Pennsylvania: 2018: Ivy Men's Basketball Champions

PHILADELPHIA -- Sitting on top of the rim, clutching the net that was just cut down, Darnell Foreman couldn't help but think of all of the great Penn players who won championships before him.

After a long wait and an unlikely turnaround, the senior guard can add his name to that list.

Foreman scored 19 points, AJ Brodeur had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Penn earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2007 with a 68-65 win over Harvard in the Ivy League Tournament title game Sunday.

Ryan Betley added 17 points for the Quakers (24-8), who will be making their 24th appearance in the NCAAs.

"I wanted to be like Mike Jordan," Foreman said of the star Penn guard who led the Quakers to Ivy titles in 1999 and 2000. "Especially being a guard, you look at the past history of guards. The Ibby Jaabers, the Jerome Allens, even going back to Booney Salters. You want to be those guys. You want to be on the wall. You want that history. Now this team has it. This team is going to be remembered as the team that stopped the drought."

Senior Caleb Wood, a junior college transfer, drilled two straight 3-pointers, getting fouled on the second, to put Penn ahead 63-60 with 3:42 remaining. Betley followed with a 3-point play, before Harvard's Christian Juzang pulled the Crimson to 66-63 with a 3-pointer with 47.6 seconds to go.

Harvard trimmed Penn's lead to 66-65 on two Justin Bassey foul shots with 14.6 seconds left. But after Betley hit two free throws, Bassey and Juzang both missed potentially game-tying threes in the final seconds, and Penn fans rushed the court for a celebration a decade in the making.

"I didn't think it was possible for us to get to the NCAA Tournament until that horn went off," said third-year Penn coach Steve Donahue, who spearheaded the speedy turnaround after the Quakers sputtered through nine losing seasons in 10 years. "In a building I grew up in, and watching the kids storm the floor for our guys, (it was) magical. Unexpected, too."

Chris Lewis led Harvard (18-13) with 16 points, while Bassey had 15 and Seth Towns, the league's player of the year, finished with 13 before leaving the game with a knee injury with 8:20 remaining.

"Not having him on the floor certainly wasn't easy, but we still had opportunities to push through," Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said. "And I'm very proud of my kids for battling through without Seth."

Harvard and Penn proved to be the top two teams in the Ivies this year after sharing the regular-season title with 12-2 conference records and then dominating Cornell and Yale, respectively, in Saturday's Ivy League Tournament semifinal games.

And after splitting their two regular-season meetings, both teams traded punches like heavyweight fighters in front of a packed crowd at the Palestra, Penn's home gym.

Fueled by a 16-0 run in which Penn was held scoreless for seven minutes, Harvard led 30-17 with five minutes left in the first half. That's when the Quakers turned things around, closing the first half on a 17-2 run capped by a Foreman 3-pointer right before the buzzer. Foreman, who sprinted right into the locker room as the Palestra crowd went wild, scored his 19 points all in the first half.

"That was huge for us," Brodeur said. "He gave us the spark we needed. That's just leadership."

The Quakers continued to surge after the break, with sophomore standouts Brodeur and Betley combining to score the first 11 points of the first half to put Penn ahead 45-32 and complete a 28-2 run spanning halves.

But trailing by 10 midway through the second half, Harvard reeled off a 13-0 run to take a 58-55 lead, sparked by 3-point plays from Bassey and Juzang.

Afterward, both coaches expressed amazement at the runs each teams made.

"I just thought the game had an incredible back and forth," Donahue said. "I had no idea we went on a 28-2 run -- that's crazy."

BIG PICTURE

Harvard: Despite Sunday's result, the Crimson continue to be the class of the Ivies with Amaker at the helm, having won six Ivy League championships since 2011 with NCAA Tournament wins in 2013 and 2014.

Penn: After rising to the top of the league faster than almost anyone expected, the Quakers are poised to remain there for a while with only two key players graduating and several highly touted underclassmen set to return from injury.

DANCING SHOES

Once a staple of the NCAA Tournament, Penn went to the tourney seven times between 1999 and 2007 before falling on hard times, due in large part to the rise of Harvard. The Quakers' last win at the Big Dance was in 1994 when they topped Nebraska in the first round, although they did put an upset scare into several teams since.

Can they do it again?

"I'll say this since I've been in the NCAA Tournament enough -- I don't know if you want to play someone like us," said Donahue, who led Cornell to the Sweet 16 in 2010. "We are older. We shoot the ball. We share the ball. And we're an elite defensive team. We can guard anybody. It's going to be fun."

PALESTRA MAGIC


Much has been made of the Ivy League Tournament being held at the Palestra since it began last year. But even if his Harvard team may have lost the home-court edge despite being the No. 1 seed, Amaker supports the decision.

"This place is considered one of the crown jewels of college basketball, and it's in our league," he said. "And that's a wonderful thing."

Donahue, who worked as a Penn assistant through the 1990s, has spent more time in the Palestra than most, and acknowledged the noise and atmosphere likely contributed to Penn's win.

"To me, there's nothing like this gym," he said.

UP NEXT

Harvard receives an automatic berth in the NIT by virtue of its top seed in the Ivies.

Penn is headed to the NCAA Tournament.

