-for-8 for 52 yards prior to getting hit on the hand, and 5-for-14 for 63 yards and an interception after it through halftime.

Roethlisberger also threw two passes that easily could have been picked by the Saints' Patrick Robinson, with both going off his hands — one that could have been a pick-six and one in the end zone.

The Steelers trailed the Saints at half, 14-6.

On Roethlisberger's second pass of the second half, his pass was picked off by Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan, who tipped the throw and caught it.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/ben-roethlisberger-hits-throwing-hand-on-saints-player-s-helmet-193608169.html

Vikings, without a blocked punt for TD since 1986, do it twice vs. Carolina

You probably didn't know the bit of trivia that the Minnesota Vikings, entering this week's games, had the NFL's longest streak since their last blocked punt for a touchdown. Yep, people track such things.

It had been 459 games. Fox Sports North's Brian Hall reported that the player who last did it for Minnesota was cornerback Issaic Holt. It came against the 49ers on Oct. 12, 1986.

And after going 28 years without one, the Vikings had two in the first half against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Adam Thielen broke the long drought. He came free and blocked the Panthers punt, then recovered it and scored. That happened in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Jasper Brinkley and Everson Griffen combined to break a much, much shorter drought. Brinkley had the block, Griffen scooped it and scored. After more than 1,800 quarters without a punt block for a touchdown, the Vikings didn't even have to wait a full quarter for their next one.

The Panthers' special teams meetings next week probably won't be too enjoyable.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/vikings--wihtout-a-blocked-punt-for-td-since-1986--do-it-twice-vs--carolina-190854521.html

Rams raise hands in Ferguson message

Several St. Louis Rams entered the field for Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders with their hands raised in a "don't shoot" fashion. The hands-raised stance is a message of support for Ferguson, a St. Louis suburb wracked by violence in recent months.

According to observers, Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Kenny Britt, Chris Givens, and Jared Cook all raised their hands. Ferguson, located just 12 miles from the Edward Jones Dome, was the site of an incident this past summer when police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed teenager Michael Brown. When a grand jury declined to indict Wilson earlier this week, riots broke out across Ferguson.

Several athletes and teams have taken public stances on Ferguson, to varying effect. The Washington Redskins offered a similar early-season message of support. Adrian Peterson, meanwhile, made the ill-advised decision to compare his situation to that of Ferguson. Earlier this fall, the Rams offered several Ferguson-area high school football teams free tickets to a preseason game as a small gesture of support during tense, armed situations.

____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.

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from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/rams-raise-hands-in-ferguson-message-190345692.html

Throwing Darts: Can Jacksonville's defense steal a game?

Meet the Week 13 Darts: Cleveland +2.5, Minnesota -2.5, Pittsburgh -4, Jacksonville +2.5, Atlanta 2.5. All lines drawn from Yahoo Pro Football Pick'Em.

-- The Jaguars defense has played well for two months, masked somewhat by the offense giving the ball away so often. Did you see all the duress Andrew Luck was under last week? Eli Manning is going to make some mistakes.

[Join FanDuel.com's $1.75M Week 13 fantasy league: $25 to enter; top 14,530 teams paid]

-- Mike Zimmer's done some nifty things with his defense as well, and when's the last time Cam Newton looked healthy to you? So long as Teddy Bridgewater doesn't give the game away, Minnesota should win.

-- The Steelers are known for two splits: better performances at home, and better performances against better teams. Okay, that second point is a leap of faith against the Saints, but I expect the Steelers to be on full alert after the bye.

-- Cleveland has an emerging back, a star receiver back in form, one solid cover ace in the secondary. I generally love the Bills in a home spot, especially giving less than the standard three, but at some point the routine-upsetting events of the last two weeks will catch up to them. Browns, outright.

-- Arizona will blitz, blitz, and blitz some more, but it will also give up some chunk plays when the blitzes don't get home. And at some point Drew Stanton is likely to throw away a game. I know the public loves the Cardinals side, but sometimes you have to go ugly, take the sides no one wants.

Last Week: 4-1

Season: 28-31-1

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fantasy-roto-arcade/throwing-darts--can-jacksonville-s-defense-steal-a-game--164241377.html

Dennis Wideman politely instructs Karri Ramo to bend over (Video)

WARNING: NSFW VIDEO

We’re living in an age of near-total access to the sights and sounds of the NHL, depending of course on how much the League and its broadcast partners want us to see.

Of course, there are times when candid moments are out of their control. Like when Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman has the puck behind his own net at the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night, with the crowd slightly quieter than mouse flatulence.

