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Morning Edition

November 25, 2024

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The 2024 college football season has been the most unpredictable in years. Every school in the nation has taken turns looking very mortal, and this weekend was no exception, with a few high-profile upsets shaking up what we could see in the first 12-team College Football Playoff. As if that wasn’t enough, tightly bunched standings set up a fascinating Rivalry Weekend to come.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]] and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

Chaotic Upsets Turn CFB’s Rivalry Weekend Into Must-See TV [[link removed]]

Syndication: The Oklahoman

Major upsets in the penultimate weekend of college football’s regular season have created chaos for the Power 4 conferences with bids into the first expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff on the line.

Now, heading into Rivalry Weekend, the sport’s broadcasters are set to cash in on a plethora of must-win season-ending games on tap.

The final CFP field, which will be revealed on Dec. 8, will include the five highest-ranked conference champions (with the top four receiving first-round byes) and the next seven highest-ranked teams.

SEC & Big Ten Taking Shape

Georgia clinched a spot in the SEC Championship Game, where the Bulldogs will face the winner of Saturday night’s Texas-Texas A&M game, despite the Aggies getting upset at Auburn in four overtimes. That telecast, on ABC at 7:30 p.m. ET, should help solidify the network’s place atop the CFB TV ratings rankings [[link removed]] this year.

The CFP hopes of Alabama and Ole Miss took big hits as each team suffered their third loss of the season after upsets to unranked conference opponents (Oklahoma and Florida, respectively).

In the Big Ten, Ohio State’s decisive 38–15 victory over Indiana set up a win-and-in scenario against arch-rival Michigan Saturday on Fox, which will be the Buckeyes’ seventh noon ET kickoff of the season [[link removed]]. Oregon already clinched the other spot in the conference championship Game. Penn State and Indiana would be next in line if Ohio State were to lose.

Big Chaos In the Big 12

Perhaps the most unpredictable scenario is in the Big 12, where four teams are now tied atop the standings, with five more one game behind. That’s made at least nine teams mathematically still eligible [[link removed]] for the conference championship game, which will be the only path for a team for a Big 12 team to make the CFP.

ABC will get Colorado’s must-win matchup against Oklahoma State at noon ET on Black Friday. However, a Hollywood-esque playoff run [[link removed]] for coach Deion Sanders and Co. is now less likely following Saturday night’s loss at Kansas.

Arizona State and Iowa State now control their own destiny after the Sun Devils upset BYU and the Cyclones beat Utah. Fox gets both team’s season finale on Saturday: Arizona State-Arizona at 3:30 p.m. and Kansas State-Iowa State at 7:30 p.m.

Sorting Out the Rest

SMU is now, in all likelihood, one game away from the CFP as the Mustangs clinched their spot in the ACC Championship Game. The school’s move to the conference over the summer cost well over $100 million [[link removed]] to keep SMU competitive—a decision that looks well worth it. They’ll face Miami if the Hurricanes beat Syracuse on Saturday. Clemson would need to beat South Carolina and have Miami lose to make the ACC title game.

Boise State entered the weekend as the highest-ranked Group of 5 school, and beat Wyoming to get to 10–1 on the season as Heisman contender Ashton Jeanty passed 2,000 rushing yards for the season. Notre Dame continued its strong CFP-worthy campaign with a 49–14 win over Army in the latest matchup of the historic rivalry [[link removed]].

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Max Verstappen Wins Fourth Straight F1 Title Despite Red Bull’s Down Year [[link removed]]

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Mercedes driver George Russell won the second edition of Formula One’s Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday night, but it was Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen who clinched his fourth consecutive drivers championship with a fifth-place race finish.

The title continues Verstappen’s dominance over the rest of the F1 grid despite a Red Bull dip that has the team third in the constructors’ standings with two races remaining. McLaren has a 24-point lead over Ferrari (race wins are worth 25 points), as Lando Norris (McLaren) and Charles Leclerc battle for second and third place, and Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and Carlos Sainz vie for fourth and fifth.

Verstappen, who is estimated to have an F1-leading $55 million salary [[link removed]], won seven grand prix early this season before going on a 10-race winless streak that included only four podium finishes. He snapped that skid with a win in Brazil earlier this month.

Red Bull will face an uphill battle in 2025 [[link removed]] as renowned car designer Adrian Newey is joining Aston Martin in a multi-year deal reportedly worth $200 million.

What Happens In Vegas

There was plenty of other fanfare beyond the racing in Sin City over the weekend.

Several drivers complained of strong smells of marijuana [[link removed]] throughout the track. “If they dope the drivers now, I think we’ll all test positive,” Williams F1 driver Franco Colapinto said. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez said it was something drivers would discuss afterward.

Meanwhile, Brad Pitt was at the track filming for next year’s movie [[link removed]], F1, that he stars in. The actor was seen fainting in an apparent scene for the film.

With Year 2 of F1’s entry into Las Vegas [[link removed]] now in the books, the sport will continue evaluating its growing presence in the U.S. [[link removed]]

Why NBA Western Execs Are Pushing for End to Conference Seeding [[link removed]]

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The NBA playoff format is being questioned once again, but, unsurprisingly, only by half of the league.

Western Conference executives are pushing for a new playoff format [[link removed]] where the top 16 teams are seeded regardless of conference, according to ESPN. The concept has been floated for years around NBA circles, but has returned to the spotlight this season given the noticeable gap between the two conferences.