Radford: 2017-18 Big South Men’s Basketball Champions

RADFORD, Va. -- Carlik Jones had clear instructions: Take the final shot of regulation and leave no time on the clock for Liberty to counter.

The freshman did just that, and swished a 3-pointer at the buzzer on Sunday, giving Radford a 55-52 victory in the Big South Conference championship and its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2009.

The result, Jones said, was better than the Highlanders' execution.

Radford (22-12) called timeout with 13 seconds left, setting up the final play. It was meant to be a double screen, but as Jones dribbled away the time, one of his teammates forgot his role, forcing Jones to make his move with about three seconds remaining.

"I had to let it go," he said. "You shoot it, and I looked at it after a while and I was like, `That's good," he said.

"It's one of the greatest feelings ever."

Officials reviewed the play to be sure no time was left on the clock, and once that was confirmed, Radford fans began celebrating.

Jones had 13 points and six assists to lead the Highlanders, who'll carry a seven-game winning streak into the tournament. Travis Fields Jr. added 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting from 3-point range and Ed Polite Jr. and Devonnte Holland had 11 each.

The Highlanders, in their seventh season under coach Mike Jones, were picked to finish seventh in the preseason.

"Everybody's shocked because nobody believed in us but Radford," Polite said. "We played with that chip on our shoulder the whole year."

Mike Jones choked up talking about the path his career has taken. Hired away from VCU after being an assistant under Shaka Smart when the Rams made their Final Four run in 2011, he took over a program that had won just five games the previous year and was losing players.

"It's been a long road," he said, noting that the victory evened his career record at 115-115.

Scottie James had 20 points, 16 after halftime, and 13 rebounds to lead the Flames (20-14), who lost to Radford for the third time this season. Lovell Cabbil added 15 points, but missed a 3-pointer to set up the Highlanders' final possession. He also was defending Jones on his game-winner.

"He hit a tough shot," Cabbil said. "I thought I got a decent contest. He just made a big shot at the right moment."

Holland did all his scoring in the first half, including six points during a 10-4 run that broke a 14-all tie late in the first half.

The Highlanders led 26-21 at halftime.

BIG PICTURE



Liberty: The Flames hurt their cause with 15 turnovers that Radford turned into 18 points. Liberty scored 11 off seven Radford turnovers.

Radford: Holland led the Highlanders with seven rebounds and kept them in the game as Polite, their scoring leader at 13.6 per game, went scoreless in the first half while saddled with foul trouble. Fields hit three 3-pointers in the second half and Jones' game-winner was Radford's only other one in 12 attempts.

UP NEXT

Liberty will hope for an invitation to the NIT.

Radford heads to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nine years.

Georgia Tech: 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl Champions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Dedrick Mills got a shoutout, some head nods and several high-fives as he walked toward the interview room at EverBank Field.

And those came from opposing players.

The freshman was an even bigger hit inside Georgia Tech's locker room and in the stands.

Mills ran for a career-high 169 yards and a touchdown, leading the Yellow Jackets to a 33-18 victory against Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Bowl on Saturday. It was the seventh-most rushing yards in bowl history, earning Mills the Most Valuable Player trophy and making some forget about his two suspensions this season.

"I think he can be a very special player," coach Paul Johnson said. "He's a very talented young man. We've got to try to help him grow up. Sometimes, you know, at that age, when you're 18, we all didn't make great decisions. It's our job to help him make the right decisions because he's got a bright future if he'll continue to work hard."

Playing without running back Marcus Marshall, who decided to transfer after the regular-season finale, Georgia Tech (9-4) turned to Mills to handle the workload against Kentucky (7-6). The newcomer from nearby Waycross, Georgia, delivered. With dozens of friends and family members in attendance, he carried a career-high 31 times as the Yellow Jackets won back-to-back bowl games for the first time in more than a decade.

"It wasn't that tough. It wasn't that tough," Mills said. "Behind the offensive line, running off their blocks, made it easier for me to find holes and get through them."

He got plenty of help, too, as Tech won its fourth consecutive game.

Senior P.J. Davis returned a fumble 38 yards for a touchdown. Fellow linebacker Terrell Lewis blocked a punt late in the first half that set up one of Harrison Butker's four field goals. Thomas added a 21-yard TD run in his final collegiate game.

"It's a great feeling," Thomas said. "Everything has to come to an end one day. Happy it ended like this. Looking forward to see what the future holds."

THE TAKEAWAY

Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets have to replace two significant cogs in their flexbone spread option, with Thomas graduating and Marshall transferring. But Mills looks like he could be a force for at least two more years.

Kentucky: The Wildcats return 36 of 44 players on their two-deep roster, and with quarterback Stephen Johnson and running back Benny Snell blossoming late in the season, coach Mark Stoops could have a solid nucleus in place to make another bowl in 2017.

FINAL SHOT

Despite struggling most of the day, the Wildcats had a final shot in the closing minutes. Johnson scrambled for a 21-yard touchdown with 3:57 remaining and then connected with C.J. Conrad for the 2-point conversion to make it a one-score game. But Thomas found Ricky Jeune wide open on a third-and-4 play near midfield for 42 yards. Mills scored three plays later to seal Tech's victory.