He needed his goalie, Karri Ramo, to bend down so he could better see the play developing.

So he exclaimed: “Bend over Ramo … I can’t $@!%! see!”

Ramo, by the way, is listed at 6-foot-2. One can only imagine what Lightning defensemen say to Ben Bishop from behind the net. Well, outside of Hedman.

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/dennis-wideman-politely-instructs-karri-ramo-to-bend-over--video-162942655.html

Nebraska fires head coach Bo Pelini

Nebraska announced on Sunday morning that head coach Bo Pelini has been dismissed by athletic director Shawn Eichorst, effective immediately.

The news comes two days after Pelini’s Huskers closed out his seventh regular season at the helm by coming back from a 24-7 deficit to beat Iowa in overtime on the road. The win gave Nebraska a 9-3 (5-3 Big Ten) record, but it was not enough for Pelini to keep his job.

"Earlier this morning, I informed Coach Bo Pelini of our decision to move forward in a new direction," Eichorst said in a statement. "Coach Pelini served our University admirably for seven years and led our football program's transition to the Big Ten Conference. We wish Coach Pelini and his wonderful family all the best and thank him for his dedicated service to the University."

Pelini took over at Nebraska in December 2007 and posted a career 67-27 record with the program. He won three division titles between the Big 12 and Big Ten and also led the Huskers to wins in two Gator Bowls (2008, 2013) and the 2009 Holiday Bowl.

Pelini’s Nebraska teams never lost more than four games during his tenure, but he never seemed to get the team over the hump and back into National Championship contention. His resume was hampered by many blowout losses in big games over the years, including this season’s demoralizing 59-24 beatdown at the hands of Melvin Gordon and Wisconsin.

At this point, it is unknown who will coach Nebraska in its bowl game.

For more Nebraska news, visit HuskerOnline.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/nebraska-fires-head-coach-bo-pelini-161340874.html

Report: Marshawn Lynch could retire, or follow Tom Cable elsewhere

Marshawn Lynch could save the Seattle Seahawks a few dollars.

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport is reporting that people with a direct knowledge of Lynch's thinking said that the 28-year-old running back could opt to retire this offseason.

[Join FanDuel.com's $1.75M Week 13 fantasy league: $25 to enter; top 14,530 teams paid]

Why? Back pain certainly is one issue, as it's something that has plagued him consistently the past few seasons. But the report seems to suggest that Lynch still loves football and would need to fill a void in his life if he were to walk away.

The Seahawks are expected to part ways with Lynch in the offseason, according to multiple reports, because of his salary (a minimum of $5 million) and because of his personality and what the Seahawks wanting to build in the locker room being at odds. If Lynch retired, the Seahawks would not be on the hook for his salary.

One other interesting nugget: Should Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable land a head-coaching job elsewhere, Lynch could opt to follow Cable there. They have built an extremely close bond over the past few years, but it might be a stretch for Cable — who compiled a 17-27 record as the Oakland Raiders' head coach over parts of three seasons — to land another head gig.

Lynch pondered retirement prior to this season after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, but he was coaxed back to training camp when the team offered him a bump in his pay. Still, it hasn't been the smoothest ride this season.

Although he has run the ball extremely well, closing in on his sixth career 1,000-yard rushing season and scoring 12 touchdowns (nine rushing), Lynch also was reportedly unhappy with the Percy Harvin trade, has not willingly spoken to the media and spent the Week 12 halftime on the field in Kansas City — reportedly too hurt to walk inside — while his teammates were meeting in the locker room.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/report--marshawn-lynch-could-retire--or-follow-tom-cable-elsewhere-144524812.html

Boise State has clear path to represent Group of Five in CFP bowl

Not only did Boise State clinch a spot in the Mountain West Championship game with a 50-19 win over Utah State on Saturday night, but the Broncos also have a clear path to represent the Group of Five in a College Football Playoff-affiliated bowl game.

Boise’s win over the Aggies gives the Broncos the 2014 Mountain Division crown, scheduling a showdown with West Division champions Fresno State in next Saturday night’s conference title game in Boise.

The Broncos used a power running game with Jay Ajayi to overwhelm the Aggies early on. Boise scored on its first three offensive drives of the first quarter – two of which culminated in Ajayi touchdown runs.

Ajayi added another score in the second quarter, while senior quarterback Grant Hedrick tossed his second touchdown of the half to Thomas Sperbeck to give the Broncos a 34-12 halftime lead.