As of Saturday, only four Eastern Conference teams hold a record of .500 or better. The West has a 43–22 record (.662 winning percentage) [[link removed]] over the East in head-to-head games this season, which is on pace for the biggest margin in NBA history.

Executives are eyeing a potential league expansion, which may happen within the next three years, as the time to propose the new format. The NBA may add two new teams out West (Las Vegas and Seattle) [[link removed]], which could potentially move a few teams to the Eastern Conference.

However, even with the shift, Western Conference teams have an uphill battle to make a change as they would need more than 75% of the league to approve the proposal, which would mean 23 teams voting for it before league expansion. Eastern Conference teams will not be easy to convince.

Historical Numbers

The Western Conference’s superiority in the NBA is not a small sample size. Over the last 25 seasons, not even including this year, the West had a better record in the head-to-head regular season battle 22 times. The West is 6,108–4,816 against the East in that timeframe, for a .560 winning percentage. The NBA Champion was a Western Conference team in 16 of those 25 years.

Over the last few years, it seemed like the East was closing the gap—especially after the West had won the head-to-head battle and overall regular season record for 12 seasons in a row from 2009 to 2021.

The East’s record was trending up from 2018 to 2021, then the conference prevailed over the West in back-to-back seasons (2021–2022 and 2022–2023). But then last year, the tides turned around again completely, with the West winning 57.7% of its games against the East, 10% more than the previous season.

Despite the West’s dominance, this year’s title favorite remains the Celtics—though that may be in part because of a relatively weaker path to the finals than their Western Conference counterparts.

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[[link removed]]

Several companies have sent “misleading” information to college athletes eligible to receive damage payments in the House v. NCAA settlement in an attempt to make money off them, according to a court filing. Plaintiff counsel Steve Berman and Jeffrey Kessler are asking Northern District of California judge Claudia Wilken to intervene to prevent athletes from being manipulated by these third-party companies.

Check out [[link removed]] the Business of College Athletics content hub to read the full article [[link removed]], and stay up to date on all things college sports.

Jeeno Thitikul Breaks LPGA Prize Money Record—As Does Nelly Korda [[link removed]]

Getty/LPGA

Jeeno Thitikul broke the LPGA’s single-season prize money record on Sunday by winning the CME Group Tour Championship. The tournament’s $4 million winner’s check raised Thitikul’s 2024 haul to $6.06 million, surpassing Lorena Ochoa’s mark of $4,364,994 won in 2007 [[link removed]].

The 21-year-old Thai player birdied the 18th hole in the final round at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., to edge out American Angel Yin by one stroke. Thitikul also won this season’s Aon Risk Reward Challenge [[link removed]], which came with its own $1 million bonus, meaning she has earned more than $7 million on the course this season.

But Thitikul wasn’t the only player to surpass Ochoa’s mark. The $227,500 No. 1 ranked Nelly Korda earned for a fifth-place tie puts her at $4,391,930 on the season—less than $27,000 past Ochoa. Korda won seven tournaments this season.

The Tour Championship had an $11 million purse, the second-highest LPGA payout this year behind the $12 million offered at the U.S. Women’s Open. CME Group just signed an extension of its title sponsorship that will keep the tournament’s prize money in place next year.

The LPGA Tour’s total prize money in 2024 amounted to a record $125.95 million, up from $101.4 million in 2023. In 2025, there is slated to be at least $131 million up for grabs, pending any further individual event increases announced next year.

Loud and Clear NFC East Entropy

“I’m not even sure what we just watched.”

—Fox NFL analyst Greg Olsen, after Commanders kicker Austin Seibert missed a game-tying extra point—his second of the day—with 21 seconds remaining in Washington’s loss against the Cowboys. Jayden Daniels had just connected with Terry McLaurin on an 86-yard touchdown after a Dallas punt. “The improbability of all of this happening, for this finish to be possible,” Olsen said. The Commanders were down 27–17 after a Cowboys touchdown with 2:49 left.

Dallas won 34–26 after returning the ensuing onside kick for a touchdown, adding to the game’s wonkiness. The Cowboys moved to 4–7 on the season and gained a hint of momentum heading into their Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Giants (2–9), who lost their sixth straight Sunday against the Buccaneers. That game, on Fox at 4:30 p.m. ET, could struggle to exceed the TV ratings for Bears-Lions on CBS at 12:30 p.m.

Conversation Starters Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham stood up for his roster this weekend: “Pay these guys what they deserve to be paid.” Check out the full clip here [[link removed]]. The Orlando Pride won the NWSL title on Saturday. Watch their celebration [[link removed]] at the end of the match against Washington. Chicago’s United Center flipped from a hockey venue to a basketball arena in two hours. Check out a time-lapse [[link removed]] of the transformation. Editors’ Picks Oracle Billionaire Larry Ellison Funded Michigan’s NIL Stunner [[link removed]]by Lisa Scherzer [[link removed]], Alex Schiffer [[link removed]] and Dennis Young [[link removed]]It appears to be Ellison’s first major investment in college sports. Reader Mailbag: Why Are NBA Ratings Down to Start the Season? [[link removed]]by Daniel Roberts [[link removed]] and Colin Salao [[link removed]]NBA viewership is down 28% on ESPN through the first four weeks. [[link removed]] Stephen A. Smith Defends NFL Players Doing Trump Dance [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Smith said he was “pissed off” the NFL had to issue a statement. Question of the Day

Are you enjoying the unpredictable nature of this college football season?

Yes [[link removed]] No [[link removed]]

68% of you thought Army was the nation’s best underdog story going into this weekend. Many of you responded that Indiana fit that description better.

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