"Just made an aggressive mistake," Stoops said.

TURNING POINT

Trailing 10-3, Kentucky was threatening to score when Jojo Kemp was stuffed on fourth-and-1 at the 5 late in the second quarter. Tech responded with a 94-yard drive that included a fourth-and-inches conversion from their 15. Thomas' TD run capped the drive and made it 17-3.

Making matter worse for the Wildcats, they had a punt blocked on the ensuing possession and Georgia Tech turned it into a 52-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

Stoops was angered that officials didn't restart the clock after Thomas' first-down completion to Brad Stewart.


"I believe there was just some confusion," Stoops said. "Maybe some of them thought it was out of bounds when he was inbounds. They later told me he was inbounds. I just couldn't understand why they would, with one second, give them as much time as they wanted to line up."

VERBAL EXCHANGE

Stoops and Johnson exchanged words in the first quarter. Stoops initially seemed upset that two of his players were injured on consecutive plays. But Stoops said he took issue with something someone on Tech's sideline said.

"I have great respect for Coach Johnson, but nobody else over there is going to say a word to me," he said.

UP NEXT

Georgia Tech: Plays the final of three straight games against Southeastern Conference teams when it opens 2017 against Tennessee on Labor Day night in Atlanta.

Kentucky: Opens next season at Southern Mississippi on Sept. 2.

Leicester City 3-1 Everton

Jamie Vardy scored twice, and missed a penalty for his hat-trick, as Leicester City celebrated their Barclays Premier League title triumph with a comprehensive 3-1 win over Everton.

Tottenham Hotspur's 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Monday ensured Claudio Ranieri's side would be crowned champions and they ended a week of partying across the city with another exemplary performance in front of a jubilant crowd at the King Power Stadium.

Having been serenaded before kick-off by opera star Andrea Bocelli, who sang Nessun Dorma and Por Ti Volare while sporting a personalised Leicester shirt, the home fans were sent into raptures when Vardy - back from suspension - opened the scoring after only five minutes from Andy King's cross.

And King, who has been with the club throughout their rise through the divisions, capped a memorable day when he swept in the second after good work by Riyad Mahrez.

Everton enjoyed plenty of possession but could only muster two half-chances for Romelu Lukaku before Leicester netted their third, with Vardy firing home from the penalty spot after being fouled by Matthew Pennington.

Vardy missed a second penalty but the mood inside a sodden King Power Stadium could not be dampened, even by Kevin Mirallas's late consolation, as Ranieri's team were crowned with three more points and the Barclays Premier League trophy in their final home match of an unforgettable season.

The noise inside the King Power Stadium hit deafening levels as Everton gave the champions a guard of honour on their entrance from the tunnel and the home fans were on their feet again soon afterwards as Vardy marked his return in style.

King, starting in place of the suspended Danny Drinkwater, curled a cross in from the right and Vardy raced in behind the static John Stones to divert the ball beyond Joel Robles and into the far corner.

Leicester were comfortably in control against an Everton side without a win in their last four away matches and could have doubled their lead when King headed into Joel's hands from close range after a fine Mahrez cross, before Christian Fuchs just failed to connect with Marc Albrighton's pass on the edge of the area.

Everton struggled to fashion any clear sights of goal despite dominating possession and they found themselves 2-0 down before the break. Mahrez skipped into the area and Leighton Baines' challenge only diverted the ball into the path of King, who swept the ball low past Joel.

Oumar Niasse saw an attempted chip headed away by Kasper Schmeichel just outside the Leicester area, before the Danish goalkeeper made a good low stop to deny Lukaku's close-range back-heel.

But Leicester did not have to wait long for their third. Youngster Pennington - perhaps fortunate to escape a red card for bringing down Mahrez in the first half - clumsily tripped Vardy in the area and the England striker drilled in low from the spot for his 24th league goal of the season.

Vardy then spurned the chance for a hat-trick by wildly blazing a second spot-kick over the bar after Wes Morgan was felled by Darron Gibson.

And the visitors grabbed a consolation through substitute Mirallas, who turned past the challenge of Marcin Wasilewski before slotting beneath Schmeichel, but the goal did nothing to spoil Leicester's party.

I Want To Hold The Line. I'll Bring The Cheese And Wine.

A few hundred privileged City fans glimpsed their heroes drop into an Italian restaurant for a slap-up meal this afternoon.

The 2016 Premier League champions made time for a visit to San Carlo in Granby Street, in the city centre shortly after 1.30pm.

A coach dropped off the players outside the restaurant and into a throng of delirious and chanting supporters.

They were whisked inside and the windows blocked out to afford them some privacy.

Rumours that something special was on the cards began to circulate around 1pm when a small team of police officers arrived in the street.

The crowd swelled to the hundreds as more and more people cottoned on.

David May, 64, was one of the first to arrive – complete with a City flag.

Mr May, whose company May's Electrical has a long association with the Foxes, said: "I'd booked at San Carlo for today but they rang me and apologised that they would have to cancel because there was a special party coming in.

"I put two and two together and came down from Knighton to see if I was right – and I was.

"I've been waiting all my life for this, it's been an amazing season.

"I went to the Man United game at the weekend and, although we didn't win it there, it was amazing.

