Latest news with #CollegeFootballPlayoffNationalChampionship
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Steelers Reach Out to Fans Upset By Player Attendance at Trump Rally
President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump wave as they depart the field during the College Football Playoff National Championship between Clemson University and Louisiana State University Monday, Jan. 13, 2020, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks) The Pittsburgh Steelers have responded via e-mail to fans upset about the appearance of current and former players at a rally held by President Donald Trump on Friday, asserting that they did not represent the team and that players are free to support political candidates of their choosing. Steelers starting quarterback Mason Rudolph, special teams captain Miles Killebrew and Hall of Honor member Rocky Bleier joined Trump on stage during the rally at U.S. Steel's Irvin Works plant in West Mifflin on Friday. The rally was put together to celebrate Trump's proposed deal to allow the merger between U.S. Steel and Japan-based Nippon Steel to go thr Advertisement Bleier presented Trump with a Steelers jersey with the No. 47 on the back, and called him an 'honorary Steeler,' while Trump feted Rudolph during his remarks to the crowd. 'I happen to think a really good quarterback is a man named Mason Rudolph,' Trump said. 'I think he's going to get a big shot. He's tall, he's handsome, got a great arm, and I have a feel he's gonna be the guy.' The Steelers responded via e-mail to fans and season ticket holders that had reached out, upset about the players' appearance alongside Trump. Steelers Now obtained a copy of the e-mail. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first reported of its existence. 'We understand that a recent rally in Pittsburgh has generated a range of reactions from our fan base. Our alumni and current players make their own individual decisions that reflect their views, and they do not necessarily represent the view of the entire Pittsburgh Steelers organization.' Advertisement The Rooney family has political ties on both sides of the aisle, with former chairman Dan Rooney serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland under President Barack Obama. Before his support for Obama and service in his administration, Dan Rooney had been a staunch Republican. Patrick Rooney Jr. and Tom Rooney, both nephews of Dan Rooney, have served as Republican legislators from Florida. Former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis campaigned for Kamala Harris leading up to the 2024 election, and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz held an event at Acrisure Stadium. Former Steelers Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell supported Trump and spoke at a campaign event in Western Pa., before Trump attended a Steelers game against the New York Jets last season. This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Reach Out to Fans Upset By Player Attendance at Trump Rally Advertisement Related Headlines
USA Today
2 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Texas A&M among SEC's top playoff contenders according to ESPN FPI Rankings
Texas A&M among SEC's top playoff contenders according to ESPN FPI Rankings With 88 days remaining until Texas A&M kicks off against UTSA, ESPN's Football Power Index Rankings place the program in the upper echelon of Southeastern Conference teams in many categories, including odds to reach the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship. According to updated post-spring power index metrics, the Aggies' 17.9 FPI ranks as the eighth-best in the country this season. The program also ranks No. 11, with a 34.3% chance of making the College Football Playoff and 2.1% odds of reaching the national championship. Here are the 2025 FPI national championship odds via ESPN analytics: These odds only amplify the difficulty of Texas A&M's 2025 schedule, which ranks as the 10th-toughest schedule in college football. Under second-year head coach Mike Elko, the Aggies are set to face six teams ranked in the top 20 for national title odds. The SEC also ranks as the top conference with the most programs projected to reach the 2025 College Football Playoff: SEC - 4.6 playoff teams, 61.4% national championship Big Ten - 2.9 playoff teams, 25.5% national championship ACC - 1.6 playoff teams, 8.3% national championship Big 12 - 1.2 playoff teams, 1.7% national championship Independent - 0.5 playoff teams, 2.4% national championship To reach the playoffs, the Aggies will need strong performances on both sides of the ball. That sentiment should be a realistic expectation with the talent Elko has retained and the new athletes added via the transfer portal. Texas A&M's returning sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed has all the potential to be a breakout star for the Aggies. With electric targets like NC State transfer wideout KC Concepcion and former Mississippi State wide receiver Mario Craver, combined with an athletic and physical running back in Le'Veon Moss joining him in the backfield, Reed will have plenty of playmakers surrounding him on offense this season. Via ESPN's power ranking analytics, the Aggies went from No. 20 to No. 10 in the best projected offenses this season. They also rank as the No. 11 defense in the FPI, a 12-spot improvement from last season. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kenny Dillingham Cites Oregon When Making Bold ASU Prediction
