The State of College Basketball - For Now

With about a month of the College Basketball Season complete, it’s never too early to be looking at resumes and who’s on the bubble. Who has been the most impressive team so far? Most disappointing? Early bubble teams?

Final Four Favorites

Villanova - The defending National Champs seemed to go under the radar for most of the offseason. They’re currently #1 in the AP Poll after an 9-0 start. The defending champs recorded a most impressive win at Purdue earlier in the season and they have shown us why they should be favorites to make it back to the Final Four.

Kansas - After starting the season with an overtime loss in Hawaii to Indiana, the Jayhawks rebounded by getting a close win over an undermanned Duke team in New York. The Jayhawks still look to be the kings of the Big 12 with Perry Ellis running the show.

Baylor - The Bears may have the best resume in all of College Basketball at this point with wins over Michigan State, Oregon, Louisville and Xavier. If there’s a team out there that can dethrone Kansas in the Big 12, it may just be the boys from Waco.

UCLA - UCLA is back baby! This is a team that can put up 90-100 points night in and night out. They now have two quality wins over Texas A&M and a big one in Lexington over then #1 Kentucky. This may just be the best offense in all the land, let’s see if they can keep this pace up heading into Pac 12 play.

Duke - Injured? Yes. Getting healthy? Certainly. Duke started the season as #1 for a reason and it’s because when healthy, they are the best all around team. From ultra talented freshmen to seasoned veterans, Duke is still the National Championship favorites. Oh by the way, we still haven’t seen Harry Giles play yet. Mmhmm… that’s kinda scary.

Indiana - Are the Hoosiers for real? They certainly looked for real when they beat Kansas and North Carolina, but they didn’t exactly look for real when they lost to Fort Wayne. That’s right. Fort Wayne. The Hoosiers can run the floor with anyone and that should make them a team that could certainly get to Phoenix in April.

North Carolina - The Tar Heels started the season 7-0 with all seven of those wins coming by 15 or more points, but then they ran into a buzzsaw Indiana team in Bloomington. They’ve rebounded from that loss with wins over Radford and Davidson, but the Tar Heels, who are undoubtedly talented, are still looking to find their identity as they hope to make back to the Final Four.

Gonzaga - This may just be the best team Mark Few has ever had at Gonzaga. Why? They are D-E-E-P. They have one of the better resumes out there currently with quality wins over San Diego State, Florida, Iowa State and Arizona.

Kentucky - Yes they lost at home for the first time in forever, but as we stated earlier, UCLA is a for real. My point, don’t overreact BBN. Kentucky is still a very talented team, but as usual, very young. But they showed us how good they were with that blowout win over Michigan State.

Don’t Dare Underestimate These Teams

South Carolina - The Gamecocks missed the Tournament last year because they lacked strong non-conference wins. Well, they won’t let that be the reason they miss it this year as they’ve gotten early wins over Syracuse and Michigan. South Carolina looks to be really talented again this season, let’s wait and see what they do in SEC play against the likes of Kentucky and Florida before we give you a true reading on them.

Virginia - Virginia looks very good again, and as always, superb defensively. But if they want to prove themselves as a National Title contender, they need to show us something against solid competition. The best win they have is either Ohio State or Providence and they lost their only game against a top team in West Virginia.

West Virginia - Speaking of the Mountaineers… Press Virginia is in full swing again. In their last game against Western Carolina, they forced 34 (!!!) turnovers. 34 turnovers! Are they as good as Kansas or Baylor, probably just below them, but if you can force 34 turnovers every game, I guarantee you you’ll win.

Oregon - Yes the Ducks are off to a slow start after losses to Baylor and Georgetown, but this team is too talented to be looked over. Dillon Brooks is still getting healthy, and once he’s a 100%, Oregon will likely be contending for a top seed again.

Creighton - Hey guys, Creighton is undefeated. I tell you this because it seems like no one realizes that. Not only are they unbeaten, but they have beaten quality teams in Wisconsin and North Carolina State too. The Blue Jays can certainly pose a threat to Villanova in the Big East.

Teams That Have Disappointed

Michigan State - Listen, I have no doubt Tom Izzo will turn this team around and it will be at the very least a Sweet Sixteen team, but so far, they haven’t looked good at all. In the early part of the season, they have lost to Arizona, Kentucky by 21, Baylor and Duke. Oh, and did I mention they came within a point of losing to Florida Gulf Coast and nearly blew a big second half lead to Wichita State.

