Tag: Auburn

Amway Coaches Poll: Notre Dame Holds Still

Stack resumes and you can easily make the case that Notre Dame is worthy of a top-10, perhaps top-seven spot.

The final regular season Amway Coaches Poll Powered by USA Today is out and if it offers any hint of how the College Playoff Committee will see things, they’ll fall exactly in line with what we thought they’d be last night.

Here is the latest Amway Coaches Poll Powered by USA Today:

1. LSU

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Oklahoma

5. Georgia

6. Oregon

7. Florida

8. Baylor

9. Alabama

10. Utah

11. Wisconsin

12. Penn State

13. Auburn

14. Notre Dame

15. Memphis

16. Minnesota

17. Michigan

18. Boise State

19. Iowa

20. Appalachian State

21. Navy

22. Cincinnati

23. USC

24. Air Force

25. Virginia

Stack resumes and you can easily make the case that Notre Dame is worthy of a top-10, perhaps top-seven spot.

However you could also make a case (not saying it’d be correct) that they could be a few slots lower as well.

College Football Playoff: Instant Reaction to New Rankings

how in the world can you justify Penn State being eight spots higher?

The answer is that you can’t.

The College Football Playoff rankings came out Tuesday night with a couple of shocks but nothing major in terms of the top-four or where Notre Dame will likely end up because of where they wind up in these latest rankings.

If you haven’t seen the rankings yet, here they are:

Three fast thoughts on them:

Great news for the Big XII:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Reigning ALL-USA POY Sharife Cooper finding new motivation in final season

Auburn signee Sharife Cooper is finding new motivation to dominate again this season after winning ALL-USA Player of the Year last season.

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Sharife Cooper is in this weird space where on one hand, as the reigning ALL-USA Player of the Year and No. 2 overall player in USA Today Sports’ Chosen 25, he feels the bull’s-eye growing daily; yet on the other hand he hears the whispers that McEachern High School (Powder Springs, Georgia) is vulnerable this year with Cooper as the only returning starter from last year’s 32-0 state championship team.

“It can make you think crazy if you let it,” said Cooper, a point guard who is signed to Auburn. “I don’t. I just use it as motivation both ways; if people are sleeping on us that makes me want to go all out even more, and if people want to be first to knock off the champs I can’t let that happen, so I have to go all out. Either way, I’m going all out.”

RELATED: USA Super 25 Boys Basketball Rankings Week 1

That PSA was deafening last weekend at the Thanksgiving Shootout.

Cooper averaged 48 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds a game; that included a 44-point, 10-rebound, six-assist performance against No. 12 Mayfair (Lakewood, California), which featured five-star guards Josh Christopher, who is ranked No. 16 in the Chosen 25, and Dior Johnson.

The Indians, who check in at No. 6 in USA Today’s Super 25, won 87-79 and sit at 6-0 for the season.

For the season, Cooper is averaging 34 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists a game. That’s up from last season when Cooper averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 assists and six rebounds a game.

RELATED: Preseason ALL-USA Basketball Teams

“Every time we step on the court, one way or the other people want us to fail,” Cooper said. “That’s the bottom line. It’s a different energy when it’s you and your guys against everyone else. It’s different, but I like it.”

Another difference is Cooper’s role as a scorer; sounds wild for a guy who averaged 28 points a game last season, but Cooper said he’s taking on the challenge of elevating his scoring this season.

“Last year I had guys that would take that load, but this year it’s something I have to do more of for my team,” Cooper said. “I’ve always prided myself in being the guy who would do whatever it takes for my team to win because winning is all that matters to me. Scoring comes naturally to me so it’s just a matter of staying aggressive. I still don’t force things, and I’m a natural playmaker so I’m always gonna make my teammates better and make the right basketball play. It’s a new year and a new challenge, and I’m ready for it.”

Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY

Who Alabama fans need to pull for in Week 14

The Alabama Crimson Tide is looking for some help to position itself for a sixth-consecutive College Football Playoff berth. For fans wondering who to pull for in Week 14, we have got you covered. Below is a collective list of who you need to pull …

The Alabama Crimson Tide is looking for some help to position itself for a sixth-consecutive College Football Playoff berth. For fans wondering who to pull for in Week 14, we have got you covered.

Below is a collective list of who you need to pull for on Saturday.

No. 13 Michigan at No. 1 Ohio State

Time: 12:00 p.m. ET / Channel: FOX

If Ohio State and Minnesota both lose this week, it would set up for a possible scenario where the winner of the Big Ten championship could get left out of the College Football Playoff. Granted, that would only play out if Wisconsin beat Ohio State in that game.

Pull for: Michigan

No. 3 Clemson at South Carolina

Time: 12:00 p.m. ET / Channel: ESPN

Even with a lose to South Carolina, Clemson would still, more than likely, be a one-loss ACC champion. But that loss would be an ugly one, and without any sort of notable wins on the resume, that outcome could cost the Tigers a chance at the College Football Playoff.

Pull for: South Carolina

No. 5 Alabama at No. 15 Auburn

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET / Channel: CBS

This game should be pretty obvious, if you’re an Alabama fan. Not only does the Crimson Tide need to win, it would be helpful if they won big.

Pull for: Alabama 

No. 12 Wisconsin at No. 10 Minnesota

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET / Channel: ABC

If Wisconsin could beat Minnesota, it would hand the Golden Gophers their second loss of the season while also sending a two-loss Badgers team to the Big Ten Championship Game. If Wisconsin could turn around and beat the Ohio State in that game, it could mean the Big Ten gets left out.

