source Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images College football is back, and even though no games have been played yet, we already have a sense of which teams have the best shot to make the fifth installment of the 4-team playoff at the end of the season. We still don’t know precisely how the committee picks the final four teams, but we have learned a few things over the years. We know they like the SEC and Alabama. We know they generally prefer conference champions if most other criteria are in the same ballpark. And we know they don’t like to give bids to Pac-12 and Big 12 teams in the same year. With what we have learned so far, we have some idea of what teams need to do to make the playoff. Below, we ranked the top 20 teams in the country based on their chances to make the playoff. 20. Florida State AP Rank: 19 Key games: The Seminoles get a tough test right out of the gate against Virginia Tech. They also have road games against Miami, Notre Dame, Syracuse, … [Read more...] about College Football Playoff Power Ranking — The 20 teams with the best chances to make the playoff
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Small man, big dreams: Chanatip flies in to fire Thailand King’s Cup quest
Chanatip headed the crucial injury-time goal that propelled Consadole Sapporo to a 2-1 win over V-Varen Nagasaki in the J-League on Sunday, his second goal of the season. “I feel great in terms of my mental condition as I just scored for my team before I came back to Thailand. I’m happy that I contributed to the team’s victory,” said the 24-year-old, who is on loan from SCG Muangthong United. The diminutive striker, just 1.58cm (5 feet 2 inches) tall, has rejoined the national team for the first time since last September’s World Cup Asian Qualifier away to Australia, which Thailand lost 2-1. Chanatip, who first played for his Thailand country in 2012, is sure to win his 43rd cap on Thursday and will be aiming to score his sixth goal for his country. He appreciates the Thai fans’ hopes of the national team completing a hat-trick of King’s Cup tournament wins and says the players will do all they can to make I come true. “Becoming a … [Read more...] about Small man, big dreams: Chanatip flies in to fire Thailand King’s Cup quest
Football: Defiant Pochettino proud of Spurs despite Juve collapse
LONDON - Mauricio Pochettino insisted Tottenham had nothing to be ashamed of after three minutes of madness ended their Champions League challenge in a painful 2-1 defeat against Juventus. Defiant: Mauricio Pochettino Tottenham were on course to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2011 when Son Heung-Min rewarded their first-half dominance with the opening goal at Wembley on Wednesday. After the first leg finished 2-2, Son's strike put Pochettino's side ahead on aggregate, but Juventus completely flipped the script in the second leg of the last-16 tie with a stirring second-half fightback. Gonzalo Higuain punished poor Tottenham marking to steer in Juventus's equaliser and Paulo Dybala bagged the winner three minutes later with a cool finish after splitting the hosts' poorly-executed offside trap. It was a bitter blow for Tottenham and the loss raised fresh questions about their ability to win major trophies under Pochettino. But, yet to land any silverware with the … [Read more...] about Football: Defiant Pochettino proud of Spurs despite Juve collapse
Sprinters find there’s always a greed for speed in football
By Morgan Campbell Sports Reporter Sun., March 4, 2018 Olympic sprinter Akeem Haynes signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last month hoping to fulfil a deferred dream. Before he grew into the leadoff man who helped propel Canada to a bronze medal in the 4x100-metre relay in Rio, or ran 6.51 seconds to become the third-fastest Canadian ever at 60 metres, Haynes starred in football at Crescent Heights High School in Calgary. The 25-year-old illuminates a paradox about the market for world-class foot speed. Haynes has covered 100 metres in 10.15 seconds, but he has plenty of company. Roughly 100 sprinters will run 10.15 or faster each season. There are few players that run that fast in football, and teams will pay a premium for it. “Track is evolving and getting faster, and you can’t make a living at 10.1,” Haynes says. “It’s a tough market. (The CFL) pays better by far. By quite a bit.” Markham’s Andre De Grasse and … [Read more...] about Sprinters find there’s always a greed for speed in football
Blood test’s approval ‘big deal’ in brain injury diagnosis
By Lindsey Tanner The Associated Press Mon., Feb. 19, 2018 CHICAGO—The first blood test to help doctors diagnose traumatic brain injuries has won U.S. government approval. The move means Banyan Biomarkers can commercialize its test, giving the company an early lead in the biotech industry’s race to find a way to diagnose concussions. The test doesn’t detect concussions and the approval won’t immediately change how patients with suspected concussions or other brain trauma are treated. But last Wednesday’s green light by the Food and Drug Administration “is a big deal because then it opens the door and accelerates technology,” said Michael McCrea, a brain injury expert at Medical College of Wisconsin. The test detects two proteins present in brain cells that can leak into the bloodstream following a blow to the head. Banyan’s research shows the test can detect them up within 12 hours of injury. It’s designed to help … [Read more...] about Blood test’s approval ‘big deal’ in brain injury diagnosis