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College Football Playoff Rankings: Alabama tumbles after close loss to Oklahoma

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College Football Playoff Rankings: Alabama tumbles after close loss to Oklahoma


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The latest College Football Playoff rankings saw no changes in the top three, but a big loss for the previous No. 4 team has them falling down the list.

The Alabama Crimson Tide lost a close one to the Oklahoma Sooners at home, 23-21, and it cost them in the eyes of the selection committee. They fell from No. 4 to No. 10.

Meanwhile, the Georgia Bulldogs, who had been at No. 5 in each of the first two rankings, moved into their place at No. 4.

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Head coach Brent Venables of the Oklahoma Sooners greets visitors before Bedlam against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 19, 2022 in Norman, Oklahoma.  The Sooners won 28-13.   (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M remain at 1 through 3, respectively, to round out the top four, who would each receive a bye if the playoff were to start today.

It was interesting to see the Crimson Tide behind the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, though, who are at No. 9 in the rankings. Notre Dame doesn’t have any more top-25 wins this season, with Alabama collecting four to just one.

Texas Tech moved to No. 5, followed by Ole Miss, Oregon and Oklahoma, which moved up to the No. 8 slot following its big road victory in Tuscaloosa.

4 TAKEAWAYS FROM THE SECOND CFP RANKINGS RELEASE OF 2025

Looking past the top 10, BYU is at No. 11, followed by Utah, Miami, Vanderbilt and USC to round out the top 15. The Hurricanes specifically had a big weekend, defeating NC State 41-7 to help them jump up two spots in the rankings.

Of course, with both Miami and Notre Dame at 8-2 overall, the Hurricanes and their fan base are surely not happy they remain four spots behind the Fighting Irish, considering they beat them earlier this season.

Marcus Freeman greets a player

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman greets a player before the Orange Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game against Penn State, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla.  (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

“The No. 1 criteria is always head-to-head. It’s why we play the game, right?” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said, via ESPN. “That always has been and always will be the No. 1 factor.”

However, on the other side of the argument is how the Hurricanes got their two losses compared to Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish lost to the Hurricanes and the Texas Longhorns — both ranked teams. Miami, though, was upset by unranked Louisville and SMU this season.

Speaking of the Longhorns, they moved to No. 17 following their lopsided loss to Georgia, 35-10, which pushed them to 7-3 on the year. Georgia Tech is just in front of them at No. 16, while Michigan (18), Virginia (19) and Tennessee (20) are behind them.

Rounding out the top 25 are Illinois, Missouri, Houston, Tulane and Arizona State, respectively.

Ty Simpson looks on field

Ty Simpson of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts after losing a fumble to the Oklahoma Sooners during the third quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Nov. 15, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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As always, the five highest-ranked conference champions will be in the 12-team field this playoff season. But there’s a reminder: It will be a straight seeding model, not one in which each winner of the Power Four conferences receives an automatic bye.

There are just two weeks left in the regular season, and conference championships will follow to ultimately determine how the College Football Playoff field will shake out.

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Auction of two new teams of PSL-11 to be held – SUCH TV

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Auction of two new teams of PSL-11 to be held – SUCH TV



The auction of two new teams of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be held at Jinnah Convention Center in Islamabad at 4:15 PM today. The auction will be shown on television live. As many as 10 prospective buyers will off their bids for two new teams.

The number of teams in the 11th edition of the PSL will be increased from six to eight. The auction will be followed by a special performance by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had put forward the names of Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Rawalpindi.

Out of these six teams, bidders will select two.

The PCB has so far released details of 10 bidders.

The auction will be broadcast live in order to ensure transparency and global visibility to prospective investors and cricket fans worldwide.

Three weeks ago, PCB Chairman Syed Mohsin Naqvi said that the PSL’s 11th edition was scheduled to be held from March 26 to May 3, 2026, while also announcing that the auction for two proposed new franchises would take place on January 8.

The announcements were made during a PCB investor roadshow in New York.

Addressing the event, Mohsin said the PCB had taken administrative control of the Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium and intended to begin its renovation work soon.

He added that efforts were underway to have the venue ready for the PSL in time, though he acknowledged that completion before the tournament was not guaranteed.

“We are starting Muzaffarabad’s stadium, which we have taken over, and our target is to get it ready before the PSL. If not, then work will be initiated within this year,” he said.

Mohsin also stated that the deadline for submission of bids for the new franchises had been extended to December 22, citing interest from prospective investors.



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Australia win fifth Ashes Test, wrap up series with 4-1 triumph

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Australia win fifth Ashes Test, wrap up series with 4-1 triumph


Australian players celebrate with the Waterford Crystal Ashes Trophy at the end of the fifth Ashes Test between Australia and England at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 8, 2026. — AFP
  • Australia chase down 160-run target on final day before tea.
  • England form cordon to welcome Khawaja to crease in last match.
  • Take credit for making game of it, not being ground into Sydney dirt.