"The United fans applauded City of the pitch.

"I watched the Spurs v Chelsea game in the pub and people were saying at 2-0 that we were going to have to wait for the next game, but I always believed it would finish 2-2 and that we'd be champions.

"The whole thing is crazy. We've had some successes over the years and some trips to Wembley, but this is on another plane."

Sally Frazer, of Market Bosworth, chanced on the impromptu street party as she and her family walked through the city centre.

She said: "We walked into town from the King Power Stadium – where the atmosphere was amazing.

"We saw people standing around outside the restaurant and wondered what was going on.

"Someone said they'd heard that the players were coming for a meal, so we had to stay to find out if it was true – and it was.

"The atmosphere is wonderful, everyone is so happy.

"What the team have achieved is a one-off and we won't see anything like it again."

Construction worker Jay Harbin, 44, of Ashby, was also one of the first people at the happy scene.

He said: "We saw a police car pull up and made a joke about them getting a ticket if they parked there.

"It was our break so we came out and there must have 10 or so people waiting around.

"Then it just grew and grew as the word went around that the players were going to be coming. It was brilliant."

Leicester City: 2015-16 Premier League Champions!

Chelsea came from two goals down to rescue a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge and crown Leicester City as Barclays Premier League champions.

Mauricio Pochettino's men needed victory to retain hope of stopping Leicester's astonishing march towards glory and Harry Kane's 25th BPL goal of the season, along with a clinical finish from Son Heung-min, gave them a healthy half-time advantage.

In a feisty encounter played at a pulsating pace, Gary Cahill reduced the arrears in the 58th minute and Eden Hazard, who schemed menacingly as a half-time substitute, scored his first league goal at Stamford Bridge since last season's title-clinching win over Crystal Palace to ensure a new and unlikely name would be etched on the trophy.

Former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri will hoist that silverware at a raucous King Power Stadium after Saturday's match against Everton, no doubt thrilled by the help from his former employers.

Cahill and John Terry were reunited at the heart of the Chelsea defence, with the former heading a fourth-minute corner wide as the hosts applied early pressure.

Cesc Fabregas, the former Arsenal midfielder, was picked out by Costa and dragged wastefully wide in the 27th minute.

Spurs spurned a similarly inviting opening with Son, in for the suspended Dele Alli, lashing past the near post but Pochettino's side crafted a fine opener 10 minutes before half-time.

Christian Eriksen combined with Erik Lamela for the Argentina international to pick out Kane's perfectly timed run, with the England striker able to coolly round Asmir Begovic and slot into an unguarded net.

Costa engineered space on the edge of the box to fire over as Chelsea sought a response but they were left with a mountain to climb by a blistering Spurs counter-attack.

Kane intercepted a stray pass from Branislav Ivanovic and Eriksen expertly slid a pass through to Son, whose aim was true this time.

The half ended an altercation after Danny Rose rashly fouled Willian, and both players were booked for their troubles and renewed acquaintances early in the second half as the Brazil winger crashed into his opponent before Son clipped the loose ball wide from the edge of the box.

Chelsea grasped a lifeline in the 58th minute as Spurs midfielder Eric Dier missed an attempted clearance from Willian's corner and Cahill pounced with an emphatic left-footed volley.

The complexion of the contest changed entirely, Hazard to the fore for the hosts, and Willian shot too close to Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris from a Costa pass.

Spurs right-back Kyle Walker was grateful to see Hazard's low cross spin off his shin and wide in the 74th minute, while substitute Ryan Mason shot tamely at Begovic when he should have restored the two-goal cushion.

Despite his misfiring campaign, Hazard showed why he has a more renowned eye for goal from midfield as he darted towards the area, exchanged passes with Costa and found the top corner to break Spurs hearts and spark celebrations in Leicester.

The Chelsea faithful delighted at their team’s fightback, and will now offer a guard of honour to Leicester on the final day.

Villanova Wildcats: 2015-16 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Champions

HOUSTON -- One good shot deserved another.

Kris Jenkins of Villanova wasn't about to be outdone.

Jenkins overcame the shock of watching North Carolina's Marcus Paige hit a double-clutch 3 to tie it by spotting up behind the right side of the arc and draining a 3 of his own at the buzzer to lift Villanova to a 77-74 victory and the national championship Monday night.

What a shot -- and what a game.

The second-seeded Wildcats (35-5), had a six-point lead with 1:52 left, but watched it slowly trickle away. It disappeared when Paige jumped -- and with Ryan Arcidacono running at him -- double clutched and pumped one from beyond the arc to tie the game at 74 with 4.7 seconds left.

After a timeout, Arcidacono worked the ball upcourt and got it to Jenkins, who swished it from about two steps behind the 3-point line.

"Kris told him he was going to be open, Arch made the perfect pass," Villanova coach Jay Wright explained. "Kris lives for that moment."

Jenkins' range is anywhere in the gym, as he showed earlier in the tournament by nonchalantly draining a shot from the edge of the midcourt logo.

He never had a doubt.

"I think every shot's going in, and this one was no different," he said.

After being thrown to the floor by his teammates, he got up, leaped over press row, hugged his family and shouted: "They said we couldn't, they said we couldn't, they said we couldn't."