Connecticut - Are you kidding me UConn? Are you kidding me Kevin Ollie? I don’t know what this is UConn is trying to sell to us, but it’s not good basketball. UConn started the season ranked 18th in the Polls, and then they went on to lose to Wagner & Northeastern to begin the season, nearly lost to Loyola Marymount, and then lost two more games to Oklahoma State and Oregon. They did just get a win over Syracuse which is solid, but UConn is awful right now.

Rhode Island - I had a lot of high hopes for Rhode Island entering the season, and I must not have been the only one considering they started the season in the Top 25. They haven’t been awful, but they haven’t looked great either. They competed with Duke, but never really looked like they were in position to win that game. They followed that up with losses to Valparaiso and Providence. Hopefully the Rhodys can get it pointed in the right direction when A10 play gets started.

Ohio State - Okay, I didn’t think the Buckeyes were suddenly going to be advancing to the Elite Eight and contending for a Final Four, but I did think they’d be in the Tournament this year and contend with leading teams in the Big Ten. They contended with Virginia before losing by two, but they haven’t looked very convincing in their other wins. They won by single digits against North Carolina Central, Providence, Fairleigh Dickinson AND they lost at home to Florida Atlantic as 22 point favorites.

San Diego State - The Aztecs we’ve come to know and love of late are… the be kind… gone. They fooled around and nearly lost to San Diego to begin the season, they they were blown out and didn’t even look competitive against Gonzaga. Then after three straight wins, they’ve lost two straight to Loyola Chicago and Grand Canyon. LOYOLA CHICAGO AND GRAND CANYON!!!

You know, College Basketball is so wild and unpredictable, this will likely be all but irrelevant come next week, but at least now we know where we stand as of now.

Baylor Hires Matt Rhule as Head Football Coach

WACO, Texas -- Baylor University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades IV announced today the appointment of Matt Rhule as the 27th Baylor Head Football Coach. Rhule comes to Waco after four seasons as the head coach at Temple University, where he led the Owls to consecutive 10-win seasons in 2015 and 2016 and the 2016 American Athletic Conference championship.

Rhule will be introduced at a campus celebration on Wednesday at a time and site to be determined.

"We could not be more excited to welcome Matt, Julie and their children to the Baylor Family," said Rhoades. "When we set out on our search for a new leader of our football program, we wanted a coach who shared our values, who had demonstrated success, who showed a true commitment to the overall student-athlete and who we believed could lead Baylor to a national championship. We found all of that and more in Matt and I know that he will be a perfect fit with the Baylor Family."

Rhule served as Head Coach at Temple for four years, compiling a 14-2 conference record in the past two seasons, which included two bowl appearances, two American Athletic Conference East Division titles and the 2016 American Athletic Conference championship. It is the first time in Temple football history that it registered consecutive 10-win seasons and consecutive bowl game appearances. Prior to Temple as the Head Coach, Rhule served as an offensive line coach for the New York Giants in 2012, after coaching six years at Temple, first as the defensive line coach, before switching to quarterbacks and ultimately, to offensive coordinator in 2008. Prior to Temple, Rhule coached at Albright, Buffalo, UCLA and Western Carolina.

"I am truly honored and humbled to join the Baylor Family," said Rhule, "and I can't thank President Garland and Mack Rhoades enough for this incredible opportunity. Baylor is a tremendous institution with a history of football success and I know the passion that so many have for the Bears will help bring the community together to reach even greater heights. I am excited to get started."

Rhule played linebacker from 1994-1997 at Penn State, then earning Academic All-Big Ten recognition in 1997, before graduating with a degree in Political Science from Penn State and a Master's degree in Education Psychology from SUNY-Buffalo. He and his wife, Julie, have three children: Bryant (12), and daughters, Vivienne (3) and Leona (1).

"This is a great day for Baylor University and the beginning of a new chapter in our football program," said Interim President David Garland. "Matt is the absolute right man at the right time to lead us forward and I am confident that his values are our values and that his teams and student-athletes will make us all proud, on and off the field."

- Baylor Football

CFB Committee sets Final 4, Top-6 set: Alabama tops the list

The College Football Playoff Committee on Sunday released its final rankings.

Final Rankings:
1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Ohio State
4. Washington
5. Penn State
6. Michigan

No. 1 Alabama will face No. 4 Washington in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31, while No. 2 Clemson will face No. 3 Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31 as well.

Alabama is in the playoff for the third straight season and is the top seed for the second time.

No. 2 Ohio State is making its second playoff appearance and No. 3 Clemson is in for the second consecutive season.

The rest of the New Year's Six bowls were also announced:

- Florida State (9-3) will play Michigan (10-2) in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30.

- Southern California (9-3) will play Penn State (11-2) in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2.