Boise continued to pound the rock with Ajayi throughout the second half, taking time off the clock while its defense completely shut down Utah State. Ajayi, a 6-foot, 216-pound junior, ran for a career-high 229 yards and five touchdowns on 27 carries.

The win improved Boise’s record to 10-2 on the season. Boise was No. 22 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings and could see a bump after Saturday night’s dominant performance. With Marshall, the only other Group of Five team to crack the Top 25, losing its first game of the season to Western Kentucky, Boise looks to be the top team from outside the power five conferences in the eyes of the College Football Committee members.

Of course, the top-ranked team from the Group of Five (AAC, C-USA, MAC, MWC and Sun Belt) is guaranteed a spot in one of the six CFP bowls. As long as Boise takes care of business against 6-6 Fresno, the Broncos look like the obvious choice.

Fresno won its last three games of the regular season to clinch the MWC’s West Division and bowl eligibility. Boise defeated Fresno 37-27 on Oct. 17. There’s no reason to think the Broncos won’t do it again on a bigger stage with the conference title on the line.

For more Boise State news, visit Blue-Turf.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/boise-state-has-clear-path-to-represent-group-of-five-in-cfp-bowl-064744008.html

Kansas State got an interception after a Kansas player kicked the ball (Video)

While Kansas' football futility has become predictable, the ways in which that futility is achieved have not become predictable.

Saturday, the Jayhawks were blown out by in-state rival Kansas State 51-13. But Kansas at least provided us some entertainment with this Kansas State interception. Quarterback Michael Cummings threw a deep pass to Rodriguez Coleman who somehow kicked the ball as he was jumping for it. The ball skied into the air and was intercepted by Randall Evans.

Last week, Kansas punter Trevor Pardula had an issue trying to recover a bad punt snap. Oh, and there was that whole "giving up the most rushing yards to a single player" thing in trying to stop running back Samaje Perine.

The Jayhawks haven't beaten the Wildcats in football since 2008. Kansas finishes the year at 3-9, though it's guaranteed not to be last in the Big 12 thanks to a win over Iowa State. And hey, basketball season has now officially arrived in Lawrence, Kan.

For more Kansas news, visit JayhawkSlant.com

For more Kansas State news, visit GoPowercat.com

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/kansas-state-got-an-interception-after-a-kansas-player-kicked-the-ball--video-055833583.html

Auburn had 2 simultaneous possession catches on one drive (GIFs)

An Auburn drive in the third quarter of Saturday's game against Alabama had two catches that were ruled completions because of the simultaneous possession rule.

If a receiver and a defensive back both have possession of the football, the tie goes to the offensive player. The first catch, as Auburn was leading 33-27, was by Duke Williams, who held on to the ball for a third-down conversion as he was hit and had his knees bent awkwardly while wrestling with Landon Collins for possession.

The second was crazier. Quan Bray ran a deep route on the sidelines and was covered closely by Bradley Sylve. Sylve was between Bray and the sidelines and as the ball hit Bray's arms and he tumbled out of bounds, Sylve had the ball too.

While you could make the argument that Sylve had more possession than Bray did while Bray's feet were inbounds, the catch was ruled to be simultaneous possession on the field. It was reviewed – almost too late, as Auburn appeared to have run the next play before officials were signaled for the replay – but as you can see, there was no convincing evidence either way to overturn the call on the field.

The possession turned into a field goal for Auburn to make it a 36-27 game.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/auburn-had-two-simultaneous-possession-catches-on-one-drive--gifs-034814468.html

Baylor's close win against Texas Tech won't help its CFP cause

The College Football Playoff committee already didn’t hold Baylor in the highest regard compared to some of the other teams in the top 7 of the rankings and the Bears’ 48-46 win against Texas Tech isn’t going to do ithem any favors.

Several times throughout the release of the playoff rankings, committee chairman Jeff Long has noted that Baylor’s schedule was not comparable to that of, say, No. 5 TCU. That’s why Baylor has failed to leapfrog TCU in the rankings despite a win against the Horned Frogs earlier in the season.

The one thing that could have pushed the Bears over the TCU hump was impressive wins to end their schedule. However, they squandered a 42-17 third-quarter lead and gave up the potential tying touchdown with 1:42 remaining. Had Tech been able to convert its two-point try, the game likely would have gone to overtime.

That’s a stark contrast to what TCU did to the Red Raiders on Oct. 25 — an 82-27 Horned Frog victory — and a contrast to what the Horned Frogs were able to do against a tough Texas defense on Thursday (a 48-10 win). Moreover, Texas is a bowl team; Texas Tech came into Saturday’s game with just two conference wins against the two teams worse than it. All but one of the Red Raiders other conference losses this season were by double digits.