Oh yes, they could.

It's Villanova's first title since 1985, when Rollie Massimino coaxed a miracle out of his eighth-seeded underdogs for a victory over star-studded Georgetown.

Hard to top this one, though.

Jenkins, who was adopted by the family of North Carolina guard Nate Britt, now has a spot with Keith Smart, Lorenzo Charles and anyone else who ever made a late game-winner to win the whole thing.

Paige finished with 21 for the top-seeded Heels (33-7), who came one agonizing shot short of giving coach Roy Williams his third national title.

Instead, this one belongs to Villanova, a team full of scrappers, grinders and also-rans, who proved you don't have to have a roster full of NBA-bound one-and-dones to win a title.

Before Jenkins did his thing, it was Phil Booth -- one of the many unheralded players on that Villanova squad -- pouring in a career high 20 points to give the Cats their late six-point lead.

Booth's force turnaround jumper with the shot-clock blaring and a free throw from Josh Hart gave Villanova a 70-64 lead with 1:52 left.

But Carolina never quits. Paige sandwiched a 3-pointer and a putback around Brice Johnson's bucket to help the Tar Heels stay within striking range. Then, he tied the game and the Carolina fans went wild.

It looked like overtime.

Thanks to Jenkins, it wasn't.

"Every kid dreams about that shot," Arcidacono said. "I wanted that shot, but I just had confidence in my teammates and Kris was able to knock down that shot."

Louisville Cardinals: 2015 Music City Bowl Champions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Louisville football came here to Nissan Stadium, three hours or so from home, and put in a solid performance to finish the 2015 season, running past Texas A&M 27-21 in the Music City Bowl on Wednesday night.

The win pushes Louisville (8-5) into a critical offseason in which a young team hopes to start the process of growing into a potential ACC title contender in the coming seasons. The Cards will spend the next few weeks waiting on the decisions of four key juniors who are trying to figure out if they want to return to school for one more season or make an NFL roster.

In the meantime, U of L has its third bowl win in four seasons, a budding star in freshman quarterback Lamar Jackson and a young core of talent around him.

Offensive player of the game: It has to be Jackson, who set a freshman record for total offense in a single game (453 yards) and broke the school's career rushing record for quarterbacks in the process. The speedy, shifty signal caller did a little bit of everything in Louisville's win, carving his way into the end zone in the first quarter with a 6-yard run, then busting through Texas A&M's defense 10 minutes later for a 61-yard touchdown sprint. The first quarter hadn't even ended when Jackson ran past the 100-yard mark. He finished with 226 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

The biggest knock on Jackson is that he is not a polished passer. That is still the case, and U of L's offensive coaches will spend a lot of the offseason working with him on his pocket presence, deep balls and throwing touch, but he was sharp throwing the ball on Wednesday. His numbers aren't eye-popping - 12 of 26 for 227 yards and two touchdowns - but he was effective enough to keep Texas A&M's defense at bay while also limiting turnovers and throwing the ball away when he was in trouble. It was an important step into the offseason for Jackson.

Defensive player of the game: Call it a tie between DeVonte Fields and Josh Harvey-Clemons, who both had major impacts on the game. Fields had his best game of the season, sacking Texas A&M quarterback Jake Hubenak three times. He tormented Texas A&M left tackle Avery Gennesy, who at one point in the first half picked up back-to-back false starts.

Harvey-Clemons, a much-maligned figure on U of L's defense in the second half of the season, came up big, too. The hulking safety had a free shot at Hubenak on a safety blitz in the third quarter and slapped the ball out of the quarterback's hands for a strip-sack, a fumble that James Hearns recovered. Later in the same quarter, he snatched a key interception that led to Louisville's fourth touchdown of the game and gave the Cards a two-score lead.

Where the game turned: Harvey-Clemons, after checking back on Hubenak mid-play, adjusted himself to make a leaping, fingertips interception at the Louisville 27-yard line. It came at a time when Louisville was clinging to a six-point lead and needed some momentum, and the Georgia transfer provided it. U of L went 73 yards in seven plays after the pick, capping the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Keith Towbridge, who was wide open in the end zone.

Key stats: This one comes with the obvious caveat that Texas A&M's two primary quarterbacks transferred, which left Hubenak, the third-stringer, at the helm. That said, A&M (8-5) came into the game with an impressive 43.2 percent conversion rate on third downs, but the Aggies struggled on Wednesday, hitting on just 6-of-18 tries.

What went right: The pass rush was really effective for Louisville, especially early on. DeVonte Fields was disruptive as ever, and Sheldon Rankins and James Hearns had solid games, too, until Hearns's late-game hands-to-the-face penalty that kept alive Texas A&M's last-gasp drive. Beyond that, the offensive line did a solid job for Jackson, who did a lot of work with his own legs, but he did have running lanes and space to operate.

What went wrong: The game got off to a rather surprising start, with senior linebacker James Burgess, one of the key cogs in Louisville's defense, getting ejected from the game after a targeting penalty on the first play. It was a disappointing end to what has been a very productive career for Burgess. Later in the first quarter, one of Louisville's top pass rushers, Trevon Young, was taken to the hospital with a hip injury after he was carted off the field. Those two incidents, and the brief back injury for cornerback Shaq Wiggins, put a damper on Louisville's otherwise impressive first quarter.