- Auburn (8-4) will play Oklahoma (10-2) in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2.


- Western Michigan (13-0) will play Wisconsin (10-3) in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2.

The national championship game will be Jan. 7 in Tampa.

The Associated Press on Sunday also released their updated Top-25 list.

New AP top 25:
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Washington
5. Penn State
6. Michigan
7. Oklahoma
8. Wisconsin
9. USC
10. FSU
11. Colorado
12. Western Michigan
13. Oklahoma State
14. West Virginia
15. Louisville
16. Stanford
17. Auburn
18. Virginia Tech
19. LSU
20. Florida
21. Iowa
22. Pittsburgh
23. Temple
24. Nebraska
25. South Florida

Watson, Clemson claim ACC title and await playoff berth

By FRED GOODALL
ASSOCIATED PRESS

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Deshaun Watson's mission is not over.

The Heisman Trophy hopeful and third-ranked Clemson Tigers are ready to return to the College Football Playoff and try to resolve some unfinished business from last season.

Watson bolstered his candidacy for the sport's biggest individual award by passing for three touchdowns and running for two more to lead the Tigers (12-1, No. 3 CFP) a 42-35 victory over No. 19 Virginia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Saturday night.

Winning consecutive league titles for the first time in 28 years likely will send coach Dabo Swinney and his players back to the four-team College Football Playoff for the second straight year, providing Watson with an opportunity to resolve unfinished business from last January , when the Tigers lost to Alabama in the national championship game.

"What a blessing to be a part of this journey," Swinney said, flanked by Watson. "This guy is the best player in the country, and it isn't close."

The Clemson star completed 23 of 34 passes for 288 yards, including TDs of 21 and 10 yards to Jordan Leggett and 15 yards to Hunter Renfrow for a 42-28 lead midway through the fourth quarter. He also rushed for 85 yards on 17 attempts for the Tigers. They've won back-to-back ACC titles for the first time since winning three straight from 1986-88.

Watson's Virginia Tech counterpart, Jerod Evans, was just as impressive. The 6-foot-3, 238-pound ran for two touchdowns and rallied the Hokies from a 21-point deficit to make it close at the end.

The Hokies (9-4, No. 23 CFP) scored on three straight possessions, trimming what was once a 35-14 deficit to seven points on Evans' 5-yard run early in the fourth quarter and Cam Phillips' 26-yard TD reception with just under 6 minutes remaining.

"We've been there before. We were down 17 in the Notre Dame game and we were able to rally together to fight back," Hokies receiver Isaiah Ford said. "So we were confident we could come back."

Virginia Tech got the ball back with a chance to force overtime. Evans drove his team to the Clemson 23, where the drive stalled when Tigers cornerback Cordrea Tankersley intercepted a pass on fourth-and-6.

"They got here for a reason," Swinney said of Virginia Tech. "We just couldn't put them away."

Virginia Tech didn't take solace in playing Clemson close.

"They showed up here to win the ballgame. It's a pretty somber locker room because of that," coach Justin Fuente said.

"Obviously, we came up 'a little short, but it wasn't because we weren't out there competing," Fuente added. "I think our kids poured their heart and soul into this and are going to learn some life lessons from this endeavor."

SITE CHANGE

The game, originally scheduled to be played in Charlotte, N.C., drew a crowd of 50,628 — about 20,000 shy of Camping World Stadium's listed capacity. The ACC moved the event to Orlando because of North Carolina House Bill 2, a controversial law that limits legal protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

EVANS' BIG NIGHT

Virginia Tech QB Jerod Evans finished 21 of 35 for 264 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He rushed for 46 yards on 21 carries, and joined Travon McMillian in scoring two TDs on the ground. Meanwhile, Cam Phillips had 12 receptions for 92 yards, and Isaiah Ford had four catches for 89 yards while becoming the Hokies' career leader in receiving yards.

THE TAKEAWAY

Clemson: It's been a yearlong quest to get back to the CFP, and the Tigers survived every test with the exception of a 43-42 loss to Pittsburgh in early November — a game in which the Tigers turned the ball over three times but still came within a fourth-and-1 conversion of winning. Watson was overshadowed early in the season, when ACC player of the year Lamar Jackson was posting gaudy statistics for Louisville, however the Clemson quarterback's performance Saturday night added to the sterling resume he's put together for Heisman Trophy consideration .

Virginia Tech: The Coastal Division winners weren't just happy to be in the title game. Fuente and his players were determined to make the most of the Hokies' first appearance in the title game in five years. And for a half, they kept it close, weathering Clemson scoring on its first three possessions to build a 21-7 lead. Even after being outgained 148 yards to minus-14 while falling behind by three TDs in the first 10 minutes of the third quarter, Evans rallied his team to make a game of it in the fourth quarter.