Kenny Dillingham Cites Oregon When Making Bold ASU Prediction originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Oregon Ducks will hope to continue their success in the 2025-26 season after an incredible first year in the Big Ten Conference. Formerly of the Pac-12 Conference, the Ducks ran through the Big Ten to an undefeated regular-season record. Advertisement After the Ducks narrowly defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes in a thriller, many thought they had what it took to win the College Football Playoff National Championship. After defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Big Ten Championship, the Ducks were awarded the No. 1 overall seed. However, almost a month off proved to be too much, as the Ducks fell in a rematch to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Kenny Dillingham cites Oregon when making bold ASU claim If things had fell differently, there would've been a slight chance that the Ducks could've matched up against one of their former Pac-12 rivals in the Arizona State Sun Devils. Advertisement The Sun Devils, coached by former Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, also received a first-round bye for winning the Big 12 Championship, placing them on the same side of the bracket as Oregon and potentially setting up a semifinal matchup. On3's Pete Nakos interviewed Dillingham, who spoke on building something special at Arizona State rather than looking to be hired at a bigger school. In the interview, he used Oregon and Clemson as two main examples. 'You have Clemson this last cycle, from 2010 to 2020. They just showed up. People think they've been around forever," said Dillingham. "You have Oregon from 2000 to 2010. You can go back in history and figure out which teams have shown up in which era. "There hasn't been a team in this era, in the 2020s. The lifestyle you have in Arizona, if we can create some staff consistency, and then we're in a league where we can continually compete to win.' While turning Arizona State into a powerhouse like those programs, it's not out of the question that they could be a perennial power in the Big 12 Conference. Under the new College Football Playoff format, the Sun Devils wouldn't have received a top-four seed, as they did last season. Advertisement The Sun Devils making the College Football Playoff is a considerable achievement in its own right. But now, a question arises. Can Dillingham do it again? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Fox Sports
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
College Football Playoff format reportedly changing to highest-ranked teams
One year after the inaugural season of the 12-team College Football Playoff, another change in playoff format is taking place. Beginning next season, the four highest-ranked teams will receive the top four seeds in the College Football Playoff (CFP) and a first-round bye, ESPN reported on Thursday. This decision was made by the CFP management committee during a call on Thursday afternoon. Last season, the top-four ranked conference winners received a top-four seed and a subsequent first-round bye. Now, the top-four ranked teams overall will claim the top-four seeds, as opposed to having to win a conference; independent Notre Dame, which made the playoffs last season as an at-large bid, can now claim a first-round bye. Oregon (Big Ten), Georgia (SEC), Boise State (Mountain West) and Arizona State (Big 12) were the top four seeds in last season's playoffs, as they each won their respective conference. All four teams failed to win a playoff game, with each of them losing in the quarterfinal round. The Ohio State Buckeyes, who were an at-large bid, won last season's College Football Playoff National Championship, as they took down Notre Dame, 34-23. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience College Football recommended Get more from College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ben Roethlisberger Makes Bold Prediction for Steelers Day 3 Rookie
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jack Sawyer at practice on May 9, 2025. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sees big things in the future of Pittsburgh's fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer. The Pittsburgh Steelers passed on other positions of need to strengthen their already star-studded outside linebacker room with Ohio State's Jack Sawyer in the fourth round (No. 123) of the 2025 NFL Draft. But former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn't think they'll ever come to regret that decision. Advertisement 'You can see that that dude has every potential to be a captain at some point on this team' Roethlisberger said on the latest episode of 'Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.' 'Dude is gonna be good, I think. I almost forgot about him in the draft. When we picked him, I was like, 'Oh, I remember. Yeah, that's a good pick.'' Sawyer, 22, did come at great value ranked as the No. 67 overall player on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board. So it wouldn't be a surprise if he was the highest-rated player on Pittsburgh's board. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound defender recorded 59 tackles (25 solo), nine sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception and six passes defensed while leading the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2024. Advertisement His most notable play came in the Cotton Bowl when he strip sacked Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and returned it for an 83-yard touchdown to seal the game. Jack Sawyer, Ohio State Athletics However, Sawyer is joining a very crowded room, which already includes T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. That's why many question what his impact will be as a rookie or even in the next couple of seasons. Roethlisberger is not among those, though. Instead, he thinks it will be a good thing for Sawyer's long-term development. 'I think it's great because he's going to get to learn behind some studs, maybe one of the greatest to ever play the game in T.J., Alex, who's a high-motor, high-quality, high-character guy that is a really good football player as well,' Roethlisberger said. 'And he's all for learning. He's not coming in being like, 'I'm the dude.'' Advertisement In four seasons at Ohio State, Sawyer registered 144 tackles (68 solo), 23 sacks, six forced fumbles, one interception and 10 passes defensed. This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Ben Roethlisberger Makes Bold Prediction for Steelers Day 3 Rookie