We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off

Not a word, from your lips
You just took for granted that I want to skinny dip
A quick hit, that's your game
But I'm not a piece of meat, still you like my brain

Night is young, so are we
Let's get to know each other better, slow and easily
Take my hand, let's hit the floor
Shake our bodies to the music
Maybe then you'll score

So come on baby, won't you show some class
Why you want to move so fast
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance & party all night
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance and party all night (all night)
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh!

Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na!

Just slow down if you want me
A man wants to be approached cool and romantically
I've got needs
Just like you
If the conversation's good
Vibrations through and through

So come on baby, won't you show some class
Why you want to move so fast
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance and party all night (all night)
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh!
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance and party all night (all night)
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh!

Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na!

So come on baby, won't you show some class
Why you want to move so fast
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance and party all night (all night)
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh!
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance and party all night (all night)
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh!

Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na!

Shots

I'm sorry for everything
Oh, everything I've done

Am I out of touch?
Am I out of my place?
When I keep saying that I'm looking for an empty space
Oh, I'm wishing you're here
But I'm wishing you're gone
I can't have you and I'm only gonna do you wrong

Oh, I'm going to mess this up
Oh, this is just my luck
Over and over and over again

I'm sorry for everything
Oh, everything I've done
From the second that I was born it seems I had a loaded gun
And then I shot, shot, shot a hole through everything I loved
Oh, I shot, shot, shot a hole through every single thing that I loved

Am I out of luck?
Am I waiting to break?
When I keep saying that I'm looking for a way to escape
Oh, I'm wishing I had what I'd taken for granted
I can't help you when I'm only gonna do you wrong

Oh, I'm going to mess this up
Oh, this is just my luck
Over and over and over again

I'm sorry for everything
Oh, everything I've done
From the second that I was born it seems I had a loaded gun
And then I shot, shot, shot a hole through everything I loved
Oh, I shot, shot, shot a hole through every single thing that I loved

In the meantime can we let it go
At the roadside that
We used to know
We can let this drift away
Oh, we let this drift away
At the bay side
Where you used to show
In the moonlight
Where we let it go
We can let this drift away
Oh, we let this drift away

And there's always time to change your mind
Oh, there's always time to change your mind
Oh, love, can you hear me?
Oh, let it drift away

I'm sorry for everything
Oh, everything I've done
From the second that I was born it seems I had a loaded gun
And then I shot, shot, shot a hole through everything I loved
Oh, I shot, shot, shot a hole through every single thing that I loved

In the meantime can we let it go
At the roadside that
We used to know
We can let this drift away
Oh, we let this drift away
At the bay side
Where you used to show
In the moonlight
Where we let it go
We can let this drift away
Oh, we let this drift away

And there's always time to change your mind
Oh, there's always time to change your mind
Oh, love, can you hear me?
Oh, let it drift away...

Notre Dame: 2014-15 ACC Men's Basketball Champions

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Jerian Grant scored 24 points and No. 11 Notre Dame took over with a 26-3 second-half run to rally past No. 19 North Carolina 90-82 on Saturday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.

Pat Connaughton added 20 points for the third-seeded Irish (29-5). They went from trailing by nine to up double figures with a stunning burst that seized momentum in what amounted to a road game and sent the program to its first title in any league.

Connaughton came up with a pair of 3s during Notre Dame's go-ahead run, with the Irish getting into a fast-paced, free-flowing attack set loose by a few ill-timed turnovers by the Tar Heels (24-11).

When it was over, Notre Dame had turned a 63-54 deficit into an 80-66 lead on Connaughton's dunk with 2:54 and largely silenced a home-state UNC crowd featuring plenty of blue in the Greensboro Coliseum seats.

Ohio State: 2014-15 College Football Playoff National Champions

ARLINGTON, Texas – The promise of returning the Ohio State Buckeyes to national prominence was enough for Urban Meyer to end a brief coaching sabbatical back in 2011.

Three seasons later, the job is done, although the program is just getting started.

Ohio State won the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship here Monday, defeating Oregon 42-20.

The Buckeyes overcame four turnovers thanks to the power running of Ezekiel Elliott (36 carries, 246 yards, four touchdowns), the brilliant play of quarterback Cardale Jones (16-of-23 passing for 242 yards, a passing TD and a rushing TD) and a defense that swallowed the vaunted Ducks attack, forcing six punts.

"This goes down as one of the great stories in college football history," Urban Meyer said in regards to Buckeyes' improbable championship run.

For Meyer, a 50-year-old native of Ashtabula, Ohio, this is his third national title, adding to his two at Florida (2006, 2008). He also posted non-championship undefeated seasons at Utah (2004) and Ohio State (2012).

The most remarkable thing about this team is that it arrived seemingly a year ahead of schedule, full of talented sophomores Meyer believed would form a title contender next season. OSU will certainly open the year at No. 1 in the polls and a favorite to repeat.

The dominance of these Buckeyes (14-1) opens up the question whether Meyer is college football’s top coach, a title most often given to Alabama’s Nick Saban.