DISQUALIFIED

Clemson LB Dorian O'Daniel was ejected in the opening quarter after being penalized for targeting on a high hit on Virginia Tech RB Sam Rogers, who was dropped for no gain on a pass reception. The call, along with Terrell Edmunds' 20-yard reception on a fake punt play and a 15-yard pass interference penalty against Tankersley, fueled the Hokies' first scoring drive, a 12-play, 77-yard march that McMillian finished his TD run.

UP NEXT:

Clemson: Awaits official word on a berth and seeding in the CFP, which begins with the national semifinals on Dec. 31.

Virginia Tech: Will travel to a bowl game hoping to finish its season under Fuente with 10 wins for the first time since 2011. Fuente also would become the first coach in school history to win 10 games in his first season leading the Hokies.

Big Ten fines Michigan and reprimands Jim Harbaugh

The Big Ten fined Michigan $10,000 and publicly reprimanded coach Jim Harbaugh on Monday for his critical comments about the officiating in Saturday's 30-27 overtime loss at Ohio State.

"Two penalties called all day [on Ohio State]," Harbaugh said. "Multiple holding penalties let go, multiple false starts. The official on my side, who is supposed to be watching that, is concerned about whether our coaches are in the [coaches' box] or not. Their coaches were on the field, practically in the huddle at times."

The Big Ten said in a statement released Monday afternoon that Harbaugh's comments violated a league rule that states the conference "expects all contests involving a member institution to be conducted without compromise to any fundamental element of sportsmanship. Such fundamental elements include integrity of competition, civility toward all, and respect, particularly toward opponents and officials."

Wisconsin QB Alex Hornibrook listed as questionable vs. Penn State

Wisconsin QB Alex Hornibrook is listed as questionable with a head injury for the Big Ten championship game vs. Penn State on Saturday.

Bart Houston would likely be the starter if Hornibrook can not play.

Hornibrook left Saturday's Wisconsin win over Minnesota that clinched the Big Ten West title with a concussion, and his status for this weekend remains unclear.

"He was just in the office probably about 15 minutes ago [on Sunday], and says he's feeling good and feeling a lot better than he did yesterday," Head coach Paul Chryst told reporters. "Take it day by day, and see where he's at. I know he got on the bike today and did some things, said he felt good after that, but we'll probably just take it day by day here."

Matthew Owens' Bowl Predictions

After a phenomenal Rivalry Weekend that lived up to all the hype it had, we’ve got more chaos and more wildness. So how does that affect the Playoff? The New Year’s Six? All the Bowl Games? Well here’s my updated Bowl Projections.

New Mexico: Old Dominion vs. Hawaii
Las Vegas: Southern Mississippi vs. Wyoming
Cure: Arkansas State vs. Central Florida
Camellia: Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Eastern Michigan
New Orleans: North Texas vs. Troy
Miami Beach: Tulsa vs. Texas-San Antonio
Boca Raton: Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan
Poinsettia: BYU vs. San Diego State
Famous Idaho Potato: Colorado State vs. Miami (OH)
Bahamas: South Florida vs. Toledo
Armed Forces: Navy vs. South Carolina
Dollar General: Appalachian State vs. Ohio
Hawaii: Middle Tennessee vs. New Mexico
St. Petersburg: Memphis vs. Army
Quick Lane: Maryland vs. Boston College
Independence: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State
Heart of Dallas: Louisiana Tech vs. South Alabama
Military: North Carolina State vs. Houston
Holiday: Northwestern vs. Stanford
Cactus: Kansas State vs. Boise State
Pinstripe: Minnesota vs. Pittsburgh
Russell Athletic: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia
Foster Farms: Washington State vs. Indiana
Texas: Texas A&M vs. Baylor
Birmingham: Vanderbilt vs. Temple
Belk: Kentucky vs. Georgia Tech
Alamo: Oklahoma State vs. Colorado
Liberty: TCU vs. Georgia
Sun: North Carolina vs. Utah
Music City: Iowa vs. Arkansas
Gator: Miami (FL) vs. Tennessee
Outback: Nebraska vs. Florida
Citrus: Auburn vs. Florida State
Arizona: Idaho vs. Air Force
Rose*: Ohio State vs. USC
Sugar*: Oklahoma vs. LSU
Orange*: Louisville vs. Michigan
Cotton*: Penn State vs. Western Michigan
Peach**: Alabama vs. Wiscobsin
Fiesta**: Clemson vs. Washington