Pull for: Wisconsin

No. 9 Baylor at Kansas

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET / Channel: ESPN

If Kansas could somehow luck up and beat Baylor (good luck), it would hand the Bears their second loss of the season. That means that a win over Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Game would keep the conference out of the College Football Playoff altogether.

Pull for: Kansas

Texas A&M at No. 1 LSU

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET / Channel: ESPN

As hard as this is for Alabama fans, it would be best if LSU continued to win out. Having your only loss be to a No. 1 or No. 2 Tigers team will continue to be an arguing point for those pulling to get the Crimson Tide in.

Pull for: LSU

Colorado at No. 6 Utah

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / Channel: ABC

It’s hard to see a scenario where Utah lost to Colorado, but it would certainly help Alabama’s cause of getting in the Playoff. At this point, the Utes are the Crimson Tide’s biggest threat for that No. 4 spot, so this would be a welcomed sight for fans.

Pull for: Colorado

No. 7 Oklahoma at No. 21 Oklahoma State 

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET / Channel: FOX

If Oklahoma State could beat Oklahoma on Saturday, it would be the Sooners’ second loss of the season. Even with a win over Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game, it would not be enough to get in over Alabama.

Pull for: Oklahoma State

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WATCH: Alabama drops new hype video for Iron Bowl

This Iron Bowl hype video from the Alabama Football twitter account will give you chills.

The Iron Bowl is without a doubt, one of the biggest rivalry games in College Football, and this year is no different.

So much is on the line for both teams. For Auburn, they’d love to once again, try to stun Alabama at home and prevent them from making the CFB Playoff. And for Alabama, this game means everything. Not only do they need a win over Auburn, they need to do so in a big way to prove to the College Football Playoff Committee that they’re more than worthy of being back in the top 4.

This hype video from the Alabama Football twitter account will give you chills.

We’re less than 24 hours away from kickoff in a game that will be one of the best games we’ve seen all season.

Who’s ready?

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Rivalry week: How UGA vs Georgia Tech ticket prices stack up to the rest of CFB

A look at UGA vs Georgia Tech ticket prices compared to the rest of college football this rivalry week. Plus looking the SEC Championship.

It’s the final weekend of the college football regular season. Wow…how sad is that?

Very sad is the answer to that question, but on the bright side we are in for a good day of college football.

Alabama vs Auburn and Ohio State vs Michigan headline what will be an exciting Saturday. Additionally, fans will also be able to enjoy a ranked matchup between Wisconsin and Minnesota plus Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

With the Dawgs playing LSU in the SEC Championship the following weekend, I’m looking forward to watching how the Tigers handle Texas A&M, which Georgia struggled against last weekend.

Speaking of the SEC Championship, currently, the get-in price for the conference title game is $341 and the average is now $995. The get-in price has only dropped just over 2% in the last week, but the average list price has gone down 23% over that same time frame. I’d be curious to see what would happen to those prices if LSU were to lose this weekend seeing as how it would then be a win-or-go-home battle for both teams.

Click here to view tickets to the SEC Championship.

As for this weekend, Georgia fans’ wallets will get a bit of a break if they want to see the Dawgs take on Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Currently, Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate is the weekend’s ninth most expensive game, with a get-in price of $98. For Georgia fans, that’s not too bad; for Tech fans, this is the Yellow Jackets’s most expensive game of the season.

Click here for Georgia vs Georgia Tech tickets.

Minnesota at Wisconsin claims the title of most expensive ticket this weekend with tickets starting $257, followed by the Iron Bowl at $165.

CFP Rankings: Cotton Bowl Dream Dead for Notre Dame

Perhaps both Ohio State and Minnesota win Saturday, handing Michigan and Wisconsin their third losses of the year, but after that it gets tricky.

Although no games were played Tuesday night Notre Dame saw their hopes of ending their season in the Cotton Bowl for a second year in a row come to an unofficial end.

As the College Football Playoff rankings were released Tuesday night, Notre Dame remained at number 16 in the country, still the lowest of any two-loss power-five teams and also still behind three-loss Auburn.

So as it sits with No. 16 Notre Dame having just one game remaining against an under-500 Stanford team that won’t count for much, even if it does end with a 50 point win for the Irish.

The problem is that Notre Dame has already routed better teams than Stanford in recent weeks and gained no ground.

Unless you can figure out a way that Notre Dame jumps six teams and gets into the top-ten, then they’re headed to Orlando for the Camping World Bowl against a Big XII team.

With the games remaining it’s hard to find six losses that are going to benefit Notre Dame.

Auburn losing to Alabama would probably finally get the Irish ahead of the currently three-loss Tigers.

Perhaps both Ohio State and Minnesota win Saturday, handing Michigan and Wisconsin their third losses of the year, but after that it gets tricky.

Kansas over Baylor or Rutgers over Penn State?  No help coming in either of those.

Same pretty much going for Colorado’s chances against Utah, Florida State’s to upset Florida.

Not only would Notre Dame need one of those to happen, they’d need three of the last four listed in order to have a chance, couple with those Auburn, Michigan and Wisconsin losses listed above.

As you can tell the chances at the Cotton Bowl are about as good as gone. so if interested you might as well get those flights booked to Orlando.

That’s the unfortunate reality when what happens in Ann Arbor in late October happen to you in front of a national audience.