TCU knows all too well how struggling against a bad opponent can hurt in the playoff rankings. When it beat Kansas by just four points a couple weeks ago, it dropped out of the top 4 and has yet to get back in.

Now, this doesn’t mean Baylor won’t move up in the standings this week, especially with Mississippi State’s loss. But it’s made jumping TCU that much more difficult especially when the Bears needed to impress a committee that had yet to be impressed by their resume so far.

Baylor probably will have to have a superior effort against Kansas State to even get close to TCU and that could be difficult if quarterback Bryce Petty isn’t able to play. Petty was knocked out of Saturday’s game with a mild concussion. Backup Seth Russell came in and performed well, but the Bears need Petty in the lineup if they're going to beat the Wildcats and make their best pitch for a spot in the playoff.

For more Baylor news, visit SicEmSports.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/baylor-s-close-win-against-texas-tech-won-t-help-its-cfp-cause-013515017.html

Wisconsin heads to Big Ten Championship with win over Minnesota

Wisconsin fell behind early, but stuck to its game-plan.

It paid off, and now the No. 14 Badgers are headed to the Big Ten Championship Game following a 34-24 home win over No. 18 Minnesota.

A Wisconsin muffed punt and the strong ground game of senior running back David Cobb allowed the Gophers to jump out to an early 17-3 lead, but the Badgers kept their cool. Riding the rushing attack of Heisman favorite Melvin Gordon and the connection between quarterback Joel Stave and wideout Alex Erickson, the Badgers worked their way back in to the game.

First, Stave looked Erickson’s way and hit the former walk-on for a 70-yard gain. Three plays later, Stave found Gordon out of the backfield on third-and-goal to cut Minnesota’s lead to 17-10.

It looked like Minnesota would increase its lead before halftime on its ensuing possession, but the exchange between quarterback Mitch Leidner and Cobb went awry on a read option, resulting in a fumble at the Wisconsin 30-yard-line with 18 seconds to go in the half.

The usually conservative Badgers offense then went back to the air. Stave hit Erickson (5 catches, 160 yards) on completions of 35 and 14 yards, setting up a successful 38-yard Rafael Gaglianone field goal to decrease the deficit to 17-13 at halftime.

The second half was more of the same for Wisconsin. The Badgers defense tightened up against the Gopher ground game, while Gordon and sophomore Corey Clement went to work. The Badgers took a lead when Clement (7 rushes, 89 yards, 1 TD) took a first down carry 28 yards for a score with 6:20 to go in the third.

As the Wisconsin defense continued to force punts, Wisconsin kept up its hot ground attack early in the fourth. Its first drive in the final frame went like this: Gordon for eight yards, Gordon for 24, Clement for five. Clement for 31. Gordon one-yard score. Wisconsin 27-17 lead.

The Gophers did not go quietly, however. Leidner (95 pass yards, 54 rush yards, two rushing scores) and Cobb (25 rushes for 118 yards and a TD), who set a school single-season rushing record, quickly worked their way down the field. A Leidner two-yard plunge made it 27-24 Wisconsin with 7:32 to go.

But Wisconsin stuck to its money maker: the ground game. Gordon reeled off three nice runs, Stave hit Erickson for 31 yards and Clement added another good run to get the Badgers deep into Minnesota territory. Instead of letting the air out of the ball and taking some time off the clock, Stave (11-of-18, 215 yards, 2 TDs) went to the air and found sophomore Robert Wheelwright for his first catch of the season – a game-sealing 17-yard touchdown with 4:41 left in regulation.

From then on out, except for a Gordon ankle injury that did not appear to be serious, the game came to an uneventful conclusion.

Now, the Badgers (10-2, 7-1 Big Ten) head into Saturday’s Big Ten title game against a J.T. Barrett-less Ohio State with a major chance to win the league and play in a major bowl game. As long as Gordon, who went for 151 yards to bring his season total to a Big Ten record 2,260 yards, is healthy, the Badgers could be considered favorites against the Buckeyes next Saturday night in Indianapolis.

For Minnesota (8-4, 5-3 Big Ten), to be in the position to win the Big Ten West division is a major step forward for Jerry Kill’s program. It’s certainly a disappointing ending, especially after jumping out to a nice lead, but Kill’s program is on the rise and should represent the conference well in a bowl game.

For more Wisconsin news, visit BadgerBlitz.com.

For more Minnesota news, GopherIllustrated.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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