SYDNEY: Australia had a few nervous moments but safely chased down their 160-run victory target before tea on the final day of the fifth Ashes Test on Thursday for a five-wicket victory and a 4-1 series triumph.

Seamer Josh Tongue led England’s battling rearguard with 3-42 but Alex Carey got Australia across the line with a four through the covers in mid afternoon in the company of Cameron Green.

England will take credit for making a game of it and not being ground into the Sydney dirt as previous tourists have in end-of-series dead rubbers at the famous old ground.

Without the bowling of injured captain Ben Stokes, however, defending 160 was always going to be an uphill challenge on a good wicket which allowed the second day-five action of the series.

Stokes exhorted his players from the slips but Australia’s openers got the target under 100 runs before Travis Head, whose third century of the series underpinned his team’s first-innings 567, ballooned a shot to midwicket off Tongue for 29.

Jake Weatherald followed for 34, again caught off Tongue’s bowling, to bring up lunch with Australia 89 runs from their goal.

It was 15 years and a day since England won the final Test of the 2010-11 series at the same ground by an innings and 83 runs — the last time they won an Ashes series Down Under.

The England players formed a cordon to welcome Khawaja to the crease but Tongue’s bowling was less friendly and the lefthander played on for six after facing seven balls. 

Australias  Cameron Green (right) and teammate Alex Carey celebrate after hitting the winning runs on day five of the fifth Ashes cricket Test match between Australia and England at the SCG in Sydney on January 8, 2026. — AFP
Australia’s  Cameron Green (right) and teammate Alex Carey celebrate after hitting the winning runs on day five of the fifth Ashes cricket Test match between Australia and England at the SCG in Sydney on January 8, 2026. — AFP

Labuschagne had been dropped on 20 off Tongue when Bethell failed to hold onto the ball despite an acrobatic leap at backward point.

He was unable to make the most of his reprieve, however, running himself out for 37 with 39 runs still required for victory.

Carey, who made 16 not out, and Green, who finished unbeaten on 22, nearly reprised Labuschagne’s exit with a classic mix-up after an overthrow but eventually made their ground to secure the victory.

Earlier, England resumed on 302-8 but Mitchell Starc struck a major blow to their hopes of setting Australia a testing target when he had Bethell caught behind for 154.

Bethell’s superb maiden Test century offered plenty of promise for the future and was essentially the difference between an innings defeat for England and Australia batting again.

Starc returned to remove Tongue for six to end the innings on 342, the left-arm quick finishing with figures of 3-72 and a total of 31 wickets over the series.





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Hawks trade 4-time All-Star Trae Young to Wizards in blockbuster deal: reports

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Hawks trade 4-time All-Star Trae Young to Wizards in blockbuster deal: reports


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The Atlanta Hawks have parted ways with four-time NBA All-Star point guard Trae Young, trading him to the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster move, according to ESPN.

The Hawks will reportedly be receiving veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert in the deal. 

Washington was Young’s preferred destination, and the two sides were working on a deal to get the 27-year-old point guard to the nation’s capital.

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Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round 1 Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2023 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.   ( Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Young’s agents were having conversations with the Hawks, who sit at 17-21 so far this season, about trading their client out of Atlanta.

There is a mutual connection in Washington, too, as executive Travis Schlenk drafted Young fifth overall in 2018 out of Oklahoma.

It marks the end of an era for the Hawks. Young has been the focal point of their offense since he was taken in that draft. He is the team’s career leader in three-pointers and assists, having led the team to the postseason in three of his eight seasons. The Hawks went the furthest in 2021, where they made the Eastern Conference Finals.

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However, the new era was brewing already in Atlanta, with forward Jalen Johnson taking the next step in his career, averaging 23.7 points per game this season. The pickup of Nickeil Alexander-Walker also helps, as he’s averaged 20.5 points per game in 36 appearances.

Meanwhile, Young has played just 10 games this season, as he’s been dealing with leg injuries, most notably a right MCL sprain.

Trae Young walks off the floor

Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on after the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Hawks also get some flexibility on their books, as they could make some more moves. Anthony Davis is reportedly available from the Dallas Mavericks, making him a good target for Atlanta.

Young has $95 million remaining on his deal that runs through the 2026-27 season, which includes a player option this offseason.

Atlanta will be taking on McCollum’s contract, though the veteran guard has a $30.6 million expiring deal.

Through his 10 games this season, Young is averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.5% from the field.

Trae Young plays against the Sixers

Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks drives down the court during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at State Farm Arena on April 7, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

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Over his career, Young has dropped 25.2 points and 9.8 assists per game, while leading the league in the latter category last season with 11.6 per contest.

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