It’s a subjective title that spurs debate online and through talk radio. Saban’s four national titles (three at 'Bama, one at LSU) still trumps Meyer by one.

However, these Buckeyes showed Meyer at his best, recruiting and then meshing talent into a cohesive unit, developing players to maximize their ability and finally instilling them with confidence and motivating them to victory.

Ohio State was a betting underdog in each of its past three games against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon. Jones, a redshirt sophomore, started the season as the third-stringer but was more than ready to step in immediately and, if anything, improve the offense when needed.

And a defense that was physical enough to go toe-to-toe with 'Bama, proved versatile enough to contain a tricky, fast-paced Oregon offense led by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, who played well (23-of-34 passing for 310 yards and two touchdowns) but after the game’s first drive couldn’t get the Ducks moving like they often do.

A combination of old-school, smash-mouth strength and modern spread principles make the Buckeyes offense a nightmare to prepare against. The defense is both physical and fluid. And the team just doesn’t rattle, overcoming an early season loss to Virginia Tech and running off 13 consecutive victories to give the Big Ten much-needed national credibility.

Meyer is now 142-26 overall and 37-3 in Columbus, where he coveted the chance to revitalize a program he grew up rooting for under legendary coach Woody Hayes.

He left coaching for a year to concentrate on his health and spend more time with his family. He returned, in part, because the possibilities at Ohio State were too great. He vowed to bring an SEC mentality to the Big Ten, stepping up recruiting and competitiveness.

Now he has the title to signal the return to excellence.

And who knows how many more are coming to Columbus, where he is just getting started.

Ohio State: 2015 Sugar Bowl Champions

NEW ORLEANS -- Urban Meyer had barely sat down after the Allstate Sugar Bowl when someone told him the score from the other semifinal game.

He started to bolt from his chair, feigning a sense of urgency with another game left against a team that wiped out the defending national champion.

"We've got to go get ready for that one,'' Meyer said.

Actually, he's not intimidated in the least. Meyer knows he's got a pretty good team, too.

Cardale Jones turned in another savvy performance in his second college start and Ezekiel Elliott ran for a Sugar-Bowl record 230 yards Thursday night, leading Ohio State to a 42-35 upset of top-ranked Alabama in the second semifinal of the College Football Playoff.

The No. 4 Buckeyes (13-1) kicked off at the Superdome right after No. 2 Oregon finished its 59-20 rout of reigning champ Florida State in the Rose Bowl Presented by Northwestern Mutual.

Now, it's on to the Jan. 12 College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T in Arlington, Texas.

Denied a shot at his fourth national title in six years, Alabama coach Nick Saban has no doubt Ohio State can hang with the high-scoring Ducks.

"They're capable of playing with any team in the country,'' he said.

Meyer also likes his team's chances.

"We're good enough,'' he said. "That was a sledgehammer game. That was a classic.''

This is what Meyer had in mind when he took over at Ohio State in 2012, having taken a year off from coaching after leading Florida to a pair of national titles. Coming from the Southeastern Conference, Meyer knew what he had to do. Recruit more speed. Bring a more athletic style to the plodding Big Ten. Turn Columbus into the SEC North.

After just three years on the job, he's one win away from a national championship. And, for the first time in nine years, the SEC won't be part of the championship game.

"Maybe the Big Ten is not that bad,'' said Meyer, whose team rallied from a 21-6 deficit. "Maybe it's pretty damn good.''

Jones threw for 243 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown to Devin Smith that put the Buckeyes ahead for good early in the third quarter. He also ran for 43 yards and converted a crucial third-down play with a spinning, 1-yard dive and Ohio State clinging to a 34-28 lead.

On the next play, Elliott took a handoff, broke one feeble attempt at a tackle and was gone for an 85-yard touchdown that essentially clinched the victory with 3:24 remaining. Ohio State snapped an 0-for-10 futility streak against the SEC in bowl games, its only victory vacated by a scandal that cost former coach Jim Tressel his job.

Alabama (12-2) didn't go down quietly.

Blake Sims threw a 6-yard touchdown pass toAmari Cooper with 1:59 remaining. The Buckeyes recovered the onside kick, but Alabama got it back one more time after some questionable clock management.

The Tide's final shot ended when a desperation heave into the end zone was picked off by Tyvis Powell as time ran out, Sims' third interception of the game.

"I feel like I'm going to Disney World,'' a giddy Powell said.

Not yet. The next stop is Jerry's World in Arlington.

Or maybe Cardale's World would be more appropriate.

Jones started fall practice as Ohio State's third-string quarterback, moved up the depth chart when star Braxton Miller sustained a season-ending shoulder injury and became the starter for the Big Ten championship game after J.T. Barrett went down with an injury.

A 59-0 rout of Wisconsin showed that Jones was up to the job. His performance against Alabama gives him a chance to go down as one of the greatest replacement players in college football history.

Alabama hardly looked like the defensive powerhouse that coach Nick Saban is used to sending out, giving up 537 yards to the Buckeyes. Elliott scored on a 3-yard run with 2:55 left in first half to spark the comeback, and he wound up averaging a staggering 11.5 yards on 20 carries to earn the award as the most outstanding offensive player.

"He's probably the most underrated back in the United States," Meyer said.

For the second year in a row, Alabama's season ended at the Sugar Bowl.

This one was especially painful, costing the Tide a chance to advance in college football's first playoff.

"I'm proud of this team," Saban said. "They excelled all year long and kept Alabama at the forefront of college football."

But he never liked the feel of the game, even after Alabama raced to its early lead, taking advantage of a pair of turnovers and coming up with a pair of red zone stops.

"We really weren't stopping them. We had the momentum of the game because of the turnovers," Saban said. "We did not control the football game like we usually do."

Shaking off an interception, Jones led one of the biggest drives of the game at the end of the first half. He completed three straight passes for 37 yards, then broke off a 27-yard run up the middle when his receivers were covered. After a timeout with 19 seconds remaining, Ohio State pulled out a trick play -- and Michael Thomas pulled off one of the most spectacular catches of the season.

Jones handed off to receiver Jalin Marshall on an apparent end-around, Marshall flipped it to Evan Spencer coming the other way, and Spencer suddenly pulled up and threw toward Thomas. He leaped up to make a twisting catch and somehow got his left foot down just inside the line for a 13-yard score that gave the Buckeyes all the momentum going into halftime.

Ohio State kept right on going, scoring two more touchdowns to complete a stunning 28-0 spurt that pushed the Buckeyes ahead 34-21.

Notre Dame: 2014 Music City Bowl Champions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Notre Dame and senior kicker Kyle Brindza got the finish they had missed too often the last half of the season. Beating a Southeastern Conference team in southern territory only made it that much sweeter.

Brindza hit a 32-yard field goal as time expired, and Notre Dame upset LSU 31-28 in a Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl shootout Tuesday.

"This was a matchup that we had wanted at Notre Dame, and I know LSU felt the same way," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. "We wanted to be challenged. We were disappointed in the way we played obviously at the end of the year, and our guys wanted the opportunity to finish the season the right way."

The Tigers (No. 22 CFP, No. 23 AP) were unsuccessful on a fake field goal at the end of the first half, a call that stood on review even though replays appeared to show the ball crossing the goal line. The Fighting Irish (8-5) also blocked a 40-yard field goal attempt by Trent Domingue early in the fourth quarter.

Kelly watched the fake field goal on the video board and thought the Irish stopped holder Brad Kragthorpe short. LSU coach Les Miles thought Kragthorpe scored and wasn't happy the play wasn't overturned for a touchdown. Miles also wasn't pleased at the lack of better replays that might have shown Kragthorpe got the ball over the line before his knee went down.

"The guy that carried the ball, forcing it, said he absolutely scored," Miles said. "Kids will be kids, but this guy's going to tell the truth."

Notre Dame got the ball with 5:41 left and never gave it back, driving 71 yards in 14 plays before Brindza finished off the win.

"We dictated the outcome by controlling the football," Kelly said. "Obviously, if LSU has the football with No. 7 (Leonard Fournette), he's a game changer. We certainly couldn't give them the football back."

Kelly went with sophomore Malik Zaire for his first career start, but he also played senior Everett Golson, using both quarterbacks on the winning drive.

Notre Dame held the ball for 37 minutes but finished with a 449-436 edge in total offense against the SEC's toughest defense thanks only to that final drive. Golson was 4 of 5 for 50 yards passing on it, including a 12-yard completion to Ben Koyack on third-and-10. Zaire finished off the drive with a couple of rushes to set up Brindza.

Brindza had missed 6 of 9 field goals in the last five games of the regular season, including a 32-yarder late in a loss to Louisville.

"To leave a program so historic like this in this kind of fashion is great," Brindza said. "It's a blessing for me, but also to be able to help win a game for all my teammates is a bigger blessing."

The Fighting Irish were ranked as high as fifth before dropping four straight and five of their final six, struggling in the fourth quarter against Florida State, Northwestern, Arizona State and Louisville. Kelly set a target of controlling the ball for 9 minutes each quarter, and they beat that by a minute for the game.

Zaire rushed 22 times for 96 yards and was 12 of 15 for 96 yards passing. He threw for a TD and ran for another. Golson was 6 of 11 for 90 yards passing, and Kelly said the senior needed a painkilling shot after taking a hit to his ribs earlier in the game.

LSU (8-5) lost for the first time this season to a team not from the Southeastern Conference's Western Division. Fournette ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns, and the freshman also returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score.

Miles said after the game he heard media reports that defensive coordinator John Chavis is leaving for Texas A&M but planned to make another pitch to keep the coach nicknamed Chief.

The Tigers' final three touchdowns took all of 38 seconds. Fournette had his kick return, and his 89-yard TD run later gave the Tigers their first lead of the game at 28-21 with 6:14 left in the third quarter. In between, Anthony Jennings connected with John Diarse on a 75-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

But LSU didn't score again after Fournette's TD run, the longest play from scrimmage in this bowl's history. Isaac Rochell blocked Domingue's field goal attempt with 11:56 left.

Late in the first half, Notre Dame stopped LSU at the Irish 1 on a third-down pass, so the Tigers lined up for a field goal attempt. But Kragthorpe took off on a fake, bumping into teammate Terrence McGee on his way to the end zone. Officials ruled Kragthorpe short, and the call wasn't reversed.